The Official Newspaper of Bergen County Academies
Volume II, Issue 5 // June 2018
Success: The Hopeful Seven-Letter Word
Safety and security at bca
Chew Fork City! A Review of NYC Eateries
// Hannah Noh
// Elana Lane
// Justin Oh
Grades, money, relationships, health, or a prestigious college? A survey of 93 students reveals what success really means to BCA students. Page 2
The conversation grows serious for both students and the administration following multiple school shootings in the US. Page 4
From ice cream to boba to burgers and lobsters, the Academy Chronicle reveals the hidden gems of NYC’s food scene. You can thank us later. Page 13
Jeopardy to Nonprofit CEO:
BCA Alumni Take the World by Storm // Maeve Mcfadden, Rachel Hur // Pgs 5 – 8
Join Us
Contents Success 2 Safety and security 4 BCA Alumna on Jeopardy! 5 Life after bca: MAtthew Oh 7 Education: BCA vs Korea 8
Fashion: Year in Review 11 Chew Fork City! 13 BCA Athletics 15 Crossword 18 Timeline 19
@AcademyChronicle Website AcademyChronicle.Com Email bca.AcademyChronicle@Gmail.com
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// The Academy Chronicle
// Feature
June 2018 //
SUCCESS: The Hopeful Seven-Letter Word
By // HannaH Noh email // Hannoh19@bergen.org
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uccess. Since we were children, everyone around us, from our parents and friends to our celebrity role models, has influenced the way we define this word. And because perspective is a product of societal influence and personal experience, BCA students may have similar definitions of what it means to be successful. Although all of us come from diverse backgrounds and families, our motives for attending this school – along with the demanding academic workload that we tackle together – may be molding our views of success towards one direction. To understand BCA students’ various definitions of success, and to gather our student body’s opinions on this topic, the Academy Chronicle conducted a survey that received a total of 93 responses. When survey respondents were asked what most closely defines success for them at the moment, 28% responded with “a ‘fun’, enjoyable career.” Such a result may be surprising to the readers who are aware that BCA is known for its rigor, and that its students are known for their eagerness to catch up with such academic challenges. Yet, options associated with numerical accomplishments (e.g. exam grades) did not amass the highest number of votes. Hence, the fact that “a ‘fun’, enjoyable career” garnered the highest percentage of clicks from the students who took this questionnaire may be an unexpected outcome. In fact, the second highest definition of success turned out to be “close relationships with friends and family,” totaling with 15% of the responses. Mean-
while, “attending/being accepted into a prestigious school” cumulated only 14% of responses, and “monetary wealth/a highly profitable career” gathered 13%. Even just by examining these few percentages, one can obtain a general idea of how the complex concept of success is structured in the minds of BCA students. Although we tend to place a heavy emphasis on numerical achievements when it comes to aiming for success, it is evident that still, we try not to let ourselves forget what we came to this school for: to find our passions. Is that not what would lead to “a ‘fun’, enjoyable career?”
Next, our survey asked, “As a current student at BCA, when do you feel the most successful?” and respondents were instructed to check all options that applied to them. But, this question obtained entirely different results. Students chose “Receiving high grades, scores, and results” 75 times, which ended up being the most popular selection. However, it is important not to overlook the fact that the runner-up became “Finding/ pursuing something you are passionate about,” which collected 70 votes. The outcome of this particular question may be attributed to the fact that the
choices were limited to BCA student life, not life in general. Therefore, “a ‘fun’, enjoyable career” would not be applicable to high school experiences just yet. So, grades, G.P.A, and standardized test scores may be the more immediate definitions of success for current students. A senior in AMST concluded, “BCA students typically define success in more numerical and concrete terms: high test grades, admission into colleges with low-digit acceptance rates, and so on.” This may be the case because the students who wish to find success through passion and a fulfilling career may feel as if the path to achieving this is with high test scores – at least for now. And finally, students were faced with a simple yes-or-no question: Do you feel successful? Only 40% answered yes, while 60% answered no. And as a follow up, the Chronicle asked survey participants for the biggest contributors or obstacles towards their success. Among those who answered “yes”, a large number of them credited their supportive friends and family, and their hard work. Several responses mentioned how faith in their religion provides them with strength. This shows that success may not always be purely an individual
feat – support from and good relationships with friends and family is also necessary. Therefore, it is important not to burden ourselves with this societal pressure to be “successful”, because without the help and encouragement from those around us, we may likely burn out before we reach our goals. Some students also seemed to feel that BCA’s opportunities make them successful. Viena Aiello, a freshman in AVPA-T explained, “I am learning how to act since I am in the theater academy, and I want to be an actress, so I feel successful enough knowing this will bring me closer to my goal.” On the other hand, those who answered “no” tended to point to several issues as the cause of their not feeling so successful. One of these includes strained mental well-being as a result of stress, difficulty forming friendships, parental pressure, and competition among peers. In addition, a junior in AMST calls this pressure “unhealthy,” and says, “with a heavy workload, I barely have any time to spend with my family or my friends.” Similarly, many responses stated that this lack of time limits students’ abilities to pursue extracurricular activities for their college résumés, jobs for earning
money, or other paths towards finding success. This view of us BCA students seems to be popular, as AAST junior Grace Tan explains. “I think we feel expected to find success in both schoolwork and extracurriculars, so we try to balance good grades with competitive activities outside of school, from MUN conferences to volunteering positions at a local hospital.” This mindset, she says, “can result in constant overexertion.” However, one AEDT freshman admits that she also makes sure to “focus on [her] out-of-school life,” and that to her, “even finishing a TV series is an accomplishment if [she] enjoyed what [she] did.” Therefore, although it may be inevitable for a majority of BCA students to define success with quantitative results, ranging from grades to college acceptances to future salaries, the student body seems to be gradually transitioning out of this perspective. In other words, more students seem to be growing increasingly aware of how unhealthy this mentality is. But, no matter what the word “success” means to you, the Academy Chronicle hopes you achieve it.
