The Review Jingle Bells Jingle Bells
Nov.lDec. 1985
Oh God, Exams!?! Before I start, I would like to answer a question that probably will pop into your head immediately upon reading this article. YES, I am a novice at writing for the newspaper. NO, you have never seen my name at the top of an article in The Review. But I hope you will overlook my inexperience, for I believe that you (at least most of you) will identify with the horror of my forthcoming description. The topic of my "description" is the trauma of mid-year exams. What is the date today anyway? What? The first of December? Only 19 days until winter break! Skiing! Hawaii! Boredom! Sleep! But wait-only12 days until-oh no-those sleepless nights surrounded by month-old tests and notes; book-a-phobia, coffee-a-phobia, room-a-phobia, phobia-a-phobia! Yes, I am speaking (dreadfully) of those nightmares that are not dreams, MID-YEAR EXAMS!!! You have worked so hard to absorb and comprehend those mathphysicsspanishenglish concepts all semester long, one day at a time. You will never be able to remember or re-
view them in time enough to pass those three hour quizzes. Remember last year? You stayed up until 7:00 a.m., only to get one hour of sleep before having to wake up to study chapter 2. Now if you were a good boy (girl), you would have studied each chapter more thoroughly during the semester so that you wouldn't have to review so intensely. Oops!-I'm a student and that's an .r)inion reserved for teachers and parents. Parents-they are always so comforting during that time of coming despair. Dad-always reminding you to start studying two months early, installing a terrible fear in you that there will be trouble if the grades don't "cut the mustard." Oh yes, they are trying experiences-those exams-destroyers of averages built by pure sweat and hard work; gray areas in an otherwise perfect high school transcript; bad Christmas (Hannukah) presents to your proud parents of the past. Well, enough mourning and self-pity-better be forewarnedwinter break doesn't arrive without paying the price. .
The Review
2
others and, thus, we have been accepted into one social circle or another. It is all right to want to be popular and to want to receive attention, but the ways in which many people go about getting attention are so false and so annoying that I feel I must write about them. There is one type of person that really annoys me. The type that I will talk about now are those folks that I call the "Pseudo Dumb People," or the POP's. There are two different types of POP's. The first type is people who come into a test saying that they have not studied at all and then proceed to make an "A" on the test. Why do they do this? They must think that it is cool to appear to be stupid, but that seems ridiculous. This is St. John's. We are all reasonably intel-
ligent, and we don't need to lie about the fact that we studied for the test. We are only lying to ourselves and annoying the guy sitting next to us when we get the test back. Nobody will (or should) dislike you if you work hard and make good grades which, believe it or not, is the reason you are here. The other type of POP's work on the same principle, except that they leave the test saying that they failed, and then get an "A." Now, seeing that we are all decently intelligent, I don't see any way that one could truly believe that he has made an "F" and then make an "A." Come on. Be real. Once again, we are afraid of being ourselves. It is a shame that people are made fun of for working hard and having a high average, Anyone who makes an "A" should be complimented, not ostracized. We're all in this together, and we don't need to change ourselves in order to be accepted. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, we're all popular. Don't be a POP. Leave that for our friends down San Felipe. The only reason we have POP's is the malice expressed towards the people who work hard. They want to appear cool so they try to appear dumb. We don't need any fake people, and we don't need the type that is so competitive that he can't accept the people with high grades. Let what will be be and be yourself.
thinking about the future). I must have been very dissatisfied with myself when writing this, for I collect anything and everything. You name it, I collect it. Throughout my life I've had collections ranging from corks and bottle-caps to Coke cans from foreign countries. In fact, it was a very trying point in my childhood when my mother unwittingly (or so she said) donated my entire cork collection to a day care center so that some kids could make little dolls. Perhaps in my subconscious I am striving for the day when I can bequeath my collections to the SJS library. Anyway, onwards. View #3 was something I felt had to be written down so that someone would try it sometime. It said, (fo confuse future generations, fill a time capsule with misleading information). I always thought it would be a great trick to play on our descendants. Just bury a few time capsules containing some pictures of the St. John's "skinhead" Rebels and ... presto! You've got the world believing we had suddenly regressed thirty years.
Yeah, I know, It'S pretty stupid; but it was just a thought. Who knows, maybe it'll make me famous. I have always loved watching horror movies because I thought they were so funny. With View #4 I took a stand against one class of horror movies. I said, (If there is life on other planets, why should the beings be "alive" according to our standards? Being alive to them may mean being inanimate to us. If each planet has its own definition of life, why should we be more concerned with life on other planets than with the non-living on the very same planet?). Then again, Invasion of the Dirtfrom Mars wouldn't really make for a good horror movie. I realize that by now your mind is practically bursting with these revelations, so I'll only give you one or two more. As I neared the end of my list of thoughts, I began to get a little more pensive, writing such mind bogglers as (If each cell in our body is a tiny universe, then a fat beggar can have more political responsibility than a thin president) or (If we can travel in time, then we've already happened to ourselves later, and what we do would have no meaning because history cannot be changed). In other words, the director of "Back to the Future" needs a good talking to. I have many more exhilarating journeys into the mind, but they can wait. If you can't wait, just tell the Review staff how much you enjoyed . this article and how much you want a sequel in the next issue. If you didn't enjoy the article, blame it on your personality and tell them anyway. By the way, if you have any thoughts on life that you would like to see published, just see me. lt was great talking to you. See you later.
Being Cool
by Will Fitzgibbon Attention. We all want it. We all need it. We can't live without it. I think that it is fair to say that it is a necessity. But the thing that really gets my goat is the way many people at St. John's go about receiving attention from others. We want to be the center of attention so badly that we become different people in order to receive it. I emphasize the word "we" here because I am as guilty as anyone else in trying to make my exterior seem different from what it really is in order to "be cool" and be a popular person. We have all been guilty of this crime at one time or another. We all want to have friends and be accepted in one social circle or another, and we feel that if we change ourselves in some manner or fashion, then we will receive attention from
Bill
00 ...
