The Odyssey

INSIDE

A Saint James School Tradition Since 1969

Happy Leap Year!

Orchestra Visits Saint James

“Saint James students seemed genuinly interested in what we do.”

By Reed O’MaraEditor

On Friday, February 10, Saint James’s Per-forming Arts Build-

ing was graced with the me-lodic sounds of the Ethel music group, courtesy of Clefworks.

Ethel is a world-touring string quartet who not only puts on con-certs, but goes to schools to open up students to classical music. Liz Stevens, the executive director of Clefworks, introduced the group and expressed her as well as the group’s goal to bring “classical music to a younger demographic.”

Another goal of Ethel’s is to bring foreign-influenced music to different cultures, even if that new culture is only Montgomery. They served to show how music can be a doorway to new expe-riences. Ralph Ferris, the only viola-player of Ethel, said he wanted to take students on “cul-tural journeys” that would help expand the cultures of the world. To him as well as all members of Ethel, it is the enjoyable shar-ing of these “valuable traditions” that makes music so important.

Besides Ralph Ferris on viola, the band also has two violinists—Jennifer Choi and Cornelius Du-fallo. Lastly, there was Dorothy Lawson on a carbon-fiber cello, as opposed to the classical wood-en cello. All of these musicians studied around the world from Toronto to Europe, but a similiar-ity in their music studies is that they all at some point or another studied at the much-esteemed Julliard school in New York City. Their group formed out of mutual projects together, espe-cially after their work with Phil-lip Glass, the composer of many famous pieces, including the soundtrack to the film The Hours.

Sophomore Carolyn Bird knew of Ethel before they came to Saint James, and she said,

“I was extremely excited when I found out they were com-ing. I was scrambling to find a Sharpie for them to sign my metrodome. I like their music because it has a wide range.”

When students filed into the Performing Arts Building the morning of the performance, many had feelings of apprehen-sion. There was a general air of not knowing what to expect. Af-ter the group had been introduced as a quartet that did not neces-sarily focus on classical music, the students’ curiosity grew. The

first song Ethel played was called “Rival” and was by a Brazilian composer with Greek parents.

Following “Rival” was “Chive” by Ethel’s own cellist, Dorothy Larson. The song had Indian influences, though the writer herself is a Canadian with a Scottish father. Thirdly was “Pelimanni’s Revenge,” which was a favorite among students for its Southwest Indian and Finnish influences, which coinci-dentally sounds much like blue-grass. The song was also favored because of its story-telling. As

Ralph Ferris said, the song tells the story between two tricksters that appear both in Finnish and Southwest Indian culture. Senior Tyler Haveard said, “I thought it was really enjoyable to lis-ten to. I hope they visit again.”

The fourth song Ethel played was “Fast Forward,” which was heavily influenced Eastern Eu-ropean lands, such as Bulgaria. Oddly enough, the song was writ-ten by Hollis Taylor, an American who was studying birdsongs in Australia at the time. It was a song that could easily be described as mysterious and “off-kiltered.”

After “Fast Forward” came a song that came from San Antonio, Texas. It’s fusion of cultures was that of the German polka scene and the Quan Hunto music char-acteristic of Mexican-Texan cul-

ture. This song was by El Echo Emas. The sixth song was the Ko-rea-influenced “Lighthouse” by Cornelius Dufallo, one of the vio-linists. This song changed from a sweet melody to brief moments of “stormy” notes, which conveyed

Dufallo’s feeling of ap-prehension when visit-ing someplace unfa-miliar. The penultimate piece was written by high schooler Rahmie Azie, an avid fan of heavy metal. The song was called “Possessed by Obscurity” and the parallels between heavy metal and his Navaho culture were apparent. The last song was a favorite among students. It was Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.”

After their perfor-mance, Ethel stayed behind to answer the questions of interested students as well as to promote their shows

that night and the following day. When asked what it is like to visit schools, Cornelius Du-fallo said, “Playing in schools is one of our favorite things to do. [STJ students] seemed genu-inely interested in what we do. It means a lot to us, and makes the experience more enjoyable.”

Overall, Ethel’s performance at STJ was eye-opening for most students, many of whom were unfamiliar with the non-classi-cal sect of instrumental music and the various cultural styles.

The Pros and Consof Noodles Cafe

A Season To Remember:

STJ Basketball 2011

SCIENCE BOWL

Scholastic Art

Winners

Page 9

See Page 3

See Page 2

Pages 6-7

Ethel plays spiritedly. Photo by Andy Clinton.

2 The Odyssey March 8, 2012NewsCorrections

and Retractions

By Reed O’MaraEditor

During the past four issues of the Odys-

sey, we made some mistakes. We would like to address some of these and apologize for them.

In the December 12 issue, we left the page number for the review of Tomatino’s blank. For those of you who thought it was a fill-in-the-blank, the answer was 10. For those of you who got it wrong or were horribly con-fused by it, we apolo-gize.

In the second is-sue, we had a series of blurry photos. We apologize that most did not have captions and therefore had no one to blame. We’re sure it was Zoya.

We also must make a serious apology to all who get hit in the head with our paper every-time an issue comes out. Also to all those who become fatalities due to newspaper-sword-wars. Further to those whose hands get stained with the ink from the paper.

Still more, we need to make a correction. Zoya’s favorite veg-etable is not the cactus. It’s the eggplant.

We’re sorry for our faults. Besides our elevated positions as those who tell you what really goes on around Saint James, we are human.

