May 2015 by Dulaney Griffin

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Our mission: to enlighten and to entertain

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Dulaney High School Timonium, Maryland

Volume 55, Issue 7 TALKING RACE

May 20, 2015

College and career:

relay for life photo

see page 2

TO KNOW

the number of students attending FBLA’s national conference in Chicago this summer PURSUING DREAM

How ready are you? graphic by tori vandervest

E see page 8

# TO KNOW

the number of days of PARCC testing in May. For more on round two see our website. FLASHING STYLE

chloe messier, associate editor arlier this month, a stream of sophomores paraded through the halls on their way to take part two of the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) test. That same morning, Advanced Placement United States History students took their courseending exam, potentially earning college credit. In the tech wing, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) students brazed and soldered using copper wire. Though these separate activities seem disparate, they are each perceived as ways to prepare students for college and careers. But what really constitutes college and career readiness? “It all comes down to being able to read and learn on your own,” social studies teacher Phil Bressler said. “I know nobody likes to hear this, but you have to be good at taking tests, because

Five 45%

Two 6%

tiple choice questions and three essays. Though results from the test are not yet available, some teachers and students reported having doubts about the test’s accuracy as a measuring tool. “PARCC and other standardized tests show students’ ability to be analytical,” math teacher Brocha Siff said. “However, there is an idea that the motivated one succeeds, that someone could be born without the analytical way of thinking, yet they’re so motivated that they overcome it. The tests can’t measure that.” Internships Both senior and marketing intern Connor Mattson and senior Meredith Harris, who interns in a kindergarten class at Lutherville Elementary School, cited their internships as helpful tools SEE COLLEGE AND CAREER, page 2

WHAT IS YOUR INTENDED MAJOR? UNDECIDED

11% 50%

S.T.E.M LIBERAL ARTS1 2 3

Three 28%

39% PERCENTAGE OF SENIORS

These graphs 5 reflect the findings of 60 percent of the 456 seniors here. The pen-and-paper survey was distributed to each senior English class.

Four 19% see page 12

2-3 news 4-5 opinion 6-7 senior map 8-9 profiles 10-11 sports 12-16 features

Testing This school year, the PARCC test was implemented as a new way to measure the college and career readiness levels of sophomores. The English test, administered on computers from March 3 through March 27, consisted of mul-

ON A SCALE FROM 1-5, HOW PREPARED ARE YOU FOR COLLEGE? One 2%

INDEX

in college most of your success is measured by tests.” PARCC, on the other hand, defines it as the “ability to enter directly into and succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing courses at two- and four-year public institutions.” According to the College Board, the college and career readiness score of this year’s junior class is four points lower than last year’s. The points, derived solely from PSAT scores, are the basis for the system that ranks high schools according to their students’ potential to succeed post-graduation.

For more senior survey results see our website:

http://dulaneygriffin.org

FYI: Graduation rehearsal May 20 8 a.m. Gym

School closed for Memorial Day May 25

Graduation

May 27 7 p.m. SECU Arena Towson University

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SGO elections June 4 Period 1 Following speeches via “Live on 5”

Sophomore Retreat June 5 Periods 1-2

Last day of school June 19

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news

How ready are you? COLLEGE AND CAREER, continued from page 1

in preparing for college and life afterward. “Through my internship I’ve found what I want to do when I get older, rather than paying to study in a field and then not liking it,” Harris said. While standardized tests such as PARCC strictly measure academic achievement, students who acquire internships through the school are graded in three areas: academic, technical and employability. Employability involves communication and people skills in the workplace. Mattson cites that the ability to network directly correlates to employability. “Networking is one of the most important things in life; it can either get you that job or be the reason you weren’t hired,” Mattson said. “To me, the internship grading system is a real measurement of career readiness,” internship coordinator Catherine Carter said. “It’s about being well-rounded and applying the academics to learning in the real world.”

Technical Training For HVAC teacher Jamie Gaskin, career readiness can be achieved without a college education. “I don’t believe that college is the only avenue,” he said. “I would say that higher education is the most important thing, but that could

“It didn’t really hit me until I got to college how much money and time the AP classes saved me.” be an apprenticeship or something.” Through the HVAC course, students can get up to 21 credits towards a CCBC associate’s degree. Alternatively, after a student has taken the course, they can leave high school and start as a second year apprentice in heating and air conditioning, making anywhere from 15 to 19 dollars

an hour, Gaskin said. Artistic Training Taylor Boren, a 2010 graduate who completed her student teaching here just this month, also went against the traditional college path by attending the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). “My guidance counselor didn’t want me to go to art school because it wasn’t looked upon as an academically successful choice,” she said, “but I made the decision to do what I love.” Boren said she was pleasantly surprised to find that the five AP courses she had taken at Dulaney earned her a semester’s worth of credits at MICA. “It didn’t really hit me until I got to college how much money and time the AP classes saved me,” Boren said. “There’s a lot done for college and career readiness in high school that you don’t appreciate until it’s actually working for you.”

Evaluating block’s first year

christine condon, deputy editor ast spring, Baltimore County Public Schools announced its intentions to transfer high schools to an eight-class schedule. Administrators here opted to implement this program using a block schedule. After a full year of the A day B day schedule, it’s time to look into block’s overarching impact here. As the school year draws to a close, teachers, especially those teaching Advanced Placement courses, are weathering the effects of lost instructional time due to the block schedule. AP Calculus teacher Donna Weber viewed these impacts firsthand. “I feel the same way I did at the beginning of the year. I hate it. I think that we are far behind, I think that we’ve had a lot of time taken away from us and the fact that I don’t see everyone every day has been detrimental to the program,” she said. Junior and AP student Marin Langlieb shared these worries. “I know a lot of teachers have seen that students haven’t done as well,” she said. “At least for me it seemed very rushed, especially toward AP time. But in the art department, Joanna Waring noticed

the benefits of 90-minute classes. “The block schedule is great for art—I cannot imagine going back. I always felt rushed with 50-minute classes,” Waring said, adding that absences did become harmful when 90 minutes of studio or instructional time were missed with a single absence. Engineering teacher Chris Buckler praised the schedule for the continuity it awarded long-term projects but lamented the difficulties of keeping students engaged. “It’s great for our engineering projects, but it forces teachers to be on their A-game,” he said. “I feel for the PARCC-tested and AP teachers, though. They got dealt a very bad hand.” Other teachers also faced new challenges with keeping students occupied and engaged for the duration of a 90-minute period. Many turned to technology to supply this need but, at times, resources here fell short. “It has greatly increased the need for technology. The problem is the school doesn’t have enough computers to handle the need,” Roeder said. “Try to get your classes into the library or a computer lab when you need to. It’s not possible. Foreign language department chairman Eva Van Horn noticed that her Spanish students faced challenges mastering material due to the schedule. “We need students to be both exposed to the language and actively emersed in the language every day. The block schedule makes it very difficult for that to happen,” she said.

Debow invited the audience to examine the violence resulting from Gray’s death. Junior Daja Wright opposed the riots, saying such actions reinforce dangerous stereotypes towards black people.

MALIK DEBOW, junior and Giving it Back club president, addresses the audience at the club’s May 1 forum. photo by stephanie rountree

Given the number of black men lost to police brutality, rioting was inevitable, sophomore (and staff writer) Arielle Williams said. She

NEW TEST IMPACTS The new SAT, which will begin in the spring of 2016, will affect multiple departments here, English department chairman Jason Bowman said. The test will include a non-calculator math section, graphs and passages from social studies and science. This will likely result in more SAT-related instruction in those departments., Bowman said. The SAT will also feature an altered reading section. The test will still be scored with 800 points per section but will no longer feature a penalty for wrong answers, and will include a redesigned analysis essay. There are certainly positives among the changes, Bowman said. “Those questions featuring five words nobody’s ever heard of? They’re not on there anymore.” A college essay boot camp will be offered June 25 and June 26 at Loch Raven High School, according to a school flyer. It will help rising seniors with college essay writing. The camp will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 25 and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. June 26. Students can register via their Naviance accounts through June 5.

CREATIVITY HONORED

Scrutinizing school’s water

SENIOR MARK BENZINGER places a sample of library tap water over a projector during a lab in John Enders’ Advanced Placement Environmental Science class May 12. Students went on to filter sediments from the water. Enders has asked for filtered water bottle refill stations for three years, but so far nothing has been approved. For more on efforts related to water quality, see our website. photo by esha vangara

added real conversations between both sides are vital to concord. “People shouldn’t be reduced to a hash tag,” she said. Art department chairman Jim Kuhlman addressed the crowd “as a person, not a teacher.” “Change will come from evolution, not a revolution,” he said, adding that sincere discussions are key, not apathy towards opposing perspectives. Junior Dori Beaufelter, who’s white, echoed black students’ views, recalling a conversation. “There’s a Black History Month?! Why isn’t there a White History Month?” she said, quoting her friend. Beaufelter smiled and quieted the crowd, which moaned in unison at the anecdote. “I don’t think people realize every other month is White History Month,” she said. “People think racism is over because slavery is over. People need to be educated on this.” School Resource Officer Jen Berg asked the audience about her function. “Does anybody know my number one role here?” “To protect us,” a voice from the crowd said. Berg validated the response, explaining that she’s a bridge between the police and the community. She compared people to books that should be explored.

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NEWS LINE

BOOT CAMP COMING

Freddie Gray case opens student dialogue here stephanie rountree, deputy editor n a Friday afternoon meeting dominated by quiet conversation, the Giving it Back Club hosted an exchange on race, addressing the recent riots in Baltimore, education, police relations and labels. “People see me and think stereotypes,” club president and moderator Malik Debow, a junior, said. “They see me and think I play sports, that I’m a sprinter. Well, I do play sports, and I’m a sprinter, but that’s not all I do. I also like to play the piano, sing and dance.” About 40 people attended the informal hourlong open forum in the classic cafeteria after school May 1, the same day Marilyn J. Moseby, the state’s attorney for Baltimore, filed murder and manslaughter charges against six officers involved in the Freddie Gray case. Gray died in a coma April 19 after suffering a spinal injury in a police van following officers’ failure to buckle him into a seatbelt following an unlawful arrest. The officers’ attorneys have filed a motion to have the case dismissed. Giving it Back members led the conversation as attendants, most of them black students, gathered at several tables. The session featured remarks from faculty members and students of several races. As a result of the meeting, a police representative fielded group members’ questions at a May 14 meeting.

may 20, 2015

Several drama and creative writing students won for their submissions to Baltimore’s Center Stage Theater’s spring competitions. Sophomores Amber Ruffin’s and Daniel Longest’s play “Mistaken Identity” was one of six honored at the Young Playwrights Festival earlier this month. Junior Mallory Svoboda’s and senior Maria Rosiles’s monologues won in another part of the competition, the My America/ My Baltimore Project. Their monologues were filmed and screened at the festival.

