April 2016 by Dulaney Griffin

Our mission: to enlighten and to entertain

the griffin Dulaney High School Timonium, Maryland

Volume 55, Issue 6 SENIOR WINS

see page 2

TO KNOW

number of students here named to the State Skills USA board of officers FRESHMEN ACE

see page 6

# TO KNOW

number of students in Spectrum’s Day of Silence April 15 YOGA CALMS

see page 12

INDEX 2-3 news 4-5 opinion 6-7 sports 8-12 features

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April 22, 2016

One year after Freddie Gray riots, students talk about race

anna garman and farehaa hussain, staff writers, alex tuerk, multimedia editor, sumin woo, managing editor and jessica yan, staff writer wo years ago, senior Chris Solorzano-Castillo entered his first Advanced Placement class and quickly encountered a problem. “My teacher came along and I took a seat, and he said, ‘Are you sure you’re in the right class?’ I said, ‘Yes, I’m in the right class,’ but he said, ‘I don’t believe you, show me your schedule,’” Solorzano-Castillo said. After he showed his schedule, the teacher responded. “Oh, I’ve never seen a Hispanic here before,” SolorzanoCastillo recalled the teacher as saying, adding that the staffer no longer works here. Anecdotal evidence such as this, gathered via a monthslong documentary series posted on the Griffin’s website (“Conversations on Race,” dulaneygriffin.org), finds students here are mixed on the degree to which race matters, photos by alex tuerk, hannah gouger and stephanie rountree. color by tirzah khan but share strong feelings about its impact on identity. Clockwise from top left: Senior Malik Debow, senior Alexia Astori, senior Emilie Delanois and senior Senior Bill Kinara, who’s black, shared apprehension Chris Solorzano-Castillo talk about their experiences with race in a series of mini-docs on our website. about interactions with the police. “That’s just how I’ve been raised,” he said. “My mom alKinara described seeing last April’s rioting and said he felt angry that ways used to tell me, ‘Act properly around the police. Approach them and the people were destroying his city. Rather than let the frustration conengage them in the most appropriate behavior, and just comply with ev- sume him, Kinara has instead chosen to advocate for a more empathetic erything they do.’” approach. Senior and president of African American leadership club Giving it Back, “The first step is teaching people how to love each other,” Kinara said. Malik Debow, agreed with Kinara’s sentiment, sharing memories of a tense Noting the anniversary, senior L. B. Martin, who is white, said change is police interaction after he returned to his house to grab a book bag. not arriving fast enough. “One cop stopped me, and before you know, there are four cops asking me where I got the book bag,” he said. see RACE, page 2

Cheating rate ticks down — again Fifth annual school survey shows increased reliance on cellphones for answers

meera rothman, deputy editor or the second straight year the percentage of students who say they have ever cheated has declined, down 3 percent from last year’s 89 percent. This year’s 86 percent rate remains above the lowest rate recorded in 2012 (82 percent). Despite the decrease, principal Sam Wynkoop expressed surprise and concern. “Good to see there’s a downward trend, but it’s shocking to me especially with the exceptional capability that I see with kids around here. I feel like they don’t need to [cheat],” he said. “It is a very high-stress environment for students here to perform. I wonder if that has something to do with it.” The survey, which was ad-

This anonymous pen-and-paper survey of 236 students was conducted in Standard, Honors and Gifted and Talented or Advanced Placement English classes for each grade level. Students were asked 14 multiple choice questions. this and other news graphics by jason mcclellan

ministered to 236 students in all levels and grades of English classes, asked students to anonymously disclose how often and under what circumstances they had cheated. “I would say the decrease is accurate,” senior and vice president of the National Honor Society Maddie Wilson said. “As I’ve gone through high school, I feel like there has been a greater emphasis on being truthful. I think overall teachers have done a really good job of emphasizing being honest and actually understanding material rather than focusing on the grade.” Survey results show a 6 percent increase in cheating by use of cellphones. Junior Yasmeena Fakhouri said this jump makes sense given recent school changes. see CHEATING, page 2

FYI: English PARCC Exams begin for sophomores

Schools closed for primary election day April 26

Guitar Concert April 28 7:30 p.m. auditorium

April 25

Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

Ring Dance April 30 7 p.m.-10 p.m. satellite cafeteria

PTSA Meeting May 12 7 p.m. library

Senior Prom May 14 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. The Grand 225 N. Charles St

the griffin

news

Students talk about race RACE, continued from page 1

“There’s definitely improvements, but we still have to work everywhere in the country, one foot at a time,” Martin said. Biracial senior Emilie Delanois sees work to be done regarding acceptance of mixed-race families. “The very first time I saw a mixed family on TV it was a Cheerios commercial and I squealed and I played it over again and then I recorded it. I was so excited.” she said. For her, insight emerged in elementary school. “I remember one time in the second grade they said ‘Why make your dad a different color than the rest of

your family?’” Like others, senior Alexia Astori maintains that race has sculpted her into who she is today. With an Italian and Hispanic background, she has relished in a variety of celebrations such as a quinceañera and an 18th birthday celebration. But these traditions aren’t the only things that define her. “You are who you are because of the decisions you make—not because of your race,” Astori said. Sophomore Jordan Wright shared a similar view and cautioned against sterotyping. “I like to go past what This unscientific spot survey was conducted most people assume African during all lunches April 15. Americans can do. I like to achieve more than what we are stereotypically assumed

to be categorized as,” Wright said. Along those lines, sophomore and Asian American Megan Zhang said that coming from an immigrant family has given her unique experiences. She considers race a gradient, rather than a clear set of boundaries. “It’s a social construct,” she said. Sophomore Sanaa Haamen, who is African, echoes that. “We bleed the same. We get cut. We get sad,” she said. “It shouldn’t be an issue if a person’s not white or if a person’s black or if a person’s a different color.” For Martin, travel to China enhanced insight. about racial profiling. “I’ve never felt like a minority before,” he said. “They took pictures of me a lot. At first you think it’s funny, but it gets annoying by week three, I promise you.” Associate editor Tirzah Khan contributed to this report.

Cheating rate ticks down—again CHEATING, continued from page 1

“I think the new cellphone policy where teachers aren’t allowed to take your phone and give it to the office anymore really affected how many people cheat. Now when I’m taking a test, I always see people googling the questions, and that explains why cheating has escalated from 35 percent to 41 percent,” Fakhouri said. Teachers have adopted and refined various strategies to combat cheating in their classrooms. “I try to give as few take-home assignments as possible because people can copy off each other or look up information,” Advanced Placement Calculus teacher Brocha Siff said. “I also try to mix up the questions so that the person sitting next to you doesn’t have the same paper.” “I always tell people to keep their paper covered and turn over their paper when they’re finished so I put the onus on the person who has the paper,” Latin teacher Dawn Mitchell said. “I also don’t give homework you can copy, and when I do give homework, I always give extra credit for turning it in early, so no one has the paper to copy from.” Some teachers have taken this a step further, attempting to solve the structural problems that drive well-intentioned students to cheat.

“I try to talk to students and change that mindset that they have to get an A on everything,” AP World History teacher Karen Turek said. “It’s one reason why I’m a little more lenient with my AP classes in terms of late work, because everybody has busy schedules, so can I be a little flexible as the teacher.” Students suggested similar changes. “If there was a way to emphasize learning the material for the material’s sake and learning how to use that in the real world rather than for the grade, I think that would minimize the incentive to cheat,” senior Malik Debow said. Like last year, students report cheating in math most frequently. “People don’t feel like taking the time to remember each and every single formula,” junior Marie Salas said. “I think cheating is mostly seen in math and science classes because usually students have trouble remembering the formulas they need for the test. The formulas would be easy to conceal on a small piece of paper,” junior PJ Samuel said. Maath and science classes have the highest rates of cheating, followed closely by foreign language. “There’s little opportunity in AP Spanish because it’s skill-based,” Advanced Placement Spanish teacher Maureen Burke said. But she inferred a reason that world language

“It’s just another standardized test that can’t hit all the fields someone is able to excel at,” junior Blakely Doby said. To some, certain aspects of the new test were harder. The long time intervals, such as the 65-minute critical reading section, made it difficult to concentrate. “Reading essay after essay got really tiring after a while and I started to run low on time,” junior Jared Lim said. Junior Helena Hahn agrees. “I’m used to multiple intervals,” Hahn said. “I couldn’t keep track of the time. My proctor wouldn’t let me have a watch on.” Students also struggled with the math section, finding that it failed to assess the concepts they were learning in class. “The test reflects more on what we’ve learned in the past, instead of now,” junior Justin Barry said. “The math was all Algebra II and Geometry, which isn’t that relevant to me anymore.” Many felt confident about the writing section. The essay, now optional, has been reformatted to more closely resemble the rhetorical analysis essays written in AP English, making students feel better prepared.

