The
Gryphon Gazette
April 2016
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The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School
• Volume XIV, Issue V
The inner deliberations of the honor council are completely secret, but the Gryphon Gazette takes Behind closed doors you...
Photo: Caroline Zummach ’18
Merryn Ruthling ’18
T
here is a secret group of students on campus. No one knows when they meet, where they meet or what they discuss. The results of their meetings are so classifed that no one who attends is allowed to speak of them outside of or after the meeting. This group of students is the Honor Council, and while the names of its members are no secret, its inner workings are a mystery to many students. Because all deliberations of the Honor Council are so secret, students are encouraged not to speak about their experience outside of the meetings. However, students were permitted to speak about their experiences for this article, as long as they remained anonymous. One student, who we’ll call Jennifer to protect her identity, said that going in front of the Honor Council was nerve-racking, but ultimately it helped her understand the consequences of her actions.
“I know a lot of people on the Honor Council, and that made me even more nervous because some of these people are my friends,” Jennifer said. “Sitting there in front of them and explaining what I did wrong and having them tell me what I did was wrong was something that made me really nervous. It also made me understand why I was wrong in doing what I did.” Perhaps the very fact that telling your peers and friends about your wrongdoings keeps you accountable is the reason that schools with Honor Councils and Honor Codes show signs of reduced cheating. Research shows that 93 percent of students at affluent schools have cheated in some way, whether it be plagiarism, copying answers or using electronic devices to find answers. However, according to a study conducted by Dr. Mollie Galloway, an assistant professor of education and counseling at Lewis & Clark College, fewer students attending colleges
with Honor Codes were reported cheating than at colleges that did not have an Honor Code. In surveys conducted in the academic years 1991, 1996 and 2006, 13, 19 and 8 percent reported cheating at “code schools,” compared to 31, 32 and 14 percent at “nocode schools.” When cheating or any other Honor Code violation happens at St. George’s, it sets in motion a process that may end in front of the Honor Council. The student who violated the Honor Code first meets with Dean of Students Mrs. Kalyn Underwood to discuss what happened. If Upper School Director Mr. Tom Morris and Mrs. Underwood agree that the situation warrants going to the Honor Council, the Honor Council takes over and meets with the student and an advocate that the student has chosen to speak on their behalf. Director of College Guidance Mr. Timothy Gibson has frequently been chosen as a student advocate for the last five years.
“It’s challenging because you are seeing students at moments when they have made mistakes and they are being held accountable, or they are being asked to explain why they would have done something that was inappropriate,” Mr. Gibson said. “But what I see most often is students really growing from those moments where they have difficult conversations.” The Honor Council is given the facts of the situation, and then, after listening to the student’s perspective, they recommend a minimum, medium and maximum course of action for Mrs. Underwood to take. Mrs. Underwood then discusses it with Mr. Morris, where they ultimately make the disciplinary decision. “I think the aspect of going and having to own up to your peers makes you think. It’s not about embarrassment or shame, but it makes you second guess,” Mrs. Underwood said. “It’s also helpful to me and Mr. Morris to have the student’s perspective. They are in
the midst of it, they’ve had those classes, they’ve had those teachers, they are in class with those kids, it’s really helpful to have their perspectives.” Although the Honor Council is helpful in reducing cheating and informing disciplinary decisions, it is not easy work. Students on the Honor Council are not allowed to discuss anything about the situations they deal with with anyone, no matter what they hear people saying or who is asking them about it. “The Honor Council does not take things lightly by any means. In the work that they do, they treat students with the utmost respect,” Mrs. Ayerst said. “It’s a very difficult thing because sometimes what is being said is not even close to the truth. The students that have been part of the Honor Council have done a fabulous job of supporting the culture and respecting the students.”
Features
Entertainment
Opinion
Cont. on Page 7
Top Stories News • Bunking at the Gryph-Inn • (p.3)
Sports Breaking records, breaking bones (p.4)
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Piecing together a better community (p.6)
• Let’s get physical (p.8)
• How to deal with denial
from your dream school (p.10)
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April
News
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The Gryphon Gazette
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STAFF Home away from home
Co-Editors-in-Chief
Miriam Brown ’17 Annie Vento ’17
St. George’s students help build treehouse
Advisor Dr. Margaret Robertson
Layout Editors Katie Boyle ’17 Elise Fong ’16 Laura McDowell ’17 Carolyn Lane ’18 Annie Murff ’18
Copy Editors Kendall LoCascio ’17 Laura McDowell ’17 Rachel Ducker ’17 Annie Murff ’18 Caroline Zummach ’18
Photo Editor Katie Boyle ’17
News Editor Carolyn Lane ’18
Features Editor Kendall LoCascio’17
Entertainment Editors Rachel Ducker ’17 Emma Pounders ’18
Sports Editor
Bayard Anderson ’17
Opinion Editor Web Editors
Elise Fong ’16
Grant Webb ’16 Jacob Peeples ’16 Eric DiNicolantonio ’16
Staff Writers Sam Hyde ’16 Matthew Blum ’17 Iona Yates ’17 Anna Harbert ’18 Merryn Ruthling ’18 The Gryphon Gazette is dedicated to serving as an authentic voice for the students of St. George’s Independent School. We at the Gryphon Gazette strive to be an open forum for student expression, to act in the best interests of the student body and to embody the principles of journalistic excellence.
Do you think we missed anything? Feel free to comment on the stories on thegryphongazette.org St. George’s Independent School 1880 Wolf River Blvd. Collierville, TN 38017
PHOTO: GRANT WEBB ‘16 The treehouse stands in the woods almost completed. After the idea first emerged in 2010, the treehouse will officially open on April 9.
Grant Webb ‘16
S
tudents will soon be studying biology in the biosphere when the St. George’s treehouse has its grand opening on April 9. The opening, which will feature a cookout and live music around the treehouse, is in celebration of several years of work. The year was 2010 when Mrs. Sarah Robertson approached her honors geometry class with a proposition for creating a treehouse on campus. In 2012, when the class of 2018 was in eighth grade, they drew the first blueprints for the treehouse, which stands behind the baseball fields. “We used trigonometry, did a bunch of measurements and drew blueprints,” Mrs. Robertson said. “It’s been in Mr. Gorham’s hands ever since.” Chaplain Mr. Brendan Gorham has kept up with the educational value for the treehouse by ensuring that students learn history while working on the project. “We could have [gotten] some construction team to do it, but instead, we had all the students bring up all the wood,” Mr. Gorham said about the early construction of the treehouse. “We had students pulling beams across the river like they did in river traffic, and we had a pulley system, which we used to
teach them about Archimedes and the Greeks’ early use of pulleys.” All the foundation was in place two years ago, but Mr. Gorham suggested some changes to the base. “The trees were healthy, they could handle it, but eventually they were going to die,” Mr. Gorham said. “We wanted it to last longer, make it safer.” The treehouse saw the most progress with the combined efforts of alumni Josh Walker and Kelsey Pepper. They dedicated two or three hours each week to working on the treehouse, although it was not that easy. “We got things like lumber and
the generator stuck in the mud, replaced the interior support beams and ran out of nails,” Walker said. After five years of work, the treehouse has finally entered its final stages of construction. “This year, we are finishing it. We’re getting the railing up, and we’re boxing it in to make it secure,” Mr. Gorham said. Classes have already started to use the treehouse. High school English teacher Ms. Heidi Rubín de la Borbolla took students on an excursion into the woods to perform scenes of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Mr. Gorham is encouraging students to come out to the treehouse’s grand opening on April 9.