LIFE by Bill Michalski
I've always liked the idea of becoming famous. One day-years ago-I decided that if I wanted to become famous I had better write down any revolutionary ideas that came into my head. I planned on presenting them to someone important after a while and having them published. I eventually stopped writing them, but not before collecting quite an array of both practical and philosophical views. Now my wish has come true. I've chosen several of them for your enlightenment. So, without further ado, I present to you Bill's Views on Life. I've always loved money, and I've always hated when people said "Money is just green paper." If they think it's so worthless, then why not just give it all to me? To them I replied with Bill's Views on Life # I: (If money is just" green paper," then our world is just dirt and rock, oIJr brains are Just meat, and our imaginations are just meat by-products). View #2 concerned collections and ran as follows: (Collections are reminders of memories, and memories waste time that could be used for
Nov.lDec. 1985
The Review
Apathy Among Teachers
When I was deciding whether or not to attend <it.John's, I was told numerous things about why St. John's was special. The claim that struck me most, however, was that the teachers there befriended the students and enjoyed involving themselves in student life. Although this claim was not the only factor that lured me, it cer~ainl.y did influence my decision to attend. Up until this year, I found the claim irrefutable. Unfortunately, this year, in my search for judges for .the SAC ThIent Show, I hit the grim wall of reahty: there are many teachers who do not want to involve themselves at all in student life. I encountered many acceptable excuses for teachers' not being able to judge. Sometimes I was at fault by not giving the teacher enough of an advanced warning. Other times teachers were obliged to proctor study hall during a given eighth period. And still other times, a teacher really did have a pre-arranged tutorial on a certain day. Some of the excuses I got from teachers were so preposterous that they would have evoked the loudest of Dr. Raulston's laughs. I do not want to cite any of the ridiculous excuses I received from teachers because I do not¡ wish to ruin their misconceptions that they tricked me. Trust me, though, when I say that some of the excuses I got were absurd: the teachers sounded like students trying to make an excuse. Even among some of the teachers that agreed to judge, there was a sense of apathy and reluctance to participate. As you might have guessed by now, I was greatly discouraged by the teachers' hesitance to participate as judges in the student talent show. I do realize that the teachers have no obligation to ii,volve themselves in student life, but it is very pleasant to have a faculty that is interested in what the pupils do outside of the classroom. Neither I nor any other student truly has a ~g~t to complain, because at most other schoo.ls It IS a rarity for teachers to involve themselves In student life. Yet I am complaining. Because everything about St. John's, including the teachers, is supposed to be special. I know I do not have a right to demand a change. I simply request one.
by LeonDow
3
The More You Run Over A Dead Cat, The Flatter It Gets
Ahh the new school year. New friends, new books, new teachers, and new hopes for a passing grade in English. Unfortunately, with all this newness there is also a renewal of old controversy or, should I say, old rhetoric. And, surprisingly enough, this rhetoric comes not from our ~chers or our administrators but from the true pnde of St. John's: the student body. Yes, once again idealistic cries for independence and individualism can be heard resounding through the storied cloisters as the age old controversy overy~ guessed it-the uniform code rages on. Pitted on one side is THE ADMINISTRATION armed with the school directory and the dress code regulations held therein while, on the other s.ide, stands student body wielding slogans the likes of which have not been heard since the American revolution. I'm afraid we all know which side will win, as it always has, but perhaps no one has considered the harsh fact that maybe the administration should reign victorious. I have been at St. John's for five years and cannot remember a single year in which some complaint hasn't come up concerning the dress code. I must also say that I have seen more than one SAC candidate walk up in front of his or her peers and deliver the perenially empty. promise that he or she will stand up for student nghts and somehow get the uniform restrictions loosened. In all of these years there has not been a cha~ge in the dress code which has managed to satisfy all of the students all of the time. The best example of such a change is the recently imposed. sweater regulations. There was, of course, ~e addition of shorts for boys, but that concession actually resulted in increased student-~dmi~istration friction because of the extra stipulation of knee-length socks. The creation of an honors uniform for boys, another seemingly fair concession, has, if Leon Dew's article in the last issue of the Review is correct, also been looked upon with disfavor by many students. It seems
that either the uniform remains the same, and the malcontents arise; or the uniform changes, and more malcontents arise. Perhaps the reason that the no universally favorable dress code modification has come about is the lack of a substantial argument for such reform. I have yet to hear a truly practical reason for a change or loosening of the uniform rul:s. In fact the only side justifying their case ~Ith adequate claims is the administration. ~, the argument that a strict dress code Inhibits further competition among an already competitive student body is reasonable. We now spe~d roughly 4000-5000 dollars just to ~ttend this school; if we also had to buy clothes In or~er to keep up with the Smiths and the Joneses In the area of fashion, the cost would be outrageous! Furthermore, if the pride we show for our ~~l at pep rallies and athletic events is true pnde., It does not seem unreasonable that the same feeling should carry into the image we portray o.f our school. The restrictions set down by the uniform committee are meant to show our school as a respectable institution-an image which would not be evoked by our wearing anythin.g ,!,e wanted. The same logic is behind the restnction on earrings for boys. No matter what anyone ~ays to the contrary, society as a whole does not view boys wearing earrings as being very respectable. So how do the unhappy students respond to these seemingly practical arguments from the administration? They scream for independe~ce. They cry for individualism in a sea of belg:, blue, white, red, and plaid. They use rhetonc like' 'no one should be force to follow a rule that does not exist and should not exist." What's next? I almost expect to see someone stand up on a pile of recently outlawed sweaters and declare "Give my liberty or give me death!" The chant of "No uniformation without representation!" will begin to fill the halls. Sorry,. f~nc:>, but that won't work. It may sound pessirmstic and defeatist to say so, but things will probably not change unless the unhappy s~dents find a true, practical reason to back .t~elr demands. Keep in mind also that it is a pnvilege to attend St. John's, and, as a result, we should have the decency to follow its rules especially if the only inconvenience involved is not being able to w~ the clothing we would like to wear. It seems silly that so much has to be said about so little. Please, let's put an end to this age-old dispute be.fore we lose the voices which we can easily use In more. important areas.
