DECEMBER 2012

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Dulaney High School Timonium, Maryland

Volume 53, Issue 3 COMPETING

Pot, alcohol stats here show mixed picture mazen knio, staff writer & becca king, news editor ruglaney, the school’s unfortunate epithet, lives on.

But there appears to be improvement related to student use of alcohol.

An October survey of 276 students in all grades and academic levels of English shows marijuana use never on the rise here over the past two years occasionally and still well above daily national numbers. weekly Alcohol stats were uneven. monthly First, the good news. A 2011 Centers for Disease Control survey showed nationally, 8 percent of high school students admitted to driving after drinking in the past month. The rate here is lower; 6.5 percent of those surveyed admitted to driving after consuming al-

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1,090

the number of students who made the first quarter honor roll ENGAGING

December 19, 2012

cohol ever.

On a related note, the number of students who say they have been in the car with a drunk driver has dropped here since the last Griffin alcohol survey (December 2010).

About a fifth of those surveyed

shows alcohol use here at a rate ahead of national figures for teens. While nationally, 39 percent of high school students drank some amount of alcohol in the past 30 days, the figure here is 51.5 percent. And numbers for seniors are particularly alarming. CDC statisHow Often Students from 2011 show that Drink Alcohol Smoke Marijuana tics nationally 70 percent of 67% seniors have ever tried 49% alcohol. Roughly 80 per36% 16% cent of seniors here say 6% they have tried it.

0% “You can function 7% 11% high. You can’t function 4% drunk.”

5% An anonymous junior’s remark seems indicative this fall say they have done so, of the increasingly liberal attitude down from a fourth of those sur- about marijuana, which mirrors a national trend. Although more veyed before.

“They’re making a good choice teens here have imbibed alcohol after a bad one,” principal Lyn (roughly two-thirds) Whitlock said. see DRUGS, page 5 But the 2011 CDC survey also

Teachers, students adapt to weekly lab period cuts jessica hung, features editor & katy trosch, staff writer ess time consuming for teachers, more challenging for students.

That’s how science teachers and students describe eliminating separate lab days in most science classes.

Science teacher Marty Stranathan said cutting double chemistry and biology allowed for more staffing in more crowded areas like English and math classes.

But not without a price.

“I can’t pretend it’s still chemistry because it’s not that we can’t fit in all the labs need,” Stranathan said. “We can’t make all the students do the lab for homework because some won’t do it, then half the class is behind.”

Stranathan added that students need more time in chemistry to fully understand the material since it will likely be their last chemistry course, meaning there’s no revisiting the concepts next year. see LABS, page 3

Survey Highlights: Have you ever consumed alcohol?

Yes: 66 percent No: 34 percent Have you ever been at a party where teens were drinking?

Yes: 55 percent No: 45 percent Have you ever been in a car with a drunk driver?

Yes: 21 percent No: 79 percent Have you ever driven after consuming alcohol?

Yes: 7 percent No: 93 percent Have you ever sold marijuana or any other illegal drug?

Yes: 15 percent No: 85 percent Have you ever been to school or a school event while under the influence?

No: 79 percent Alcohol: 4 percent A drug: 8 percent Both: 8 percent about the survey: The anonymous, pen-and-paper survey of 276 students was conducted in a Standard, Honors and Gifted and Talented or Advanced Placement English class for each grade level.

Students were asked 21 multiple choice questions.

Sign of the season: Giving to the needy

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the number of families attending the Hispanic Support Network outreach meeting

canned food drive. Junior Lily Klein joins freshman Kristin Meek, sophomore Sophie Golden, junior Alexis Howett, senior Jordan Williams, senior Allie Parshley, sophomore Kristen Newman and senior Alaina Getzenberg in counting cans on the final day of the food drive, Dec. 7. For more charitable acts, see page 11. photo by katie boltz

Band, colorguard prepare to perform with hundreds at Sugar Bowl

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news opinion sports features

COLORGUARD MEMBERS freshman Marisa Clare, junior Katie Walters, freshman Lily Fontinell and junior Stephanie Ford strike the pose ending their performance accompanying “Born to Be Wild.”

photo by alicia winton

alicia winton, online coordinator s small groups of brass, woodwind and percussion players tune up in the lower parking lot, about a half dozen girls chat and mull about the guitar room. Their leader calls everyone to attention. Flags are distributed. Girls spread out, and someone – often senior Lauren Wong – finds the Youtube video the group needs. A bit more conversation ensues, and eventually the leader calls everybody to attention again. Soon, each girl positions her flag and stares intently into the Dell monitor.

Another rehearsal for the Jan. 2 AllState Sugar Bowl in the Superdome has begun.

Just as the band has spent weeks learning their music (they’ll learn their marching routine once they arrive Dec. 30), the colorguard has met separately to master their accompanying moves for the show, which drum major Kevin Halliday, a junior, calls “overwhelmingly awe-

some” in the true sense of the word. Just picture around 2,000 teenagers performing together on a football field. The Lion’s Roar Marching Band is joining 13 bands from around the country for this performance.

What do the colorguard contribute? Visuals. Their moves – yogurt spins, pop tosses, and butterflies – have been labeled a sort of a cross between ballet and modern dance and require coordination and the ability to memorize. Though band members seldom see them (they’re busy impressing audiences with their music and their own moves), members of colorguard add a touch of drama to the music’s most dynamic moments.

And not without risk.

Earlier this month, freshman Lilly Fontinelle found herself with a reddish-purple bruise. see SUGAR BOWL, page 2

FYI: winter break ends Jan. 2

think pink basketball game Jan. 11 7 p.m.

open mic night Jan. 10 Auditorium 6-8 p.m.

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cabaret

Jan. 18-19 Satellite Cafeteria 6 p.m.

martin luther king jr. day Jan. 21 Schools closed

sequel submission deadline

dulaneysequel@gmail.com Jan. 25

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the griffin

news

december 19, 2012

Band, colorguard prepare to entertain at Sugar Bowl NEWS LINE SUGAR BOWL, continued from

page 1

“I was going to end a song, and I hit myself in the head,” she said. “I went back and around and then up and it went up too far.”

Minutes after the incident, she pointed to a nickle-sized spot above her left eyebrow and then cited two similar injuries during last sum-

Need-To-Know Information About the Sugar Bowl Trip

Trumpet section leader, senior Matt Hovis, performs a music exercise with members of his section during a practice for the Allstate Sugar Bowl. photo by alicia winton

• The band will performing three songs in a four-minute field show at the Louisiana Superdome: “Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf, “I Don’t Want to Stop” by Ozzy Osbourne and “I Don’t Care” by Fall Out Boy. • The band will also give a standstill performance in Jackson Square consisting of typical football game pep tunes like “Bad Romance,” “Centerfold” and “Blister in the Sun.” • The 108 students will perform alongside 2,000 peers from schools across the country.

• The band memorized its music and will have two practices in New Orleans (one at a local high school and another at the Superdome) to prepare the field show.

• About 70,000 spectators are expected to attend the Sugar Bowl.

mer’s band camp.

A fellow guard member, junior Stephanie Ford, recalled her fair share of bruises to the head, most recently when she was in the midst of the first portion of “Enchanted” during a halftime show this fall. This kind of accident is embarrassing at first, she said, but it’s truly a rite of passage.

“It’s like when you’re horseback riding,” Ford said. “If you don’t fall down 100 times, you’re not a rider.”

Combined, the band and colorguard are sending 108 members to the Sugar Bowl.

There, they’ll perform three songs during a half-time show in the University of Florida-University of Louisville game in the Louisiana Superdome: Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild,” Ozzy Osbourne’s “I Don’t Want to Stop” and Fallout Boy’s “I Don’t Care.” The band and colorguard were invited about a year ago, thanks to their reputation for strong performances, band director Barry Chesky said. They will return Jan. 3.

Opinion editor Katie Walters contributed to this report.

Members of the colorguard, freshmen Isabel Muller and Lily Fontinell and sophomore Angelica Lajara perform the halftime field show, “Enchanted” at a football game in September.

Cursive may disappear; most bid it a fond farewell

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English teacher Alicia Dreschler prints her daily objectives (left), while French teacher Bella Nabatovsky prefers cursive for board instruction (right). photos by mazen knio & christine mckinnie

Frey, who does not use cursive, said it should remain in the curriculum – even though he says that few if any of his students use it.

Several students disagreed. For senior Trevor Morgan-Westrick, cursive was doomed from the start.

Holocaust survivor imparts wisdom

“H

megan reinhardt, copy editor ell, Hell on earth.”

That’s how Holocaust Survivor Rubin Sztajer described his experience during the Holocaust. Sztajer spoke to Alicia Dreschler’s English classes and Gillian Bourassa’s world history class in the auditorium on Nov. 28.

