The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School Volume XIII, Issue VMay 2015

Gryphon Gazette•

Opinion

The

•

News Features Entertainment

• • • •St. George’s welcomes new head

Emma Larson ’24 reviews “Home”

Mr. Taylor’s departing thoughts

Two left feet

Sports

• Athletes weigh in on committing early

Top Stories

Two left feet

Sarah Acuff

Annie Vento ’17

As I picture myself walking into St. George’s prom, I am im-mediately greeted with couples dancing elegantly to music that my great-grandparents most like-ly listened to at their proms. The twirling and swinging is enough to enchant anyone. Although I never pictured myself being able to pick up a type of dance quickly, seeing everyone swing dancing with ease motivates me to seek it out and learn more so that I can have as great of a time as them.

Swing dancing is a style of dance that is quickly taking St. George’s

by storm. Following prom in 2013 at the Fire Museum, students and the Prom Committee rallied to-gether to steer the type of dancing into a different direction.

“A large group of students en-joyed swing dancing at cotillion and wanted to replicate it at school dances,” Mr. Timothy Gibson said. “From my recollection, this was all student-initiated. We were clear that the dirty dancing was inap-propriate, and they took it from there.”

Cont. on Page 2

In print

- Senior Memories News- Senior Wills Entertainment- College Map Entertainment

On the web

- Caroline’s Column: how to high school Columns- Seniors on the move interactive story map Multimedia- Senior art gift News

Follow yourseniors’ storiesThe time I tried to learn to swing dance

Congratulations Class of 2015!

told my friends that are going to prom about the class and recom-mended Blue Suede Ballroom to them, whether they want to learn swing dancing for prom like I did or learn something different for fun.

The Gryphon Gazette2 NewsMay • •

Newspaper Staff

Co-Editors-in-Chief

Dr. Margaret Robertson

Copy Editors

Layout Editor

Photo Editor

Opinion Editor

Sports Editor

News Editor

Advisor

Entertainment Editor

Staff Writers

Lexie Marotta & Taylor Owens

Caroline CannonKatie Boyle & Kai Taylor

Anna Marie Beard, Heather Stevenson, & Annie Vento

Juliana Wall

Tatum Nix

Juliana Wall

Miriam Brown & Annie Vento

Nathan Weinreich

Courtney Harshbarger

Zach Obaji, Grant Webb, & Emily Persons

The Gryphon Gazette is dedicated to serving as an authentic voice for the students of St. George’s Independent School. We at the Gry-phon Gazette strive to be an open forum for student expression, to act in the best interests of the student body and to embody the prin-ciples of journalistic excellence.

Mission Statement

Features Editor

Continued from page 1

Aside from the trademark swings and dips, swing dancing consists of four basic steps in the “neutral stance,” which are a slow step to the left, slow step to the right, fast step forwards with your left foot and another fast step backwards with your right foot. This rhythm emerged from the beat of jazz music, since the two arose along-side each other, including songs by well-known artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. If you like music by these performers, you probably also like swing music.

However, no matter how much you may enjoy listening to swing music, dancing to it is a different story. Many are struck with anxi-ety over getting to the dance floor and, in “Footloose” terms, being the Willard while all of your fellow

classmates are Ren McCormacks. Without being a naturally-skilled dancer, swing dancing for three-and-a-half hours while attempting to have the prom night you’ve al-ways dreamed of can be incredibly daunting.

This was what went through my mind when planning for prom, and it immediately gave me a feel-ing of anxiety and panic, as it is no secret

to my friends and family that I have no dancing talent whatsoever. To me, the most logical, and hopefully most effective, solution was to take dance classes beforehand. While this would not transform me into a stellar dancer no matter how many lessons I took, it would enable me to dance, or at least let me fake it until I make it.

After doing some research on

Two left feetdance studios in Memphis, I re-cruited Allie Buckmaster, Connor Funck and Grant Webb [a member of the Gryphon Gazette staff] to take swing dance lessons with me at Blue Suede Ballroom in Mem-phis, Tenn. I called beforehand to book a private lesson for the four of us, which was about 16 dollars per person, and then we worked one-on-one with our instructor, Jona-than.

At first, the lesson felt awkward because the four of us had no idea of how to swing dance and being taught by a professional resurfaced that knowledge and made me feel insecure about my dancing. How-ever, after getting the rhythm down and learning a few steps, the les-son became less difficult and more amusing. Jonathan even told us at one point that we were “very good,” which was a great self-esteem boost.