With Great Sincerity,The Staff

Gleeful MusicBy Caitlin CobbSports Editor

Cabaret is an annual performance by the Saint James Performing Arts

in which students sign up to sing and dance in a live show. The fun thing about Cabaret is that students do not have to try out in order to be in it. This gives students the chance to experience the Saint James Performing Arts without being under the pres-sure to try-out. Previous cabarets have included themes such as “Currently on Broadway”, “Viva Las Vegas”, and “Livin’ La Vida Loca”. As Cabaret goes on, the shows get better and better each year. The 2012 Cabaret theme was “Going Glee”. Students sang and danced to upbeat, Glee-themed songs such as “Rumor Has It”, “Thriller”, “Time Warp”, and “Dynamite”; all of which were previously performed on the TV show.

“Going Glee” was on for four days: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thursday and Friday were regular shows without din-ner starting at 7 sharp. Saturday was the dinner night, and they served a nice dinner to all of the people who attended. Everybody who saw the show absolutely loved it and said that it was the best Cabaret yet. I attended the show on Thursday night, opening night.

On Thursday night, my friends and I walked in and students greeted us with a plate

of cookies, popcorn, and other interesting varieties of food. It was all very random but very tasty. The show started out with everyone singing and danc-ing to “Don’t Stop Believing.” Cabaret continued with a variety of songs and dances, mostly choreographed by students in the show. Channing Glenn, a sophomore who participated in “Going Glee”, commented, “I really liked the theme this year because I feel like Glee is generally a popular thing among students and adults. I felt like the most fun number we performed was “Bust Your Windows.” I also really liked the part when they poured Slushies on people in the show.”

Highlights of “Going Glee” included the many solos by students and, of course, Mr. Clin-ton’s video. Watching a bunch of teachers singing and dancing on a Friday afternoon, thankful to be rid of the students at Saint James, was a special addition to the show. For all of the people who didn’t see it, the main stars were Mr. Clinton, Coach Mac, and Mr. Turner. All of whom completely embarrassed themselves for the audience’s entertainment. It was absolutely hilarious! The 2012 Cabaret featuring the theme Go-ing Glee was absolutely amaz-ing. I enjoyed all of the songs, dances, and videos (thank you, Mr. Clinton) that were in the show, and I hope to see more of the same talent and enthusiasm next year at Cabaret.

Science Bowl members (left to right), Jeremy Frasher, Ricky Seeber, Kevin Varghese, Rosie Smith, Austin Yost, and Amelia Hanan, were very excited to go to the Science Bowl and represent Saint James. Photo courtesy of Amelia Hanan.

Bowled Over by ScienceBy Amelia HananFeatures Editor

On February 3rd the Sci-ence Bowl team ven-tured down to Mobile

for an academic competition. The team left at noon on Friday and began competition Saturday morning at eight. This was the second year Saint James has had a team for this contest in the last few years, and it is coached by science teachers, Mr. Turner and Dr. Ousley. Mr. Turner com-mented on the team’s experience by saying, “We were proud to be the only private school repre-senting Montgomery, and we showed improvement from last year.” The competition was held at the Alabama School of Math and Science where sixteen teams competed.

The team consisted of four returning players and two new-comers. The returning com-petitors included seniors Kevin Varghese, Austin Yost, and Rosie Smith, along with junior Jeremy Frasher. The new members were senior, Ricky Seeber and junior Amelia Hanan.

The contest itself includes questions from biology, chemis-try, physics, earth and space sci-

ence, energy, and math. The first competitor to buzz in within five seconds and answer the question correctly received four points. The team who answered the question correctly then had the opportunity to answer a bonus

question within twenty seconds for ten points. In several com-petitions, the bonus questions determined the match win such as in the first match where Saint James had a thirty-eight point lead but lost on the last round of

the match. The team

won two of the six matches they competed in and placed in the top ten. When recalling the weekend as a whole, Jer-emy Frasher commented, “It is fun because we get to see how we compare with other schools. We think it would be more ben-eficial to the program to have a class, so we can study more for it.”

Mr. Turner

is also hoping to have a class in the future for Science Bowl, so the students can study year round for the competition in several different subjects to be more prepared and more successful next year.

Washington TripBy Hayley White

News Editor

The Saint James 2012 8th grade class took the an-nual trip to Washington

D.C. On Sunday, February 12th, the class had to arrive at school at 4 o’clock in the morning, where they rode a bus to Atlanta, Georgia. Then they flew from Atlanta to Washington D.C. This is a change from previous year’s trips because other classes drove the whole way.

The Odyssey was able to sit down with a few eight graders and they shared a few stories from the trip with us. Will Prater and Reid Woodson said, “One day Mr. Chris let up into his room to attack Mr. VanEgmond. We all were hiding in the room somewhere when Mr. V came out of the bathroom. We all attacked

him and he started hitting us with pillows to defend himself. While all this was going on, Reid noticed a dead mouse trapped in a mouse trap under the bed. We threw it away.” They also said that this story probably would have been funnier if you had been there. Drake Smith also shared about ding dong ditching Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Everett’s room. He explained that they stayed in a hotel for the deaf, and each room had a door bell that when pushed would light up the room. So, When Drake and some of his roommates illuminated teacher’s rooms they became irritated. Mrs. Everett later told us that she thought if she ignored them they would go away. She wasn’t so lucky... “unable to get a reaction from me they began to knock” . Over all, the 8th graders had a great trip.

The Odyssey March 8, 2012 3Sports

Saint James is the best private school in Mont-gomery, and with that

reputation comes the responsi-bility of tending to its students’ needs. Some of the students have made it clear that they want a new sport to be available at Saint James: horseback riding.