Sztajer said his teenage years were terrifying. World War II began when Sztajer was 13, and he was imprisoned until age 19.

A year after the war started, Sztajer’s family of eight was ejected from their home and thrown into a single 8-foot by 12-feet room. They were not allowed to go outside. Despite fear of the authorities, Sztajer said he and his brother would sneak out into the Christian community, searching for food or money.

“I had to grow up. I had to be a man,” Sztajer said during his speech.

Sztajer was taken from his family.

He said he only recalls his family’s expressions; he didn’t even look at the Nazis.

“They took my family, they took my freedom, they took my name,” Sztajer said with tears in his eyes.

Sztajer was moved to a concentration

camp and was labeled as number 25685. He never saw his family again.

He switched to a different camp a couple years later, but the conditions didn’t change. The camp was littered with dead bodies and punishments were harsh. Sztajer explained that if he walked by a guard and didn’t turn to face him, he was whipped.

Death marches were the worst for Sztajer. Prisoners were forced to march to new camps. If they slowed their pace, they were shot.

“It’s indescribable; it’s unimaginable,” Sztajer said.

The internees prayed for rain because of the water scarcity. Around 3,000 people were killed every day.

Sztajer, now 86, still asks himself how the world allowed it to happen.

“I can’t imagine how painful it would be to lose your parents,” sophomore Gary Bernardez said. He added that the presentation hit home.

Sztajer spoke to the students for over an hour. Afterward, Sztajer gave sophomore Jerry Yang some advice.

“He told me to appreciate life and respect my family because they do a lot for me. He told me that his family meant everything to him,” Yang said.

The National Honor Society raised $1,800 from their annual wreath sale. 90 NHS members sold them throughout October to raise money for a scholarship fund. The wreath sale is the sole NHS fundraiser.

POETRY OUT LOUD Junior J. Gourdin placed first in the second year of the Poetry Out Loud competition here. About 200 students performed poetry aloud from memory. Gourdin’s dramatic interpretation of “The Alphabet” by Karl Shapiro will take her to county competitions in January. Sophomore Jood Ali, who recitated Billy Collins’s “Snow Day,” earned runner-up.

ROBOTICS WIN

photo by alicia winton

charlotte meredith & alex moore, staff writers hanks to the Common Core Curriculum, required cursive instruction is going, and for many, not a moment too soon.

“It’s a non-entity,” English teacher Dirk Frey said.

Ditto for some PSAT takers, who complained about having to sign their names in cursive to document their answer sheets.

“That was the hardest part of the test,” several Gifted and Talented 10 English students said.

Core, the national curriculum that is being gradually added to schools in 46 states – including Maryland – does not require cursive instruction.

But states still have the option to teach it.

NHS WREATH SALES

“I’m the only kid at Gilman to ever fail a cursive handwriting class,” he said. He recalled losing recess and crying over the ordeal.

Cursive is already being replaced by keyboarding in local elementary schools, Warren Elementary third-

scene

grade teacher Mary Zerhusen said.

Science teacher John Enders sees the trend as part of the slow march of change.

“Our society is moving away from the written word,” he said, adding that cursive is definitely important and should still be learned, but that there are many other important topics that receive more time.

But for some, cursive rules.

“It’s a lot faster, it looks better, neater, and it’s more professional,” senior Hasan Thamir said. Thamir recalled when his third-grade teacher rewarded his quick cursive skills with a bag of goldfish.

“I was the only student who got cursive in the first week. It was awesome.”

dulaney

The VEX Robotics Club’s Team C won the tournament championship Dec. 12 at Hereford High School.

Teams B and E also made the championship bracket.

Team C’s victory qualifies members freshman John Sutley, juniors Alexander Vecchioni and Amy Shapiro and senior Julia Kudreyasheva to compete in early March at the 2013 nationals held in Ralston, Nebraska.

OPTIMIST AWARD Seniors Connor Handzo and Shakara Silas were honored by the Timonium Optimist Youth Appreciation Awards Program for their school and community service. In early November, Handzo and Silas received a letter notifying them of the honor. They had been anonymously nominated by school counselors and principal Lyn Whitlock. They received certificates during a November ceremony at the Crown Plaza Hotel.

IT’S AC WINS The “It’s Academic!” team won its Dec. 8 taped competition over Franklin and Governor Thomas Johnson High Schools. The team, comprised of seniors Clayton Cuddington, Erol Hoke and Anna Jensen, scored 615 points. The episode will air on Feb. 9 on WJZ-TV. The team will next compete at the January “Green Eggs and Hammond” tournament at Hammond High School.

All-Metro Athletes Two fall season athletes made first team Baltimore All-Metro in their respective varisity sports: Junior Isabel Griffith, a cross country runner; and senior Jessica Starr, a volleyball player.

BUTTON SALE Six-year-old Braeden Audlin, Spanish teacher Jen Audlin’s son, teaches Kathy Maddox’s Advanced Placement Biology class Nov. 21. Audlin presented the class with information about genes, cells and the immune system that he read in children’s science books given to his family by sophomore Maya Hoke. Maddox said Audlin asked the students questions and taught them by drawing pictures to simplify concepts. Her ninth graders enjoyed the presentation, she said, but were a little intimidated by Audlin’s knowledge. photo by jenny ingliss

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The Junior Classical League will sell buttons, designed to promote any club, event or fundraiser. The buttons cost 25 cents. To order them, students must provide a design to fit a template they can receive from Latin teacher Dawn Mitchell in room 202.

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news

the griffin

december 19, 2012

Teachers, students adapt to weekly lab period cuts LABS, continued from page 1 Biology and physics classes are also feeling the effects of the change. Physics teacher Cristina Reitmeyer said the lack of labs brings mixed results.

“Without labs it is easier for me to plan, but I think it impacts the students in a negative way because it takes away the problem solving,” Reitmeyer said.

She added the change also eliminates the opportunities for students to review material in labs. With less time, Reitmeyer said, she has been forced to shorten some labs.

Assistant principal Randy Rothschild said cutting labs has taken pressure off staffing and has helped reduce crowding.

School data shows 18 percent of English classes have over 30 students as compared to last year’s 72 percent, while

LABS UNDER FIRE. above: Sophomores Adam Hemmeter and Confidence Nwanguma test the reactions of ionic compounds with fire in Karl Geckle’s Gifted and Talented Chemistry class on Nov. 29. photo by kalie paranzino

right: Freshmen Matt Molino, Sara Glasser and Kevin Wang examine slides under microscopes in period five Gifted and Talent Biology with Amy Chilinguerian on Nov. 14.

photo by jessica hung

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15 percent of math and 19 Sykes agreed that an absence of percent of language classes are separate labs may sometimes overcrowded opposed to last help. year’s 29 and 20 percent. In “It is easier to keep classes the social studies department, aligned,” Sykes said. “Not 39 percent of classes are having labs does make planning overcrowded, versus last year’s classes easier.”

40 percent.

Gym teachers like Jake Reed Enrollment are also in Reitmeyer’s impacted by classes has the change. increased “Students slightly since don’t get last year. One e n o u g h Honors class physical contains 35 education, students. Last and this year, her class makes kids enrollments take even less never topped P.E,” Reed 30. said. Without Science teacher separate labs, Mark Glaeser students said the science only have to Assistant principal Randy Rothdepartment take one year schild knew that the photo by jen siegel of physical change was education. coming and opposed it.

Sophomore and GT Chemistry “We had to sit down with Student Emilia Waters said she the science teachers and decide dislikes the lack of equity from which labs we could fit into one eliminating lab days for some. class period and which labs we “The lab day makes class had to cut,” Glaeser said. fun,” she said. “Others should Advanced Placement science have them as well to learn lab courses are unaffected by the procedures.” elimination of separate labs. Although the freshman class Aside from these, six science never experienced the double lab classes—four Honors Chemistry periods, freshman Sara Glasser and two Gifted and Talented says that she can see how they Chemistry courses—maintain would be beneficial. separate labs.

“We would actually be able Other science classes, such to apply the concepts better.” biology and physics still conduct Glasser said. labs, but they do so without a sixth class period each week.

Staff writers Chen Wang, Becca When pressed for a benefit of King and Will Clare also contributed losing labs, physics teacher Pete to this report.

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december 19, 2012

How to evaluate a teacher: Staff, students weigh in

dynamic teaching. Dawn Mitchell engages her period six Honors Latin III students with stuffed animals earlier this month. In addition to engagement, Mitchell said teachers must play a role in keeping the school running smoothly. photo by jen siegel

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franny brancati, staff writer he Race to the Top teacher evaluation system— now being field tested—earns mixed ratings from personnel here.