Photo: Ms. Heidi Rubín de la borbolla Seniors perform a scene from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” for their English class. The treehouse will be open for school use after its grand opening on April 9.
CORRECTIONS AND RETRACTIONS: The St. George’s Gryphon Gazette strives for accuracy in all articles. However, mistakes are sometimes made. When this happens, you will see corrections here. Issue 4, Page 11: We mistakenly labeled the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as the act that granted suffrage to African Americans. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to overcome obstacles at local and state levels that hindered African Americans from exercising their right to vote.
April
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The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School
Bunking at the Gryph-Inn
Students look to serve more with help of new partnership Bayard Anderson ‘17
News
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Wondering what’s new?
New electives for 10-12: Mandarin Chinese III
“What is happening around there?”
“How can we be involved?” “How can we contribute?” “How can we help towards making this city even greater?” Serve901 coordinator Mr. Jeff Riddle hopes St. George’s students will start asking these questions starting on June 1. St. George’s announced a new partnership with Serve901 on Jan. 29. Serve901 is an organization that brings college students into Memphis to serve the community in hopes that the students will see Memphis in a better light and hopefully will consider living here. The goal is that the partnership will be multifaceted, but for now, the most noticeable facet is a space in the McLean Baptist Church that will be converted into a bunkhouse. For both St. George’s and Serve901, the new space is a welcome addition. The partnership will give students an opportunity to serve the greater Memphis area with more ease and another environment to learn. “It’s not just learning about how to be great citizens and great stewards of the community. It’s going out there and doing it,” junior Alton Stovall said. “We are going to be hands-on working with the brightest minds in the greater Memphis area in making Memphis an even better city,” Director of College Guidance Mr. Timothy Gibson added. Until recently, when college students came to Memphis, they would either have to sleep on the floor of a church or find a hotel to stay in. Now, the students will have a homebase with bunks, a kitchen and a common area. The space, nicknamed “The Gryph-Inn” by students, is not without need of a little revitalization. That’s where Ms. Claire Richardson comes in. Her task is twofold: make efficient use of the space and design it according to student input. On March 3, St. George’s students met with Ms. Richardson and Mr. Riddle to figure out what vision everyone had for the space. Students decided that the six
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Full-Year Course Prerequisites: Mandarin Chinese II
Intro to Engineering
Fall Semester Course Prerequisites: None Note: optional dual enrollment for qualified 11/12
Intro to Computer Programming
Spring Semester Course Prerequisites: None Note: optional dual enrollment for qualified 11/12
New electives for 11-12: Photo: Ms. Sarah Cowan Junior Alton Stovall talked service with Serve 901 leaders at the new SGIS bunkhouse. Stovall is one of many students who is excited to see the impact the new space will have on St. George’s and the community.
bunk rooms will have themes ranging from Memphis food to Memphis history and that students will vote on which places are incorporated into the space. The hope is that the college students will see the places mentioned in their bunk room, then go there, giving them a chance to explore Memphis. While the space will be mostly used as a homebase for service projects, it will not just be all work and no play. “Some of it will be service-related, some of it will be purely social. It’s a place where the lacrosse team can go down for a lockin or we can do a movie night or a game night,” Mr. Gibson said. “The opportunities for use are truly limitless.” Both St. George’s and Serve901 hope that the bunkhouse is just the beginning to a great partnership. “The real idea is that the bunkhouse isn’t the only aspect of this partnership. Ideally, we envision SG901 being learners of the city and the Vollintine Evergreen neighborhood that surrounds the bunkhouse,” Mr. Riddle said. “We envision St. George’s
students becoming neighbors.” As of right now, the goal for the bunk house’s completion is June 1, 2016. “We are still in the early construction process,” Riddle noted. “We will see how progress goes with different projects like the electrical, plumbing and bunk-building, as there may be some projects that can’t happen simultaneously.” A lock-in is also tentatively scheduled for the class of the 2017 to kick off their senior year the St. George’s way, with service in the community. The new space, already being called a “fourth campus” by some, will certainly give students the opportunity not just to serve Memphis, but to become a part of the community. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn all about their hometown and to see the best of their city,” Mr. Gibson said. Now, only time will tell if St. George’s students can rise to the challenge to strengthen the school community and the greater Memphis area.
Shakespeare’s Romances Semester Course Prerequisites: None
The Novels of Jane Austen Semester Course Prerequisites: None
Ethics
Semester Course Prerequisites: Religious Studies
Economics: Finance and Theory Semester Course Prerequisites: None
Economics: Management Semester Course Prerequisites: None
AP Physics C - Mechanics
Full-Year Course Prerequisites: Pre- or Co-requisite of calculus
Printmaking
Semester Course Prerequisites: None
Compiled by Jacob Peeples ‘16
Q&A with new Middle School Director Ms. Traci Osterhagen Brock Anna Harbert ‘18
Q: I heard you are working in Korea.
What work have you been doing there?
A:
My family and I moved to Korea three years ago for an adventure. We are working at Korea International School (KIS). It is near Seoul. All classes are taught in English and the students attending the school are a diverse mix of nationalities and ethnicities. Most students want to attend university in the United States, so the school feels much like an an American school. My role at KIS is the Director of Teaching and Learning. My primary responsibilities are to ensure teachers have the resources and professional development they need to be the best teachers they can be. My husband is a teacher at KIS, and our daughters attend school there as well. Living in Korea and working at KIS has given my family the opportunity to travel to places I never imagined I would visit. Something we didn’t anticipate are the friendships we have made with people now living all over the world.
Q:
Were you nervous when you visited St. George’s? What was your first opinion when you walked on the St. George’s campuses?
A:
Yes. I was very nervous! I spent the days before studying the information Mr. Peters shared and reading the website. I practiced answering the kinds of questions I thought I might be asked. I even planned what I would wear and changed my mind several times. When I arrived on campus, I was excited to see students and teachers at work. I love being in schools and enjoy visiting and learning about different schools. As the interviews started, I kind of forgot I was interviewing sometimes and was just curious about what makes St. George’s special. I was able to meet so many people that day and each expressed a dedication to the school and the hope to support its mission and good work. It made me excited, and I hoped the search committee and St.
George’s community would consider me as the next Middle School Director.
Q: What drew you to St. George’s? A: I really wanted to be a school Prin-
cipal/Director and looked at jobs all over the world. I hoped to find a school where I could do the work I love: supporting, teaching and learning in an environment where diversity is celebrated. St. George’s philosophy aligns with my own, and I believe it is going to be a great fit.
Q:
Is your family excited about coming to St. George’s?
A: My family is excited about coming to
St. George’s. My daughters will be in fifth grade and third grade next year. As with any change, they are a bit nervous about making friends, but I have shared that all of the middle school students I met were so kind and friendly that I’m sure the elementary students will be the same.
Q:
What is something you would want the middle schoolers to know about you?
A:
Something kind of fun to know is that I have completed two marathons. I’m not really a runner, and I’m slow, but I learned a lot about training, sticking to a goal and how powerful one’s body can be. After the first one, I wanted to do a second one faster, and I did.
Q:
You mentioned that the middle school years are very important. Any advice for middle schoolers from your experience?
A:
This quote from Maya Angelou is advice I remind myself of and is perfect for all ages, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.” SGIS has made me feel welcomed, and I am excited to learn and grow with you.