Whether or not you are a “very good” swing dancer, swing dancing is one of the most exciting ways to spend your night because trying to swing and listening to music that is from a completely different genera-tion gives prom a unique and mem-orable feel.

“I think that people enjoy swing dancing because it’s a great way to interact with your date,” Ashley McDuffie, president of the Prom Committee, said. “There are always new swing dance moves that you can try, which keeps dancing excit-ing.”

I can now say with confidence that I know how to swing dance in place, swing dance while mov-ing and be swung. Although it may appear that we did not learn a sig-nificant amount to someone who knows how to swing dance well, I walked away from the class feeling that I had learned enough to where I could attend prom and not be awkward.

That being said, the class did leave me wanting to learn more because of how entertaining and fulfilling it was. After attending, I

Grant WebbConnor Funck ’16 and Annie Vento ’17 prepare to swing dance at Blue Suede Ballroom. At the practice, the instructor, Jonathan, taught the “neu-tral stance,” how to turn and how to swing your partner or be swung.

Allie Buckmaster ‘15 and Grant Webb ‘16 complete a swing at the end of their les-son. The lesson lasted 45 minutes and was taught by Johnathan, an instructor at Blue Suede Ballroom.

Visit thegryphongazette.org to see The Gryphon Gazette’s 2015 prom video.

“Many are struck with anxiety over, in “Footloose” terms, being the Willard while all of your fellow classmates are Ren McCormacks.”

Annie Vento

Allie Buckmaster ’15, Annie Vento ‘17, Grant Webb ‘16 and Sam Hyde ‘16 pose in the photo booth at prom. This year’s prom was held in downtown Memphis.

Hot Shots Booth Gallery

If you are feeling the same anxi-ety that I was about swing dancing at school dances or other functions, I would highly recommend a quick 45-minute class with your date or friends. You may not become Ren McCormack overnight, but you will be able to avoid being the Willard and have a blissful night.

NewsMay The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School• • 3

Senior memoriesMrs. Amanda Hill: “JULIA SPI-

NOLO telling me the first week of school that I’d better be ready be-cause she got the English award in elementary school. She’s still a powerhouse.”

Mr. Patrick McGraw: “When LEAH HODGKISS was in sixth grade, I had morning duty in the dining hall watching the stu-dents. I loved the duty because it gave me a chance to get to know sixth graders before I taught them seventh-grade English. When I asked Leah her name, she told me what is was, but then she said, ‘But I would prefer that you call me Leshantavius Demonte Tsu-nami.’ I remembered that name because I enjoyed Leah’s cra-zy sense of humor. To this day, when I see Leah in the hallway, about half of the time I will call her by her nom de plume.”

Mr. Tony Whicker: “This is the last of my three sons to graduate from SG (Nick ‘06, Paul ‘09). It is going to be difficult to let him go, but that’s life. It has been a rare privilege to teach and coach with TIM WHICKER here at this school. Lots of memories, espe-cially winning the soccer state championship in 2013 and going to the finals last year.”

Mrs. Desiree Allen: “I remem-ber when the Class of 2015 was in sixth grade. There was a tal-ent contest in the dining hall during lunch with singing, gui-tar hero and pie in the face. This class loves to have fun! Another time, I brought cupcakes for the entire sixth grade during lunch in honor of my mom’s birthday. This class helped me through a difficult loss with love and laugh-ter, and they will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Taylor Owens ’15

Mrs. Marianne Simmons: “I will miss.....1) The Class of 2015’s spontaneity and energy2) I will miss JACK GLOSSON’s telling me every day he loves me3) I will miss ANNA DUNAVANT’s not using my iPhone charger4) I will miss nursing MOLLY-COURTNEY’s wounds.”

Mrs. Kalyn Underwood: “ALLIE BUCKMASTER sings everywhere she goes. Songs or random state-ments are all done in rhythm.

DAVIS BATY using a strange voice to personify Tobasco, the taxidermied fish in the bio room.

JOEL PORTER is quite possibly the smartest kid in the class.

MOLLY MCEWAN scored high-er on my fall anatomy exam than I did. I had an error on my scant-ron, so she actually aced it while I missed one.

HEATHER SCHAEFER is adored by all kids. Seriously, my kids ask when I’m leaving so they can play with Heather.