Slated for full implementation next year, the new system counts measurement of student growth toward half of a teacher’s rating. Such growth is measured by student scores on statewide tests, among other areas. The other half of a teacher’s score is based on criteria like planning and preparation, instruction, classroom management, and professional responsibilities.

Feedback on this system was collected last year, when

the new criteria were piloted by several school systems, including this one.

“In the long run, it’s going to be good,” math department chairman Nancy Reigle said. “But in the short run, it’s going to be difficult.”

Try impossible, says Latin teacher Dawn Mitchell.

“I give my whole self to the work of teaching. I never stop. Period. I don’t know how to quantify that on an evaluation.”

But having accepted federal grant money in 2010, officials must try. The new system mandates annual evaluations for all teachers and principals, even those with tenure. This

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adds to up a more involved and time-consuming process for administrators, Reigle said.

Assistant principal John Billingslea praised the program for the flexibility it grants administrators. No more completing a checklist after sitting through a full lesson.

Instead, there are shorter and more frequent visits, about five minutes each. Additionally, Billingslea said, there is a range of aspects to consider in a teacher’s grade, some quantitative, some qualitative. Quantitative measures include student scores on things like standardized tests.

Qualitative categories include a list from which principals may choose.

“Do I have a teacher who cares about students?” Billingslea said. “If so, I should see them developing happy, positive relationships with students.” He also listed organization and engaging instruction as key criteria.

For Mitchell, the latter is crucial.

“The great teacher must always be intellectually curious, continuing to learn with the students,” she said. “This teacher personalizes instruction, awakening a sense of “wanting to know” in each student. This teacher is a lifelong student.”

As is the case nationally, the increased use of students’ performance to rate teachers has raised eyebrows. Spanish teacher Meghan Russell said she thinks it’s hard to evaluate teachers accurately based on their students’ grades, since grades are often more related to the difficulty of the course itself. She added that the new system might discourage teachers from taking on higher level classes.

Sophomore Daniel Karimian said student grades should definitely play a role in grading, but he conceded that there could be problems.

“There will always be the kids who never tries, which could skew the results,” Karimian said.

The new drop-in visits are less controversial.

English teacher Kathy Roeder said accurate evaluations cannot be made with the traditional single observation only. Science teacher Marty Stranathan suggested that short, unplanned evaluations every few weeks would be more effective.

“Any teacher worth their salt self-evaluates on a daily basis,” Stranathan said.

Junior Ashley Mistretta agreed with spontaneous observations.

“Some teachers change the way that they normally teach when they’re being evaluated,” she said.

For more on what makes a good teacher, see our website.

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news

december 19, 2012

Uncovering the local partying scene

Pot, alcohol stats here show mixed picture drugs, continued from page 1 than have smoked marijuana (37 percent), some relevant statistics are striking. For example, the National Institutes on Drug Abuse reports 6.6 percent of seniors nationwide smoke pot daily. The figure here is more than twice that -- 15.8 percent.

Anonymous upper classmen told reporters they buy marijuana in Towson or Cockeysville, at school or on the bus, from siblings or from dealers. Routinely, one source said,

pot is transported in tampon applicators.

“It helps with the homework,” one junior said, adding that he pays $20 per gram of pot and buys three to four grams weekly.

Spice (synthetic marijuana), has been tried by 9 percent of the student sample and ranked as the second most popular illegal drug used by students. Among seniors here, 18 percent said they had tried it. This compares to 11.4 percent of seniors nationally, according to a 2011 survey by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse.

Slightly more students admitted to abuse of legally prescribed drugs for attention deficit disorder (10.5 percent). Ranked third among illegal drugs and fourth among drugs besides alcohol is Ecstasy (8.7 percent).

But pot is the overwhelmingly tops among drugs here.

Health teacher Ryan Wolfsheimer expressed disappointment at the poor decisions on drug and alcohol use, especially considering the number of strong academic performers here.

But Cathi Coulson, a licensed clinical therapist and the parent of a sophomore, was more pragmatic. “’Just say no’ doesn’t work,” she said.

“How do we teach teenagers to make good decisions, based on the fact that they are still teenagers?”

Reporters Katie Walters, Malik Peacock and Katy Trosch contributed to this report.

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Average Age Students in Each Grade Had Their First Drinks

11.8

12.6

13.4

14.4

Seniors

photos by staff

here happened at a much slower pace than the competitive section.

Almost everybody had a beer in their hand but wasn’t obligated to “kill it” immediately. Fewer shots were actually taken from cups or glasses; those drinking liquor tended to sip it from water bottles. Lively conversation set to dubstep or modern rap—Wiz Khalifa was a popular choice—dominated

Juniors

top: Cans of Natural Light and Keystone Light were tossed into cars to be shipped to the nearest dumpster. below: Crushed cans and Red Solo cups lay on a coffee table. Trash was strewn randomly all over the house.

“Bongs, bubblers and joints lay on the table...”

this section. The alcohol seemed to be there just to fuel more talking.

The last section, I’d call the “outdoor section,” or to be more blunt the smoker section. Outside at almost any time a group gathered, smoking either cigarettes or marijuana. At one of the parties people were sitting at a table on a porch, passing around and sharing marijuana. Bongs, bubblers and joints lay on the table for people to pass to each other and smoke up.

A few people had what looked like a never ending supply of marijuana, and they shared it with those who wanted some. People stayed outside a while, blathering nonsense, laughing and continually smoking. A handful of cigarette smokers appeared from time to time to take their smoke breaks with this group.

Each party housed from 20-25 people. The main drink was beer, most often Keystone Light or Natural Light. People brought their own, and they seemed stingier with their alcohol than with their marijuana.

They shared beers, but when someone wanted more than one, they routinely heard, “Got a dollar?”

Sophomores

THE DEBRIS OF THE PARTY.

but they each participated in some way in games such as shot gunning, the object of which is to gulp spewing beer from a can after stabbing it with keys.

In the “chill” section, about 10 people sat or stood, talking to each other and listening to music. Here was the largest and most diverse group of people. Groups interacted. Drinking

Freshmen

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mazen knio, staff writer he two parties I observed this month each seemed to contain three zones.

I’ll call the first the competitive section. Dominated by beer pong, this is where numerous drinking games were played. Here, things got loudest and the people got drunkest the fastest.

Overheard at one venue: “I bet you that I could chug this beer faster than you.”

“Don’t do it. He’s hustling you.”

“Screw it. Let’s go” The two individuals then poured their Natural Lights into two red cups, held them up and started to chug. The first individual downed his beer in about three seconds. He crumbled his cup and the whole crowd started to cheer.

Of the drinking games played, beer pong (for the uninitiated, this involves drunk people attempting to throw ping pong balls into cups of beer) lasted the longest—more than an hour.

Roughly six to eight people took part, sometimes watching and subbing in.

Not everyone in this section binged,

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opinion

EDITORIAL:

Admissions: Getting better, but not there yet

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new survey of accredited colleges and students led by the National Center for Fair and Open Testing shows that more than 800 schools, including high ranking colleges and universities, admit all or many students without requiring SAT or ACT scores.

This figure makes us think.

On the one hand, we like that colleges are placing less emphasis on standardized tests. The SAT assesses a student’s ability to take a test, not their ability to succeed in college. Many factors besides standardized test scores should affect whether a student is accepted.

Involvement in clubs, sports and leadership positions should be valued more by colleges. Chances are, if a student is actively involved in high school, then they will be prepared to take an active role in college life.

A student’s transcript is a much better representation of academic ability than SAT scores. A weighted GPA, showing the rigor of a student’s classes and their success in those courses, demonstrates to colleges the work that a student is capable of.

However, the rank and difficulty of a school’s courses should also be considered in the process. An Honors class in Mississippi is different than an Honors class in Massachusetts. Last year’s National Merit Scholarship qualifying score was 204 in West Virginia, as opposed to 223 in New Jersey.

Most schools require that students submit up to two teacher recommendations. This doesn’t seem like a large enough sample of teachers to paint a picture of a student’s character. Typically, students only ask teachers who like them to write their recommendations.

We concluded that there needs to be some standardization in the acceptance process that the SAT provides to schools. The reality is that some schools are more rigorous than others. Some teachers are tough graders, and some are lenient. There’s too much variation among school systems across the nation for acceptance to be based on grades and recommendations alone.

Universities and the College Board have more work to do on this issue. We only know that the SAT should not be a dominant determinant for college.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Think fast! It’s Saturday morning. Your long week of early mornings and late nights filled with too many books and breakdowns is finally over. If you could be anywhere, where would you like to be right now? If you said anywhere other than taking the SAT, you have some serious rethinking to do.

