NOVEMBER 2012 by Dulaney Griffin

Our mission: to enlighten and to entertain

the griffin Dulaney High School Timonium, Maryland

Volume 53, Issue 2 RULE DEBATED

See even more content on our website: http:///my.hsj.org/md/timonium/griffin

November 20, 2012

Crowding declines, doesn’t disappear

Nationwide curriculum debuts slowly

see our website

TO KNOW

624

the number of dollars raised at the Oct. 20 Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure by the cross country team BELOVED COACH

Jammed in lab. Sophomore Anna Johnson measures liquids for an experiment while sophomore Annie Brantigan, sophomore Maya Hoke, sophomore Mike McClelland, senior Hanna Ruth, sophomore Michelle Ko, senior Cameron Miller and senior Elle Smiley look on in Edward Lyons’s Advanced Placement Chemistry class. “Keep in mind that this number of students at a lab bench is not typical!” Lyons said, adding that he usually uses two classrooms for lab experiments to house all 41 of his students. photo by jen siegel

see page 8

# TO KNOW

156

the number of seniors applying to college through fall early decision or early action CLASS TO CLUB

see page 12

INDEX 2-3 4-5 6-7 8-12

news opinion sports features

jessica hung, features editor & katy trosch, staff writer hances are you have fewer jammed classes this year. Data from the administration shows a decline in the percentage of classes with more than 30 students them, at least for academic subjects. The change is most dramatic in English classes, where the percentage with more than 30 students has dropped 27 percent from last year, down from 45 percent to 18 percent. Math classes scored the next most significant improvement. With 15 percent containing over 30 students, that is 14 percent fewer than last year. This year 19 percent of world language classes have 30 or more students, down 1 percent from last year. Physical education classes face a crowding problem with 74 percent of all classes having 30 or more students. Heaviest hit with crowding among academic subjects is social studies, which bears the brunt of required government classes for freshmen. The percentage of social studies classes with more than 30 students barely budged

Teacher honored as math hero

from 40 percent last year to 39 percent this year. Science, hit by the elimination of many separate lab periods this year, is tied for a distant second in crowding with English. Some 18 percent of science classes contain more than 30 students, down roughly 5 percent from last year. What’s made for the improvements?

Number of classes with 33 or more students Science

7 8

English Physical Education

Health

Social Studies

Numbers for the departments with the most crowded classes were obtained from the administration’s computer records. see CROWDING, page 3

lily klein, online coordinator he national learning goals known as the Core Curriculum—due for full implementation next school year—have started to appear. Core learning goals are in effect in English 11, technology and geometry classes. Honors and Standard English 11 curricula focus more on writing, editing, close-reading and reading higher-level texts. Students use nonfiction texts to practice vocabulary. The reappearance of brief constructed responses reflects the shift from SAT-like questions to rhetorical analysis. “You write no matter what your job is, no matter what you do in life,” English teacher Meekah Hopkins said. “It helps you to think. It helps you to work and organize thoughts.” Math will emphasize real-life application and connection of topics between courses. Besides the inclusion of statistics, the geometry curriculum piloted three years ago by math teacher Stacy Herring-Jones followed Core Curriculum goals. Changes include the consolidation of all geometry levels into one textbook, and geometry being moved between Algebra I and II. Math teacher Victoria Bracken said effective change will take nine years. In technology classes, Core Curriculum ideals are already in place. Students problem-solve with math, science, history, engineering and writing. Advising teachers moving toward the Core Curriculum, technology teacher David Schein said, “Baby steps. Stop telling students the answers. Tell them where you go to find what you need to know.”

Twisting and shouting at the senior breakfast

alison kochesfahani, deputy news editor was so excited,” geometry teacher Ken Nwocha said after being recognized as a MathMovesU Math Hero by the Raytheon Corporation, among 32 other nominees. Results were based on nominations from previous and currents students and their parents, as well as accompanying essays. “It was a big deal to be a top finalist in the competition and the only guy in Maryland who won,” he said. Though there were 208 other candidates across the country,

“I

CAFETERIA STAFF MEMBERS

Linda Somers, Anabella Ayestas and Sheila Carpenter dance to the classic rock sounds of Captain Stubby & His Duckmen—the faculty band made up of history teacher John Wagner, science department chairman Steve Shaw and math teacher Paul Leroy, and featuring senior percussionist Christine King—performing at the Oct.17 senior breakfast. photo by yejin yoon

see NWOCHA, page 3

FYI: thanksgiving holiday Nov. 22-23 No school

meet the coaches Nov. 27 Auditorium 6:30 p.m.

senior personals due Nov. 30 Room 301

Find us on Edline under clubs.

financial aid night

Dec. 6 Satellite Cafeteria 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

food drive ends, interims distributed Dec. 7

winter concerts Dec. 13 & 18 Auditorium 7:30 p.m.

the griffin

news

november 20, 2012

Freshman English teacher reconfigures homework plan

mattie gibbons, news editor tudents in Jodi Wicks’s Gifted and Talented English 9 class have no homework this year— or, at least, not much of it. “We don’t get any written homework. If anything, it’s read a book or study,” freshman Nilaani Kayamboo said. In eighth grade, Kayamboo was used to reading a portion of a novel, answering questions on it and preparing for a quiz the next day. But Wicks had a different idea for her students. After watching the film “Race to Nowhere,” Wicks said she re-examined her expectations for her class. Written homework seemed to have no logical explanation. “As a mom, I frequently lamented

the massive amounts of homework my own children would have and the time away from family activities that homework required,” Wicks said. Seeing both perspectives caused her to evaluate its effectiveness. After researching teachers, schools and entire school districts that had eliminated homework from their curriculums, Wicks decided to try it in her own classroom. Giving no written homework to her students, she said, is “to give kids back to their families and free up whatever part of their after– school hours” that she can. But the students don’t get away with an easy class because of it. Wicks said she uses every second of her class time to get in as much of her origi-

nal curriculum as possible. Students Wicks also had to change her are still expected to read at home methods for assessing students to ensure they grasp the and study but without written assignments material. In the past, or note checks. assignments could “I really like the be finished for homereading schedule. I work, but now every inch of written work don’t have to follow it exactly. I’m a pretty must be finished durfast reader, so I like to ing the class period. sit down on the week“I’m hoping it’s worth it,” Wicks said. end and do a lot in a Wicks said she expects few hours,” freshman English teacher Jodi Wicks her students will see Eva Bacas said. photo by aysha khan the value in their work These changes have proven difficult, Wicks but also expects that her said. She must work hard to maxi- experiment has cut down on cheatmize in-class time and has removed ing. Most importantly, she said, she many activities from her past cur- hopes families will see a decrease in riculum for which she no longer has their students’ stress levels. time.

College Board changes requirements in some AP courses

nick bond, copy editor eachers and students are reacting positively to announced changes to the Advanced Placement U.S. History and Advanced Placement Physics B curriculums, to go into effect fall 2014. The courses are redesigned to better prepare students for the new exams that will be administered spring 2015. The new curriculum will reduce the content covered so teachers can engage students more deeply in the material. The aim is to reduce pressure on teachers to rush through course topics. “Right now, the amount of information to cover before the exam is ridiculous,” history teacher John Wagner said.

scene

Wagner and fellow history teacher Kathleen Skelton said they look forward to the changes. “I think it will make the course more realistically doable,” Wagner said. Both said they will not have to alter their teaching styles much to adjust to the changes. Junior Lauren Cahalan, who is currently taking A.P. US History, said she wished that these changes could have been implemented this year. “I feel like it would help me get more out of the course,” Cahalan said. Additionally, College Board will decrease the number of multiple-choice questions on the exam from 80 to 36. The new exam will feature a longer free-response section with short-answer, docu-

ment-based and essay-style questions that test students’ knowledge of history thinking skills. According to Wagner and Skelton, these changes will not necessarily ease the difficulty of the exam. The new curriculum, more historical skill based, is designed to prepare students for the updated free-response section. Although there is less content, the new exam will require students to develop a deeper understanding of the key concepts. Because AP Physics B covers a broad range of material, College Board has decided to spread the course over two years. AP Physics 1 and 2 will replace AP Physics B. Currently, AP Physics B is not offered here.

dulaney

Seniors confess to close calls due to texting while driving

DANCE STUDENTS junior Amy Meltzer, senior Melanie Klein, sophomore Grace Landefeld, senior Dee Dee Ling, sophomore Ginny Bush and junior Stephanie Ford practice their performance dance, choreographed by senior Payton Russo, during their third period dance company class Nov. 14. They and others will perform in the Nov. 29 fall dance concert in the auditorium at 7 p.m. The concert was rescheduled because of Hurricane Sandy. photo by christine mckinnie

TEACHER? LAWYER? ENGINEER? NURSE?