I told CONNOR GREEN I was giving him an assigned seat in bio, and he said, ‘Bold move, Under-wood. Bold move.’ Hilarious.

How ZACH OBAJI could, in the course of one class period, impress me, make me laugh and then make me want to pull my hair out. It’s a talent he has.

CATHERINE MANN asked me if I had my prom dress from the 80s, which is the decade I was born in.

NELSON LEE is just awesome. Smart, funny, calm. He’s going to own college.

JAKE EPPERSON having his name changed to Jack Sanders in anatomy class. Despite his pro-tests, it seems like ANTHONY FANELLI and JAMES CLOUT-IER won that one.

SARAH MOON is one of most intuitive people I know. She seems to always know when some-thing is amiss in someone else’s mood. She also consistently com-ments on fashion decisions, so I know when an outfit I’ve chosen is a fail because she doesn’t say anything about it. I appreciate that she lacks a filter in that way.

COLEMAN YOUNG probably never studied for my bio tests and would still come out with a 94 percent. How did he do that?

MCCARTHY ROBINSON is a challenge, but if teachers had fa-vorites, he’d be one of mine. You always know what he thinks of something.

The Class of 2015 is a very spe-cial group. You’ve got every kind of personality smashed together, which makes the class both very challenging and very fun to work with. Hands down the most dif-ficult class I’ve taught because of all of the varieties, but also one of my favorites. I can’t wait to see what this groups does with the ridiculous amount of talent that it has. It’s going to be awesome. No matter which kid I think of, I smile. I’ll miss all of them.”

The Gryphon Gazette4 FeaturesMay • •

The administration has added an extra math class to the middle school rotation by taking away a study hall one out of six days in the rotation in order to give students more time to develop their problem solving skills.

In previous years, math teachers have taught their classes four days out of the six day rotation, but now they are able to teach their classes five out of the six days.

“Previously there were always things in the algebra curriculum that I wasn’t able to cover because we didn’t have enough class

Katie Boyle ’17

MIND-ALTERING MATHExtra math classes added to middle school

time,” Mrs. Sarah Robertson, the 8th grade Mathematics teacher, said.

Teachers felt rushed to cover the required curriculum in order to prepare their students for high school math.

Before, only having the class four days out of the six day rotation required teachers to cramp two or three lessons into one class period. So even if a class did not fully un-derstand the lesson as a whole, the teacher would not have time to take another class to review the material.

“I came from Houston and we had math

every day so I’m glad that it’s no longer four out of six days because I would get really lost,” said seventh grader, Sierra Sellers.

Because of this, students’ basic funda-mentals were not as strong as they needed to be going into their high school math classes, which was just one of the multiple contribut-ing factors to the decision to add the class.

“We’re trying to bring that balance be-tween the English and math curriculum to the same amount of instructional hours,” Mrs. Genevieve Hoppe, the Middle School Director, said. Students have the option to take both English and Language Arts, dou-bling the amount of time spent on English learning, so students can spend twice as much time on English than math.

“Students have the opportunity to practice their reading and writing fluency in every subject, but they don’t necessarily have the opportunity to do that with mathematics,” Mr. William Bladt, the Associate Head of School, said.

Another reason for implementing the ex-tra class period was that the study of math-ematics has been proven to alter your brain.

According to a study reported by the Stan-ford Medicine News Center, as students practice math, they develop the hippocam-pus, a part of the brain that acts as a base for developing long-term memories, and solv-ing problems by recalling these memories.

Not only does it increase one’s ability to solve math problems, but also solve prob-lems one may be presented with in their everyday life. Hence, the push for the extra class time for students to develop this part of their brain.

In addition to the added math class, the administration has decided to implement

a new course, called Foundations of Math, for a small group of specific middle school students.

The curriculum for the class would be based on the needs of the students enrolled in it with the overall focus on the basic fun-damentals of mathematics.

The class would have about 15-18 students enrolled, some who would be required to take it, others who would be recommended, and a few who would opt in for the extra practice.

Instead of starting a foreign language in middle school, these students would take Foundations of Math and wait to start their foreign language in the ninth grade.

The school has a wide range of literacy and numeracy abilities in their students, so their goal is to help each student reach their potential. So far, their efforts have had a positive impact on the student’s math abilities, as well as their confidence in those abilities.

“It is actually really nice because we’re able to do more with the students and get a stronger conceptual understanding of the skills,” Mrs. Dynelle Rinkes, the seventh grade math teacher, said.

