November 2016 Edition

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the griffin

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Dulaney High School Timonium, Maryland

Volume 56, Issue 2

November 18, 2016

Later school year start draws support, concern

WEIGHING IN

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TO KNOW

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calls and emails the administration has received on the new grading policy TOUGH LOSS

photo by meher hans

SENIORS KEVIN KUO and Matt Wilhide redo an assignment for Advanced Placement Economics in room 107 in mid-October. Wilhide called the redo experience helpful. “It gives kids more of a drive to go back to material they missed,” he said, adding that they do more than merely bolster grades.

How important are grades?

Has the new policy made classes easier?

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# TO KNOW

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the number of new clubs

ROCKING IT

see page 12

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

Survey: students dislike new mastery grading even as policy evolves julie chotivatanapong and amanda musolf, editors-inchief and tirzah khan, managing editor unior Alex Ozbolt wasn’t surprised that the Griffin’s anonymous survey in English classes found 66 percent of students here find their classes harder thanks to Baltimore County Public Schools’ new mastery grading system.

“On paper, the theory that students would be able to master their scores seemed pretty good,” Ozbolt said.

“But it’s not showing up in the grades.”

On the other hand, senior Taelon Um, praised mastery grading.

“The policy removes the ‘fluffer’ grades,” Um said. “It forces me to study and prepare more, especially for the tests worth more points.”

Among the October pen-and-paper survey’s key findings: 80 percent of students say they favor the previous grading policy that weighted classwork most heavily and permitted completion grades and participation points; 93 percent said they took at least one redo in the

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first quarter and 55 percent said that failing made them anxious.

A common complaint among students? No consistent schoolwide redo policy.

“Sometimes I don’t get to redo quizzes I should be able to,” sophomore William Chen said. “Supposedly, you can redo all quizzes that aren’t major, but a lot of my teachers don’t let me redo anything.”

Earlier iterations of mastery grading labeled assessments (tests) as the only scores that counted toward measuring student learning and grades. BCPS has walked that back with an addendum issued earlier this month, but major summative assessments still stymie students like senior Megan Van Emden.

“I am an awful test-taker because I have horrible test anxiety,” Van Emden said. “You can retake every quiz, but no unit tests, and that really hurts my grades.” see GRADING POLICY, page 2

THIS ANONYMOUS pen-and-paper survey of 300 students was conducted in Standard, Honors and Gifted and Talented or Advanced Placement English classes for each grade level. Students were asked 20 multiple choice questions.

meera rothman, editor-in-chief he school board’s newly approved 2017-2018 calendar doesn’t impress junior Mark Bonner, especially the plan to morph spring break into a long weekend.

“It’s a bunch of bologna,” he said. “Spring break is supposed to be lit. It can’t be with only four days.”

The Board of Education has approved a schedule that abides by Gov. Larry Hogan’s executive order mandating that school start after Labor Day. Along with the elimination of some staff development days, the approved schedule awards Good Friday and Easter Monday instead of the full week off for spring break.

Like Bonner, sophomore Cindy Shou dislikes the abbreviated spring break.

“I can’t go from almost nine months of school with little to no breaks to taking AP exams. How are the AP students supposed to know what they’re doing?”

Social studies teacher Laura Turner said she was surprised by the new calendar. She tried drafting one.

Turner added that she regrets losing a January staff development day, which she needed to finalize semester-long course grades.

Sophomore Arman Farazdaghi objected to the change on principle.

“To me, it’s an overstep of Hogan’s authority and it’s just a play toward tourism and getting more revenue,” Farazdaghi said. “The students’ well-being should be more important than that.”

But sophomore Josh Serene endorses the change.

“Starting before Labor Day puts a lot of family and friend activities out of whack,” he said. “Also, I’ll have more time for summer activities with friends.”

Junior Emilio Pavoni agreed.

“The summer break is much longer now. My brain is stressed out and needs that time off,” Pavoni said.

Staff writers Sam Harsel, Andrew Vuong, Brian McCullough and Maria Eberhart contributed to this story.

FYI: Thanksgiving Holiday Nov. 24-25 school closed

Winter Madness Dec. 1 6:00 p.m. gym

Fall play: “Pride and Prejudice” Dec. 1-3 7:30 p.m. audtiorium

Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

Sports Booster Bull Roast Dec. 3 7-11 p.m.

Oregon Ridge Lodge

Winter Concert Dec. 8 7:30 p.m. auditorium

Sports Boosters Meeting Dec. 12 7 p.m. library classroom

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news

November 18, 2016

Survey: students dislike policy GRADING POLICY, continued from page 1

That major tests can’t be done sways junior Ju Kim against the new policy.

“I understand why they’re doing it,” she said.

“It’s to get people to learn, but I feel like getting rid of the chance to redo a big test defeats the whole purpose because you might bomb it.”

The evolving clarifications of the BCPS mastery grading policy have junior Maddie Howard confused.

“It went from just summative assessments being graded and then from classwork and tests being graded, and now I think homework counts as well,” she said.

In fact, this month’s clarifications of mastery grading explain that “minor graded assessments” should count for two-thirds of students’ grades. These, the county’s document sent to stakeholders said, may include daily classwork, homework assigned after instruction, practice, discussions, learning checks, brief constructed responses and exit tickets. The document aligns these “summative minor assignments” with what used to be called classwork and homework. It also shows tests – now “summative major assessments” – should count for a third of students’ grades.

Such changes are positive signs, according to

sophomore Johnny Carroll.

“Overall my grades are a little bit down from last year,” he said, adding, “I don’t agree with the grading policy. But, they’ve made changes to make it better and more suitable for students ’needs, so they’re heading in the right direction with whatever they’re trying to do.”

Do you prefer the old grading policy?

No 20%

Yes 80% THIS ANONYMOUS pen-and-paper survey of 253 students was conducted in all levels and grades of English classes and asked students to anonymously disclose their opinions regarding the effects of the new Baltimore County Public Schools grading policy of the 2016- 2017 school year.

The school system’s sudden implementation of the change—rank and file teachers got their first look at mastery grading during academic department meetings their first day back at school, Aug. 17 – distresses junior Jack Tarantino.

“They’re using these first couple of months

What subject has been most affected by the grading policy?

as an experimental phase, and I am 100 percent against that,” Tarantino said. “This is my junior year, and using it as a time to experiment with the new policy is just ridiculous.”

Debate continues among students and teachers over the policy’s elimination of a zero for work not submitted. The new policy instead uses a lowest score of 50 percent, a move that has spread among American school systems in recent years after educational leaders noted that zeroes pose near-insurmountable hits to gradepoint averages.

Also debated? Whether students will complete formative assignments that don’t count toward their grade-point average and are designed purely to assist with learning.

After a full quarter, junior Mark Bonner, remains torn on mastery grading, he said, because it still seems to emphasize tests and quizzes. But he noted a plus.

“It is helpful when you have a borderline grade at the end of a quarter, and you can retake a bad quiz or a test to bump your grade back up.”

Staff writers Mykayla Milchling, Will Behm, Nick Enoch, Bryce Frederick and Emily Levitt contributed to this report.

Grading policy truths revealed Myth

Reality

Students don’t have to do homework

Homework is still crucial to the learning process and teachers should check homework to give students feedback. Depending on how the homework leads to mastery, it can be placed in the “Non-graded” or the “Graded” section.

Only tests are graded

The new policy rules state that the following assignments can/should be graded: “unit assessments, end-of-course assessments, homework, assignments, presentations, products, observations, and/or performance tasks.”

All assignments can be redone

It is up to the teacher to decide which assignments can and cannot be redone.

This year is an implementary year for the new policy

The new grading policy will continue in the years to come. Still, teachers and administrators want to continue the discussion about what grading system works best. Feedback is encouraged.

HISTORY: 19% ELECTIVES: 13% SCIENCE: 1%

MATH: 39%

WORLD LANGUAGE: 11% ENGLISH: 17%

Sources: BCPS Office of Curriculum Operations; Principal Sam Wynkoop

Teachers share stress, remain optimistic meher hans, editor-in-chief and emma walz, managing editor f the 20 percent of staff members who responded to an anonymous questionnaire in their mailboxes last month, just over a third were neutral on the new grading policy. Yet critics emerged.

“The policy is being piloted this year and, therefore, there are a lot of changes that are coming in on a weekly basis, which is extremely stressful,” one teacher wrote on a questionnaire.

“It’s going to take a while before the policy is perfected and more stable.”

Following the first quarter, English teacher Cassie Eppers still cited concerns.

“There’s no uniformity on the subject of redos and resubmissions,” Eppers said. “There’s no

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common denominator.”