Start College Now! It’s never too soon to start thinking about your future. The Community College of Baltimore County offers high school students the opportunity to get a jump start on their college education and career training with our Parallel Enrollment Program (PEP). Juniors and Seniors can enroll in college courses while still in high school. Talk to your parents and guidance counselors to see how you can start getting ready now.

Get Started at CCBC!

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

The incredible value of education. www.ccbcmd.edu

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kaeli o’connor, staff writer uring the last week of last school year, senior Olivia O’Brien cruised down Dulaney Valley Road at 50 miles per hour in her Audi. She abruptly decelerated for a turning car. A Honda slammed into the back of O’Brien’s car, propelling her into the Explorer ahead. Her crushed car, she said, looked like “an accordion” and was beyond repair. “It wasn’t my fault,” O’Brien said, “but I was texting.” O’Brien was not the only student to do serious damage to a car while texting last year. Senior Kevin Roloson narrowly avoided being driven over by a tanker when his Jeep rolled into the path of oncoming traffic. He had been driving off-road in his Jeep Wrangler. “I started texting, using my elbows on the wheel to steer,” Roloson said. “I hit a chuck hole, and yanked the wheel with my elbows, making my jeep flip and roll out into the road.” In a October 2011 article for The Herald-Mail, Dan Dearth wrote that texting while driving is the leading cause of teen death. The Motor Vehicle Administration has equated the reaction time of a texting driver with that of a driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.16 percent. According to AT&T, 50 percent of teen drivers admitted to texting while driving. But both seniors William Fletcher and Natalie Tinkham said they only text at red lights. AT&T’s survey, part of its “It Can Wait” campaign, revealed this to be a common theme for new drivers: 60 percent admitted to texting at red lights, which has been illegal in Maryland since the 2011 closing of loopholes in texting law. “My friend’s brother was texting at a red light and the car next to him slid forward a little,” senior Beebe Rose said. “He thought the car was moving because the light had turned green, so he completely ran the light.” Senior Beth Vita said she has taken action to avoid the temptation to text. “I have an app called DriveSafe. When enabled, a screen pops up that says ‘Don’t text while driving.’ The message appears when your phone is traveling at 10 mph or faster,” Vita said, adding that she received a car insurance discount for having the free app on her iPhone. The app is also available for Androids and BlackBerrys.

NEWS LINE hotline debuts

Following gun-related incidents in two Baltimore County Public Schools, two hotlines have opened. Report information on bullying or other concerns to the Safe Schools Tip Hotline: 1-877-636-6332. The Maryland Suicide and Crisis Hotline number is 1-800-4220009.

second officer here School Resource Officer Brian Malloy, who has 15 years of experience with Garrison and Cockeysville police precincts, has joined Officer Jen Berg here. Malloy’s addition stems from gun incidents in other local schools this fall.

money granted The school has received a $5,000 grant from Walden University for its third sophomore retreat. The money will help pay for water and lunch for the students who attend the event, set for May 28. The day-long retreat is designed to build camaraderie and help students plan their college and career paths. The administration received an oversized check from Walden authorities Nov. 15.

it’s ac competes “It’s Academic” team members Anna Jensen, Erol Hoke and Clayton Cuddington, all seniors, will compete against Franklin and Governor Thomas Johnson high schools Dec. 8. WJZ-TV will air the episode Feb. 9.

athletes honored Nine graduates have joined the school’s athletic hall of fame. Recognized in a Nov. 10 ceremony were: Ryan Hoff, class of 2005, twice Maryland player of the year for lacrosse; Sandra Thielz, class of 1964, member of the school’s first gymnastics team; Lindsay Graham, class of 1969, helped lead the baseball team to a 37-7 record and earned a baseball scholarship to Clemson University; William Perkins, class of 1969, member of the school’s first school football championship-winning team in 1969; Debbie Pavik Porter, class of 1977, fourth girl to ever be featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces In the crowd;” Gilbert Schuerholz, class of 1981, 1981 Maryland champion for singles tennis; Christopher Steer, class of 1991, member of regional team for U.S. Lacrosse National North-South allstar game in 1991; Andrew W. Schlaffer, class of 2003, wrestler and scholar athlete award winner; Konstantinos Kosmakos, class of 2002, ranked fourth in Maryland heavyweight class for wrestling.

cash for bleachers Sports Boosters has raised $55,000 for the bleacher renovation project, president Kim Hoffman said. The cost of the stadium’s upgrade has yet to be determined as the county must approve the project before appeals to contractors are made. The group’s bull roast last month raised around $5,000, Hoffman said.

news

november 20, 2012

the griffin

Crowding declines, doesn’t disappear CROWDING, continued from page 1

“We changed the labs periods for science this year, which gave us more flexibility,” principal Lyn Whitlock said. “And we were just careful not to offer any classes that were too small, as well as balance the classes as best as we could.” Additionally, the administration had each department chairman teach another class if they taught three classes last year. That has been a plus, said social studies department chairman Richard Englar. “The more classes I teach, the fewer students are in someone else’s class,” Englar said. “I haven’t seen any disadvantages.” But at least one anonymous department chairman said there are disadvantages. “There is not as much time to drop in on teachers to observe classes and not enough time to talk to students that are not doing well and who need encouragement,” the department chairman said. Jason Boyle’s largest American Government class copes via collaboration. “You cannot learn if you don’t get along with another in a class of 35,” he said. Fellow government teacher Julie Marx has classes ranging from 30 to 34 students, which presents challenges.

“I don’t get to know the individual students’ strengths and weaknesses and personalities as well as I do in smaller classes,” Marx said. “It is important to give [students] outlets for their energy and thoughts on political issues, but the noise level and the energy can be challenging to corral.” Students in Marx’s first period class said there are pros and cons to the large class. Freshman Adam Meltzer said it is difficult to get attention and equal participation. “When we do a group activity, not everyone can get a word in,” Meltzer said. Freshman Anastasia Strouboulis said government is the ideal class to overfill. “You can get a lot of opinions and different views,” Strouboulis said. Chemistry teacher Ned Lyons has 41 students in his period six/seven Advanced Placement class. His students are spread across the room, making it difficult for some to see the board. Still, Lyons said that his classes have been going smoothly. For labs, students move to an adjoining room. “There is always a teacher there,” Lyons said, “and they monitor both rooms.” Sophomore Maya Hoke said she had been anxious about having 40 students in her class, but it is not as bad as she expected.

Teacher honored as math hero

NWOCHA, continued from page 1

Math teacher Ken Nwocha helps junior Hunter Spigelmire on his fifth period honors geometry drill Oct. 26.

photo by alison kochesfahani

Nwocha said he was confident his students felt he made his lessons fun. “I try to give every student the attention they deserve. They notice that,” Nwocha said. Nwocha said he has not decided what his $2,500 award will go towards, but he may use it for a faster copy machine for the math department or a classroom computer for his

Michelle Wu, Eric Walz, Jack Wang, Louie Witt and Marika Yang, all freshmen, complete a joint project in Julie Marx’s fifth period Gifted and Talented American Government class Nov. 14. photo by christine mckinnie

“It would help if there was another teacher who was AP certified so we could split the class into two,” Hoke said. “But having two class rooms is a pretty good compromise.” English teacher Dirk Frey, who had a

students, Nwocha said. He said he uses quirky sayings and “goofy” techniques to ensure students remember skills and concepts. For instance, he says “cross multi-fly” instead of “cross multiply”—“because it’s so fly,” Nwocha explained. “I use humor to make class fun and lively because I want my students to learn in the process and participate,” Nwocha said. Sophomore Aleem Mirza, his geometry student, said, “Class is very fun; it’s full of jokes and laughs and smiles while being very educational.” One of the biggest obstacles

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crowded class last year, empathizes with teachers still coping with crowding. “It’s almost as if you need another body just to help organize, especially in a small room.”

students face, he said, is understanding why they are learning what they are learning. “I will give a lot of problems that relate to real life. I can always connect something that’s applicable to my students’ own experiences,” Nwocha said. Senior Lexie Diggs, who was in Nwocha’s geometry class as a sophomore, said she still remembered his distinct teaching style. “He’s comical, keeps class interesting and was easy to talk to,” she said. “I felt comfortable asking questions, and he was good at offering

help after school.” Nwocha, who led a presentation on “Maximizing the Gains of Best Practices in the Classroom” at the July Hi-Tec Conference in San Francisco, uses education reformer Robert J. Marzano’s strategies for effective teaching. The techniques he taught focused on classroom management and student engagement. Junior Tricia Stangenberg, who was also taught by Nwocha, said he was an involved teacher and “didn’t make anyone feel bad about getting the wrong answer.”