It has also allowed students to feel more prepared for their high school math classes.

“I’ve noticed that their fundamentals are stronger so I’ve had to do less Algebra I re-view,” Mrs. Lisa Ayerst, the ninth grade Ge-ometry teacher, said when talking about the freshman she teaches.

The administration is planning to pro-ceed next year with the added math class and hopes to continue improve the math-ematics department.

St. George’s welcomes new headAnna Marie Beard ’15

On January 5, 2015, St. George’s an-nounced its selection of Mr. J. Ross Peters as the next head of school. This is a bitter-sweet moment for the school community as it marks the end of President William Taylor’s time at St. George’s.

“I was here when [the Collierville cam-pus] was just dirt,” Mr. Taylor said. “It’s difficult for me to leave because I’ve seen everything happen here.”

This is Mr. Taylor’s 14th year at St. George’s. Originally charged with manag-ing the newly-created Collierville campus, he assumed the position of School Presi-dent in 2006, which was the same year as the first commencement.

Since then, the Taylor family has thor-oughly integrated themselves into the school. Mr. Taylor’s wife, Mrs. Jennifer Tay-lor, became the Admissions Director for all three campuses. Furthermore, both of the Taylor children are St. George’s alumni, and the eldest, Mr. Wilson Taylor, returned for two and a half years to teach 10th grade English.

On September 19, 2014, Mr. William Taylor announced that he would be leav-ing St. George’s to become the Headmaster of Trinity-Pawling School in Pawling, N.Y. Mr. Taylor actually began his career in edu-

cation at Trinity-Pawling, teaching there for thirteen years and eventually took on the role of Assistant headmaster before making the move to St. George’s.

“I think change is healthy, for me and for the school, but it’s bittersweet and it’s sad for me to leave,” Mr. Taylor said.

The search for a new Head of School be-gan immediately after his announcement of departure. The Board of Trustees as-

sembled search and advisory committees to oversee the candi-date search and eval-uation process. The

search committee gathered a selection of candidates with the assistance of Educators Collaborative, a firm that specializes in can-didate searches for Head of School searches on the behalf of independent schools.

According to Mr. Taylor, the committees were looking for someone with the leader-ship skills to keep St. George’s growing and thriving.

After conducting the semifinalist and fi-nalist rounds of candidate interviews, the Board of Trustees announced its selection of Mr. Peters.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be joining you next year,” Mr. Peters said to students via email. “I just wrapped up a two-day visit during which I visited each campus, met with a number of people, and developed a better understanding of the school.”

Mr. Peters is currently the Head of the

Juliana Wall

Mr. J Ross Peters visits the Agape Chapel in April. Mr. Peters will be assuming the role of Head of School in July.

Upper School at Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Ga. He will be transitioning to St. George’s in the middle of July, and he will be joined by his wife, Dr. Katie Peters, and eleven-year-old daughter, Eleanor. Dr. Pe-ters holds a Ph.D. in religious studies and is currently teaching English at Oglethorpe University.

With Mr. Peters’ arrival, his title will be changing from President to Head of School

to better keep with the independent school philosophy.

“I am particularly looking forward to get-ting to know the class of 2016,” Mr. Peters said. “I met with a few members of that class and heard the brief outlines of some thoughtful proposals for next year, and it is clear they are ready to lead us into and through a great year. See you soon!”

Katie BoyleStudents work diligently during eigth period math with Mrs. Rinkes. The new math study hall system means middle school students have study-hall five days a week with math as the sixth.

“This is a bittersweet moment for the school community...”

5SportsMay The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School• •

The early bird gets the worm

Typically, students begin seriously thinking about college during their junior year, as was the way for parents and teachers when they were in high school. However, as the process of applying to col-lege becomes only more difficult and competitive,

student athletes interested in continuing on with a sport in college are beginning the college process as early as eighth grade.

While committing to a school early relieves athletes of college stress as seniors because they have already decided, in return, it puts pressure on them to know both where they want to at-tend college and what they want to do at younger age.

Senior Roxanna Wood, who will be attending Elon University next fall to play volleyball, began her re-cruiting pro-cess when she was in ninth grade and ver-bally commit-ted the sum-mer before her junior year.

While she recognized that doubt about the decision and “a lot of stress in your early years of high school” are downsides, Wood stated that less stress as a senior and having more time to transition into college were ben-efits.

“I’ve had years to get to know my college and feel comfortable with leaving home to live there,” Wood said.