A letter to parents and teachers Nov. 10 attempted to clarify he policy, stating mastery grading would require schools to develop “more consistent procedures around redo assignments through teacher coordination.”

But BCPS’s quick implementation of mastery grading could be hampering its reception, business department chairman Pat Holt said.

“By demanding that teachers implement without understanding the impact on time has been frustrating and, at the end of the day interferes with what they do best: designing lessons and assessments that create a positive culture of learning,” Holt said. But Holt, who has employed mastery grading for three years, actually favors the policy itself.

“The stress it has brought on me has nothing to do with the intent of mastery grading,” Holt said. “The stress and frustration that it has

brought on me is to see potentially the first real positive educational reform in decades be so misunderstood and likely fail.”

English department chairman Jason Bowman, who has clarified the evolving policy in department meetings, noted that redoing assignments should help students—if they approach them wisely.

“It’s incumbent upon the student to show new learning. It’s not a matter of just revising or making some cursory changes. It’s about showing substantial new learning,” Bowman said.

During a November discussion with his students, science teacher Marty Stranathan urged caution.

“As soon as we get hung up on grades, you lose perspective. The discussion should be how to make me a better instructor, not how to put numbers in the gradebook,” he said.

At press time, teacher union rep Maureen Burke was set to meet with principal Sam Wynkoop to discuss concerns, like the recent request that teachers create unit maps.

Teams wow at school’s first speech, debate tourney

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photo by meera rothman (from left to right) STUDENTS from River Hill High School shake hands with sophomore Olivia Summons and senior Jessica Ye after their debate about the benefits and costs of the Internet of Things.

meera rothman, editor-in-chief he weeks of preparation that senior Jessica Ye and sophomore Olivia Summons spent researching paid off Nov. 12. Summons and Ye competed at the Baltimore Catholic Forensic League debate tournament here, earning a bronze medal and an undefeated record. All five other debate partners finished with two wins and one loss.

For Summons, this was no small victory.

“This was the first time Jessica and I worked together,” she said.

“I was a bit apprehensive initially about having a new partner last minute, but it seemed to work out

Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

really well between the two of us.”

This was the first tournament ever hosted here, drawing hundreds of students from around the state.

“I was less nervous because of the home field advantage,” Ye said. “I didn’t get lost trying to find the room!”

Senior Mary-Charlotte Gitlin and freshman Clarice McKee, speech team members, competed in dramatic performance, in which participants recite their original 10-minute monologue.

“It was really fun to perform and get judged,” Gitlin said. “I wish I had joined speech last year, but I’m really enjoying it now.”

NEWS LINE ART MARKET SET

Sequel will host Art Market, a sale of student-produced art and crafts, from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 9 in the satellite cafeteria. It’s not too late for artists interested to participate. Potential participants must complete a form and pay a $20-fee by Dec. 2. Anyone with questions about this fundraiser for the literary magazine should contact Sequel sponsor Meekah Hopkins in room 300, leave a note in her mailbox or email Sequel art editor Cassie Kansak at catherinekansak@ gmail.com.

SPEECH RETURNS Gifted and Talented Speech will return to the lineup of English electives offered next year. The class, to be taught by English teacher Maria Hiaasen, will combine speaking in an array forms, such as traditional speeches and presentations, improv, poetry slams, podcasts and spoken word. GT speech ought to make students more competitive, Hiaasen said, adding, “A survey of business leaders taken earlier this year shows 40 percent of managers believe college graduates need improvement on public speaking. We can fix that.”

MUN DEADLINE Model United Nations’ country research papers are due Nov. 27. To submit, register on the MUN YMCA website and use the code given at the previous meeting. CRPs should include a country description, positions on topics and a works cited page. Sample research papers can be found on the website.

MOCK TRIAL The Mock Trial Club has received this year’s case for the annual county-wide tournament in January. In the hypothetical scenario, the pipes of a school are rusted, lead-filled and unhealthy for children, prompting the fictional county in charge to give water dispensers to schools. Further details from the case state that the county is sued when a student is diagnosed with ADHD linked to lead poisoning. Though the case seems to be modeled after the crisis in Flint, Mich., club secretary Becca Sulpar noted a resemblance to the school’s brown water and aging infrastructure. “We could totally swing it in the direction of Dulaney,” she said, “because even though no one has been hurt or affected by it, it’s still a major crisis in our area.”

Anyone interested can attend one of this month’s Thursday meetings after school in room 114.

FUNDS RAISED The Key Club raised $325 with its fall car wash, the club’s treasurer said. Coming soon: Santagrams.

3 news

the griffin

November 18, 2016

ELECTION 2016:

TV network’s campaign history bus rolls up here

photos by meher hans FRESHMAN GOVERNMENT STUDENTS attend an information session on the C-SPAN network’s Campaign 2016 history bus Nov. 10.

A representative informed students of the network’s mission to serve as a database for unbiased information, adding that the website’s video library is available for public use. The C-SPAN bus changed the students’ views on the network, freshman Urvesh Sukhai said. “Now that I know that it’s something I can use, I will definitely start to use it more often,” he said.

Students pictured (left to right): Freshmen Urvesh Sukai, Brian Hoskins, Max Fischer, Nicholas Trivett, Sammi Ditto, Rosina Beritela and Haley Russo

Students share thoughts following Trump’s victory SOPHOMORE TRINITY SHORT: “Trump wants to get people working again and create change.

I think that change as soon as possible is what we need.”

SOPHOMORE WILL BENZINGER: “I’m excited for his plans. Hopefully, he makes the right choices and makes us a better nation as a whole.”

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SENIOR ARMANI PAINTER: “Trump claims he can do everything himself, but he needs to work together with people. I doubt we can actually move forward with him in office. “

SENIOR STANLEY WEEMS: “We have to band together. The only way we are going to ever move forward is with love. We need to give out love and take it openly, or nothing is going to change.”

10/21/16 1:51 PM

FRESHMAN ANDRE GARTNER: “He is someone who has proven that he cannot control himself from making impulsive decisions. He’s obviously hypomanic.” photos by sophie bates and meher hans

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the griffin

4 opinion

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Mastery grading questioned Dear Editor, I would like to offer an additional perspective on the issues central to a recent article “Defending Mastery Grading,” Oct. 20. While I can agree with many of the points addressed, like the improvement of study habits for me personally, the article and related piece, “Critics seek mastery grading redo,” failed to highlight many of the problems with the new system.

The real issue with mastery grading, in my opinion, is the “Low Score” 50 percent minimum grade. In the same way that led county officials to criticize completion grades in classwork under the old policy, LS inflates student grades without actually reflecting their knowledge of subject material. As a result, it’s easier now for students to pass classes despite not learning much of anything.

Additionally, there are the problems of the removal of mandatory attendance, failure by teachers to uphold the redo policy and dependence of quarterly grades on far fewer assignments.

The mastery grading policy, as a whole, seems a lot like change for the sake of change. Our grades are, according to the latest policy modification, one-third assessments and what amounts to two-thirds classwork and homework, eerily similar to the old policy of thirty percent assessments and the remainder classwork and homework. In addition, many teachers have simply given up on trying to keep pace with the County’s numerous attempts to alter the policy in response to complaints from the community.

A general lack of effective communication has left almost everyone out of touch with the policy’s original goal to improve classroom learning. The duo of messy implementation and inherent flaws of mastery grading have created a huge debate that’s been a distraction from bigger problems like the quality of our school buildings, the gross underpayment of teachers and the general importance of GPA over actual acquisition of knowledge.

To ignore the faults of the new policy based on a single student’s perspective is irresponsible and inaccurate.

- Julia Clark, grade 12

Reevaluate heat policy Dear Editor, It was Sunday night and Baltimore County had just made the call to cancel schools the next day. I recall opening my email and seeing a message from my varsity soccer coach, Aaron Velky. From the subject of the email, “I hate being told what to do,” I could tell he was furious that we would be missing another day of school, which meant missing another day of practice.

The new heat policy not only affects learning, but also disrupts athletics. The many other high schools that remain open on these hot days have the chance to practice and improve while we are restrained from all activities just because our school doesn’t have air conditioning.

When Baltimore County cancels schools, it hinders our opportunity to practice and get better while our opponents are. We should remain open on hot days. Even though conditions may be uncomfortable, the benefit of staying open greatly outweighs the benefit of closing.

With staying open, students are given the chance to continue practicing just as most other high school students.

As a student, I would much rather deal with a hot school day that sacrifices my learning and practice for a day to sit around at home. Baltimore County needs to alter their policy so that school cannot be cancelled on and given hot day at the beginning or end of the school year.

