Gryphon Gazette 2011-12, Issue 6

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Volume X, Issue VI The The Newspaper of St. George’s Independent School May 2012 Gryphon Gazette of the lion who scares off Thisbe and who chews on her dropped veil, leaving it blood stained. Stephen played the lion so well that he totally upstaged the ma- jor char- acters and stole the scene from them. I never saw Stephen as a quiet student after that day,” he says. You never know how the experience of acting will change a person! Often Mr. McGraw found himself in the position of cor- recting the unruly behavior of Drew Bishop when he was in the seventh grade. Ev- eryone deserves a little love and appreciation once and a while, though. “On Drew’s birthday, I ele- vated Mr. Bishop to the tem- porary status of Cardinal-for- the-day in my Church of the Coach Potato. Drew got to wear my Cardinal’s baseball cap all day in class because I typed up an official-looking proclamation that he could show his other teachers,” he said. Other students needed only an assignment to achieve optimal performance, like Every class, no matter which school or what year, leaves memories when they go. The class of 2012 is no ex- ception, with its many genu- ine scholars, comedians, and athletes. At the Gazette, we thought it important to give the teachers one last chance to brag on them or embarrass them before the seniors pack up and head to college Dr. Cort Casey’s sopho- more English class has been known to be quite the inter- esting experience. Although he has moved on to other en- deavors in his life, he jumped at the opportunity to share his favorite memorable mo- ments of the class of 2012. “John Marc Shelly put his casted leg through a three feet tall, forty-pound glass vase that I had kept our classroom fish in. Glass shat- tered, gravel spewed forth, Hayden Tupman cried. It was mass chaos on a Cher- nobyl level,” he says. When was it not mass chaos in that classroom? “Once, while reading about Grendel slaughtering thir- ty Danish warriors, Albert Cantu let slip a giggle. Im- mediately after the ‘he he Zoe Leake ’14 Dagny Vaughn’14 he’ slipped out, Albert’s face returned to that all-too-fa- miliar look of Celtic stoicism that is carved in granite,” Dr. Casey recalled In a heat- ed moment of journal writing that same year, Rachel Mc- Neill broke the still silence of writing one day with “I AM SWAMP GIRL!” and was soon thereaf- ter visited by Mrs. Bran. Dr. Casey also takes pride in his ability to bring the man out of his students: “I remember Andrew King tak- ing his first step in my class early one August morning. By the end of the year, he was eating solid foods and could say ‘Mama’, ‘Dadda’, and ‘Beowulf ’. Now that is some solid teaching!” he said. Mr. Patrick McGraw let us look deeper into the senior class by telling us stories about them in middle school English and Language Arts. “Stephen Hayden was a quiet seventh-grade English student who amazed me with his acting skills one day in class when we were reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Stephen had the minor role Reflecting on the Class of 2012 Memorable Moments of the Graduating Class Duncan Monger. “Duncan impressed me with his initia- tive on his seventh-grade re- search project. He wrote his paper on Joe Theismann and found a way to interview Mr. Theismann at his home in Germantown. Duncan made a DVD of the interview which he donated to the McClain Library,” he says. Mr. McGraw also reflected on a sixth-grade Sophie Ken- nedy staring wide-eyed as he collected manure for his garden from her parents’ barn, so obvi- ously wonder- ing what some crazy teacher could want with such a disgusting substance as ma- nure. Mr. J.P. Culley knows that teachers’ stories about Terry Eleazer could take up this whole article. “When Terry was just starting out at SGIS — about Junior Kindergar- ten — he had an extreme ob- session with pirates. In the junior kindergarten room, there is a loft, and during the day Terry would climb up to the top of the loft with an eye patch on and act like a pirate, even though he looks nothing like Johnny Depp. “Dr. Cort Casey’s sophomore English class has been known to be quite the interesting ex- perience.” “Also,” Mr. Culley added, “when Terry was in kinder- garten, every time he would walk into the classroom he would announce, ‘HEY I’M TERRY AND I’M FROM THE COUNTRY.’ Country accent included.” Skipping ahead a few years, Mr. Culley took the time to share Eleazer’s and Michael Brasher’s Aztec Rap video in which Brasher did the worm across the hood of a car. In a moment of weak- ness, Mr. Culley also admit- ted his, and the other faculty members’, appreciation for Amanda Bennett’s Twitter feed “fun- ny things Jennifer Lincoln says,” as well as any time Lincoln opens her mouth. Mrs. Kristi Schultz dubbed the year of teaching this class “the year of the most broken lab equipment” and shared that at their sophomore lock-in, Mr. Luther Mercer dressed up like Santa. He proceeded to fall asleep and nobody could find him for the rest of the night. Continued on pg. 7 “HEY, I’M TERRY AND I’M FROM THE COUNTRY.” Photo By: Trish Dianetti