Meanwhile, eighth-grader Vic-toria England is in the beginning stages of the recruiting process as

she is interested in playing college golf at the Uni-versity of Texas at Austin. During the summer after her seventh grade year, England be-gan college applications for golf, and college coach-

es started to approach her and her instructor.

“One benefit is that you have a plan and don’t have to worry about scrambling to find a college when you’re a senior,” England said. “A downside of early college recruiting for me personally is that, every time I play in a golf tourna-ment, that score is record-ed and shown to colleges, so it puts pressure on me to play well.”

Junior Sydney Spada-fora committed to Carson-Newman University at the beginning of this school year after being recruited

at the end of her sophomore year. “Go to the camps because that’s the best place

to be seen,” Spadafora said on advice for freshmen and sophomore athletes. “Keep bothering [the coaches] and make sure they know who you are.”

Seniors Connor Green and Justin Wertner both began being recruited during their freshmen year and committed early, with Green committing to the University of Mississippi for baseball the summer before his junior year and Wertner committing to play basketball at the University of California, Irvine, the summer be-fore his senior year.

“[Being recruited early] can make you become a better player because you start to see your success pay off, so you want to work even harder,” Wertner said, [but] sometimes getting re-

cruited too early can cause athletes to stop working hard and make them think that they have already made it.”

However, they both agreed that taking your time to make a college decision is cru-cial.

“Make sure it is definitely, without a doubt, the place you want to spend the next four years of your life,” Green said.

In comparison, sophomore Avery Whitehead has not committed to a college, but she began the recruiting pro-cess in ninth grade and con-tacted more coaches seriously and visited different schools since then.

“There are so many colleges out there, so finding the best program for me takes some

time,” Whitehead said. “Lots of people or team-mates are committing, so you feel pressure to as well. But, this is a deci-

sion that can’t be rushed and sometimes people don’t know what they want in college, especially if you are a freshman.”

Although commit-ting as early as sopho-more year may not be the right option for everyone, being re-cruited and watched by college coaches is inevitable. Athletes interested in con-tinuing sports in col-lege eventually begin contacting colleges because of how com-petitive recruiting has become.

“Ultimately, I knew which school I loved and my gut, reasoning and passion all pointed the same direction,” Wood said. “Trust your instincts [and] don’t let anything slip away.”

Annie Vento ‘17

Athletes weigh in on committing early for college sports

Skip Miller

Source: Justin Wertner

Source: Avery Whitehead

Amber England

“Trust your instincts [and] don’t let anything slip away.”

“I’ve had years to get to know my college and feel comfortable with leaving home to live there,” said Wood.

Emily Elkins Katie Boyle

England lines up a shot. She is on the varsity team, and she wants to attend the Uni-versity of Texas at Austin.

Connor Green prepares his swing while up to bat during a baseball game. He will be attending the University of Mississippi this fall.

Roxanna Wood gets ready to spike the ball after it was set by another team-mate. Wood has been playing on the varsity team since eighth grade.

Wertner poses at the Uni-versity of California at Ir-vine. He will attend after his mission in Chile.

Sydney Spadafora juggles the ball against two oppos-ing players. Spadafora com-mitted to Carson-Newman University at the beginning of this school year.

Avery Whitehead poses with her Skywalkers team at a game in Bal-timore, Md. Whitehead has not yet committed but has began conversa-tions with several col-leges.

The Gryphon Gazette6 EntertainmentMay ••

Spring and summer fashion made easyKai Taylor ‘17

LINEN PANTSLinen pants are really comfortable for the summer time and generally have a looser fit which is good for the spring and summer. They can appeal to any-one’s taste with a variety of colors to choose from. Model: Faith Huff

MIDI SKIRTThe midi skirt is a good option for the spring. Not only is it a really retro look, but its various styles range from basic colors to funky prints and designs. For the spring season, you can wear a lightweight sweater or short-sleeved button up top.Model: Faith Huff

DENIMWhether it’s flare pants, a skirt, or overalls, denim is always a good choice. You could wear denim with denim or pair it with a lively color to give your outfit a pop.Model: Erica Alexander

JUMPSUITJumpsuits are great for spring because they are comfortable and can work in a formal or casual setting. You can opt to wear a jumpsuit to a fancy birthday dinner or to more laid back venues. Model: Erica Alexander

Kai Taylor Kai Taylor

Kai TaylorKai Taylor

Four staples that make for a versatile wardrobe

Summer break is approaching fast and with it, freedom from dress code. From the school hallways to the city streets, these suggestions will get you through comfortably and stylishly. (Sorry boys, this might not work so well for you).