by Kenny Schultz
Nov.lDec. 1985
The Review
4
Is there any right or wrong way to cut your hair? No, but are you ready to face the consequences of an "out of the ordinary" cut? Recently, the entire football team went and had all their hair lopped off. A "before the Kinkaid game" psyche? or an idiotic eye-opener? To heck with all' that, it's neither. We just did it. So, if you're all "a-twangle" about the big haircutting spree, please try to relax; hair tends to extend itself further down a child's head, if you allow time to roll by. But, if you, as a guardian, express great anger, that anger will blend very poorly with your child's hair-growing cells. Soon, you will find that his, or her, hair is something beyond imagination. I'm sure the kid knows he looks like a bad bird in purgatory. Even then, what does it matter? Okay, so the family reputation is at stake. You child has pink and orange hair; there is a Christmas party tomorrow. Yes, you've got a problem, but not if you handle the whole thing. Ask him
or her to sit politely in the center ot the room so that all the guests will be able to admire the wonderful ornamentation recently manufactured in the victim's hair. "You see what a lovely job the Christmas store did to my son here. He's replacing the tree this year. No stands, nothing." The chid is now a superb Christmas ornament. Indeed, that recent idea is worth nothing to any of you, and a highly improbable situation. Perhaps, on this other hand, there needs to be a little more imporobability in heat-land, and everywhere. If you child wants to be an ornament, don't hang him with a noose, hang him on his own little tree, and let the kid figure it out. Either he wants to look like a burr, or a root configuration, or he wants to resemble the business guy of the 80's who can never remember to make sure of things once he leaves the restroom. You know, we're all uptight. I am especially uptight with all the uptightness that ties up the lights of the rights. Sure, you've got to try to shape the kid into the master creation of your time, true. It's your kid, you take care of the thing. After a while, she turns her hair pink and never wears underwear. You get nervous and send her "fix her" school to be re-aligned. You can do that. You can let her figure it out on her own. You can scold, beat, ground, ignite, flush and scratch your child with peanut shells, but you still don't know what you're doing if your kid
keeps getting angry. There is a way to have a kid, with pink hair or not, who has a happy childhood and really loves his, or her, parents. There is a way. Parents of the future, we need to think on this. Was childhood good for you? Is it good for you? Map, it's Just as much our fault that our parents don't really know how to handle us alot of the time. Actually, I know absolutely nothing about the subject I just touched upon. I know very little of anything; but I'll tell you, I can sure have a good time pretending I know what I'm talking about. If you're angry, there's no real reason to be. 1'1J1 sorry if I create you that anger by writing such nonsense. But that's what I'm after, reaction. You get a "wild" haircut, you got to put up with the circumstances inevitable. I don't know about some of you guys, but I was real sad after all that hair cutting. You know when you look like a fool; you don't need anyone to tell you. To heck with all this.
tit
AILUlTI
Properties (713) 654-2121
Nov.lDec. 1985
5
The Review
Kinkaid VS.
St. John's? by Charles Still Of course two schools as similar as St. John's and Kinkaid, alone in Houston in a commitment to academic excellence, and with interaction so common outside of school-related activities, are going to engage in friendly competition with each other. Everyone connected with both schools wants to have bragging rights over people from the other school during their friendly associations with each other. Thus, a very harmless and simple rivalry. Right? Yeah, probably. Let's be realistic. There is absolutely nothing friendly about the St. John's-Kinkaid rivalry. Instead of being based on friendly competition, this rivalry is based on extreme dislike and insecurity. The signs are everywhere, but perhaps the best example of the nature of our rivalry is in the most obvious comparison of the two schools: the football game at Rice Stadium. Start with the night before the big game. Students not involved in the contest drive around with dozens of eggs intended for use on cars belonging to students from the other school. Then the actual game. It wasn't a football game; it was a war. I have never seen so many cheap shots in one game. Why? I can't speak for their side, but from our point of view, we just don't like those guys because they do things like publish articles in
their newspaper that say things like, "the least [St. John's] could have done was to have put some semblance of a football team on the field." Also, I frankly have no respect for seniors who go around bullying freshmen. You can't say that insecurity is not involved in the relationship of our two schools. Examine this typical St. John's-Kinkaid scenario: after being soundly beaten at Rice Stadium, St. John's justifies the loss by drawing on the fact that this year's senior class at SJS has 36 National Merit Semi-finalists compared to Kinkaids 10 and besides, Kinkaid recruits. Therefore, we conclude that we are much smarter than they are, which is the only thing that really matters. Kinkaid frets for a moment, but soon enough an article appears in The FaLcon stating that standardized tests are not accurate measures of intelligence. (Incidentally, I agree completely. Someone's common, everyday actions are a
AIDS: Society's Disease by Sanjay Mathew
As I was flipping through the newspaper the other day, I noticed the large number of stories that dealt with the now infamous epidemic AIDS, acquired immune deficiency syndrome. On the front page, reporters were questioning mayoral candidate Louie Welch about his inadvertant off-camera remark to "shoot the queers." This remark was made after he gave his four "common sense" steps to halt the spread of the deadly disease, which included closing "male houses of prostitution" and requiring food and health-service workers to obtain health cards. Later on in the paper, an article concerned a nurse who was accidentally stabbed with a needle used on an AIDS patient, and several editorials analyzed the political implications of the AIDS issue. It seem everything you read nowadays has something to do with this incurable virus, whose origin is still a mystery. Welch's porposals to
stop AIDS look fine and dandy, but can they reduce the staggering number of cases in Houston (370 as of this month) and subsequent deaths (213)? Before we can answer this question, we must pinpoint exactly who is affected by this epidemic and possible reasons why. From the latest statistics, 75% of sufferers are male homosexuals who spread the virus through sexual contact. But what about those drug addicts, innocent hemophiliacs and heterosexuals who contract the disease? Well, the truth is that less than I% of hemophiliacs have the AIDS carrying antibodies and the drug addicts are affected usually because they use contaminated needles (which they would not use if they had any brains). Those heterosexuals with AIDS are usually partners of bisexual males or drug users. Of course, there are still the reaL innocent victims: those who receive infected blood by transfusion, but the
much better indicator of intelligence. For example, some spirited Kinkaid students indicated their intelligence wonderfully when they proudly wrote on someone's car, "REAL MEN DON'T SHAVE THIER HEADS.") (No, there is not a typo in the last sentence.) And to this article we respond with snide remarks like the one I just made. So, instead of saying, "Well, Kinkaid has a better football team this year and St. John's has an exceptionally smart senior class; that's okay; we'll see what happens next year," we try to make justifications which end up causing more animosity between the schools. There is one more subject concerning St. John's-Kinkaid relations I would like to discuss: the rumors about Kinkaid's recruiting athletes. I am in no position to know or even speculate about the truth of these rumors. However, I do firmly believe that if winning athletic contests are so important to Kinkaid that they recruit athletes, then St. John's should not compete with them because they are no longer in the same class . because academic excellence is no longer the single most important goal of the school. But I will also add that if Kinkaid is attracting top athletes in other ways, then more power to them. My point, I guess, is simple: the rivalry between Kinkaid and St. John's is not a healthy one. For the past two years the level of animosity between the two schools has been incredible. Why don't we get along better? I don't really know. Perhaps it's human nature. Anyway, I would love to see the two schools grow closer together before I graduate, but I see no subsidence of the animosity in the near future. However, hopefully future classes at St. John's and Kinkaid will see the folly of the great rivalry and will work to restore it to a respectable level.