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April
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The Gryphon Gazette
Sports
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Breaking records, breaking bones Internal pressure drives players to injury
Carolyn Lane ‘18
Although senior Stephen Ogle has been
playing tennis since he was eight years old, he will not be playing during his senior year. As he side-shuffled to get a ball in a match earlier this year, Ogle rolled his ankle and broke his calcaneus bone, one of the main bones in the bottom of the foot, yet he continued to play. However, after nearly 40 minutes, he realized something was wrong and decided to get his foot checked out, and the next day, he showed up to school in a bright neon cast. Ogle’s injury experience is common in the world of sports. According to a survey sent out to the entire Collierville campus, 88.5 percent of 132 respondents who play sports currently or have played them in the past have experienced a sports injury, though some injuries may not have been as major as Ogle’s broken bone. Head athletic trainer Ms. Tina Cole was not surprised by this percentage. She believes that more athletic training and awareness can help prevent injuries. “I think that there needs to be more education on proper form, especially in females,” Ms. Cole said. “We have a program called Fusionetics that can help us identify the higher risk athletes, which I hope Garrett [Clouse] and I will get started over the summer.” Much like Ms. Cole, Athletic Director Tom Densford did not appear shocked to hear the 88.5 percent injury rate. “I would say that even if you did get 100 percent response back [on the survey] the number might grow or stay the same. I don’t think it’s an alarming number,” Mr. Densford said. “They’re going to be injuries, but there’s a lot of that is how you learn to persevere.” Sophomore Kate Seabrook started playing sports 13 years ago, and since then, she has experienced about 10 to 15 injuries. Her injuries have ranged from minor, such as jammed fingers and sprained ankles, to more major, like her broken foot. When it comes to the minor injuries, senior Mac McGuffee has a tape-and-play policy.
Photo: Carolyn Lane ’18 Athletic Trainer Mr. Garrett Cole evaluates sophomore Lathan Spadafora’s knee. Spadafora was one of the dozens of students that visited the trainer last week. “I think I put a lot of pressure on myself just to play through injuries, especially jammed fingers and stuff like that,” McGuffee said. “Just tape your fingers up and play.” Playing through injuries can be dangerous, however. During senior Sydney Spadafora’s freshman year, she pulled a muscle in her leg and reaggravated the injury by attempting to play while it was healing. “I pulled one muscle, then I kept playing on it, pulled another muscle in the same leg and kept making it worse,” Spadafora said. “I had to have a wrap for the state semifinals. It was really hard.” Although Spadafora was able to play while injured, some students experience injuries that are too severe for them to play. According to sophomore Carlos RiveraPeraza, who broke his ankle during a soccer game earlier this season, not being able to play is the worst part of being injured. “It sucks,” Rivera-Peraza said. “It’s really hard to watch [the game] because you know you can make a difference, but you’re
not able to.” Though being hurt is not something any athlete wants to experience, the injury is just as nerve-racking for coaches as it is for the players. Head football coach David Carter is filled with anxiety when players are hurt. “I can’t stand it. I hate it. It scares me,” Coach Carter said. “After the scare, it’s the make-sure-everything’s-okay and that thetrainers-are-doing-what-they’re-supposedto-do stage.” According to Ms. Cole, around 60 St. George’s students receive treatment from the trainers every week. Though injuries from playing sports cannot be completely avoided, Ms. Cole believes that conditioning can play a significant role in preventing minor injuries. “If you’re not properly conditioned and you continue to push yourself beyond your body’s limits, it will not end well,” Ms. Cole said. Many athletes believe this extra push, which tests the body’s limit, is a result of
the pressure they put on themselves when it comes to performing at a high level. 81 percent of St. George’s athletes have experienced some form of internal pressure at one point during their athletic career, according to a survey sent to the Collierville Campus. In fact, Spadafora’s internal pressure outweighs the pressure she feels from her teammates, parents, and coaches while playing. “I always expect really good things for myself and to play to my highest expectations,” Spadafora said. “I never want to let myself down.” While self-motivation can be the solution to problems academically, artistically and even athletically, athletes must understand their own bodies and where to draw the line. “Don’t overextend yourself,” RiveraPeraza said. “If you’re starting to feel pain, don’t play through it because you’re just going to hurt yourself.”
Have you ever been injured while playing a sport? 11.5%
88.5% Yes
No
SPORTS IN BRIEF Sam Hyde ‘16
Softball:
Track:
Water Polo:
Boys Lacrosse:
Up until last week, the softball team had been struggling, losing their first five games. However, the team won their first game March 29 against Rossville, 29-7. The team has a lot of senior leaders, so they are looking forward to improving on their record as the season goes on.
At the recent CBHS meet the Gryphons had a strong showing. Most notably, junior Marshall Shanks finished second in the 400-meter dash. In the 200-meter dash, sophomore Bryan Payne finished fourth and Shanks fifth. Sophomore Miaya Smith finished first in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. Junior Essence Davis placed first in the high jump.
The water polo team has been struggling to live up to expectations thus far in the season, with losses against MHEA, SBA and CBHS. However, the team is hoping to improve on some of the things that they have been struggling with and hope to make a run at the ship this season.
The lacrosse boys are currently 6-4 and 3-0 in their conference. With more conference matchups coming up, the team is optimistic about their outlook. Senior goalie Jake Lindow and standout junior midfielder Dawson Smith have especially contributed to their teams success in there respective positions.
Baseball:
Girls Lacrosse:
Tennis:
Boys soccer:
The girls lacrosse team is off to a solid start. Their only losses came in Atlanta against quality competition. They have a gauntlet of in-conference matchups coming up and will look to add to their undefeated in-state record.
The boys tennis team is off to a 2-2 overall start and they are currently 2-0 in their division. The team is anxiously awaiting the return of seniors Stephen Ogle and Mac McGuffee from injury. The girls’ team is now 5-1 and led by senior and defending state champion senior Claire Sullivan.
The boys soccer team is off to a rough start through six games, winning one and losing five. However, the team is looking very strong this year, and greatness may be in the near future for the varsity soccer team.
The baseball team is off to a good start this year at 9-5 overall and 1-0 in regional play. After losing last year’s senior sensation Connor Green, junior pitchers Graham Sisson and Travis Kelly have stepped up and are partly responsible for the team’s success.
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April
The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School
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Sports
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First time’s the charm Rookie athletes try something new been a year of trying new things for her. After acting in the fall musical “Bye Bye Birdie” and participating in mock trial this winter, both of which she did for the first time, Glosson thought she should “keep the trend going” with water polo, even though she had no prior knowledge of the game. Having never played water polo or even been on the swim team, Glosson has experienced her fair share of challenges this season. “It is so much harder than I expected,” Glosson said. However, Glosson said that the experience has been so much fun, and she feels like a part of the team already. “People helped me put on helmets and everything because I had no idea what I was doing,” Glosson said. Similarly, Cox is stepping up to the plate by playing on the softball team, the first outdoor sport she’s played. “It’s my senior year, and I obviously wanted to do something my last trimester,” Cox said. “I’ve never done a spring sport either, so I thought that it would be really cool to try softball.” Cox is also a varsity volleyball player and has been playing volleyball since her freshman year. To Cox, softball is different from volleyball because volleyball practice is held rain or shine, while softball practice is often cancelled due to the unpredictable spring weather. Cox also enjoys being part of the team because she gets help from the softball players that have been playing for a while. “Caroline [Zummach] was teaching me how to do things since she has played since she was in third grade,” Cox said. “It’s cool
to learn from younger people.” Stevenson, a first year athlete for the girl’s soccer season earlier this fall, had never played soccer for the school before. Stevenson said soccer differed a lot from other sports she had played, like tennis. However, Stevenson said she had fun being part of the soccer team. “Even though I wasn’t good, I still felt like a part of the team,” Stevenson said. “Everybody is together all the time, so there’s not a lot of JV [and] varsity separation.” Sims, another first year soccer athlete, credits soccer’s exciting feel for the reason he wanted to join
''Even though I wasn't good, I still felt like a part of the team.''