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// The Academy Chronicle
June 2018 //
// School News
Safety and Security at BCA: The Necessary Conversation By // Elana Lane email // Elalan20@bergen.org
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ducation has been described as the “great equalizer” of American citizens countless times in history. Students across the country – and around the world, for that matter – receive schooling to prepare them for living in the adult world. One thing unique to schooling in recent years, though, is a more serious approach to preparedness in case of an emergency– such as a school shooting. Issues of student safety and school security in places of learning, like BCA, have been brought to the forefront of many conversations regarding education in light of the recent massacre in Parkland, Florida. On February 14, 2018, a 19-year-old gunman armed with an AR-15 assault rifle – a semi-automatic gun – wreaked havoc in the school he had been recently been expelled from, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. 14 students and 3 staff of the school lost their lives as a result, and another fourteen were wounded. American citizens throughout the country were shaken by this school shooting. “I have to say, from seeing the
news reports, it was the first time in my recollection that I had ever heard the gunshots [from a school shooting], and it was chilling to hear how loud they were,” said Mr. Davis, the principal of the Bergen County Academies. The school shooting in Parkland was not an isolated event, though. It was the eighteenth school shooting in 2018. Just five days prior (February 9, 2018) in Nashville, Tennessee, high school student Demario Crowder nearly lost his life when he was shot five times by a fourteen-year-old peer in the parking lot of Pearl-Cohn High School. Four days before that (February 1, 2018) in Los Angeles, California, two students of Sal Castro Middle School were injured by gunshot wounds inflicted by a twelveyear-old girl. “[Your generation] always grew up with this,” said Mrs. Cosgrove, District Security Coordinator of the Bergen County Technical Schools. “You practiced this forever. But schools used to be sacrosanct. Nobody did anything to them. Churches were sacrosanct. The hospitals were sacrosanct. Now, nothing seems to be exempt, and that’s such a cultural shift.” A constant in the consequent conversations regarding high schools’ safety has been the theme of improvement. Bergen County Academies students’
opinions about school safety after hearing about the shooting in Parkland, Florida, tended to become more emphatic. When asked for an opinion, one BCA student called for a higher level of security during after-school activities. “We all have student IDs, but they often don’t get checked.” A common issue students around the country worry about is student-shooters’ basic knowledge of their respective schools. “I think that BCA is both safe and unsecure at the same time,” said Daniel Lee, a sophomore in the Academy for Business and Finance. “Being students, we know every way in, as well as every single nook and cranny in the school.” The BCTS District stressed that none of security is done in isolation. “We rely on you, because you have access to social media; you’re going to see things that we’re not,” Mrs. Cosgrove said. “The Academy psyche is that students come forward. So if there was a friend that was in a crisis, or a family situation, students would say, ‘So-and-so is having a difficult time; we’re worried about this.’” Additionally, the Bergen County Technical Schools District has security measures in place to combat the issue of suspicious activity. Consistency is key with our school district; each school follows the same protocols. The custodial staff
of every school in the district aid security personnel immensely. “If anything were to happen, they know the lay of the land, they know the building!” Mrs. Cosgrove said. “If something is wrong – such as the appearance of a package, or something goes missing – they would be the first to know.” Many individuals are at work to keep us safe at BCA. The head of the Bergen County Special Services School District Custodial and Maintenance Association attends meetings for the Bergen County Association of School Security Professionals (BCASP) alongside Mrs. Cosgrove. Others in attendance include the Prosecutor’s Office Risk Mitigation Planner, Bergen County Sheriff’s Department, law enforcement, School Resource Officers, Superintendents, and the School Safety Specialist for the dis-
trict as required in New Jersey State Law (P.L. 2017 c. 162). According to Mrs. Cosgrove, the BCASP meets to discuss Best Practices. Best Practices are professional procedures that are accepted as being correct or most effective. “For instance, we used to have red and green cards that [teachers] used to post in the doors– we don’t do that anymore,” Mrs. Cosgrove said. “And the reason why we don’t want to go by colors is because we don’t want the shooter to know that ‘this is green, everyone in here is okay.’” While these practices do exist and are executed in the BCTS schools with efficiency, some BCA students still believe further security measures are necessary. “I wouldn’t say that level of security is on par to stop a shooter, per se, because I don’t feel we’re really in a ready posi-
// [your generation] always grew up with this. You practiced this forever. But schools used to be sacrosanct. Nobody did anything to them… Now, nothing seems to be exempt. //
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tion,” said Nadil Ranatunga, a freshman in ATCS. “I feel like if a person wanted to bring a gun to school, no one would know because there’s no checking when you walk into the school or anything.” When asked what one change might be made to the way in which security is run at the Bergen County Academies, a BCA student proposed a higher number of security officials at school. “At the end of the day when the sports people come in, anybody can walk in – they open the doors, and there’s no security whatsoever,” the student said. “I think I would definitely increase the amount of security guards that we have.” “Changes could be made to the level of security at our school, but I don’t really feel they’re very necessary,” Nadil said. “If there were changes to be made, I would say incorporating simple metal detectors is important.” “I would start by metal detectors, more security detail, and more attention to access points,” Daniel Lee said. Still, it is safe to say the Bergen County Technical Schools District Administration cares about our safety as students. “We worry about you kids; we care about you – and I don’t say that flippantly,” Mrs. Cosgrove said. “We don’t want anything to happen to you. You all have so much ahead of you – so many wonderful things. We value you! You’re a precious gift.”