opinion

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

First and foremost, I would like to thank the Griffin for its articles on All In and We Are One. It is great to work in a school that allows its newspaper to take opposing views to administrative objectives. It is this type of critical thinking that we strive to have in every student when they leave Dulaney. I am a member of the All In committee, but I am not representing the committee in this letter. The opposing articles to All In were extremely helpful to me, as it made me reflect on the vision of our school. One thing that I realize is that the vision has not been communicated clearly. As a member of the committee assigned to communicate this vision, I will personally now take blame for that lack of communication. As some of you like to say, “My bad.” What does All In mean to me? It means putting all your effort into what you are doing. That means both in the classroom and in your extracurricular activities. Putting all your effort into something is sometimes risky, but the rewards for this amount of effort are great. We challenge you to take that risk and put all your effort into making the high school experience the best it can be, for both yourself and the other students here. We Are One is the part of the vision that seems under the most scrutiny. This is not at all trying to take away your individuality or to make you a conformist. What we would like to see is everyone bringing their collective strengths together, to make the high school experience the best that it can be. The hope is that a group of diverse people with many different backgrounds, and many different talents can focus on the goal of making Dulaney a great high school experience for everyone. If you look at the Orioles this past season, individually this group was not that good. But as a team, they achieved great success. One of the columns discussed how we need to work harder at the elementary and middle school levels to make sure that all students have the skills to take higher level classes. I agree with this statement 100 percent and truly believe that superintendent S. Dallas Dance will be focusing on this issue. However, I believe we have a moral obligation to try to improve the skills of everyone in our school. We need to focus our resources on every student in the school in an effort to make them the best they can be. I am not trying to convince you that this vision is right for you. Rather I am trying to communicate my feeling about All In and We Are One. If anyone wants to continue this debate with me, send an email to pbressler@bcps. org, or stop by room 107 before or after school. The debate of this vision is part of the process that will make us a stronger and better school. — Phil Bressler, social studies teacher

the griffin

november 20, 2012

Colleges: Reconsider emphasis on SAT

OP-ART: katie walters

isabel griffith, copy editor early four hours of your life, several number two pencils, a calculator and your brilliant mind will determine your future. Just kidding, I hope. As a junior, I’ve come to feel the pressure to earn an awesome score on the SAT. Never mind if I don’t sleep well the night before

or come down with a cold or suffer from test anxiety. Sure, college admission officers say they also consider high school transcripts and that together these two criteria accurately forecast freshman performance. But I still find the focus on this high stakes test bordering on ridiculous. First administered in 1926, the SAT has changed for-

mat several times since then, most recently in 2005, when a writing section was added. Consequently, SAT scores have gradually sunk to the lowest they’ve been in 40 years. College Board maintains that 43 percent of test takers deem themselves fully prepared for college. But shouldn’t the school’s test-driven environment produce better scores? Clearly not. Fair Test deems the K-12 test-driven policies a “colossal failure.” This summer I took a casual trip to my guidance counselor to learn the ropes of junior year. My nerves were high; I dreaded the topic of standardized tests. I sat quietly as my counselor pulled out my PSAT scores. He had to take a second glance at my scores to be sure he wasn’t reading them wrong. Sound familiar? All those bad test takers can understand the frustrating feeling of having good grades and

mediocre standardized test scores. I find this absurd. Colleges should accept me for my overall rounded academic career, not my single standardized test score. The SAT is a test of critical reading and problem solving, and it doesn’t mirror the content that you learn specifically in school. Unlike the SAT, the ACT is a subject test and has more chunked sections on a specific subject. Thank goodness for a test that is based on what we have learned and is meant to show how we apply it. The application of material is a better way to show what students have learned. The SAT is only one facet of the student’s academic persona; alone, it means nothing. Students should be free to pursue and perfect their own talents and interests without having to cater to a college’s standardized needs.

Still pirating music? Real consequences coming

aysha khan, co-editor hat Congress couldn’t do, your Internet service provider can. It’s been just over a year since Congress brought up and subsequently quashed the Stop Online Piracy Act. And you’re still seing this: “All songs posted on this site are for promotional use only and are to be deleted within 24 hours.” Yeah, right. Look. Pirates are clever, and online pirates are cleverer. The government can hardly scare this iGeneration into submission. Sure, we squirmed this August as a Massachusetts man was charged $675,000 for illegally downloading and distributing 31 songs. And then we hopped back online to find the best “Game of Thrones” torrents. “Sometimes I use Spotify and Hulu and apps like that,” said a freshman. “But it’s hard when downloading for free is so easy.” The attempt is admirable, but as industry giants take on a softer, more privatized strategy, “sometimes” might not cut it. Slate reported that ISPs like Verizon and Comcast will debut their six-strike copyright alert system in the next two months. ISPs will email warnings to illegal downloaders flagged by copyright holders. If you resist reformation, you might be made to watch videos about the horrors of pirating or call their office with an excuse for your bad behavior. Then, copyright holders can take legal action—according to Time Magazine, fines can reach $65,000 per song. (Because don’t

lie, you sent the link to your friends.) But for some, there’s a more dire threat. “Over time,” read the Slate article, “punitive measures may be taken, such as slowing down an Internet connection.” Yikes. That’s sure to catch attention, considering that in our unscientific survey last year, over 86 percent of students admitted to downloading music without paying. Is piracy really parasitic, though? Pirates create buzz like nothing else can. Novelist Neil Gaiman testified that piracy helped sell his books; the CEO of Angry Birds insisted OP-ART: it’s good for business. katie walters “I don’t feel too bad, since I recommend most songs I download to my friends, and they buy it from iTunes,” said one junior. “So I get my music, and the singers get their money.” While it no longer classifies piracy as theft, you’ll remember the Motion Picture Association of America’s “you wouldn’t steal a car” plea. Then again, you may also recall the field day the media had when it uncovered that the music from that ad was pirated. If the MPAA can’t follow the law, can we hold teens to it? “I’m a broke teenager with a minimum wage job,” said the anonymous freshman. “And I want to listen to music. What am I supposed to do?” Well, if you want to stay on the good side of your parents and the law, you’ll figure something out.

EDITORIAL: English teacher Beth Benzinger, social studies teacher Phil

Bressler, senior Pete Benzinger, assistant principal Tom Dugas, guidance counselor John Komosa and Spanish teacher Jen Audlin discuss school diversity at a Sept. 19 All In Committee meeting.

photo by anna jensen

@dulaneygriffin corrections To october edition:

•

On page 3, in “Stairway policy aims to clear congestion but burdens some,” a photo of freshman Yasmin Asadi is incorrectly labeled as freshman Arianna Graham. On Page 3, the photo accompanying “We Are One aims to lure all in” incorrectly identifies the players shown. The players are from both junior varsity and varsity field hockey teams.

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

Vagueness of new policy frustrates a.m. hall dwellers

t’s not a rule, it’s a guideline. So says principal Lyn Whitlock. We’ve all heard the announcement each morning: you must keep the hallways clear, congregate in the cafeteria and wait for friends anywhere but the hallways or lobbies. Why the change? Whitlock said this new “guideline” provides teachers with backup when they ask students to congregate elsewhere. The time before homeroom is teachers’ time to grade papers and finish plans. When students crowd the hallways, they disturb the peace. The handbook requires students to comply with teachers’ requests, she said, and if teachers ask students to clear the halls

then students must. At 7 a.m. on a Friday in late October, more than two dozen students lingered in the halls of the first and third floors in the old and new buildings. Similar situations have arisen since. Clearly enforcement is spotty. We understand the rationale for change. Last year, some students gathered on the new wing’s first floor in the early mornings, sometimes with raucous behavior. That’s a far cry from a trio of students leaning against the lockers on the third floor outside an English teacher’s classroom, which seems much more benign. Junior Michelle Njau said it doesn’t seem quite fair to the people who are

news editors Becca King, Mattie Gibbons features editors Jessica Hung, Thea Zurek opinion editors Jenny Ingliss, Katie Walters sports editors Drew Van Wagner, Joe Pezzulla chief technician Leander Bechtold deputy technicians Rashid Taleb, Alex Boellner photography editors Emily Park, Jen Siegel online coordinators Lily Klein, Beth Vita copy editors Malik Peacock, Kyra Twohy, Isabel Griffith, Meghan Reinhardt, Nick Bond Find us on Edline under clubs.

not disruptive. “Instead of pinpointing the problem, they decided to just reduce everyone’s freedom in the morning,” Njau said. But technology education teacher David Schein defends what he says the faculty council recommends be a firm policy, citing improved safety, traffic, and noise levels. Schein, seen earlier this month shooing students from the third floor, said he must enforce the policy evenly or risk invalidating his authority. Our recommendation: either make it a hard rule and enforce it as such, or let the guideline be a true guideline with teachers using their discretion over problems if and where they arise.