- Jules Dotterweich, grade 11

the griffin Dulaney High School, 255 E. Padonia Rd. Timonium, MD 21093 dulaneygriffin@bcps.org (410) 887-7633

Student population: 1,851 Staff population: 150 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.

November 18, 2016 Volume 56, Issue 2 http://dulaneygriffin.org

November 18, 2016

Failure promotes growth Mastery grading strips incentives

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matt ellis, associate editor few weeks ago, my 5-year-old sister wrote the word “red” as “reb” on a pizza box after dinner. I smiled and gently corrected her, then asked her to try to spell it again on her own under the image of Papa John. On her third attempt, she spelled it correctly, breaking out into a grin. Reflecting on this experience made me realize the effect that failure has on learning.

Failure, as demonstrated above, is vital. It illuminates your weaknesses and reveals what needs to be done to fix them. It encourages growth and pushes you to work harder, which results in thorough comprehension and increased ability.

In the classroom, the importance of failure cannot be understated. When I fail, I see it as a way to figure out what I need to focus on when studying for the next test. When I mistakenly wrote that the navel was a part of the nose on my last anatomy quiz, I made sure

I knew that it was actually the belly button by the time of the unit exam.

Mastery grading, in some aspects, has inhibited the ability of a student to fail. While I feel that the new policy has rightfully eliminated the inflation of past grades, the implementation of a baseline low score mitigates many students’ motivation, knowing that the lowest score they can get is a 50.

art by jane peterson

This policy unjustly allows students who put in no effort to pass, mistakenly leading them to believe they’re ready for college, when they truly aren’t.

The low score characteristic of mastery grading has left me questioning the thought process of the school

board. Imagine a student taking a graded drill in his algebra class. After staying up all night watching game seven of the World Series, he decides that he would rather not complete the drill. He stares into space, fails the drill and still ends up with a solid fifty percent.

This problem degrades the constructive learning process that mastery grading was intended to promote: encouraging actual learning by eliminating grade inflation. While we no longer have filler classwork and homework assignments to boost our grades, we do have the lowest score policy to keep them from tanking.

This part of the policy should be a red flag for administrators.

Proponents might argue that a 0 percent decimates an average and is virtually impossible to overcome. But the mastery grading policy allows for redos, which permits students to both demonstrate new knowledge and overcome any poor grades that no longer represent what they know.

There’s value in getting a 0. The pressure that it exerts cannot be duplicated through an automatic 50 percent.

EDITORIAL:

Mastery grading policy has evolved: attitudes must as well

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astery grading, whether people like it or not, is here to stay. Announced in late August, the policy is the subject of much debate.

The intent was to ensure that students are graded on how well they have learned rather than mere behaviors, such as participating or turning in work. On paper, mastery grading has the potential to revitalize student motivation. But the implementation of this policy has been so uncoordinated

ers have been asked to map out a progression of skills and knowledge this quarter, ensuring enough points to measure progress fairly.

Grades aside, the redoing of assignments seems a genuine attempt to help students actually understand content and demonstrate prowess.

But endless redoing is no answer. Students must invest time in non-graded (formative) assignments whether assigned for completion at home or during class. These may not affect averag-

“More information needed to be shared with parents and students prior to implementation,” another anonymous teacher said.

When superintendent Dallas Dance fielded questions from Griffin reporters last year, he said that the new policy would take “a good three to five years” before becoming consistent, and that students could expect “some small changes” over the next year.

Now, this seems disingenuous at best.

The lack of clear, uniform informa-

that all have struggled to acclimate, and first quarter grades have suffered.

Mastery grading relies on tests and quizzes, forcing students to fully grasp class material. The good news is that teachers learned this month that smaller assessments, which sound like the old categories of classwork and homework, should be factored into each quarter’s grades. These should help students get the grades they feel they deserve. Also promising: teach-

es directly, but they act as a barometer that guides instruction. Students who blow them off will struggle.

The school board needs to take ownership of its messy implementation of mastery grading. Dropping this on teachers their first day back to school in August rightfully drew ire from one anonymous teacher taking the Griffin’s voluntary survey.

“I like the policy, but I think the rollout was awful,” the teacher said.

tion has led to disparate enforcement of the new policy. Anecdotal evidence shows there are still teachers who issue only tests even as others are offering smaller summative assignments that improve learning and class averages. That’s not fair.

As with so many concerns, communication is a key. The 147 calls and emails to the office certainly prove this is true.

art by patrick dochat

editors-in-chief sophie bates, meher hans, grace knotts, julie chhotivatanapong, doria diacogiannis, amanda musolf, meera rotheman managing editors emma walz, tirzah khan deputy editors jason fontelieu, randhika aturaliya associate editors matilde cascella, drew persinger, matt ellis, grace schneider adviser maria hiaasen sports editors patrick fitzgerald, daniel krugman photography editor hanna bewley

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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.

November 18, 2016

5 opinion

the griffin

Democrats must persevere M

emma walz, managing editor y fellow progressives, While booking a one-way flight to Canada may seem tempting, it is our duty as Americans to have a say in our government’s decisions. Our only choice moving forward is to work with President-elect Trump when he offers reasonable options and to stand firm on our morals when he does not.

It has been made exceedingly clear that Trump plans to spend his first few days in office repealing and removing any evidence that Obama was even there.

After watching Trump’s Nov. 13 interview on 60 Minutes, I was surprised by the number of concessions he made.

While Trump fully intends to repeal and replace Obamacare, he said in the interview that we will still make sure that healthcare is accessible to those with pre-existing conditions, as well as children living with their parents for extended periods of time.

Yet Democrats must stand firm on certain progressive issues, like climate change.

A September 2009 New York Times article details the collaboration of Democrats and Republicans on environmental issues, starting with Nixon’s presidency and the creation of the Environment and Public Works Committee.

With a problem that grows more critical each day that it continues to go unresolved, we cannot let a president who believes that climate change is a “hoax” undo all of the progress we have made and dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency.

We cannot let Trump hinder our fight for a more socially progressive America.

We cannot let him ignore the issues sur-

“This is how we work with him, by making sure the people’s voices are heard.” rounding race relations, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights. We must keep the pressure on him high and continue having open conversations about societal issues like race and gender. This is how we must work with him: by making sure the people’s voices are heard.

Democrats need to become an opposition party. Progressives need to put up a fight. According to an August 2012 Washington Post article, Republicans of Congress met and made it one of their

top priorities to prevent Obama from succeeding at any legislative action, and the National Republican Congressional Committee began running attack ads less than two months after Obama’s inauguration. Let that determination be our model in the coming years.

It is clear that the truest form of influence in a democracy is voting. At the end of the day, without a cooperative legislative body, the president does not have that much power.

That’s because every two years, citizens get the opportunity to elect representatives to the House or Senate, but voter turnouts are tragically low. According to a November 2014 Time article, only 36.4 percent of eligible voters participated in the 2014 midterm elections, the lowest turnout since 1942. People care so much about the presidential election, but fail to put the same amount of effort into researching their local candidates.

It’s all right to be angry and upset. We just need to channel those emotions to make sure our voices are heard. We are doing our best to come to terms with an outcome that is, quite frankly, terrifying for most people. It’s like trusting a 3-year-old to cut your hair: you just hope to goodness that it doesn’t end in disaster. And if you see those scissors heading towards your eyes, you put your hands up and block them.

Trump goes to Washington

on the better side of average Does Trump victory forbode havoc?

tirzah khan, managing editor reat job, guys! We did it! We elected Donald J. Trump as our 45th President.

We elected someone who is inexperienced in politics, who was accused by 12 women of sexual assault and who has a history of consistently discriminating against minorities.

We elected him over Hillary Clinton, an incredibly qualified woman who has spent years in politics, who has been fighting for Americans since college and who would have made America a genuinely better place.

We did that. America. But more specifically: uneducated white America.

Before you start crying out that not all uneducated whites are racist and misogynistic, let me clarify. I know that. But the data speaks for itself: New York Times exit polls show that 63 percent of white men and 53 percent of white women voted for Trump, compared to 8 percent of all African-American voters. And while 49 percent of white people with a college degree voted for Trump, 67 percent of white people without a college degree voted for him.

I’m disgusted with uneducated white America for truly disregarding women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants—anyone who’s not them. I’m disgusted with white America for feeling so secure in their own lives that they feel they can “shake it up” at others’ expense. I’m disgusted with white America for exploiting the luxury that they have to vote for someone who strikes such a deepseated fear in the hearts of others, and by others, I mean people who aren’t just like them.