Photo: Mrs. Lane Franklin First-year softball player Keely Cox leads off from second base during a varsity softball game. Cox said she has really enjoyed learning from younger players on the team.
Annie Murff ’18
“I’m just learning as we are going on,”
junior Maggie Glosson said about her first year playing water polo at St. George’s. Glosson is just one among the many upperschool students who have become first-year athletes this school year, along with senior Keely Cox, sophomore Emma Stevenson and junior Beck Sims, to name a few. Glosson, who is playing water polo this spring for the first time, said this year has
the team, even though the last time Sims played soccer was 10 years ago in first grade. “I played lacrosse last year, and I play recreational basketball every year,” Sims said. “Lacrosse is not very similar to soccer, and basketball is in no way similar to soccer.” Despite the obvious differences between soccer, lacrosse and basketball, Sims said soccer has been enjoyable so far, and he feels like a part of the team even though he just started playing. Even with the differences in sports and levels of difficulty, all four of these first year athletes, including the many others, agreed that trying out for a sport for the first time was a great experience. “I definitely recommend trying out for a sport for the first time,” Cox said. “I think it’s awesome, and you get to meet so many new people.”
photo: Mrs. Michele Glosson Junior Maggie Glosson prepares to pass the ball. She was new to the team this year.
Dynasty duo Varsity golf team's future is in capable hands Sam Hyde ‘16
When you think of the word dynasty,
Photo: Mrs. Shawn Irving Davis Irving tees off at a tournament in Indiana. Irving is one half of the duo that is making St. George’s Varsity Golf team’s future look so bright.
your mind typically doesn’t wander to golf. Usually the word dynasty, when used in connection with sports, leads one to think of the 1990s Chicago Bulls or the 1980s San Francisco 49er’s. However, St. George’s Varsity Golf Team definitely falls under the definition of a dynasty as well, having won three state championships in three years. One of the key components to the team’s success is the fact that the Gryphons have two young, talented golfers in Winston Margaritis and Davis Irving. The pair were the highest scoring golfers in the recent state championship, and they are only sophomores. With two years left of eligibility and high school, they are hoping to add two more rings to their already crowded fingers. Margaritis is confident about the future of the golf program and believes that the team can win more state
championships during his time at St. George’s. Margaritas is also trying to build on his national ranking. Winston clocks in as the 76th best golfer in the United States for his age, per Junior Golf Scoreboard. “I have made many memories in my time on the team and I look forward to the next two years.” Margaritas said. Being such a force on the team at such a young age is very rare in sports. “Being able to place so well early on in my high school career is pretty cool,” Irving said. “It just gives me more confidence for the next year.” The seniors on the team feel that they are leaving the team in good hands, and they are equally confident in the team’s future. It’s not hard to see where their optimism stems from, seeing as Margaritas and Irving have both proven themselves as leaders on the course. The team will definitely miss their seniors, but it is being left with talented golfers who will work hard to keep the St. George’s golf dynasty alive.
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The Gryphon Gazette
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Features
Piecing together a better community
Challenges remain on the road to inclusion
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: MIRIAM BROWN ’17 PHOTOS: LAURA MCDOWELL ’17
Miriam Brown ’17 Kai Taylor ’17
F
or senior Paige Madison, the learning experiences in her fifteen years at St. George’s haven’t just been academic. She remembers how nervous she was on her first day of school when she joined 19 other students in the first class at the St. George’s Memphis Campus. Now, Madison is preparing to graduate with some of those same students, alongside others who began at a sister suburban campus in Germantown. Students from the two campuses, one prominently placed on Poplar Avenue in Germantown and the other in the middle of Orange Mound, coming together on a middle and upper school campus in Collierville has become one of the distinguishing
features of St. George’s. For Madison, that feature is what has helped her and her classmates learn from each other and grow together. “Coming through middle school and high school, there were tons of learning experiences,” Madison said. “It was new for everyone, and I think, in situations like that, you really get to understand how people react to certain situations, new things, new personalities and new people who are different from you.”
The Bigger Picture
This unique three-campus model and commitment to transformative diversity was what drew the current Head of School, Mr. Ross Peters, to St. George’s. “I was fascinated by the complexity of the school,” Mr. Peters said. “If you can do
the sort of work the school aspires to do in Memphis, you should be able to do it anywhere, so I was sort of fascinated by the idea that the school wanted to be part of something greater than itself.” Former school president Mr. Rick Ferguson was instrumental in the development of the Memphis Campus and the idea of creating a diverse middle and upper school. Not only did Mr. Ferguson grow up in Memphis, but he also grew up working at his father’s radio station, WDIA, the first radio station in the United States for African Americans. Thus, when Mr. Ferguson came to Germantown Campus, which had little racial diversity, he and the board of trustees saw an opportunity to have an early impact on race relations. “When I returned to Memphis to lead St. George’s, I knew our school needed to
become more diverse, more real world, in order to best serve our current students and to do our part to promote a more inclusive and enlightened community within the broader Memphis area,” Mr. Ferguson said. Memphis has a history of being a racially divided city that struggles to create and maintain a healthy, inclusive community, so if St. George’s succeeded, it would be an early model for race relations in a city with a lot of negative racial history. However, not everybody believed in the mission like Mr. Ferguson did. After the idea of the Memphis Campus was born, Mr. Ferguson went door-to-door in the neighboring community promoting the new model to families, but people were doubtful of his plans. “This doubt came from some members of the African-American community feeling
April
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The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School
that St. George’s was simply being paternalistic and undertaking this endeavor to feel good about themselves, rather than genuinely wanting to help provide a path to college for many who might need financial help,” Mr. Ferguson said. “Some within the white community questioned the addition of this new campus, wondering if academic standards would be lowered.” Other independent schools did not think that another independent school in the area was needed or feasible. “We learned early on that we would simply have to prove our intention was genuine through dedicated commitment, hard work and mostly through positive results,” Mr. Ferguson said. “Did we lose some families? Yes. Did we lose some board members? Yes. Yet, we believed deeply in what we were attempting, and still do today.”