Thank you so much for writing the article on reconsidering the emphasis of the SAT. It is nice to see the opposing viewpoint because I, for one, couldn’t imagine wishing colleges would dismiss the SAT. I have worked hard for years, with many tests, quizzes, and essays. I have put sweat and blood into my Advanced Placement classes and into my work. But really, what is all of that to a four-hour test? Colleges understand how it is. They know that really your whole life is nothing in comparison to one morning. Thank you, College Board, oh so very much for your wisdom.

There are just so many great aspects of the SAT. For one, there’s the cost. It’s great because only people with a lot of money have the opportunity to take the test more than once. We all know that only well-off people deserve to be able to take the test multiple times and get better scores anyway. Go rich kids! Another thing is that it totally goes with the curriculum of school. It’s extremely fair that the students who are in advanced classes and have spent years learning the properties of parallel lines take a test full of them. We all know there has never been a successful person who forgot his or her permutation vs. combination probability equations. As if all of that wasn’t enough, I love that students who plan on majoring in math are judged on their ability to read and write and vice versa. God, the SAT is fantastic.

— Julie Gianninno, junior

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Dulaney High School 255 E. Padonia Rd. Timonium, Maryland (410) 887-7633 co-editors Aysha Khan, Anna Jensen deputy editor Alison Kochesfahani business managers Yejin Yoon, Kyra Twohy adviser Maria Hiaasen The Griffin’s mission is to enlighten and entertain.

december 19, 2012

Efficient teaching demystified by expert

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franny brancati, staff writer ver the past few years, I’ve seen teachers come to school an hour or two before the morning bell rings at 7:40 a.m., and stay at school for hours after the liberty bell tolls at 2:15 p.m. Sure, their students may have fairly decent grades, but let’s be honest. These over-achieving educators are making life too easy for a mere high schooler at the expense of their own free time.

Luckily for these try-hards, I’m here to give them some tips on a topic they evidently didn’t learn in college; how to teach efficiently.

First: Being feared is more efficient than being loved. For example, I talk to a few of my teachers about how Ke$ha and One Direction are amazing.

I never knew that teachers could have opinions on pop culture! Sure, I liked these teachers more once I found out that they have good taste in music, but that’s a whole extra minute that my teachers spend talking to me and other students, and who likes that?

Good teachers avoid this by being mean. It’s simple logic. The less friendly you are, the less often students will ask for help outside of class.

Here are some easy ways to make yourself intimidating: Don’t smile.

Make fun of your students. Throw things at them. Don’t learn their names. When your students walk into the classroom with a half scared, half despaired look on their face, they are telling you that you are one great teacher. Congratulations! Keep up the good work.

“Being feared is more efficient than being loved.”

Second: Keep supervision to a minimum. Kids and teachers have different motives. Teachers want to teach and students don’t want to learn.

The more you get out of their hair, the more students will like you. The best teacher I ever had left the room during our lab days right after we brought out the explosive chemicals and right before he gave us the directions….we had a blast.

Third: Give more homework. The

more homework you give your students, the less you have to teach them in class; it makes sense if you don’t think about it. If your students don’t bring two cups of coffee to school every day, they are getting too much sleep.

And students like more homework.

You see, teenagers are lazy and don’t want to participate in extracurriculars.

Having more homework is another excuse they can tell their parents to get out of being involved in their community.

And let’s be honest, your class is the only one that matters anyway. So don’t worry, it’s impossible to give too much homework.

Now I have heard of a few teachers who for some reason or another don’t want to follow these guidelines.

They offer to give extra help to students, grade papers and return them to students quickly, and—God forbid—some of them actually teach the material that shows up on the test! I recommend these teachers receive scathing reprimands, effective immediately.

op-art:

katie walters

Envision a life without Facebook: She lives one

I

missy elrick, staff writer am a technology addict. My parents joke that if I did not have my technology, I would go crazy. I love instant messaging my friends. I am addicted to “Temple Run.” I read e-books more often than I read traditional books. My parents are ruing the day that I taught my younger brother how to use YouTube. I don’t watch TV; I stream my favorite shows instead. I keep informed by reading the news online instead of print form. CD’s are becoming ancient technology compared to music downloading.

Yet, I don’t have a Facebook. And I’m proud of it.

According to USA Today, Facebook recently hit one billion users who log on each month. That’s double the users from July 2010.

Only 19 percent of Facebook users live in the US, but Facebook accounts for 81 percent of internet users worldwide.

My father expressed his opinion on the topic when I was a wee freshman.

“You are never to have Facebook; it is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard of,” were his exact words.

Now I have come to see his point.

Anyone can view your page, including potential employers and colleges. Pictures of partying or other irresponsible behavior that make it onto your Facebook page can cause you to lose a job or ruin your reputation. And it doesn’t go away. Employers and colleges cannot dig up any dirt on me without Facebook.

I’m also concerned about the security available on Facebook. They only just recently upgraded their system to news editors Becca King, Mattie Gibbons features editors Jessica Hung, Thea Zurek opinion editors Jenny Ingliss, Katie Walters sports editors Drew Van Wagner, Joe Pezzulla chief technician Leander Bechtold deputy technicians Rashid Taleb, Alex Boellner photography editors Emily Park, Jen Siegel online coordinators Lily Klein, Beth Vita, Alicia Winton copy editors Malik Peacock, Isabel Griffith, Meghan Reinhardt, Nick Bond Find us on Edline under clubs.

the more secure HTTPS server, which other sites, including Google and our very own Edline, have been using for a while now. When Edline is more secure than Facebook, you know we have a problem. If they only recently upgraded, how is the rest of their security? Would hackers get my email? My phone number? If I posted a picture of myself, would identity thieves be able to view it? There are settings so that only your friends can view it, but if the site is not secure, then I can’t trust that I am secure.

I also fail to see how one can have 2,000 friends. You can’t possibly know that many people. People share details of their life that really should be kept to a few individuals, not your 30,000 closest friends or however many you have on Facebook.

I just don’t care about your life. According to USA Today, 60 percent of Facebook users have mobile accounts.

Mobile device equals many details of your life that I photo from theantifacebookleague.com don’t care about. If I cared, I’d call you and you could tell me about it. That’s how real friends communicate, not ones you’ve just added to your friends list on Facebook.

As someone who is technology obsessed, I don’t need anything else potentially addictive in my life. Right now, I’d rather be playing “Minesweeper” than writing this article. Facebook is just one more distraction from more important things. I already waste enough time online each day.

I admit that Facebook can be useful for keeping in touch.

Will I get Facebook? Ever? Maybe if I move for college. For now, I think I need to get back to playing Angry Birds.

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.

Interested in advertising in The Griffin or purchasing any photos seen in this issue? Use the same contact information.

7

the griffin

opinion

It’s high time we legalized recreational pot

I

malik peacock, copy editor t’s an idea whose time has come.

Unless you’ve been hibernating due to the increasingly cold weather, you’re aware that recent legislation passed in both Colorado and Washington that allows for legal possession of marijuana in those states.

In both states, age requirements have restricted use to ages 21 and older.

America has embraced alcohol with open arms, so I don’t think a real argument can be made for keeping adults away from marijuana. In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked or upset if this idea of legalization spread to Maryland. A poll conducted last year by Gallup found that 50 percent of Americans support marijuana legalization, while 46 percent oppose it. The point: since Maryland op-art: voters lean liberal, the state could be kaeli o’connor in the same position as Colorado and Washington before long.

According to Timothy Egan of The New York Times, nearly 30 million Americans were arrested or incarcerated last year in the United States for possessing the green.

The federal government is still upholding the illegality of recreational marijuana use even though Colorado and Washington law have deemed the drug legal. Now I wholeheartedly understand placing individuals behind bars

if they’ve committed actual crimes like murder or theft, but to give the same punishment for smoking a plant? Give me a break.

Fellow Americans, look at our economy! We can act as though the situation that stares us dead in the face will go away on its own, but the reality is that it’s not looking so hot. Chief executive of UPS Scott Davis informs The New York Times that our national debt increases by about $3 million every minute.

So why waste money to hold marijuana smokers in jail? It simply shouldn’t be a crime.

Opponents of legalizing pot often argue that marijuana is a gateway drug.

Okay, but if we were to ban marijuana for this reason, wouldn’t we be forced to ban cigarettes as well? And then of course, junk food? Besides, according to a study conducted by the Institute of Medicine, only 9 percent of those who had used marijuana became addicted. The argument is totally irrelevant because it depends on the person and it comes down to recreationally smoking marijuana at one’s own risk.

And that’s precisely where I stand on this issue. The society we live in is evolving and there’s no point in attempting to regulate the drug preference of anyone.