NEWS LINE SENIOR WINS

Senior Katherine Martinez has been chosen by the AVID Senior Celebration Speaker Selection Committee to deliver her senior reflection speech. She will represent AVID seniors at the BCPS AVID Senior Celebration May 18 at Morgan State University’s Murphy Fine Arts Center.

SCHOLARS NAMED The school has announced 12 merit scholars among this years senior class. Honored at the National Merit Scholars at the Recognition, National Merit and Ethics Awards Ceremony April 13 were: Jessica Bishai, Gustavo Encarnacion, Maya Lapinski, Noelle Li, Sean Lim, Xin Lin, Will Paranzino, Anton Pozharskiy, Jiayang Shi, Kevin Wang, Sumin Woo and Hojin Yoon.

FBLA HONORED

courses consistently have frequent cheating. “Kids don’t want to memorize,” she said, “and we make them memorize.” Another major survey finding was that a majority of students, about 58 percent, said the reason they cheat is because they prepare but still don’t understand the material. Only 25 percent of students cited lack of time to prepare and 17 percent cited lack of motivation to prepare. While some assume cheating is more prevalent in Standard and Honors classes, cheating rates are slightly higher in Gifted and Talented and AP classes. Seventy percent of GT and AP English students reported that they have ever cheated compared to 69 percent of standard and honors students. “I intern for a Standard English 10 class and watching them take tests, I don’t really see them cheating,” senior Marella Schammel said. “But I know there are some AP students who cheat because they feel like it’s more of a big deal for them to do well on a test.” Staff writer Matt Walters and associate editors Randhika Aturaliya, Julie Chotivatanapong and Jason Fontelieu contributed to this report. SEE MORE SURVEY FINDINGS ON OUR WEBSITE: DULANEYGRIFFIN.ORG

Redesigned SAT incites worry, fatigue randhika aturaliya and jason fontelieu, associate editors uniors had a lot to say about the new SAT after taking it April 12. The redesigned SAT, now returning to a 1600-point scale and including an optional essay, has been refocused to measure “what you learned in high school and what you need to succeed in college,” rather than memorization of ideas inapplicable to real life, according to the College Board. Even with the change, students found that it didn’t quite represent their knowledge.

april 22, 2016

“There’s a rhetorical analysis essay on the exam, so to prepare, we spent a month and half learning how to analyze them,” junior Becca Sulpar said. Still, despite the College Board’s attempts to make the test more relevant to classroom academics, many found that they felt underprepared for the new format. “It’s hard because they completely changed it, so a lot of teachers and students are going in blind,” junior Brett Sproul said.

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Three students have been elected to the FBLA state officer team. Junior Sophie Sun is now the state FBLA president. Junior Luke Sturiale is Region II vice president, and sophomore Sofia Encarnacion is state parliamentarian. The elections were held at the FBLA State Leadership Conference April 14 to 16.

SEQUEL WRITERS WIN Seniors Hannah Bauer, Meredith Riley and Anastasia Strouboulis won the 2016 Center Stage’s Young Playwrights Festival with their play “Hot Sauce.” Selected from nearly 600 entries, “Hot Sauce” will be performed at the annual festival held this year May 2 at Towson University’s Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. The tickets are free, but a $5 donation is suggested.

STAFFER WINS STATE Griffin deputy editor Meera Rothman, a junior, has won the state competition in the Optimist Club annual essay contest. Her essay, published in the February edition, addressed leading by example: fiction or reality? She won $2,500 in scholarship money. Read her essay on our website: http://dulaneygriffin.org

FLINT FUNDS RAISED After collecting donations during lunch, the Giving it Back club has raised $330 for the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, according to club sponsor Alicia Drechsler. The money will go to support the delivery of health services to aid children exposed to lead in the water supply of Flint, Mich.

SPEAKERS TRIUMPH After winning at the school level, sophomore Farehaa Hussain has won first in the club level of the Rotary Club’s Four-Way speech competition. Sophomores Anna Garman and Delaram Doorandish won second and third, respectively, at the school level Rotary Club FourWay speech competition.

april 22, 2016

the griffin

3 news

Beloved ‘Mockingbird’ still captivates hayden cohee, staff writer and amanda musolf, associate editor alking into Dirk Frey’s Honors English 9 classes in March, one would have seen students conducting Socratic seminars deliberating racial issues as they appear in Harper Lee’s acclaimed novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ There’s a lot to learn from the novel, freshman Kenyetta Bowman said. “Nobody is born racist,” she said. “Racism, it’s like a disease. The only way to stop being racist is to start with your kids. If you teach your kids to be better, the world will be better.” The 1960 work is told from the point of view of Scout Finch, a young white girl growing up in segregation-era Alabama. She witnesses the racism within her society when a black man is denied due process for a crime he didn’t commit. “A big theme is the coming of age kind of tale,” Frey said, “because Scout is just a little kid trying to underphoto by natalie mozoki stand things in her time.” Characters like Finch’s father Atticus, a lawyer defyFRESHMEN Kenyetta Bowman, Baasil Okollie, Dennis Mason and Courtney Garrison discuss race and its prevalence in the novel ‘To Kill a Mocking- ing societal standards by defending Robinson, remain bird’ as English teacher Dirk Frey listens during Frey’s 2A Honors English relatable to readers. 9 class. “I liked Atticus’s intelligence. He’s educated, and

scene

he really knows what he’s talking about,” junior Kara Jones said. Rachel Goisovich’s English 9 classes took a different approach. “We don’t just talk about the racial issues in the text,” she said. “We talk about those that have continued, despite the steps our country has taken to have equality for all.” Lee’s death in February and this month’s anniversary of Freddie Gray’s death have brought the novel back to the forefront of our society. “With the anniversary of Freddie Gray it really shows how little progress has been made,” junior Jason Zhang said. Goisovich said teens today still connect to the book. “Mockingbirds are all around us. Our job is to be an Atticus, to be a defender of the defenseless,” she said. The novel has even reached beyond the English department. Physics teacher Peter Sykes read it after his wife, an English teacher, told him it was her favorite. “I was looking for something to read and it was on her shelf,” Sykes said. “I read it and couldn’t put it down.” See page 8 for a review of “Go Set A Watchman.”

dulaney

SOPHOMORES Margaret Shen, Anna Yan and Mia Momongan complete a rocket test outside room 313 during a design lesson for Brian Bruneau’s 2A Engineering and Design class April 4. Shen’s launch measured 20 floor tiles, she said, which was well off the pace of class winner, freshman Reynaud Allbritton-King, whose rocket launch measured 116 tiles.

photo by natalie mozoki

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SAVE TIME AND MONEY Thanks to a partnership between CCBC and Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS), eligible BCPS students can take up to four CCBC classes TUITION-FREE and then additional classes at half price. Learn how you can earn credits toward an associate degree, transfer to another college of your choice, and even graduate high school with valuable workplace certifications and credentials in areas like Cybersecurity and Mobile Applications Development.

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the griffin

4 opinion

april 22, 2016

Sleep later: learn more E

This unscientific poll was conducted from Sept. 18 to Oct. 21 last year.