Starting the Conversation In recent years, with the most diverse classes in the school’s history leading the charge, St. George’s has increased its focus on creating a more diverse, inclusive community and student body. America is experiencing a volatile time in its history. There have been controversies surrounding the deaths of African Americans in the hands of the police, including Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Freddie Gray, and protests over such incidents on college campuses, from the University of Missouri to Wesleyan College. Racial tensions appear to be at an all-time high, and St. George’s is not immune to these tensions. “I’ve heard stories of the N-word at other schools. Here, I heard we had an incident or two,” sophomore Shynia Smith said. “I feel like, if we have had more incidents, we just don’t know about them, but I also think we don’t have that many because we’re just not like that.” Smith’s impressions seem to be shared by a number of students who said in interviews that they had heard rumors of racial issues but had not actually witnessed incidents. Regardless, Smith favors increased dialogue about these rumors and any other racial incidents that occur. “I feel that sometimes we sweep racial issues under the rug when we should just talk about them more because, if we talk about them, we can move closer to getting the problems solved,” Smith said. “We need to know that these things are happening. We can’t act like we’re a perfect school because we’re not.” During the junior class trip to Victory Ranch in March, Mr. Peters said that it is easy to become more diverse but difficult to become more inclusive. St. George’s is currently the most diverse it has ever been, but that increase in diversity sometimes forces people into less comfortable interactions with people of different backgrounds. “I want every student at our school to feel as enfranchised in the school as anyone else,” Mr. Peters said. “That’s always an impossible goal to some degree, but it’s also the critical work.” Mrs. Brown believes these tensions are a sign of progress, a sign that the minority population has become large enough to make their voices heard. “We don’t know what we don’t know,” Mrs. Brown said. “Yes, in a perfect world we’d be intuitive enough to get it, but our reality, my reality, is that I don’t know [there’s a problem] until someone tells me. When they tell me, I will go to bat and do absolutely all I can to make it better.” Junior Noah Pope agreed that school administrators have good intentions, but that
“We believed deeply in what we were attempting, and still do today.” Mrs. Mim Brown*, middle school teacher and middle school Diversity Committee representative, was one of the parents who stood behind St. George’s and its mission during this time. “Obviously, we had no model. We were doing the best we could,” Mrs. Brown said. “I think we knew we were going to make mistakes. We have made mistakes, but the commitment to try to recognize the mistakes, work through them, figure them out, get better and make it work has been huge.” In spite of these mistakes, Mrs. Brown has watched the Memphis community begin to take notice and realize that St. George’s is passionate about creating a diverse, inclusive community. According to Mr. Timothy Gibson, Director of College Guidance and Student Life as well as Diversity Committee Head, about 25 percent of the St. George’s student population from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade are minorities, a percentage that has experienced much growth over the years. “What has begun to happen is, even though only so many students are at the Memphis Campus and transitioning over to the Collierville Campus, students from all over and families from all over who are committed to diversity are becoming interested in St. George’s,” Mrs. Brown said. “The mission of diversity took on a life that was even greater than the three-campus model.” Mr. Ferguson agrees that St. George’s, in its brief history as a high school, has already surpassed expectations. “I think we’ve exceeded where we hoped we would be at this point in our development,” Mr. Ferguson said, “and yet, many challenges remain as we seek to sustain what we’ve worked so hard to achieve.”
they often aren’t aware of what conversations students are having. “I feel like they really want students who are discriminated against to feel like they have a voice in the school,” Pope said. “If the school isn’t aware of it, the school isn’t going to handle it.” Sometimes this lack of communication is the problem. Sophomore Carly Owens said she felt that, other times, the problem goes much deeper. “I feel like a lot of people are open to race, and they are very accepting of other races, but I also feel like at the same time, a lot of people still aren’t open to diversity,” sophomore Carly Owens said. Owens believes there are two extremes in the school community: those who recognize there is a problem and those who do not. Junior Regine Miller expressed a similar concern. “I feel like there are some people who hold prejudices, maybe that they get from home, and that’s not necessarily their fault,” Miller said. “I feel like either they see a huge difference between us [people of different races] or there are people who are like, ‘Oh, I don’t see color.’ And if you don’t see color, you don’t see the issue.” Senior Sophia Quesada agrees that conversations about racial issues can be difficult when people have different educations on the subject, a concept that author Robin DiAngelo calls “racial illiteracy.” “We’ve all grown up in an in-between age, between the civil rights movement and true equality, when divisions between races are less obvious,” Quesada said. “Sometimes, this makes having conversations about diversity harder.” Mr. Gibson believes that, in spite of the difficulties, the school should have these conversations on a regular basis rather than just when issues arise. “I don’t want us to create a climate where conversations about diversity are always reacting to a problem. It’d be better if we
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were creating conversations that were designed to celebrate who we are as a community,” Mr. Gibson said. “If we live in a space that is more celebratory, perhaps we’d deal with fewer issues. When good things happen, when bad things happen, we want to talk about it.”
Looking Ahead
Smith believes that Meet in the Middle, a club created this year where students can freely discuss topics such as race, is a step in the right direction. Nevertheless, she believes that these types of conversations need to be held beyond the confines of a club meeting. Quesada said that, for any progress to be made, students first need to be more open to having these conversations. “They can give all the classes and chapel talks and programs about diversity that they want,” Quesada said, “but no progress will be made without a change in the student body’s attitude on it all.” Quesada said that not only must students have a change in attitude, but the rest of the community must as well. If everyone is on the same page in terms of what they want their school community to represent, St. George’s will continue on a path towards further improvement. “I ultimately want St. George’s to be a place of learning,” Madison said, “not only academics, but learning new cultures, new languages and really embracing the fact that the world is such a diverse place.” Madison thinks that if the school continues to improve the diversity and inclusivity of its community, it has the opportunity to become that kind of place. “I think St. George’s is on a good track as far as where we want to go,” Madison said. “We have a long journey ahead, but we have a good foot in the race.” *Full disclosure: Mrs. Brown is the mother of one of the authors of this article.
Source: Ms. Mim Brown Senior Paige Madison, as an elementary school student, works on a school computer. Madison was a member of the first class on the Memphis Campus.
Behind closed doors continued Additionally, it is difficult for Honor Council members to sit across from their peers and listen to them while they are talking about their mistakes. “The hardest part of being on the Honor Council is seeing your friends and people that you interact with on a daily basis across from you,” senior Sutton Hewitt, Honor Council member and Prefect of Honor, said. “It’s really challenging. You have to train yourself not to
be judgmental and see that it’s a learning experience and that they will benefit from this.” Students who go in front of the honor council receive their punishment and move on from the experience without further judgement or reminders from their peers on the Honor Council, according to another student who we will call Carol. “No one has mentioned anything,” Carol said. “I don’t know how much they
even talk about it with each other. I know they decide on the punishment together, and then after that it’s pretty much disbanded. They don’t really go back and reflect on it anymore, and they haven’t talked to me about it, I don’t think they’ve talked to the administration about it, and after the fact it’s just kind of done.” Although the process is not brought up again by Honor Council members or administration, Carol said that the experi-
ence continues to impact her. “When I first did what I did, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but after going through Honor Council and going through my punishment, I understand why it was such a big deal and why I should never do it again,” Carol said. “It definitely opened my eyes to understand that your actions at St. George’s affect a lot of people, not just you.”