End rant.

Focus, productivity flourish with four-day school week

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alicia winton, online coordinator umbers. We use them every day.

In school, at home, at work. Our lives are filled with numbers.

They can be used as a way of measurement: how many loaves of bread to buy, how many inches to cut off our hair, and now, the success of students across the globe and how “smart” they are compared to students in other countries.

Apparently, these numbers are being used to claim the inferiority of American schools and as a reason to have more school.

What? More school? Because being forced to be in school for more than we already are will increase productivity, focus, and create better results, right?

I’ve got a better idea.

The New York Times noted that the owner of the software company 37signals changed his company schedule to a four

day work week in May through October. He reported higher productivity and more creative ideas, even finding that better work got done in four days than that which got done in five. Using the added free time, the company implemented a month during which employees could work on whatever they wanted. The could shelve their nonessential work and focus on their own creative ideas.

Without the pressure of extra time, it is easier to focus and do better work on tasks assigned. Not only does the pressure foster good work habits, but increased weekends would most likely lead to more sleep. And, as most of us are aware, we all work better with more sleep. This extra sleep accumulated over the improved three day weekends would help us all avoid that struggle to stay awake during class while our heavy lids persuade us to do otherwise.

The familiar 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. schedule is often thought of by students as monotonous, and the five day struggle sometimes leads us to forget the value of education. We begin to ignore how the opportunities, the many stellar teachers and the knowledge provided for us at school can actually make the now dreaded hours something we should enjoy.

Economics teaches us that if a product is scarce, there will be a higher demand for that product, and it will become more valuable. If school is the product we are trying to sell to students, making less of that product and shortening the week will increase the demand, the desire to attend school and the value, the enjoyment of the great facilities provided. All of this adds up to higher productivity, quality of work and, if you choose to measure it, better numbers.

Year-round schooling would equate to academic nightmare

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december 19, 2012

sanity

Bracing for Earth’s “doom”

thea zurek, features editor eck the halls with boughs of holly…and emergency generators, gas masks and dehydrated marmalade. ‘Tis the season of the apocalyptic phenomenon known as Dec. 21 2012.

For those of you who’ve been living inside a Labradoodle for the past year, allow me to share the sordid tale of how 2012 transformed from the year after 2011 and before 2013 into a date fraught with terror, foreboding and Starburst candies.

It all started 4,000 years ago in the Guatemalan highlands when the Maya civilization, having already discovered chocolate and human sacrifice, decided it was time they devised a calendar too (there’s nothing worse than tearing out your neighbor’s still-beating heart, only to realize that Human Sacrifice Day was last Thursday and the poor schmuck was just offering you a hazelnut bonbon).

The Maya calendar called months winals, years tuns and gangsta muppets Justin Bieber. 394.26 tuns made a b’ak’tun and after 13 ba’ak’tuns (roughly 5,125 years) one world-age would come to an end and another would start up. Our current world-age ends on Dec. 21. That’s it. They didn’t foretell huge floods, devastating earthquakes or rabid ring-tailed lemurs falling from the sky—just a peaceful transition from one time period to the next. In fact, they believed we’d already been through three of these transformations with no ill effects.

You’re skeptical? The director of Tulane University’s Middle American Research Institute confirms this.

Ricardo Cajas, president of a Guatemalan Maya association confirms this. Common sense confirms this

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“...a date fraught with terror, foreboding and Starburst candies.”

op-art:

katie walters

R

jenny ingliss, opinion editor aise your hand if you want to be at school in the middle of July.

I didn’t think so. Aside from the fact that it’s summer, our school has no air conditioning. Anyone in the building would probably melt into a puddle of sweat, or their brains would vaporize right out of their skulls and leave a disgusting heap of soggy flesh behind (sorry, janitors).

So if the question of a year-round school year was brought up, students would have a tough time seeing any benefits at all. Add the angry buzzing of a teacher’s voice to the sweltering heat, and you’ve got a potent recipe for chronic student apathy.

The year-round plan varies depending on who you talk to, but the general idea begins with the end of summer vacation.

It’s chopped up like an onion and sprinkled liberally throughout the school year.

The other breaks (Thanksgiving, winter, spring) are left in place. So after about seven weeks of school, students get three weeks off. Then the cycle starts again.

While the sudden proliferation of mini-

breaks may seem a cause to celebrate, don’t be fooled. These short reprieves come at the hefty expense of two solid months of summer vacation, wipe out any possibility of a summer job, and eliminate the opportunity for summer camps, whether they be for sports or academics. It’s doubtful that the meager benefits scrounged from the year-round plan could make these drawbacks worth it.

Furthermore, the plan largely lacks the support of key groups: in Los Angeles, where a handful of high schools are attempting the switch, “few have gained the support of teachers’ unions and parents,” says a New York Times article.

And then there’s the forgetting issue.

Remember all the stuff you don’t remember on the first day of school? Like those weird foreign language conjugations. Or how to simplify funky-looking math equations. Quite frankly, a brain after summer looks just like a deflated balloon.

Most teachers easily solve this problem by spending a few days on reviewing after summer break. Now what if we multiplied

that by four or five? Instead of coming back refreshed and ready to tackle academic challenges, the levels of interest in school would plummet, and the time spent in review would skyrocket. Even now, the memory issue is a genuine problem, junior Jessica Hung said. After just one weekend, “sometimes I can’t even remember what we learned three days ago,” Hung added.

Besides forgetting, another issue is homework. If mini-breaks are followed by more school, reasons junior Becca King, then there’s no limit to the volume of assignments teachers can give.

“Teachers would just assign really big projects before each break, which would just give you more work,” King said.

It’s true that other countries use the yearround calendar. China is an example, according to the New York Times. But attempting a drastic schedule shift here in Baltimore County would only create chaos. Instead, the solution lies in improving student performance within the current school schedule.

Find us on Edline under clubs.

—after all, we don’t freak out and brace ourselves for the apocalypse on Sunday nights, and that’s the end of a time period (the week) too.

Unfortunately, some people believe that Dec. 21 does herald the end of days. These people (the “Magenta Weasels Have Devoured My Frontal Lobe” people) have devised all sorts of theories as to how the apocalypse will occur.

One of the most popular is that a planet called “X” or “Nibiru” or “Shanice” will pass by Earth, causing us to stop rotating and the earth’s crust to crack, its oceans to flood and its freeform jazz to become derivative.

This theory was proposed by Nancy Lieder who hails from the scientific capital of the world (Wisconsin) and gets her astronomical information from the “Zetas,” aliens who put an “implant” in her brain and unwrapped one Starburst candy in Lieder’s bag of individually wrapped ones to prove their awesome power.

According to RationalWiki, Lieder actually predicted the planetary collision for 2003. When 2003 came and went with a shocking lack of death, Lieder claimed that the 2003 prediction was a “White Lie” told to fool the establishment (God forbid the powers that be ever get their hands on the fearsome technology of the Starburst-Unwrapper.)

Luckily, a spot check of students finds that the 2012 hysteria doesn’t appear to have swept here yet. Junior Roy Martin said he doesn’t believe in an imminent apocalypse because “there’s no logical proof to back it up.” Fellow junior Rosie Ruggiero concurs.

However, freshman Alise Collins said she believes in the apocalypse.

“I’m paranoid,” Collins said.

For the most part though, skepticism seems deeply ingrained among students and teachers alike.

Chemistry teacher Karl Geckle summed up the crucial flaw within the 2012 apocalypse “theory”.

“The world may very well end some day soon, but it won’t have anything to do with a calendar,” Geckle said.

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sports

december 19, 2012

the griffin

athletes

month

Sprinting sophomore excels isabel griffith, copy editor ophomore Kita Robinson started running as a freshman and hasn’t looked back since.

“It was the first sport I have ever done, and I just wanted to run,” she said.

Her dedication and love for the sport have excelled Robinson into a group of the top runners in the county. photo by jen siegel Robinson’s versatile athletic capabilities give her the opportunity to be a great distance runner, but also a speedy sprinter.

“I like sprinting more. When I run, I feel like a beast.” She attributes her quickness to her parents who motivate her and are extremely proud.

Besides the time commitment needed to be a cross country and track runner, Robinson also enjoys spending time with her friends and “doing weird stuff.”

“Her bubbly personality and her individuality,” said Junior Samantha Smyth, makes her especially “unique”.

Of course nobody is perfect. This fall, for example, cross country coach Chad Boyle said Kita was occasionally reprimanded for lateness or absences. But her work ethic and dedication to the sport makes Robinson a tremendous athlete.

Although runners do get breaks, Robinson continues to train throughout the summers by participating in summer track with Coach Dion Hylton. Running’s strangely addictive nature causes a desire to always see improvement.