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Transcript of Gryphon Gazette 2011-12, Issue 6

Page 1: Gryphon Gazette 2011-12, Issue 6

Volume X, Issue VI

TheThe Newspaper of St. George’s Independent School

May 2012

Gryphon Gazette

of the lion who scares off Thisbe and who chews on her dropped veil, leaving it blood stained. Stephen played the lion so well that he totally

upstaged the ma-jor char-a c t e r s and stole the scene f r o m

them. I never saw Stephen as a quiet student after that day,” he says. You never know how the experience of acting will change a person!

Often Mr. McGraw found himself in the position of cor-recting the unruly behavior of Drew Bishop when he was in the seventh grade. Ev-eryone deserves a little love and appreciation once and a while, though.

“On Drew’s birthday, I ele-vated Mr. Bishop to the tem-porary status of Cardinal-for-the-day in my Church of the Coach Potato. Drew got to wear my Cardinal’s baseball cap all day in class because I typed up an official-looking proclamation that he could show his other teachers,” he said.

Other students needed only an assignment to achieve optimal performance, like

Every class, no matter which school or what year, leaves memories when they go. The class of 2012 is no ex-ception, with its many genu-ine scholars, comedians, and athletes. At the Gazette, we thought it important to give the teachers one last chance to brag on them or embarrass them before the seniors pack up and head to college

Dr. Cort Casey’s sopho-more English class has been known to be quite the inter-esting experience. Although he has moved on to other en-deavors in his life, he jumped at the opportunity to share his favorite memorable mo-ments of the class of 2012.

“John Marc Shelly put his casted leg through a three feet tall, forty-pound glass vase that I had kept our classroom fish in. Glass shat-tered, gravel spewed forth, Hayden Tupman cried. It was mass chaos on a Cher-nobyl level,” he says. When was it not mass chaos in that classroom?

“Once, while reading about Grendel slaughtering thir-ty Danish warriors, Albert Cantu let slip a giggle. Im-mediately after the ‘he he

Zoe Leake ’14 Dagny Vaughn’14

he’ slipped out, Albert’s face returned to that all-too-fa-miliar look of Celtic stoicism that is carved in granite,” Dr. Casey recalled

In a heat-ed moment of journal writing that same year, Rachel Mc-Neill broke the still silence of writing one day with “I AM SWAMP GIRL!” and was soon thereaf-ter visited by Mrs. Bran.

Dr. Casey also takes pride in his ability to bring the man out of his students: “I remember Andrew King tak-ing his first step in my class early one August morning. By the end of the year, he was eating solid foods and could say ‘Mama’, ‘Dadda’, and ‘Beowulf ’. Now that is some solid teaching!” he said.

Mr. Patrick McGraw let us look deeper into the senior class by telling us stories about them in middle school English and Language Arts.

“Stephen Hayden was a quiet seventh-grade English student who amazed me with his acting skills one day in class when we were reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Stephen had the minor role

Reflecting on the Class of 2012Memorable Moments of the Graduating Class

Duncan Monger. “Duncan impressed me with his initia-tive on his seventh-grade re-search project. He wrote his paper on Joe Theismann and found a way to interview Mr. Theismann at his home in Germantown. Duncan made a DVD of the interview which he donated to the McClain Library,” he says.

Mr. McGraw also reflected on a sixth-grade Sophie Ken-nedy staring wide-eyed as he collected manure for his garden from her parents’ barn, so obvi-ously wonder-ing what some crazy teacher could want with such a disgusting substance as ma-nure.

Mr. J.P. Culley knows that teachers’ stories about Terry Eleazer could take up this whole article. “When Terry was just starting out at SGIS — about Junior Kindergar-ten — he had an extreme ob-session with pirates. In the junior kindergarten room, there is a loft, and during the day Terry would climb up to the top of the loft with an eye patch on and act like a pirate, even though he looks nothing like Johnny Depp.

“Dr. Cort Casey’s sophomore English class has been known to be quite the interesting ex-perience.”