// Interview BCA Alum Competes on Jeopardy! By // Maeve McFadden email // MaeMCF20@bergen.org
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pionship”, which aired a couple weeks ago. In the first round, she won by a very large margin, winning $26,000 - more than double her competitors’ earnings. s you may have heard from However, in the semifinals, she lost by only friends or teachers, BCA alum $1 after wagering all of her money on the Rebecca Rosenthal competed Final Jeopardy question and getting it in “Jeopardy! College Cham- right.
Rebecca was an AMST student in BCA Class of 2016, and is now a sophomore in Swarthmore College with a double major in Ancient History and Art History. The Academy Chronicle had the opportunity to talk to her about her experience on Jeopardy, as well as her reflections on her time here at BCA.
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// The Academy Chronicle
June 2018 //
AC: Hi Rebecca! Thank you for participating in this interview. To start off, how did you get onto Jeopardy?
Join Quiz Bowl! Of course. I think that’s AC: Because you were in AMST, did you about it. ever feel like you were pressured to go into medical sciences? AC: Do you have any favorite memories at BCA? RR: Yeah, I think I’m not the only one who picked an academy in 8th grade RR: Hmm… I also did Hawaiian IDA. You and found that it wasn’t really what they probably don’t have that right now be- liked. But, I’ll tell you guys all this: once cause it was just a girl in my grade and you get to college, you are going to valher older sister. I loved IDA, I loved all of ue what BCA has taught you, no matter the assemblies that were fun. The times what it is, even if you don’t go into it. when the community gets together and Man, BCA made my freshman bio class we all enjoy ourselves and laugh at our- like the easiest thing in the world. If I selves is what I really enjoyed. I feel like was ever pressured to go into medical the atmosphere can get a little too seri- science, I think I was really lucky that I ous, but things like Halloween assem- figured out that that wasn’t what I wantblies were always my favorite part of ed to do pretty early. By sophomore year school. I was like, “I’m not taking AP Chem, this
RR: I’ve been taking the online tests for a very long time, and once I got to school I took the college test once in freshman year and again in sophomore year. Now I’m a sophomore and I also took the adult test, and then I got three in-person auditions after taking the test three times. On the last time I auditioned they gave me a call in December and then we taped the show in March. AC: Wow, that’s really intense! Did you film all of the shows on the same day? RR: No, they filmed 5 shows a day, so we filmed the quarterfinals on one day and then the semifinals and the finals another day. AC: How did it feel once you first stepped out there on that stage? RR: It was amazing; it was kind of a dream come true. And it’s really scary to be up there, on a television set and the lights and everything, but once I started playing the game I just lost all of my nerves and just kept going. AC: So you did very well on the first round- you won $26,000 - but in the next round, you were behind and you wagered everything you had on the final Jeopardy. How did you make that decision? RR: I knew that I was down a little bit from William, so I knew the only way I could win was if he didn’t get the question right or he screwed up his betting. So, the question was Greek Mythology and I’m a classics major, so I was pretty confident that I would get it. I was hoping that it was really hard and that putting myself ahead that way would work out, but William was a great player too and he got the answer as well. AC: In BCA, you were a major part of Quiz Bowl. Do you think being a part
Rebecca Rosenthal with Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. of Quiz Bowl affected you becoming in- took IB Lit, all of the usual BCA courses. volved in Jeopardy during college? I took AP Art History, too, so shoutout to Mr. Guthrie! RR: Yeah, 100%. I’ve always watched Jeopardy and I want to say Jeopardy got AC: Do you have advice for anyone at me into Quiz Bowl at first. Doing Quiz BCA right now? Bowl at BCA really prepared me in a lot of ways. William also plays Quiz Bowl RR: Take it easy and enjoy it as much as which is really funny. A lot of the peo- you can, find what you love and focus on ple there were actually pretty good Quiz that. I think there’s a lot of pressure at Bowlers. A lot of people ask me, “how did BCA to be good at everything but you you study for Jeopardy?” and I didn’t re- don’t have to be, and you can totally just ally study for Jeopardy, I just have been do the things that you love and work on playing Quiz Bowl for 7 years. *laughs* those. It’s kind of what’s going to happen to you in the future anyways, so don’t AC: That’s so interesting! What other sweat the little things. College is not as activities were you apart of at BCA? scary as they make it sound and you’re going to love wherever you go. SLEEP. RR: I was editor of LitMag for my junior Please, sleep. Also, stay in touch with evand senior year. I worked backstage for a erybody, you’ll make great friends here. lot of the musicals. I also had a knitting Also, make sure you take the Jeopardy club for a little bit - [outside of that,] I teens test because you could all pass it.
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is not for me.” But it’s totally okay to change your mind, I turned out okay… I think. *laughs* AC: Instead of being a doctor, what are you looking to do after college? RR: I’m hoping to go into education, museum work, or teaching at a high school or college level. Thank you Rebecca for the interview and good luck in college! We all hope to see you on Jeopardy again soon!