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.

opinion

the griffin

november 20, 2012

Court should rethink affirmative action

depraved

York Times? mine, then they should get in before me. jenny ingliss, opinion editor rom the deadlines to the hand Don’t get me wrong, diversity is No questions asked. cramps from writing all those important. We learn so much by being Of course it’s not just SAT scores essays—it’s no wonder seniors around people different from ourselves. that affect an applicant’s likelihood of celebrate when college application But it should not come at the expense admission or rejection. An avalanche of season is over. But no matter how of fairness. Is accepting less-qualified other factors are taken into account, too. much time students spend visiting But if two students are similar campuses and retaking the SAT like in all but one category, then it’s they’ve got a compulsion, some completely wrong for colleges to seniors’ acceptances hinge on the turn to race as a deciding factor. color of their skin. Racial differences can’t always Affirmative action refers to the predict diversity accurately, 1960s policies designed to give either. Though I’m Asian, I minorities a leg up in college certainly don’t contribute to this admissions, in compensation for school’s rich cultural diversity. Com Harvard! past discriminations. But now? I speak English, grew up in an Does being a minority automatically English-speaking household me t mean you need help getting into and have lived in America YALE o ! college? since I was a baby. Yet there This is the question the Supreme are people classified simply as Court will deliberate in the coming “Caucasian,” who have lived in OP-ART: months. The New York Times another country and are fluent katie walters in another language. I don’t see reported that in the 2008 case of Fisher v. University of Texas, the colleges lining up to give them Caucasian then-senior Abigail Fisher was students just because they have a preferential treatment in the name of rejected by the college, while minority different ethnicity actually fair? diversity. students with lower testing scores than When I apply to college, I want to get in Ultimately, that’s what’s wrong with hers were accepted. because my scores and my studying paid this picture: race doesn’t determine How can we allow schools to accept off. Not because an admissions officer your potential for success, nor does it lower-scoring minority students looked at a checklist and thought, “Well, necessarily reflect cultural background. “for the sake of creating a group we haven’t filled our quota for Asians, The Supreme Court’s decision is months that demographically represents the so we’ll take you.” And if there’s another away. Let’s hope the ruling helps colleges country,” as noted in last month’s New student whose SAT score is higher than realize this, ending affirmative action.

Cost, convenience make e-textbook switch inevitable

malik peacock, copy editor t’s time to make the switch. In this age of cellphones and iPads, why are we still using dusty old textbooks? Although I absolutely detest e-books, Kindles, Nooks or whatever other sacrilegious variety there is of electronic books, the heavy textbooks that students must make sure they don’t misplace by the end of the year can be a true hassle. On nights when I’ve been assigned a lot of homework, I choose to go to the Cockeysville library for some hardcore, focused work. And having to carry that huge—scratch that— monstrous Advance Placement U.S. History textbook with me to school is starting to get a little cumbersome. If we changed to electronic books, I could simply take my computer with me to the library and still manage to get all of my homework done. And for someone like me, who has to carry their textbooks from here to there, it’s a lot of work to make sure I don’t lose track of where they are. Our textbooks cost around $100 each and, well, you can’t

really lose an electronic book once it’s on your computer. That is, if you can manage not to lose your computer. Though I am personally all for this electronic textbook revolution, I’m aware that not everyone would be able to afford such a switch. I mean, my parents would probably make me pay for at least half of the costs if I was really dead set on ditching my textbooks. I’ve also noticed that when I have to read something online for homework, I am constantly distracted by my ability to simply tune out the assignment with the touch of my fingers and end up on Tumblr. Recent studies by reading expert Maryanne Wolf, quoted in a New York Times article last month, have shown that many students may cancel out on their online assignments because something else on the Internet has their attention. Yeah…she’s definitely right about that. Coming from someone who will literally weep on the floor of Barnes & Noble if e-books ever replace the crisp touch of a paperback, I just don’t think it’s a bad idea to give students the option of skipping out on heavy textbooks in order to have the convenience of five textbooks inside their computer.

OP-ART: kaeli o’connor

Logistics, costs kill e-textbooks’ practicality

jenny ingliss, opinion editor he oldest form of writing dates back to ancient Sumeria, when people wrote on clay tablets with little pointed bits of reed. Today we don’t even need to write—we punch keys on a computer, or tap buttons on a touch screen. In an age where people can talk to each other from opposite ends of the earth, and technology upgrades are churned out at the speed of light, who knows what awesome tech next year will bring? Spaceships, teleporters, time machines—nothing seems impossible in this epoch of innovation. But hold on a second—rewind. Go back to before the teleporters. The time machines. The texting and the touch screens. Remember when people read things not through a screen, but actually looked at the words themselves? I’m talking about a seemingly archaic mode of communication: books. Recently, Justin Hollander from the New York Times pointed out that eliminating textbooks from schools and replacing them with electronic books would benefit both schools and students. The proposed move to replace textbooks with e-books has me baffled. While it’s true that electronic textbooks are definitely cheaper to make and distribute, the move will undoubtedly end up draining school funding in the long run. If just

electronic text is used in the classroom, schools must figure out how each student will be able to access the text. Firstly, that means upgrading electronic infrastructure—servers must be enlarged, Internet bandwidth must be expanded, and teachers need to be informed of the new ways the tech can be used in the classroom. And secondly, schools must be sure they have enough computers for students in the first place. After all, electronic text isn’t quite as effective if students can’t read it. But computers are expensive. Some schools can’t afford the hefty cost of buying new machines. Even if schools use one or two computer labs and rotate students through, teachers will need to plan their lessons around the availability of computers. An alternative solution to computers is tablets, since they take up less room and consume less power. But tablets come with additional charge: the cost of replacement. When tablets, gravity and inevitable human klutziness are mixed together, the result is a $200-plus bill on the school’s tab. When taking into account the thousands of students at each school, the odds of dropping quickly soar. And so does the bill. So nix the e-book idea until the tablets, the bandwidth and the computers are cheaper. Maybe this idea will be feasible in a couple of years. Until then, let’s stick with good old paper. Find us on Edline under clubs.

Counting the horrors of new wing fountains anna jensen, co-editor ’ve changed my mind. Freshmen, as it happens, will not be the cause of humanity’s demise. There is a far greater threat that will sap and impurify our precious bodily fluids—the new building water fountains. You could call me a drinking-station connoisseur. Whenever I crave a rehydrating gulp of water, I prefer stopping by the old building fountains— only the pinnacle of our school’s sanitation. Not only does the water trickle out an appetizing earthy brown sometimes with the appealing consistency of sludge, but I also get to enjoy all of the bits of rusted pipe that mix into the liquid like chocolate sprinkles on an ice cream sundae. It’s reassuring to know I will never develop an iron deficiency. But I digress. The new building! The absolute bane of our existence! Its consistent bright lighting reveals my attempted concealment of blemishes and scars. Its air conditioning reinforces humanity’s notion that Santa Claus’s house isn’t flooding due to global warming. And its water fountains—oh, the horror! How can you stomach such pseudo-perfection? It burns! cries the Wicked Witch of “The Wizard of Oz” as she melts into a puddle of goop at contact. I find beverages with low viscosities extremely unnerving. Ever since Dad sang me that chemistry rhyme about Johnny the scientist (“Johnny was a scientist but Johnny is no more / For what he thought was H2O was H2SO4”), I’ve been terrified that all thin, clear, seemingly harmless liquids are out to kill me. The more my water resembles Jamba Juice, the better.

“The more my water resembles Jamba Juice, the better.” And how do you people deal with the lines? Fifth period ends in September, and suddenly everyone and his grandmother line up for the fountain as though they’re waiting for the women’s bathroom at a Cher concert. Old building fountains never have lines—they’re a deserted island in a sea of loitering students and stairwells crammed so tight you need a can opener to escape before the bell. Additionally, there’s something downright charming about finding human hair caught in the fountain drain, as though a classmate went through a Britney Spears-esque hair-shaving nervous-breakdown spectacular. Or tried to perform Shakespeare’s cauldron scene from “Macbeth” and didn’t exactly please Hecate. Extra charm points if the hair is not a natural color (i.e. electric blue or puce). And double-extra charm points if it’s rodent fur. I recommend ripping the new building fountains from their very foundations. We can use the leaking, damaged pipes to build ourselves a lazy river. It’s not as though we don’t have room for a water park—we can make use of the rift between the Satellite Cafeteria and the rest of the school building by converting it into a wave pool. The business classes can be put in charge of selling tickets—it would be good experience for them. Gym classes could grade students on their ability to swim butterfly—and I mean the right way, not the half-drowning, beached-whale kind of way. We can knock out the whole air conditioning issue, too; kids can stop by when they start marinating in their old building classrooms and be off on their merry way to higher test scores and other highly meaningful undertakings.