Students who don’t partici-pate in basketball or track or any other sport possibly feel left out. If the students who ride horses want to be included in Saint James Athletics, then those stu-dents should definitely ride with the STJ Jumpers, this new Saint James equestrian team starting in the 2012-2013 school year. Olivia Kent, a sophomore, com-mented, “We definitely deserve an equestrian team because it would give horseback riders a chance to be more involved in the school athletics, and it would promote the diversity of Saint James.”

The fact that Saint James is establishing an equestrian team makes our school different, and, in addition to making the current students happy, it makes

our school more appealing to prospective students. We are now the first school in the entire state of Alabama to have a team especially for horseback riders. Also, people who want to ride in college and possibly receive a scholarship for horseback riding would definitely benefit from this. Making an equestrian team makes Saint James stand out even more.

The only thing students would have to do to sign up for the equestrian team is to get a form in any of the offices and send in an application. The applications are due by March 1st, and the tryouts for the team are March 10-11, 2012. The rain dates for the tryouts are March 16-17. All students who are in grades 6-12 will be able to participate. Middle school students will not be able to compete in the shows, but they will be able to train with the team. Our team will be competing in the Interscho-lastic Equestrian Association, and we will travel all over the south including states such as Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. The STJ Jumpers will be competing against other middle and high schools across

the south. The teams are divided into

different zones in which they compete, and the goal for our team is to make it to hope-fully make it to Regionals and possibly Nationals. There are more than 5,000 students on over 100 teams competing in the Interscholastic Equestrian As-sociation, and now Saint James is proud to be a member.

The STJ Jumpers will most likely practice twice a week in

a group lesson. Saint James is probably making the team into a seventh period athletic class. The team will work out three days of the week and leave early to ride the other two days. Riders can be of any experience level, so long as they can stay on top of the horse. Also, if students want to sign up but don’t have a horse, that is not a problem. The barn has horses for everyone to ride, and, in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, riders

do not even ride their own horse. All riders are tested on overall riding ability and on whether or not they can ride almost any horse. The program is set up this way so that no single rider has an advantage over the oth-er. Also, students who are already riding with a trainer do not have to leave their current barn. Hunter Haven Stables, the host barn with two trainers available, would be just another barn at which they ride.

Everyone who par-ticipates on the eques-trian team will possibly be getting jackets, and for shows we will have match-

ing saddle pads and polo shirts or show jackets. Being on the equestrian team will require a lot of commitment to horseback riding from all of the team mem-bers, but that commitment will turn into success at shows and maybe a trip to Regionals or Na-tionals. Saint James encourages all of the students in middle and high school students who ride to get an application and apply for the team, the more members the better.

By Caitlin CobbSports Editor

Jumping for Joy

A Season To Remember

Sophomore Caitlin Cobb and her former horse, One-Eyed Willie, leap over a rock wall at a show. Photo courtesy of Caitlin Cobb.

Photos by Amelia Hanan.

4 Opinions The Odyssey March 8, 2012

The Odyssey StaffEditors-in-Chief Reed O’Mara

Business Manager Zoya Ahmed

Section EditorsNews Hayley White Sports Caitlin CobbOpinions Allison RutherfordFeatures Amelia HananEntertainment Zoya Ahmed

Photographer Hayley White Cartoonist Sammie Eiring Advisor JamesHadleyGriffin

Member Alabama Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) and Journalism Education Association.Recipient of the ASPA All Alabama Award 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

Recipient of the Troy School of Journalism Hallmark Award 2000, 2001, 2003

The Odyssey is published six times a year. The opinions in the Odyssey are the view expressed by individual staff mem-bers. This is not necessarily representative of the opinions of the faculty,

administration, parents, students, or advisor.

The Odyssey welcomes letters to the editor. The letters must be signed and the staff reserves the right to edit the letter before publication for length.

Saint James School n 6010 Vaughn Road n Montgomery, AL 36116 n (334) 277-8033 ext. 116odysseynewspaper@gmail.com

Not many people know that there is another holi-day celebrated on Val-

entine’s Day; it is called Single Awareness Day. Valentine’s Day is, for some people, excruciat-ingly painful. Maybe the lonely, single ones had a recent breakup or bad divorce, but, for high school students, Valentine’s Day is a celebration of the week and one-day-long relationships, usu-ally. The lonely freshmen who haven’t found their stride in high school yet or the sophomore cou-ple who broke up the day before Valentine’s (they had been dating since the week before OMG) are the ones who celebrate Single Awareness Day. This one day adventure is for you if you hate Valentine’s Day in general, you have recently broken up with someone, or you have just not found the “right one.”

I do appreciate Valentine’s Day, but, first of all, couples

should stop freaking out about buying presents for each other. It’s okay to get a box of choco-lates (even though you never know what you’re going to get) or a nice rose, but I think it is a little outrageous to buy a huge stuffed bear that you can’t even fit into your locker. Jeremy Frasher commented, “Guys shouldn’t overspend on presents for their Valentines. A humun-gous card and chocolates are the best presents to get a girl.” The card shows romanticism, and the chocolates show that the guy doesn’t care how much the girl weighs.

Instead of being selfish and worrying about your problems, you should start thinking about your friends and family, making the people who mean the most to you your Valentines. Not having a person to celebrate a life com-mitment with doesn’t mean that you can’t cherish the good rela-tionships you currently have. I think people should start thinking about Valentine’s Day as a day of being grateful and loving.

By Caitlin CobbSports Editor

S. A. D.Single Person Awareness Day

You Call That Food?