“If you are going to work this hard, why not improve?” said Robinson.

Robinson’s hard work on the track has reflected into her work in the classroom.

“I wasn’t as responsible, I didn’t care as much, and now I am just more dedicated with things that I do.”

When asked the difficult question of her favorite race she answered, “The 800 meters”.

A perfect combination of her endurance capabilities and her quickness, the 800 meters is a true middle distance race.

Robinson continues into this winter track season with high hopes for the county, regional and state championships.

S

girls lace up their wrestling shoes.

clockwise from top: Freshman Noah Squire-Rogers grapples with freshman Maya Callahan during a December wrestling practice in the pit; sophomore Nancy Delcid performs an escape move called sitting out while wrestling with sophomore Tyler Blanton during practice; Blanton performs a set up move called a collar tie to Delcid while Callahan looks on. photos by jen siegel

Female JV wrestlers tackle adversity

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sarah fisher, staff writer nter the wrestling pit. The stench of sweat permeates the air. The air is heavy and stale and a little uncomfortably warm. The signs all point to one conclusion—wrestling season has begun. But something is different this year.

For the first time in years, female wrestlers have cracked the lineup of the junior varsity team. Sophomore Nancy Delcid and freshman Maya Callahan bring the estrogen to a lineup otherwise stacked with Y-chromosomes.

Both girls cite different reasons for joining the team.

For Delcid, it wasn’t about proving a point to anyone.

“I didn’t do this just to prove that girls can,” she said. “I actually like it.”

Callahan, on the other hand, said she aspires to become a professional wrestler.

Both teammates are relatively new to the sport. Callahan had only a month of wrestling experience prior to the season’s start. Delcid had none. But

this hardly intimidated either of them.

They both said they looked forward to learning the sport.

But at first, that was difficult.

“Some of the guys don’t want to wrestle with us because we’re girls,” Delcid said. “But it’s getting really tedious. If they don’t’ actually wrestle us, how are we going to get ready for real matches?”

Since wrestling is based on weightclass, the two girls don’t often spar with one another. But they have sparred similar opponents. Junior varsity coach Michael Lima said he treats the girls at practice the way he would treat any of their male counterparts.

Some of the male JV wrestlers noted that sparring with girls can be strange at times.

“It’s awkward. You feel their legs and stuff, I don’t know, it feels weird,” sophomore Malik Kassim said. Kassim occasionally wrestles Delcid.

But many of the teammates said they didn’t mind.

“Most of the guys are okay with it,”

Delcid said. “There are just a couple of guys who feel like I’m cramping their style.”

“If they want to wrestle, they want to wrestle,” Kassim said. “You just treat them like a wrestler and not a girl. It’s not a big deal.”

Lima said he reminded the team that the girls were wrestlers and teammates.

They are to be treated the same way he treats any male.

“Anyone who steps on this mat is a wrestler. They sweat with us; they bleed with us. You hurt them if you have to, and you treat them the same because it’s just a part of the sport. Girl or guy,” Lima said.

Sometimes, Callahan said, they expect even more from the girls. But Delcid and Callahan aren’t turned off from the challenges. Both girls said they set their goals high for the season and will continue to enjoy the sport.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal being on the wrestling team. I’m doing what I love to do, and that’s wrestling,” Callahan said.

Basketball kicks off the winter season at home the boys hit the court. right: Junior varsity sophomore Ben Stevens eyes teammates for a pass in the first game of the year.

The boys lost to Mount Hebron 32-33 on Dec. 5. Sophomore Elijah Lofton led the team’s scoring with 17 points.

Adaptable senior leads his team drew wicks, staff writer ersatile.”

Ask coaches or teammates to talk about senior Gavan Scanlan and his role on the basketball team, and this word is sure to come up. Officially playing the shooting guard and small forward positions, Scanlan is known for controlling the game and photo by kira stiers adapting to any situation.

“What makes Gavan unique is that he will play all five positions,” varsity basketball coach Matt Lochte said.

Scanlan started playing basketball when he was 6 years old and said that he fell in love instantly. He first took the court for the Lutherville-Timonium Recreational Council and then progressed his way up to the travel team, and then to a year-round Amateur Athletic Union team for Baltimore.

Scanlan has played on the varsity squad here all four years, seeing significant playing time since the end of his freshman year.

Teammates like co-captain Jordan Williams call Scanlan a motivator and a natural leader.

“He knows how to stay focused and always knows how to keep the entire team focused,” said Williams.

A seasoned player, Scanlan said it takes a lot of hard work to stay in shape for his demanding schedule. To combat this, Scanlan attends lacrosse coach Kyle Fiat’s Bigger, Faster, Stronger workouts all year long.

“In BFS, Gavan takes on the leadership role,” senior Tate Berman said. “If a younger kid is having trouble with some weight, Gavan is the first to go over and help him push through it.”

Scanlan uses his summers to perfect his performance.

He plays for club and the school’s summer team. He also attends several camps a summer to stay in shape.

Lochte said a variety of mid-range NCAA Division I schools have already scouted Scanlan to play for them in college.

Scanlan’s goals? He said he hopes to win the 4A state championships and continue to hone his skills.

“V

For junior varsity athletes of the month Liam Ittenbach and Brianna Briggs, visit our website on Edline under clubs.

far right: Senior Stew German picks up a loose ball in the Dec. 5 game against Mount Hebron alongside senior Gavan Scanlan. Varsity won the game 58-40. photos by jen siegel

photos by jen siegel

Find us on Edline under clubs.

9

features

the griffin

december 19, 2012

TEACHER? LAWYER? ENGINEER? NURSE? Start College Now! It’s never too soon to start thinking about your future.

The Community College of Baltimore County offers high school students the opportunity to get a jump start on their college education and career training with our Parallel Enrollment Program (PEP). Juniors and Seniors can enroll in college courses while still in high school. Talk to your parents and guidance counselors to see how you can start getting ready now.

Get Started at CCBC!

Request more information and get your own customized web page at ccbcmd.edu/requestinfo

The incredible value of education.

Find us on Edline under clubs.

www.ccbcmd.edu

the griffin

10 features

an

“T

december 19, 2012

among us:

He came late to it, but it came naturally

natalie baker, staff writer here is something about an audience that just gives life to what you’ve been working on.”

The thrill and energy of being on stage is exactly what senior Andrew Carey – the lead in the fall play – loves about acting.

“You go on stage and you are no longer yourself. You are no longer Andrew. You’re all of a sudden Nykos or Juror #8 or whomever you’re being.”

Carey, who dabbled in acting in middle school, said he won’t pursue a professional acting career because the starving artist archetype scares him a bit. Still, he does confess that he aspires to perform in community productions and that his life goal is to replace Chris Evans as Captain America.

Regardless of how that all pans out, he’s serious about his craft. Just ask him

about the nuances of his acting.

“The way you say something can greatly change what you are portraying. One little word can make the difference between being sad or angry or ignorant or nonchalant,” Carey said.

“‘You go on stage and you are no longer yourself.’”

He added that musicals are more “predetermined” because the dance moves and songs are already given. While in a play, there is more to control and create.

Susan Lev-Tairstein, director of “12 Angry Jurors,” listed a few of Carey’s strengths as an actor: “His commitment to the show, his diligence in memoriz-

ing lines, his attendance at rehearsals and he is openness to direction.”

When asked to choose three adjectives that describe Carey’s acting style, Lev responded with “calm, cool, and enthusiastic.”

“A lot of actors are very emotional and dramatic and Andrew isn’t. He is enthusiastic but not to the point of being over excited,” Lev explains.

But Carey is no exception to imperfection. He admits that on opening night of “12 Angry Jurors” he forgot his monologue.

“The whole thing just left me and I felt like I was about to faint. But I was able to pick myself up and get through the monologue.”

He now says that he is glad that it happened because it is a “milestone” for an actor. Lev agrees: “I think it’s almost a right of passage, in a sense; it is part of paying your dues as an actor.”

PLAYING THE ROLE of Juror #8, senior Andrew Carey demonstrates the testimony of an elderly witness in “12 Angry Jurors” on Nov. 14. photo by courtney cooper

She’s an authority on Transcendentalism, rhetoric and, yes, “Madame Butterfly”

D

yejin yoon, business manager on’t let her impish chuckle and informal attitude fool you. English teacher Kathy Roeder is a die-hard opera fan.

“I’ve probably see between 15 and 20 different ones, but I’ve seen a couple different ones twice,” Roeder said. “There are some that everyone just knows, like ‘La Bohème,’ that I’ve seen a few times. Everyone just knows that story. It’s all so neat and exciting.”