OPTIMISTS PLACE Juniors Marella Schammel and Sarah Feustle and senior Elizabeth Gillum placed first, second and third, respectively,in Jacksonville’s Optimist Club essay contest. They’ll be honored at the May 21 club meeting.

CHESS TEAM WINS The chess team, represented by freshman Harshil Patel, sophomores Nate Huynh and Daniel Sun and seniors Rex Ledesma and Steven Zhang, won first place in the high school division for the Baltimore County Chess Tournament April 25. All five members of the team also placed among the top eight individuals in the competition.

DRIVE EXCEEDS The April 19 National Honor Society Annual Blood Drive surpassed its donation goal. The drive collected 74 units of blood to donate to the American Red Cross, surpassing its goal of 73 units.

3 news

Alumni: new policies won’t halt college drinking

adam hemmeter, associate editor ecca King, a University of Maryland, College Park freshman and 2014 graduate, was sitting in the lobby of her dorm one night when one of her floormates was dropped off. King said the girl had clearly been drinking. King took her to her room and tried to help, but when the girl became cold and pale, King said she had no choice but to call 911. The student did recover. Every year over 1,800 students die, 97,000 students become victims of sexual assault or rape and almost 600,000 students are injured due to college alcohol consumption, according to a 2013 study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Universities across the country have adopted policies to reduce the dangerous abuse of alcohol. One of the most extreme measures was put into place by Dartmouth College in March. Its purpose? To prohibit liquor that’s 15 percent alcohol or more on campus. That’s barely more than most wine, according to a New York Times article. Despite having good intentions, these policies are criticized because of how difficult they would be to enforce. “It’s inevitable. If they want to drink, college students will find alcohol no matter what laws are passed,” 2014 graduate and freshman at Pennsylvania State University

the griffin

scenes

may 20, 2015

dulaney

an alcohol awareness poster at the University of Maryland, College Park photo by becca king

Emily Sweigart said. A ban on alcohol may actually hurt more than help. “Bans like these are a bad approach because people will still buy high proof alcohol but the secrecy will promote dangerous use,” University of Chicago freshman and 2014 graduate Mazen Knio said. He also said that an increase in dangerous use could lead to more deaths, more assaults and more rape. Administrators at the University of Maryland, College Park have taken a different approach. Some students choose not to seek help for fear of disciplinary action against them, according to the university health center’s website. But the school’s policy states that a student in possession of or under the influence of alcohol who gets medical attention will not face disciplinary action. In her situation, King said that she felt safe taking the girl to get help because she knew this policy. “At college, you can’t always just call your parents when something goes wrong,” King said. “It’s nice to know we have that resource and safety net readily available.”

Above: Seniors Nadira Sutton and Andrea Cotton (foreground) prepare dresses for the May 8 Prom Bazaar with Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority member Rosemary Anderson. Their project, which benefitted House of Ruth, won the second Genius Day competition May 8. Below: left to right: Social studies teacher Brian Velten chats with incoming principal Sam Wynkoop after school April 30 in room 305 as part of an informal meeting with several teachers here. Wynkoop also met with FBLA students May 13. Among the issues discussed were examining the distribution of funds for extracurriculars, the outlook for infrastucture improvements and enhanced security. See our website for the full story. photos by stephanie rountree

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the griffin

4 opinion

may 20, 2015

Exec order deserves enforcement “I andres arbelaez, associate editor

RIFF

Reality bites

finn hasson, columnist altimore has an unemployment rate of 8.4 percent according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Its median income is over $30,000 less than the Maryland average. 23.8 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. 19.8 percent of Baltimore residents haven’t finished high school. 30 percent of K-12 Ellwood Park students are chronically absent from school. Watching Harborplace traffic from the shade of the cannon on Federal Hill wouldn’t give a casual observer the impression of a bleeding city. Watching the newlyrejuvenated Orioles play at Camden Yards wouldn’t reveal that Baltimore is the heroin capital of the country. Yet under the thin façade of a charming city lies deepseeded racial inequality. So when we ask ourselves how this could happen in “our” city (as people have been fond of saying recently), we need to consider which Baltimore we’re referring to. The Baltimore a suburbanite visits is clean and picturesque, lined with businesses, bustling with pedestrian and automobile traffic. With this impression of the city, the riots would be a confusing event indeed. Most neighborhoods, however, don’t share the Inner Harbor’s level of development. Anyone who’s taken the light rail into or out of town has seen this. How many empty storefronts line North Howard St. past West Mulberry? How many boarded up residential buildings? And that’s still downtown. A bit further East, around Barea and Ellwood Park, things go downhill fast. While I don’t think anyone would argue that the riots weren’t shocking, I don’t think we can be totally surprised. In a city in which living conditions have been so poor for so long, unrest is inevitable. We seem to have been quick to forget that just three years ago, roaming groups of teenagers assaulted and robbed tourists visiting the Inner Harbor or that there were numerous protests towards the end of 2014 during the national unrest in the wake of the Ferguson shooting. Even more detrimental to the city than the physical damage caused by the rioting, however, is the damage done to the relationship between the citizens and the police. While it was strenuous at best to begin with, both sides have established themselves as bulwarks against the other. The obvious effect is heightened tensions, seen in early May when Fox News spurred more protests by erroneously reporting that police had shot a fleeing black suspect. Less obvious is the effect this will have on the trial of officers involved in the Freddie Gray incident and future trials with police defendants. With so many people calling for “Justice for Freddie,” which essentially means “Convict the Officers,” it is hard to guarantee the defendants a fair trial. Going forward, the courts and the police must ensure they won’t be palsied by public threats of violence.

Clarification: The March 20 edition may have included a misleading statement in The Post. Mindful that some companies require a Facebook account for access to their sites, S.T.A.T. teacher Kim Culbertson launched one under her dog’s name. Her use of it is strictly legitimate. We regret any misperception that the wording portrayed.

the griffin Dulaney High School 255 E. Padonia Rd. Timonium, Maryland (410) 887-7633 managing editors alex goldberg, henry harsel, maya hoke, ben merenbloom, kalie paranzino deputy editors christine condon, sarah feustle, maya lapinski, stephanie rountree, sumin woo adviser maria hiaasen

don’t have to live in the shadows anymore,” an anonymous student said. Let’s just call this anonymous student Suzie for the sake of this article. Suzie came to the United States illegally in 2008 with her mother when she was only 10-yearsold. Her father came in 2006 to secure a job and a steady home life for his family. Six years after coming to this country, Suzie still lived in fear of deportation. But now with President Obama’s executive order on immigration, Suzie has become one of the five million illegal immigrants in the United States effectively exempt from deportation. This group of illegal immigrants has been granted amnesty because they fit the profile outlined in Obama’s order: immigrants must have entered the country at least five years ago and have a clean criminal record. Priority will be given to those with children who are lawful permanent residents or citizens. An application process will be implemented so that illegal immigrants can apply for legal status. To some, immigration reform brings hope. To others, annoyance. Opponents OP-ART: hanna bewley declare it a loss of American identity. Proponents rebut that the American identity is malleable by definition. What cannot be argued, however, is that immigrant reform is relevant and needs to be dealt with. With millions of immigrants entering the United States in the past decade, political discourse on how to manage this burgeoning population is inevitable. The House of Representatives recently passed the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act, which is now awaiting a vote in the Senate. Add to that the fact that Speaker of the House John

Boehner has sued President Obama for his overreach and it becomes clear that the Republican-dominated House is not addressing the immigration topic at hand, opting instead to attack the legality of Obama’s actions, further stalemating legislative action. Opponents of Obama’s executive action state that granting legal status to formerly-illegal immigrants would cause American workers to lose jobs. But many of these jobs being “stolen” are in industries that most Americans don’t even want to work in. Just over twenty-five percent of people that are employed, 16 years and older and who identify as Hispanic and Latino are employed in service occupations, including food preparation jobs and grounds cleaning occupations, according to a 2011 report completed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Furthermore, opponents state that this executive order would drain federal funds because it will create new administrative costs to deal with the effectivelylegal population. This is unlikely because there will be an application fee that is expected to cover the administrative expenses of the policy. According to the Center for American Progress, Colorado is expected to see a $165 million increase in tax revenues over five years thanks to the legalization of this group of immigrants. My parents came to the United States legally and I have never felt the fear of deportation. My experience as an immigrant has taught me that this country is full of opportunities. It has bred in me an appreciation for freedom. There’s a silent minority suffering. I have an obligation to voice my support for Obama’s executive order for those unable to begin their journey on the legal track, but who are making strides to legally live in this country. An obligation to help “Suzie” emerge from the shadows.

A tale of two test seasons:

OP-ART: andres arbelaez and vinny arciaga

staff editorial: block needs refining, tech to work

fter a year of block scheduling, most classes have adjusted to the 90-minute periods, but not all problems have been resolved. One impact of the schedule on Advanced Placement students won’t be seen until July when scores are released, but many students feel they weren’t as prepared compared to last year. AP Calculus AB teacher Donna Weber expressed similar sentiments. “I think that we’ve had a lot of time taken away from us, and the fact that I don’t see everyone every day has been detrimental to the program,” Weber said. A perennial problem – snow days —was exacerbated by the scheduling this year. Classes were forced to play catch-up after days off in January, February and March. AP teachers began using podcasts and YouTube channels to help students learn new lessons and review old material before the exams. While there isn’t anything inherently wrong

with podcasts and videos, it becomes worrying when teachers are forced to use them because of a lack of face time with students. But block does provide a few advantages for AP classes: teachers can now give full exams in realistic time frames and the longer class periods make AP classes more similar to the college classes they’re replacing. Learning a foreign language in a classroom has always been a challenge, but this year foreign language students have suffered from not speaking the language they are taking daily. Having class every other day takes challenging classes like these and makes them harder. In order for students to be fluent in a second language by the time they leave high school, they need to be exposed to and actively immersed in the language, according to foreign language department chairman Eva Van Horn. The decrease in class time makes it harder for students to gain the neces-

associate editors jackie andrews, andres arbelaez, avalon bonlie, audrey fanshaw, justin fitzgerald, liz gillum, olivia golden, sophie golden, finn hasson, adam hemmeter, kristin meek, chloe messier, erin miller, katie nanasi, sierra prior, kira stiers, andrew sugarman, danielle zarachowicz photography editors jood ali, lucia tarantino web editor harrison bartlett technicians ruthvik gali, christine mckinnie, natalie mozoki Visit us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

sary speaking and writing experience, she said. “The greatest impact is on students who are in the lower levels because they are using these years to build a foundation of the language,” Van Horn said. Another complication from the schedule for teachers was how to stay in touch with students when they were absent. Now missing one class is like missing two of last year’s, and the makeup work can be suffocating if it is not handled well. It has become a necessity for many teachers to use BCPSOne messages, the Remind app and email to contact absent students and ensure that they keep up with the work they’re missing. Teachers’ use of technology has somewhat alleviated the new schedule’s problems, but block is still not perfect. We need better means of communcation between teachers and students throughout the year for full success.