numbers of those victims are minuscule compared to the gay community's numbers. Which brings up an interesting point: is this a morality issue or a public health issue? Experts are saying that by next year the total number of cases in the U.S. will reach 20,000, which is double this year's total. Sure this is a public health issue (there was never any doubt about that) but we definitely cannot ignore the root of the problem: society's and the individual's immorality. The gay community demands equal rights, but do they deserve it when they pose a threat to non-homosexuals, especially infected blood transfusion victims? So what does the progay Kathy Whitmire feel should be done to alleviate the high Houston rate? She states: ''I'm not aware of anything else we can do, other than educational efforts" to stop the spread of AIDS. Does she mean educate the gays into leading moral lives? If that is the case, perhaps some light may appear at the end of the tunnel after all. Thus the AIDS problem seems to be here to stay. Should we "shoot the queers" as Welch joked? That would be more immoral than what we are fighting against. Quarantine them? No, that wouldn't be possible, or would it. ..
Nov.lDec. 1985
The Review
6
Foreign Students Oliver ... In case you haven't noticed, there is a new Junior boy at St. John's. His name is Oliver Michelson; he is from Helsinki, Finland. Oliver is here for the whole year (poor guy), and he is staying at the Wheat's house. Oliver likes football, basketball, tennis, soccer, ice-hockey, skiing, and wind-surfing. Back home in Findland, Oliver is a memher of a basketball club team, and has been playing for four years. This year, he hopes to play on the St. John's Varsity basketball team. In addition to other things, I asked him about what he thought of the U.S. and St. John's and how they compare to his school and his country. What he said was interesting. Oliver has come to the U.S. for obvious reasons: he wants to learn about it, he wants to experience it, he wants to learn English, and he wants to have a good time. (a must) When asked what he likes the most and the least about the U. S., Oliver said that he really likes the people but that he dislikes the transit system. This may have something to do with the fact that he has no driver's license. Also, he
thinks the drinking age is too high. In Finland, there is no drinking age. Oliver thinks the social life here at St. John's is "pretty good." It's very different from that of Finnish schools. He likes all the football games and big parties. "There is more activity" according to Oliver, and one can always have a "good time." Most students come from abroad to American schools with the goal of making good grades. Not so with Oliver: Oliver feels absolutely no academic pressure because this year will have absolutely no bearing on his scholastic record. Oliver has decided to add an extra year to his . high-school career and spend it in the U.S. Even though this year doesn't count, Oliver is still making an effort. He finds the academics to be very hard, especially English. Besides English, though, Oliver says that school here isn't that much harder than school in Finland. Oliver is looking forward to a good year here at St. John's. In addition to having a good time and learning English, he hopes to make many friends. So next time you see a tall, blond, bespectaled boy, who looks suspiciously Finnish, or Nordic at least, stop and say hello. You might want to get to know him.
I.
Ulrike ... I would like to introduce you to Ulrike Rehberg, a new face at St. John's. A junior from that bustling metropolis of Gottingen, West Germany, Ulrike has come with a purpose: she wants to master the language. Some sit in a confused state and wonder "why go to Houston to learn English? What happened to Great Britain and the Queen's English and 'hopefully' used as an adverb?" Hopefully you aren't among these blind fools, for it is obvious that she has come for that certain mystique that is the American Experience. First, the Experience involves a massive uprooting of the educational system. In Germany, one attends primary school and gymnasium through thirteen levels, -studying a wide variety of subjects. Among Ulrike's courses last year were: French, Latin, English, German, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Geography, Physical Education, and Art. This could entail a rather large amount of studying. Maybe that's the real reason she left.
Ulrike is staying with the Devault's, a family closely tied to St. John's. Bryan Devault, who would be a junior at St. John's, is staying in Germany with the Rehberg family. And he is missing the Experience. Having lived here for several weeks, Ulrike has found very little trouble adjusting to Houston, citing the greatest difference in daily life between the two cultures as the great contrast in the importance of the telephone. Because the use of the phone in Germany is a much larger expense, one does not simply "call to talk" like many Americans. As far as entertainment is concerned, Ulrike says that although there are many popular German musical groups, the biggest are the "American choice" groups. The British. Her favorites are Tears for Fears and The Police. Why are "our" bands so big everywhere? Everyone wants to get in on the Experience. Obviously. Ulrike, having had six years of English background, has not had an amazingly difficult time with the language. In fact, she seems to have become quite fluent. Thus, she has successfully undertaken the task she came to achieve. Ulrike says that she is enjoying it here very much.