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April
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The Gryphon Gazette
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Entertainment
Shakespeare remains relevant 400 years after death Emma Pounders ’18
I
’ve been a fan of Shakespeare since I was in middle school. I had a small role in my first Shakespeare play at the ripe young age of 13, and I’ve enjoyed reading his works both on my own time and in school ever since. Though difficult to grasp at first, his language captivated me, and I’ve grown to truly appreciate Shakespeare’s way with words. Shakespeare’s wit is timeless and adaptable, providing room for modernization and expansion. He has remained relevant for 400 years, and signs show that he isn’t planning on burning out anytime soon. Though I personally adore Shakespeare, he’s not always as popular among the masses. “One of the biggest problems I have with students is getting them to engage with the language,” middle school English teacher Mr. Pat McGraw said. “It’s not his plotting that makes Shakespeare great, but it’s really his language that, to me, sets him apart.” This is where modern adaptations come into play. When used as a tool to draw the attention of 20th century brains, modernized Shakespeare is made accessible and enjoyable. St. George’s students begin their relationship with Shakespeare in the seventh grade reading “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” His works continue to be taught up until senior year, where students are required to deepen their analytical skills by transcribing
monologues, learning scenes and performing portions of scripts. Mr. Jamie Roszel and Ms. Jennifer Vasil’s English II classes recently finished watching two different adaptations of the 1623 Shakespearean drama “Macbeth” as a means of deepening their understanding of the text. There are over 15 different movie versions of this production, and it continues to be remade over and over again, even today. Ms. Vasil’s classes watched the 2010 version, starring Sir Patrick Stewart and directed by Rupert Goold, while Mr. Roszel took an even newer approach with the 2015 version, starring Michael Fassbender and directed by Justin Kurzel. Shakespearean literature continues to be performed in front of live audiences as well, both on a grand scale and in the St. George’s classroom. St. George’s English classes in grades 10 and 12 recently put on scenes from “Othello,” “Macbeth” and “Hamlet.” Complete with costumes and their own setting, these performances were used as another angle from which to view Shakespeare and better understand him. Needless to say, you don’t have to perform Shakespeare to enjoy his works. There are many opportunities in the community and the entertainment industry as a whole for students to engage with Shakespeare. Our very own Tennessee Shakespeare Company puts on a full season of a show every year, and individual theaters in the
Photo: Mrs. Rubin de la Borbolla Seniors Alexis Margaritis and Kyle Mehmed pose for a photo following their “Hamlet” performance. Students have engaged with shakespeare in the classroom by reenacting plays and watching modern adaptations.
local area take on this endeavor as well, including Theatre Memphis and Playhouse on the Square. As for feature-length films, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is currently streaming on Netflix, and “Othello” can be found on Hulu. These are perfect options for those that would prefer an actual performance of a Shakespearean play as opposed to a cold reading of a script, which is what Shakespeare himself intended.
All of these adaptations give young people to opportunity to encounter Shakespeare in a variety of ways. “You can remake over and over again, but people are always going to want to go back to the basics,” sophomore Margo Valadie, an English student and thespian, said. “I feel like really good writers will always be remembered and preserved.”
“We are twenty one pilots and so are you!”
Concerts bring their crowds together
Photo: Anna Darty ’17 Members of the band twenty one pilots, Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph, perform on stage at their concert in Nashville. The band is among those that students have enjoyed seeing live.
Anna Darty ’17
T
he overhead lights cut. The countdown begins. 10. 9. 8. The music starts. The room is still black. 7. 6. 5. The screaming starts. The colorful streams of light flood the room. 4. 3. 2. 1. The crowd goes wild. The concert begins. Concerts have and always will be some of the most exciting events in my life. When you’re in a huge room with people who are all feeling the same way as you, it impacts you in a way that is nearly impossible to explain. Concerts make you feel like you’re a part of something greater than yourself. It’s a movement. A few months ago, I went to the twenty one pilots concert in Nashville, Tenn. If you read the entertainment section of The Gryphon Gazette often, you probably see my name a lot and most likely know that
twenty one pilots is my favorite band. I’m in love with the aesthetic of their sound and look. Their music deals with such real topics, topics no one wants to talk about, such as depression, suicide, anger and anxiety. Yet their music is such that it makes those topics seem beautiful with the rhetoric they use and the music they put behind the lyrics. Their concert was no exception to this beauty. With each song, the beauty and emotion of the songs they were singing to us became more and more apparent. To this day, I swear Tyler Joseph, the lead singer of the band, started crying with us during one of the songs. Concerts have a way of making us feel something we would otherwise try to hide. There’s a Dave Grohl quote that says,
“That’s the great thing about music. You can sing a song to 85,000 people and they’ll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons.” Something I love about concerts is the fact that, even though music affects each one of us differently, there’s something about being in the atmosphere of music, and the happiness and excitement of the concert, that makes it to where we are all one. In that moment, there are no differences between us. All of us are there for one reason: the music. I am no stranger to concerts. I’ve seen John Mayer in concert three times, Aerosmith from the third row, ACDC, Tom Petty, Bon Jovi twice, John Cougar Mellencamp, Jackson Brown, Goo Goo Dolls and U2. I’ve seen One Direction, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Carrie Underwood. I’ve been
to every Beale Street Music Fest since I was 11 years old. Each concert had a different atmosphere, but every one of them did share one thing in common, and that was the love of music. No matter the genre of music or location, each and every person in the audience was there because they loved music enough to devote their time to see the people who make their favorite music. Music is a way of connecting people from every walk of life. At the end of their concert, twenty one pilots always say, “We are twenty one pilots and so are you.” Concerts are proof that when put in the right circumstance, a group of people, no matter how different, can become one.
April
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The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School • Entertainment 9
Let’s Get Physical
NewsGryphs try exercise Kendall LoCascio ’17 Photo: Eric LoCascio ‘21
As Elle Woods said in “Legally
Blonde”, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Exercise is one of those things everyone hates but has to do. Exercising not only helps introduce positivity into your life, but it can also help you avoid serious health implications by reducing high blood pressure and improving your immune system. Men’s Fitness deemed Memphis the fattest city in America. Good job, everyone. According to fitness.gov, less that five percent of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical exercise each day. As of 2014, the obesity rate for the state of Tennessee is at 31.2 percent, and according to stateofobesity.org, we are the fourteenth most obese state in the nation. Exercising is a necessity, especially when we are surrounded by statistics similar to the ones above as well as greasy, garbage food. Cross-training is vital to the success of any athlete. If your workout typically revolves around weightlifting and agility training, take a stretching class like yoga. Cross-training will improve your craft more than you know because it will train your body to lengthen and react in different ways. There are a multitude of ways to exercise, but all forms either build strength, improve flexibility, work endurance or create balance.
Yoga
Best of student twitters
Yoga is an ascetic type of exercise that is all about breathing. Different body postures are held for long periods of time to increase core strength, flexibility and balance in the body and mind. Normal and hot yoga classes are offered around the city, and these are a great way to meditate and bring positive energy into your life. Personally, yoga is my favorite way to exercise. It is the perfect way for me to de-stress and reintroduce positive vibes
into my life. One common assumption made about yoga is that it’s only for women, which is completely false. In every yoga class I have taken, about one third of the class is male, so guys should definitely try this, too. If you ever find yourself stressed out and down in a slump, try a yoga class. It will help wash out negative energy and return balance and stability to your body and mind.
seat. The goal of pure barre is to provide an intense workout that is low-impact, thus protecting your joints. The typical pure barre class alternates between strength and stretching exercises in order to tone the body, avoid bulk and protect sensitive joints. Pure barre utilizes a ballet barre to perform small movements that tone your body and burn fat in recordbreaking time.
For all of you cardio monsters out there, kickboxing is for you! It works cardio and improves muscle shape in one workout. If cardio is not your strength, and it is definitely not mine, this style of exercise will be a significant challenge. Despite this, because of its upbeat energy and fun movements, kickboxing is something that everyone will enjoy.
Zumba Pilates Pilates is known to improve mental toughness and awareness. It focuses on the body’s core strength by working the obliques, lower back and inner and outer thighs. The goal of pilates is to engage every muscle in your body at the same time. You may be working one group of muscles in your body while stretching another group, but all muscles are affected. The chance of injury in pilates is much lower than with other forms of exercise, which makes it ideal to many people. Pilates is much more difficult than it looks. The small movements look easy but are designed to maximize the burning sensation in workouts to produce great results. Pilates is a difficult form of exercise to execute because it is easy to give up when the burning starts, but there are a multitude of modifications that can be made to make every position feasible.