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.

5 opinion

the griffin

may 20, 2015

Connection spawns insight T

arate sheet of paper, and she slowly borhood. ben merenbloom, managing editor he primary root of riots is often worked through them, improving each These children often go home to probpoverty. And there’s an all-too- time. By the fourth, she finished with a lems we’ll never experience. An older common root to poverty: lack of smile. sibling mixed up in drugs or violence. education. After I asked her if she wanted to try A parent who abandoned the family. A As the organizer of a weekly tutor- one more, the eye contact and the smile cousin now living with them because he ing program at KIPP Harmony, a K-4 she gave me suggested a touch of en- was kicked out of the house by a drugsection of a charter school in north Bal- thusiasm. She smiled as she answered addicted parent. timore, I’ve seen firsthand the love for the first problem of the second set corI’ve seen students in our program diseducation of such young students. This rectly. Now she was focused. play the warmth and friendliness of any school works on an enrollment lottery “Go outside to play, or one more?” I thriving young student. system and accepts students from any asked. Yet, this is a vulnerable time for young district in the city. She actually considered doing one students, especially urban, impoverFor two consecutive springs, more more, but being a kid, chose the play- ished ones. Emulating what they see, than a dozen seniors and I have tutored ground. they often lose interest in learning. second- and thirdAs teenagers, some ditch grade students, helppositive role models and ing them with homefollow law-breaking risk work and playing with takers. them outside on the Such actions can harm playground, buildtheir chances of graduating friendships along ing, which, of course, can the way and showing deepen their roots in povthem a side to teenagerty. ers they didn’t know In fact, Baltimore may existed, our trustworactually be the worst thy and reliable side. large U.S. city for a child’s The April 30 session, chances of escaping povheld in a second-grade erty. A May 9 New York classroom, began as all Times editorial quotes a but about 10 students Harvard study that places scampered away at Baltimore at rock bottom dismissal time. in its examination of enI had just started trenched poverty. handing out wholeOf course, a combination A NATIONAL GUARD armored vehicle drives along North Avenue the morning of grain Goldfish and of factors causes students April 28, the same night a CVS drugstore was burned and looted in Sandtownmini waters when se- Winchester, the west Baltimore neighborhood of Freddie Gray. to drop out. nior Lucy Marks, one Among them is disliking of the tutors, called me photo by bill kinara school and not feeling a over. sense of belonging there, Her pupil—we’ll call her Samantha— These KIPPsters get jazzed about according to the National Dropout was struggling to grasp how to solve learning and connect with their teen- Prevention Center/Network’s website. elapsed time problems, so I said I’d give aged mentors. They look up to us as Surely, connections like those fostered it a whirl. I tried a few different exam- positive role models, recognizing what by our KIPP program’s one-on-one exples with her. we do for them. And this is more sig- perience can—over time—make a difEventually, I asked the teacher for nificant than you think. ference. help. That seemed to work, but with A parent actually called the school Baltimore’s problem is complex. It more examples, more frustration sur- last year to say that for the first time needs an array of fixes. More programs faced. We tried it with the hands of her second grader viewed teenagers as like ours ought to join the mix. a clock, using a hands-on approach. positive. Before our tutoring program, Mixed success resulted. she thought all teenagers were bad beI drew four more examples on a sep- cause of those who lived in her neigh-

Relationships serve as game changers

kalie paranzino, managing editor ’ve spent approximately 280,800 minutes in classes here over the past four years. I have solved quadratic equations and integrals, built a floatable hot air balloon and a bridge out of toothpicks, drawn profit-maximizing monopoly graphs and a self portrait that actually looked like me, learned to culture bacteria and to hold a (half-decent) conversation in Chinese. Between the thousands of minutes I’ve spent in classrooms, one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned, came not from the curriculum but from the people who use the curriculum. It’s a simple lesson, but none the less a significant one. I’ve learned the power of connection and investment. And for that I have 26 people to thank, my teachers. I’m not alone in experiencing the value of student-teacher connections. Lisa Grimsley, an instructor at the English Language Institute at the University of Delaware, shared her experience with the importance of student-teacher connections in a 2010 Education Weekly commentary. Recalling the emptiness she felt when she focused on teaching merely a subject instead of teaching centered on interpersonal relationships with her students, Grimsley agreed with University of Toronto education professor Jim Cummins. He’s famous in some circles for promoting the idea that all learning is social and that human relationships are “at the heart of schooling.” Not only are they at the heart of schooling, they are the heart

OP-ART: avalon bonlie

of my education. When you ask art teacher Jim Kuhlman what he teaches, he’ll smile and tell you that he teaches kids, not art. That mindset helped me see him as a father, an artist, a son and a husband, not just as an instructor. With tools like a paint brush and a pencil, he transformed how I see myself. But that wouldn’t have happened if back in freshman year he hadn’t shared stories about his kids or let us look at samples of less-than-perfect art work among his own creations.

“They are the heart of my education.” Junior year, my English teacher, Debbie Hamilton, taught me how to paint with words. My writing got real good thanks to her careful critiques. Beyond that, she helped me realize the significance of simply being there for someone. Several fall days in 2013 I would look at the bleachers from where I stood in goal during my field hockey games, and she would be there. As a former field hockey referee, she would review different calls and plays with me the next day in class. Not only was that fun, it connected us. With a textbook as the foundation of our relationship, economics teacher Phil Bressler has continually taught me the importance of grit. “Stay on the treadmill,” he has said throughout the year. That encouragement isn’t all I learned from him. After failing a test in early December, he met with me and patiently went through every question that I got wrong and every concept that I didn’t understand. He wanted me to master the material. As the number of days until graduation wanes, I’m grateful for all that teachers like these have poured into me. Skills and knowledge certainly rank highly, but it’s the connections that will stay me. Whatever I do in life, I will strive to do with the same level of passion with which these teachers have. Visit us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

TRUTHS

Yes, words evolve

stephanie rountree, columnist hug dates to 14th century India as thuggee, the criminal class in Hindu society. Since British imperialism, it has found its way into our dictionaries, and, in keeping with the flexible nature of the English language, its meaning has changed. Though seven centuries have passed since thug’s origin, its meaning has come full circle. Unintentionally, society uses it to describe the actions and attitudes of an entire group of people, regardless of whether they fit the intended description. Specifically, thug now refers to a terrifying image of a black man in a hoodie. It’s become the new N-word. They’ve even discussed it on talk radio. Earlier this month on NPR, a linguistics expert said words are a process, adding, “Any discussion where we pretend that it only means one thing is just going to lead to dissension and confusion.” America’s racism history is complex. After President Barack Obama, Gov. Larry Hogan, and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake got backlash for referring to the rioters and looters in Baltimore as thugs, the word drew waves of media attention for its racially charged nature.

“On paper, my dad would

appear to be white. The officer didn’t see this. ” People who deny the association to black people have defended the use of thug in reference to the rioters and looters, who were, in fitting with the Merriam Webster definition, violent criminals. While this is understandable, consider this: in the 80s, my father was arrested for suspicious activity. He wasn’t selling drugs. He wasn’t stabbing someone. He attended private school for his entire academic career and played lacrosse. At the time, he was finishing his MBA. On paper, my dad would appear to be white. The officer didn’t see this. He only saw color—a thug—so my dad got arrested for walking while being black. The charges were dropped soon after, but the experience led my dad to believe that his achievements were worthless in the face of oppression. Unfortunately, the thug effect is invisible to many white people. It’s a word used casually, with no afterthought. I assure you that the impact of thug, is real to the black community. Horrified by our past mistakes, American society has been quick to thrust citizens into a universe in which racism ended following the Civil Rights Act. We don’t choose to acknowledge current issues with injustice with concern. As CaribbeanAmerican writer Audre Lorde aptly writes, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” Pretending that a fire doesn’t exist won’t put it out. Moving forward, we need to acknowledge the implications that our words and actions possess when directed towards a demographic. I’m not saying that thug users are racist. I’m trying to communicate that, while such people may not be aware, thug is racially-insensitive. To put it bluntly, it doesn’t matter if users of the word thug don’t think it’s racist. What matters is the affect it has on the black community. And the black community sees how it has evolved—into a term loaded with hate and prejudice.

the griffin

6 senior map

may 20, 2015

Seniors choose paths maryland

Baltimore City Community College Basarath, Charlida

Chesapeake College Lipinski, Harris Sousa, Jake

Community College of Baltimore County Armstrong, Will Asadi, Arianna Aviles, Will Baker, Krystyn Bayne, Austin Beltran, Wilfredo Blake, Robbie Broyles, Tony Broyles, Michael Brunner, Caitlin Burrell, Melissa Carter, Casey Cohen, Zachary Colonell, Peter Dolney, Jakob Dorman, Emily FauntLeRoy, Alana Flanagan, Sean Ford, Rob Freas, Wyatt Freed, Jamie Galasso, Collin Giordano, Matthew Gonzales Gonzales, Amner Gospodinova, Viktoriya Hammond, Chris Harman, Taylor Harold, Elisa Harris, Brandon Harrison, Precious Higginbottom, Jessica Higgs, Skylar Hines, Kayla Houston, Brayelle Jefferson, Shardae’ Josefson, Andrew Keavney, Tom Kornick, Daniel Langston, Aja Lightfoot, Andre’ Lindenkohl, Christian McDowell, Molly Melton, Jasmine Mendoza, Miguel Morton, Trey Mundia, Haneen Muriel, Quasia Neebir, Maroof Newsom-Beale, Austin Norman, Nick Nwanguma, Confidence Oliver, Eli Parikh, Riya Park, Jacklyn Pena-Mota, Marlene Pettinelli, Tom Rakas, Avery Rice, Laura Rogers, Chiquandra Romero, Dinora Romero Diaz, Yoselyn Scotto, Fabrizio Smith, Teion Standiford, Troy Steuerman, Anna Sundstrom, Kyle Thai, Julie Thompson, Charlie Torre Luna, Diana Tsakalas, Christina Tulachan, Sital Ullsperger, Angelika Weagly, Justin Wei, Jack Weidger, Kristen Witczak, Bradley Wong, David Yablonovskaya, Jessica Yu, Wongun