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Prevent injuries with awareness drew van wagner, sports editor ccording to a study run by the American Journal of Sports Medicine, the number of girls suffering concussions in soccer accounts for the second largest amount of all concussions reported by young athletes, falling short to just football. “I’m not really surprised at all. People don’t necessarily regard soccer a high contact sport, but there a lot of collisions—in the air and one on one with the goalie,” athletic trainer Bryan Read said. Read, who works for Towson Sports Medicine, witnesses concussions and traumatic brain injuries merely from covering all home soccer matches and other soccer tournaments. Girls’ varsity soccer coach Steve Powers has a prediction on why his girls are getting injured at higher rates than ever before. “Personal trainers give individual instruction. Weight training produces bigger, faster and stronger bodies which are involved in competition all year. The results are not only from athletes advancing in their skill levels but from experiencing more and more injuries from overuse,” Powers said. With the increase of head-related injuries in the soccer world, some may suggest banning heading in soccer games. In my mind, taking out a play so prevalent as headers would ruin the flow of the game and take away some of the uniqueness that soccer has to offer. If you are willing to lace up your cleats and run onto the field, you assume the risk that comes with being a student-athlete. In every sport, there are risks—whether it’s soccer or football or ballet or golf. But it’s not worth

“...Girls are getting injured at higher rates than ever before.” changing the style of the game completely. There are opportunities to make small changes and decrease the number of soccer-related concussions wihtout completely altering the sport. Consider a small, protective headgear to be worn by all athletes, for example. It’s a possible solution that should be debated before a complete overhaul of the rules. This headgear would better protect all contact whether it be from a header, an opposing shot to the head or a collision between heads. I’ll tell you what isn’t effective: the roughly 30 minute concussion video that all athletes must watch at the beginning of his or her season. It’s about the dangers of competing and risk of obtaining a concussion, but it seems the video is largely a snooze fest. “Normally we just put it on mute and let it play. The coach goes over other stuff like scheduling during it. I was supposed to watch it for 3 different seasons, I didn’t watch it at all,” an anonymous student-athlete said. Read recommends supplementing the video with neckstrengthening exercises and strong fundamentals for tackling, heading and one-on-one situations. According to Read, the stronger an athletes neck muscles, the more shock the head can absorb without serious injury. Powers suggests more down time and a chance for the body to recover. He added that cross-training between more than one sport to keep an athlete fresh. Soccer players could try swimming. Football players could try baseball. But Powers said that he doesn’t see a major rule change in high school soccer’s future. Junior Abby Cahalan concurred. “The best prevention for a concussion is awareness,” Cahalan, whose numerous concussions prevent her from taking part in soccer, said. “If I had known everything about concussions that I do now, I most likely would still be playing.” Cahalan has been asked to speak on multiple occasions promoting concussion awareness, including at the Calvert School and Capitol Hill. Despite her injuries, she remains attached to the sport. She’s the assistant coach of an under-9 and under-10 girls Baltimore Bays team. “It’s just about being smart. If you do get hit its better to take a week off and to rest your head then to keep playing. It’s better to miss out on one game then risk missing the entire season,” said Cahalan.

SOPHOMORE SLUMP? THINK AGAIN!

left: Sophomore Cameron Carter beats a defender to the ball as the team faced Catonsville High School on Oct. 4. The team lost 0-4. photo

by jen siegel

top right: Sophomore Andrew Abell volleys to stay in the game against his Franklin High School opponent in the Indians’ gym on Oct. 4. photo by kalie paranzino top left: Sophomore Jess Bohn dribbles down the field during a varsity practice on Oct. 25. photo by kalie paranzino

Sophomore starters fortify varsity teams

alex goldberg, staff writer ophomore slump? No way. At least seven sophomores started on varsity teams this fall. Sophomores Cameron Carter and Aleem Mirza each started on varsity soccer. “I don’t necessarily think of being a sophomore on varsity,” Carter said. “I think of just being part of our team working hard together to try and play our best soccer game.” Carter, who was called up from junior varsity at the end of his freshman year, said it has been challenging to play with older students. As for advantages, he lists being able to board the bus to away games before his sophomore friends on JV, learning new skills, and

playing an exciting, fast-paced game. But there is a disadvantage: he was in charge of carrying the med kit to and from practice and games all season. Mirza starts every game as the center midfielder alongside Carter. He has found a certain motivation from playing varsity. “It makes me work harder, I gotta keep my position,” he said. He said his seasonal highlight was during his second game, when he shot from 30 yards out and scored a goal. Sophomores Jake Carder Bill Houghton, Brady White, and Ben Stevens also played varsity boys’ soccer. Sophomores and girls’ varsity soccer players Jessica Bohn and Emma Patron actually began playing varsity

during freshman year. Bohn, voted one of three team captains on her team this year, apparently earned the position because of her fierceness. “She’s a warrior,” junior Becca King said, “always willing to head the ball without hesitation.” Gigi Gambino (out most of the season due to injury) also played varsity soccer. Sophomore Andrew Abell started playing badminton this fall after last spring’s successful season on the tennis A team. He and his coach agree that tennis has helped him to become a better badminton player. For more on sophomores playing varsity football and field hockey, see our website.

Athletes share their pregame habits and rituals

“I

amanda bank, staff writer t tasted like pickles,” senior Jonathan Dordai said. The varsity football player and his teammates all drank pickle juice just before their first game of the season on Sept. 1. According to Dordai, the vinegar heavy liquid is not as gross as it seems. The pickle juice was meant to enhance the players’ performance and help them stay hydrated because it has electrolytes, like salt, in it. As the team won its game against Kenwood High School 26-20, Dordai said he thought it was effective. Other pre-game rituals are less flavorful. Some sports teams—including the football, girls’ soccer, volleyball and field hockey teams—dress formally the day of a major game, but the boys’ cross country team made the tradition their own when they walked the halls on Sept. 7 all wearing bow ties. Since then, it has become a regular event for the team. “I think we should look nice before we kick the opponent’s behind,” sophomore runner Mark Benzinger said. The idea originated from senior Dan Fordyce, one of the team’s three captains, after a friend from Loyola introduced him to bowties. “He started wearing them there so we started doing it here,” Fordyce said. The Cohen’s Clothiers employee has accumulated eight bowties in his color-coded closet. Junior varsity soccer captain Andres Arbelaez, a sophomore, has some pre-game rituals of his own. “I tie my shoes twice. Tie them, untie, then tie them, in a double knot,” said Arbelaez. While warming up, he only wears one shin guard. Then, he says, just before they start, he’ll put the other one on. Varsity field hockey assistant head coach, Jennifer Bestenheider, said that she noticed her players starting at the same warm up station before each game, and warming up with the same teammate. “I think the consistency of the pre-game ritual warm up helps players,” Bestenheider said. Coaches have their own routines. Boys’ varsity basketball Find us on Edline under clubs.

boys’ cross country captain Dan Fordyce, a senior, chats with friends at D Lunch on Oct. 26, wearing one of his eight bowties.

photo by amanda bank

coach Matt Lochte tells his team a story before each game. Senior Zach Hill said that Lochte often refers to the “basketball gods.” “He means that we have to play the right way and then things in the game will start to go our way,” Hill said. Varsity girls’ lacrosse coach and English teacher Kristi Korrow writes a poem or speech before important games. She puts pen to paper the night before, she said, and comes in the next day prepared to motivate her team. “They got us pumped for the games,” junior Maddy Manzoni said. “She’s very good with literature.” Last spring a few baseball players had their own ritual too. Junior Kenny Cerf, along with sophomores Elija Lofton and Jake Ebright, held up the scoreboard by the baseball field— operated by Daktronics, and so referred to “the Dak—and praised it before every game. “I am the Dak master,” Cerf said.