Perhaps these people weren’t malicious. If we give

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“At every turn, he has consistently lied and insulted, and then lied about lying.”

art by jane peterson

Curfew challenges ardent shoppers

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claire vecchioni, staff writer ith Black Friday approaching quickly, the curfew at the Towson mall is becoming increasingly bothersome. They call it “Parental Guidance Required” and justify it as an effort to make the mall a more “family friendly” commonplace.

As a young person who this policy negatively affects, I’m up in arms. The curfew states that on Friday and Saturday nights, no one younger than 18 can enter the mall after 5 p.m. without a guardian above age 21. I have been giving my money and business to the Towson Town Center for years upon years, and now, if I want to go shopping any time after 5 p.m. on the weekend, I’m out of luck.

I am a 17-year-old senior in high school. I’m currently making important life decisions like where I’ll spend my college years and what state I’ll be moving to. And yet, I don’t have the freedom to spend my money where I want after 5 p.m.

Initially, I thought the policy wouldn’t affect me. I assumed that mall security, with its minimal civil abilities, would only be able to question teenagers who were raising suspicion. I was wrong.

In early October, my friend and I went to Towson Town Center on a Saturday afternoon. We arrived at 3 p.m. and by the time 5 p.m. rolled around, we weren’t finished shopping. We left at 5:30 p.m., after receiving some stares from security guards, and ran into an-

art by hanna bewley

other friend in the parking lot. She had attempted to enter the mall after 5 p.m. and was stopped at the entrance and asked to show her ID. I’m not oblivious to the fact that kids my age can be obnoxious. When present in herds, we can be intimidating to

other mall-goers. But only the teenagers who are loitering or creating a disruption should be penalized. For others, the weekend is our only free time for things we enjoy, such as shopping.

I spend every weekday studying at school and then studying some more at home. I have hours of homework each weekend and now my free time falls between limited hours at the Towson Town Center.

I’m sure many adults will argue that kids can just plan around the curfew and go to the mall within reasonable hours.

Even if that’s true, what should be done when it comes to Black Friday?

Every year, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the mall is bustling with salesavvy customers, myself among them.

Many teenagers will pick up a day shift at their job because they’re off school.

Will the deals be available to them when they show up that night? Nope.

There has been no news about whether the curfew will be lifted on Black Friday, a decision that would prevent age discrimination for holiday deals. As an avid shopper who places Black Friday right above Christmas on her list of favorite shopping holidays, I hope the mall will be open to my business all day.

Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they weren’t as callously dismissive of others as their vote would indicate. Maybe these uneducated voters were hypnotized by Trump’s prodigious personality blind to how their vote jeopardized minorities and others.

Trump supporters elected a man who has targeted and attacked a reporter with a disability, a Muslim veteran’s family and a woman who gained weight (gasp!) in his precious Miss Universe pageant.

What’s more, their man views foreign policy as a deal that he has to win by ripping off others. He has talked about dismantling NATO, withdrawing support from countries in need, and refusing to let in the millions of homeless refugees seeking protection. Recently, he appointed Stephen Bannon as his chief strategist, a man who runs the openly misogynist and racist site Breitbart News.

As a conspicuously Muslim girl, I’m terrified of what’s going to happen now that Trump supporters have been validated. Since the election, there have already been instants of minorities being targeted with hate crimes: Published news stories note a woman reported a man threatening to set her on fire if she didn’t remove her headscarf. And a University of Oklahoma student was suspended after sending messages about lynching to black students at the University of Pennsylvania. The list goes on.

Just to be clear, I want Trump to prove me wrong and succeed. But can he?

At every turn, he has lied and insulted, and then lied about lying. For example, on Nov. 11, he tweeted that protests were “very unfair” and “incited by the media.” Nine hours later, he tweeted that he “loves” that protesters “have passion for our great country.”

I hope that last tweet was sincere. It’ll take tons of protests to transform Trump into a president who’ll make America great for us all.

the griffin

6 sports

athletes

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VARSITY

November 18, 2016

Cross country dazzles

Song smashes to victory grace gary, staff writer enior Amanda Song first picked up a badminton racket her freshman year.

Now a captain, Song has led the varsity badminton team to an undefeated season and a team county championship.

She attributes her progress these past four years to constructive practice.

“Because I was playing people photo by meher hans that were better than me, even AMANDA SONG if I was getting kicked down, I was able to play at a higher level,” she said.

Song and doubles teammate senior Michelle Lin finished the season undefeated and won the gold medal in the county girls’ doubles tourTOP 3 SNACKS: nament at Carver Oct. 29.

The team’s dynamic has 1) Granola bars been key to their success.

“Michelle plays in the front 2) Veggie straws because that’s her best skill 3) KIND bars and I play in the back because that’s my strength,” Song said.

Lin complimented Song on her impeccable footwork and head coach Sharon Spangenberg also noted Song’s strong mental game.

“You can just see her mind working on the court because she’s all over the place,” Spangenberg said.

Badminton is nothing short of exhausting, sometimes the game simply depends on athleticism.

“You have to keep running and running,” Song said.

“You have to go all the way from the back to the front to drop and then go to the back again,” For Song, her initial interest in badminton has grown into a passion for the sport.

“When you get to that point where you’ve practiced enough and you can control your skills very well, it’s just so fun to play,” she said.

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JUNIOR VARSITY

Exceeding expectations mykayla milchling, staff writer er coach calls sophomore outside hitter McKenzie Weller a smart player.

“She isn’t always about making the flashy play, she is always thinking about what she can to do win the point,” junior varsity volleyball head coach Chelsea Mead said.

Even against their toughest opponent, Hereford, Weller photo by meher hans powered through and helped lead the team to a 2-1 victory in their regu- MCKENZIE WELLER lar season match against the Bulls Oct. 14.

“In the Hereford game, we couldn’t get our sets in the TOP 3 SNACKS: right spot but she always got to it and usually won the 1) Apples point,” sophomore setter Julia Whatley said.

2) Goldfish “Since I am a setter I have noticed that we kind of flow, 3) Swedish Fish my sets are almost always right to her and she gets kills off of them,” Whatley said.

Weller explained that playing against Hereford was difficult because many of their players play for the same club team as players here. They were evenly matched, and it was almost like playing against themselves.

“I think we were prepared for that because we knew what was coming and we knew how to defend against their tipping and hitting,” Weller said.

After a loss in the county championships against Hereford Oct. 27, Weller was pulled up to the varsity squad.

Her welcome was a warm one, as the team was delighted to see a new face.

“It’s exciting to have a new player added to our family. Her attitude is refreshing,” sophomore setter Kathryn Parler said.

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photos from debbi persinger

(Left) JUNIOR MATT OWENS runs in the class 4A race in the Maryland State cross country championship Nov. 12 at Hereford High School. Owens placed sixth with a time of 16:34.65, and led the Lions their second consecutive state championship title for the boys. Coach Chad Boyle notes that Owens and teammate junior Brian McCullough met all expectations. “Matt and Brian outlasting and gapping those runners was particularly important.”

(Right) SENIOR JESSICA MEEK led the girl’s team to fourth place in the class 4A race. Meek placed 10th with a time of 19:47.10.

“Jess is one of the best hill runners in the state. My standards for her were really tough knowing how good she is at Hereford,” Boyle said. “Despite my high standards, she exceeded her A+ time by 5 seconds.”

Boys win second straight state title: girls take fourth place in championship meet

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patrick fitzgerald, sports editor t was by the slimmest of margins that the boys cross country team captured their second straight 4A state title.

The Lions, led by a sixth-place finish by junior Matt Owens in 16:34.65, defeated Severna Park by one point with a score of 97 at Hereford’s hilly course Nov. 12.

“People try to sprint up the hills. If you let them waste their energy, you can work that to your advantage,” Owens said.

The win comes after the team lost five top runners to graduation last year.

“Our win shows a great deal about the strength of our program,” head coach Chad Boyle said.

Severna Park was initially named the winner due to timing malfunctions. After the coaches worked with MD Timing LLC

to correct the results, the Lions were declared state champions.

The other runners that scored were juniors Brian McCullough (ninth) and Connor Martin (21st), freshman Ethan Samels (27th) and sophomore Drew Dailey (34th). McCullough and Dailey both joined the team after playing soccer last fall.

“If you didn’t bring in other pieces from other areas, I think the team wouldn’t have been as good as it was this year,” McCullough said.

Senior Jessica Meek led the girls team to a fourth place finish with her time of 19:47.10.

“You have to learn how to race, but you also have to really learn how to run with pain,” Meek said.