“Also,” Mr. Culley added, “when Terry was in kinder-garten, every time he would walk into the classroom he would announce, ‘HEY I’M TERRY AND I’M FROM THE COUNTRY.’ Country accent included.”

Skipping ahead a few years, Mr. Culley took the time to share Eleazer’s and Michael Brasher’s Aztec Rap video in which Brasher did the worm across the hood of a car. In a moment of weak-ness, Mr. Culley also admit-

ted his, and the other f a c u l t y m e m b e r s ’ , appreciation for Amanda

Bennett’s Twitter feed “fun-ny things Jennifer Lincoln says,” as well as any time Lincoln opens her mouth.

Mrs. Kristi Schultz dubbed the year of teaching this class “the year of the most broken lab equipment” and shared that at their sophomore lock-in, Mr. Luther Mercer dressed up like Santa. He proceeded to fall asleep and nobody could find him for the rest of the night.

Continued on pg. 7

“HEY, I’M TERRY AND I’M FROM THE COUNTRY.”

Photo By: Trish Dianetti

Page 2: Gryphon Gazette 2011-12, Issue 6

May 2012 St. George’s Independent School

Editorial Page 2

SOPHIE NATHALIETO

Changing of the Guard

that they are right; I can do anything.

See, I was listening; I was paying attention. And now, I couldn’t be more grateful that you kept me on track, not only nurturing values within me, but showing me what those values look like. I couldn’t be more appre-ciative that you support-ed me, challenged me, demanded that I be a per-son of whom I am proud.

Well done; you have filled my proverbial tool box with practical knowledge and pow-erful wisdom. Though I assure you it is quite well stocked, it is not yet full. But now it’s

up to me. Somewhere, sometime

during the last eighteen years, things shifted; I grew up. And now it is my job to make sure that my tool box stays full and gets fuller, to find people who can add to it, to take on experiences which will enhance it. It is a lot of responsibility, yes, but don’t worry, you have pre-pared me well. To all those who have

Dear St. George’s Com-munity,

Here I am. I am gradu-ating. I wear a new badge of independence and I carry a new weight of re-sponsibility. It’s all up to me now.

I hate to admit it, but I am scared. The newness is overwhelming. The starting over is nerve-wracking. I worry about not being smart enough, or brave enough. As I sit and worry that I’m not ready for this incredible, once-in-a-lifetime chance, I hear the chorus of some-times nagging, occasion-ally frustrated, usually kind, and often inspiring voices in the back of my head.

No, I don’t mean to say that St. George’s has lit-erally driven me crazy; though there have been times I thought growing up here would. I mean, instead, that you, the many members of this community, have shared your unique and remark-able gifts with me and taught me invaluable les-sons, lessons that steady my voice, lift my chin, straighten my shoulders, and guide my life.

I know deep down in-side that I am ready, because I know that within me, I carry each of these lessons, and that these lessons have prepared me well and made me strong.

In the fifth grade, Mr. Taylor sent home a let-ter quoting Aristotle: “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence then, is not an act but a habit.” I read it, and I never forgot it.

When Mr. Duff dem-onstrated, through his every conversation, his every action, that the cul-tivation of enthusiasm is by far the best way to

inspire, persuade, and lead, I wholeheartedly believed him and have since tried to emulate his philosophy.

When Mr. Adcock gave me a copy of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Self-Reliance,” I studied it and found myself trying “in the midst of a crowd, [to] keep the perfect sweetness of solitude.”

When my parents, Parke and Joe, first shared “The Little En-

gine that Could” with my little self, they began their lifelong mission to teach, convince, even brainwash me, into be-lieving that I can do it; I can do anything; I can do everything. Their un-breakable, unwavering confidence in me carried me through when my own confidence in myself broke down. Their belief in me, my gifts, and my future has convinced me

made me who I am today, I promise, I will not let you down. As a dear old friend, “The Little Engine that Could,” has said, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”

Now, I know I can.

Best Wishes,

Sophie KennedyEditor-in-Chief2011-2012

P.S. To Nathalie, the fu-ture Editor-in-Chief of the Gryphon Gazette, I pass on the lessons I have learned. Pursue excellence in all you do; cultivate enthusiasm in those who challenge you as well as those who sup-port you; do not allow the world to change you, but go into the world always as yourself; and lastly, know, beyond any doubt, that whatever you seek to do, you are capable of, it is only a question of your desire and your willing-ness to pour the whole of yourself into your pur-suit.