CURRENT POLL:

What stresses you the most—school, jobs, or social media? Weigh in at dulaneygriffin.org

ON THE WEB:

Read “My Turn,” an online opinion blog, featuring...

sumin woo, managing editor very school day at 6:17 a.m., without fail, I’m jolted awake by Hairspray’s “Good Morning Baltimore.” I hit snooze on my alarm over and over until I muster up a fraction of Tracy Turnblad’s energy to begin the day, exhausted from the hours spent at school, after-school activities and homework from the night before. Even at school, I’m constantly finding myself falling asleep in class, desperately trying to squeeze in five more minutes of sleep, and I’m not alone. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 28 percent of high school students report dozing off in class, while 22 percent struggle to fight off sleep while finishing their homework. The foundation suggests that teens get at least 8.5 hours of sleep every night — a laughable, unattainable goal for most students. To help combat sleep deprivation, which can lead to depression, obesity, decreased empathy and slower cognition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that middle and high schools begin classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m., the Atlantic reported. A February CDC survey published by the Wall Street Journal reported that Maryland is the

third-least rested state in the country, with only 61 percent of adults sleeping for at least seven hours. Local districts have taken steps to inch closer to this suggestion this year. According to the Washington Post, Fairfax County Public Schools moved

art by jarrin jacobs

their high school start times nearly an hour later to 8:10 a.m. and Montgomery County Public Schools altered theirs so high school students begin their days at 7:45 a.m. While not quite meeting the 8:30 a.m. recommendation, the shift is an improvement, one Baltimore County Public Schools should consider.

Classes here officially begin at 7:45 a.m., 45 minutes earlier than the CDC’s recommendation. By the time students return home from clubs, sports and other activities, they’re worn out but face homework, jobs or family obligations. The prospect of beginning the next day later would alleviate some of these stresses by simply providing them more time to sleep. Adding to the benefits of more sleep are increased test scores and attendance, and decreased car accidents, according to a March New York Times health blog. Opponents may argue about bus logistics (for buses that are shared between elementary, middle and high schools) and later school dismissal times as a result of shifting start times later. We can cope. A rotating bus tier system, which involves only a few new buses and mirrors that of Fairfax County, could be put in place. School activities could be cut short by small increments to accommodate the change. Students’ mental and physical health need to be a priority. Starting school later is an opportunity for us to get more sleep — something we need to actually have a “Good Morning Baltimore.”

AP exams fiscal reality check

...STAFF WRITER ALLIE NG ON THE NEED TO DO EVEN MORE TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

...STAFF WRITER HANNA BEWLEY ON CHEATING IN THE CLASSROOM

...STAFF WRITER SARAH LENHART ON TEEN UBER USAGE DURING PROM SEASON

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the griffin Dulaney High School, 255 E. Padonia Rd. Timonium, MD 21093 dulaneygriffin@bcps.org (410) 887-7633 Student population: 1,804 Staff population: 123 The Griffin prints 1,500 to 2,000 copies of each edition. These are distributed during homeroom on the fourth Friday of October, November, December, February, March, April and May. Extras may be found in the library or room 115. A Columbia Scholastic Press Association member The Griffin’s mission is to enlighten and entertain. April 22, 2016 Volume 55, Issue 6 http://dulaneygriffin.org

art by sarah ruehle

EDITORIAL:

Rampant cheating calls for cooperation, change

n a building where over 50 percent of students are taking at least one Advanced Placement exam, perhaps the temptation to cheat has become overbearing. The results from this year’s cheating survey show cheating remains widespread here. An astonishing 86 percent of students surveyed admit to cheating – only a small dip from the amount reported last year. Yet the figure represents the second consecutive year of a cheating decrease, following a three-year incline that began in 2012. The drop is a step in the right direction, but there’s still plenty of work to

be done. Of the 316 students surveyed, 163 admitted to using their cellphone to find answers or ask a friend during class. This figure may be tied to this year’s new cellphone policy, which allows students to use their phones in the hallways. It’s possible that this leniency has caused students to feel more comfortable using their devices in class, and, by extension, using them to cheat. In October of 2015, the Griffin urged students to consider the responsibilities associated with the new cellphone policy, and those responsibilities go beyond hallway traffic management.

editors-in-chief christine condon, sarah feustle, stephanie rountree managing editors maya lapinski, sumin woo deputy editors grace knotts, meera rothman adviser maria hiaasen news editor julie chotivatanapong opinion editor randhika aturaliya sports editors patrick fitzgerald, kristin meek features editors doria diacogiannis, jordan nicolette web editors cameron bernhardt, jason mcclellan multimedia editor alex tuerk photography editor cristina lopez design editor tori vandervest

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In 2014, the Griffin called for teachers and students to cooperate in order to find a solution, and in as early as 2010 an op-ed piece recommended teachers outline a more strict disciplinary system for cheaters. This year, we call for teachers and administrators to attack this problem at its roots, by encouraging students to focus on academic resiliency rather than merely on grades. As for students, especially those in our AP program, they must consider the value of learning from failure. Doing so may motivate them to abandon cheating altogether.

The Griffin welcomes story ideas, commentaries and letters to the editor. These may be brought to room 115, placed in Maria Hiaasen’s mailbox in the office or emailed to dulaneygriffin@ bcps.org. All submissions are subject to editing and must be signed. The Griffin Editorial Board makes all final decisions regarding content. The staff editorial reflects the thoughts of the Griffin staff, but all other opinon pieces reflect individuals’ views, not the paper’s. Interested in advertising in The Griffin or purchasing any photos seen in this issue? Use the same contact information.

april 22, 2016

5 opinion

the griffin

Gender gap closing laggardly I amanda musolf, associate editor n 1996, California became the first state to pass a law banning gender pricing, the act of charging different prices for a product or service based solely on gender. Twenty years later, California is still the only state to have passed a statewide law of this nature. Yet even in the Golden State, women are charged more than men for basic products. According to a Buzzfeed article, women in California paid an average of 7 percent more for everyday products. While California is the only state to impose a statewide ban on gender pricing, some cities, namely New York, have illegalized the practice. An article in the Guardian reported that the average cost of living in 2015 for a woman in New York City was 7 percent higher than that of a man. If the cost of living for women is 7 percent higher than that of men and women pay 7 percent more for basic products, wouldn’t it make sense for women to be paid 7 percent more? Unfortunately, many disagree. It could be said that women are making progress economically, as evidenced by

the shrinking national wage gap. But by how much? On average, women in 2015 earned 74.6 cents for every man’s dollar and women of color earned even less, the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index reported.

neonics-laced seeds can kill songbirds, and other studies revealed that neonics harm aquatic life, including Maryland’s blue crabs. Yet, the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Maryland Farm Bureau and

“We will be dead before we see the entire country earn equal pay.” That’s up only 0.6 cents from 2014. Our country has had a federal Equal Pay Act banning wage discrimination based on gender since 1963. And yet, women are still only being paid just under 75 percent that of men. CNN announced last November that women in the U.S. won’t earn equal pay to men until 2133 – 117 years from now! We will be dead before we see the entire country earn equal pay.

There’s some better news, though. Maryland is ahead of the curve. The Maryland General Assembly just passed the Equal Pay for Equal Work bill, which prohibits employers from providing less favorable job opportunities to people based on sex or gender identity. And according to a report by CNN, women in this state earn 87.4 cents for every man’s dollar, and are expected to see 100 percent equal pay in 2042. Still, why should I have to wait 26 years before I can be considered economically equal to my male counterparts? I’m not saying gender pricing doesn’t work both ways. It does – though more rare, there are nine professions in which women earn more than men out of a pool of 342 jobs analyzed, CBS reported. That’s a mere 2.6 percent of professions in the U.S. There is no reason for one of the world’s most powerful, “democratic” countries to continue such discriminatory actions. All men were created free and equal, but where do the women fit into the puzzle?