Next, both squads prepare for Nike Cross Regionals Southeast Nov. 26 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

Ratings slump need not signal league demise

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daniel krugman, sports editor t was only a matter of time before the reality television program of the National Football League received a hit to their beloved ratings.

Years of concussions, arrests, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”-esque drama of Deflategate and an unpopular commissioner have amounted to an insurmountable heap of bad publicity to be dealt with.

Blame it on Commissioner Roger Goodell, Tom Brady’s ego or even the 24-hour news cycle following Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. No matter whose fault it is, the NFL is struggling to recover from its loss of ratings.

“While trying to protect everyone, you water it down some,” head varsity football coach Daron Reid said. “The game is not for everyone, it’s like a modern day gladiator. They cannot take the power from the players.”

According to Elias Sports Bureau’s website, “Sunday Night Football” and “Monday Night Football” are both down 12 percent in number of viewers while NFL Network’s “Thursday Night Football” is 26 percent down from last season.

“I lost interest in the NFL due to the lack of big hits,” sopho-

upper 90

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more and junior varsity football player Emmanuel Moore said. “It’s the new rules and safety precautions being made that are slowing the game down.”

As Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman put it to CBS reporters in a Nov. 3 press conference, “The league isn’t fun anymore.”

The NFL is now competing with the rising social media juggernaut of the National Basketball Association and even college football. If it wants to survive in this mass media society,

...the NFL is struggling to recover from its loss of ratings. it needs to find a balance between entertainment and safety.

Improving equipment or increasing the number of viewing platforms, rather than limiting it (teams are now not allowed to post game film on Twitter), could allow it to compete with the quickly rising popularity of the NBA. “They need to incorporate letting the guys being a little more relaxed and not watering the game down because it makes it too safe,” Reid said on what the league needs to fix.

For now, the NFL should only be worried about how they can make the sport more attractive and plan for the future rather than trying to fix the past.

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the griffin

November 18, 2016

athletes

sports

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VARSITY

ANDREW WANG

photos by meher hans

WILSON GAO

Duo’s dedication pays off

will behm, staff writer t all comes down to chemistry for varsity badminton players freshman Wilson Gao and sophomore Andrew Wang.

“We can just sense wherever each other are, and that’s chemistry, true chemistry, you can’t trade that for anything,” Gao said.

Gao and Wang show great commitment inside and out of school, constantly training.

“They’ve trained a lot toTOP 3 SNACKS: gether, they both go to the 1) Lay’s BBQ poLoch Raven Badminton Club,” tato chips varsity coach Sharon Spangenberg said.

2) Fruit Gushers Their hard work has been 3) Old Bay sunreflected in their play. Wang flower seeds and Gao went undefeated and brought home a county championship, yet they still believe they can improve.

“We’re not that good with the school birdies. It’s still an adjustment for us since we’ve been playing for such a long time. We usually play with light feather birdies and they move at different speeds,” Wang said.

Gao’s sister was a former student and player at the school, yet Gao simply doesn’t feel as if he’s following in her footsteps.

“I don’t feel like I’m following my sister’s steps to be honest. She took badminton in a less serious way then I did,” Gao said. “In her senior year I was able to beat her in singles and I was in the 6th grade at the time.”

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photos by patrick fitzgerald, grace hazelhurst and hanna bewley (Above) SENIOR KILEY BOLONDA works the ball up the field at the MPSSAA State Semifinal game at Paint Branch High School Nov. 9. (Top Right) SENIOR CLAIRE PODLES passes to a teammate during the MPSSAA Regional Championship game at home Nov. 2. (Bottom Right) THE VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY TEAM celebrates their victory in the MPSSAA Regional Semifinal game here Oct. 31.

Varsity field hockey’s quest ends in state semifinal game doria diacogiannis, editorin-chief fter three competitive MPSSAA 4A playoff games, varsity field hockey’s season 1) Emma Klein, senior came to an end Nov. 9 in 2) Claire Podles, senior the state semifinal game at 3) Reece Spann, junior Paint Branch High School.

GAME 3: Dulaney 0, South River 2 4) Kiley Bolonda, senior Though the Lions were competitive early on and had opportunities to score, SOURCE: Megan Proefrock, co-captain senior midfielder Lauren Schlegel gave South River the lead early in the second half with the game’s first goal. Senior attackman Maia Cheeks scored again for the Seahawks with 1:48 left on the clock.

“We came out fighting hard and never slowed the whole game,” senior co-captain Kiley Bolonda said. “Although we wanted more than anything to go all the way, we have so much to be proud of.” The Lions finished the season at 13-5.

GAME 2: Dulaney 1, Old Mill 0 The team defeated the Patriots in the 4A North Regional Championship at home Nov. 2. Senior attackman Emma Klein netted the game’s only goal with 24:44 remaining in the first

TOP SCORERS FOR THE SEASON:

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half. The game was physical, as multiple players from Old Mill were given cards.

“Going into the game, we knew we wanted to score early and take some of the pressure off of us, so that was what we did,” Klein told the Baltimore Sun. “We worked really hard as a team to keep it together and make sure we didn’t let the physical play get to us, so we held our own the whole game and stayed true to our own game so we could pull out the win.”

GAME 1: Dulaney 3, Catonsville 1 The Lions bounced back strong after losing the county championship game to Hereford Oct. 24. Despite an initial threat by Catonsville and a slow start by the Lions, the team rebounded to get the win in the Oct. 31 game, dominating with aggressive offense and solid defense. Klein put her team ahead on the scoreboard with the Lions’ first goal, and senior midfielder Claire Podles scored the second one with 23:10 left in the second half. Catonsville’s Ashlyn Cunningham scored for the Comets’ just 4 minutes after, but junior attackman Reece Spann secured the Lions’ victory with a third goal, with just 0:46 to go in the game.

“At this point in the season you put all the money in the bank as Coach says and it’s time to just show it, so we just really had to clear out of the slate coming out of County Championships,” Bolonda said.

Sports editor Patrick Fitzgerald contributed to this report.

Doubles teams sweep county championship Two teams win handily: third wins close match

SENIOR ARI WU prepares to make a shot in a mixed

doubles match against Hereford in the Oct. 29 tournament at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology. Wu played with partner freshman Nicolette Samek and took home a gold medal after defeating Hereford in both matches, 15-1 and 15-3.

Seniors Michelle Lin and Amanda Song also won a gold medal after playing Perry Hall, winning both matches 15-13 and 15-12.

Boys’ doubles team freshman Wilson Gao and sophomore Andrew Wang won the final matches against Pikesville 15-6 and 15-5, totaling the gold medal count to three.

photo by sophie bates

Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org

JUNIOR VARSITY

Low-key Lodge fuels team bryce frederick, staff writer e has the skills and the speed, but sophomore forward Matt Lodge’s key to success is simply having fun.

From his pregame preparation to his post-goal celebrations, there’s always a smile on Lodge’s face, teammates said.

“He’s easygoing and fun, but he knows how to work hard,” sophomore forward Noah photo by hyunsung ko Wilkens said. “He makes the MATT LODGE team seem more whole.”

Of course, skill helps. Junior varsity head coach Aaron Urban-Zukerberg praised Lodge’s abilities.

“Matt has incredible speed with the ball at his feet and also has a determined ability to find the back of the net,” he said.

The team finished with a 6-21 record, netting 24 goals in TOP 3 SNACKS: nine games, eight of them be1) Peanut butter ing Lodge’s. He considers his first goal of the season against crackers Sparrows Point as the year’s 2) Capri Sun most memorable one.

3) Potato chips “There was two minutes left in golden goal overtime, and I got a header to win the game, and I went a little bit nuts,” Lodge said.

Lodge has found a balance between enjoyment and dedication that allows for personal success.

“When we get out of school, he’ll be joking around, but when warm-ups come, he’s ready to go,” freshman goalkeeper Brandon Dabkowski said. ”He knows what to do, he knows how he plays, and he’s going to stick to that,” Wilkens said.

After the JV season ended, Lodge was added to the varsity roster.

“We’re like one big family,” Lodge said, “and, of course, we have our fun.”

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8 features

the griffin

November 18, 2016

fuels change

Young Innovators:

This fall, seniors Allie Ng and Jessica Yan founded STEMpower Girls, a team dedicated to empowering young girls to become innovative leaders in STEM fields. Seniors Tomer Krayzman and Joodh Waleedh have joined them in this volunteer effort. Managing editor Tirzah Khan spoke to Ng about the group.

What were you hoping to achieve by founding this organization?