Good luck.

Hello St. George’s community,

There are many more sophisticated and elegant words to use to describe the enduring and eventful 2011-2012 school year, yet only one simple, encom-passing word penetrates my mind: wow. For me, this word covers every spectrum of this year, ranging from “Wow, the Gryphons took home two state champion-ships!” to “Wow, I really regret subjecting myself to the woes of taking honors pre-calculus.”

I’m sure we’ve all had euphoric moments that ac-company various academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievements this school year. I’m also sure we’ve experienced various lows, afflictions, and disappoint-ments that result from fall-ing short of goals we’ve set for ourselves.

Now is the time to look back on these moments and appreciate them — appre-ciate the good memories, and appreciate the ones you learn from. This is the time of our lives when we need to cherish the fleet-ing moments of youth that we will one day reflect on with nostalgia. This is the time of our lives when we

need to collect wisdom from the faults and shortcomings that we will one day reflect on with bittersweet grate-fulness.

I am fully aware that the words I am about to impart unto you are utterly generic and painfully cliché, but as there is a time and place for everything, these words ring true in the context of this editorial.

Next year is a new year, and an incredible opportu-nity to act upon the “new year, new you” philosophy. The whole summer, though only a wistful eight weeks in length, stretches before you like a neatly-spread picnic blanket. Among the threading of the picnic blanket are hidden oppor-tunities for you to seize — if you take the initiative.

Whether your summer is checkered with trips, camps, college visits, work, or other plans, you have the power and time to de-cide what next year is go-ing to be like for you. You want to be a better soccer player? Go out and practice. You want to be a better stu-dent? Be thorough in your summer work. You want to get more involved in extra-curricular activities? Plan ahead — be proactive.

When summer is over, you can fold up your picnic blan-ket feeling suntanned and satiated. That golden glow will give you confidence for all of your endeavors, and that yummy satisfaction will have you energized to hurdle over any obstacles that may loom before you.

So as the school year draws to an end, and as summer playfully glints in the distance, I encourage you to treasure your memo-ries and get ready to make some new ones. Pack up your picnic basket and pre-pare yourself for a relaxing, yet productive summer so you can be the very best you can be when August rolls back around.

Sincerely,Nathalie VacheronEditor-in-Chief 2012-2013

Editor-in-ChiefSophie Kennedy

Copy EditorsRegan HewittVirginia Whitsitt

Layout EditorSamer Istanbouli

Photo EditorsAlexis HarshbargerSamer Istanbouli

AdvisorMargaret Robertson

Gry

phon

Gaz

ette

Gryphon G

azette

Features Editor

Dagny VaughnOpinion Editor

Emily Dickey

Sports Editor

Ian John

Student Life Editor

Meredith Gatlin

Nathalie Vacheron

Zoe Leake

“Somewhere, sometimeduring the last eighteen years, things shifted. I grew up.”

Page 3: Gryphon Gazette 2011-12, Issue 6

Opinion Page 3

May 2012 St. George’s Independent School

SENIOR ENVY: Closing the Writing Portfolio at LastYippee. Graduation comes hand in

hand with the many awards to be won by deserving se-niors. One, in particular, is the Writing Portfolio Award. After all these years, seniors have reached the end of this dread-ed task. And unless you pos-sess a Rachel Porter-like love for your portfolio, this may be one of the best privileges of all.

So, with the end of the year waiting on your doorstep, I leave one last morsel of guid-ance for our non-seniors: do not let yourself slip into the tailgates and tan lines eupho-ria that is summer… we still have plenty of portfolio entries to look forward to.

Throughout the school year, no matter how earnest the at-tempt to focus our preoccupied teenage minds, summer is al-ways looming in the distance to keep our hopes and procras-tination alive.

The first day of school begins the anticipation of a carefree, non-stop-fun summer, like the glimmering of the ever-so-distant North Star, leading us through the inevitable all-nighters and pop-quizzes of the school year.

With the innumerable breaks, dances, and holidays peppered through these nine long months, one thing in par-ticular haunts us as the free-dom of this endless summer

painful one; perhaps like drop-ping a “leet” Call-of-Duty play-er in the middle of Afghani-stan. Sure, there are some similarities, but let’s face it… even just one day of the latter, and anyone in their right mind would be running home with their tail between their legs.