Honey bees: they’re worth a buzz whitney vong, staff writer he bees are disappearing, and taking their place is a grave concern over our ability to survive and thrive. In an attempt to counter the losses, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Pollinator Protection Act April 7. The law restricted the sale and use of neonicotinoids (neonics) to homeowners. This insecticide is believed to contribute to bee decline across the world. A 2014-15 study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture reports that national bee losses totaled 42 percent while Maryland losses were an alarming 61 percent. Yet, bees are essential to the pollination of foods we eat on a daily basis. According to a March 2015 CNN article, 71 of 100 crops are pollinated by bees and these 71 crops contribute $29 billion of the country’s income. If bees vanish, so do a significant portion of our food and finances. Neonics are the culprit for much of the bees’ decline. Neonics are impairing bees’ abilities to find their way back home, collect food and produce healthy queens, as reported by the Washington Post. The Post’s report added that

art by whitney vong

local farmers argue that the correlation between bee decline and neonics is inconclusive. Officials from these groups attribute declines more to habitat loss and varroa mites, a parasite that physically weakens bees.

The Department of Agriculture says that the neonic restriction will be difficult to manage, but the work will be worth it. In 2014, the Task Force on Systemic Pesticides reviewed over 1,000 studies and concluded that neonics are a key factor in bee decline. This, coupled with the threat to other organisms in our ecosystem, urges us to begin restriction now. Honey Nut Cheerios in Canada started the “Bring Back the Bees” campaign, according to Fox News, and have temporarily removed their mascot Buzz the bee from their ads and boxes to raise awareness of bee decline. Burt’s Bees also joined in by removing the letter ‘B’ from their products. The company has pledged on their website to plant a thousand wildflowers for every tweet that features #bringbackthebees and has received over 54 million pledges. So the next time you bite into an apple, pull out a bar of chocolate or swirl some honey into your tea, know that none of those foods would be available without the help of bees. Maryland’s bill is a major step forward and hopefully, other states will follow in our footsteps and bring back the bees.

Slur accents stereotype, prejudice farehaa hussain, staff writer Each year, sophomore English students participate in the Rotary Club’s 4-Way Speech Competition. What follows is an abbreviated version of Hussain’s winning entry. n Mr. Segal’s sixth grade science class, I was deemed a terrorist and an alien by my best friend. When I divulged that I’d like to visit Pakistan, she responded with a gaping mouth and wide eyes. She leaned in close and whispered, “Why, don’t you know that everyone there is a terrorist?” I felt tears prick my eyes as I hesitantly admitted that my whole family emigrated from there. She yelped a guilty “Oh.” I tend to steer clear from the topic of immigration, but now, with the alarming increase in dehumanizing anti-immigration rhetoric, it’s inescapable. This bubbling resentment towards illegal immigrants is especially evident in the tag “alien,” which is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “too different from something to be suitable or even acceptable.” I will put this word through the Four-Way Rotary test to show that it serves only to disadvantage all concerned.

art by jarrin jacobs

We first ask, does this term give a truthful description of undocumented immigrants? It propagates the stereotype that they’re nothing but burdens, and that they’re unable to assimilate into a foreign country, a stereotype that over 40 percent of Americans agree with according to a 2015 Pew Research Study. Recent evidence reveals that this attitude is misguided. Arnold Schwarzenegger and award-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas are among these “burdensome aliens.” They are our authors, our musicians and are among our society’s most valuable players.

Next, let’s ask, by using the term “alien” do we perform an injustice to illegal immigrants? In 2015, the Washington Post declared that first generation immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans. So, we perpetuate injustice when we use this slur to describe the undocumented population. Now we ask, how can an insult build goodwill and better friendships? I know it ended one of mine in sixth grade. In fact, according to Jan Yager, who holds a PhD in psychology, inflammatory rhetoric is bested only by jealously when it comes to ending friendships. Finally, will removing the usage of this term be beneficial to all concerned? Not only will it help to dissolve some “extraterrestrial” stereotypes, but it may even help some immigrants perform better in school, according to a University of Chicago study which found that outside pressure undermines academic success. So yes, I do hate talking about immigration. But we need to, especially nowadays, and it’s imperative that we use the right words. I have removed this slur from my speech. Will you?

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ruminations Celebrate Earth Day — from inside jason mcclellan, columnist

pril 22 is the day that those of us who aren’t always environmentally responsible can shed our eco-unfriendly habits, speak for the trees and, as the Earth Day website urges, join the fight for the future of our planet. Unless you hate the outdoors. Granted, hate is a strong word – perhaps detest is better. But for myself, whose “outside time” is spent walking from my house to the bus and vice versa, I can promise that April 22 totes with it Enemy Number One: a moral obligation to actually walk out into the world beyond and writhe through a dosage of vitamin D. And unfortunately, the evils on the other side of the door only begin with sunshine. No normal human being could possibly take pleasure in exercise, which, as I understand it, is just perpetual sweating. The outdoors is nearly synonymous with physical activity – you can take a stroll through a park or (heaven forbid) play sports on a field. Too much time under these despicable conditions, and you may actually become physically fit. Meanwhile, the indoors provides a haven of peace and relaxation where even the weather is no concern – you have heat, air conditioning and a roof. And what better way to celebrate Earth Day than to transform oneself into a vegetable – the couch potato? Granted, sitting for extended periods of time each day may lead to health concerns such as, according

“What about the freedom of the indoors?”

to WebMD, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. But probability suggests that at some point you’re going to die anyway, and thus chronic and/or fatal diseases shouldn’t be concerns. Pile on the fact that a Washington Post article reported how sitting for long periods is a risk even with exercise – and that we’re forced to sit for six hours a day in school – you might as well give up on those mile-long jogs around the neighborhood. More than once, I’ve heard of a “freedom of the great outdoors.” What about the freedom of the indoors? If you want to, say, escape your parents, you can take a trek to the woods, through the rain, to some remote, secluded patch of dirt, or you can walk three feet and shut your bedroom door. It’s the same story with anything else you have the freedom to do when and only when alone, be it flaunting your profanity powers or doing an embarrassing dance. People have claimed that being outside makes them happier. Well, it actually does happen, but the important part is that according to a March 20 New York Times article, looking at foliage will be just as effective as being physically near foliage when it comes to stress relief. Remember that ageold question, “What is happiness?” The answer, it would seem, is a Google search for images of the rainforest. I’m obligated by the unspoken rules of persuasive writing to acknowledge that Earth Day and Mother Nature help us out here and there. After all, having an environment is rather important to our survival. But at the rate the rainforests are being steamrolled and animal species are pulling their mass disappearing act, Earth Day may end up a well-intentioned but futile effort. And while we sit back and wait to see what happens, there’s no better way to relax than to admire the scenery of a sunny day. Through a window, of course.

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VARSITY

Senior routinely contributes

matt ellis and patrick dochat, staff writers enior lacrosse player Garrett Michel knew that he would have to become a different player for the boys varsity team this season. “We’re relying on him this year to facilitate the offense. Last year he was kind of the recipient of some of the work that his other teammates created for him,” photo by cristina lopez GARRETT MICHEL varsity head coach Kyle Fiat said. Michel, who plays attack, uses his tenacity to separate himself from his competition. “He is a very tough player. He almost always initiates contact and gets to the middle of the field,” senior teammate Shane Grogan THINGS THAT STRESS HIM OUT said. This year Michel 1. LACROSSE GAMES has scored 16 goals and recorded 14 as2. TESTING sists. 3. SCHOOL AND HOMEWORK “He’s like the quarterback on the field, THINGS THAT RELIEVE HIS STRESS managing where the 1. DRIVING ball gets thrown,” Fiat said, adding that 2. MCDONALD’S Michel’s the caliber of player expected 3. SLEEPING to score two to three goals each game on a consistent basis. “He’s not afraid to put his head down and run through you. He’s very gritty; he’s got a lot of heart,” senior and captain Jake Bellinger said. Along with his toughness, Michel’s experience has allowed him to gain a better understanding of the game. He has been playing since he was about 6 or 7 years old. “My brother played it, so I followed in his footsteps. I’ve been playing for a while now,” Michel said. “Being a really good scorer and facilitator of the offense helps his teammates get shots,” Fiat said. “When he’s dodging he can see the field and see where his teammates are.”