Summer hot spots

This cute coffee bar in midtown is the perfect place to spend time over the summer. Otherlands usually features live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and it is an excellent way to meet artists, musicians and writers. It is also great place to visit for a cup of tasty coffee, and something off the food menu, such as one of their delectable bagel sandwiches.

OTHERLANDS

MEMPHIS PIZZA CAFESummer would not be complete without pizza, and Memphis Pizza Cafe offers deli-cious food at a reasonable price.There are five different locations with a large variety of pizzas, salads and sandwiches available. The restaurant has won the “Best Pizza” competition in both the Memphis Magazine’s Subscriber’s Poll and the Memphis Flyer’s Reader’s poll annually since 1994. The pizza dough is made fresh daily, and Memphis Pizza Cafe ensures that only the freshest ingredients are used as toppings.

To satisfy a craving for Mexican Food, Las Tortugas is the place to go. The restaurant boasts a refusal to Americanize the process and presentation of cooking traditional Mexican cuisine. Las Tortugas imitates the taquerias of Mexico City and serves high quality authentic Mexican food. The salsa is a delicious Pico de Gallo, and the chips are handmade.

LAS TORTUGAS

MUDDYS BAKE SHOPThe Muddy’s staff begins each day baking their pastries from scratch. The menu constantly changes as new cupcakes are tried out, but it is first come first serve, so if they run out of a certain flavor, customers are out of luck. There is a wide range of interesting pastries to try, and there are even a few vegan options. The staff does not charge for coffee refills or accept tips, and the shop tries to give back to the commu-nity through monthly donations to local non-profit organizations.

Courtney Harshbarger ‘15

“Home” is a movie about an alien who is the King of the Boov. The king steals the only egg of a bad alien called the Gorg, and the Gorg chases the Boov. The Boov finally settles on Earth and abducts all the humans to one country. The Gorg uses a tracker to find the Boov and his egg, and...

Oh no! I’ve told you too much. If you want to know more, go see “Home.” I highly recommend this movie for all ages. It’s funny, ex-citing, and heartwarming- a movie for the whole family. In theaters NOW!

Family Fun!

Ntsang.netEmma Larson ‘24

Four resturants to try over the summer Emma Larson ‘24 reviews “Home”

7OpinionMay The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School• •

One of my favorite adages comes from a Greek proverb. “Society grows,” goes the saying, “when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” While I balk at the adjective “old,” I think often of this saying as I reflect on my years at St. George’s. Literally and figuratively, I have been part of planting trees at St. George’s. Specifically, I remember when many of the trees around the Collierville campus were planted; I planted several myself. Moreover, I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a part of planting figurative trees across the landscape of St. George’s in the form of new initiatives and programs associated with an expanding school.

As a teacher, I must ask myself what I have learned from this 14 year journey of planting trees. So, here are ten lessons learned from my years at St. George’s:

William W. Taylor, School President

Departing Thoughts

1. Many people cannot see that which does not already exist; it is up to those who can to paint a picture.

2. St. George’s is an amazing school, distinguished by earnestness, courage, and wonder.

3. Laughter, music, and humility are essential companions on any journey.

4. Things that are important in life must be importantly protected.

5. Healthy risks are a critical aspect of the pursuit of excellence, whether as an individual or as a school.

6. Hard work, faith, and a positive attitude can overcome almost any obstacle.

7. Collaborative wisdom is far more dynamic and valuable than individual intellect

8. Surround yourself with dedicated, smart people and you will always find the right guidance, or re-direction, when you need it the most.

9. Young people are the leaders your future; respect them and their potential.

10. Always look forward. But, always be informed by what lies behind, particularly your mistakes.

After 14 years, the trees distinguishing the landscape of St. George’s have gotten bigger and more mature with time and careful at-tention. Some, though, have been lost after being battered by the high winds of storms. Others failed to thrive and were replaced by those that did. Being a part of their planting and growth, though, has been the highlight of my professional career and will be the stuff that informs my memories in the years ahead. I look forward to seeing and hear-ing about the growing canopy of shade that these trees (and others yet to be planted) will produce in the future.

Onward!