// Interview Life After BCA: Matthew Oh, CEO and Founder of FOREFRONT By // RAchel Hur email // Rachur20@bergen.org
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s BCA students, we sometimes get caught up in the 8:00am to 4:10pm days; often, it seems as if school will never end. With our piles of homework, projects, and tests, a question lingers: what will I get from this experience? According to BCA alum Matthew Oh (AAST ‘07), BCA was the “main reason why he is who he is.” He believes the BCA community shaped him as a person, opened his eyes to new perspectives, and made him the person he is today. Matthew Oh is now the CEO and founder of FOREFRONT Charity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing
young children in developing countries with access to clean water, education, and health services. Its mission is to “enable every person, equip leaders, and establish self-sustaining communities”. To accomplish this goal, FOREFRONT uses a unique “four-phase approach”: water/ sanitation, education, medicine, and empowerment. Oh asserts that FOREFRONT would have never been what it is without his BCA experience. He continues to utilize the skills that he learned as a BCA student in his workplace today. Oh fondly looks back on his BCA memories, especially his experiences in BCA’s math team, trips to Penn State, and Dr. Bath’s sophomore English classes. He also recalls memories from assemblies and special BCA events, stating, “I also really loved the dances at IDT (now IDA), the assemblies, and the teachers’ skits -
those were always the highlight.” Oh attributes his leadership and initiative to his experiences at BCA, stating that he learned lifelong skills during his time as a student. For example, he describes, “I feel like [my time as a student] helped me to think creatively, work in a group, and really just leverage other people’s skills and talents... I really feel like a lot of BCA students were self-initiators and taught themselves a lot of things... that sort of community really inspired me.” Moreover, Oh asserts that BCA shaped him, not only as a student but also as a person; consequently, his work with FOREFRONT has been directly impacted by Oh’s BCA experience. He states, “I feel like a lot of BCA students were self-initiators and taught themselves a lot of things... in FOREFRONT, we em-
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// The Academy Chronicle
Matthew Oh, CEO and Founder of FOREFRONT
June 2018 // phasize teamwork, innovation, and collaboration. For all the things we do, we try to create the status quo instead of being part of it.” Oh explains that BCA taught him to think outside the box and be a leader. He says, “BCA wasn’t a place where they encouraged you to just get a good grade and study; it developed a whole person.” He states that without his BCA experience, he may not have been where he is today, explaining that BCA inspired him to take part in social work. Oh learned far more than just how to achieve academic success; he learned to adapt to different situations, think quickly, and most importantly, work in a team. Through FOREFRONT, Oh paves a path of his own, inspiring others to join his cause, #BuildTheFuture, which encourages the public to help build FOREFRONT’s International School in India through direct fundraising and donations, which supports the “education” portion of FOREFRONT’s four-phase approach. Anyone can become involved in the project in a variety of ways, including but certainly not limited to - donations. FOREFRONT takes the time to individually thank all of its donors, providing updates and gifts along the way so participants can ensure the program’s progress. Through such methods, Oh is able to differentiate FOREFRONT from
other nonprofit organizations. Oh describes his work, stating that “the most brilliant ideas come when you have the most limited resources... you have to develop ideas and remedy life/death situations with villagers with very little resources.” Although student life at BCA may seem difficult at times, as an alum, Matthew Oh encourages students to “absorb everything” and enjoy the journey. From his experiences, it is evident that the struggle BCA students go through pays off in the end, teaching students lifelong skills they may have not learned otherwise. Oh encourages students to “find a vision and take action now.” Although the world around us may seem fastpaced and demanding, it is important to stay grounded. At this moment in time, although getting into a certain college or winning a certain competition may seem important, Oh advises students to think creatively and take a break when necessary. He says, “Don’t rush. Don’t make having a set plan your priority - get involved in different things and explore. As you gain experiences, it broadens your perspective on the world.”
nanotechnology and chemistry teacher at BCA, who grew up in South Korea. He says in Asian countries there is a very strong emphasis on test scores. He remarks, “Basically the Asian system, they just have one standardized test, everybody takes it, and when they take it, they get pretty much put in a single file line. You get a percentage and then that’s what’s really important, period. So if you don’t do well on one of those tests, you’re done.” The emphasis is on doing well on tests provided, to then go to a top college and get a successful job. On the other hand, although SATs and APs may seem to be forced upon you and piling up before college, remember that the goal of the American education system is not to define you based on one test. In fact, the American goal is very different than that of Asian education systems. Dr. Kim says that in America, “the emphasis is making sure you achieve your own dream - that’s the
The Education System: // School news BCA vs. South Korea us constantly that BCA is not a normal public high school. Some of us enviBy // Maeve McFadden ously watch Snapchat stories of town email // MaeMCF20@bergen.org friends leaving their schools at 2:30 every day, which is now only a memory in our minds. BCA’s education system he long, sometimes grueling is remarkably pronounced and differhours spent every day in BCA ent than the average public schools in from 7:57 AM – 4:10 PM remind America, and is, in some aspects, sim-
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ilar to the foreign education systems in South Korea. However, although BCA’s curriculum greatly contrasts that of other American public schools, it is just as different from foreign public high schools. The main reason for this distance in foreign education systems is the end goal of the education, according to Dr. Kim,