By Reed O’MaraEditor

Saint James is by-far one of the best schools in Mont-gomery. However, despite

all of its glamours, it provides the worst food orders.

Saint James is in much need of a cafeteria, but seeing as that means build-ing another whole building, it won’t be happening any time soon. Students are stuck with ordering lunches or bring-ing their own. Most prefer to bring their own.

For one, the op-tions are limited. Students have one choice per day, which occasionally is divided between two options. Mon-days are a Quiznos sub, and there is the choice between ham or turkey. It might as well be a choice

between mystery meat A and mystery meat B. The cookie that comes with the sub, however, is a favorite among students. In fact, it has become something of a currency—“I’ll give you my chips for your cookie.”

Tuesday shows more prom-ise. It’s pizza. But it’s Cheez-ies Pizza. Which can be very greasy. Also, the pizza is not even cut. Students just get one giant (depending on your luck) piece of pizza. It used to be that

the dessert came in the cardboard box, melting it and making it disgusting, but now it comes separate. Nothing is worse than a hot Twinkie, besides the Twinkie itself.

Wednesday is a Steak Out hamburger. There’s nothing special about it. It, too, creates

its own currency. Students often fight over mustard and ketchup packets. Thursday is another Steak Out treat—an unimpres-sive grilled chicken sandwich.

Friday is yet another chicken sandwich, only this one is from Chick-Fil-A. Chick-Fil-A is a much more popular lunch; however, by the time it reaches the student, it is a wilted piece of chicken on an over-buttered piece of bread. And speaking of Chick-Fil-A, every Wenes-

day and Friday the band sells Chicken Biscuits. That’s great. Everyone loves it. But no one wants to pay three dollars for one.

When asked how he felt about the lunches offered by the school, sophomore Hamp Hoover, who orders four days a week, said,

“The lunches are gross and really greasy, and I would rather just have an apple…for the same price.”

Anoth-er com-plaint by students is that besides the ined-ible food offered to us, we have nothing good to

drink. Nothing good to wash out the disgusting tastes of the food we’re gobbling down. Students everyday are forced to decide between a diet soda and…a diet soda. There’s also water, but that is gone quicker than money from a bank during the Great Depres-sion.

If it wasn’t for the Wooden Horse, God bless it, the entire Saint James population would starve.

The Odyssey March 8, 2012 5Senior Spotlight

Hayley Bell

What position do you play?I used to be the goalie but now I play Defense.How long have you played at Saint James?4 years.What is your favorite mem-ory of the team?Beating Trinity my sopho-more yearWhat is your favorite part of being a senior?Graduating!What are your goals for the season/ team?To go to playoffs!

Mary Griggs

What position do you play?MidfieldHow long have you played at Saint James?Since 7th gradeWhat is your favorite mem-ory of the team?Being an hour late to a game with Anna Claire, Cassidy, Zay, and Logan because we got lost.What is your favorite part of being a senior?Being the oldest on the team and graduating in 3 monthsWhat are your goals for the season/ team?Going to the playoffs and beating Trinity twice this year

Anna Claire Seanor

What position do you play?ForwardHow long have you played at Saint James?Since 8th gradeWhat is your favorite mem-ory of the team?Logan’s uncensored warm up cdWhat is your favorite part of being a senior?Graduating in May and leaving MontgomeryWhat are your goals for the season/ team?That we make it to play-offs and beat Trinity

Photo by Hayley White.

6 The Odyssey March 8, 2012 The Odyssey March 8, 2012 7

Photography

Scholastics Winners

Reed O’Mara 1 Silver, 1 Honourable Mention

Hayley Bell3 Honourable Mentions

Carlee Naftel 2 Honourable Mentions

Amy Smith 1 Honourable Mention

Elizabeth Kean 1 Honourable Mention

Taylor Duncan 1 Gold Key for Painting1 Silver Key for Painting

Sammie Eiring2 Gold Keys for Painting1 Silver Key for Painting1 Gold Key for Drawing

Hannah Ritter1 Silver Key in Printmaking1 Silver Key in Drawing

Rosie Smith1 Silver Key in Painting

Hannah Roberts1 Gold Key in Painting

Branden Greenberg1 Honourable Mention for Drawing

Painting, Printmaking, Drawing

The Odyssey March 8, 2012 8FeaturesCobby da Fool

Dear Cobby,So I have been good

friends with a guy for years. People have always said we should date, but we never took it seriously and always joked about it. I never thought he was actually interested in me until a new guy started show-ing interest in me, and my best friend told him to back off because he was ready to move out of the “friend zone” with me. Now it is just extremely awkward. I thought it was clear that I was not inter-ested, but he keeps saying we will end up together. How do I stop this and just get back to my normal friendship?Sincerely, Just a FriendDear Just Has One Friend,

First, you obviously have no friends if you are writing a letter to me, or you feel sorry for yourself. How in the world have you been hanging out with a guy for a few years? I’m pretty sure that’s impossible… for you. You also said that there was another guy who showed a teeny bit of interest in you; again, that is not possible. You must be delusional in which case I should refer you to a specialist in North Dakota. You need to be as far away as possible from these “people” (probably imaginary). Next, how do you even know what the friend zone is? You proba-bly just watched the movie, “Made of Honor”. This so called guy friend who says you will end up together needs to stop because he probably does not even know you. Again, you are imagining this. Thanks for the Entertainment, Cobby da Fool

The IPRYL TeamBy Amelia Hanan Features Editor

IPRYL is a class offered for juniors and seniors at Saint James and taught by

Mrs. Sherlin. IPRYL stands for Interpersonal Relations Youth Leadership. The class is a part

of the YMCA which focuses on leadership, communication, com-mitment, and child development.