As the end of the year swiftly ap-proaches, most students are looking for-ward to summer and the free time that comes along with it. However, a cloud hovers over the festivities in the shape of the honor society inductions and award ceremonies.

Sitting through these awards for an hour or more leaves students weary in the classes that follow. For students who do not receive awards, they may seem hurt-ful or even pointless. A change should be made, and that change is moving these ceremonies to take place after school.

What are these awards actually prais-ing? Is it the admiration of the student’s desire to learn or solely based on their ability to make the grades?

Students have become obsessed with

Let’s change ceremonies to afternoons!

Photo Illustration: Emily PersonsAward ceremonies continue to be debated. Award cer-emonies and Honor society inductions took place in the gym this year.

Tatum Nix ’15

the concept of “making the grades.” This is not their fault. Pressure from parents and colleges have forced this change, leaving the desire to learn on the back burner.

Furthermore, as schools honor the stu-dents who are able to “make the grades,” the students with a valiant work ethic, yet inability to achieve a certain grade point average are neglected. Not only are they not recognized, but they are also forced to watch the ceremony that honors those individuals they strive to be.

“The award ceremonies might hurt peo-ple’s feelings if they worked really hard for a certain award and didn’t get it,” senior Justin Wertner said.

Furthermore, the length of these cer-emonies has always been an issue for stu-dents.

“It [the Honor Society cere-mony] is just too long,” sopho-more Shane Horton said.

The students who are able to achieve high academic stan-dards should be honored but in a different way.

The benefits of an after school awards and Honor So-ciety inductions ceremonies far outweigh the disadvantag-es. Classes can be carried out according to schedule, parents do not have to check siblings out of school in order for them to attend these ceremonies, parents can continue their work day, and most importantly, stu-dents who are not receiving an award or title do not have to sit through the endless

All photos courtesy of Communications

Mr. Taylor attends the first day at school at all three campuses, Parent Appreciation Day, Homecoming, Rebecca’s Light and participates in the ALS ice bucket chal-lenge in his final year at St. George’s.

OPINION POLICY: The Gryphon Gazette opinion section is a venue for the free expression of student views at St. George’s Indepen-dent School. The opinions represented in this section are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the Gryphon Gazette staff or of the St. George’s community at large. The Gryphon Gazette strives to be an open forum for the thoughtful and deliberate exchange of comment and criticism, and therefore welcomes letters to the editor. Letters to the editor will be printed in the opinion section of the newspa-per, should not exceed 300 words, and must be signed and accompanied by a verifiable email address. These letters will not be printed if the content is judged obscene, violates the privacy of others, or encourages physical disruption of school activities.

hours of names and pledges.“CBHS [Christian Brothers High

School] does some of their awards like Honor Society inductions after school, and I think it’s a really good idea,” senior

The Gryphon Gazette8 EntertainmentMay • •

Kelsey Pepper: The Trough Problem to Sydney Lanyon

Owen Miller: The wrestling room to Will Courtney

Roxanna Wood: All the spoons in the cafeteria to Caroline Greenand Jane Shelby Bragg

Justin Wertner: Being Mormon to Jared Whitaker

Anthony Fanelli: My superman backpack to Max Underwood

Madeline East: My handshake with Isabella Cantu before soccer games to Eva Neel

Denise Horner: My constant positive attitude to Maddie Skudder

Julia Spinolo: The tea locker in the senior lounge to Sutton Hewitt Caroline Cannon: My fast speed and flaming hair to Caroline Farrell

Jay Luckett: The untucked shirt to Harris Kearney

Class of 2015 Senior Wills

Seniors on the Move How many students are going to each state?

Juliana Wall ’15

Visit thegryphongazette.org for the “Seniors on the Move” interactive map.

Lexie Marotta: My sister Paige Marotta to Lauren Marotta

Tatum Nix: My artisic talents to Megan Lenior

Taylor Owens: Ms. Brooks’ box of tissues to the entire risingsenior class

Emma Irby: My psychology textbook to Kneeland Gammill

Jack Glosson: My skills on the diamond to Stephen East

Kathryn Heard: The mannequin in the art room to Elise Fong

Allie Buckmaster: My love of peanut butter to the entire school.

Anna Marie Beard: Leann Beard’s serious inability to manage time and three outstanding referrals to Laura Beard, to carry on

the family legacy

Curt Bennett: Annabel to Stephen EastMLB The Show to Judson ScottThe curve balls to Matt HigdonThe curl rack to Graham Hawthorne