by Wes Anderson
Nov.lDec. 1985
The Review
7
Pascale â&#x20AC;˘.. Pascale Campe, contrary to popular belief, is not a new computer language created by Mr. Escudero. She is a French foreign exchange student attending St. John's this year. Pascale was born in Belgium, and she grew up in Lyon in France. She is now living with the Lindley's in her new borne.Houston. Pascale has now experienced a drastic change in lifestyle from France to the United States, but she enjoys her new home in America. Pascale's life in France was much different than the lifestyle we lead in America. In France, she went to school at 8 o'clock in the morning. At 10 o'clock school was let out for a brief recess. During this time, she went to one of the many cafes lining the streets of French cities. At roughly 10:30, she returned to school after her brief snack at one of those many illustrious restaurants along the major thoroughfares of the city. A coffee shop, as you could call it, is where she and her companions would eat a light meal like a croissant and a beverage before returning to school. After her short break, she returned to her studies. At twelve o'clock she ventured again to her cafe for lunch. There she ate in a lethargic state, and conversed with her friends for a short time. After lunch, she returned to school and resumed classes. Her school day ended at sometime between four and five-o'clock, and she once .again returned to one. Q(!he cafes. Obviously, a
Being A Forelaner by Pascale Campe Being a foreigner ... ! I always met people around me who spoke about the problems of being a foreigner. I went several times to the United States, to England, Italy, Spain, Belgium, but I never felt like a foreigner. I just came for the holidays. Being a foreigner in this circumstance is a good deal: everybody pays attention to you and all you think about doing is having fun. I came to Houston for the first time on August ninth, and I have been a St. John's student since the beginning of the school year (already 2 months have gone!). I really enjoy the school even if I am with people younger than I am. In France, I was the youngest of my senior class now, I'm the oldest of the seniors. The faculty is very helpful. I want to thank them for helping me, especially Dr. Raulston, Mr. Egolf who guided me in choosing my courses, and Mr. Harper who helped me much when I had troubles. The teachers are very nice with me too, even my math teacher, who must tear her hair because of my bad grade in calculus. But math and me that makes three. I arrived at St. John's with a vague idea of the AmeriCan system. A,ll I know before leaving was . that I would have to wear a uniform. I was upset about this idea because uniforms were abolished in France ten years ago, but I got used to it (it's very practical: I don't have to think about what I am going to wear in the morning, and they are
cafe was a major part of a teenager's life in France. The night life of the city was very exciting because the crime rates are quite low in France. Therefore, young people are more secure than elsewhere in the world. Pascale led an exhilarating life in France. Pascale's lifestyle has changed greatly since her move to the United States, and her life at St. John's is much more exuberant than it was in France. At first she thought Houston was more metropolitan than her home in France, but now she savors the livelihood of our city. Although Houston does not have the night activity of France, she still appreciates her new domicile. At first she was rather dejected, but now she has returned to her loquacious self in her new environment. Despite her lack of a car, she still has a great aversion to the traffic of the city. Her school life has also changed in her move to Houston; in France she took eight courses a year in her old school including English, French, Italian, various math courses, philosophy, his- . tory, and geography. She also spent time traveling abroad. In her many wanderings she has decided that if you only take a vacation to a country you learn very little about the culture of its inhabitants, but if a person becomes involved in the community he or she gets more out of it. Pascale longs for her homeland, but she plans to see much of her temporary residence. She, in her short visit, believes that she can help enrich the St. John's family with her knowledge of foreign lands . not so ugly). The students are nice too, I found friends on the first day, but we are not best friends yet. The friendships need time. The first day, everybody said: "Hi, Pascale," and I did not know who it was. Because I didn't want to annoy any of them by asking who they were and where we met each other, I answered "Hi!" That was a very funny situation. I had the same troubles remembering the names, and there are some I still can't pronounce, like Hany. What a hard name to pronounce! Students still say hello to me, but except for some of them, I feel like furniture. They don't try to know me. I am with them and my identity is limited to: Pascale CAMPE, French girl from Lyon, AFS and St. John's student living with Millicent Lindley. I am more complex than that. The more difficult problem is losing my real identity, and sometimes I would like to go back to France and find it again around my friends, stop being a foreigner with another education, lifestyle and mentality. Sometimes I can't understand the American traditions, but I try to follow them because that is the goal of my year here: living like an American student. American and European cultures are so different. I really enjoy being here, but I hope this article will make people more concerned about the difficulties I (but also Oliver and Ulrike) have. Perhaps some people would like to help us by considering us as real persons who are very different, but who can bring them the opportunity to understand Finland, Germany and France. The only way to know a foreign country is to visit it, but also to get in touch with its inhabitants.