Pure Barre Pure barre targets the areas of the body that people typically struggle with most: abdominals, arms, thighs, hips and
While it is very easy to get discouraged in a pure barre class, the key is dedication and persistence. It does get easier with practice, and the feeling of immediate nausea does go away. After taking three pure barre classes, I could see definite results, so if you are looking for a quick remedy
for the perfect beach body, this is definitely the workout class for you!
Kickboxing Kickboxing is an aerobic form of exercise that improves endurance and agility. It is a combination of boxing, martial arts and aerobics. Instructors of this class take moves from a kickboxer’s traning and choreograph them to music, which keeps things upbeat and helps you continue moving. This form of exercise includes moves such as jumping rope, throwing punches and doing footwork. Kickboxing can be difficult for some because it requires some coordination to do the intricate armwork and footwork.
If you are looking for an exercise class rooted in fun, and want to feel like you just left a party after each class, zumba is your type of exercise! Zumba takes classic dance and aerobic moves and sets them to music. The goal is to work every part of the body while continuously moving throughout the entire class. It is easy to stay motivated in a zumba class because all movement is done to upbeat music. For those losers who say exercising cannot be fun, I bet you haven’t taken a zumba class. Sometimes you won’t even recognize you’re working out because you are having so much fun dancing to the songs. Zumba, much like kickboxing, works cardio and tones muscles in one class. The goal is to continue moving throughout the entirety of the class, which can be a struggle at times. However, zumba is a great way to boost positivity, have fun and get in a great workout.
Spin There is no better word to describe a spin class than intense. Spin classes are great for men and women alike who want better legs. The burn starts five minutes into class and only gets worse as you go on, but the sense of accomplishment and relief you feel at the end of each class is satisfaction enough to make you want to come back for more. I love spin classes because you get to sit down and listen to music while exercising. Really, what could be better? This class requires a good amount of mental perseverance to not stop spinning, but if you want results and the feeling of accomplishment, I dare you to take a spin class.
10 April
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The Gryphon Gazette
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Opinion
The Last Hurrah: Why we need senior speeches
Photo: Iona Yates ‘17 Does having seniors recite speeches in front of their peers prepare them for the outside world? One student says yes.
Iona Yates ’17
I’ve always considered senior speeches
to be rites of passage. From the moment I moved over to the middle and upper school campus at St. Mary’s Episcopal in fifth grade, a senior speech seemed to be in my near future. Now that I am almost a senior at an entirely different school, I know that I won’t be able to give a speech or
experience others in my class give speeches since St. George’s has Senior Independent Study instead. Many may think I’m crazy because I want to get up in front of my entire class and recite a memorized speech about my life experiences. However, I feel like having to do senior speeches benefits me more than it hurts. Sure, it may be a tad awkward
and embarrassing to recite a speech, but if we all did it in Capstone class in the eighth grade, we can all do it now in twelfth. A senior speech is a time where a senior gets his or her own platform to speak on any issue that is important to them. The possibilities of topics to talk about are endless. Some people choose to be personal, others choose to be funny, and, a lot of the time, people mix the two. Oftentimes seniors don’t even talk about personal things, but rather they discuss topics they are passionate about. Experiencing senior speeches at my previous school I came to realize that with every speech, a different emotion was evoked from the senior class and the audience. Sometimes the senior class left in tears from just how emotional the speech was, while other times they left in tears from the comedic relief. In some rare cases, the senior class left in shock because the speaker had chosen to share something that no one knew about them. One trait that all these speeches had in common was that they evoked a closer bond between the speaker and their class. Leaving high school and going to college is a daunting thought for me. My biggest fear is regret, regret that I won’t form a close bond with everyone in my class and that I won’t know anything about their personal lives by the time we graduate. I know this may sound ridiculous: How could I possibly have a bond with everyone in my class?
However, I believe that, through senior speeches, we will all be able to learn something new about each other. Having to sit in a room and listen to my peers speak about their lives, wisdom, personal heartbreak or any other piece of themselves means that I will leave their speech gaining knowledge to a part of their lives that I didn’t know before. When trying to propose the idea of senior speeches to friends, the question thing they all asked was, “What about all of the people that are afraid of public speaking?” Little do they realize that having senior speeches would actually help combat this fear. One way to ease this fear of public speaking is by giving seniors the choice between speaking in front of the whole school in an upper school chapel or in the smaller, more comfortable Agape Chapel. This would help students control exactly who is listening to their speech. Also, the sheer fact that everyone in the class would be reciting a speech would allow students to become more comfortable and supportive of one another. Implementing senior speeches at St. George’s would help combat the public speaking issue directly. After reciting their speeches, students would feel a sense of accomplishment and adopt a “that-wasn’tso-bad” state of mind. Like it or not, public speaking is a significant part of the real world, and isn’t that what we are all preparing for?
Rejected?
How to deal with denial from your dream school
Jacob Peeples ’16
When I was applying for college, I
had my heart set on studying at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. I loved the campus, the buildings I would be studying in the students and professors. I believed that I would be accepted there without any problems, so I only applied to two other schools, Tennessee Tech University and Arizona State University. While both of these schools are strong schools, they were not what I was looking for in a college. I loved the Arkansas campus. Not only was it a beautiful school, but the location was perfect, and I would be able to do whatever my heart desired within the surrounding area. Then, the thing I was sure wouldn’t happen happened: I got rejected. I thought this single rejection was the sole end of my college career. Afterwards, I spent a week moping around, trying to figure out why I did not get accepted. A few of my friends and family members advised me to apply to colleges that I had no interest in attending, including the University of Memphis. While I didn’t want to study at the University of Memphis, I knew I didn’t have much of a choice. I quickly applied, and the next week, I was accepted. This is where I will be for my first year of college. At first, I felt like I would be stuck at Memphis for four years and that it wouldn’t be an enjoyable place for me.
After a while, though, I learned that this wasn’t my only option: I will attend the University of Memphis next year, but once I’m able to bring my grades up, I will be able to attend my dream school. I see this set-back not as a negative thing that happened to me, but as a way to grow more as a person. During senior year, I’ve noticed things about myself that I need to improve on. I know this rejection will help me because my work ethic was not ideal throughout high school, and this will serve as motivation in my first year of college to work harder as well as a time for me to ease into the college life. I believe that people should aim to find a college that is a perfect fit for them, both academically and socially. If students do not attend a college in which they are comfortable, they will not be able to grow and learn what they want to do with the rest of their life. Being rejected from a college gives students a chance to not necessarily go to their dream school, but it allows them to understand why they didn’t get in the first time. I am grateful for the friends and family who pushed me to apply to the University of Memphis. Without them, I would be running in circles to figure out where I will be spending the next year or few years. As it turns out, being rejected from my top school might have been the best thing that could have happened.
Illustration: Elle Vaughn ‘17
OPINION POLICY: The Gryphon Gazette opinion section is a venue for the free expression of student views at St. George’s Independent School. The opinions represented in this section are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the Gryphon Gazette staff or of the St. George’s community at large. The Gryphon Gazette strives to be an open forum for the thoughtful and deliberate exchange of comment and criticism, and therefore welcomes letter to the editor. Letters to the editor will be printed in the opinion section of the newspaper, should not exceed 300 words, and must be signed and accompanied by a verifiable email address. These letters will not be printed if the content is judged obscene, violates the privacy of others or encourages physical disruption of school activites.