I can only imagine the pure bliss this year’s seniors will feel when they turn those daunting binders in for the last time. And as we underclass-men look at them with envy, let’s try to find the silver lining in all this. For example, I will get to write at least twenty-four more reflections and use up around 30,000 more staples and page protectors through-out my high school career.

approaches: writing portfolios. Since the first week of mid-

dle school, these dreaded port-folios have put a damper on every bright aspect of school: recess, flex, and study hall. It is 9:58 as you rush out of your sophomore history class-room; flex has just begun and the endless aching for a mar-velous, perfectly baked choco-late chip cookie has become unbearable… you are about to round the corner when you remember: Monday is advi-sory day. Faint from hunger, you trudge back to your class-room and struggle through 31 minutes of reflecting, printing, hole punching, and stapling.

Even for those who enjoy writing, the experience is a

Emily Dickey ’14

Albert Cantu ’12

If you fall, all you have to do is get up again.” I’d like to believe that the senti-ment is true, and I’ll soon put it to the test.

Final-ly, I’d just like to say that I’ve t h o r -o u g h l y

enjoyed writing for the Gryphon Gazette and that my only regret is that I did not get involved soon-er. I love the people I’ve met throughout my career at St. George’s, and I can say that for all its faults, there is really no place that can compete with the teachers, the people, and the style that defines the school, and by extension, defines us as students.

I will sincerely miss all of my friends, but I have no doubt that we will meet again in the future. And when we do, we will be older, smarter, and more experienced, and I know that we will be prepared to take advantage of what the world has to offer.

My mother asked me the other day if I could believe that the year was almost over, to which I respond-ed with an unintelligible grunt. However, the ques-tion also got me thinking. I’ve gone to school with the same people for four-teen years. I’ve made inti-mate friendships with the vast majority of my class-mates, and met people whom I’ll keep in contact with for the rest of my life. Sometimes it makes me

quake with anxiety about leaving it all behind next year.

But after long, sleep-less nights and countless pencils snapped out of rage and fear, I’ve come to the realization that our leaving is only the end of a very small part of our lives.

More importantly, our leaving is the beginning of the rest of our lives. Personally, I’ve had anxi-ety about leaving my very close friends because

Spread your wings, the future beckons

they’re going to school in the far-flung regions of the country.

If you’re like me and find people you actually like, you want to hold on to them. I realized that it’s so easy nowadays to stay in touch with people who are meaningful to you. All it requires is a little effort.

I’m also looking forward to all of the new friends I’ll make in college, and how I will soon be surrounded by brand new people whom I can relate to and who I

can form bonds with. Anxiety was replaced

with excitement as I be-gan to view my imminent departure as a positive in-stead of a negative. I began to think of all the i n c r e d -ible, new things that I would learn and the possibility of find-ing a subject that I could be passionate about and learn and love for the rest of my life.

I began to think of all the wonderful stories that I would be able to tell when I came back and the limitless possibilities I would have once I gradu-ated. It was then that I truly began to understand that this moment is really the beginning of the rest of our lives. My grandmother put it to

me in a quaint and com-forting way: “You are just beginning to grow your wings and they’re just go-ing to get bigger and big-ger and bigger from here.

Photo By: Samer Istanbouli ’13

“I’ve come to the realization that our leaving is only the end of a very small part of our lives.”

Page 4: Gryphon Gazette 2011-12, Issue 6

FeaturesPage 4

May 2012 St. George’s Independent School

PRO

MI write to you, the senior class—The days are winding downUntil you leave our little schoolTo travel all around.

You surely will be missed ‘round here,We’ll remember you with joy;Your legacy will live in our hallsWith every “Remember when…?” story.

You’ll leave to us the senior lounge,Much less clean than what you got.A place of eating and Super Smash Brothers,The juniors will love it a lot.

Though senior privileges kept you hidden,So we didn’t see you much—The glimpses of you we got in the hallWill be what we miss the most.

So as you go to college now,The “freshmeat” once again,We wish you all the best of luck,Our lovely senior friends.

Ode to the Senior ClassKate Sweat ’14

sort of childlike wonder to keep her grounded throughout her senior year.

Next, we have an important will from the brilliant Kim Sammons. The will states that Sammons will leave the Math Center to the well-deserving juniors: Annabelle Bright, Kiyana Kavoussi, and Collin Brown. The will states: “may they help the center continue to prosper in the quest to make mathematics better known and understood in the school and the world.” Annabelle, Kiyanna, and Collin: may the likes of Newton, Pythagoras, and TI-84s be with you.