The class requires an applica-tion process to be selected. The ideal member has above aver-age grades and good attendance. They are to also show leadership in the school and take part in community service. To be select-ed, the students turn in an appli-cation which asks them questions about why they want to be in the class, how they are leaders in the

school, what commitment means to them, why they are a good role model, a problem facing youth in society today, and how they would overcome it. They are then interviewed by the current IPRYL class. Once Mrs. Sherlin and the IPRYL class have care-fully looked over the applications and interviewed the applicants,

they select about ten students to participate in the class next year.

This year’s class includes seniors Jake Jabour, Haynes Litchfield, Austin Meadows, Madeline Pendley, and Kevin Varghese, and juniors Caroline Crisp, Chase Ritter, and Walker Woodson.

Mrs. Sherlin explained the purpose of the class is to foster and teach leadership to high school students. They also strive to give back to the community by

mentoring young kids. Each member of the class

receives a younger buddy from Vaughn Road Elementary School whom they work with through-out the year. This helps them to learn about the responsibility of parenting along with being a good role model in society. They spend three days a week with a

certain buddy to build a strong relationship with them through-out the year. The students enjoy spending time with their buddies like junior Walker Woodson, who said, “IPRYL is fun for both groups, and it is a great experi-ence for us as mentors and also for the children we help.”

Sink Your Teeth into This!

By Caitlin CobbSports Editor

Kevin Varghese, Austin Meadows, Caroline Crisp, Jake Jabour, Walker Woodson, Chase Ritter, Madeline Pindley, Haynes Litchfield made up teh IPRL class this year. Photo by Reed O’Mara.

The Key Club hosted its 11th annual blood drive with the Red Cross on

March 1, 2012. Every year, the blood drive is held in memory of Logan Markham, a former Saint James student who gradu-ated in 2000 and who sadly passed away.

To kick off the blood drive, a Red Cross official visited the school and talked to the students in an assembly. She informed us of how the blood drive works and who it helps. She also read a touching letter from a former blood recipi-ent. The unknown person who received blood talked about him being in a crash, and that without the blood he received, he would have died from internal and external injuries. A real-life situation really helps students to understand why they

give blood and the importance of giving blood. The speaker also told us her personal story of why she gives blood. And, believe it or not, she has donated blood around 88 times.

With that information in mind, students signed up to volunteer at the blood drive and, most importantly, give blood. The goal of the Key Club, Red Cross, and school was to collect around 45 pints of blood. The Red Cross thinks that we came pretty close to that amount.

People need to remember that when they are donating blood, they should eat a hearty break-fast. Nobody wants to pass out after they have spent the time to answer questions. The process of donating blood does not take more than 45 minutes and is a very worthy cause. Everybody needs to remember to donate blood the next time the Key Club or the Red Cross has a blood drive.

The Odyssey March 8, 2012 9FeaturesClub Corner: Write Club

By Zoya AhmedBuissness Manager

After morning classes, the one time that many students look forward to

in the day is advisory. It is a time when students can catch up with homework, the latest gossip, and/or breakfast. Also, it is a time when students sometimes play games with their advisors and friends. But on Wednesdays, kids have the opportunity to par-ticipate in clubs they enjoy. On some Wednesdays, we have Blue Clubs, which are service clubs. And on every other Wednesday, we have Gold Clubs, which are more academic and learning-related.

One of the cool, relatively newer Gold Clubs is Write Club, which is taught by Mr. Clinton. This is the second year that Mr. Clinton has been teaching this class. This class is taught in order to give the students a chance to improve their writing skills and be creative. And it is a great pastime! When asked about

what she thinks about the fun we have in Write Club, Reed O’Mara said, “I really like how Write Club gives me the chance to write every two weeks, after not being able to write because of school.”

Like Reed, many other students feel the same way about Write Club. It is a good thing to some-times get away from school work, and pour your feelings out in writing.

During this club, students get a chance to finally get their “creative juices flowing,” and put it on paper. Mr. Clin-ton joins in with the class too. He partici-pates in the writing activities, and tells

stories of his own. Students join in on writing exercises, which mostly range from lovely writing poems to writing imaginative short stories.

Usually, we write very unique pieces that are amusing and entertaining. The students also get to play games that have to do with writing. For example, last year we played this game where somebody at the front of the row would write some-thing descriptive on a piece of paper, and then fold up the part where they wrote. Then, they would pass the paper to the person behind them, and the line would go on. The result

Noodles: Two Reviews in OneBy Reed O’Mara

Editor

By Hayley WhiteNews Editor

When one walks into Noodles Café, they step into a box of a

room that is modern while sim-plistic. As with all restaurants that boast an Asian cuisine, it has decorations inherent to Asia—bamboo plants, statues, and the like. Usually there is only a moderate crowd at Noo-dles, crunched into the booths on either side of the restaurant. The café feels very closed in and tight, a homey trait perfect for having conversations over plates of Pad Thai.

The staff at Noodles is very friendly and very prepared to explain what curry and the other dishes on the menu are. Noodles specializes in curry, and theirs is not half bad. What is the gem of their cuisine however, are their many noodle dishes. In Vietnamese and Thai cooking, rice noodles are fat and thick, with a gooey-like texture. They are a nice break from Italian-styled noodles as well as steamed rice.

One noodle dish that is extraordinary is the Pad Thai, a stir fry of with your choice of meat, egg, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chili pepper, and a combination of bean sprouts among other things. It is abso-lutely amazing. It is a perfect balance of flavors.