Illustration by Grace Tan
more important thing, and I think most people agree.” In fact, many aspects that differ in American and Asian education systems are influenced by these separate goals. These goals are the product of different cultures, people and backgrounds; each approach has its own pros and cons, and there is no definitive “correct” education system. One prominent difference in education in America and Korea is the average class size. At BCA, there is an average of 23 students per classroom. This allows for the teacher to know everyone’s name and for in-depth discussions and debates to occur. In 2015, Korea’s average was above 30, reduced from almost 60 in 1980; the number is still on the decline, due to major education reform in the past few years. However, it is still common practice for less discussion to occur in Korean classrooms, and the focus to instead be on the presented facts. Dr. Kim said, “The education I got
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said that there was no time, and [so] the teacher had to come in and deliver the entire [lecture] at a very fast pace. And there are so many kids there it is impossible to have any sort of discussion, period.” Additionally, the Korean school day is very long (it can be over 12 hours), and there are 220 days in a school year, in comparison with America’s 180. After school is over, Korean high school students may stay after school for independent study, go to extra schools to help prepare for the standardized test, or develop specific skills. Many students will wake up at 5 AM and return home at 10PM, going to more classes until even 2AM. However, recently the Korean government has tried to crack down on the privately-run institutions that hold such late classes in an effort to create a more balanced system. The reason why the school day is so long is due to the amount of courses
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required, with as many as 16 subjects. High school is 3 years long, and there is an emphasis on social and physical sciences. According to Dr. Kim, “As a 10th grader, [you get all four subjects across the entire field of science]. You get simple introductory chemistry, introductory physics, introductory biology and earth science.” This is remarkably similar to the course structure of AEDT, AAST and even AMST academies, in which multiple science courses are taken simultaneously. This is also very different from the way science is taught in other academies and American high schools, in which Dr. Kim says “they completely compartmentalize and they just deliver bio, chem, physics separately. The students know a little bit of it and then forget everything. Which might have some issues down the road, I think, because the scientific literacy in America is horrible.” Therefore, some of BCA’s curriculum embodies Korea’s crossbreeding of sciences in academies for scientific careers. When BCA was first established, many teachers had global experience, which resulted in our current system of integrated sciences. What are the benefits of taking multiple sciences at one time, when they could be spaced out so you have less work at once? Dr. Kim says, “the ideal goal is the crossbreeding between each other, because looking at each science in different perspectives is very important. The sense that you need to understand different things for each science is a very important part.” This way, when relationships can be seen clearly in each subject, the students are more likely to retain this information as they move on in life; they don’t just memorize and forget. Additionally, the American government is often criticized for spending so much money on education per student, and yet America is not on the top of the charts for international standardized testing. In New Jersey in 2014-15, the average cost to educate a student was almost $20,000, which is well over the international average of only $7,200 in 2007. In Korea, the average expenditure is actually less
June 2018 //
// the emphasis in school is making sure you achieve your own dream – that’s the more important thing. //
that the international average, around $6,500, but they are always at the top of the charts for the standardized testing. These conflicting figures lead to speculation - what could America be doing wrong? The answer lies again in the differing approaches on education which vary dramatically in both countries. Dr. Kim says, “It’s just a different perspective - we are spending the money on some other goals. If [America] were only focused on getting top scores on standardized tests, I’m pretty sure we could do it, because our goal here - at BCA and other public schools - is not getting the best score on the SAT and best college ever.” Everything leads back to the different goals. Also, in Asia, families are aware of this gap in government spending, so according to Dr. Kim, “they spend a lot of money on extra work because they know they have to make up.” Overall, BCA stands apart from other high schools in America due to its specialized educational system, which is somewhat alike to foreign education systems. BCA’s educational system reaches for the students’ goals, which is different and sets us apart from many other approaches to education, like that of South Korea’s.
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// Fashion BCA Fashion & Beauty Trends: A Year in Review
Hannah Schwatz with the denim-on-denim look. Photo credit: Maeve McFadden // Photographer
By // Maeve McFadden & Irene Hwang emails // maemcf20@bergen.org irehwa20@bergen.org
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hile the 2017-2018 school year has been energized by scientific experiments and artistic explorations, the same energy has also occurred in fashion ventures. Each with their individual tastes, students often opted to choose their outfits carefully the night before, while others have a favorite sweatshirt they “rewear” three times a week. The fashion in
the BCA student body reflects students’ creative choices and how they seek to express themselves. This includes offthe-shoulder tops, bodysuits, chokers and hoop earrings. This year, the trends that have became popular in the multi-colored hallways of BCA (besides sweatpants on Mondays) are: “mom” jeans, denim-on-denim, branded sweatshirts and clothing (Champion, Supreme, Tommy Hilfiger etc.), trench coats, hoop earrings, checkered tops, bell sleeves, and tube tops. Trends that have arisen from the past include off the shoulder tops, bodysuits, chokers, and hoop earrings.