Finally, our illustrious Prefect of Spirit, Terry Eleazer, appropriately has the last word in this article. El-eazer wills his school spirit to the equally illustrious Brendan Horton, a junior. “May Brendan have the loudest vocal chords in all of Fer-guson Field and McNeil Gym, and may he grill the tastiest meats at McCool field.” May the charcoal be ever in your favor, Brendan.

Finally, it has come to that very memorable time of the year. No, I do not mean Christmas in July, nor do I mean summer break. I am referring to the renowned senior wills. After asking many of my fel-low classmates from the noteworthy Class of 2012 to construct a will, and staying true to the work ethic of a third-trimester senior completing an ungraded task, only a few were returned to me.

The first constructed will comes from a very sarcastic columnist that can make anyone laugh despite his usual grimace: Albert Cantu. He has most graciously decided to will his “writing prowess” to a young man by the name of Ian John, a ju-nior.

Staying true to the format of a standard will: “may Ian use this skill to write his own freaking news-paper articles while someone else harasses him about it and see how he likes it.” The best of luck to you Ian, and may you use your newly

acquired elite “writing prowess” for the greater good.

Next, we move to Cara Bargiac-chi’s will. She wills her ability to get out of trouble from her parents to her younger sister, sophomore Mia Bargiacchi. The eldest Bargiac-chi says: “may Mia use this power to its fullest extent for all kinds of mischief and shenanigans.” I hope you solemnly swear that you are up to no good on a regular basis. Good luck, Mia.

Another will I received was one constructed by the talented Corky Paul. She was considerate enough to pass on her tennis skills and her childlike sense of wonder to junior Libby Heflin. Paul claims that Hef-lin’s tennis skills are lacking, there-fore who better to pass on their skills than Paul, a state champion for TSSAA girls’ tennis?

As for the childlike sense of won-der, the will does not state a reason for passing on this youthful legacy to her. Although I am sure, deep down, Heflin knows she needs some

Stephen Hayden ’12

“Writing Prowess” and “Childlike Wonder”: Seniors Leave Their Wills

Class of 2012 Salutes the Class of 2022

Ten years ago, we stood where you stand today. Over the last ten years we’ve experienced many things, learned many lessons, and made many incredible memories. It is our hope that over the next ten years you will grow as much as we have. It is our hope that when you stand in our place you will look back over your time at St. George’s Independent School with as much love and gratitude as we do now.

Sincerely, The Class of 2012

Page 5: Gryphon Gazette 2011-12, Issue 6

Features Page 5

May 2012 St. George’s Independent School

PRO

M

A Night to RememberAn Evening of Southern Charm

All the fun expec-tations of the theme “Southern Charm” were met and even ex-ceeded at the Junior and Senior Prom on Saturday, April 20.

The decorations that filled the Pink Palace Mansion were tre-mendous, as well as the tasty variety of foods, such as candy, mini cupcakes, and choco la te - covered pretzels.

The decorations con-

sisted of real, spray-painted flowers, tis-sue flowers, lights in the concessions, tree branches, and an abundance of candles in mason jars.

It was one beauti-ful night; all the girls wore their long dress-es (though there were a few short ones), and the guys dressed up in their tuxes. The DJ spun music throughout the whole night while everyone

the parents who lent a hand to the festivities.

St. George’s is fortu-nate to have held such an extravagant prom. It ended on a good note as our very own se-nior, Hugh Stephens, played DJ for the last forty-five minutes, pro-viding us with some classic tunes from his favorite band: Earth, Wind, and Fire. Prom was truly an enjoyable event for all.

danced, ate the deli-cious treats, took photos in the photo booth, and just hung out.

A special thanks to the prom committee at St. George’s, espe-cially senior Mary Mar-garet Skudder, Mrs. Beth Skudder, and se-nior Brenna Woods, for spending several months planning the event. Ad-ditional thanks go out to the teachers who volun-teered to supervise and chaperone, as well as

Rachel Smith ’13

Page 6: Gryphon Gazette 2011-12, Issue 6

May 2012 St. George’s Independent School

SportsPage 6

G r y p h o n s b y t h e N u m b e r s

2State Championships won (So Far...)