A close second to the Pad Thai is the Drunken Noodle, which is so good it gets the eater drunk on happiness and satisfaction. Drunken Noodle is slightly spicier than Pad Thai,

but it offers a different variation of the same flavors.

Another aspect of Noodles that is so great is the appetizer menu. Noodles has fast service, so popping in for an appetizer is an ideal choice. Their vegetable spring rolls are served with a tangy ginger sauce, and the three to four that one gets is really not enough. Also, the steamed dump-lings are fantastic. They, too, are served with a delicious sauce.

Also notable is that the dishes at Noodles are of a gargantuan size. Usually it is best to come hungry or come prepared to take home half the dish.

Sophomore Summer Pierce is a regular at Noodles Café, and she says, “My favorite thing to eat at Noodles is the dumplings. I also like how it is small and has a good atmosphere.”

For a rating out of five, Noodles would get a rating of a five. It is a refreshing café with a spark that differentiates it from the places everyone goes to—its flavors and its environment offer a unique experience that can be much appreciated.

I went to Noodle’s Café for the first time on a Sunday afternoon. I was accompa-

nied by my step mom. It was a nice after-church meal, so I had heard.

When we walked in, we were greeted with a spacious room filled several chairs and somewhat comfortable booths. One thing in particular that I liked about the space was that I did not feel like I was cramped

in with other people. On the other hand, I was brought back to memories of toddler-hood when I sat in the booths. My feet did not even touch the floor which really irritated the heck out of me.

The waitress sauntered over to our table and handed us menus. We unsuccessfully tried to order lemonade, but they did not even have lemonade in the entire restaurant. If you like lemonade to drink, Noodle’s Café is not for you. Unfortunately, I had to settle for water. The menu had the basic Thai food on the front and the more intense stuff on the back.

On the front, they had pad Thai which is what I ordered. It was a stir-fried dish of rice noo-dles with chicken. Also, it was garnished with crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, and sprits of lime. For artistic effect, they scattered pieces of shredded carrots on the

sides of the plate. Compared to the pad Thai at Lek’s Taste of Thailand (located in the Train Station downtown and on Atlanta Highway), I thought is was less flavorful. At Lek’s, the pad thai is not spicy, but there are lots of spices in it; making it more

flavorful. The portion sizes were huge. I ate some at Noodle’s, took it home and made two other meals of it there. Junior, Amelia Hanan, has been twice with her

“I recommend it if you want good food and have time to kill. This is not the spot for a quick lunch.”

would be a very funny story. Also, the kids get to submit

their work in short story contests, which are always pleasurable, and of course, the first, second, and third place winners receive an excellent prize. From hearing and writing about unlike kinds of stories, the students get a sense of different writing styles as well. It is loads of fun! Write club is absolutely wonderful.

In addition, Write Club is a good time for students to be with one another. Throughout this class, students get the opportu-nity to learn more about each other through the voice of their writings. They get to spend time with each other for a good 20 minutes during clubs. You can learn a good bit about a person in that amount of time! Basically, everyone sort of comes together in this awesome class.

So, next year, when you are signing up for Gold Clubs, I definitely recommend taking Write Club. Trust me, it is quite enjoyable.

aunt and they split appetizers. They highly recommend veg-etable spring rolls, chicken with peanuts sauce, and the steamed dumplings. They felt the service was very slow—they went once at a busy lunch hour and once for a late lunch and were the only

ones in the restau-rant. “I recommend it if you want good food and have time to kill. This is not the spot for a quick lunch,” she tells the Odyssey.

Over all, I wasn’t too impressed with Noodle’s Café’. I would go back,

but I prefer Lek’s. I’m sure the other dishes or appetizers would be good, just not pad thai. Also, Lek’s has lemonade.

Mr. Clinton practices is craft daily to improve his writing skills. Photo by Zoya Ahmed.

10 Entertainment The Odyssey March 8, 2012

out of

out of

Got Gotye?By Reed O’Mara

Editor

On January 30, Belgian singer Gotye released his first American album,

Making Mirrors. Gotye made his name in New Zealand first, where he teamed up with the fa-mous Australian singer Kimbra. His American release has put him on the map, however, for a first album, it falls a little flat and resonates the same notes as most other new Indie bands.

The first track of Making Mirrors is one of those introduc-tion songs that involves cloudy sounds with inspirational lyrics that call out the album title about three times. The only problem with it really is that it overdoes its suspenseful introduction take. It really doesn’t serve to introduce the album properly. Coming after a track that only serves to be skipped-over, “Easy Way Out” is a much better song. It’s got a solid guitar opening, and Gotye’s voice enters in with a mumbled whisper that then carries onto a chorus of very high notes. The song is really good for swaying and other types of danc-ing, such as head-shaking and jumping. After “Easy Way Out” winds down, the much praised “Somebody That I Used to

Know,” the song that put Gotye on radar, starts. It’s a duet with Kimbra. This song deserves ev-ery cent of praise it has received for its lovely and deep singable lyrics. Those who love this song are more likely to like Kimbra’s album Vows than the rest of the Gotye album, which takes a lot of different paths.

Next comes “Eyes Wide Open,” which is great song because of Gotye’s crisp-as-lettuce voice that seems to be on

the verge of tears. If one has no interest in the rest of the album, I advise purchasing this song and “Somebody That I Used to Know.”