April
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The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School •
Opinion
11
Prayer isn’t the only way to find meaning Why alternative chapels are necessary for inclusion Annie Vento ’17
I
f you look around in a chapel service, you will be able to quickly identify the students who are not saying the prayers. Some of them may be Jewish or Buddhist, others may be atheist or agnostic may even be Christian. However, since people don’t wear signs around their necks stating what they believe, everyone is left to make assumptions, leaving those who aren’t praying in a vulnerable position. I personally dislike organized religion, and after labeling myself as atheist, Buddhist and universalist over the years, I’ve decided I am unaffiliated. However, from fifth to eighth grade, I always said the prayers in chapels primarily because I didn’t feel that I had another option. I wasn’t comfortable telling friends I wasn’t a Christian, so I went along with it and ”prayed” with them. Looking back now, I can see how this may be viewed as sacrilegious or disrespectful, since I said the words but didn’t believe them. Yet many students at St. George’s, an Episcopalian school, see only two options: don’t pray and be subject to scrutiny and embarrassment, especially if you aren’t yet comfortable with your beliefs, or pray so you can blend into the crowd. Chapels are currently mandatory for all students, regardless of a student’s personal religious beliefs. Alternative chapels, like those offered for Ash Wednesday, should be offered more often. Alternative chapels were introduced to the St. George’s Upper School in 2006 by Chaplain Brendan Gorham, although they are led by any teacher who is interested. The annual alternative chapel service has evolved into a place where students from all religious backgrounds can gather to be spiritually engaged and learn more about themselves and the world around them. When I first attended an alternative chapel two years ago, the service itself ran differently than a normal chapel service. Instead of set songs, prayers and a chapel talk from one person, students
Photo: Annie Vento ‘17 A student looks straight ahead while his peers pray in the Agape Chapel. Alternative chapels were introduced to the St. George’s Upper School in 2006 and have evolved significantly since then.
rose one by one and talked freely about their spiritual beliefs or experiences with religion. The conversation included passages from texts such as the Bible and Tao de Ching, and each person’s “speech” usually arrived at how, regardless of your religious beliefs, you should always prioritize being a good person to others. These alternative chapels have the same amount of formality and meaning that regular chapels have. Just as traditional chapels strive to inspire students to be a better person or better Christian, alternative chapels also challenge students to think critically about their spirituality and internal moral code. However, the spiritual element in alternative chapels is more broad because they are non-denominational. At the beginning of March, juniors visited Victory Ranch for their annual class
trip, and on the last day, they separated into groups to create solutions for how to make St. George’s better. One group in partcular worked in the student life category to improve chapels. Because they recognized that not everyone who attends St. George’s is Christian, they wanted to create assemblies in addition to chapels. Students would still attend chapel services, but assemblies would be a non-denominational service where anyone could speak, and the structure would be less formal. One of the primary reasons they believed assemblies would serve St. George’s was, as they said in their presentation, “prayers aren’t the only way to find meaning.” Many students, such as this group of juniors at Victory Ranch, are beginning to find that our current chapel structure could be more inclusive
Regardless of your religious beliefs, you should always prioritize being a good person to others.
of all students. St. George’s states on its website that “our Episcopal values also lead us to our uncommon commitment to inclusion,” but we can do more to make sure that students never feel isolated and in the limelight when they don’t say the Lord’s Prayer. No student should ever feel like an outsider. Although St. George’s makes it clear that it is religious and attendance in chapels is required, many parents send their children to St. George’s regardless of the student’s wants, including whether or not the student wants to attend a religious school. Although this problem is more difficult to solve, the student day-to-day experience can become more enjoyable if their religions are not only tolerated but accepted and embraced. In order to achieve this acceptance, alternative chapels should offered in place of chapel services for students who feel uncomfortable with the current chapel services. Alternative chapels would still challenge students intellectually and spiritually, but their individual religious beliefs would be openly welcomed and encouraged.
Editorial
Senior privileges should remain solely for seniors We’ve all heard the rumors that senior
privileges will be extended to all high school students next year. For as long as students can remember, being a senior has meant going off campus for lunch, wearing different versions of Friday dress and parking in the closest parking lot. Senior year is a milestone, so these privileges are celebratory of the last year on this campus. Senior privileges do come with restrictions. Although seniors can play video games in the senior lounge, this privilege is not given until third trimester when the workload is light. Similarly, privileges aren’t given until senior year for a reason. For example, students are assigned a
study hall, usually a silent study, during freshmen and sophomore year. Giving them a routine to get used to teaches time management so that, when they are allowed to leave during senior study halls, they have learned how to manage their time effectively at home. Furthermore, when students have study hall together everyday, that shared experience builds community. Upperclassmen are generally more wise and responsible because of age and experience. Freshmen and sophomore year teaches you to manage time and follow the honor code, junior year extends some privileges to see if you can handle responsibility and senior year is a time when you’re completely independent and can even handle
leaving campus for lunch. Currently, only seniors are allowed to leave for lunch on Thursdays and Fridays. Although there have been rumors stating all high school students will be able to leave for lunch next year, it makes sense that this is solely for seniors because of safety and community. Driving off campus for lunch requires that seniors are responsible enough to make it safely there and back in one piece. Allowing underclassmen to drive off campus for lunch assumes that all high school students are safe drivers, which is statistically not the case. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors also build a sense of community when they eat lunch in the lunchroom together, from
bonding over accidentally burning themselves on the panini press to meeting new friends. By staying at school for lunch for the first three years of high school, students laugh, struggle and make memories together, however cheesy that may sound. While we recognize that seniors want these privileges for themselves selfishly because they have waited three years, having underclassmen stay at school for study hall or eat lunch in the cafeteria builds community and responsibility. By the time you’re a senior, you can be trusted going off campus for lunch and coming to school early and late if you have study hall, and these privileges will be able to prosper.
The Gryphon Gazette
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12 April
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Entertainment
Sagittarius Capricorn (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Scorpio
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Libra
You might be abducted by aliens this week. Not only would you enjoy this, but so would everyone else.
Your positivity is irritating those around you. Tone it down a notch. Everyone around you is miserable, and you should be, too.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Good job in finding the negativity in everything. There will be ample opportunities in the coming weeks for more of this attitude.
Aquarius
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Your inability to express emotion will lead you to do something unpredictable and make you feel something for once. Poor you.
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20):
You are the sole reason that early 2000s fashion is coming back. Shame on you.
It’s happening. The thing you have been avoiding for weeks is coming for you. Prepare yourself.
Your horoscopes for the week* Virgo
Aries
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
(March 21-April 19):
Don’t focus all your worries on just one thing. Instead, remember there are in fact a MILLION things to worry about.
Your adventurous spirit will lead you to do something spontaneous. Here’s a suggestion suggestion: Do it.
Leo
Taurus
You’re a natural-born leader. You should start a cult.
This is a big week for you Taurus. However, your stubborn, persistent nature will make it very difficult for you. You probably got this. No pressure.
(July 23-Aug. 22):
Cancer
(June 21-July 22):
You’ve cried too many times this month. Here’s something else to cry about: midterm is in two weeks.
Gemini
(May 21-June 20): You should buy a selfhelp book or 12.
(April 20-May 20):
*Side effects of following these horoscopes may include:
nausea, vomiting, loss of friends, drowsiness, insomnia, loss of social life, wart problems, referrals, dry mouth and temporary isolation induced anxiety. Nine out of 10 medical professionals recomended not following the above horoscopes.
Text: Kendall LoCascio ’17 and Laura McDowell ’17
Illustration: Elise Fong ‘16