Brandon Hill Playing football at the University of Alabama.John Marc ShelleyPlaying baseball at Mississippi State U.Hunter LindleyPlaying baseball at Austin Peay State U.Omar WilliamsPlaying football at Austin Peay State U.Amy MatulaPlaying volleyball at LeHigh University.Katie McCormack Playing volleyball at Birmingham Southern C.Jennifer Kim Playing golf atUniversity of Pennsylvania.Anna Lewis Matson Swimming at Tulane University.Lukas Leung Swimming at Clark University.Alex BranPlaying basketball at the United States A.F. Academy.Alec MulvihillPlaying basketball at Drury University.

CollegeSignings

2,362Total Volleyball Points

1,761Total Basketball Points

1,304Total Girls Basketball Points

413Total Football Points

43Total Girls Soccer Goals

Ones to Watch

“Connor Green (a freshman) has a good body size for a freshman and is 5-0 for pitching with a good off-speed. He’s got good velocity for a freshman pitcher and he’s a smart player over-all. He’s definitely one to watch for next year.” John Marc Shelly

“Caitlin Johnson. (a sophomore) This is her first year and she showed exponential improvement from her first day to her last. I can only imagine how great she will be at the end of next year, or by her senior year.”Christie Zettler

“Justin Wertner (a freshman) is pure shooter, three point shot maker, tall, lanky, and a good dunker. He could possibly be the next Jim-mer Fredette at BYU. He definitely has potential to shine and will be probably one of the best play-ers on the team.”Alec Mulvihill

“Vasili Doan (a freshman) is a great and upcoming player for soccer. He works hard and hustles hard, and is a good team player overall. I would definitely keep my eye out for him.”

Sam Lane

“Roxanna Wood (a freshman) look out for Roxanna - she’s going to take the competition to another level. Her hits get more powerful each season. So next year we can only imagine what she can bring to the team.”Rachel Stevenson

“Clay Crenshaw (a freshman) gives good effort with always putting forth one-hun-dred percent, not only as a running back, but as a team player. With a little work and serious-ness, he will be great.”Hugh Stephens

Baseball

Football

Basketball Soccer

1,121Total Golf Points

Girls’ Lacrosse

Basketball

Fin

al R

ecord: 2

1-9

Gir

ls B

asketball

Fin

al R

ecord:

19-9

Football

Fin

al R

ecord: 1

0-4

Gir

ls S

occer

Fin

al R

ecord:

8-1

1-3

Boys V

arsit

y G

olf

Fin

al R

ecord: 5

-1-1

Girls Varsity Golf

Cross Country

Swimming

Wrestling

Volleyball

We asked senior athletes who they will be watching next year in their respective sports. Here’s what they had to say:

Page 7: Gryphon Gazette 2011-12, Issue 6

May 2012 St. George’s Independent School

Page 7Student Life

A Five-Star Play: Tackling Bullying on Campus in “Building Character”

Mr. Brent Hill shared some more re-cent memories of the athletic achieve-ments of the class. Five boys from the Class of 2012 were inducted into the 1,000-pound club, which is the maxi-mum weight between squat, bench, and clean. Two strapping young gen-tlemen, Omar Williams and Brandon Hill, will be playing Division One football next year, and Drew Bishop will walk on at another Division One school. Williams was awarded “Offen-sive Player of the Year” at the Blue Cross Bowl, and from this very class, there were two Mr. Football finalists this year. Congratulations, boys!

Mrs. Beverly Brooks also took the time to share some of this year’s col-lege guidance highlights. “Once at the Summer College Guidance Boot Camp, I was making fun of boys who sit like praying mantis’ while wearing khaki pants. I then proceeded to look over and see Andrew King, red as a cherry, and sitting most definitely like a praying mantis,” she recalled.

“For the senior scavenger hunt, seniors,” she went on, “Evan Vihlen, Meredith Compton, Ashley Moody, and Amanda Bennett came to my house, washed one dish, stole a roll of toilet paper, and trick or treated at my front door,” she says.

Her favorite story: “while I was away for a conference, Ashley Moody and Evan covered my door with fake threats and pictures.” Apparently the stress of her being away was just too much to handle.

As we all know by now, the faculty very much appreciates the talented Jennifer Lincoln, and Mrs. Brooks shared one of her shining moments: “One day, Jennifer Lincoln was sit-ting in Mr. Gibson’s office and out of nowhere asked if she could paint his nails. He, of course, said no and she looked thoughtful and said ‘But what if I used clear polish?’”