“Smoke and Mirrors” follows. This song is of particular interest because it transports the listener into a strange world. The first line, “You’re a fool and you know it,” entices the listener further. The drama generally lacked in the first track and that fell short in the second finally

formulates in this song. The song makes the listener feel as if they are in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Mirror Mask. This track is by far the best on the album, however, it does have one major flaw. Towards the middle of the song, the song eclipses into more whispers, and that’s okay, except when Gotye says “mother” in a husky whis-per that is awkward and unfit-ting. The listener can’t decide between laughing or changing the song. Once “mother” has been said about four thousand times, the song picks up again. Until he yells “mother” again, only this time, it’s okay because it’s overlaid with the line “Are you watching?,” making it more fitting and less maladroit.

The sixth track, “I Feel Bet-ter,” completely changes the al-bum. It sounds like a track sung in a romance film in the eighties. It’s really refreshing. And though it doesn’t fit at all within the rest of the songs, it fits as a pallet-cleanser right in the center of the album.

In “In Your Light,” some of the sunshine of “I Feel Better” carries over. However, it’s one of those filler songs that only comes on when one is getting out of the car.

Now, “State of the Act” is a song of great debate. I can’t decide if it’s great or just awful. Junior Elliott Burrow described it as “weird and somewhat humor-ous.” It begins with a great beat that sends the listener into an

underground “speakeasie” mixed with a modern feel. Then the beat jumps off a cliff as is replaced by a voice that is so deep and auto-tuned, the awkward tug to change the song or to laugh comes back.

Following “State of the Act” are four other songs, none of them worth much. Those who like to listen to an album right before they fall asleep will ap-preciate these tracks. Because they’re at the end of the album, they tend to be the songs people pay less attention to. Here, it’s no exception, and their calm notes only serve to spiral the listener into a hazy dream-like mood.

Gotye’s album is a bit of a hit-and-miss. It has its highlights, of which are in the latter part of the album. The album also takes odd turns that make the songs’ juxtaposition shaky and hard to pay attention to. However, for its failures, Making Mirrors has ex-treme successes. “I Feel Better” encompasses good moods and sunshine, while “Smoke and Mir-rors” gives the listener something to think about. The Gotye album gets three stars for its combina-tion of dull and fascinating.

The Woman in Black is BleakBy Allison Rutherford

Opinions Editor

For the past ten years, Brit-ish actor Daniel Radcliffe has been primarily known

as “the boy who lived.” This time however, he branched out from his usual Harry Potter persona and starred as Arthur Kipps in the horror-thriller The Woman in Black, directed by James Wat-kins. While Radcliffe’s acting failed to disappoint, it seemed the rest of the movie itself had some catching up to do.

The movie takes place in the United Kingdom during the early 1900’s. Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) lives with his young son Joseph and his son’s nanny. Kipps’ wife died 4 years ago during childbirth and Kipps is often tormented with fantasies of his wife’s death. While going through hard economic times, Kipps is assigned to take care of Eel Manor, a spooky English mansion on the outskirts of town surrounded entirely by a marsh. While away from his son in a new town, he encounters many people. He is ostracized by many of the superstitious townspeople; however, he quickly befriends couple Sam and Elizabeth Daily, who themselves are quite odd. While in the town, he notices many young children have re-

cently died and begins to suspect something is wrong with the superstitious town. In addition, he encounters many odd entities while exploring the depths of Eel Manor.

Overall, the movie was not entirely bad. The special effects were very realistic unlike many horror movies of the sort. Daniel Radcliffe definitely played his role very well and did the accent perfectly, but just one perfect actor is not enough to make a movie good. The plot was some-what interesting and creative in a horribly morbid way, yet it was also extremely confusing. The movie has a lot of unnecessary characters, and it is confusing to remember all their names and how they are all related. Al-though it is entitled The Woman in Black, I still am not sure who this “woman” is. In fact, I did not really understand how the events in the movie all related to one other until the very end. Also, although Radcliffe is a good actor, he seemed impassive to all the ghosts and mysterious things popping out. It is hard to be scared while watching a movie if the main character their self is not even afraid. And although I get scared very easily, the movie was not terrifying at all. In fact, for me it was more comical and dumb than anything. It is hard to complain about much more in

the movie without giving it all away, but I will say many of the scenes were just plain stupid.

The Woman in Black is one of those movies that you scream when things pop out, rather than a movie that messes with your mind or gives you nightmares. So basically, it was not a true horror

Daniel Radcliff’s performance in The Woman in Black was unconvincing. Photo courtesy of Fanpop.com.

film, just a poorly planned movie designed to make a lot of money by having Harry P…Daniel Rad-

cliffe play the lead. I have to say, based on the trailer I was very excited to see this movie, but honestly it was just a waste of my valuable Saturday afternoon and hard-earned 10 dollars. In conclusion, I reward this movie with a mere 2 stars. If you are truly interested in seeing a scary movie, definitely do not see this movie. I would recommend The Shining or any movie by Stephen King, since movies based on his books are the best.

Photo courtesy of First Avenue.

The Odyssey ___________ 2012 11Entertainment

A Day in the Life of... The Wooden Horse

Students often visit the Wooden Horse to browse and buy snacks and other things in their free time. Photo by Zoya Ahmed.

Meet the Writers: Allison (The Great)By Zoya Ahmed

Buissness Manager

Allison the Great, excuse me, Allison Rutherford, is the

most interesting mortal to ever walk the face of this planet. From her love of Korea to her impec-cable sense of humor, this amazing lassie is quite the character. Because of her amazing wit and writing style, Allison has earned herself the position of “Greatest Title Creator.”