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His speed sets him apart

nick delgado, staff writer nsanely fast.” That’s how varsity soccer assistant coach and teacher Karl Geckle describes senior soccer captain Sam Hillman. Hillman has proven to be a crucial player on the boys’ varsity soccer team this year. As a starting right midfielder, Hillman is a vital photo by jen siegel element to the team’s ability to score goals. Playing year round for clubs has kept him in shape, Hillman said, and showing up to practice every day keeps his skill sharpened. Head coach Jerry Tana said Hillman has made his mark on this year’s team. “He has a physical style of play which makes him dangerous,” Tana said. “Sam has been our inspirational leader and captain this year.” Assistant coach Karl Geckle praised Hillman’s rare combination of abilities. “He’s both big and fast, and usually you’re only one of them,” Geckle said. Geckle added that Hillman’s explosiveness and his ability to bring the ball down the field are additional attributes that open the team to scoring opportunities Teammate Robbie Mathey agreed. “I’ve never seen someone faster than him,” Mathey said. Hillman started playing soccer for a local travel team at age 13, and he said the lessons he learned in recreational soccer have shaped how he plays today. One lesson from his youth helped earlier this season, he said. “Someone passed a through ball to me, and it was me and the keeper, one-on-one,” Hillman said. “But my friend was coming up the side, and I could rip for the glory, or I could just pass it for the gimme goal that wouldn’t be mine.” The pass was to Mathey. Hillman, who has mainly played right mid-field, was moved to forward for the last four games of the season. At right mid-field, Hillman said he had to be “patient, and just feed the ball in.” When he was moved to forward, he had to “be the guy who ran on the balls and ran to goal or gave the final pass.” Staff writer Drew Wicks contributed to this report.

“I

Lions wrap up fall season with a roar 2

3 5

Hard-hitting MVP leads team alex boellner, deputy technician unior Darla Svoboda began playing volleyball with her dad and his friends at Warren Elementary School. But it wasn’t until her freshmen year that she really took off. Within three years, she has become a vital part of the varsity volleyball team. As a junior varsity photo by jen siegel starter in her freshman year, Svoboda instantly set her aim toward improving and playing for varsity. With both junior varsity and club, Svoboda said she saw her skills developing quickly. This paid off when she started on varsity sophomore year. But Svoboda still felt she could improve. “I still wasn’t very happy with myself,” she said. And so Svoboda began working with a trainer over the summer. With its undefeated record, varsity volleyball is reaping the benefits of Svoboda’s growing skill as an outside hitter. Teammates say her upbeat personality and eagerness is uplifting to the team. “She really motivates the team to work harder,” junior Kanta Mendon said. Her coach, Carey Lyon, describes her as explosive. “She’s able to hit any set,” said Lyon. “Though her shining moment was when we won county championships.” The varsity team won the county championships over Hereford High School on Oct. 6. Svoboda said her strength lies in her ability to hit. Her weakness is her inconsistency in her serves. She continues to work on these skills with her beach and club volleyball teams. When not playing volleyball, Svoboda said, she spends her time with friends and hiking. During the summer, Svoboda goes camping with her family in upstate New York for four weeks.

4 1. Junior Varsity football. Quarterback Gary Barneardez directs his offensive line against rival Loch Raven on Nov. 2. The boys won decisively over the Raiders 22-8, ending their season with an in conference record of 8-0. photo by jen siegel

2. VARSITY VOLLEYBALL. Senior Jessica Starr, sophomore Milan Amos and freshman Mallory Svoboda block a spike from Sherwood High School’s

Alex Holston in their regional final game on Nov. 9. The team, county champions, undefeated in the regular season and ranked 11th overall in Maryland, failed to pull out a win. The girls lost 0-3 to the Warriors. photo by jen siegel 3. VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY. Senior Noelle Buchko passes the ball as junior Katie Boltz scopes out the field during the team’s Oct. 8 Pink Game in support of breast cancer awareness. Behind senior captain Allison Kennelly, the team rolled to an 11-1 record, one of the top winning percentages in the county. The girls lost to Catonsville in the regional finals 2-1 on Nov. 1. photo by caitlin eversmier 4. GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY. Captain Isabel Griffith, a junior, runs to a fourth place finish at the 4A state championship hosted by Hereford High School on Nov. 10. photo by beebe rose 5. BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY. Austin Carey, a freshman, completes his first mile of the regional championship, finishing 30th and assisting the boys’ overall fifth place finish. Earlier in the season, Carey won the freshman race at Glory Days Invitational in Virginia on Oct. 13. photo by beebe rose

For more fall sports information, including the junior varsity football team’s success and team records, see our website.

Sister acts bolster volleyball teams’ successes

Junior Darla Svoboda bumps the ball as her sister Mallory, a freshman, and sophomore Milan Amos back her up.

photo by jen siegel

erin briggs, staff writer here is no single secret to the volleyball teams’ success—there are two. On both varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams, siblings rule the court. Junior Darla Svoboda and

her younger sister, freshman Mallory Svoboda, are on the varsity team, while twin sophomores Christin and Sydney Cohee play on the junior varsity team. “I think having sisters on the team really helps the whole team bond and essentially act like a bunch of sisters,” said sophomore Sydney Cohee, captain of the junior varsity team. Teammate sophomore Mariah Menguito said being on a team with twins is like having her own sisters. This, said Sydney Cohee, only makes the team better because everyone pushes each other harder. But her twin says otherwise when it comes to obstacles that they face. “The biggest challenge is when one of us is having an off day on the court and the other one can’t do much to help out,” Christin Cohee said. On the varsity squad, Darla and Mallory Svoboda dominate the floor when playing on the court together. As of Oct. 8, outside hitter Darla Svoboda

had 57 kills. Mallory Svoboda assisted her sister all season by delivering sets. Her 92.8 percent serving rate led to at least 16 aces. Even off the court, the Svoboda sisters gain the attention of friends and teammates. Teammate junior CeCe Ukejianya described Mallory Svoboda as having a keen mind and witty humor, adding that the older sister has an unconditional kindness that always makes others feel appreciated. “You always see the two laughing and joking around. It’s like watching your own mini-series,” Ukejianya said. Captain Gaby Vinas, a junior, said having the sisters on the team is a great advantage because it motivates the rest of the team to try and be as close as they are. “They set an example by being loving and supporting toward each other, and that’s what we all strive to be as a team,” Vinas said.

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For junior varsity athletes of the month Eric Walz and Nicole Ormita, visit our website on Edline under clubs.

photos by jen siegel

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I’ll probably start again in the winter. Watching? I’m watching “Dexter,” which is that show about a serial killer. I like how he lives a double life; it’s just cool. It’s like forensic stuff kind of like “CSI Miami.” I like that kind of stuff. Listening? I’ve been listening to Frank Ocean a lot. He’s this up and coming rapper/singer. Also, Macklemore. I just like their messages and their singing. Following? I was following the Presidential debates because the election was coming up. I think Obama made some good points, but it seemed like he was making up things about Romney. I don’t like how they just bag on each other instead of promoting their own ideals. And obviously the Ravens. I was following the Orioles, but I guess not anymore. And I’m a fan of a lot of soccer players. My favorite soccer player is Messi. He’s from Argentina, and he plays for the Argentine National Team. He plays forward, and he plays for Barcelona too.

photo by kalie paranzino

Andres Arbelaez, a sophomore and member of the Hispanic culture club known as La Voz Hispana, was promoted to varsity level soccer at the close of the season. Arbelaez, co-captain of the junior varsity soccer team, recently sat down with staff writer Kalie Paranzino to discuss what he’s been up to lately. Reading? We just finished reading “Siddhartha” in English class. I haven’t really had much time to do any reading.

Eating? Since my grandma had been visiting, I’ve been eating a lot of Columbian food because she lives in Columbia. Sometimes, since all of my family has soccer, I just have to make something really fast for myself. My favorite food would be erapes [a cornmeal patty topped with butter and jam]. changing? I’m on varsity now for soccer, because JV ended. Being on the soccer team is really fun. I did it last year as a freshman. And this year it’s really different because we have a different coach. Last year was all about fitness, and this year’s about teamwork, going with the idea of We Are One and AllIn. Also, I can get my permit in January, and I’m saving up for a moped.

november 20, 2012

Spirited coach inspires varsity squad

“I

thea zurek, features editor t’s a lot of work put in it for two and a half minutes.” It really is, according to varsity cheerleading coach Kim Bettencourt. The county’s cheerleading sponsor of the year for 2011-2012 says she and her squad practice six days a week, literally holding each other up. Profiled on the Baltimore County Public Schools cable channel as a result of last year’s award, Bettencourt was nominated anonymously by one of her own cheerleaders. But awards and fame are far from Bettencourt’s favorite part of coaching. What she truly values is the social aspect. “As a coach I enjoy watching the group come together as a team and grow throughout the season,” Bettencourt said. Don’t let the word “watch” fool you, though. From holding try-outs and choreographing routines to traveling with the squad to football, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and volleyball games (not to mention competitions and community service), Bettencourt does much more than sit and watch. “As a coach you are responsible for all the planning and organizing. It’s like having a full time job, you can’t just not show up” Bettencourt says. She has also been known to demonstrate the occasional one-handed cartwheel, according to cheerleading manager Shakara Silas, a senior. Students’ sentiment toward