There are so many problems in the world, and it really saddens me. I desperately want to make a difference. I feel that with all the opportunities I have, my life would be a complete waste if I didn’t use them for good. I thought long and hard about what I could do to help, even a little bit. There were so many issues I wanted to solve, but I’m more science-oriented, so I decided to start a program that combats stereotypes and builds confidence in young girls in STEM. That’s how I came up with STEMpower Girls.

The gender gap in STEM—in any field, really—is so common to hear about, and I just wanted to make a positive change in this area.

Have there been any really striking moments?

It’s so amazing to see when the kids are fully engaged in the lesson and are eager to learn. Even when the experiments don’t go exactly as planned, the girls are still so enthusiastic. One time I remember we did an experiment about density and it didn’t work at all, but the students were still thinking of ways to make it work. They were like, “Well, what if we tried this?” So we tried their suggestions and it still didn’t work, but they kept on brainstorming. That’s how we knew we had really impacted their lives. All we want is for them to learn and be interested. When I see things like that happening, I know everything is worth it.

Where do you plan to go from here?

My work won’t end with this program. I never thought that I’d start a nonprofit, but now I think my life has been fulfilled. I want to combat so many more issues and solve many more problems. I’m going to make this my life’s work. This is my future.

More information about STEMpower Girls:

photos by joodh waleedh Top: SENIOR ALLIE NG (center) makes sugar rainbows by pouring sugar into multicolored glasses of water with middle school students at the Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School Oct. 17. The experiment demonstrated density by varying the amount of sugar in each glass.

Bottom left: SENIOR JESSICA YAN monitors a middle school student creating a three-dimensional hologram pyramid at the Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School Oct. 10. “After each workshop, we ask the girls questions to review what they’ve learned that day, and to see their confidence and excitement increasing each time really bolsters my mission,” Yan said.

Bottom right: YAN AND NG show students “elephant toothpaste,” a chemical reaction between yeast, hydrogen peroxide and dish soap, Oct. 24. The reaction was done in a jack-o-lantern in honor of Halloween.

MENTORING: STEMpower Girls is a weekly after-school STEM program for middle school students in Baltimore City (currently at the Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School).

It aims to cultivate an interest in STEM fields through hands-on activities and lessons.

EMPOWERING: Their online magazine (STEMpowergirls.org) features stories and interviews of inspiring female STEM leaders. Through the combination of media and compelling stories, their hope is to provide a unique and accessible platform and connect girls who face gender disparities in STEM programs with female leaders from around the world.

Information collected from STEMpowergirls.org.

post: jake alperstein Known for his formidable presence as “Jake Alps,” senior Jake Alperstein is a dynamic and energetic character. He sat down with staff writer Maria Eberhart to discuss Naruto, his newfound passion for acting, and goals for this school year.

READING: I’ve read “Hatchet” so many times, and I’m reading it again. I love the idea of adventure and doing new things. In general, I am not a big reader. I was a really bad reader up until fourth grade, but my parents were barely ever around so I had to kind of pick up reading by myself.

WATCHING: My friends and I watch “Naruto” as a joke. We brought it into school, so if you see us running down the hallway with our hands behind our backs that’s why. It’s pretty funny. But I also like “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” I love it because it’s a bunch of rag-tag group of guys, and their one friend, who happens to be a girl, they pick on. It just reminds me a lot of my friends. I also watch a lot of movies like “Saving Private Ryan,” stuff like that. But I’m more of a fan of RomComs. Rom-Coms are my thing.

LISTENING: I am a big fan of everything that’s classic rock, so Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” and “Shining Star.” Those are both good.

I am also a big fan of Michael Jackson. I like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. Also The Beatles, I’ve always loved The Beatles.

I was in band in sixth grade but on accident, when I was playing the drum, my drum stick flew out of my hand and my teacher thought I threw it at her. So, I got sent down to the office and was told that I couldn’t be in band any more.

CHANGING: I’m trying to get out more. It’s my senior year, so I want to leave with a bang and I want to be remembered. I’m just trying to do new things. Back in my fresh-

man and sophomore year, I really didn’t want to do anything. I was just going to school because I had to, but now I am trying to make the most of school. That’s why I auditioned for emcee and am performing in the “Pride and Prejudice”musical.

I’ve always doubted myself as a singer and actor, but a bunch of people told me I should do it.

ACTING: I joined theater last year, my first year here.The move from Catholic school to public school was different.

Back at Catholic school, we had to pray for everything, but here, it’s a lot more free.

The very first day of theatre class, I was a bit intimidated.

A lot of these really smart and coollooking people walked into the class, who had probably been doing theater for years, and here I was, the kid who did one musical in the fifth grade. But everyone in theater is so welcoming. They accept you for who you are, even if you do dumb stuff to get attention. My roles in the fall play “She Kills Monsters” last year was Cobalt and the Map, which was my signature role. I was also the town baker in the musical “Beauty and the Beast.” In “Kiss the Bride,” I was the DJ and in “Pride and Prejudice,” I’m going to be playing Mr. Gardner.

Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

the griffin

November 18, 2016

9 features

Fashion forward: Senior exudes creativity, taste in indie wardrobe Saadi Sheikh works behind-the-scenes, designing for brands worldwide. Deputy editor Randhika Aturaliya and staff writer Lauren Kuhr interviewed Sheikh for more information on his designer double life. Recent designs for women include a loose, asymmetrical taupe zip up jacket and a dark fur-trimmed cardigan.

Q: What businesses have you worked with?

A: I designed about five streetwear pieces for a small place in Poland and some dresses for a place in Baltimore. Recently, I designed 12 pieces for Boohoo, a UK-based fashion company. I’ve started noticing how clothes can make you feel powerful or confident, and I want to evoke that in others. With the clothes I wear, I’m not afraid to look strange. It’s good to be remembered.

photo by sophie bates

New iPhone impresses more than it troubles

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Q: Will you continue designing clothes?

A: Yeah, it’s not like a normal job where there’s a set salary. It’s more like one big job you do and then you just wait until the next offer comes along. You could go a week or a year without having any sort of work, but it pays pretty well, like five digits. I still have most of the money I got from [Boohoo].

Q: What do you want to do in the future?

A: Honestly, designing was not my main goal.

My main thing was always music, and design was a hobby. Funny enough, it’s been more successful than my music, so I’ve been focusing on fashion. I see myself less a designer or a musician or any of that, but more as a visionary. I’m interested in all aspects of culture: the music, the style, the aesthetics.

Q: How does music play into this?

A: I’ve been making music since I was 12, and it’s gotten me in some unbelievable situations. I’m on a billboard in downtown Baltimore and I’ve met with some big names in the industry. I’ve met with some indie bands like Future Islands and Beach House. I’ve got a SoundCloud. I make

photo by lauren kuhr SENIOR SAADI SHEIKH sports a jacquard print shirt, cropped pants and Yves Saint Laurent penny loafers at school Nov. 3.

music under the name CASSIUS. A three minute song can take three months to make. In general, music is my backbone. Everything starts and ends with the music in my opinion.

Q: What’s your advice to aspiring fashionistas?

A: Don’t copy everything you see famous people wearing. I see so many people copying Kanye or Harry Styles. Take inspiration from certain pieces, but you should always make your own unique style, so that when people see you wearing something they know that it’s all you.

START COLLEGE in HIGH SCHOOL

EARLY COLLEGE

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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 ½ 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.

Visit www.ccbcmd.edu/earlycollege for more information.

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will sogge, staff writer oth senior Kati Ilieva and junior Sam Niehaus, who bought the new iPhone 7 within a month of its September debut, find the removal of the headphone jack bothersome.

“It’s irritating since I can’t always use the aux cord in my car because I don’t carry the headphone adapter with me all the time,” Ilieva said, echoing complaints publicized nationwide.

Niehaus, who upgraded to the iPhone 7 last month, can empathize.

“Sometimes on my way to school I either forget or lose the little adapter needed to plug into the phone while I listen to music, so it annoys me then,” Niehaus said, adding that it’s frustrating being unable to listen to indie music or Soundcloud remixes in the morning.

The new iPhone is the first Apple smartphone advertised as water resistant. Niehaus called this just another precautionary measure, but Ilieva labeled it helpful.

“I love that it’s waterproof,” Ilieva said. “I use it in the shower all the time. Sometimes water gets into the speakers and I think it got messed up, but I just blow it out and it’s fine again.”

Removal of the physical home button in favor of a touchscreen button also draws mixed reviews. After adjusting the setting, Ilieva said she likes the new version. Niehaus gave it a thumbs down.

“Unnecessary at best,” Niehaus said. “It’s never caused an issue, but it’s just annoying because instead of pressing the home button, when you put your finger on it, it makes a vibration, and it just bothers me.”