Let’s start off from the beginning. Allison was born in Dothan, Alabama on America’s birthday on July 4th, 1996. Although she was born in the south, Allison absolutely hates Alabama with a passion because “it has so much nature.” Allison hates all plants. Even though she hasn’t been there yet, her favorite place in the world would probably have to be Korea. She has to like it since she plans on living there when she grows up. Allison loves everything about Korea. She also

claims to have always found Koreans to be more attractive. Allison is trying to learn Korean (practically fluent in Spanish), but it’s not going too well.

If you’ve ever met Allison Rutherford, you’d probably know that her favorite color is purple because she likes both the colors red and blue, and since she couldn’t decide on one, she mixed them to-gether. Also, Allison loves to watch movies. Her fa-vorite would probably have to be either The Shining or Titanic. Since she loves the Titanic so much, she can’t wait for it to come out in 3D—the date’s already on her calendar. Leonardo DiCaprio is the only actor that Allison actually likes, and she does not have any favorite actresses. For the most part, Allison hates Hollywood. She says that it never fails to disappoint.

Allison is a music lover. As you may already know, Allison loves Kpop. Her favorite Kpop band is TVXQ. Last summer, she went to one of their concerts in San Jose. She

earned all the money for the ticket and plane ticket. Talk about devotion. But yeah, Kpop is basically her life. Speaking of Asian culture, Allison’s favor-ite food is Chinese. She claims that she could eat it every day of her life without getting sick of it. By the way, she despises all southern foods like Cracker Barrel and KFC. She can’t go there. Oh, and

she hates chocolate. Also, she is obsessed with ranch dressing. It’s the perfect condiment.

Allison’s favorite televi-sion shows are probably Intervention or South Park or Dance Moms. She thinks they’re all great. She especially loves watching Dance Moms with her brother Grayson! It’s a family pastime. Also, Allison’s favorite animal

is THE cat. She has six of them, and they are uber adorable. Meow! Other than her love for cats, Allison also has plenty of hobbies. One of them is not talking to people. She sort of jokes about it, but she’s actually serious. Allison enjoys watching scary movies, listening to Korean music, and play-ing badminton. She often pretends like she can play

the piano, but she can’t. Also, Allison dislikes all sports, but she thinks soccer is okay.

Allison Rutherford has plenty of fears. She is afraid of the store Burlington Coat Fac-tory; she thinks it’s scary! She just doesn’t like that area. However, she does like the Toys R Us across the street. Allison’s also afraid of bad people, choking, and she despises auto correct especially when typing a Spanish skit. She’s even really afraid of monkeys. She’s afraid to ride a bike/scooter; each time she gets on one, she gets hurt. Allison has a lot of

By Allison RutehrfordOpinions Editor

Most people think of the Wooden

Horse just as a place to buy their lunches or snacks; however, the Wooden Horse is much more than that. For three years now, the Wooden Horse has been a place on campus in which can purchase a variety of items, from gifts to toys and food.

It is open from 11 to 4 in the afternoon, allowing students to come and go in between classes, during lunch, or after school. Although it does not open its doors

until 11, a lot of work goes on prepping the store. Mrs. Evans, who works primar-ily at the Wooden Horse explains, “On average, we spend anywhere from $500-$1000 a week sup-plying food for the store.” In addition, an average of 60-80 students come in on daily basis. However, more or less may come depend-ing on the day and whether or not after school sporting activities are occurring that day.

Since we are Saint James School, the Wooden Horse is based on the Trojan War Horse story in the Greek mythology book The Iliad, which is also the name of our school’s yearbook staff program. Although the Wooden

Horse is without a doubt a popular hot spot on campus, Mrs. Evans says a few adjustments could be made. She says, “We need to find a permanent location for the store since we have changed locations twice already. Also, we need more space since it gets very cramped and busy during lunch.” Although the Wooden Horse has its flaws, Mrs. Evans loves working there because “I love seeing all the kids and watching them interact.”

Despite its flaws, the Wooden Horse is a great tool used by students for purchasing last minute gifts for parents and friends, buying a lunch, or just socializing.

fears. Allison also loves to speak in different accents. Currently, she’s doin’ the “hill-bill.” By far, her fa-vorite is the Transylvanian.

After asking Allison what she thinks about the future, she said, “When people look at me, they’re like ‘Wow, it’s a famous person!’ because when I look in the mirror, all I see is a famous person.”

Left: Allison is in need of a bang trim. Allison has had this haircut since she was a baby. Right: Allison takes a moment from her busy schedule to get her bangs cut by Stephanie Cho in the high school bathroom. Photos by Zoya Ahmed.

Before After

12 Photo Gallery The Odyssey __________ 2012

Above: Evelyn Stroh and her two kindergarten buddies enjoy their Valentine’s Day project. Above left: Jay Goodson and his buddy give a thumbs up while making crafts for Valentine’s Day. Below: Coach Rudd, Carlyn Watson, and Matt Fields stand after being appointed jester, queen, and king, respectively. Photo by Amelia Hanan.

Above: Elliott Burrow, Emily Prim, Caroline Crisp, and Walker Woodson perform their English skit as members of the Kardashian family. Photo by Amelia Hanan. Left: Seniors Anna Claire Seanor, Mary Griggs, Logan Strane, Claire Walter, and Hayley Bell enjoy the chocolate and beads distrib-uted by the French Club. Photo by Amelia Hanan.

Above: Mr. Griffin’s second period AP English class poses in their costumes after doing their reproductions of A Midsummer’s Nights Dream. Photo by James Griffin. Below: Junior Kendall Hamilton yawns after an exhausting day at STJ. Photo by Jessica Bozeman.