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The Review
8 More on College Counseling by Leon now and Shannon Liss
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Much has already been said and. written about that program at St. John's in which seniors are now taking great interest: college counseling. In a past issue of the Review its merits have been detailed, its goals have been explained, and its complaints have been examined. But, many students ask, how does this program compare with counseling departments at other area high schools? The answer to this question was obtained through interviews with students from three schools well-known to St. John's students: Kinkaid, Lamar, and Bellaire. The results were not alarming. In most respects, the college counseling processes at the four schools are very similar. The main difference between the four systems deal with the level at which certain ideas are introduced; there are also slight differences in the methods used. At Lamar, Kinkaid, and Bellaire, the students are first introduced to the college counseling system in their freshman year. At Lamar, fresh-
Nov.lDec. 1985
men start college counseling by attending college night. Freshmen at Kinkaid are given preparation talks by their college counselor. At Bellaire, the ninth graders actually meet privately with a counselor in order to discuss their futures. At St. John's, however, the students are not introduced to the college counseling process until the very end of their sophomore year. From about midway through the junior year on, the processes at all four schools follow the same path. Sometime during their junior year, the students meet with their counselor and discuss their college plans. During this time, the students at all four schools are offered a college night, an evening when representatives from various institutions visit the high school to provide information and promote interest in their colleges. Also, college representatives visit all four schools almost every day. One of the biggest controversies over the St. John's college counseling program is whether a full-time counselor should be employed. While the disadvantages of having counselors burdened with classes are spitefully enumerated, the advantages are often overlooked. Because the three St. John's counselors also teach (each a different subject), they have the opportunity to get to know students personally, rather than as a name and numbers on a sheet, and consequently can be better advisors in helping students choose colleges and more insightful writers of recommendations. Opponents of this system, however, point to Kinkaid's program, with a full-time counselor, as more advantageous. An advisor who does nothing but college counseling, said the interviewed Kinkaid student, has no distractions from this role and can give more time to building a link between colleges and the school. However, students attending Bellaire, which employs full-time counselors, do not feel the counselor's role is to foster tight bonds with colleges. This school has seven counselors, but their
, Jobs are not limited to helping college bound juniors and seniors. One is strictly a scholarship counselor, one a financial aid counselor, one vocational, and the others are assigned evenly to students based on grade or alphabetically. The counselors advise them on high school courses and future plans and get to know them well enough during these interviews to write recommendations. The Lamar counseling program is similar, with six counselors available to students for consultation, guidance, and information. The public high schools, with such large student populations, obviously require college counselors who can focus all their attention on counseling. However, in the smaller private schools, the decision is not as clear. Although the programs adopted by each are different, both have relative advantages and disadvantages and both have proven to be effective. Most college counseling programs, because they have the same goals, are simlar in most visible ways. However, a couple of noticeable differences were found. The Lamar College Night this fall was especially noteworthy. Participants from many high schools (intentional or not) attended this program at which representatives from over 115 schools were present. Additionally the program featured a book sale (books concerning college decisions and standardized tests), a financial aid seminar, and a room full of college counselors answering miscellaneous questions. Bellaire college counseling is being aided this
The Review
9
Playing the Game by the editor
A Brief Discourse On the Formation of Cliques
I came to St. John's in third grade. At that Playing the Game: Relationships time I remember noting that all of the popular guys knew the lyrics to all of the songs and, more Well, my last two articles in The Review have importantly, that all of the cool guys were good, been well meaning and have (I hope) made a , at sports. Whether it was four-square, football, point. This article, on the other hand, makes no or soccer, they always were the best. Luckily I point and has no meaning. Sometimes meaning . was also rather good at sports and quite quickly and points are more trouble than they're worth. I became one of the first four people picked for They can cause ill will and rough waves which a team. Later on, say sixth grade, the "cool" destroy the unity and simplicity that we all seem guys became the ones your mother warned you to crave. Sheep without meaning, point, or about: those horrible creatures who will probably cause; but all the happier for it. end up with a criminal record by ninth grade and then never be able to go to college. This upset Secondary Cravings That Become Primary my status as a •'popular" guy. My parent would have never allowed me to hang around with such We all have certain goals in life: some we ruffians. Until this date if someone came up to reach; some we don't. I've reached most of you in the hall and asked you who the "coo!" mine. On paper, at least, I'm a good guy; and guys in your grade were you would probably anthe paper don't lie, or does it? Everyone has his swer unthinkingly, Think about it. The "cool" own desires: money, popularity, academic guys are always the ones whom the girls like. Is achievement, and a host of others. I would like popularity ruled by girls, or do girls simply flock to succeed in personal relationships. I've thought to popularity? An interesting question. about it a lot. More than a lot. I just can't seem to do it. Relationships are pretty damn interestMore Excuses and Reasoning ing, to me at least. I guess that all relationships eventually have It seems that all of the relationships I attempt to die. Isuppose that we just weren't cut out for to cultivate end up on a strange course: relationeach other. I think I'm just too weird. Man, ships particularly with the other sex. Parents alyou've got to be a little less intense about things, ways say, "Now son, don't get in over your head. or no one is ever going to want to be around you. Girls just aren't important at your age!" , but they I don't have any hair anymore. You act really are. It seems that every time I try to have any weird at parties. Someone came up and told me sort of relationship at all with a girl my brain that you tried to fly. Ijust can't handle you. You gets significantly out of whack. I even have a act condescending. You're too shy. You're too hard time just "being friends." Something always gets twisted. And it is important. For what reason I cannot ascertain. It could very possibly be that I have always succeeded at whatever I tried, except girls. The really sad thing is that in the process of messing up my own mind I typically hurt the feelings of, or at least bother, the person sought after.
outgoing. I'll tell you what. You;re justplain ugly.
Playing the Game It seems that relationships are all just a matter of playing a massive game. Everyone has something he or she wants. If you want this ~rson to like you, you have to give them what they want. Over the course of jhe years, 1 have noticed that , very few people want someone who is strange or a bit out of the ordinary. I understand that. I've tried to play the game, and I just can't. Some day perhaps I will learn. I probably won't. It's just my nature to keep on trying.
Might as Well Keep Laughing My role in life seems to have fallen to that of a fool; typically knowing, but powerless to intercede. I try a lot to make people laugh. Sometimes it works. All we can do is laugh, laugh, and keepon laughing until we work our selves to death for reasons we will never ascertain. Life, relationships, and the whole muck require a sense of humor. What reason? The reason of life. Becoming, being, and ending is our role in life. If one single person tries to step out of that role, it seems that a sadness descends upon them and will not recede until the proper track is once again secured. The track having been found once again life can proceed as normal. So I'll keep on laughing as I stepoff ofthe path, and maybe one day a new path will be forged. But I doubt it. Don't even try to think about it.
Excuses and Reasoning At anyone point in time, I have probably come up with every single excuse or justification in the entire world for my inability as far as relationships in general (as opposed to in specific with girls).
year by a creatively novel organization devoted to the publication of Bellaire Comment on Colleges, a $2 booklet coming out around Thanksgiving. Students in this organization are personally reviewing forty colleges that are interesting to Bellaire students. Although there are some minor differences, college counseling at Lamar, Kinkaid, Bellaire, and St. John's is very similar. Different schools emphasize different aspects of college counseling, but they all have one common idea: that the purpose of college counseling is to guide the student in selecting and applying to a college. It is this important goal that benefits the student in the college admissions process.