april 22, 2016

Girls varsity lacrosse seeks

JUNIOR VARSITY

Lavoie leads behind plate hyunsung ko and evan song, staff writers rouched behind the plate, he watches as his pitcher begins his motion towards home plate. The batter takes a look and follows up with a swinging miss as sophomore Mitch Lavoie squeezes the pitch into his glove. Lavoie has been excelling in baseball since he was just 3 years old. Now the junior varsity photo by cristina lopez team’s starting catcher, Lavoie MITCH LAVOIE is producing results with his strong work ethic. “I want to do what I can every day to get better and better,” he said. In the offseason, Lavoie participated in morning BFS workouts three days a week and baseball workouts at Diamond Pros twice a week after school to prepare himself physically and mentally for the THINGS THAT STRESS HIM OUT season. 1. HOMEWORK The junior varsity coaches are more 2. A LESS-THAN-PERFECT PRACTICE than optimistic about 3. CATCHING FOR A PITCHER WHO Lavoie’s presence for a growing squad. THROWS A FOUR-BALL WALK Teammate and sophTHINGS THAT RELIEVE HIS STRESS omore Daniel Park shared comparable 1. LISTENING TO MUSIC feedback. “He’s very moti2. BATTING PRACTICE vated and loves the 3. VIDEO GAMES sport. He comes to practice to play harder than anyone,” Park said. “With him as my catcher I have no worries; I just need to make good pitches.” Without any established captain on the team, Lavoie has stepped up as a leader among a roster of majority freshmen. “We all have one common goal. We work each and every day to not only become a better team, but to pick up one another to become a better player,” he said. “It’s not about leading them on the field but off the field as well.”

game in focus: APRIL 12: DULANEY LIONS (7-1) versus CATONSVILLE COMETS (3-7) LIONS WIN 17-8 The girls varsity lacrosse team, ranked number 13 in the state by the Baltimore Sun April 15, improved their record by winning all three of their games last week. Defender Emma O’Grady (Griffin sports deputy editor) takes a look at the April 12 win that started off their streak .

KEYS TO VICTORY: A consistently strong county opponent, Catonsville posed a challenge for the team. At halftime, it was still anyone’s game, with a score of 8-6. But the Lions were able to take the lead during the second half due in part to improved shooting, draw control wins and strong transitions. For varsity head coach Kristi Korrow, the team worked well as a whole, ensuring success. “Every unit of this team is on fire right now,” Korrow said. “In two of the three games we had nine different goal scorers, and in one game we had 11. Having such a balanced attacking force makes it very difficult for teams to defend us.” MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Senior midfielder Melanie Gandy continued to be an integral component of the Lions’ offense. Known for her speed, agility and dominance on

Freshmen girls varsity acing competition

reshmen tennis players Anna Boland (right), a second-seeded doubles player, and Cindy Shou, a first-seeded doubles player, are nearly totally victorious this season. Boland has learned from early experience to be a better teammate and partner, she said. Consistency is key, she said, and to win a match, she must be able to hit longer and last longer while minimizing errors. Shou’s consistent serve and strong partnership with junior Meera Rothman help the pair excel offensively on the court. photo by stephanie rountree

ANNA BOLAND 7 wins, 1 loss lions notebook:

This information was gathered April 18

Varsity baseball: The team, currently 10-3, looks to build off the 2-0 win against Perry Hall April 18 and continue their success at Eastern Tech April 28. Strong pitching by junior Matt Ellis and senior Garrett Day will lead the team. Varsity boys lacrosse: After winning three straight games against John Caroll, Fallston and Catonsville, the record increases to 5-4. Seniors, defenders Paul Junkin, Javon Smith and midfielder Jake Bellinger, will lead the team April 25 at Hereford. Varsity girls lacrosse: With a 6-1 record and a tournament win, the team springs into the county schedule with momentum. The team looks to defeat Hereford for the second year in a row April 25.

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CINDY SHOU 8 wins, 0 losses Varsity softball: Led by senior pitcher Emma Bevard, the team beat rival Hereford 10-0 April 18. The Lions, looking to maintain their 5-3 record, travel to Perry Hall April 25 and host Eastern Tech April 27. Varsity Tennis: After six straight wins against county opponents, the 7-2 team hosts Severna Park April 21. Varsity Track and Field: Individual wins from sprinting seniors Naraye Wells-Dotson, Sam Doe and sophomore James Green helped the boys team to a number 2 Baltimore Sun ranking. Senior Eric Walz broke a 33-year-old school record in the 3200 meter run with a time of 9:12 at the Viking Invitational April 15. Sophomore Grace Jung and senior Kristin Meek aided the team with strong performances in the pole vault and mile run, respectively. The Lions will host Hereford in the I-83 Track Classic April 27.

Visit our website for more on Eric Walz’s historic win.

april 22, 2016

s to extend winning streak Far left: Seniors Annie Sachs (11), midfield, and Mackenzie Gandy (10), attack, embrace after Gandy scored a goal. Center: Midfielders Anna Griffin (17, a sophomore) and seniors Melanie Gandy (22) and Annie Sachs (11) flank senior Catonsville defender Lila Nazarian (17) as she takes control of the ball. Below: Junior defender Kaitlyn Dabkowski (3) covers senior Catonsville attacker Andrea McTaggart (19) as she attempts to pass to a teammate behind the net.

draw controls, Gandy became the target of the Comets’ aggressive defense. However, she was able to power through the attacks and solidify the win by racking up 4 goals during the second half.

LOOKING AHEAD: Korrow is optimistic as the Lions aim to

beat Hereford for the second year in a row in their matchup April 25, “Composure is going to be key,” she said. “Coming onto the field and knowing what they’re capable of and executing those things.” As for the Towson match-up April 30, Korrow emphasizes the need for each unit to put up a united front to penetrate the wall Towson offers via skilled senior quadruplets Georgia, Jamie, Lucy and Maggie Schneidereith.

photos by stephanie rountree

UPCOMING COUNTY GAMES: APRIL 25: AT HEREFORD, 5:15 P.M. APRIL 30: AT TOWSON, 5 P.M. MAY 3: AT LOCH RAVEN, 5:15 P.M.

on the mound patrick fitzgerald, sports editor he women of the United States Women’s National Team demand equal pay. My response? More power to them. In short, here’s what has happened: a wage discrimination lawsuit was filed against the United States Soccer Federation by lawyer Jeffrey Kessler with signatures of five members of the USWNT March 30, according to the New York Times. Co-captains Carli Lloyd, Becky Sauerbrunn and Hope Solo as well as teammates Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe signed to support the suit. I’m not alone in my thinking. Sophomore Cori Levy, a goalie on the school’s junior varsity girls soccer team, was in the crowd for the USWNT’s April 10 3-0 victory against Colombia. “The women, they’re winning more games, they’re playing more games and their attendance is higher than the men,” she said. “They should be paid just as much, if not more.” Even tennis, which is often cited as a leader in gender equality among major sports, has a significant pay gap, resembling that of most American workplaces, according to an April 12 New York Times article. Female tennis players

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VARSITY

Dabs lines up, fires, scores annabel park, staff writer ew challenges face this lacrosse player as this season begins: starting at midfield and leading the team as a captain. Junior Kaitlyn Dabkowski has been playing lacrosse since she was four-years-old. She became a member of the varsity team when she was a freshman and committed to University of photo by hannah gouger Florida as a sophomore. KAITLYN DABKOWSKI “Even though she’s younger than me we still learn from each other and she teaches me things,” senior teammate Melanie Gandy said. Besides controlling the midfield, Dabkowski is one of the top scorers on the team, but she THINGS THAT STRESS HER OUT hopes that she can improve her shot se- 1. TOUGH CLASSES lections and be more 2. STAYING IN SHAPE OFF-SEASON comfortable taking shots. 3. SCHOOL DRAMA “Freshman year I THINGS THAT RELIEVE HER STRESS started out playing defense and then 1. LISTENING TO MUSIC kind of transitioned so I play midfield 2. PRACTICING LACROSSE now, but my shot 3. TALKING WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY selections could obviously be better but I think I’m working well with shots,” Dabkowski said. Gandy and varsity girls lacrosse coach Kristi Korrow have noticed Dabkowski’s leadership on and off the field. “Dabs is an athlete who knows what it takes to win, how hard you have to work, and how to dig deep when it counts,” Korrow said. “Kaitlyn can handle a lot on her shoulders both on and off the field, whether it’s a family matter or a game winning goal.” “She is always there to either get the draw control or get the interception. We can always depend on her to do things all around on the field,” senior teammate Mackenzie Gandy said.