This past year, a revival of 90’s-style clothing such as Champion windbreakers was definitely seen throughout in the school. In fact, according to a survey about fashion in the school with 59 responses, over 40% of the responses have said their “go-to” trends included denim-on-denim, mom jeans, off the shoulder and branded apparel. Although these trends are easy to follow, perfect for students who often rush out of their houses to catch the bus, some students have strong opinions against these rising trends. Interestingly, several responses to what trends need to go said the denim-on-denim trend, despite its popularity. Also, others stated their dislike for “basic” outfits with branded shirts and shoes all of the time, because it appears to be unoriginal. However, most importantly, students urge each other to follow the advice: “don’t wear old band t-shirts of bands you don’t know any songs from.” Maybe that’s one we can all agree upon. Besides fashion and clothing, the makeup community has focused heavily on “glow” and new highlight products. Nearly all of the Instagram photos of female models or celebrities will have their cheekbone highlight bright enough to blind your retinas through your pixelated screen. Still, there have been more breakthroughs in natural glowy makeup, which is displayed through the release of makeup products such as Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty Foundation. 34% of the responses said this product was their favorite release this year, when compared to other iconic products such as Anastasia Soft Glam, Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Palette and Kylie Jenner Lip Kits (15% of responses found her lip products to be overhyped and too expensive). For beauty must-haves, students had
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many helpful tips from their own makeup routines. For example, many recommended using clear mascara as a substitute for eyebrow gel and a quick swipe of lip gloss as a quick way to brighten up a look. Many also stated their distaste towards certain eyebrow trends on social media. One student shared, “I didn’t like that whole crazy eyebrow period we saw this year. The wavy brow one was funny at first, but then there was a new eyebrow shape every week and it got a bit out of hand.” Through all of the talk of makeup, don’t forget that it’s most important to take care of your skin: moisturize, use toner, and drink water! If you’re looking for a toner to use, one student raved that “Thayers Witch Hazel Alcohol-Free Toner is a life saver. It’s not a true beauty product, but I use it every morning and it’s such a good start to your makeup routine. It keeps your face moisturized and is the best thing to put on before putting on makeup, to keep your face from getting cakey. It also works as a good makeup remover when you run low. It’s super refreshing and I totally recommend!” Overall, the favorite form of beauty product by BCA students is mascara (28.3%), followed by highlight (13.2%) and lipstick (11.3%). Mascara is easy and quick to use, and it really does make a lasting difference in your makeup throughout the day. It also draws more attention to the liveliness in your eyes, taking attention away from any dark circles that you may have from lack of sleep (we all have them, don’t worry). As for the entire outfit, 37% of students rated every piece of the outfit together to be most important. Not a single part should be out of place when crafting the perfect, daily outfit. In closing, our student body has a plethora of opinions and incredibly helpful tips on fashion, so take some advice from your peers:
June 2018 //
1. Be original! 2. Be yourself and be confident. 3. Try to find inspiration from everything. 4. Wear what makes you comfortable. 5. You do NOT need to go shopping all the time to keep up with trends! You are completely capable of creating a fashionable outfit from already existing articles of clothing. 6. Attempt to wear clothes in the direction of light to dark. Example- light top with darker jeans. 7. Do not wear conflicting colors. 8. When shopping, strive to buy quality basics that will allow you to layer on with listless combinations (plus, they will last a while).
Top: Irene Hwang with a wrap skort. Bottom: Abby Saks with an off-the-shoulder top. Photo credit: Maeve McFadden & Irene Hwang // Photographers
Chew Fork City! A Review of NYC Eateries By // Justin Oh email // Jusoh20@bergen.org
T
ake a stroll in the active streets of New York City. You’ll most likely see a restaurant on every block, or pass by the same chain twice. These restaurants focus on cuisines from every culture represented in the city, from every corner of the world. With all of these choices, you probably can’t decide where to eat so you’ll go on Yelp to look at the highest-rated reviews, and by the time you find a place, un-pork-tunately, the shops will close or the tables will be filled. To avoid this hassle and difficult decision making, this list of favorite eateries will give you a fresh perspective to popular, mouthwatering, and cheap New York eateries, and maybe one of them will become your go-to place. To understand BCA students’ perspective on which meal of the day and which culture food they prefer, the Academy Chronicle conducted a survey that received a total of 149 responses. It was concluded that dinner is the favorite meal for the majority [40.1%] and dessert is the second favorite [15.4%], and that Italian and Asian are the most popular types of cuisine [51%]. This review compilation will focus on both Italian and Asian fusions that have exquisite dinner and dessert meals, that accurately represent the interests of the BCA population Bon appétit!
Saigon Shack is a Vietnamese restaurant located in the heart of Greenwich Village. Although there may be tons of people waiting to be seated on busy days, the wait time is at maximum of 30 minutes, but time goes by when you are having fun so don’t worry. This place offers amazing phở. Their broth is silky and deep with so much flavor; the tender meat [beef, beef ball, brisket, also vegetarian] complements really well with the texture of the phở. Not only is their phở phở-nomenal, but their vermicelli is out of this world. You can get grilled pork chops to sauteed shrimp on your vermicelli. Get their sweet potatoes as a side because they are incredibly awesome! These foods are only a fraction of their menu. It will be an un-phở-gettable experience.
Sundaes & Cones
95 E 10th St, NYC
Open Sun. - Thurs. 11 am - 10:30 pm Fri. & Sat. 11 am - 11 pm
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// FOOD
Saigon Shack
114 MacDougal St, NYC Sun. - Wed. 11 am - 11 pm Thurs. - Sat. 11 am - 1 am
What time is it? It’s ice cream o’clock! At Sundaes & Cones, you can devour a variety of magnificent flavors that include thai tea and even taro. Located in the East Village, Sundaes & Cones gives you immense scoops of ice cream in either a cup or a waffle cone. They offer so many flavors that it might be hard to choose which ones to eat. Ask for samples and the workers will be happy to offer you some. As the temperatures get warmer and we approach summer, the ice cream here will certainly fulfill your taste buds because it is so rich and refreshing. Ice cream-ed when I went here, and you will too once you try their delicious flavors.