This group of individuals, the class of 2012, will be so sadly missed and so happily remembered. Though they are moving on, they will most defi-nitely be remembered in the hearts and minds of the students and teach-ers they leave behind.

Reflecting on 2012Continued from pg. 1

Madison See ’13

The Cast of “Building Character” Photo By: Erika Zurburg

Graphic by Alexis Harshbarger ’13

The rising cost of college threatens to make higher education harder to achieve for most Americans, and even students at St. George’s are be-ginning to feel the pinch.

With college tuition fees increas-ing 439% in the past twenty years and the average family income only rising 147%, more and more stu-dents are forced to take out enor-mous loans or put their families into a considerable amount of debt. Even public universities (which are 300% less expensive than private ones)

still cost about 28% of the average family income (all percentages tak-en from the Miller Center website of the University of Virginia).

“It was the number one issue,” says senior Ashley Moody about college tuition factoring into her decision on where to go to school. Many seniors are depending on scholarships and holding their breaths while waiting for these decisions to come in. “If I don’t get that scholarship, I can’t go. It’s really important,” adds senior Rachel Stires.

When asked about their college education plans, most seniors admit-ted that the cost of college strongly factored into their decision on where to go. The majority of students are going to schools with some sort of fi-nancial aid — whether it is a sports scholarship, academic scholarship, or even just going to school in Ten-nessee and getting the Hope Schol-arship.

Need-based scholarships are al-ways an option, but it is becoming more difficult for students to get the money they need. Many schools claim to meet “all demonstrated need,” but it is often less than one might expect. When deciding dem-onstrated need, admissions boards

as community colleges, where tu-ition and fees average about $3,200. Another higher-education choice mentioned were private research universities, though those often cost more than $33,000.

It has been made even more dif-ficult for students in America to go to the university of their choice be-cause of competition with interna-tional students. With so many ob-stacles, we can only hope that this increasing cost trend will end soon, otherwise fewer and fewer people will be able to achieve higher educa-tion in the future.

Rachel Stires ’12If you have ever been to a St.

George’s production, you know that they do not disappoint. As an actor, I am usually occupied on stage, so this was the first time I had watched a St. George’s play in three years. I was definitely not used to the expe-rience! Needless to say, I was com-pletely blown away by this show.

“Building Character,” the long -awaited SIS project of senior Evan Vihlen, is definitely one of the best plays I have ever seen. It is a clev-erly compiled script of interviews conducted by Vihlen. He asked stu-

dents, teachers, and alumni of St. George’s what their stance on bul-lying was and how it had affected them. During the production, the cast brought these interviews to life.

“Building Character” features new actors, as well as seasoned veterans, and all of them did a fan-tastic job. The cast included senior Gabe Vogel, sophomore Kate Sweat, sophomore Zoe Leake, senior Joe Holley, senior Albert Cantu, se-nior Sophie Kennedy, senior Tara Schulz, and senior Andrew King.

The message of this play is a pow-erful one as it features bullying and how it affects people every day, as well as how it affects people after the bullying itself has stopped. I thought that the minimal use of props and costumes was very innovative, and I loved the picture frames hanging above the actors.

I believe that Building Character was a real success, and that it has taught all of us who had the privilege to see it an important lesson on bul-lying.

look at what kind of school the stu-dent went to for high school, how much parents make, and the fam-ily’s tax reports. After all this, col-leges decide how much to give. The average financial aid for a student is $10,000 per year. This could pay for tuition, fees, grants, room, board, or books. When spread this thin, $10,000 does not go very far.

Students who do not qualify for scholarships are forced to take out massive student loans. More and more students every year are gradu-ating under an average loan debt of $22,700.

But is it worth it? Even with en-rollment levels at their highest in our nation’s history, many people think that the quality of higher edu-cation has diminished as these in-stitutions face monetary pressures. Courses have been cut and more part-time teachers are hired to try and save money for the school.

In a report released by the Na-tional Association of State Universi-ties and Land-Grant Colleges, pub-lic universities recognized the cost crisis, but showed a different side of the cost of tuition. That report pointed out that families have mul-tiple higher-education choices, such

The Rising Cost of Higher Education

Page 8: Gryphon Gazette 2011-12, Issue 6

May 2012 St. George’s Independent School

SeniorsPage 8

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