JUNIOR VARSITY

Women justified in equal pay fight

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earn only 80 cents to every dollar that men do, the article states. If the sport that’s hailed as the leader in gender equality isn’t actually equal, our standards are far too low. “Simply put, we’re sick of being treated like second-class citizens. It wears on you after a while. And we are done with it,” Lloyd wrote in an op-ed piece for the New York Times. When the team last bargained for the structured salary that it now receives, the USSF went so far as to accuse the team of cherry-picking data from its most profitable years to show that it generates more revenue than the men’s team. Even though the data in the suit was just from 2015, the fact remains that the women’s team generated $20 million more than the men. The team is favored to win their fifth Olympic gold medal this summer in Rio de Janeiro, which will produce even more revenue. The data is not cherry-picked, as the federation says – rather, it’s the most recent data showing how the women’s game has grown into the main money maker for the USSF. Somehow, for the USSF, even the statistics aren’t enough evidence that the pay gap needs to close. And when the USWNT tried to propose for a revision to the pay structure? The federation sued them in fear that they would strike. As the sport continues to grow for the women, fair pay becomes a necessity that the United States Soccer Federation can no longer evade.

INVESTIGATING THE IMBALANCE

All data collected from a graphic in a New York Times article, “How Much Less are Female Soccer Players Paid?”

DAILY ALLOWANCE ON TRIPS WOMEN: $60 MEN: $75 PER GAME WOMEN: $3600 (PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $1350 PER WIN) MEN: $5000 (PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $8166 PER WIN) Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org

Stealing her way to success adam zimmerman, staff writer he ball sails through the air and she is already on her way to second. With her speed and talent, freshman Bailey Bergeron is able to steal bases with ease while eliminating the other team’s opportunities on defense. “She has the ability to steal from every base. She has a nice photo by cristina lopez slide and she has gotten many BAILEY BERGERON people out on the other team when they steal. It is impressive,” sophomore catcher Abby Kaul said. Throughout her freshman year, Bergeron has not only set herself up to become a 12-season athlete with field hockey, track and softball, but also has adapted a progressive mindset, allowing her to improve all aspects of her game. “I think her key skill is her mental THINGS THAT STRESS HER OUT state,” junior varsity field hockey coach 1. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE GAME Brittany Jackson said. “She doesn’t 2. MAINTAINING GOOD GRADES let one bad game or 3. PLAYING AGAINST STRONG TEAMS practice get to her, and is always deter- THINGS THAT RELIEVE HER STRESS mined to get better.” 1. GETTING CHICK-FIL-A Junior varsity softball head coach 2. HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS Michelle Barwick 3. WATCHING NETFLIX agrees. “She is a good athlete, she is versatile. I can use her in different positions all over the field. She is very coachable, she listens, makes adjustments,” Barwick said. The softball team has still yet to be defeated as they move on to a record of 6-0, their closest game came at a six point margin. There are still high hopes for the team and Bergeron hopes to play a part in a championship team.

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april 22, 2016

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REVIEWS:

Epistolary memoir reveals black struggle W

sarah feustle, editor-in-chief ith the anniversary of Freddie Gray’s death – and the resulting riots – upon us, “Between the World and Me” by journalist, writer and Baltimore native Ta-Nehisi Coates was a timely read. Written as a letter to his 15-year-old son, “Between the World and Me” rings true and honest. Coates shares nothing less than his experiences – which are at times harrowing, at times inspiring but altogether resoundingly powerful. There are the times his father whipped him with his belt as a child for making mistakes – his reasoning being “either I can beat him, or the police.” There’s the way he found empowerment through reading books by writers like Malcolm X. There’s the story he tells of a college acquaintance that was mistaken for a wanted drug dealer, tailed by a cop and shot to death without just cause. In Michelle Alexander’s review of the book for The New York Times, she notes that it’s not a book addressed to white people. There’s no skirting around or softening the issue of racism that so often occurs when white people talk or are talked to about race, police brutality or a host of other issues that so many black people face in America. I was acutely aware of this as I read. The book is directed to Coates’s son, but on a

broader scale, to all black people. When Coates first mentioned the idea of “the Dream” early on in the book – the nebulous dream of white picket fences, blueberry pies and backyard barbecues – I knew I was living in that Dream, the larger world that Coates and so many like him are striving to find a place in. I knew that point would be reinforced to me as I picked up the book, but strangely, I felt less guilt than I expected to, which is not to say I didn’t feel any. I felt, on the whole, profoundly enlightened. Coates’s words are brutally, unapologetically honest and I felt like I was being told the truth. He explained with clarity and coherency the phenomena I had only had a vague understanding of before: the fear of having your life constantly endangered, the reactions of rage or detachment that grow from it, the overwhelmphoto by sarah feustle ing sense of injustice that comes from seeing those like you senselessly murdered. I will never fully understand what those things feel like, but I feel closer now. Coates’s prose and message are equally powerful, and I feel confident that everyone could take something away from reading it. Author Toni Morrison is quoted on the front as saying, “this is required reading,” and I couldn’t agree more. OVERALL RATING:

photo by grace knotts

‘Mockingbird’ sequel disappoints

tirzah khan, associate editor e all grew up with the Finch family from Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Jem and Scout were our siblings and we spent those hot summer days in Alabama with Dill by our side. We were each tucked into bed at night by our father, Atticus. When I first heard about “Go Set a Watchman,” the highly-anticipated sequel to this universal classic, I almost cried. I expected to read more about Jem, Scout, Dill and Atticus – but alas, it was not to be. The book takes place 20 years after the original, and much has changed. We find out that Dill has vanished to Italy without a backward glance and Jem has passed away from the same heart condition that took the Finches’ mother. Calpurnia, their servant, has been released from service due to old age. Atticus has become crip-

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pled with arthritis and their aunt Alexandra has moved in to take care of him. Scout – or “Jean Louise” as she now goes by – is toying with a marriage proposal from a previously unmentioned childhood friend Hank. But there are more upsetting and unsettling changes buried further beneath the surface, dug out in light of the then-recent Brown v. Board of Education decision and dumped suddenly on both us and our unsuspecting protagonist. This is Alabama in the throes of the civil rights movement, undergoing some of the greatest changes since the Civil War. Don’t expect it to be pretty – it’s not. It’s cruel and it’s shocking and it’s horrible. In the face of this dangerous challenge to everything they’ve ever known, the citizens of Maycomb County turn to their best defense: fear. This book is the cold, hard truth in the harsh light of day, throwing Jean Louise’s “snug world” into sharp relief. She’s forced to confront the fact that her childhood idols may not be perfect. In fact, they’re downright horrible. SPOILER ALERT: Atticus Finch is racist, and he doesn’t hide it – it almost seems like he wants her to know. But it’s not just Atticus that fails her. Calpurnia, her trusted Uncle Jack, her boyfriend Hank: her entire family is crumbling around her shoulders, all in the span of a few days. Stylistically, “Watchman” is a mess. It reads like an incomplete thought at some points, but there are moments of deep profoundness that make you question your entire existence – and not in an ironic way. The first part of the book is monotonous and lacks focus, until it’s not and suddenly there is a focus and by God, you don’t know what’s happening anymore. If you want a cruel and devastating awakening, read this. If you want to retain your childhood, don’t. But if you know that you’re going to have your childhood ruined anyways, why not find out how it happens? OVERALL RATING:

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april 22, 2016

In fro-yo battle, Tutti Frutti triumphs A emily levitt, staff writer s the rising ice cream shop alternative, fro-yo franchises are receiving more attention than ever. Everyone has a favorite, but which one is the best? I compared two self-serve yogurt chains: Sweet Frog and Tutti Frutti.

photo by emily levitt

Yogurt At Sweet Frog, the yogurt disappointed. I pulled the lever on the chocolate yogurt machine and expected a unified swirl, but instead watery yogurt splashed into my cup. The vanilla was the same. An employee told me to wait two minutes and try again, and then the yogurt came out more like slush. Its consistency was grainy and the taste was unimpressive. At Tutti Frutti, the yogurt came out in beautifully formed ribbons with a smooth consistency. It tasted authentically sweet.

CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA frozen yogurt, complete with strawberries, brownies and Fruit fudge, from Tutti Frutti.

The toppings section at Sweet Frog was un-

derwhelming and lacking in fruit. I had two choices: a watery cherry pool and a batch of fresh blueberries. I scooped a spoonful of the berries, which were flavorful enough to almost make up for the lack of another option. At Tutti Frutti, the fruit selection was larger. Blueberries, cherries, raspberries, bananas, kiwi, strawberries, oh my. The strawberries were chopped and tasted fresh and sweet.

Brownie Bites Is it possible to go wrong with brownies? After my trip to Sweet Frog, I realized it is. The brownies were the size of large chocolate chips, tasted synthetic and stuck to my teeth. Tutti Frutti shattered its competition. There were tongs available rather than spoons. Soft and moist, the brownies were larger and even featured chocolate chunks. Sauce At Sweet Frog, my disappointment grew when I saw a shelf for the room temperature sauces that held a half bottle of caramel. In-

stead, I stepped to the hot sauces. With the spot in the heater that read “Hot Fudge,” empty, I went for the hot caramel. Despite its label, it came out room-temperature, like molasses. Tutti Frutti again proved superior. There were at least a dozen bottles of assorted room temperature sauces lined up, and hot fudge and caramel were on display. The fudge’s temperature was satisfyingly warm enough to combat the cold of the yogurt. SWEET FROG: TUTTI FRUTTI: Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt 10128 York Rd. Timonium, MD 21204 Sunday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt Shop 28 Allegheny Ave. Unit 1 Towson, MD 21204 Monday-Friday: 1 p.m.9:30 p.m. Saturday: 1 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. Sunday: noon- 9:30 p.m.

Wawa woos as upscale fastfood option

The store is clean and well-lit, and on the left are the alexis mejia, staff writer hen I think of gas station food, what often comes regular dry snack aisles and drink machines. Small food items aren’t the only thing available to mind is a greasy hot dog on though, as Wawa also offers options a heating rack alongside some ranging from hot and cold sandwiches, inedible taquito wannabes. Out of every breakfast meals, salads, wraps and milkfood option, gas station food would be shakes. The food-ordering machine is inmy last choice just out of the mere fear of credibly user-friendly and allows you to getting food poisoning. But after Wawa customize your order to be exactly how arrived in Cockeysville, my perceptions you want it. have changed. Our order consisted of a cheese, tomato Wawa is not your typical gas station. and sun-dried tomato pesto panini, a The store is cleaner and offers more food chicken salad sandwich, a bacon avooptions than most. They have surchargephoto by alexis mejia free ATMs, free air for your tires and the WAWA, 10111 York Road, Cockeysville, is cado sandwich, bacon mac & cheese, a chorizo, egg and cheese croissant and a food is made to order. My friends and open 24 hours, seven days a week. chocolate cookies & cream milkshake. I decided to make a trip to find out just Our food was promptly made, and our total came to how good Wawa really is and if it lives up to the hype suraround $30. The three of us couldn’t finish all that we orrounding it.

T H E

dered, so the price was more than reasonable. While eating our food, there were few disappointments. The only misstep seemed to be the mac & cheese, which was lackluster but not terrible. Our favorite was the mozzarella and tomato panini due to its flavor and freshness – it was as though we had gotten it at a farmer’s market. Since becoming a regular customer at Wawa, the bacon avocado sandwich has become my personal favorite. A simple conglomeration of bacon, avocado, tomato, American cheese and lettuce, this sandwich is the perfect answer to lunchtime hunger. Thoroughly impressed and my notions of gas station quality cuisine shattered, I’d recommend that you skip Jimmy John’s or Subway the next time you’re craving a satisfying sandwich or sub. Head straight to Wawa. OVERALL RATING:

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april 22, 2016

an artist among us:

Classroom doodler wows with pictures, performances

What are you stressed about? Humans of Dulaney, based on the Humans of New York photo blog, exhibits the diversity of the student body with unique stories about the lives of randomly selected individuals.

Left: Junior Caroline Surak doodles in her sketchbook April 8. Center: Surak sets up her booth at Artfest April 14. Right: Surak’s life-size self portrait, which she completed as a part of her Gifted and Talented Studio Practice class.

grace schneider, staff writer he clock on the wall looms over the classroom, monotonously ticking. Students begin to nod off while the teacher drones on. In the otherwise boring room, a splash of color emerges as junior Caroline Surak draws cartoon caricatures of the whole class. “I just love drawing whenever I can,” Surak said. “Especially during class, I like to personify my thoughts. It’s just like putting together my thoughts and emotions into a little portrait of a character.” A spontaneous sketch in class is a normal occurrence for Surak, and she has not gone unnoticed. “During Choir class, we were listening to Mrs. Senita talk about rhythms and such, and the entire time Caroline was making an obscenely lifelike replica of my face. It was truly remarkable,” senior Daniel Morthole said. She found her passion for art in elementary school, inspired by her art teacher and the animation in cartoons and Disney movies. She decided at a young age to do more art in her free time and loves the rewarding feeling she gets every time she finishes a work. “Caroline is one of the most unique artists I’ve had

the pleasure of knowing,” senior Kat Hansen said. “She’s super observant and has an eye for design. Things just seem to come naturally to her.” Art isn’t Surak’s only talent. She plays four photos by stephanie rountree instruments, sings in honors Choir and acts in school musicals. She also has an interest in forensics and enjoys windowsill gardening. She joined marching band for the first year with no saxophone experience, according to her section leader, junior Vaani Shah. She took lessons on the side, asked for help and even asked for a recording of the music, which no one in Shah’s memory had done. “She tried really hard just to get the hang of it,” Shah said. “By the end of the season she was one of the better players. Moving up from not knowing anything about the instrument to being one of the top in the section, that was really cool.”

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photo by hannah gouger

Class of 2016 Corresponding Secretary, Youth & Government senator and year-round track and cross country runner, senior Kira Flemke took a break from selling prom tickets to talk to staff writer Hannah Gouger about her biggest stressors as of late. HG: What are you stressed about right now? KF: I’m taking seven Advanced Placement tests. The AP art portfolio is stressing me out the most because you really have to invest a lot of time in the art to make it high quality. I’ll probably spend about 18 hours on it this weekend. I’m also stressed about college. I’ve only narrowed it down to about five schools. I’m a little on the fence about the last one, so I should probably take it off my list. I’m stressed about affording college, student loans, grad school, getting into grad school and how I’m going to perform in college compared to how I perform here. Whether I want to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond is a big dilemma and concern for me. FOR THE VIDEO OF KIRA FLEMKE’S ANSWER, SEE OUR WEBSITE.

april 22, 2016

11 features

the griffin

Magazine evolves: successes impress T meher hans, associate editor ruthfully, no one on the Sequel staff knows why the school’s literary magazine is called Sequel. “Frankly, I like the old name The Speak Easy better,” sponsor and English teacher Meekah Hopkins said. “Sequel doesn’t make sense. It’s not a sequel – every year’s edition is different.” The first literary magazine here, Folio, began publication in 1963 and was followed by The Speak Easy in 1971. The Speak Easy was then replaced by the current magazine, Sequel, in 1989. As a nationally-recognized literary magazine, The Speak Easy earned several awards from organizations including the American Scholastic Press Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. “Most staff members agreed that fresh, original subject matter and a unique point of view help to make writing stand out,” the March 1988 Griffin publication reported. When deciding what literature and art to include, the 31-member staff had to rate and narrow down the anonymously-submitted entries. Sequel’s 26-member staff still works with the same method but splits into separate literary and art staffs. This year’s editors are seniors Kiana Boroumand for literature, Jackie Andrews for art and Eva Bacas for management. The magazine hasn’t always had a large staff. “At one point there were five people who would regularly come to Sequel meetings,” Hopkins, who has been in charge of Sequel since 2009, said. Formerly a club, Sequel has been a class for three years. In addition to producing the magazine, students in the class organize Artfest, an annual spring event that showcases student artwork and performances. Sequel won awards for last year’s and other years’ editions. Last year’s edition won the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown for their hybrid blog and magazine publication, an award that only seven publications in the country received. Each edition of Sequel centers around an original theme, such as 1989’s Masks. Last year’s Sequel was entitled Witness and sold 100 copies. The 2016 edition is named Vox Nihili, a Latin phrase meaning “Voice of Nothing.” “The voice of the people is actually comprised of millions of individual voices of nothing – our voices,” the preface reads. This year, Sequel received 195 literature submissions and 176 art entries for the magazine. “It’s very creative. Each page is different, each page is a gem to look at,” senior and design editor Jarrin Jacobs said.