Ilieva said she would recommend the phone to others. Niehaus, who is paying $27 monthly for his phone, said he wouldn’t.

Staff writers Hyunsung Ko and Grace Schneider contributed to this report.

the griffin

10 features

November 18, 2016

REVIEWS:

‘Doctor Strange’ bewitches audience Newest Marvel superhero expands cinematic universe

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emma walz, deputy editor uildings start tilting at all sorts of angles, folding into themselves as the world transforms around a group of hooded figures fighting a single bald-headed woman. Instead of throwing punches, these foes must exchange blows using energy sparks drawn from thin air, while navigating the ever-changing landscape and evading the spells being thrown by their opponent.

These faceless sorcerers wear robes evocative of westernized Tibetan monks; this battle does take place in a metropolis, after all. The fight does not last long, and resolves as the group retreats into a swirling energy portal created by circular hand motions and a furrowed brow.

It sounds a little out there, but I would’ve been disappointed to see anything else from a movie titled “Doctor Strange.”

If repetition of “see-withyour-mind” sort of mantras is going to annoy you, then this may not be for you. Directed by Scott Derrickson, “Doctor Strange” is an action-fantasy based on the cult comic series first appearing in the ‘60s. It details how an egotistical neurosurgeon, Dr. Stephen Strange, becomes a masterful sorcerer by travelling to Asia and learning under The Ancient One, the bald woman from the opening scene.

It isn’t that difficult to figure out her role as the mysterious and omniscient teacher just from looking at her. The shiny head is pretty telling.

I was excited going in. I knew that Benedict Cumberbatch would put on a convincing performance, and the trailer gave an enticing taste of the staggering special effects. As a Marvel movie, there are certain quality assurances concerning things like production value and character development. I’ve never walked away from a Marvel superhero

movie feeling less than entertained.

The hero himself is introduced when Strange, played by Cumberbatch, suffers a devastating blow after an accident robs him of the use of his hands. Devoid of purpose and desperate to return to his former life, this atheist turns to the spiritual miracles of Kamar-Taj, a fictional community located in the Himilayas. There, he meets the Ancient One, a Celtic monk played by Tilda Swinton, who teaches him the ways of sorcery to raise him from the dirt and reclaim his life.

The premise of the rest of the film can basically be summed up with a line from Strange’s fellow sorcerer, Wong, played by Benedict Wong: “The Avengers protect the world from physical dangers. We safeguard it against more mystical threats.”

In Strange’s first meeting with The Ancient One, she takes him on a trip through the multiverse that leaves your head spinning.

The director pushed the kaleidoscopic visuals of a classic ‘70s acid trip and captured the mind-boggling notion of multidimensional travel.

The star-studded cast impresses. I’d expect nothing less from Cumberbatch after playing the unsociable genius in roles such as Sherlock Homes and Alan Turing. His delivery of witty one-liners makes an unlikable character a fan favorite. Mads Mikkelson aces his portrayal of Kaecilius, the morally-divergent student-gone-rogue, making good use of his sinister, almost serpentine Danish accent. The supporting cast gives nuanced performances - Rachel McAdams’ successful embodiment of endless kindness and forgiveness as Strange’s coworker and ex-girlfriend and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s role as the lawful good who delivers perhaps the most powerful character development in the film.

This film is chock full of spiritual mumbo jumbo, but the fact that Strange experiences the same amount of skepticism as the audience when his exclamation of “That doesn’t make sense!” is countered with, “Not everything

“...kaleidoscopic visuals of a classic ‘70s acid trip...”

photo reproduced by permission of marvel does. Not everything has to,” helps to quell any lingering apprehension.

As the lights gradually illuminated the theater, I found myself giddy with satisfaction. Although a seasoned fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe might find the plot lacking, as a casual viewer I found myself thoroughly entertained. I agree to a point that the storyline was nothing spectacular, but the sheer quality and breath-taking action sequences more than made up for any faults.

OVERALL RATING:

‘Westworld’ series remake outshines original mersive theme park to fulfill a more primitive set of desires, from paying for prostitutes at the bar to saving a damsel in distress from a group of outlaws. What makes the faux Western town so hypnotic is the cast of meticulously crafted robots, referred to as hosts, whose programmed lines compose a complex storyline.

The park is the innovation of the eccentric Dr. Robert Ford, played effortlessly by Anthony Hopkins, whose constant updates to the photo reproduced by permission of HBO hosts leave them progressively closer to sentient life. The newest upmaria eberhart, staff writer ased on the 1973 film of the same name, the new- date plagues the hosts with grim memories of past lives est big-budget drama series from HBO is an escap- and the sneaking suspicion that all is not well in their quiet ist fantasy that explores questions of consciousness western town.

The nuanced performances from the actors playing the and morality while playing on the familiar fear of artificial hosts accentuates their increasing consciousness. The intelligence.

Westworld caters to the male elite who frequent the im- core of the show is centered around the oldest host in the

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park, Dolores Abernathy, played impeccably by Evan Rachel Wood. The gentle host whose programmed love of the charming gentleman Teddy Flood (James Marsden) evokes more sympathy than the cynical human engineers of Westworld and the ruthless guests.

HBO’s “Westworld” is a clever variation on the classic science-fiction concern for artificial consciousness. The show’s creators, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, shift the typical compassion for the human guests to the robotic hosts who suffer atrocities inflicted by the unrestrained tourists.

The hosts, painted as innocent victims, capture the pity of viewers as a bored guest shoots an unaware cowboy sitting at the bar and cackles, “Now, that’s a f--- vacation!”

“Westworld,” although posing provocative questions about consciousness and humanity, does not rid itself of the typical gruesome violence against women. But, this violence does contribute to the dark setting of Westworld and its market for how to entertain guests.

The show is a thought-provoking series that takes artificial intelligence farther than it has ever gone before.

“Westworld” airs at 9 p.m. every Sunday on HBO or online on HBO Go. The series will run 10 weeks until Dec. 4.

OVERALL RATING:

Burton flick enthralls with visuals, captivating performances

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annabel park, staff writer im Burton’s new movie, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” based on the novel by Ransom Riggs, captivates the audience and leaves them wanting more.

The story revolves around a boy, Jake (Asa Butterfield), who sets out on a mission to find a home his grandfather (Terence Stamp) told him about when he was young and asked him to look for in his dying breath. Jake convinces his parents to take him to Wales so he can visit the home and to solve the mystery of his grandfather’s death - and the peculiar children, kids born with unusual powers.

With his newfound knowledge, Jake must decide if he will take on this dangerous journey or pretend he did not see anything.

Tim Burton once again excels at visual effects - the details that went into the film were awe-inspiring. The movie’s monsters looked realistic. An impressive scene I recall is when a monster gets a hold of one of the children and is opening its mouth and extending its tongue to look for the child’s eyes. This scene left the audience in the theatre on the edge of their seat and in hopes that nothing happened

photo reproduced by permission of 20th century Fox to the child.

Not only were the visual effects stellar, but the background music and the sound effects were fantastic. They Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

helped to capture the attention of the viewers and the creepy and eerie sounds in the background enhanced the movie even more.

The acting delivered was magnificent. Every character had their own unique personality - I could not help but fall in love with all of them. There’s Emma (Ella Pumell), who has to wear lead shoes to so she doesn’t fly away. Olive (Lauren McCrostie) has to wear gloves so she doesn’t accidentally set anything on fire. There’s also a boy who can project images with his eyeballs. These are just a few of the children who make an appearance.

My favorite part in the movie is when Jake and all the peculiar children stand outside of their home and wait for Miss Peregrine (Eva Green) to turn back time, this happens every night at the same time. If you want to know why they do this, watch the movie and find out.

The comedic, dramatic and romantic scenes all fit well into the movie and the interaction between the actors flow naturally throughout the development of the plot.

Twists and turns permeate the story and leave the audience frantically guessing as to what will happen next.

OVERALL RATING:

November 18, 2016 REVIEWS:

Sequel fails to enchant A

anna mason, staff writer lthough marketed as the eighth Harry Potter story, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” does little to live up to the legacies of its predecessors.

The script was co-written by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, and first performed on stage July 30 (the script was released July 31, which die-hard Potter fans will recognize as Harry’s birthday). The play begins 19 years after Harry defeats Voldemort.

It chronicles the life of his son, Albus. Albus, along with his friend Scorpius Malfoy, decide, with no apparent reasoning, to go back in time and do what Harry couldn’t: save Cedric Diggory.