Frostburg State University UMBC Barneardez, Gary Brown, Aubrey Cockerham, Kevin Cockerham, Kevon Conroy, Quinn Gee, Shamira Newsome, Claudia Wall, Andy

Harford Community College Harvey, Klarissa Sheehan, Mollie

Hood College Zapas, Tricia

Howard Community College Abou-Seif, Rama Khan, Soman

Ackerson, Daniel Bandara, Yasiru Carbaugh, Matthew Chen, Abby Chen, Ada Goetz, Sam Gooden, Rhaj Khuu, Hieu Lajara, Angelica Lee, Jonathan Natividad, Chloe Schaub, Matt Sen, Aranya Shearman, Hannah Shin, Daniel Stein, P.D. Reister, Jacob Roberts, Ben Vong, Austin Wah, Audrea Wilson, Spencer

Johns Hopkins University UMD: College Park Huang, Benjamin Lee, Ben Manley, Hannah

Loyola University Ogolla, Kim Kim, Yon Su Wilmer, Caroline

McDaniel College Anthony, Chris Bartels-Jones, Emma Menguito, Mariah

Morgan State University Amos, Milan Cotton, Andrea Johnson, Diamond

Mount St. Mary’s University Benhoff, Connor Lyons, Olivia Meek, Rachel

Towson University Andrews, Daniel Bejerano, Oscar Blanton, Tyler Brave, Aaron Brzuchalski, Casey Bynum, Ja’quan Carey, Christa Chesser, Tim Dalmacio, Abigail Engelman, Alyssa Epple, Hannah Fauntleroy, Shaye Freiert, Ben Gali, Ruthvik Gambino, Gigi Gardullo, Christian Geary, Jenna Habtehyimer, Feben Hansen, Grace Hasson, Finn Hill, Kayla Hrynko, Codi Karimian, Daniel Kassim, Malik Koinange, Karuga LaRocca, Morgan Lee, Gabriel Mattson, Connor Michaelides, Ruhley Baqer, Farah Mohammed Nguyen, Huynh Parks, Amber Patel, Payal Ruana, Andrea Sesum, Sam Sweren, Peyton Tsai, Stephanie Vlahacos, Anthony Westervelt, Becky Witkowski, Grace Wright, Anna

UMD: Eastern Shore McArthur, Shelliya Washington, Kamerin

Salisbury University Canedo, Genesis Kahl, Mick Robinson, Kira SchianodiCola, Ida Sniffen, Carly Widner, Nicole

St. Mary’s College

University of Baltimore

Fauntleroy, Kendall Mugno, Laura Siu, Emma

Ahdi, Sahand Arbelaez, Andres Bartlett, Harrison Bayse-Featherston, Ali Bhola, Duram Boswell, Elijah Clark, Phillip Cohee, Christin Crawford, Xaria Fitzgerald, Justin Franzone, Emily Gillum, Liz Harsel, Henry Hemmeter, Adam Hodgetts, Amanda Jayapal, Aishu Kim, Ashley Kim, Seongtae Kim, Stephen Ledesma, Rex Lee, Gina Mahmood, Yusuf Merenbloom, Ben Miller, Jake Miller, Nicole Morina, Lyra Muzaffar, Fatima Pande, Vineet Park, Soo Qin, Weihang Reister, Ben Robson, Pierce Rose, Mackensie Shu, Wendy Shuster, Jack Sivaraman, Veena Song, Vincent Stehman, Alyssa Szczawinski, Tyler Talley, Kelsey Tarantino, Lucia Taylor, Jacob Toolabi, Saum Wheeler, Kayla Wheeler, Leland Yang, Jerry Young, Kayla Zhang, Hayes Zhang, Steven Zimmermann, Luanne

Collie, Ali Stevens, Ben Tavik, Hannah Wells, Ryan

Stevenson University Adonis, Paige Bartholomew, Mary Irina Bowers, Collin

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Chambers, Alex Seidenman, Matt

Washington College Wampler, Hannah

arizona Arizona State University Fink, Nate

arkansas Hendrix College

Dachille, Dominic

colorado United States Air Force Academy

Carter, Cameron

University of Colorado Boulder Houghton, Bill

california Cabrillo College Christensen, Ted Hanmer, Jay

Stanford University Brantigan, Annie

University of California, Berkeley Levis, Brian

University of California, Santa Barbara

Waters, Emilia

University of Southern California

Stiers, Kira

connecticut University of Hartford Briggs, Briana

district of columbia American University Guin, Swati Parrotta, Isabella Widener, Brady

George Washington University Bartenfelder, Alex

delaware University of Delaware Carder, Jake Ciccarone, Claire Franklyn, Christian Gangadeen, Salina Hamrick, Preston Neupane, Sarvesh Williams, Vikki

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florida Florida Atlantic University Bohn, Jess

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Florida State University Clark, Jordan Cox, Clay Sigman, Harper

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senior map

Hodges University Cox, Bailey

north carolina

georgia

Duke University

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Bonlie, Avalon

Newman, Kristin

North Carolina State University

Purdue University

UNC: Chapel Hill

Emory University

indiana Mitzel, Madison Trapp, Noah

iowa

may 20, 2015

Battle-McDonald, Will Durmowicz, Casey

Cooper, Matt Mathey, Ellie Wienhold, Megan Golden, Sophie

25+ SENIORS

Warren Wilson College Beahm, Brittany

11-24 SENIORS 5-10 SENIORS

Iowa State University

ohio

kentucky

Case Western Reserve University

Lipscomb University

west virginia

Miami University

University of Tennessee Ciociola, Julie Kochesfahani, Brian Sutton, Nadira

West Virginia University

Cooper, Nichole

University of Kentucky Milan, Tim Miller, Colin

1-4 SENIORS

Goldberg, Alex

Harris, Meredith

louisiana

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Oberlin College

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Ohio State University

Rice University

Johnson, Anna

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massachusetts pennsylvania Boston College Paranzino, Kalie

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Drexel University

Emerson College Harvard University Ko, Michelle

michigan Michigan State University

Sydnor, Kierra

University of Michigan Laird, Matt

new york American Musical and Dramatic Academy Cornish, Kezia

Cornell University Slaughter, Charlotte Sun, Helen

Fordham University Bush, Ginny Dorety, Lexi Messier, Chloe

Hofstra University Wenzl, Taylor

Ithaca College

Southern Methodist University

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utah

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University of Utah

Gettysburg College Marks, Lucy

Lehigh University Ewart, Jason Mejia, Kim

Pennsylvania State University Gim, Darian Nanasi, Katie Proefrock, Casey Rosiles, Maria

Pittsburgh Technical Institute Wehr, DeAngelo

Temple University Abell, Andrew Johnson, Ryan

University of Pennsylvania Ebright, Jake

Widener University Williams, Jair

York College of Pennsylvania

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virginia Bridgewater College Koger, Nick

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rhode island

Heckstall, Nybria

Johnson & Wales University

Heitt, Bennett Miller, Erin Senseney, Elena Stenersen, Audrey Stuckey, Maddie

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Roanoke College Shenandoah University

University of Mary Washington

Andrade, Maria Chen, Michael Mo, Wendy

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Hampton, Sarah

Nam, Angela

Maritime College State University of New York

University of South Carolina

United States Merchant Marine Academy

tennessee

Pratt Institute

Bonner, James

Bush, Evan

Virginia Commonwealth University

Golden, Olivia Lang, Tyla

Virginia Tech University

Belmont University Cool, Abbey

University of Virginia

McClelland, Michael

Kairgadam, Daniel

Bostwick, Amanda

international

Pinto Navas, Bebi

McManus, Burke

Baglanis, Shannon Derry, Caitlin Fisher, Colin

University of Wisconsin: Madison

James Madison University

south carolina

New York University

wisconsin

Hoke, Maya

Goss, Jeff

Lamb, Isaiah

Wilson, Dalon

Johnson, Kai McCamie, Raynard Morgan, Alec Steward, Lianna

Devine, Joey

Marist College

West Virginia University of Technology

College of William & Mary Sir Sanford Fleming College (Canada) Forthuber, Ashley George Mason University Moore, Nick Hillard, Laura University of Toronto Hampton University (Canada)

Tapolyai, Sandor

McKinnie, Christine Teneza, Miria

Long Island University Brooklyn

Carvalho, Adolfo

Black, Brianna Butterhoff, Dominick Cofield, Isaiah Hyde, Vivian Liberto, Nick Meyer, Devin Robinson, Chaqieta Wheeler, Brandon

Famili, Brian Hairston, Mitchel Hill, Kelsey Hoffman, Sean

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University of Malaga (Spain)

trade school Geppi, Ariana Gutierrez, Evan Kang, Peter Patterson, Tamia Smith, Elmer Sweeney, Sylvia

armed forces Air Force Felix, Anfernee

Army

Lee, Joe Park, Chan

Marines Beall, Jessie Matthews, Daniel Modeste, Liam

working Buccini, Robert Castelan, Angelica Castellon, Anthony Dorman, Jonathan Gray, Brandon Ireland, Caroline Kellner, Thomas Laughinghouse, Jamal Miller, Kaitlyn Mirza, Aleem

the griffin

features

may 20, 2015

Spotlighting seniors to Grace Landefeld

andres arbelaez, associate editor f you are ever itching for information on the African Black-footed penguin, Grace Landefeld is the girl to ask. Landefeld is a junior interpreter at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, a position that involves performing “penguin narrations”—standing in front of the penguin exhibit and informing guests of the conservation efforts needed to help the species. When she is not in the classroom or volunteering, Landefeld can be found on stage. In addition to her memberships in the school’s dance company and dance team, Landefeld was also the student director for the spring production of “Carrie: The Musical,” one of six productions here she has participated in. One of Landefeld’s favorite moments from her theatrical career occurred during last year’s production of “Midsummer/Jersey.” “Cast members would try to make me laugh from behind the set while I was supposed to be asleep on stage,” Landefeld said. Landefeld, who will attend University of Florida this fall, hopes to expand upon her current interests, pursuing a double major in zoology and dance.