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The Review
10
Editorial â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ More on Honors by LeonDow You might think that the last word had been written on the honor roll-but you'd be wrong. There is still light to shed on the issue. I write this addendum to my last article on the honors uniform for two reasons: as an apology for somewhat negligent journalism and as an elaboration of the idea that there is something very wrong with the honor roll system at St. John's. I must apologize for the somewhat sloppy job that I did on the outside research for my last article on honors uniforms. My main mistake was that, as Dr. Dwight Raulston helped me realize, the poll that The Review sent out was biased towards my viewpoint on the issue. Unfortunately, I did not become aware of its bias until after the article was printed. Another mistake I made was that I used the results of the polls only to a limited extent. The reason that I did not use the results of the poll more was because the polls were not answered honestly. This became clear when I saw that over 90% of the people responded that they made honors, which I knew to be untrue. Thus, though I had a valid reason for not using the results of the poll, I should have made that reason explicit in the article. In my last article, I argued that the honors uniform is detrimental in that it serves to embarrass those students who do not make honors. I now argue a related point: so many people are making the honor roll that it ceases to serve the function for which it was originally designed. Let me explain. When the honor roll was first designed, the purpose ws presumably to recognize students within St. John's that were doing very well academically. During the first quarter of this year, 71% of the freshman class, 71% of the sophomore class, 83% of the junior class and 80% of the senior class made honors or high honors. If indeed the purpose of the honor roll is to recognize academically superior students within St. John's, the honor roll is a joke. If over 80& of the students are given an honor, it is by no means a select group of students. Something, therefore, must be changed. There are two options. The first option would be to raise the standards for making honors. There are two ways that the standards could be raised. The first would be to raise the minimum grade to 85, for instance, and anyone over this grade would make honors. A second way would be to decide that a certain percentage of each class would make the honor roll. This solution, however, might cause even more competition. If the honors standards were raised, fewer students would make honors, and the honor roll would therefore be fulfilling the purpose for which it was presumably first designed. Many students are opposed to doing this, however, because they fear that they will no
Nov.lDec. 1985
Insecurity? Come On! In last month's Review, there was an article by the editor, entitled "Is Insecurity Worth $23,000?" which dealt with the various uses of senior class funds. This well-written article posed interesting questions and provided a rather radical viewpoint regarding class spending. The interesting idea of spending less money on the prom and providing a scholarship fund for needy students is a good one, and should possibly be considered by future senior classes. However, the main idea of the article, citing insecurity as the dominant factor in the class spending process, is ludicrous. Jason (I address you as the self-proclaimed "anchor man" for your cause. I'm not sure who ours is; I'll get back to you), you begin your article with a discussion of our class's purchase of the expensive stereo system. I agree with you; I could care less about our stereo being a $2,000 model-but that's what we voted for. I conducted the meeting where the vote was held, and the clear majority voted (to my surprise, I must admit) in favor of the expensive stereo. Nothing was "pushed through," as you state. in your article.
longer make the honor roll, which they consider important for listing on their college applications and for telling their parents. A second solution would be to re-define the purpose of the honor roll. If the purpose of the honor roll were to recognize absolute achievement, having 80% of the student body on the honor roll might be a bit more acceptable. In other words, if showing outsiders what St. John's considers to be a good grade were the purpose of the honor roll, it would follow that 80% of the St. John's students, an already outstanding group of students, might reasonably achieve this distinction. It is only under this definition, however, that it is acceptable for this high percentage of the students to make the honor roll. The problem with the honor roll, therefore, is that there is an inconsistency between its presumed purpose and the function that it really serves. It matters not whether the standards are raised or whether its purpose is re-defined, but if 80% of the students are on the honor roll, clearly something must be changed.
Stereos aside, though, the main disagreement I have with your article is on the subject of the prom. To suggest that class money be used for a scholarship fund (an admirable idea, I might add) is one thing, but to attack the intended use of that money, the prom and surrounding festivities, as due to insecurity is another! We only graduate once, and the prom is our last chance to be together as a whole class-a time to celebrate. On this occasion, a little glitter is muchdeserved. Through our numerous class projects (I hesitate to call them "hardships") we raised our $22,000 for the purpose of having a prom, a memorable one. As a member of the senior class, I feel no obligation to provide "justification" to anyone for our use of the money. In fact, I am invariably secure on this issue. As a senior, I want to spend the money on the prom because that's why we earned it, and that's what we voted on. Nobody's insecure. Ask around and I'm sure you will find that most people could care less about topping last year's prom. As for your only "real" evidence to back up your "insecurity" theory, the quote from last year's Garage Sale section in The Rebel-COME ON, Jason!!!! The statement that "(s)ure we didn't make as much money as last year's junior class, but we had a great time." is only one of pure fact. We did make less money, and we did have a lot of fun. I'll admit it would've been nice to beartne previous class's phenomenal record, but we're certainly not insecure about the fact that we didn't. Didn't you have a good time? I did, and, incidentally, that . was my quote. I can assure you that I was not wrought with insecurity when it was written. We voted on a prom, like it or not, and to label the majority in favor of it "insecure" (although your Constitutional perogative) is terribly offbase. There's no insecurity over here. From my narrow-minded, and hopelessly ultra-conservative viewpoint, I see our class money as securely spent. I thought about it.
by Lee Fleming
The Review
11
Interview ...