BACK STORY photo by sarah feustle

photo by meher hans

Above left: The 1976 edition of the literary magazine, The Speak Easy. Above right: The 2016 edition of Sequel. Left: Junior and Sequel staff member Christina Panousos (right) makes adjustments to freshman Meredith Kossoff’s (left) dress made from recycled copies of The Griffin and other newspapers. Kossoff and others members of National Art Honor Society created wearable art as a part of this year’s Artfest.

Sequel magazine is on sale during all lunch shifts in the satellite cafeteria for $10 through April 29. Associate editor Emma Walz and staff writer Natalie Mozoki contributed to this report.

Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

photo by stephanie rountree

the griffin

12 features

april 22, 2016

club spotlight : Yoga Club

WHAT THEY DO

Founded in 2014, Yoga Club offers students an opportunity to learn yoga from a professional yoga teacher. “I thinks it’s a great place for people to get to know each other and connect because that’s what yoga is about,” senior and co-president Kiana Boroumand said. “It’s also free. We have an excellent teacher who comes and anybody is welcome.”

RECENTLY

Yoga Club discussed the First Kids International Yoga Day at their April 8 meeting. “Kids of all ages are celebrating International Yoga Day now every year on this day and it’s the first step in world peace,” yoga teacher Anna Sandler said. “This is important because it’s giving kids things other than drugs and killing people and all of that stuff that shouldn’t happen.”

ON THE HORIZON

Senior and co-president Cait Battle-McDonald and Boroumand want to organize a day to go to Sid Yoga, where their yoga instructor teaches. “We were all planning a time to go to one of her classes. It didn’t pan out, but we are going to try that again,” Battle-McDonald said.

ONE MEMBER’S VIEW

Freshman Anna Jensen is among the club’s new members. “It’s really strengthening and it’s just nice to relax and use your muscles in a different way than you normally do. It’s different than exercise since it’s fun and relaxing, and exercising is more of a chore,” Jensen said.

LEADERS’ TAKES

Battle-McDonald and Boroumand discussed forming a yoga club when they were freshmen. “We wanted to start it because there was nothing else like it at school,” Boroumand said. “It’s a very sports-oriented school, but what about yoga?” “It helps you relax and I think it’s easy to — when you’re working so hard — to get into a routine and not really be in the moment ever. Yoga kind of helps you connect to the moment,” Battle-McDonald said.

TIME AND PLACE

Yoga Club meets every other Friday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium lobby. story by sahana raju, projects editor

How they de-stress “If you can find a way to express yourself creatively, you’ll be better off. Writing, personally, definitely helps me de-stress.” —senior Kiana Boroumand “Yoga club helps with stress because it’s a time where I’m just being present and focusing on the moment and not worrying about what’s on my to-do list.” —senior Cait Battle-McDonald “Normally I go to yoga club every time, but when I get really stressed out I go for a run or something. It’s not really a routine.” —freshman Lucia Qian “Sleep, because you’re sleeping and you don’t do anything. I don’t get a lot of sleep in the first place, so I just sleep randomly once I get home.” —freshman Beulah Lee

photos by sahana raju

Above: Freshmen Beulah Lee, Anna Jensen, Audrey Houghton and Lucia Qian (left to right) perform the warrior pose at the yoga club meeting April 8. Below: Senior Cait Battle-McDonald performs the sun salutation pose at the club’s April meeting.

post: phil bressler Economics teacher Phil Bressler, the bald, brazen Bronxite known for his passion for education and his mantra “stress is good,” fielded questions from Editor-in-chief Stephanie Rountree. He shared his thoughts on stress, quizzes, the NFL and more. READING: I’m reading “What if Everything You’ve Learned About Education Was Wrong?” It talks about a lot of biases we have. The big push now is group work and differentiation. That’s getting pushed even though the research says that students don’t learn better that way. What I like about it is that it questions everything you do. I think it’s interesting that as teachers, we’re not experts on how the brain works for learning. This book has a lot of research on how the brain works, like practice quizzes work better than highlighting your notes. Writing about everything you can remember from a chapter is better than having a student reread a chapter. WATCHING: I saw “Concussion.” I thought it was really good. I can’t believe what a dirt ball league the NFL is, and I’m kind of amazed that we’re allowed to play football. Like we can’t play dodgeball, but football’s fine. I think it’s something of tremendous concern.

one of those things they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. I remember my dad taking me 50 years ago. At this part of the year, it’s coming to a big change because all of the kids I’ve taught are going to leave the building, and I’m not going to know anyone in about a month. STRESSING: Stress is great. If something’s important, it’s usually stressful. And if you take out all of the stress in your life, you probably wouldn’t have much of a life. I think that the biggest thing is the mindset that stress is good. Teachers tell you to at the AP test to sit down, take a deep breath and remain calm, but I’m going to tell you the opposite. Walk into the test going, “Wow, I’m stressed out, that’s great. The oxygen’s going to my brain. I’m excited. I’m ready. I’m prepared.” By the way, research says that people who think stress is good for them will do better on the test than if you’re relaxed. I think the key difference is that stress is not good for you if you don’t think it’s good for you.

FOLLOWING: I’m following the Learni n g Scientist account, which is run by t w o cognitive psychologists who study h o w the brain works for learning. I follow a couple of sports accounts, like 105.7 the Fan, MASN. 85 percent of my following is education or sports. CHANGING: I went to Cooperstown for the first time in 15 years with both of my sons, which was cool because they both love baseball and I love baseball. We just spent six hours in a museum looking at artifacts. It’s

photo by stephanie rountree

THANKING: A couple of things struck me this year. Former students came back telling me that colleges were more receptive and caring than our high school, which is pretty sad. I came up with the idea of putting the gratitude challenge on Facebook. Because I’m not socially savvy, I didn’t realize it was going to spiral into so many people. One thing I miss about having class everyday is that I think doing the “three good things” challenge everyday is more effective. We have people doing “three good things” on the gratitude page every day. I think it rewires your brain and you’re thinking about the positive things rather than getting caught up in the negatives. Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

Stressed? Try these five tips

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Take a power nap:

According to a Huffington Post article published Jan. 13 of last year, a 30-minute nap can reverse the hormonal impact of a poor night’s sleep that leads to increased stress levels.

Eat foods like sweet potatoes:

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine reports that to reduce stress levels, eat lowfat, high-fiber and carbohydraterich meals which soothe the body without lowering energy levels.

Exercise regularly:

Physical activity boosts the production of endorphins, as reported by the Mayo Clinic. These endorphins not only make you feel better, but they lead to an overall increase in your well-being.

Think positively:

According to the Mayo Clinic, optimism is the key to stress management. Practice positive self-talk, be open to humor and surround yourself with positive people.

Listen to music:

According to psychcentral.com, music—especially quiet, classical music—can slow heart rate, lower blood pressure and reduce stress hormone levels.

by sophie bates and doria diacogiannis, associate editors