Rhaj Gooden

alex goldberg, managing editor f you barely saw Rhaj Gooden here this year, there’s good reason. He’s part of the growing number of seniors with dual enrollment. Translation: he leaves after first or second period each day to attend classes at the Community College of Baltimore County. He also heads to work routinely at the Hunt Valley Pharmacy. There, he’s relied up to do whatever chores the small business needs. “I point stuff out, get stuff for people, package bags. Whatever needs to get done that day, I do,” Gooden said. He also runs a gardening service. A founding member of the Giving it Back Club, Gooden worked closely with club sponsor Alicia Drechsler for two years to promote opportunities and provide a voice for African American students. But Gooden handed his leadership role to junior Malik Debow midway this year to make time for his studies (He took two Advanced Placement classes this year) and work schedule. Gooden, who will attend the University of Maryland at Baltimore County, said he plans to major in biology and hopes to attend medical school someday. If the description of friends like fellow senior Karuga Koinage are any indication, the soft-spoken Gooden should succeed at his bedside manner. “He’s fun to be around,” Koinange said. “He’s just a good guy.”

Cameron Carter

erin miller, associate editor ith three years of boys varsity lacrosse under his belt, All-American Cameron Carter is headed to the U.S. Air Force Academy to continue his lacrosse career. “I just love the competitive aspect of it. That’s what keeps me coming back,” Carter said of his experience. His lacrosse career started when he was just 5 years old. He now plays for Greene Turtle Lacrosse Club as well as the team here. Carter, who also plays varsity soccer, said he challenges himself in school. With four Advanced Placement classes this year, he maintains high grades. “Playing lacrosse forces me to create my own schedule and stay organized so I know when I have to get things done,” Carter said. This year, Carter was named captain of the team with seniors Burke McManus (another All-American), Dominic Dachille and junior Jake Bellinger. “It’s our job to focus on the team first, teammates second and ourselves third,” Carter said. “We just have to make sure we are always working for whatever is best for the team.”

photo by laura landefeld

Michelle Ko

will battle-mcdonald, staff writer y hands shook so much that I had to type in my password several times to log on,” Michelle Ko said, describing the moment she received her Harvard University admission decision. “Everything went completely numb because I was sobbing so hard. I almost passed out. I was such an emotional blob.” What does it take to get into Harvard? “It takes a lot of energy,” Ko said. “Being brave and pushing yourself to your limits but never so far as to start subverting your own passions.” Ko is familiar with passion and limit-pushing. Since she was 12, Ko has competed in National Novel Writing Month, which involves writing a 50,000-word novel—roughly 80 pages—each November. “I work at least two hours a night on the book year round,” she said. Ko also devotes time to It’s Academic, chess club and math club, frequently competing in state-level competitions and tournaments. “Michelle is really low-key and confident but she’s really intense and competitive,” It’s Academic coach John Wagner said. “I call her The Tiger.”

“M

Daniel Andrews

liz gillum, associate editor

aniel Andrews started the Spoken Word poetry club last year after noticing that school lacked a club that allowed students to create their own work. “I wanted to provide an open, accepting atmosphere for people to express themselves creatively,” Andrews said. “Anyone can bring in work to

photo by kira stiers

present that they have written or if they have an author they like. We also free style rap which is fun,” he said. Andrews, whose love for art began at a young age, just finished Advanced Placement Studio Art along with four other AP classes. “Ever since kindergarten, I used to write my own stories and illustrate them,” Andrews said. Now, Andrews draw’s inspiration from Dali’s surrealist work. “Any juxtaposition of elements that wouldn’t necessarily go together I try to incorporate in work that I’m doing,” Andrews said. Recently, he completed portrait of himself in a fetal position and then mirrored the same shape with a green pepper. He will attend Towson University where he plans to major in environmental studies.

Adolfo Carvalho

alex goldberg, managing editor dolfo Carvalho is shooting for the stars, literally. “I’ve always kind of seen myself working in cosmology, trying to

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explain how our universe got to whe Carvalho, who will major in physi studying dark matter or working wit These days, Carvalho has been tryi function to explain the properties of interstellar gas and dust. He has been working with head res Telescope Science Institute, at Johns H When he started his internship, Car billions of values. This hard work and perseverance in cross country and indoor and outd school career. “Most simply, I would say runnin “It’s taught me that when there’s so get it done or you’re not. And you ca

the griffin

features

may 20, 2015

o watch: 2015 5

photo from carvalho

photo by lucia tarantino

PHOTOS: 1. Grace Landefeld informs guests of the conservation efforts needed to protect penguins at the Baltimore Zoo, where she volunteered for two summers.

ere it is.” ics at Rice University, is interested in th general relativity. ing to develop his own mathematical f dust in different nebulae, clouds of

searchers at his internship at the Space Hopkins University. rvalho dealt with data grids involving

has developed from his participation door track for all 12 seasons of his high

ng has given me grit,” Carvalho said. omething to get done, you’re going to an’t really fake it.”

photo by lucia tarantino

Anna Steuerman

kalie paranzino, managing editor nna Steuerman was a swimmer—until a back injury her sophomore year halted this passion. “When you do something every day, and then you can’t really do it anymore, it really sucks,” Steuerman said. So, she took up singing: in her church choir, the school’s chamber choir and private voice lessons. But she was no fish out of water. “Her voice is like honey on toast,” senior Mark Benzinger said. Steuerman has proven her acting skills as well. She’s been in four productions here, including “Midsummer/Jersey” and “Carrie: the Musical.” “She can sing, she can act, she’s responsible, she’s respectful but she’s also fun,” technical director David Schein said. For Steuerman, acting and singing go hand in hand. “You can’t perform a song without any emotion behind it,” she said. Steuerman says she plans to attend CCBC for two years and be involved with musical theater before transferring to Towson University.

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2. Rhaj Gooden works at the Hunt Valley Pharmacy this spring. A founding member of Giving it Back Club, he also runs his own gardening business and babysits. 3. Cameron Carter cradles a lacrosse ball in April. The All-American is co-captain of the varsity boys lacrosse team and will be attending the U.S. Air Force Academy to play lacrosse in the fall. 4. Michelle Ko, president of Key Club, dons the costume of the district’s Key Club mascot in March. Ko, who will attend Harvard University in the fall, led the school’s club to win the Key Club of the Year for its district. 5. Daniel Andrews plays hacky sack with a tin foil ball this spring. He is a member of the Hacky Sack Club and the founder of the Spoken Word poetry club and the Save the Lome initiative. 6. Adolfo Carvalho works at his internship at the Space Telescope Science Institute on the Johns Hopkins University campus in April. He has been developing a mathematical model to explain properties of dust in bodies of interstellar gas and dust. 7. Anna Steuerman, former swimmer turned actress, rehearses for “Carrie: the Musical,” her fourth production here March 25. She played the role of Carrie’s mother, Margaret White.

10 sports

the griffin

Track sprints to silver

may 20, 2015

lions notebook:

VARSITY BOYS LACROSSE defeated Perry Hall High School, county champion Franklin High School and Old Mill High School en route to being crowned regional champions for the second consecutive year. Seniors Cameron Carter and Burke McManus earned All-American status, and as of press time the team was set to face Churchill High School in the state semifinal May 16, looking to continue its 12-game winning streak.

SENIOR KITA ROBINSON (LEFT) pursues Milford Mill Academy senior Yinka Alabi as they leap in the girls 300-meter hurdles during the Baltimore County Track and Field Championship at Pikesville High School May 9. Randallstown sophomore Jessica Roney trails them. Robinson finished the race in second place and helped lead the girls track and field team to a third place overall finish. Alabi won this race, and Roney took third.

SENIOR ADOLFO CARVALHO outpaces the pack to finish second in the boys 1600-meter run during the county championship. Just behind him, juniors Sean Smyth and Andrew King run to third and fourth place finishes, respectively. Hereford High School’s Zach Lang crossed the finish line behind them. photos by stephanie rountree

VARSITY GIRLS LACROSSE earned a record of 10-4 and ended the season with a loss to Bel Air High School in the sectional semifinal in the 4A state playoffs. The girls improved from last year by four wins. Over half of the starting lineup is expected to return next year.

VARSITY SOFTBALL finished 15-6, improving their record from last year by four wins. The team lost to Perry Hall High School 2-0 in the sectional final May 13 after outscoring its first two opponents 31-0 combined in its first two state playoff games. Ten players are set to return to the team next year. VARSITY TRACK AND FIELD placed second and third in the boys and girls county meet, respectively. Secondplace finishes from seniors Adolfo Carvalho and Ben Huang and junior Eric Walz helped lead the boys. Senior Kita Robinson’s second-place finishes in the 400-meter dash and the 300-meter hurdles propelled the girls to their third-place finish. As of press time, the team was preparing for the state championship meet May 22-23. VARSITY TENNIS ended the year by winning both the county and the regional titles for the second con-

photo by kira stiers VARSITY BASEBALL rebounded from two straight secutive year. losses to win Senior Emma Patheir last seven tron and junior Will regular season games. After de- Paranzino took home first place feating Kenwood High School in in both tournaments in the mixed the sectional semifinal, the boys double’s bracket, and nine memlost 3-1 to Perry Hall High School bers of the team will compete in in the sectional final May 13, end- the state tournament May 22-23. ing their year with a record of 18-4.

Fourteen seniors earn four-year varsity status this year VOLLEYBALL

Milan Amos

“My varsity experience has been one of a kind. How many people can say they won a state championship, won counties and regionals and went 24-0 for a whole season?”

BOYS GOLF

Andrew Sugarman

“Golf was an awesome environment to be in. It was competitive enough that it was enjoyable, but not to the point that it became stressful.”

never tired of it. The level of excitement is rising right now for me.”

Kelsey Hill

“I like tennis because it’s really versatile. I just like how technical you can be with it, with different shots.”

Helen Sun

GIRLS SOCCER

“Just practicing with the team is very memorable for me, and I will always forever remember the Dulaney

“Without soccer my life would amount to nothing.”

tennis team.”

Emma Patron

GIRLS LACROSSE

WRESTLING

“Being the only freshman on varsity was really intimidating but I learned a lot playing with the older girls and I gained a lot of confidence that way.”

Jess Bohn

“I love soccer because it has always come naturally to me. Something about a ball being at my feet brings a smile to my face.”

Jessie Beall

“I like wrestling because it’s a team and individual sport that gives you physical and mental challenges that push you that will help you out later in life.”