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June 2018 //
A Year in Review for BCA Athletics By // Casey Chan & Sophia Wolmer
A
Boba Guys 11 Waverly Place, NYC Open Sun. - Thurs. 12 pm - 9 pm Fri. & Sat. 12 pm - 10 pm 265 Canal St., NYC Open Sun. 10 am - 6 pm Mon. - Sat. 10 am - 8 pm 23 Clinton St., NYC Open Sun. - Thurs. 12 pm - 9 pm Fri. & Sat. 12 pm - 10 pm
Burger & Lobster Artichoke Basille’s Pizza
321 East 14th St., NYC Open Daily 10 am - 5 am 114 10th Avenue, NYC Open Mon. - Sat. 12 pm - 5 am Sun. 12 pm - 12 am 111 MacDougal St., NYC Open Sun. - Thu. 11 am - 4 am What’s boba? Coming from Taiwan, Fri. & Sat. 11 am - 5 am it is a drink made from a tea base with flavoring and a spoonful of tapioca balls, Don’t worry, you’re not the only one chewy and small pearls (not the literal kind from the ocean). Most people think who doesn’t like artichokes. They look you can only get iced boba, but Boba odd and to be frank, how do you even eat Guys also offers hot boba. Flavors in- them? But at Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, clude their classic milk tea, jasmine milk your mind about artichokes will change, tea, thai tea, and so many more! Also, if trust me. The thick and chewy crust, the you don’t prefer tapioca balls, then you enriching flavor of the artichokes, and can get almond jelly for grass jelly, which the silky cheese make this pizza a one all are homemade. You might think boba of a kind. One slice of pizza is humonis too sweet, but don’t worry! You have gous - it is literally larger than your face. choice when it comes to the sweetness The look of the pizza is a piece of artlevel of your drink: 100% (default), 75%, ichoke. One slice will fulfill your hunger’s 50%, 25%, or even no sweetness. Overall, desires. Look out because this place will steal a pizza your heart. Boba Guys is quali-tea!
39 W 19th St., NYC Open Mon. 11:30 am - 10 pm Tues. - Thurs., Sat. & Sun. 11:30 am - 11 pm Fri. 11:30 am - 12 am 132 W 43rd St., NYC Open Mon. 11:30 am - 10 pm Tues. - Thurs., Sun. 11:30 am 11 pm Fri.. & Sat. 11:30 am - 12 am You got it! This restaurant only sells burgers and lobster. But, they don’t sell the ordinary burger and lobster you probably know of: they take their food to a whole new level. Packed with bacon & cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles, tomato, and their secret sauce, ‘The Original Burger’ takes your taste buds to food paradise. The juicy meat cooked to perfection will blow your mind. In addition, cooked with luscious butter, their lobster is very fresh. The lobster is taken out of its tank and steamed to perfection. You will never experience this extravaganza again in your life. But be yourself when you take a friend to Burger and Lobster: you’ll find yourself shellfish when it comes to sharing.
s the 2018 school year comes to a close, let’s take a moment to reflect on the accomplishments of BT’s sports teams. Our teams, oftentimes the underdogs, have yielded some impressive results this season. Numerous BT teams qualified for country, district, and state tournaments. The Academy Chronicle had a chance to speak with athletic Director William Muller about the progress of the BT athletic program this year: Academy Chronicle: How have you seen the athletic programs grow in the years you have been here? And this year? Mr. Muller: In the past, our sports teams were not as well known as they are today. It was a reputation based on the fact that the school had academic priorities. That is true of course – our school system will always put its academic endeavors first – but we have also developed our great athletic programs. Most of our varsity athletic teams are doing well. The boys tennis team was a co-champion of Bergen County. The Fencing team just won its second state title. Both Soccer teams were vo-tech champs. Both the boys and girls basketball teams had very good years. The track programs are now at the top of the league. AC: Have you seen our programs grow? Mr. Muller: Over the years, we have developed our programs to become more competitive. Now, I get calls from other schools outside of our division to play
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emails // CasCha19@bergen.org SopWol19@bergen.org against their teams. Other schools think twice about playing against us, because we’ve proven that we can play successfully on a high level. AC: Where do you see the athletic program going in the next few years? I would like for our school to become more like a “Stanford school”. Stanford is a great example of a school that has premier academics and athletics. We will continue improving our facilities so that incoming freshman are incentivized to come here – I hope to persuade more student-athletes to choose us. I hope to get more students competing in athletics in college. Right now we do have athletes who are going on to do their sport at the next level, but I would like that number to increase in the upcoming years. Brian Ibeabuchi – Basketball (above) As our athletic programs have become more competitive, many BCA students have enjoyed successes on their respective teams. However, not all of their most memorable experiences were related to success. The Academy Chronicle had a chance to talk to Academy students about great memories in their own sports. See what the athletes had to say below (in no particular order).
This past basketball season was certainly one to remember. One moment in particular that I will never forget was our home game against Eastside. The game was a battle from the start and was wire to wire until the final buzzer sounded. The score was tied, and the game was sent into overtime. In the end, we pulled through with a win. We all played with a single mentality, and this contributed to a sense of brotherhood. The win itself is not what I treasured most, though – rather, it was my friends, family, and other supporters that cheered us on. I remember hearing the uproar from the crowd when a vicious block was made and the ooohs when a three-pointer swished through the net.
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June 2018 // Alison Jawoski – Cheerleading (bottom left of this page) This year was my fourth and final season as a Varsity Bergen Tech Cheerleader and it was nothing but a memorable experience. Between our good and tough practices, our clinics, our games, and our days of team bonding, we were able to grow as a team and have an amazing season together. Despite some difficult games, we were able to keep our spirits high and spread positive energy to the football team.
Akshaya Jagadeesh – Tennis (above) Playing tennis for the Bergen Tech Girls Tennis Team has been one of my most enjoyable and memorable experiences at BCA! On and off the court, we always support each other and I’ve made such great friends on the team since day 1. During all of the games, each and everyone of us gives 110% and we cheer each other on during every point. And most importantly, no matter what, we always follow coach’s advice, which is to be loose and have fun!
Emily Hughes – Track/XC (above) The best moment for me as a Bergen Tech runner was when the girls’ cross country team made it to State Groups, which was a hard goal that we have had since the beginning of the season. Even though I had a bad race that day, I realized cross country was truly a team sport and that as long as I helped our team reach our goal, I succeeded.
Vivian Tan – Golf (bottom right of pre- teams from all over the country. Our vious page) plans almost got cancelled, due to the nor’easter that cancelled our original Being on the golf team has provided me flight, but we were able to reschedule with not only great teammates, but re- our trip and took off a few days after. We ally close friends. When I look back at had a great time throughout the trip, and the season, I remember the matches while we did play 6 games of baseball we and scores, but nothing was as memo- spent a lot of time off the field bonding rable as the good times we had togeth- as a team at the various Disney Resorts er. At the very beginning of the season, in Orlando and taking a break from the we had a team potluck and shared love cold weather in New Jersey while spendfor our captain’s big German Shepherd. ing some time at the hotel pools. We Soon afterwards, we had one of our first played some really competitive games games against a very tough team at an over the course of those few days, pracequally tough course. By the time the last ticed countless hours, and overall grew group was on the last hole, the sun was as a team. already gone; they had to finish the hole with our phone flashlights. That day was when I realized the unity of our team; we really supported one another and felt happy and proud whenever someone got a personal best.
game, both on the court and on the sideline. Volleyball is a team sport when it comes down to it, and a successful team has both trust and a constant awareness of each other.
Carter Gwon – Soccer (above)
Maddy Chang – Fencing (above) I think my favorite memory from this year’s fencing season was eating lunch with my team in the middle of Santelli. All of us had just finished the first round, and were waiting for the second round. The Santelli tournament is the largest girls fencing tournament in the state, and we were under pressure because we won last year. We didn’t know yet where we would place. Our lunch was light and cheerful, though - we sat on the floor in some random fitness room and shared food and stories, because it didn’t matter how we did. It just mattered that we did our best, supported each other, and had fun! Oh, and yes, we did end up winning.
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Kelly Lu – Volleyball (above)
Will Villalobos – Baseball (above) The most memorable experience that I had when playing baseball this year was when we traveled to Florida to play in spring training at the ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. In late March, in preparation for the upcoming season, we traveled to Florida with 17 players and 2 coaches to play in 6 spring training games against
The girls’ varsity volleyball team had a bit of a rough season this year, but I think we’ve learned a lot and have the potential to come back next year as a really strong team. One of the things I remember most from this season is our team’s ability to work together on the court and remain determined despite great challenges. Our coach always said that what’s more important than winning is playing to our best ability; that meant every single one of us pushing ourselves and doing whatever we could to turn each play into a point. My teammates and I would scream our lungs out every
It’s really hard to pinpoint one specific moment that was the most memorable, but I think most of my best experiences with the team have been during Coach Ramirez’s summer practices. I still remember walking into Overpeck Park as a freshman. I didn’t know a single kid on that field, but most of them had been playing together for over a year. I can still remember Ramirez’s raucous voice telling us to warm up. I began juggling on my own, but I was warmly invited to a group of sophomores who welcomed me to “Nelly’s summer practices.” I would go on to play three more years of soccer with these kids. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I think the one thing that really binds us together as a team has been our passion for soccer. Many BT athletes have had great experiences with their teams. We hope that our athletes continue to succeed in the upcoming seasons while making more memories along the way!
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Crossword created by Krishi Desai
Across
Down
4. Let’s go surfin’ now everybody’s learnng how 7. every day i’m shufflin’ 10. streets not safe but i never run away even when i’m away 11. first things first, i’m the realest 12. i could really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now 13. but you’re an animal baby, it’s in your nature 14. all these other girls are tempting but i’m empty when you’re gone
1. for all we know we might not get tomorrow 2. you have my heart and we’ll never be worlds apart 3. what’s it like in New York City? I’m a thousand miles away but, girl, tonight you look so pretty 5. oh, you are my sunrise on the darkest day, got me feelin’ some kind of way 6. summer days driftin’ away to ah, oh, those 8. excuse me can i please talk to you for a minute? 9. pennies and dimes for a kiss Timeline by Grace Tan
JUNE 9 4-11 PM
The Chronicle is grateful for the ongoing support from the BCA administration:
Mr. Russell Davis
Dr. Raymond Bath
Mrs. Giulia ZANONI-Mendelsohn
Mrs. Michelle Pinke
// Principal
Simona Vigodner
Dan Hu
// Editor-in-chief
// Design Editor
Casey Chan
Grace Tan
// Managing Editor
// Design Editor
Maeve Mcfadden
Mr. Hathaway
// assistant managing editor
// Advisor
Thank You
Mr. Pavlu, Mr. Guthrie, & mr. lang The Chronicle club meets Tuesday mornings at 7:40 AM in Mr. Hathaway’s room (room 148). If you are interested, please reach out to Simona Vigodner (simvig@bergen.org), Casey Chan (cascha19@bergen.org) or Maeve McFadden (maemcf20@bergen.org) for more details.
// Supervisor
// Vice Principal
// Supervisor
The central administration:
Dr. Howard Lerner
Ms. Andrea Sheridan
Mr. John susino
MR. richard panicucci
// Superintendent
// business administrator, board secretary
// Assistant Superintendent
// Assistant Superintendent of curriculum and instruction
The Board of Education:
Mr. Raymond hryczyk
MR. Lawrence Meyerson
Mr. Joseph Zarra
MR. Jason Kim
// president
// interim executive county superintendent
// Vice President
MR. William Meisner // Ed. d.
Our Bergen County Executive:
James J. Tedesco III