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Varsity cheerleader coach Kim Bettencourt directs the fall cheerleading squad during an October practice in the classic cafeteria.

photo by shakara silas

cheerleaders has changed, she said. “It’s changed since I’ve been here; season to season, and year to year. Freshmen think they can just look down on the cheerleaders. It changes when they see us supporting them at their games.” Here since 2003, Bettencourt has a family connection to the activity. “I’ve been involved with cheerleading since my daughter was six and she first started,” Bettencourt said. “She was the one that got me into it.” Two of Bettencourt’s three children graduated from here. Her son Justin is a junior. Bettencourt said she has long been an active member of the community. Until recently, she assisted special needs students here, watching over them during B lunch. Before that, Bettencourt said she volunteered 2,000 hours at Padonia International Elementa-

ry School. There, she received two awards—a Governor’s Citation of Appreciation for Outstanding Volunteer Service and a Pride: Maryland Public Schools Certificate from the Maryland Department of Education. When she’s not coaching cheerleading, assistant teaching or volunteering, Bettencourt has yet another activity to keep herself busy— scrapbooking. Even in this seemingly sedentary, relaxing hobby, however, Bettencourt‘s hard-working, industrious personality shines through. “I do a weekend away every year in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where I stay up till way after midnight working on my albums,” Bettencourt said. Staff writers Jaemin Kim and Breanna Estrada contributed to this report.

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for instance, she must memorize all of her music, even when the songs are written in different languages such as German, Italian, French and South African. Kolakowski prefers singing classical music because it works better with her voice, even if it might be considered â&#x20AC;&#x153;dorky.â&#x20AC;? Wright agrees that her voice translates well to classical music. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She has a very pure tone, very clean. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any rough edges to it. And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s precise.â&#x20AC;? kyra twohy, copy editor Fellow chorus student and senior Claire inging is harder than it looks, says senior Emily Kolakowski. The 10-year Reider agreed, describing Kolakowskiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choir singer clearly remembers an in- voice as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a classical sound.â&#x20AC;? But outside of stance in middle school when she hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t chorus class, private lessons and Peabody memorized a German song for her concert practice, she listens to artists like electronic the next day. Her teacher called her out in pop musician Ellie Goulding. Though their music styles differ, Kolakowski wishes the middle of class. she could sing the way â&#x20AC;&#x153;I cried in front of evGoulding does which is eryone,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And reminiscent of dubstep then I stayed up all night and has a unique sound. learning the song.â&#x20AC;? Kolakowski said that she This dedication to perwants to work on singing fection is what Chorus solo, which is a step in teacher John Wright a different direction for said earned Kolakowski her; she usually sings in a a spot in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Allchorus. This will help her County Chorus. Wright in auditions, which are recalled an incident of done individually. KolaKolawkowskiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behindâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; kowski said that singing the-scenes support after solo requires confidence their chorus concert on and being able to continOct. 24, when she had arue through mistakes. At ranged his music in nuthe 2011 Cabaret, she premerical order, checking formed â&#x20AC;&#x153;On My Ownâ&#x20AC;? that all the students had from Les Miserables, SENIOR Emily Kolakowski said she turned in their music. which can be viewed on â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had no idea she was enjoys singing classical pieces. photo from kolakowski the DHS Open Mic Night doing it until she said, page on YouTube. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh, by the way, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s This summer Kolakowskiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s singing will done,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Wright said. Kolakowski has been singing with Peabody take her to France, as she goes on a 10-day Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chorus, which is run through tour with Peabody. Eventually, she plans to Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hopkins University, since auditioning major in musical therapy, Kolakowski said, in 2002. The vocal training through Peabody adding that she plans to use her voice to help led her to say that the most challenging as- those with emotional, mental and physical pect of singing is focusing on all the different problems. Outside of her music, Kolakowski said she elementsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including breathing, memorizenjoys drawing and attending concerts. ing and concentrating on tone. In Peabody,

november 20, 2012

Champion team shares secrets

Impressing with purity and precision

sophomores Michelle Ko and Sri Gumudavelli, members of the county champion chess team, square off in October. photo by mariah chenowith mariah chenowith & charlotte meredith, staff writers f chess is war over the board, does that make county chess champions Steven Zhang and Rex Ledesma, both sophomores, the ultimate warriors? Fiercely competitive and undefeated at the county championship last spring, the two were forced into an hours-long duel. When time was called, a tie was declared, and the two were named county co-champions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Excited, frustrated and satisfied,â&#x20AC;? Zhang said, describing the emotional match. Ledesma concurred, adding that the cerebral game is far from monotonous. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always deviation in chess,â&#x20AC;? Ledesma said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the beauty of this game.â&#x20AC;? Ledesma also received the first place individual trophy in the Susquehanna Scholastic tournament Nov. 10 with teammates Sai Alur, Ruthvik Gali and Zhang by his side. Alur was awarded a trophy as the top player, boasting a rating less than 1,000, and Zhang received honorable mention for his performance. Neither Zang nor Ledesma attributes his success to a complex strategy. Both say confidence is the absolute key to victory. But teammate and fellow sophomore Michelle Koâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the only girl on the 10-member chess teamâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;revealed a pre-match strategy.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;My friends and I play suicide chess before every game to get our nerves out and warm up,â&#x20AC;? Ko said, describing a style of play in which the goal is to lose all chess pieces. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an enjoyable way of playing before competitions.â&#x20AC;? Ko, who has played chess since age eight, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hide her competitive mindset. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would love to beat Steven. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always been number one,â&#x20AC;? she said. Koâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take on the key to winning? â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to be able to tell the future. You have to know what your opponentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to do and what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to do and then put that together,â&#x20AC;? she said, adding that distracting the opponent with nonchalance is also effective. Ko isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only one to attack opponentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; focus. Some teammates confess that during a match, they talk excessively or stare intently at their opponents to lay on the pressure. Chess players must watch the time too. This, Ledesma said, is something the team needs to work on. Despite the challenges, sophomore Sri Gumudavelli said, the feeling of victory makes chess worth it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That thrill you get from winning, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whoa, did I just do this?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? he said.

the griffin

11 features

november 20, 2012

Notable guest speakers advise students on career planning

meghan reinhardt, copy editor amous people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come here often, but an actor and a former Ravens player appeared before students on Oct. 16. Kevin Kilner, an actor in movies such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Cinderella Storyâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Smart Houseâ&#x20AC;? spoke to Susan Levâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theater classes to discuss the play in which he appeared locally (Ibsenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Enemy of the Peopleâ&#x20AC;? at Center Stage) and to give some advice about how to succeed in life. Kilner, an alumnus who graduated in 1976, was frank with students. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On some level, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give a damn of what other people think,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no one like you.â&#x20AC;? Kilner reassured students having difficulty plotting a course for the future, telling them he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t discover that he wanted to be an actor until he was a senior in high school. Advising aspiring actors in the room, he said actors need not major in theater or drama. He told them to go to college, get as intelligent as possible with as broad of an education as possible. He told them to get a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in fine arts or move to New York or Los Angeles, where they can learn from the best and try to further their

careers. Kilner said that they need to get up, work hard, and love it. After Kilmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appearance, theater students attended his performance at Center Stage. Marques Ogden, a former player for the Baltimore Ravens as well as the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars, also delivered a message about achieving goals to students. Similar to Kilner, Ogden shared his experience of being uncertain over his career when he was in high school, saying that at one point, he wanted to be a doctor. Obviously, that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pan out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s okay to change,â&#x20AC;? Ogden said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but you have to be able to work hard at it.â&#x20AC;? After being a successful professional football player, Ogden became the CEO of his own company called Kayden Premier Enterprises, a company that specializes in minority-certified construction services. The company struggled at first, Ogden said, but now makes $8-10 million annually. Ogdenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who spoke to students in PASS (Program for Academic Student Success)â&#x20AC;&#x201D;stressed the value of good grades, which inspired sophomore Robert Garcia. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to start my own business when I am older, so I am going to focus on my grades now,â&#x20AC;? Garcia said after Ogdenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speech.