Sean Hoffman

“I love that it’s just me and my opponent hashing things out. I love the grit and hard work that is needed and it has put me in the best shape of my life physically and mentally.”

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Ellie Mathey

“I love playing defense. I love making big defensive plays that give our team momentum to carry through the game for a victory. Just knowing I can go to practice or play a game after a hard day with my second family always helps me get out of my rut.”

TENNIS

Ali Collie

OUTDOOR TRACK Adolfo Carvalho

“You develop this ethic of never making excuses and just always pushing through tough times. You just come in and you take care of business and whether you think you did well or you did poorly you just pick up and move on. Don’t dwell on the past, whether good or bad, because it will always hold you back.”

Kita Robinson

“If you want to do well you practice hard and when you get to the meet your day is just beginning. You yourself have to know that you will do well with no doubts. Being nervous at the line doesn’t mean the race will end badly it’s the lion we all have inside us.”

Andrew Abell

“I love it now because I just enjoy playing it every day. I’m Visit us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

Left: Senior Ellie Mathey shoots a free throw during the girls varsity basketball game against Loch Raven High School Feb. 9. The team finished the season with a record of 14-9. Above: Senior Emma Patron prepares for a penalty kick during a girls varsity soccer game this September. Patron earned secondteam all state honors as both a junior and a senior. photos by kira stiers

Vikki Williams

“I never initially wanted to be a thrower but now I don’t know where I would be without that in my life.” For our recognition of the 12-season athletes: Adolfo Carvalho, Ben Huang, Michael McClelland, P.D. Stein, Andy Wall and Victoria Williams, visit our website dulaneygriffin.org

11 sports

the griffin

COACHES

YEAR

Dual duties prove rewarding

olivia golden, associate editor but rewarding, Korrow said. edicated and balanced. Those are the qualities that “It’s always hard to balance the two. It consumes a lot set varsity lacrosse and soccer coach Kristi Korrow of hours and I try to manage my time and reach both my apart, senior lacrosse and soccer player P.D. Stein students and my players,” Korrow said. “Usually the best said. part of my day is getting to go “She’s really, really fun when outside and to be able to just enshe wants to be and really, rejoy coaching.” ally scary when she needs to be. Having grown up playing laIt’s a good balance and a really crosse and soccer, Korrow purcool relationship that she has sued lacrosse in college. with her players,” Stein said. Soon after graduating Loyola This year, Korrow’s passion University Maryland, she was for soccer was reinvigorated hired to teach English here. when she agreed to lead girls When given the opportunity to varsity soccer, in addition to coach girls varsity lacrosse during coaching lacrosse in the spring. her first year of teaching in 2004, Stein said she was elated to she jumped at the chance. During learn that Korrow would be this season, she coached her team coaching her for both soccer and to win the state championship. lacrosse during her senior year. Since then, her dedication to laSenior varsity lacrosse co-capcrosse hasn’t waned. tain Ali Collie commended Kor“We spend a lot of time analyzrow’s adaptability. ing each player’s strengths and “I think she has done a good VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER AND LACROSSE COACH Kristi Korrow weaknesses and trying to figure job of balancing both,” she said. encourages athletes during a session of BFS, a training out ways to get each individual Korrow said she attacks each club that provides offseason athletes. stronger, as well as ways to get sport differently, and her ath- photo from korrow our team stronger,” assistant varletes notice. sity lacrosse coach Cristina Reitmeyer said. “Lacrosse and soccer are two different worlds. I’m sure Junior Katie Condon, a varsity girls soccer player, noted the girls will tell you that too. The girls will all say ‘Yeah, Korrow’s energy. there’s soccer Korrow, and there’s lacrosse Korrow,’” she “When she took over varsity, practices became more serisaid. ous,” she said. “We were more motivated to get farther in As for balancing coaching with teaching, it’s challenging the season and it showed with each win.”

Lochte locks in career milestone

pushes his athletes is unique. kira stiers, associate editor he Lion’s Den can get loud when the stands are “He makes you work as hard as you can without thinkpacked, the student section is cheering and the boys ing about any other factor,” Bonner said. “He is great at varsity basketball team is winning. making sure we are all working our best and maximizing And win they did, finishing our potential.” Lochte said he loves teaching his the season with an 18-4 record overall. athletes the game and developing While the season ended durtheir skills. ing the regional championships “They learn lifelong lessons in a loss to Springbrook High through basketball,” Lochte said. School, varsity basketball head “It’s clear that they learn more coach Matt Lochte walked away than just playing basketball from the season with his 150th through the program.” And while coaching games is a career win and five of his eight seniors this year committing to big part of Lochte’s job, he said it play college basketball. isn’t his favorite part of being a coach. Lochte has been the program’s head coach for the past 10 years “Practice is my favorite. I enjoy it a thousand times more here, but has spent a total of 16 coaching in the county. than games. I tell the guys to lose If you ask Lochte what his VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL COACH Matt Lochte strategizes with themselves,” Lochte said. biggest accomplishment is, he’ll his team during a February home game. “At practice I want them to lose focus of time and I want them to tell you it’s the 34 kids that he photo by kira stiers coached that have gone on to walk out of practice not knowing if it’s light or dark outside. I want play college basketball. One of the most recent of them to leave all the stress outside Lochte’s players to commit to a college was senior Isaiah and come in to play basketball.” Lamb, who will be playing for the Divison I basketball Lochte said he’s not stopping anytime soon. “I’ll be coaching in the future. I have an unbelievable team for Marist College in New York. “It was a special moment,” Lochte said of Lamb’s deci- coaching staff and I’m hoping my proudest moment is yet sion. “His full ride is life-changing for him.” to come, hopefully by winning a state title.” Senior guard James Bonner added that the way Lochte

High school sports build confidence, grit BEHIND THE PLATE

andrew sugarman, associate editor roll out of bed at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, shower and grab a protein bar. By 7:15 a.m., I’ve picked up my teammate for 8 a.m. practice. At 7:30 a.m., I flip on the lights of the team room, which less than twelve hours before, I was walking out of after a game. During my high school sports career, I’ve never entertained that my energy, stress and gas money could’ve

been better spent elsewhere. Despite the points in Atlantic Monthly’s article “The Case Against High School Sports,” I reject that American schools waste money on sports. Athletics are important. Without the sports component, a student lacks vital interpersonal skills, which I rank higher than the ability to analyze poems or memorize trig function derivatives. I’m not alone. In 2014, the New York Times reported that former high school athletes tend to get better jobs with greater salaries due to higher confidence, respect and leadership levels. According to everydaylife. com, college athletes are more likely to graduate in four years. NCAA athletes graduate at a rate of 80 percent while non-athletes graduate at a rate of 63 percent. High school sports teach grit. It’s

attending school after an all-nighter and still making practice and the gym. It’s preventing teammates from driving drunk on Saturday night. It’s running youth clinics. It’s helping an underclassman pass his driver’s test so he can drive to morning workouts. Grit walks with every teammate with whom I’ve had the pleasure of playing. This grit wasn’t earned because of the money sports teams get. It was earned when they did their homework after practice and aced their algebra test the next day. This justifies the time and money devoted to high school sports. Creating well-rounded pupils, experienced in stress and time management and familiar with collaboration, high schools give students higher chances of success in college and the world beyond.

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may 20, 2015

athletes

month

VARSITY TENNIS

Driven sophomore excels patrick fitzgerald, staff writer ophomore Daniel Sun has been rapidly ascending through the ranks of the varsity tennis team. Last season he played doubles as a member of the county-title-winning team. This year, Sun is the team’s second-ranked singles player. Next year, he will take DANIEL SUN photo by lucia tarantino the place of the current firstranked singles player, graduating senior Andrew Abell. But there has been a transition period for Sun. “I’m used to relying on myself. It’s a lot more pressure, but it’s also a lot more fun,” he said about playing singles. Sun also added that he has improved his footwork this year to more effectively cover the court. Coach Sharon Spangenberg praised his work ethic. “I know he did a lot in the offseason,” Spangenberg said. “A lot of our players have lessons and clinics that they go to.” Spangenberg commended Sun for his character, as did sophomore and teammate Alli Hill. “He always has a positive demeanor. He keeps everyone in good spirits,” Hill said. “Tennis makes school more fun in general because I look forward to practice every day,” Sun said. Sun was a part of this year’s team that placed first in the county tournament and also competed in the regional tournament May 8 and 9 as a part of a mixed doubles team with his sister and teammate Helen Sun, a senior. There they placed second to fellow teammates junior Will Paranzino and senior Emma Patron. Both teams will compete at the State Championships May 21 and 22 at College Park.

VARSITY TENNIS

Top seed eyeing change kristin meek, associate editor wendy mo, staff writer ven top tier tennis players strive to improve. Junior Angela Zhang, who plays on the top seeded girls doubles team, has been working to empower her backhand. ANGELA ZHANG “I need to open up my ANGELA ZHANG stroke more and have a wider photo by lucia tarantino range of motion,” she said. “I have to open my wrist and hit from the bottom up.” With this dedication to improvement, Zhang has also developed a unique technique and strategy that have propelled her successes on the court, according to head tennis coach Sharon Spangenberg. “She has great groundstrokes, great cross court shots. Her anticipation is very good and you know, she’s good with strategy,” Spangenberg said, adding that Zhang’s communication skills bolster her performance in number one girl’s doubles. She also impresses with her courtesy and consistency, senior doubles tennis partner Helen Sun said. Zhang and Sun held a 9-1 record and placed second to Catonsville at the county championships May 2. Although Zhang only picked up a racket three years ago after persuasion from her father, her work in the offseason playing with Baltimore Fitness and Tennis allows her to know the game well. Zhang competed in the regional tournament May 8 and 9 with freshmen Jessica Ye on the girls doubles team and came in second to qualify for the state tournament May 22 and 23 at College Park.

JUNIOR VARSITY ATHLETES

For staff writer Sophie Bates’ and Jason Fontelieu’s profile on sophomore baseball player Matt Marino and staff writer Doria Diacogiannis’ profile on freshmen softball player Britt Farley visit our website.