Roeder, who has been a fan of opera for about 20 years now, said her interest in opera began with an invitation from a friend.

“I didn’t care for it when I was a teenager.

But a friend of mine said, ‘Do you want to go to the opera?’ and I was like, ‘The opera?

No!’ and he said, ‘Come on, come on, let’s go!’ So I agreed and I loved it, my first one,” English teacher Kathy Roeder pauses outside Roeder said.

Though she had listened to opera on the New York’s Metropolitan Opera last spring. photo from roeder radio, Roeder said attending shows is an

entirely different experience. People tend to just hear the music and dismiss it, she said, but once they see a real opera in person, they understand.

“It’s so different when you just hear it, because you don’t know what’s going on.

You don’t understand the words. It’s not in context, but when you’re there, it’s just really exciting,” Roeder said.

Even though the operas are usually in a foreign language, Roeder says you can understand everything just by watching. One of her favorite operas, “Madame Butterfly,” was in Italian, yet she admits to crying during the scene in which Ciocio-san (Madame Butterfly) kills herself out of love for her son.

When attending a show, Roeder said atmosphere is just as important as the actual show.

“As soon as you walk in the door…all the people are talking about what singer they can’t wait to see and they can’t wait to hear

this, ‘this one’s so good,’ ‘last week I went to hear this.’ Everyone is just talking about opera. It’s really neat,” Roeder said.

Roader, who said she hopes to see “Faust” at the Metropolitan Opera over spring break, said she is not interested in the local opera scene, which focuses on concert opera – singing without the costumes.

In fact, there is not much opera available locally, she said. Washington and the Kennedy Center are so expensive that she prefers to just go to New York City.

She said that though opera contains extremely old stories, the tradition still appeals to many types of people.

Roeder witnessed this diversity last spring when she saw “La Traviata” at the Metropolitan. People of all backgrounds wandered about, dressed in everything from jeans to top hats.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s not like it used to be, where you have to dress up all stuffy,” she said.

Got holiday spirit? Individuals and clubs sponsor acts of benevolence

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katie boltz & mady bates, staff writers ecember holidays bring with them the spirit of giving. Besides the Student Government Association’s canned food drive, many individuals and clubs throughout the school have participated in other benevolent acts. Here are some highlights: • Physical education teachers Kellie Fialcowitz and Jessica Szymanski encourage students to donate eight inches of their hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, an organization that creates and donates hair to cancer patients. They said they aim to recruit 50 volunteers. See staff writer Christine McKinnie’s story on our website.

• Take What You Need posters were placed around the building by senior Arrabi Sophomore Lucia Tarantino signs up to particiNandakumar. “One little thing can make pate in Pantene Beautiful Length’s hair donation a difference,” she said. She encourages drive in the girls’ locker room Dec. 10. photo by christine mckinnie students to tear off whichever quality

•

• •

they need to brighten their day, whether it is hope, faith or adventure. See staff writer Essence Smith’s story on our website.

Future Educators of America are donating to “Kid for Hopkins”--a charity that seeks to better the lives of children living in hopsitals long-term. They are selling chain links for 25 cents during lunch shifts an after school.

The French Club will collect gently used shoes for underprivileged families throughout the month of December.

The Art Club designed and sold holiday ornaments. Their profits will be donated to Hurricane Sandy victims through the Salvation Army in New Jersey.

To learn more about other local benevolent acts, in- A project of senior Arrabi Nandakumar, cluding those sponsored by the Key Club and the Take What You Need posters hang in classStudent Government Organiztion, see our website. rooms throughout the school. photo by essence smith

THIS WEEK ON

the really good show On Episode 21 of the school podcast, The Really Good Show, calculus teacher Donna Weber talks about her passion for math and explains why she draws hearts all the time. The following are short excerpts from the interview: Q: Calculus is very complex. When you were learning, did you have any difficulties?

A: Yes! Yes, it was not easy for me at all. I used to spend hours trying to figure out what was going on. And when I first started teaching it, it was difficult because you have to understand it, then you have to figure out a way to explain it to someone. I explain things so that people can understand it because I knew Find us on Edline under clubs.

when I learned it, it wasn’t that easy for me. So I want to make sure: if I can do it, anybody can do it.

Q: Why do you use hearts all the time?

A: It’s a funny thing. I just got bored one day of putting circles around stuff, and so I just, one day, I started putting hearts around it…And [former principal] Mr. McCusker—when he was here—he came in to pop in one day and I had finished a thing and I put a heart around it. And he sent me a note and he said, “In all the years, I’ve seen people circle stuff, put a box around ‘em, but I have never seen anybody put a heart around it.” So then I started doing it all the time.

To listen to the full interview, visit: http://thereallygoodshow.com Follow The Really Good Show on Twitter: @dulaneypodcast

the griffin

11 features

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and Sons. They just released a new CD, and my favorite song would have to be a tie between “Something Beautiful” and “Oohs and Aahs.”

They can really connect with their listeners.

AMIRA BRADDY, senior and member of the Lions Roar Colorguard, Dance Company and STAND club, will soon accompany the marching band to the All-State Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Braddy sat down with online coordinator Alicia Winton to discuss what she has been up to recently. reading? Inside school, we’ve been reading “Hamlet” and that’s a really good play. It might be my second favorite

by Shakespeare. Hamlet’s character is so dynamic. Outside of school, I have been rereading “Winter Girls”

by Laurie Halse Anderson.

It’s about a girl who’s suffering from anorexia and she’s been seeing a ghost of her best friend. It’s another type of psychological thriller, I would say.

following? I’ve been following Arizona State football because I got into college there. They recently beat their rival, the University of Arizona, which was a big win for them. I definitely plan on going to college at Arizona. I’ve considered joining their spirit squad, but I think I’m going to do dance team. It’s like I’m building school spirit before I even go. eating? Oreos and queso dip. It sounds weird but I was with my friends and we had oreos and queso dip and nachos but we ran out of nachos.

The oreos were next to the queso dip and I tried it and a new snack was born. It’s just like a salty sweet type of thing, like spicy M&M’s. changing? I’m get-

photo by alicia winton

watching? I have been recently addicted to “Weeds.” It’s about an affluent mother who, after her husband’s sudden death, has to start selling marijuana to support her family’s rich lifestyle and it grows into a very interesting plotline. It’s really well written and the development is poetic. I’ve also been watching “American Horror Story.” Normally, I don’t do “scary” but this is also like a psychological thriller. It’s really interesting.

ting ready to go to the Sugar Bowl. I hear we’re going on a riverboat cruise. I’m really excited, but I’m most scared about dropping my flag. I’m also going to college. It’s going to be new and I like that, although I’m kind of scared to get lost on campus.

listening? I’ve been listening to a lot of NeedToBreathe. They’re a Christian band, but if you were to listen to them, and someone didn’t tell you it was a Christian band, you wouldn’t know it. The singer’s voice is really rusty and they tell stories in their songs. They’re like a Christian Mumford

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december 19, 2012

Writers recommend holiday flicks

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ben merenbloom, staff writer furnace. et’s be honest. With its slap“Shut up,” Kevin says to the furnace stick humor and family focus, when he imagines it mocking and “Home Alone” is an instant hit laughing at him later in the movie.

He’s growing up so fast! for anyone looking to enjoy “This is my house, I have a family oriented movie with more than enough to defend it,” Kevin says comic relief to go around. when the clock strikes 9 Director Chris Colump.m. on the night the Wet Bandits come. bus fully develops Kevin And boy does he defend McCallister (Macaulay it!

Culkin) as a character.

Kevin pours water on Kevin begins as an immature 8 year old who drives the stairways outside his house so when it freezes, his parents crazy, but he bungling burglars played begins to mature as soon photo from imdb.com

by Joe Pesci and Daniel as he’s inadverdantly left Stern, can’t reach the door. I never get home alone.

“Is this toothbrush approved by tired of this slapstick humor. Espethe American Dental Association?” cially when Kevin breaks out the BB Kevin says which depicts his matura- gun.

Who doesn’t want to watch an tion during his time alone. Another simple way Kevin matures is that he 8-year-old kid humiliate two “profesovercomes his fear of the basement sional” burglars?

A

gina lee, staff writer had left the North Pole for Manhattan, arriving in full elf costume. He sucphone rings in an office.

“Buddy the Elf,” ceeds at his task and rekindles the Christmas the childlike protagonist played by Will spirit—in his dad and all of New York City.

Ferrell, answers. Despite trading an elf’s tights for How? Buddy’s earnest a business suit, he follows devotion to Christmas.