With Doc Who is that man who fills the cafeteria daily with his distinct euphonious laughter? Why, it's Doc Raulston of course, but this year we find him laughing about his new found power as academic dean. During one of those commonplace rebel football routs I was able to interview this man who now has the power to keep anyone of us from graduating. The Review naturally realized that we all must know something about ht enew man to whom we need be obsequious. Amidst his constant terming of my questions as "leading" and "open-ended," (culminating in his asking me if I enrolled in the Leon Dow school of leading question journalism) I was able to accumulate enough information to fabricate ~e following answers that will hoepfully let us view our new dean in the proper light. From my own short forty-five minutes with him I can safely say that Doc is a force that can be needlessly reckoned with, and who will always be close to and understand the students at St. John's. JOsh: What do you do/What is your position? Doc: I am Academic Dean and Director of Student Activities. As academic dean I am in charge of the curriculum, courses that we offer, the hiring and firing of faculty, things like that. As director of . . . or less responsi ic oriented studen 001 [but he does s Josh: Doc: yearposition? Josh: Doc: .1 offensive question. Josh: Were you forced into it? Doc: No. Mr. Maggart asked me if I would take the position and I gave it some consideration and then accepted. Josh: Is it much harder than you expected? Doc: It's a lot of work, if that's what you mean. Josh: Are you still going to have time to teach? Doc: Yes. I think it's important for administrators to teach. I will always teach at least one course. Not only does it keep you close to the
students and student opinion it lets you see what the effects of decisions you might be considering making really are on the classroom. Iwill always enjoy teaching and being at St. John's. Josh: By the way, some of the present instructors in the school were familiar with you when you were a student here. Has the new superiority over some of your old teachers caused any awkwardness or problems? Doc: No to me, no. But I suppose really you should ask the teachers themselves about it. Josh: Has your relation with SAC helped your Job at all? Doc: Oh yeah. It make sit easier because I know students through SAC that I would't ordinarily know from all grade levels. The advisory council has also helped me in that respect. Another thing that was helpful was being in on all the honor code trials for the last couple of years and understanding the process of things like that and how students feel about such matters. Josh: Do you think that incoming students who did not know you before think of you differently than students like this year's seniors who knew you pretty well before you changed jobs? Doc: Probably yes. They don't know me as much as an individual as they; do probably a figure or a symbol. Josh: A symbol of what? Doc: [This question provoked the euphonious laugh) ... I don't know. I guess as a symbol of ~ administration because I'm the one they deal with-they don't deal with Maggart very often, and I suppose with Mr. Lee in some matters, and with me in academic matters certainly. Jos~: Do you deal with college counseling? . Doc: College couns-elling is not part of my department. Josh: Do you think the complaints against the college counselling are justified? Doc: I t.hink we have a very strong college ~ounselhng program and that its major problem IS a perceptual one rather than a substitive one. Most people are not aware really of how good the job is. Certainly out of last year's senior class I think there were only two or three people who,
in my opinion, had what I would consider reasonably substitive grounds for complaints. A couple out of 106 or so is awfully good. The major problem is that we don't go around telling everyone how good it is so we compare unfavorably to other schools who do make a big point of it (Like Kinkaid). I honestly think the college counselling program is very good at St. John's, but I do realize that there are perceived problems. Josh: Do you deal with parents very often? Doc: When they have complaints that they don't feel are resolved yes, and then in a non-complaining measure I talk to parents of new students about information on various classes, and then also at mother's meetings. Josh: Do you plan on making any changes with anything at all? Doc: I have encouraged several students who have progressed beyond the courses that we ordinarily offer at St. John's to come in and take 'what essentially are directed studies with somebody, such as Math V or what Madame Stork is doing with some French students. I encourage that type of thing. There's one other major change that I made but Ican't tell you anything about it. Josh: What is your opinion of a school year abroad? Doc: The only problem is in the academic preparation, but I think it is very valuable for your language and your association with another culture. One will certainly learn a lot from it-I lived in France and Sweden while in college and it certainly taught me a lot. Josh: By the way, what was your college major? Doc: Biochemistry. Biochemistry and molecular biology are what my main scientific interests are, as well as chemical biology. A miscellaneous noteworthy quote: Doc: If you enjoyed your whole career as a student you wouldn't be prepared to deal with the realities of life after high school. And anytime ~ou want help with dealing with harsh reality Just come and see me.
by Josh Carter
Quote-of-the-month "You can use me." -
Martha Childress
Nov.lDec. 1985
The Review
12
No Time For a Part-Time Job by Marc Rosenblum "When I was your age I was working ten hours a day in a sweat shop," or so Grandpa says. Granted, it does sound somewhat like "I walked seven miles through the snow to school each day," but he really did work. "Of course I'm not going to give you money for tonight," Dad says, "why don't you work for your money?" "I do work; I do homework and schoolwork from when I get up until I go to bed." Part-time jobs are a valuable lesson in growing up. One learns responsibility; not just the responsibility of doing chemistry problems, but the responsibility of having to show up for work because people are depending on you. Having the responsibility of a job is much better practice for real life than the responsibility of school or a sports team. A part-time job also eliminates the nasty necessity of asking the folks for money. No money is quite as hard to spend or quite as fun to spend than the money one earns. Once again, practice for real life. The St. John's student is usually justified in his claims that he does work; no one can deny the hours upon hours of homework and extracurriculars every one of us puts in. Says Andrew Weaver, "Part-time job! I don't even have time to finish half of my homework." Of course, there are exceptions to any rule, Bettina Aczel works in a bakery and Nicole Poindexter peddles clothes in an Express shop. But both work only two nights a week, once during the week and once on the weekend. As a general rule the St. John's student has less time for a part-time job than students at other schools. Keith Vaitkus, new to . St. John's this year, had a job last year and over the summer, but he quit one month into this school year. Keith said, "I just don't have enough time anymore."
Is St. John's ripping her students off? Are we paying more than just tuition to come here? The students who don't have part-time jobs often wish they did. Sara Cosgrove tells me "If it weren't for the homework I'd probably have one." Students seem to be denied the money and the growing up process offered by part-time jobs in return for a "better education." Maybe a parttime job is a "better education" than most of the busy work that so much homework turns out to be. Most of us are familiar with the public
school distributive education program. This program gives school credit for a part-time job that helps one prepare for a career. Is it so farfetched to think a single semester credit could be given for working 100 hours as a salesman, a lab assistant, or a receptionist? Holding a job like this teaches one just as much as computer science or economics. Students could be dismissed from seventh and eighth periods to go to work. Is there really any good reason why students have no time for a part-time job?
vo more. As I neared the en Its, I began to get a little mo such mind bogglers as (If ea s a tiny universe, then a fat e political responsibility than If we can travel in time, then \I oed to ourselves later, and wh: e no meaning because history .,
Nov.lDec. 1985
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