MATT MARINO

photos by lucia tarantino

BRITT FARLEY

12 features

Yes, she used it

Senior places in contest

avalon bonlie, associate editor hough others ignore theirs, senior Isabella Parrotta will graduate having actually used her locker each of her high school years. “The office didn’t know what to do,” Parrotta said recalling her locker request after moving here from St. Croix her sophomore year. “They had to look up a procedure.” Because she walks to and from school, Parrotta stows items to lighten her load. Her use has not gone unnoticed. Students and teachers occasionally comment, Parrotta said. “Once a teacher asked to take a picture of me using my locker, and she went down the hall laughing,” Parrotta said. But Parrotta isn’t embarrassed or upset that she gets this extra attention.

may 20, 2015

the griffin

SENIOR ISABELLA PARROTTA stashes her lunch in her third floor locker before school in February. photo by avalon bonlie

Senior Yusuf Mahmood delivers an impromptu speech in room 115 May 12. Mahmood received third place in the district final for the Rotary Club’s 4-way Speech Contest for his anti-capital punishment speech May 9, winning $750. Why debate? “The fact that there is a clash of ideas and you have to force yourself to answer every flaw that is possible in your argument,” Mahmood said.

“I’m glad that I give enjoyment to others by using my locker.”

post SENIOR CONFIDENCE NWANGUMA is a soccer fan and a “Live on 5” anchor who loves Manchester United and aspires to be a nurse. The Nigerian native sat down with staff writer Jack Shuster to discuss his plans for next year, his music taste and more. Reading? For the most part I am reading my Advanced Placement Biology textbook. It is quite important and it is all really interesting to me. And I am reading it because I want to be a nurse when I grow up and I want to get a head start with that. I also like calculus, maybe even more than biology, but we do not have to read much for calculus. Also, my friend Andrew Abell talked to me about reading this book called, “The Color Purple.” I am going to start reading that very soon. I am also reading the “Legend of Korra” comic series, which is a spinoff of the TV show “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” which was on Nickelodeon a few years ago. Watching? I am just watching three shows now: The Flash, Arrow, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I like a lot of action with a little

bit of romance and drama, so I like those. All of them are on now, and are all very good. My favorite show is Arrow. Listening? I love Drake. I like his new album -- all of the songs are good. And I am also listening to Chiddy Bang, Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino. I listen to Tove Lo, and my favorite song from her is “Talking Body.” I also just started listening to Kid Cudi. My friend Darian told me to start listening to him. I like most of his songs. I also

photo by lucia tarantino

like One Direction and Yelawolf a lot. My all time favorite song is “Sugar” by Maroon 5, because it was sung by my favorite artist and I promposed to Gina Lee to it. Following? I mostly use Instagram to follow people. I am following

photo by maya hoke

a lot of people just from Dulaney High School, my friends, some Nigerian celebrities, mostly comedians and just one or two singers. My favorite Nigerian comedian is Chief Obi. He is really funny. Also, my favorite singer is Iyanya. He is a Nigerian Pop singer. I also follow Kevin Hart. I think he is the only American celebrity I follow. He is really funny. Eating? I eat a lot of Nigerian food. My mom makes a lot every Saturday night and we refrigerate it for the week. She makes rice and stew with chicken, which is my favorite. Then we have corn starch: she has a special way she makes it that is beautiful. We have yams and beans. I like beans a lot. When I am not eating my mom’s food, I eat a lot of Chipotle. I love Chipotle. I like Qdoba a little better because of the queso, which I like a lot, but I like both. Changing? I have changed a lot. Freshman year I was very small, no hair, bald kid, and my sense of style was not the same. Back in the day I just wore the little running shoes. Now I guess I am a little more sophisticated. When it comes to personality, I am still the same old person. I like to make people happy and to be happy myself.

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3/27/15 3:28 PM

13 features

Cellist Lee finds solace in music

ben merebloom, managing editor e has been first chair cello in Baltimore County Honors Orchestra every year since seventh grade, first chair for the Baltimore County Side-by-Side with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for the last four years and principal cellist in the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra for three years. But that’s just the beginning. He has also been a member of the Maryland All State Orchestra for four years. Of his fellow cellist Ben Lee, senior Ben Freiert puts it bluntly. “He plays everything with an ease that’s sometimes infuriating.” In fact, Lee and music just seem connected. “I feel whatever the music sounds like,” he said. For example, a piece about the death of a loved one brings out sadness.

Lee, who plans to major in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, also hopes to perform with the JHU symphony orchestra, he said. Lee’s interest in the cello began when he was 9 years old. That’s when he saw a skilled cellist perform at his church. He was instantly inspired, he said. Now, Lee, who completed eight Advanced Placement exams this spring, maintains that music provides respite from his overbooked schedule. Despite all of the advanced orchestras and preparation required for them, playing cello is one of the few times he doesn’t feel tired. Perhaps that relief manifests itself in a way that is visible to others. “He has a very relaxed playing style, and he takes mistakes in stride.” Freiert said, adding that one part of Lee’s playing truly

the griffin

may 20, 2015

Rallying for Relay

SENIOR BEN LEE rehearses with the BSO at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in April. photo from lee’s facebook

stands out. “The most impressive aspect of his playing is his ability to get a clean sound out of the school’s decrepit cellos,” Freiert said. “I’ve never been able to make a school cello sound beautiful.”

RELAY FOR LIFE CO-CHAIRS, seniors Laura Hillard and Kalie Paranzino, thank guidance counselor and advisor Katie Owens and American Cancer Society partner Kat Parker for their dedication and support in the opening ceremony of the school’s first Relay For Life event April 25. The event raised $10,127.90 for the American Cancer Society. See our website for features about Hillard and other seniors who devoted time to an array of activities here. photo by katie nanasi

College essay writing: creativity combines with work JAKE EBRIGHT, a senior, calls college essay writing strenuous, yet enjoyable, because it permits self-expression. What follows is a shortened version of his Common Application essay, which netted him admission to the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school. See the essay that earned Charlotte Slaughter admission to Cornell University on our website.

jake ebright, staff writer y name, Jake Singh Ebright, is like the perfect shoe. It fits me just right. It is an amalgamation of two races, two religions and two distinct lifestyles. I was named after my

grandfathers George Ebright, nicknamed “Jake,” and Gurbax Singh Goraya. One, a farmer’s son who achieved great success in the corporate world and the other, a fatherless Indian immigrant who came here in search of the American dream. I have been fortunate enough to have been immersed in these two different cultures, and as a result I have developed a willingness to take risks to help myself and others, and a passion for learning and service. Jake was raised in Bucks County, Pa. He was youngest of six siblings and the first in his family to attend college. Gurbax came to America in 1970, leaving his wife and child in India until he could secure a stable life for them. Understanding the risks my grandfathers took for better lives has always inspired me to take risks. This past year I ran for class president because I saw an opportunity to improve my class. Earlier that year, my brother and I were walking home when a group of kids yelled to us to “go cut the lawns” because of our brown skin. Experiencing discrimination made me sensitive to struggles faced by others. In school, I recognized there were people who didn’t feel like a part of our class, who didn’t feel comfortable going to school dances and didn’t have partners for class projects. I wanted to be president so that I could create an environment where my classmates could feel good about being themselves and experience being a part of our class community. Fortunately, I won the election, and as class president I’ve already noticed our sense of community

JAKE EBRIGHT and his parents celebrate his birthday in September. Ebright’s essay addressed his mixed ethnic background. photo from ebright

strengthening. Just last week the seniors were trench-deep in the hallway wars. I sent personal invitations to people who weren’t usually included, asking them for assistance. We had the greatest class attendance and won the competition through our cooperation and teamwork. In 10th grade, my middle school principal asked me to talk to graduating eighth graders about life in high school. I answered questions from “How should I organize my binder?” to “Will seniors beat me up?” The content of their questions and answers conveyed how worried they were about going to high school and revealed that some lacked crucial skills for success. After the presentation, the principal expressed surprise at the students’ attentiveness and mentioned that many parents felt uncomfortable coming to school to advocate for their kids because of their own negative experiences in school. With this realization, I founded the Power to Change Initiative and aimed to teach eighth graders the value of learning, methods of organization and goal setting. Originally, I was the only presenter, but I now include diverse classmates as co-presenters. This summer, I interned with the Carson Scholars Fund to further my understanding of promoting academic success to improve my program. My name is a constant reminder of my mixed heritage and helps me to keep my eyes open for opportunities to make a difference. Because of this, my view of the world around me is broader and more vivid.

tips for college essays

1. Craft a creative introduction. 2. Compose essays for several prompts to ensure that you choose the best one for you. 3. Share a personal story. 4. Write in your own voice. 5. Don’t be afraid to show emotion. 6. Get feedback from three to four people.

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the griffin

14 features

may 20, 2015

From teaching school to playing school H

maya hoke, managing editor istory teacher Kathy Skelton is retiring after teaching for 22 years, the last nine of which were here. As she finishes her final year, students and colleagues reminisce. “Sophomore year, when I came in after getting braces, she said that they’d be worth it in a few years, and it might be hard at first, but keep smiling,” senior P.D. Stein said. Students also laud Skelton’s ability to encourage with her lessons. “Mrs. Skelton has been an inspiration to us all. She motivated students to take pride in their work and teaches in a way that makes us all history nerds,” senior Laura Hillard said. Hillard isn’t the only one with fond memories of Skelton’s class. Junior Ellie Jackson, who had Skelton as her teacher for both AP World History and AP U.S. History, remembers Skelton’s ability to guide students through the AP program. “Taking an AP class for the first time is like being thrown into a shark tank without any knowledge of how to swim,” she said. “Mrs. Skelton ultimately has fostered my growth as

an AP student through her constant encouragement. I could not even begin to thank her enough.” Fellow AP history teacher John Wagner acknowledged her contributions to the school. “She is a huge part of the school’s AP program and her willingness to teach two challenging AP courses has been of great service to the school and the students,” Wagner said. But even as Skelton moves on from teaching high school, she still gets to maintain the title of teacher. “I have three grandchildren and they are growing up fast. They have a favorite game to play: school! And they listen to the teacher,” Skelton said. But her plans for retirement include more than just spending time with her three, soon-to-be four, grandkids. “I want to find a job that is fun and around people, and part time. I’m retiring and I’m 65 so I have everything I need, but I know I want to keep busy.” She isn’t leaving with a light heart. Skelton said she’s going to miss the faculty and students here. “I feel like I’m walking into home here,” she said.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEACHER KATHY SKELTON instructs her period 1A AP World History class. After her upcoming retirement, she looks forward to teaching her grandchildren as well. “They have a favorite game to play: school!,” she said. photo by sahana raju

Loving her dog, even during math lessons casey proefrock, staff writer and christine condon, deputy editor e is a grand champion,” math teacher Lynette Roller said of her Belgian Tervuren, a breed of herding dog, named Titan. Since she adopted him when he was 13 weeks old, Roller has been training Titan in events such as agility, sheep herding and canine nose work. Nose work involves the identification of scents such as clove, anise and birch. For Titan, the competitions are a mixture of work and play. “He does sheep herding for fun,” Roller said. “He likes to scatter the sheep and then gather them again.” Titan also competes in confirmation shows, where entry fees cost around $38, Roller said. The shows are directed by the American Kennel Club. Here, judges look at the structure and markings on a dog for breeding purposes, Roller said. But Roller may not have taken part in dog shows at all had it not been for the circumstances of Titan’s adoption. “We just go to have fun,” Roller said. “We would never have shown him in the first place but in order to purchase

“H

Top, left: Math teacher Lynette Roller holds her dog Titan shortly after adopting him when he was 13 weeks old. Top, right: Roller and her dog Titan pose with a judge after winning the Best of Winners Award May 2010. photos from roller

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him we had to sign a show contract.” Amongst all the competition, Roller does her best to stay grounded, making light of the behaviors of overzealous dog owners. “It’s hysterical,” she said. “I think you can get a little mental about it. My husband and I have seen people who get pretty mental about it, but we aren’t that serious.” Yet the hard work, time and energy that Roller has put into her dog paid off this fall. Titan, now six-years-old, received a Grand Champion award at a Regional Specialty event in Ohio. He beat six other dogs of his breed to receive this honor, Roller said. Roller’s students know all about Titan. Senior Will Battle, who had Roller for freshman geometry and has her now for Advanced Placement Calculus BC, recalled the many times that she has referred to her dog. “She always tells us that Titan can run to the moon and back faster than we can do a worksheet,” Battle said. Roller said she is looking at taking Titan to the Belgian Tervuren Nationals in Gettysburg this May. Associate editor Liz Gillum contributed to this story.

the griffin

15 features

may 20, 2015

She won for brains A

elijah boswell, staff writer mbition helped senior Mandy Bilger become the only student in the county to be named a National Merit Scholar this year. But Bilger doesn’t just excel in academics. She shines in robotics, singing—even crocheting. Bilger’s passion shows in her devotion to singing, chorus teacher Christina Senita said. “There have been challenges where other students have given up, but Mandy has continuously pushed for personal growth,” Senita said. Bilger has also contributed to two worldchampionship-qualifying robotics teams. She cites her drive to achieve as a catalyst. “I’m incredibly obsessive about everything that I like,” Bilger said. As for her unique interest in crocheting,

Juxtaposition,

a conversation between differing individuals

Left to right: Seniors Annie Brantigan and Karuga Koinage. photo by christine mckinnie

alk about taking opposing paths. Come August, senior Annie Brantigan flies to California to attend Stanford University. Classmate Karuga Koinange will hop a commuter bus to Towson University. “I moved here when I was only four, and I knew I wanted to stay very close to home,” Koinange said. For Brantigan, distance wasn’t the issue. “Stanford has always been my dream school,” she said. “It was actually the first college I ever visited, and that kind of ruined me for everywhere else.” The sense of collaboration pervading Stanford attracted Brantigan, who – at least for now – envisions a future as a biomechanical engineer, perhaps making prosthetics, she said. Koinange, who was attracted to Towson’s communications program, said he hoped to learn video production and maybe team up with classmate Finn Hasson, a

world language fan, and travel the world, sharing their perceptions via entertaining video travel logs. Brantigan and Koinange also free associated on issues concerning newcomers on campus. Regarding food: “Optimistic,” Brantigan said, citing what she tasted during a visit. “Skeptical,” Koinange said, citing reviews from others. Each confessed to nerves over college classes. “They say that there’s this duck syndrome, where on the outside everyone looks like they’re just peacefully floating along but on the inside they’re all paddling to stay afloat,” Brantigan said. Associate editors Audrey Fanshaw and Erin Miller transformed this conversation into the Juxtaposition blog. See more on our website.

photo by chloe messier

Bilger completed a sweater this year—to mixed reviews. “I wore it to school once, and half of the kids were like, ‘that’s so dumb,’ and others were like ‘that’s so cool.’”

He excels on court and off

meera rothman, staff writer who drew national attention last fall enior and varsity basketball player when he made the cover of Sports IllusIsaiah Lamb is trading Lions uni- trated for a piece on homeless high school athletes, still downforms for Marist College’s Red Foxes on a plays his hard times. “How’d you make it full athletic scholarship. through?’’ he recalled But what about that ACL tear that sidelined some people saying. His answer: “There him here this season? “Marist is saying there’s were people there for no rush and it’s my decime. It wasn’t just me by myself.” sion, so I feel pretty good about that,” he said, addThe 6-foot, 4-inch student admits to ing that he’ll evaluate being a tad nervous his healing pace before deciding to red shirt and SMALL FORWARD ISAIAH LAMB maneuvers about college. “I don’t have my practice with but not play past the St. Paul’s School for Boys deparents to tell me to in games with the team fense in a home game Dec. 5. do my homework and while he takes classes. photo by kira stiers study,” he said. The school’s varsity basketball small forward,

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A CAPPELLA AND CHORUS SINGER Mandy Bilger rehearses in chorus class earlier this month.

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16 features

may 20, 2015

Obsession fuels him W

jordan nicolette, staff writer hat’s the coolest car in the senior lot? Probably Brian Kochesfahani’s 2006 BMW 330xi. “I love that ferocious growl of the engine,” he said of his metallic, sparkling graphite beauty, “but my girlfriend complains that it sounds like a dying whale.” His girlfriend has had to adapt to Kochesfahani’s dedication to online BMW forums as well as Saturday mornings at the Cars and Coffee auto show in the Hunt Valley Mall parking lot. There, gear-heads from all around gather and talk about their most prized possessions. Conversations there have sparked upgrades to Kochesfahani’s 330xi. “I’m always trying to do something to enhance the driving experience,” he said. It started with replacing the tires, but it evolved into upgrading the whole suspension, exhaust system, rims, and much more, all adding up to a cost of $7,683, he said. His favorite upgrade? Changing his emblem to the design of the Maryland flag. Koches-

SENIOR BRIAN KOCHESFAHANI drives his prized 2006 BMW 330xi on Interstate 83 South May 12. “I love that ferocious growl of the engine,” he said. photo by jordan nicolette

fahani has since started a YouTube channel where he posts pictures of his car, and he will do anything to post the next best shot or video. “I nearly killed myself trying to make a video of me driving fast over this bridge, but in the end the shot was dope,” he said. How fast will his Beemer go? Kochesfahani wouldn’t reveal his top speeds, but he recalled a time when speed helped. He overslept the day of his

Advanced Placement Environmental Science exam last year, he said, Somehow, he made it from his Hunt Valley home to the Loyola Graduate Center in Timonium in eight minutes. “I love my car, but it’s the memories like those that are even better,” Kochesfahani said. For a gallery of photos featuring Kochesfahani’s car see our website.

Developing persona SENIOR ANNA JOHNSON is known as one of the top students in the class and an amazing National Honor Society president, at least according to the club’s sponsor, Kathy Roeder. At the March 31 induction ceremony, Johnson delivered an impromptu speech after the guest speaker canceled unexpectedly. Despite her NHS commitment and six Advanced Placement classes, Johnson finds time for photography. In between studying math and chemistry at Tulane University, Johnson said she will continue to dabble in digital and film photography. She hopes to submit work to magazines and small firms. Her photo above, featuring senior Lyra Morina, is just one in a series that appears in a gallery on our website. See Senior Pursues Passion. photo from johnson

among us:

Her paintings reveal emotions via vibrant hues

Above left: Senior Nicole Miller sets up her senior art show in April. photo by lucia tarantino

Above right: Miller displays an oil pastel portrait of her grandfather completed in 20 hours this year. photo from miller

“N

jake ebright, staff writer icole is a painter. Whether holding a brush or a pencil or a pen, Nicole paints,” senior Nicole Miller’s Advanced Placement Studio Art teacher Jim Kuhlman said. Miller remembers her love for art flourishing during her middle school years and

attributes her current talent to teachers like Cockeysville Middle School art teacher Sam Georgieff who encouraged her to pursue the mastery of her art abilities. Miller used to sell her art for 25 cents to friends and family, but now, money isn’t her main objective. These days she paints for one reason: she loves art. Miller hosted her Senior Art Show alongside classmate and senior Olivia Golden in April. The two worked extensively inside and outside of school to plan the show. “It was really worth it in the end to see all my art displayed. The art show is like a rite of passage for seniors,” Miller said. The title of the show was “Chroma” which means the intensity of a color or the departure of a color from white or grey. Miller’s work featured bright colors, living up to the show’s theme. “Nicole has perfected her ability to depict emotion through portraiture. She uses oil paint to do so, incorporating vibrant hues to evoke feeling from the viewer,” Golden said. In preparing and finishing her pieces for the final art show Miller said that she frequently

listens to artists like Kendrick Lamar and Odd Future to get her in the right frame of mind to produce. “I actually listen to a lot of rap. It’s kind of weird because I’m a small white girl but I listen to it to get me in the zone, to get pumped up,” she said.

“These days she paints for one reason: she loves art.” Miller said her favorite piece of work that she has ever made is a painting of her grandfather done in oil paint. It took her around 20 hours to finish, and yes, she was pleased with it. Miller, who plans to major in finance and minor in art at the University of Maryland, College Park, will remain known as the painter of this year’s AP Studio Art class. “If anyone has a question about a particular technique with regard to paint, Nicole is the one to ask,” Golden said.

Merit finalists share their less serious side and more Wendy Mo

Helen Sun

I plan to study economics at New York University.

I plan to study engineering or computer science at Cornell University.

I would have dinner with John and Hank Green. The VlogBrothers have done really cool things such as Project for Awesome and the Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Mandy Bilger

My current favorite song is “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon.

I would have dinner with President Abraham Lincoln to discuss how he rose to high office from humble beginnings.

Adolfo Carvalho

I plan to study Computer Science at Drexel University.

I plan to study astrophysics at Rice University.

I would have dinner with D.J. MacHale because he’s both an exceptionally creative writer and a really cool guy. I would love to discuss the universes he’s crafted.

I would have dinner with Ludwig Wittgenstein, to ask him of his thoughts on eternity and if he remembered going to primary school with Adolf Hitler.

My current favorite song is “Inland” by Jars of Clay.

My current favorite song is “Mortal Man” by Kendrick Lamar. Visit us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

My current favorite song is “Centuries” by Fall Out Boy.