What follows is an increasingly contrived and clichéd plot, as the two boys recklessly travel back into time, affecting the course of events and heedlessly disrupting history, naturally creating a series of nightmarish results. Aided by the enigmatic Delphi, who claims to be Cedric’s cousin, Albus and Scorpius manage to create multiple realities. There is one in which the beloved Ron and Hermione never marry. In another, Voldemort survives, the tyrannical Dolores Umbridge reigns freely over Hogwarts and Ron and Hermione are the last living members of an underground resistance movement.

Albus’s careless actions stem from his relationship from his famous father, which is strained

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at best. Albus struggles with the weight of Harry’s reputation as well as with his own shortcomings. Harry’s attempts to reach out to him ultimately fail, as illustrated by the cringe-worthy dialogue.

“No! I just wish you weren’t my dad,” Albus says during a heated argument. Harry uncharacteristically replies, “Well, there are times I wish you weren’t my son.”

to be seen as an unlikable bully, which is a sharp contrast between the Harry of the earlier books, who devoted his teenage years to fighting against bullies.

As the boys finally realize the error of their ways, the Time-turner is stolen by Delphi. In the most shocking reveal yet, Delphi is apparently Voldemort’s daughter.

This cheap plot device further seeks to advance the unoriginal storyline. Delphi is ultimately thwarted by both the adults and Albus, a “heartwarming” end that causes Harry and Albus to finally bond.

One of the few redeaming aspects is the relationship between Scorpius and Albus.

Their friendship carries the entire script through their heartfelt interactions, and the amicable Scorpius particularly stands out in a story otherwise populated by bland characters. His friendly, easygoing nature is a breath of fresh air in comparison with the other characters, who are unappealing and lacking compelling personality traits.

Readers hoping to encounter Rowling’s distinctive writing style will be sorely disappointed by the script format, because it only includes dialogue.

The book fails to whisk its reproduced by permission of Little Brown and Company readers off to the whimsical halls of Hogwarts, and is missThese uninspired exchanges only ing some much-needed magic. serve to bog down both the pace and the quality of the narrative.

OVERALL RATING: Harry’s flippant comments towards his youngest son cause him

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Line album showcases softer sounds

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artist feels is his entire world, hanna bewley, associate editor fter promising a more and they “might as well be on mature sound with an island, might as well be on their third album, “Dig the moon.”

The single “H.O.L.Y.,” which Your Roots,” Florida Georgia Line more than follows stands for “High On Loving You,” again pays tribute to their through.

With the 15-song album re- wives. It opens with a gentle leased Aug. 26, Florida Georgia guitar and piano, accompanied Line continues finding ways to by a slow paced backbeat, become even more transparent reflecting a thoughtful and in their music, giving fans an reflective mood amidst loneliness. Soon, insight into hope is found t h e i r l i ve s , as they sing, which are “You made filled with the brightest love and loss. days from With the the darkest first song nights.”

“Smooth,” But this alstarting with bum seems the chirps off course for of frogs and Florida Georcrickets, Tyler gia Line, who Hubbard and Brian Kelley reproduced by permission of Florida Georgia Line are known for their upbeat ensure that this collection will be different songs that would easily find their place at a party. It is posfrom their previous albums.

Instead of the fast-paced songs sible that this album may take reminiscent of neighborhood them down a notch in the minds block parties, the duo trans- of their mainstream fans, who ports listeners to quiet nights would not have been expecting at home, basking in the glory of this detour from the usual road.

Florida Georgia Line has a peaceful summer night with proven that taking the scenic loved ones.

As both members age, the par- route almost always pays off in ty no longer lasts all night and the end. Staying one step ahead life is more of a gentle breeze, never grows old. They are diglike their song “Island.” A soft, ging their roots, and everyone slow song that takes the listener should be digging their new to the rhythmic movement of album. waves and palm trees. This is a song to a lover whom the OVERALL RATING:

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November 18, 2016

an artist among us:

Cheng’s musical prowess astounds jason fontelieu, deputy editor and imogen wright and grace hazelhurst, staff writers enior Michael Cheng has wanted to be a musician since fourth grade. That’s when his brother introduced him to Green Day’s song, “21 Guns.”

“When I picked up the guitar, that was the first song that I learned and played,” Cheng said.

Guitar teacher Brian Dickson immediately recognized

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photo from cheng’s parents A YOUNG Cheng performs during a piano recital about a decade ago. “At the time, I really wasn’t interested, but I’m glad that I learned at such a young age because it gave me a foundation,” Cheng said.

Cheng’s potential from the hard work and dedication he demonstrated as a freshman in Gifted and Talented Guitar III. “Cheng’s talent, patience and humility allow him to have a very positive influence on others,” Dickson said.

Cheng is a founding member of the Fallback Plan, a pop punk and alternative group launched Cheng’s freshman year, that has since gone on to perform covers and original compophoto by claire marsh sitions at Open Mic Night here and (Left to right) SENIORS JASON ZHANG, Alex Stocksdale and Michael Cheng and sophomore Liam Slowey Rams’ Head Live in Baltimore. perform their set at the Ashland Café in Cockeysville on May 26. Lead vocalist Cheng said he doesn’t Cheng remembers antics from the plan on pursuing music professionally. “I’ll definitely get involved in college,” Cheng said.

Rams’ Head performance, when seafter his performance at ArtFest his sophomore year. He nior Jason Zhang distracted the crowd to allow Cheng time to restring one of his guitar’s cords auditioned and was put into Gifted and Talented Choir his by giving a shout out to gay marriage, which had recently junior year.

A pianist since age 8, Cheng is working on an R&B colbeen legalized nationwide.

“We started playing our slow song, and he actually went laboration with junior Claire Marsh.

“I’ve always admired Michael’s confidence and ability out to the audience because he had a wireless guitar,” to take risks,” Marsh said. “He’s never afraid to try new Cheng said. “It was hilarious.” things.”

Zhang has been with Cheng since the start.

He’s also preparing for the Brahms Requiem Benefit Con“Anything musical he picks up is like second nature to cert in support of terrorist attack victims, which is at the him,” Zhang said.

The band now includes sophomore Liam Slowey and Trinity Episcopal Church in Towson on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.

For Cheng, music will always be a part of his identity. senior Alex Stocksdale.

“I can’t imagine my life without it,” Cheng said. “It brings Cheng, a tenor, is also involved with choir, recounting the time choir teacher Christina Senita approached him me a happiness that nothing else can.”

Teacher doubles as rocker

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played primarily classical music until college, when I anna yan and matt walters, staff writers side from teaching students the quadratic for- started to transition into jazz and rock and roll,” Binko mula, math teacher Steve Binko also performs said.

Even though teaching is his primary profession, he as a part-time rock star. The 52-year-old plays tenor saxophone in the band Don’t Stop, along with doesn’t let that stifle his creativity.

“I always sing jingles in class,” Binko said. guitarist Mike Rhein, drummer Mike Fort, bassist John When he retires, he said, Schoene and vocalist Landri he hopes to pursue muTaylor. sic. But one thing won’t Primarily a cover band, change—the sunglasses Don’t Stop performs classic he wears during perforrock and modern hits.

“Free Will” by Rush mances.

The band mainly plays lo“Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen “That’s been my tradecal venues, like Michael’s mark for 31 years,” Binko Café or Padonia Ale House “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey in Timonium, or most re- “Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones said.

Fans and newcomers cently, Ashland Café in “Basket Case” by Green Day alike can find performancCockeysville. es on the band’s website But the band has also (dontstopband.com). The played for bigger crowds, group will play at the Still Binko said.

“We played in front of a crowd of 5,000 people, and in Timonium Dec. 2.

At least one co-worker said Don’t Stop is worth a I did a crowd surf,” Binko said. “Luckily, they caught listen. me.”

“I’ve been going to see the band for years now,” comBut Binko didn’t always strive to play at parties.

“I started playing saxophone in fourth grade, and puter science teacher Amanda Lattimore said.

BINKO’S FAVORITE SONGS:

photo from binko

ALGEBRA teacher and saxophonist Steve Binko and bassist John Schoene perform at a private function March 5. “I learned saxophone on jazz, but my favorite type of music to play is party rock and roll,” Binko said.

Oct. 28 pep rally showcases Lions’ team spirit

photos by sophie bates From left to right: Freshman Wilson Gao and sophomore Andrew Wang sprint out onto the football field through a tunnel of cheerleaders once their badminton team was announced by the pep rally MCs, seniors Andrew Farnum and Jake Alperstein. Freshman Emma Willerup and seniors Matt Waters and Matt Walters perform in the marching band during their opening number, which included a jazzy mashup of songs such as “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga and “Play That Funky Music” by White Cherry.

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