THIS WEEK ON an actor and an athlete. above: Actor Kevin Kilner discusses his career with drama students in theater teacher Susan Levâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third period class on Oct. 16. right: Former NFL player and current entrepreneur, Marques Ogden visits students to share both stories and experiences. Ogden gave his speech in the auditorium on Oct. 16.

the really good show On Episode 20 of the school podcast, The Really Good Show, producer Andrew Oh digs up an old interview with Steve Sabol, the late president and founder of National Football League Films. Sabol died of brain cancer on Sept. 18. The following are short excerpts from the interview: Q: How important has the Super Bowl become as a part of the average Americanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life? A: The triviality of it makes it even more enjoyable because you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to find any hidden meaning; the game has no vast social significance. The Super Bowl is a big, overdone party.

photos by jen siegel

Q: Shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you want 100 percent of the viewers to watch primarily to see the

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Super Bowl? A: When you think of the Super Bowl...one of the reasons [itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] so popular is that it combines the four horses of our cultural landscape: violence, artistry, celebrity and noise. Q: How do you see the Super Bowl evolving in the future? A: With NFL films, it was like driving a car at night: you can see just as far as the lights but not all the way down the road. We just kept our foot on the pedal and drove carefully. When morning came, we looked around and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wow! Look how far weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come!â&#x20AC;? But it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t because of any specific planning or vision on our part. It was just doing the work that was in front of us every day and enjoying it and trying to be as innovative and creative as possible. To listen to the full interview, visit: http://thereallygoodshow.com Follow The Really Good Show on Twitter: @dulaneypodcast

12 sports

november 20, 2012

the griffin

Televideo class axed, “Live on Five!” adjusts to new format

IN THE SPOTLIGHT. left: Senior Matt Rafferty and sophomore Emma Patrone organize themselves for a morning broadcast in October. above: The cameras focus on the anchors as they confer with floor manager Jood Ali, a sophomore. photos by jill turlington

“G

amanda bank, staff writer ood morning, Dulaney. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance.” For the first time in the school’s history, these words were uttered on the first day of school. Never before had “Live on Five!”—the morning announcements show— pulled off such a feat. The show just last year didn’t air until mid-October. This, Technology Education department chairman Brian Bruneau said, can be attributed

to the creation of the Televideo Club, enacted due to recent budget cuts. Bruneau said last year’s Televideo Productions class was nixed from schedules this year because of lack of interest. Too few students signed up to warrant an entire period of supervisor and tech teacher Casey Lowe’s time. Bruneau was the one to make the decision. “Actually, I think it’s better this way,” Bruneau said. “They jumped on the announcements first thing this year.” This new Televideo club held auditions and practices at the end of last school year and throughout the summer. As a result, they were organized enough to broadcast their show on Aug. 27. But some were not so optimistic about the switch. “The fact that it’s not a class any more is probably one of the biggest mistakes that Dulaney made,” Televideo Club president Beth Vita, a senior, said. Vita said that “Live on Five!” cuts into each club member’s homeroom time, causing most to arrive late for first period. “We interrupt the class when we do [arrive]. We have to say ‘what did we do? What’s that worksheet? Did she collect the homework? What did she say?’” Vita said. “We miss out.” Junior Sarah Schaeffler, co-vice president of the club, said that the larger size of the club makes a difference as well. This year’s “Live on Five!” is operated by 19 students, compared to last year’s 12.

“Because there are more people, we’re not as close,” she said. Without the class time, the club cannot practice regularly as they did last year. Vita said that the only time club members have to collaborate and improve the show is the two to three minute post-production meeting they have after each broadcast ends. As a result, Vita said, she and fellow senior David Parks meet almost every day after school to work out technical bugs that often plague the show. “Once we were here until five o’clock. Then we got kicked out and went to Chick-Fil-A, where we worked until close,” Vita said. Among the different projects the two have worked on include the upgraded into, a homecoming commercial, a pep-rally video and a regularly scheduled weather forecast. It is too early to decide whether the switch was for the better or not, Lowe said. But he did point out some of the positives. “Having a club format usually means that you are getting students that are passionate about the idea of broadcasting,” Lowe said. “So the drive seems to be a bit more intrinsic.” Schaeffler also noticed a difference between the new members this year and those from last year. “The people this year are just a lot more dedicated,” she said. Co-editor Anna Jensen contributed to this report.

review:

“Perks” movie adaptation satisfies, but lacks book’s storytelling charm

aysha khan, co-editor hen the cast list for the authordirected movie adaptation of Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” was released, I died a little inside. How would Logan Lerman, the Percy Jackson pretty boy, convince me he was actually Charlie, an angst-ridden, introverted freshman? How could Harry Potter star Emma Watson pretend to be Sam, leader of the school’s band of Americanaccented social outcasts? They were going to screw it up. Badly. And I refused to participate in the pillage of yet another literary favorite. (I did read the novel, several months before the hipsters stumbled upon it, thank you very much.) But the movie poster followed me around. And the cast really was pretty... Fine. Okay. I succumbed. I watched the movie. I am weak. To survive a book-to-movie adaptation, you must be able to separate the two. Respect that they’re distinct forms of media, each with its own storytelling capability.

When they mess up, take a hit of soda and look the other way. It’s a powerful movie in its own right; Chbosky set up a clear take-home message about growing up and quotes you’ve probably already seen floating around online (“We accept the love we think we deserve,” “And in that moment, I swear we were infinite,” etcetera). But it couldn’t touch its original prose. I respect that they’re different forms of media. A literal adaptation would have been impossible, and would have turned out terribly, as I had expected it to anyways. The director and acting was performed strongly enough that I’d give it a “not bad.” You’might cry, you’ll definitely laugh, you’ll definitely admire the good looks of Candace (Nina Dobrev) and, who I’d rate as the star of the show, Patrick (Ezra Miller)’s good looks. “Perks” is touching, sincere, relevant—and a touch predictable. The book-to-movie transition tends to work better if the plot is unique enough that it can stand strong alone as a movie.

Like “The Catcher in the Rye,” what made “Perks” stand out as a book had little to do with the plot, which was mostly left intact. The writing had a distinctive tone to it, almost lyrical and painful in its simplicity, which the camera could not capture. The movie follows the predictable coming-of-age formula, the typical high school identity struggle —hardly a fault of the actors or director, as they were all strong performers. The epistolary style of the book translated into stale scenes of Charlie writing in a diary. His sensitivity and vulnerability became, “Gee, I really hope I make a friend soon.” Relatable, sure, but it also relates to every other movie featuring the first day of school for a right-brained kid who finds refuge in English class and (some pretty great) mixtapes. If you’re looking for a piece of cinematographic genius, you won’t find it here. And to answer your burning question: Watson’s accent passed in my book.

photo from imdb.com

overall rating:

review:

“Across the Line” concert appeals with altruism, adaptations orchestrating help for north korea. top: Seniors Delia Shin, Lisa Ann Tang and Patricia Bai (not shown), along with sophomore Ben Lee (pictured below left) harmonize Soon Hee Newbold’s “Perseus” to kick-start the October Across the Line Benefit Concert. below left: Sophomore Ben Lee plucks his cello to Newfold’s “Perseus.”

below right: Senior Ian Chang strums his guitar to “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5. photos cheng

mindy

gina lee, staff writer nspiring. That’s the best word to describe the Across the Line Benefit Concert at the Mays Chapel United Methodist Church on Oct. 20. Senior Ian Chang organized the event, which featured students performing instrumental music and pop tunes, while raising awareness and money ($1,813 to be precise) for North Korean refugees. A string quartet (sophomore Ben Lee, cello; senior Patricia Bai, viola; and seniors Delia Shin and Lisa Ann Tang, violin) performed the opening song—“Perseus.” Flawlessly executed, the high pitches of the violins contrasted with the deep notes of the cello. The crowd felt intense emotion as a result. Hearing covers of popular music brought a playful energy to the event. It’s just fun to hear a song you know altered uniquely by these talented performers. Among the pop music performed were Cindy Park’s rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Safe and Sound” (accompanied by Lee); senior Jenny Kim’s rendition of Pink’s “Glitter in the Air”; and senior Lisa Ann Tang’s unique mash up of Ingrid Michaelson’s “You and I,” and Lulu and the Lampshades’s “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone,” using cups and clapping as her only accompaniment. Senior Yejin Yoon performed Korean folk music using a Korean harp called the Gaya-

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geum. The shifting tempos of the sharp plucking of the strings stood out from the other genres performed, but that made it all the more interesting to watch. The concert came to a touching end as Chang performed a song he originally wrote in honor of a recently deceased friend, “To Lose, To Miss, and To Live For.” Coincidentally, the lyrics corresponded with the cause perfectly. Between the tunes and the guest speaker from North Korean Refugees in the United States (NKUS), I’d say Chang succeeded at inspiring the audience to get involved with this cause. Just what inspired him? As a South Korean, he said he always thought about doing something for the North Koreans. Months ago, he said, he found himself feeling guilty about the dearth of opportunity for people who found themselves on the wrong side of a border. A few calls, and he found the Virginia-based group that helped him stage last month’s concert. They called him back and helped obtain a sponsorship from some Korean newspapers. Then it was on to the fun part. He drew up a set list, booked musicians from school, and voila. If you missed this first performance, take heart and save your gas money. Chang said he intends to schedule another in Virginia during the spring.

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