“The best way to with, “What’s your favorite color?” spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to His newly discovered fahear,” Buddy says to ther (James Caan), a regular on Santa’s naughty list, jaded New Yorkers. isn’t amused. But you will Among my favorite scenes is the one when be. photo from imdb.com Buddy’s dad breaks out Directed by Jon Favreau, “Elf” is the story of an oversized elf’s into singing “Santa Clause is coming quest to find and gain acceptance to Town,” which supplies just enough from his real dad while figuring out spirit to finally allow Santa to maneuhis unique place in the world. Buddy ver his sleigh past the vicious Central was raised by an elf after slipping into Park Rangers and to save the holiday Santa’s sack at an orphanage as an in- for everyone. Sounds cloying, but it fant. Now, some 30 years later, Buddy works.

the griffin

12 features

december 19, 2012

MEMOIR:

Student with family abroad reveals personal link to crisis

Recent headlines show a state of decline in Syria. The New York Times reports that after using Scud missiles and chemical weapons massacring his people, President Bashar alAssad is losing control of his government and could be overtaken by rebels. For those with family in Syria, where 40,000 people have died in the past two years, such news conjures intense memories. Deputy technician Rashid Taleb is one such person.

M

rashid taleb, deputy technician y father’s hometown in Syria lay lifeless. The streets, scarred by the civil war, were littered with rubble.

Buildings were crumbling. Nothing had been left untouched.

A few months ago, safe in our home across the sea, my family watched a nowremoved YouTube video a man had filmed of the devastation. I looked at the streets and

OLD AND NEW

above: Taleb’s grandfather, a stonemason, built this house in Al-Tal, Syria, where his father was born. The family abandoned the house as it collapsed with age. right: Taleb plays with his cousins and father outside his grandfather’s largest farm in June 2004. photos from taleb

houses where my cousins lived, thinking, “Wow. I used to spend summers there. I used to visit my family there – and now it’s gone.” It was a heavy moment, leaving us feeling strangely hollow.

When their houses were bombed by the Syrian air force, my family was forced to relocate from their hometown of Al-Tal, a mountain town just outside Damascus, into the city of Damascus itself.

Their house had not been demolished as many were, but that only prompted soldiers to occupy their house. The soldiers, sent to kill any males in the area, raided homes and destroyed property. My uncle lost his entire life’s savings to the thieving hands of some soldier.

The freedom and life of its people have become expendable to the government. My 21-year-old cousin Majdy is under the eye of the government to be forcefully drafted into service as soon as he finishes college.

A few more distant cousins were arrested for dissent some months ago and have yet to be seen.

We assume they are dead.

The father of Syria’s current ruler began using such scare tactics in the 1980s.

Hafez alAssad, a Cold

War era ally to the U.S.S.R., felt the people were too strongly opposed to his rule; in a Machiavellian attempt to quiet his subjects, he massacred them. A few blocks in Hama still lay deserted and in ruin.

Now his son, Bashar al-Assad, has launched a war against all Syrian protesters.

The people of Syria continue their struggle against their oppressive government, despite the pressure. Neighboring countries are showing disapproval of the government’s actions as recent events draw worldwide attention. The continued resistance has pushed the government to stoop even lower in their attacks.

In addition to bombings, military installments, massacres, property seizure and forced drafting, the government has silenced media and communication, using the feeds to release propaganda against rebels.

And after the opposition buried their dead, the soldiers dug up and publicly displayed the corpses, attempting to convince the world that they were victims of the protesters.

Some believe the U.S. should begin military intervention on behalf of the Syrians on top of our economic counter-measures. But adding American forces into the equation could only intensify the violence, making us look more like the enemy than the savior. The most we should do is establish a no-fly zone to stop the bombings by the Syrian air force.

The U.S. cannot afford further confrontations from sticking its hands into others’ affairs. And Syrians cannot afford any more fighting in their land.

Singing sensation stuns judges and peers

“V

katie paranzino, staff writer eena? Wait, Veena? I didn’t know she sang,” sophomore P.D. Stein said.

“What!?” sophomore Christian Franklyn responded. “She’s amazing!”

The two were reacting to their first glimpse of a video of fellow sophomore Veena Sivaraman singing a Bollywood-style song.

“I just thought she was a field hockey player,” Stein said in disbelief.

The singing sensation is a contestant on “Star Singer U.S.A. Junior,” an “American Idol”- like competition for Indian music and Indian singers. Originally 120 singers auditioned for the show; after two rounds, 10 remain.

Back in September, she wowed the judges at her audition in Washington D.C. “There was a lot of pressure. You could see the lights, camera, audience’s eyes, the judges all on you,” Sivaraman said.

In the competition’s first round, each of the 48 contestants sang two songs.

Sivaraman outscored all of the other contestants earning 82 out of 90 possible points.

The first song she sang was “Madhuram Gayathi,” a modern Bollywood song. Sivaraman sang both the male and the female parts. The greatest hurdle, she said, was going back and forth between the very high notes and the very low notes.

“The original singer was amazing and I wanted to

challenge myself,” said Sivaraman.

The second song was a classic from the 80’s, “Rajahamsame,” chosen to show Sivaraman’s versatility among the genres.

“My mom didn’t want us to lose touch with our Indian culture,” Sivaraman said. She began singing at the age of 5, but developed a love for performing when she took her career to a competitive level a year later. Sivaraman said her mother has been vital to her success.

“She pushed me so much when I was a child, and that’s where most of my confidence comes from,” Sivaraman said.

Her success is not without hours of practice. Every night Sivaraman has lessons with her vocal coach, a professional singer. There is one catch, her teacher lives in India. The pair skype 10 p.m. EST, which is in the morning in India. They run through vocal exercises via Skype to keep her voice in shape.

“My teacher said you have to sing a song 500 times before you sing it on stage, so that when you’re on stage, you’re on autopilot,” Sivaraman said.

Between practices, the competitions and schoolwork, Sivaraman said she is under a tremendous amount of stress and pressure.

“It’s pretty tough. Sometimes I’ll be learning songs Sophomore Veena Sivaraman sings “Madhuram Gayathi Meera” at her on Oct. 13 audition for “Star Singer USA Junior” in Washington, D.C.To view and taking class after midnight,” said Sivaraman. videos of Sivaraman’s performances and vote for her, visit http:// www.

But she’s driven.

StarSingerUSAJunior.com.

“I want to win it. I want to get first and not settle for photo from sivaraman less,” Sivaraman said.

review:

Rotating sushi bar satisfies as social hotspot

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FROM THE CONVEYOR BELT. clockwise from left: Salmon sashimi with celery, shrimp tempura roll topped with avacado and roe, cream cheese and spicy tuna roll. Japanese-style ceiling lamps add to the Asian atmosphere. photos by katie walters

katie walters, opinion editor magine walking into a restaurant, only to sit down and have all your dinner options ready to eat, moving along a conveyer belt just inches away from you. All different varieties of sushi passing by slowly— all you need to do is reach out and pick it up.

That’s just what you get at the Kyodai Rotating Sushi Bar in Towson.

The moment I walked in with my comrade junior Alex Mengers, we were seated. No wait whatsoever.

We took a moment to admire the Japanese style-lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Then, after checking the prices, Alex and I took to the conveyer belt. The plates are color coded based on their price: green and white cost $2.95, orange and red cost $4.95, and patterned plates cost $5.95.

Deciding which dish to pick first is difficult, and it would have really

helped if they had been labeled. I can’t tell salmon from halibut, and it got exhausting to play “Guess What Sushi” with every darn plate we got.

I ordered a plate that was some type of fish paired with cream cheese in the same sushi roll. Let’s just say it wasn’t my cup of tea. If you aren’t willing to take a chance with your dinner, they do have a fill out menu.

I ordered salmon sashimi, which was definitely the best decision of the night.

The Kyodai Rotating Sushi Bar is a relatively in-and-out restaurant. After you’re done eating, you can’t really sit at the bar and talk it up with your friend for a while. The waiters tend to babysit you to make sure you’ve finished and are ready to pay up.

“It’s more of a social thing,” said Alex. “It’s good, but if I really was focusing on the great sushi, I’d probably have chosen a different

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restaurant.”

The conveyer belt and Japanese atmosphere added to the experience, and made it a lot of fun for diners.

Overall, I’d recommend Kyodai to anyone who wants a quick bite to eat while out shopping in Towson with their friends. I must add, the sushi is good, but there isn’t much variety. If you’re looking for a place to sit down and try a lot of different types of sushi, I’d suggest you try another bar. But if you just want some sushi during a night on the town, the Kyodai bar is a great restaurant to try.

Kyodai Rotating Sushi Bar is located on 1 W. Pennsylvania Ave. (410-3397500, Weekdays 11:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m., Weekends 4:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., Entrees $2.95- $15.95)

overall rating: