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the griffin
A Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medal Winner
Dulaney High School Timonium, Maryland
Volume 54, Issue 1
October 17, 2013
still striving
see page 7
#
TO KNOW
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the percentage of juniors in Standard and Honors classes who completed the optional English summer reading PLEDGE DEBATE
spirit emerges. Clockwise left to right: Sophomore Shane Grogan and Junior Quinn Conroy plunge down the slip-and-slide at the Sept. 26 field hockey spirit game; Junior Nicole Widner and freshman Kaitlyn Dabkowski gear up for the spirit game with facepaint; Fans in crazy costumes also cheer on the team; Athletic director Richard Reed watches as the volleyball team dominates at their Sept. 20 spirit game against Parkville.
photos by lucia tarantino, chloe messier and maddy brancati
Reed ignites spark: students fire up spirit
see page 4
# TO KNOW
22
the number of students who have taken applications for the BCPS China Exchange Program lost in china
see page 10
INDEX 2-3 4-5 6-7 8-12
news opinion sports features
ali collie, staff writer & meghan reinhardt, news editor pirit went away for a few years and it’s nice to see that come back,” Kellie Fialcowitz,varsity girls field hockey coach said. Beginning with his first days, new athletic director Richard Reed had already begun implementing fresh ideas to build school spirit. “I’m very excited about being able to present ideas to him. One big change is just how approachable he is to kids and to coaches,” varsity
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boys lacrosse coach Kyle Fiat said. Along with spirit nights, one of the biggest changes that Reed has implimented in the short time he has been here is his new student athletic leadership board. At Reed’s old school , Franklin High, he established ‘Ben’s Army,’ modeling it after our Lion’s Den. But, ‘Ben’s Army’ was structured differently in that it didn’t have a full athletic board, just a president. “Since I don’t know what the Lion’s Den was, or is, or what it does, we decided to do a leadership
board, but we really wanted to incorporate more community service and well-being of the school to it, not just the Lion’s Den,” Reed said. The student athletic board is comprised of student athletes who were nominated by their coaches because they showed qualities of leadership and enthusiasm for the athletic program. The junior and senior class each have a president, vice president, treasurer and scribe on the board. Meetings were originally planned for once a month, but are now be-
ing held as frequently as once a week. “I wanted to give you guys ownership of your athletic program, so if you have ideas and concerns you can go there and get things done,” Reed said. The board organizes spirit games and pitches ideas of what they want to see implemented in order to increase school spirit among athletes and non-athletes alike. see reed, page 2
Syria hits home Students plant trees to memorialize alum
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maya hoke, staff writer or senior Rashid Taleb, headlines about war-torn Syria conjure thoughts of family members. “People go out and don’t come back,” he said. A close cousin left his hometown of Al-Tal for work in recent months and still hasn’t been accounted for, Taleb said. The government doesn’t need anything more than a suspicion to take people which adds to his family’s constant concern. Taleb’s grandparents who live in Syria question President Bashar al-Assad’s regime even though they once supported his father.
tree planting.With shovels (left to right), junior Anthony Castellon, sophomore Gerson Tabora, senior Robert Holliday and sophomore Kasey Jones prepare to plant a magnolia tree in honor of Margaret White, class of 1965 alum. Senior Alex Waugh and science teacher John Enders (left to right) watch from the rear. photo by lucia tarantino
see syria, page 2
FYI: Chorus and Orchestra Concert Oct. 24 7:30 p.m. Auditorium
Pep Rally
Oct. 31 Stadium
First Quarter Ends Oct. 31
Haunted Professional Homecoming Day Nov. 1 No School
Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.
Nov. 2 Game: 2 p.m. Dance: 7 p.m. Stadium & Gym
Report Card Distribution Nov. 14
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the griffin
news
october 17, 2013
Reed ignites spark
NEWS LINE
change May Come Students might soon be permitted to use their cell phones during lunch periods in cafeterias. At press time, the administration was considering how to move forward following a faculty vote on the matter. The vote was 89 percent yes, and 11 percent no.
athletics, continued from page 1 Ideas such as announcing team members’ names and playing music before games are just a couple of the ideas that the student athlete board has asked to incorporate, and Reed has implemented. The main goal of the board as of this year is to get more students going to the sporting events, which seems to be working. Reed explained that he’s had to warn opposing teams and refs about spirit games. He has had other athletic directors express envy for the success of our spirit nights. They have asked about his tactics and how he’s accomplished this. But, once some of the first couple spirit games are over, Reed would like to re-focus the board into channeling their energy towards school improvement projects like cleaning up the showcases. One of Reed’s biggest goals is to make every sport important. Instead of emphasizing just one sport each season, every sport gets its own spirit night, so that every sport is highlighted throughout each season. Some teachers have already begun to see the benefits from the ideas that Reed has established. “[He is] trying to connect the faculty with the sports and the students. We receive updates on the students and the teams on rankings and how they are doing. It’s a monumental effort of communication,” Steve Shaw, science department chair said. Kristi Korrow, varsity girls lacrosse coach and new junior varsity girls
late policy debuts Board Meets. The newly implemented student athletic leadership board meets on Oct. 7 to discuss the upcoming spirit games. The group was created in order to give athletic leaders a voice in important upcoming events. photo by becca king
soccer coach has been involved with the athletic program here and agrees with Shaw and how Reed has changed the program. “I think the initiatives he’s trying to do, the spirit nights and things like that are going to really benefit the whole student body,” Korrow said. Varsity girls basketball coach Jessica Symanski agrees. “It’s that whole united feeling; we are not just the lacrosse team or the basketball team,”Symanski said. “We are Dulaney athletics.”
Spirit games energize athletes, fans Spot suRVEy:
andres arbeleaz & henry harsel, staff writers ours before the fourth spirit game of the year, first year athletic director Richard Reed started to get pumped. “Today will be fun; it’ll be a good chance for badminton to get some love,” Reed said. You don’t hear that every day, but through the new idea of spirit games, opportunities like this present themselves every week. Spirit games, one of Reed’s new policies, are varsity sports events designed to raise school spirit through increased student and parent attendance. “We anticipate all fall athletes to be there… And we hope that it catches on with the general population,” Reed said prior to a spirit game. “He’s put a lot more emphasis on making all of the sports games like an event,” Student
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graphic by jake hambor
Students were questioned in both cafeterias during all lunch shifts.
Syrian hits home
Leadership Board President Julian Sheppy, a senior, said. Fans at the Sept. 26 field hockey game wore an array of costumes, including gorilla suits, a monk’s robe and Buzz Light year spacesuits. Students brought grills, couches, beach umbrellas and ironing boards: all to feed the passion of “Dulaneyville,” a portmanteau proposed by Sheppy. “Field hockey is not the most popular sporting event at Dulaney, and our spirit night was absolutely incredible,” team captain Liza Slavin, a senior, said. The first ever spirit game, a varsity volleyball match against Parkville High School, saw all home stands jam packed with students. Starter Erin Briggs, a senior, called the home-crowd turnout at the volleyball game unprecedented and added that it provided hope for sports like hers to be appreciated.
The parting of the Red Sea in between volleyball sets epitomized the spirit of the night. The lion mascot split the redclad home crowd in two, ala the famed biblical story of Moses. The spirit didn’t stop there. Every varsity sport, both boys’ and girls’, will host one spirit game as well, with creative concepts like “The Red Sea” and “Dulaneyville” poised for each event. Reed is trying to create an environment in which people take pride in the badminton team just as much as the football team, soccer player and senior Joe Fingles said. According to him, Reed has succeeded thus far. At least one other senior athlete agrees that Reed has made progress. “He’s bringing the swagger back to Dulaney,” Kyle Thibeault said.
LA VOZ wins GRANT The school has received a grant of $20,000 called Acceleration and Exceleration. The money will go to La Voz, a program aimed at supporting Hispanic students. The club has some 25-30 members and meets every Thursday.
GRIFFIN WINS The Griffin was awarded a gold medal for the third consecutive year by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The CSPA critiques on three categories: essentials, verbal and visual.
IT’S ACademic airs The It’s Academic team won their first match on Sept. 21, which will air on Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. on WJZTV. The team consists of a captain senior Mazen Knio, and juniors Michelle Ko and Yusuf Mahmood. The match.
senior qualifies Senior Handong Park, a flutist, has qualified for the All National Band Ensemble. The ensemble will perform in Nashville from Oct. 27 to Oct. 30.
scholars Named
syria, continued from page 1 While the government is watching Syrian citizens’ Internet communications, the Taleb family must ensure their communications are short to avoid suspicion. But Taleb said his family isn’t concerned about a military attack per se, thanks to the geography of Al-Tal. The city sits on a hill, he said, so townspeople say the military can’t gain acgraphic by jake hambor cess to the area. to eliminate SyrTaleb isn’t the only stuian chemical weapons by dent who has family in Syria. mid 2014, she said, even though Junior Jood Ali’s maternal secit’s not a panacea to halt deaths ond cousins are in Damascus, of Syrian civilians. the capital, and Homs, the rebel “What is the short term plan stronghold and an active battleto stop the killing of people?” Ali field. For those living in Homs, said. the threat of being caught in the As of mid-October, United Nacrossfire is real, Ali said. Add to tions inspectors had begun their that, her cousins in Damascus efforts to destroy Syria’s chemimust worry about their sons becal weapons. ing drafted into the government On Oct. 11, the Nobel Peace military. Prize was awarded to the OrgaShe added that her family wants nization for the Prohibition of American action to stop Assad’s Chemical Weapons. massacre. She and her relatives favor the United Nations Security Council’s disarmament plan
Late students will now serve early morning detentions in room 100. The administration changed this from after school detention to instill good habits in late students, principal Lyn Whitlock said.
Three seniors have been named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. They are Handong Park, Valerie Yoshoika and Alex Vecchioni. dark room. This darkroom resides in room 237. Photography teacher Ken Shearman traded the 15-enlarger darkroom in room 239 for this three-enlarger darkroom and several new laptop computers at the end of last year. photo by alex wright
Room switch draws ire from some
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nick moore, staff writer change in locale has helped one class yet hampered another, according to photography students. The classrooms for photography and heating, ventilation and air conditioning have been switched, a change designed to provide more room for the growing HVAC program and a logical downsizing for the photography program. “We’re stepping into the 21st century, so we will begin to do more digital photography than wet darkroom work,“ photography teacher Ken Shearman said. “This also gives me an opportunity to invent new lessons.” The smaller dark room houses three photo enlargers now – down from 15 before. Shearman built the wet darkroom for his students himself last spring, setting up a room that holds three students at a time. Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.
But senior photography student Julia Bowden said with five students assigned to get their prints done in a given period, there’s a backlog, especially in a class like hers with an enrollment of 25. “Our art program is being treated poorly,” she said. “It’s hard for me to develop my pictures.” The main purpose of the change is to provide HVAC students and their big equipment with access to the garage doors in room 239. “It was a safety issue to have 20 kids in the other room,” HVAC instructor Jamie Gaskin said. “We’re much safer here.” The HVAC classes need to move things in and out of those garage doors, Gaskin said, including heating and air conditioning units, welding equipment, lumber and sheets of metal. This has lead to saving time by backing a truck up to the door, unloading and quickly getting to work.
sequel assigns SEQUEL, the Schools literary arts magazine taught by English teacher Meekah Hopkins, has named its staff for its new blog as well as its annual published edition. The editorial staff seniors are: Literary Editor Hannah Feustle, Creative Director J Gourdin, Art Editor in Chief Emily Slaughter and Design Editor Caitlin Eversmier. The juniors on editorial staff are: Copy Editor Audrey Fanshaw and Online Content Editor Kira Stiers.
acts earn cash This year’s first open mic night concert raised $640 for the school’s guitar program, Brian Dickson, the club’s sponsor said. Proceeds from the next two open mic night concerts will benefit a currently undetermined school in need of money for musical instruments.
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news
the griffin
october 17, 2013
Field trip comes to astronomy class C
maddy brancati, staff writer ristina Reitmeyer’s third period astronomy class has emerged from a planetarium field trip that took them no farther away than the gym. How? Towson University astrophysicist Alex Storrs presented a tour of the universe using a giant inflatable planetarium. The event was a part of Project Astro which matches high school science teachers with astrophysicists. “When you zoom out you no longer see Earth; it’s just another dot in the sky” senior Caitlin Eversmier said midway through the presentation on Sept. 27. “It makes you question whether we’re the only ones out there.” Once the entire class had crawled into the planetarium and sat in a circle, Storrs told the class to count to 20. Then he slowly lowered the lights until it was pitch black. Eyes opened to the night sky. The spherical rotating projector located in the center displayed the movement of the sun, stars, and planets
as viewed from Earth. Storrs pointed out all the constellations of the Zodiac and explained their origins and placement, referencing the story of the greeks, Cassiopeia and Andromeda. There was a minor setback when the fan was knocked over and the dome started to deflate, but it was quickly resolved, and the presentation continued with a stationary screen projector and an iPad app called Exoplanet. Storrs rounded out his presentation with a discussion about planets in other solar systems that are located in the “habitable zone,” meaning there is a possibility that they could support life. That sparked many discussions about life elsewhere. Reitmeyer, signed up for the nationwide program, praised it and said she hopes to have a scientist visit her students in December. She may also book the return of astronaut Don Thomas, who spoke with selected science classes here last spring.
Professor Storrs from Towson University demonstrates to astronomy teacher Christine Reitmeyer’s period three class how to properly enter the planetarium, as (from left) Barry Gartrell, Jacob Asher, Joe Fingles and Scott Tucker watch. photo by maddy brancati
Flawed system hinders announcements “Coach Reed wanted it so we could simulcast games,” Schein said. “There are unrealized benefits of it. You can see events anytime you get around to it.” The new benefit-filled program is a shift from the old broadcasting program, Safari Montage. Despite the major attractions of NFSHS, the novelty takes some getting used to. “It’s not as easy as it looks,” junior and morning announcements member Swati Guin said. “The mechanics of the whole
thing can give out unexpectedly. It’s hard to get used to new stuff.” Some believe mistakes made on screen naturally come with learning the ropes. “It’s unfortunate,” junior Charlotte Slaughter said. “It makes them look stupid and it’s not their fault.” Opinion editor ben merenbloom and staff writers brady widener and erin miller contributed to this report.
Sophomore Brandon Clement manages the control board that switches what cameras are on and off during the morning announcements. photo by jen siegel
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katie nanasi, staff writer t’s all too familiar: the homeroom fills with laughter and comments as the camera cuts back to a confused-looking anchor trying to keep a straight face as the screen freezes. The morning announcements have encountered a few technical difficulties as they transition to a new form of display. “Progressive network degradation [is] a really fancy term for saying the so-called pipes that make up the Internet got smaller,” technology teacher and morning announcement supervisor David Schein said. The network degradation is a result of the overuse of the Internet, he said, but added
that a team of network support specialists was able to reset routers that have improved the issue that took about 10 days. This new web program, National Federation of State High Schools, is a more convenient way to show the announcements and other school events like sports games. “NFSHS lets us develop a system where events could be viewed outside of Baltimore County Public Schools,” Schein said. “Someone at home could view them on demand. It facilitates communication.” This new broadcasting program came with the new athletic director, Richard Reed, who had originally used the program at Franklin High School.
live on five. Sophomore Honor Bowerman, seated in the anchor position, reads morning announcements regarding clubs, commercials and more on the set of live on five. photo by alex wright
Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.
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the griffin
opinion
october 17, 2013
Should students be encouraged to say the Pledge? Yes, it’s a matter of respect
No, consider all backgrounds
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ben merenbloom, opinion editor e, the people, have freedom of religion. But, we, the people, also have freedom from religion. And that is what’s forgotten. Students are not required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, but they are encouraged to, which is wrong. Reciting the pledge should be completely optional. There should be no encouragement or discouragement by a government organization, like the school, to utter something which affirms the existence of G-d. Why should those who are neither monotheistic nor American be encouraged to say the pledge? Out of respect for others? Or because those who do the encouraging don’t even consider the fact that polytheistic or atheist immigrants exist? Either way, the phrase “Under G-d” in the pledge is insensitive to the immigrants of a country whose history is a result of its culturally diverse population. Junior Aishu Jayapal does not recite the Pledge of Allegiance because she is Hindu. And there is no reason why she should be pushed to do so. More insensitivity to our country’s diversity persists: no one has the option of not using our currency, which says “In G-d We Trust.” Polytheists and atheists are reminded every day of the lasting union of church and state. Give them a little more freedom from religion and leave them alone about the pledge. There are those who support everybody reciting the pledge because of something other than ignorance: patriotism. According to a Smithsonian Magazine writer, the phrase was added to the pledge in 1954 as “a cold war rejoinder to ‘godless’ communism.” Honoring those who fight for freedom is important. But maybe not as important to immigrants as to natives. Let Americans honor those who serve for them and let immigrants do the same, if they wish. But don’t make them uncomfortable by encouraging them to say words with which they disagree.
kira stiers, staff writer never thought that I would have to write a piece defending something as commonplace as the Pledge of Allegiance, but here we are. Week three of school and the outrage had already begun. With some homerooms disregarding the Pledge of Allegiance while others are being told to stand by their teachers, the Pledge has become a hot topic. On my fourth day of school, after days of almost nobody standing as the Pledge of Allegiance was rolled on the morning announcements I witnessed something fantastic: a young gentleman in my class stood, recited the pledge loudly, substituting for those who disregarded it, ending his words by not so subtlety conveying his distaste for the lack of respect through the words “Merica, yeah!”. It was heartwarming. “I believe that saying the pledge is something that should continue to be taught in schools as it helps to perpetuate the pride in the USA” junior Adolfo Carvalho said. He believes that his homeroom is mainly indifferent towards the topic. Well. That’s not shocking. Kids roll into homeroom after longer and longer nights, finishing homework, preparing for tests and downing coffee. To the average high schooler, the pledge of allegiance isn’t even in the same galaxy when it comes to the pledge’s proximity to their “things to worry about list.” The stars and stripes in room 115 So for those not claiming problems with the “under god” part, for hang for all to face towards and see those not decrying the pledge because all are not equal and for those during the Pledge of Allegiance. not disgusted with the idea that pledge is indoctrinating the impresMany students have formed contrasting opinions regarding the sionable youth of America, apathy is the attitude. Is it really that painful to stand for 30 seconds and mutter along morning ritual. with the words to a pledge that shows respect to the country we are photo by alex wright in? The pledge has simply become a reminder that not everybody has the freedoms that we do, such as a right to a free education.
EDITORIAL:
Let phone freedom ring
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See our new and improved website: http://dulaneygriffin.org
Students cell phone use at lunch? Yes please. While opponents raise concerns about the potential for misuse of phone cameras especially, we believe students are mature enough to use prudence and adhere to student handbook guidelines. Additionally, we believe cell phone use would: 1. Allow students to complete assignments they need to complete homework that requires the internet. 2. Enable students to talk to parents. 3. Decrease temptation to use phones during class or take a “bathroom break.” 4. Help students coordinate group assignments. 5. Not interfere with learning, encourages students to learn how to manage time. 6. Decrease traffic in the library during lunch. 7. Make school seem less like prison. 8. Provide source of relaxation through apps.
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op-art: jackie andrews
Court should label scrupulous surveillance overstepping
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audrey fanshaw, project manager onstitutional rights are being questioned yet again by another government blunder based on the pretense that American security has to be aggravatingly stringent in order to be effective. Occasionally such strict measures end up condemning innocent people. Gina Fiore and Keith Gipson will find their case being argued before the U.S. Supreme Court Nov. 9. The Chicago-Kent College of Law Case Analysis states the two were returning from their vacation to Puerto Rico in 2006 with $97,000 won while gambling. Agent Walden, who was on staff at the airport in Georgia at the time, confiscated the money, suspecting that it was payment for
a drug deal that Fiore and Gipson could have been part of while vacationing. The money was quickly returned when it was found to have been collected fairly, leaving Fiore and Gipson outraged. They sued Walden, using the Fourth Amendment to support their case that there was no just cause for the seizure of their money. Whether suspicion of criminal offense was just cause or not became questionable. Fiore and Gipson are not the only two to have experienced difficulty with U.S. security. In early September, Sarah Abdurrahman and her family were returning from a wedding in Toronto and were detained by United States Border Patrol for almost six hours, according to “On the Media,” a ra-
the griffin Dulaney High School 255 E. Padonia Rd. Timonium, Maryland (410) 887-7633 co-editors Franny Brancati, Becca King, Kyra Twohy deputy editors Jessica Hung, Andrew Oh, Thea Zurek business manager Kyra Twohy adviser Maria Hiaasen project managers Audrey Fanshaw, Gina Lee
dio news show. All were U.S. citizens and saw no other cause for their confinement by Central Border Patrol. “The picture that emerges is really of an agency that’s…operating really as an agency out of control,” said James Lyle, a guest on the radio show. The point is that security might be taking things a little too far. While we should definitely encourage safety, to what extent does it become too much? When does suspicion turn into paranoia? Many would argue that we aren’t being careful enough. If we don’t give border patrol or airport security reason to be suspicious of us, then we won’t have to worry about our personal belongings being con-
news editors Franny Brancati, Becca King, Meghan Reinhardt features editors Kalie Paranzino, Thea Zurek opinion editors Alex Goldberg, Ben Merenbloom sports editors Joe Pezzula, Drew Van Wagner chief technician Andrew Oh deputy technician Sarah Feustle photography/art editors Jen Siegel, Katie Walters copy editors Tyler Beckey, Christine Condon, Liz Gillum, Sophie Golden, Yusuf Mahmood, Daniela Rice deputy sports editor Andrew Sugarman Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.
fiscated or being detained for hours on end. Just make sure that next time you go on vacation you take your throwing knives out of your Bermuda shorts before you pack. And hope the Supreme court understands these recent events amount to overstepping.
op-art: jackie andrews
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. The Griffin is printed seven times a year and is distributed in homerooms.
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the griffin
opinion
Change brings promise T
kira stiers, staff writer o many, especially those not directly involved with the sports program, the athletic director has always been an elusive man in charge often seen riding around campus on his John Deer or raising flags up the flag pole. He is the scheduler of games, the keeper of our fields and the saint on a shining gator when the water jugs needed to be moved to the stadium. Last year, when Athletic Director Mike Lafferty announced his retirement, the entirety of the sports program held its
Reed prowls the dulaney athletics twitter feed. This, among other tactics, was developed to communicate with students about game results and upcoming events.
breath waiting to see who would be crazy enough to replace him. With 450+ athletes a season and some hot and not so hot sports teams, the task of managing the sports program is not easy. But Coach Rich Reed, our new AD, came in and hit the ground running. With fresh ideas and the not-a-motto-or-slogan of “bring the swagger back,” he ushers in a fresh energy to our athletics that was desperately needed. And what exactly is Reed doing that so fantastic? In his little time here he has already allowed the boys football, basketball and baseball teams to remodel their locker room; answered the call for turf by going after private funding from donors and companies and organized spirit games in an attempt to unite the 47 different sports programs here. His goal? “To maintain success, increase eligibility and lastly increase our marketing of our student athletes,” Reed said. Though a few have complained about being required to attend spirit games, and some are sick of being promised turf, the general consensus is that Reed is a blessing. Junior wrestler Sean Hoffman epitomizes athlete’s appreciation of Reed. “He got us new mats and our season hasn’t even started,” Hoffman said. Likewise, senior field hockey player Sarah Sprinkel added that “he’s helped unify the teams like never before.” No longer should only athletes be concerned with the man behind the title of “Athletic Director”. His revival of the sports program could very well spill over into the entirety of our student body. Coach Reed is indeed “bringing the swagger back,” and he’s here to stay.
photo by alex wright
Aim at control with caution
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yusuf mahmood, staff writer olumbine, Virginia Tech, Tuscon, Aurora, Newtown and now Washington DC. The list of mass shootings is climbing. After each there have been talks of gun control, yet very little progress has occurred. Are there reasons why these common sense laws aren’t being passed? To answer this question, we have to look at recent shootings and legislation. With 13 dead after the recent Navy Yard Shooting, we need to look for preventative action. Major legislation being talked about right now includes a complete ban on assault weapons, a fingerprint registry for handgun owners and a simple background check. In fact, all of these laws have recently gone into effect in Maryland; however, there are some problems with an assault weapons ban and a fingerprint registry. An assault weapons ban could prevent citizens from having the best home defense, and a fingerprint registry can be seen as infringing the right to privacy. But to me, background checks are a no brainer. It’s about time that background check
op-art: maddy brancati
legislation is passed in Congress. This would be helpful enough to prevent shootings, but careful enough not to infringe on the peoples’ rights. For instance, responsible gun owners won’t be punished. People who shouldn’t have a gun won’t. In the recent case of the Navy Yard hooting, the shooter had a history of violence, but also a concealed weapons permit. A universal background check would have prevented him from obtaining the gun in the first place. Background check legislation also deals with private sales that currently don’t go through background checks. It’s an unnerving reality that many people can just walk into a gun-show and buy a gun without a background check. Students seem to agree. “It’s not okay that someone with psychological problems can walk into a crowd and start shooting people,” junior Kayla Wheeler said.
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f this is such a no-brainer, why is there so much opposition? Many gun owners fear that the government will register and eventually “take our guns.” But bills such as the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2012 specifically do not allow a national gun registry. There’s no need to worry. The government won’t take your guns. Overall, we can see obvious benefits for imaginary costs. It seems that background checks are worth instituting. Legislation really should have been passed right after the Newtown shooting. Unfortunately, many conservative politicians refuse to allow it. This is unacceptable. I admit that finger printing and assault weapons bans could be excessive. But universal background checks should be common sense to anyone, whether they’re liberal, conservative or moderate. The list of shootings that could’ve been prevented keeps piling on. With 13 recently killed, what are we waiting for?
op-art: ben gienow
Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.
october 17, 2013
10 percent sanity
Alleviating “Aug-tober” angst
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thea zurek, deputy editor ohn Ruskin, the English writer, once said: “Sunshine is delicious, wind braces us up- there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” Well, John Ruskin, I believe I speak for all students when I say: Go die. Of course there is such thing as bad weather, and bad weather is defined as “the weather Maryland is experiencing right now.” During this month alone, instate temperatures are predicted to range from 41 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit (Weather Channel) and we’ve experienced a tornado watch, flood advisory, two tropical storm warnings and not to mention meteor shower (Baltimore Sun). Our meteorology’s mutating, our temperature’s transforming, our biome’s bipolar. Conditions are equally variable nationwide, leading NBC 40 to dub the phenomenon “Aug-tober.” And if you think the exterior weather is unpredictable, it’s nothing compared to the climate inside the school. Here uneven air-conditioning, ventilation and elevation have made the difference in climate between, say, the pit and Room 213 as drastic as that between the tropics and the tundra. Over the course of a single school day, I have experienced floods of humidity so drenching I had to doggy-paddle to my seat, air conditioning so chilling my nose turned purple, fell off, and started doing tiny jumping jacks to keep warm, heat so
“I have a normal temperature classroom, and you don’t. na-na-nana-na!” scorching my binder burst into flames, and fans so powerful that they lifted Dorothy’s house all the way to Oz and back again. The point is that this microclimate situation has gotten out of control. Luckily, I’ve developed a genius solution that will completely correct the climate problem in the simplest, most rational way possible. That’s right – a giant, thermostat-controlled hamster ball for every student (preferably equipped with a mini-fridge and disco ball)! But in case the school administration doesn’t realize the stunning logic of this, I’ve come with a few more *shudder* realistic options to help students survive this month’s microclimates: 1. Layer, layer, layer! I don’t care if you wake up and it’s so hot the clouds are on fire. If you come to school wearing only shorts and a tank top, it will start snowing inside your math class, your toes will turn purple and fall off, and your only hope for survival will be to cut open your teacher and crawl inside his smaller intestine for warmth, which might affect your interim grade. Save yourself the suffering; bring a jacket. 2. For hot classrooms, wear light-colored flowing clothing made of rayon or cotton. For cold classrooms, wear clothing made of fleece or wool. For normal temperature classrooms, wear a shirt that says: “I HAVE A NORMAL TEMPERATURE CLASSROOM AND YOU DON’T NA-NA-NANANA!” 3. On hot days, teachers should consider holding class outside. I know that teachers hate this because they think that once students are outside they lose all focus and start frolicking with squirrels, but I think students are way less distracted in the cool outdoors than in a classroom so humid they can barely move. And if all else fails, go back in time to the 19th century and punch John Ruskin in the face. It won’t affect your temperature any, but it willmake you feel better.
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the griffin
sports
athletes
month
Varsity
Spirited sophomore soars tyler beckey, copy editor ine years of golfing, an intrinsic competitive drive and a plaid golf bag adds up to varsity golfer Chase Wassel. Wassel is now recognized as the golfer with the most school spirit. Every one of his clubs has a red and black dichromatic grip. He even chose his trademark red and black plaid bag to match the photo by jen siegel school’s colors. Wassel grew up on the Hunt Valley Golf Course, which bolstered his natural abilities by providing years worth of experience. He started playing at 6 when his father took him golfing. He said his main drive from then on was to become better than his dad. “Chase knows and understands the game and his ability really well,” golf coach Ryan Wolfsheimer said, “he has the ability to self-assess and implement changes quickly.” Wassel said his main weakness is using irons, and his strength is putting. So far this season Wassel has won all three points in the team’s first tournament against Franklin High School, and holds an average of 36 strokes on nine holes For the first time in his golfing career he is a scratch golfer, which means he has a handicap (the amount allowed below par) of zero. This means that he will commonly shoot above or at par, or the amount of strokes allowed per hole. “He is always determined to get better and succeed,” Wolfsheimer said. The boy’s golf team has won every one of their four matches this season. Wassel led in the first match against Franklin High School by scoring one over the par of 35. He followed up that victory by shooting 39 in a match against Loch Raven. Wassel said that he will often gives tips to fellow players who are struggling with some aspect of that game and likes to see his teammates improve.
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october 17, 2013
Lady Lions defeat Hereford Bulls 2-0
girls varsity soccer left: Sophomore Mackenzie Gandy throws the ball back in play at the home game on Sept. 17. right: Sophomore Nina Gayleard and juniors Kayla Wheeler, PD Stein and Ellie Mathey celebrate after scoring against Hereford. photos from dulaneyathletics.org
Undefeated, team advances Varsity golfers Chase Wassel (left) and Bobby Mulreaney (right), sophomores, polish their swings during their team’s Oct. 9 practice at Fox Hollow Golf Course. The team, 5-0 at press time, was preparing for the county championship.
junior Varsity
Running with dedication adam hemmeter, staff writer hat does the word “im provement” mean to you? For sophomore Henrique Carvalho, improvement means more and more running. And it has paid off. Over the course of the year, Carvalho cut his mile time from 9 photo by jen siegel minutes to 5:46. But just what went into such a drastic change? “My dad got me started giving me the choice of either doing a sport or staying at home at all times,” Carvalho said. “I wanted to do soccer but I wasn’t able because I wasn’t in good enough shape. This led me to cross country.” Toward the beginning of his cross country career, Carvalho struggled to keep up with his teammates but this changed due to practice, perseverance and force of will. Every time he would make progress, he would be even more motivated to improve. That, in addition to advice given to him by coaches and other players, put him on a path to success. Perhaps one of his strongest motivations came from his brother and fellow cross country runner, junior Adolfo Carvalho. “I told him there are always going to be times where it hurts, but he just has to remember the good moments,” Adolpho Carvalho said. “We train, we run, we race, for that feeling when you cross the finish line knowing you have done your best.” In addition to his personal improvements, Henrique Carvalho is also an inspiration and a leader to other runners on the team. “He leads by example,” Adolfo Carvalho said. “He is very friendly toward others on the team and helps those who need help.” Cross country coach Chad Boyle has also taken note of Henrique Carvalho’s development over the past year. “Henrique has improved tremendously since fall 2012,” Boyle said. “At his most recent performance at the Barnhart Invitational on September 28 he ran over 6:00 faster than he did in September 2012, achieving a 5K time of 19:50.” But throughout his whole journey, it is his brother’s words that continue to motivate him and make him better. “Keep pushing yourself even though your body doesn’t want you to. It’ll pay off in the end.”
photos by jen siegel
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To check out varsity volleyball, also undefeated, visit our website.
BFS adapts as class
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bennett heitt, staff writer ap music blares. Metal weights clang. Athletes high-five. Only now, they get a course credit for it. The Bigger Faster Stronger program’s switch from before- and after-school activity to four sections of an elective class has students and teachers smiling—despite a few inconveniences. “My 40-yard dash time and lifting have increased since I started,” sophomore Aaron Holliday said in the midst of his fourth period weight training class. He said he registered for the class primarily to get stronger for football season and said he’s glad he committed to the full year. Similarly, junior Nick Norman said that the shift from club to class is beneficial to him in numerous ways, including the added exercise, a daily morning wake up and fewer transportation problems. There’s also an intangible. “Being in the weight room with fellow teammates, you build stronger bonds that will translate to the field,” junior lacrosse player Norman said. Junior Ida Schianodicola, a soccer player and one of six girls in the second period class, said the class has translated into results on the field.
Weight training (above): from left: Sophomore Noah Squire-Rogers, senior Eric Williams and sophomore David Fulgham and Bobby Mulreaney watch as sophomore Aaron Holliday performs a power clean lift during his period four weight training class on Oct. 9.
Athletes and coaches said they’ve encountered a few problems, though. Some athletes have had trouble fitting BFS into their schedules due to inflexible courses or the desire to take other electives, physical education and BFS instructor Kyle Fiat said. Students said space has been an issue in some classes. Class sizes vary, but at least one must fit 37 people into a space with eight lifting stations. And, because students need to change into gym uniforms, actual lifting is cut down to less than a single period. Still, instructor Kyle Fiat, who actu-
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(left): Instructor Kyle Fiat shares a moment with sophomore Hunter Harrison. photos by bennett heitt
ally brought BFS here, said the switch to a class just makes sense. One reason? So many students participating in the award-winning BFS program, he said. (The school was the 2011 BFS high school of the year.) Another factor, according to Fiat? The desire to attract students to physical education electives. The goal next year, he said, is to recruit enough students for seven sections.
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the griffin
sports
Team takes Barnhart Invitational
october 17, 2013
athletes
month Varsity
Dynamic duo dominates
Anna Vuong
Jessica Hung photos by jen siegel
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left: Junior Adolfo Carvalho completes his final strides at the Barnhart Invitational cross country race on the home course Sept. 28. His performance led the boy’s varsity team to a 1 point victory over Paint Branch High School. right: Senior Isabel Griffith finishes with a record breaking 17:49 pace at Barnhart, crushing the former record by 29 seconds. photos by jen siegel
Griffith races in her zone J
maya lapinski, staff writer ust how did she do it? Barnhart Regional Cross Country record setter Isabel Griffith calls it a combination of analysis and attitude. Griffith, a senior, made history on Sept. 28 by running a record-breaking time of 17:49 in the 5K. “I just smiled across the line,” Griffith said of her finish. “I was actually kind of shocked. I was kind of in this Zen period of time, but then I finished and all these emotions just really hit me.” Her win was not without careful preparation. Training, analysis and determination came together to produce victory. More than just preparing for this single race, Griffith ran about 500 miles over the summer in preparation for this season. For her, running has become more than just a sport. It’s a lifestyle. “It’s an all-encompassing sport. You have to eat healthy, have to train smart and you have to be able to analyze your
races and yourself as an athlete,” Griffith said. “You know me, I never ask for a day off.” More so than just training, which Griffith completes with the boys (who run with more vigor and less drama), mental preparation and analysis are vital to success. Her success was more than just speed, it was confidence. “I just let myself go. I have always had like this trust in my body and in my physicality, and just being like, you
“When you’re racing, that’s your test. That’s where you show.” know what? I know I can do this. I’ve trained for this, now it’s all about the mental,” Griffith said. “You just have to let your body go
and just, try. Like, you’re not going to die. I always say that. You’re never going to actually die.” Griffith, excited to share her crosscountry wisdom and spirit, stresses the importance of analysis in racing. “I look at what I ran each mile. I’ll look at what my weakness was and where I had my best strengths,” she said. “But racing doesn’t always have to be about stats and times, it’s about being competitive.” Griffith combines both grit and diligence. Her hard work sets her apart and pays off. But even after this recordbreaking success, she can’t slow down. She’s already looking forward to and preparing hard for her next race. “You speak with your legs,” Griffith said. “You can work as hard as you want, you can train as hard as you want, you can talk, talk, talk, but when you’re racing, that’s your test. That’s where you show.”
Learning leads to slow improvement
Varisty football players (from left to right) Kai Johnson, Quinn Conroy, Ryan Primeaux and Tommy Petinelli practice “four man Oklahomas” on their Oct. 8 practice. photo by kyra twohy
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eric walz, staff writer rogress. That is what new head football coach Daron Reid wants to see in his team. “A dominate force to hold us to a higher standard. That’s what coach Reid does and
that’s what he has brought to this program,”senior captain Stephon Smith said. This was something that contributed to the Oct. 5 victory over Lansdowne 55-6. “Now the guys know they can hang on with anyone in our division,” Reid said after
emma o’grady, staff writer henomenal” is one word special education teacher and badminton coach Sharon Spangenberg uses to describe seniors Anna Vuong and Jessica Hung, Griffin deputy editor. The doubles pair came together this season after Hung’s previous partner graduated last spring. Hung and Vuong have hit the ground running, going undefeated so far this season. According to teammates, their incredible communication, a very crucial component to badminton, is renowned. “If one person is in the back left corner, the other cannot be. It helps to make sure that both of the people are in a good spot for what is coming next,” Vuong said. Hung and Vuong both began playing competitively freshman year. Previously, Vuong played street badminton (badminton with no net) with her family and friends. A softball player as well, Hung found badminton primarily through her sister. What’s it like being captain? “It’s interesting, I’ll give you that,” Hung said. Hung loves interacting and training the new players. The pair shined at the Loch Raven badminton club where they played much more challenging opponents. Vuong recalls a specific match where they were down by seven. “We kept at it, we didn’t give up and we were able to win.” Teammate Veena Sivaraman, a junior, praised the character of the partners. “Jessica and Anna are really selfless players. They’re really supportive of the rest of the team, including the players who do not participate in matches,” Sivaraman said. Both participate in similar activities outside of the sport. School and badminton take up a majority of their free time, but Hung and Vuong enjoy relaxing with friends while Key Club takes up a lot of Vuong’s time in the offseason.
the game. “No matter what the numbers say at the end of the contest, our goal is to compete. Make every opponent earn their win; we do not want to be anybody’s ‘easy game!’” Although the Lions had a rough start to the 2013 season, losing three games, two of them at home, and allowing 142 points, Reid and his coaching staff including Mike Kogelshatz, Paul Thompson and Peter Stroke are confident that the Lions are improving. “We have been handed some bad losses and every day the boys show up ready to work,” Reid said. “Progress is a slow process and I feel we will show that we are making progress in the right direction.” Reid added that the players have started to understand
their assignments, which has contributed to fewer mental mistakes on the field. Also, he has seen more players win their one-on-one battles against opposing players. “Even though we have put in a lot of effort so far, the change won’t occur immediately, but I believe, we believe, it will come with time,” Smith said. “We look a lot better. We are more focused and we play harder,” junior wide receiver Kevin Cockerham said. Senior captain Aaron Sless is looking forward to a win in this year’s homecoming game against Chesapeake High School. “We are going to get the ball in Gary’s hands, so he can do what he does best,” Sless said.
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junior Varsity She speeds, she scores sarah hampton, staff writer on’t let her size fool you. Sophomore Katie Condon, a 5 foot soccer player, is a dominant offensive force on the field. “My height is an advantage,” Condon said. “I’m very fast.” Kristina Korrow, English photo by jen siegel teacher and junior varsity soccer coach, agrees. “She’s quick to the ball and plays hard in games and in practice.” With a new coach and new opportunities, Condon likes the changes Korrow has brought to the team. Korrow has implemented a different system for team leadership. Instead of having two captains all season, the team chooses a game captain. Korrow and the team discuss who embodies the criteria for the captains. This has been very successful for the team and has brought the girls closer. “Katie is quick to get around defenders and she really helps out on the field,” fellow sophomore and teammate Molly Turlington said. Condon was able to get a feel for the next level when she was pulled up to varsity for four games. Playing since she was five years old, if she didn’t play soccer in the fall she would be running cross country. Condon likes to run and it shows on the field when she is able to get to the ball before her opponents. Condon likes to pump everyone up for the game. “I’m kind of a motivator,” Condon said. Her motivational skills came in handy when they had an incredible win over Franklin High School in September. Condon is very proud of this victory. She hopes to score even more goals as the season progresses. Condon’s twin sister, Christine Condon, is very supportive of Condon even though she isn’t on the team and no longer plays soccer. Katie Condon has tugged Christine Condon along to many of her club games, tournaments and extra practice sessions. “She knows where she wants to be and how to push herself to get there,” Christine Condon said.
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october 17, 2013
the griffin
Kicking their way closer with soccer
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chloe messier, staff writer symbiotic relationship is developing on the soccer field. Members of the girls’ varsity girls soccer team are guest coaching Allied soccer, a team for special education students and their peer assistants. It’s gone so well that Allied coach Anita Shaw said she hopes to add one more guest appearance by the varsity team to the three coaching appearances already scheduled. One of the most memorable moments was actually comic, she said. “One of our most enthusiastic and strongest players, Liani Bean, got a little lift on her ball and pegged varsity player Becca [King] right in the head!” Shaw said. “Becca started laughing and then Liani was laughing so hard she couldn’t stop!” No delay of game or foul was called. In fact,
the entire group laughed and then begged to play again. The varsity girls were a bit hesitant at first, Shaw said, but once the soccer playing began, they jumped right into their coaching roles and encouraging the students. During the first practice on Sept. 20, the girls got acquainted and led drills. One included a game in which the allied students were dribbling the ball and had to then kick the ball at the feet of the Varsity players. “This experience is a great start in bridging some relationships in the school for the allied players,” Shaw said. Through the program, the varsity girls and peer assistants are able to become more comfortable around the Allied kids and recognize them as members of their community. “That was more fun than I expected,” junior and varsity player Nicole Widner said. “They’re
so cute.” Shaw is also astounded by the number of peer assistants who have volunteered with the Allied program. This year the team boasts 15 players and 18 Peer Assistants. In the past two years, she has averaged four to five peer assistants. The one-to- one ratio definitely enhances the relationships between assistants and students, Shaw said, adding that she’s grateful for the additional assistants on the field. “They are energizing them, encouraging them, and motivating them in a way that I could never do on my own,” Shaw said. She praised the volunteers for their gift of time and diligence, adding that it’s easy to see the benefits. “My kids certainly look happy out there on the soccer field.”
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Allied soccer player sophomore Morgan Schultz shoots the ball at the first joint practice on Sept. 20. photo by chloe messier
dulaney
contour portraits. Junior Angela Nam and sophomore Tucker Cawley work on their modified contour self-portraits in Joanna Waring’s period six fine arts class on Sept. 20. photo by olivia golden
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features
the griffin
post Karl Geckle, a chemistry teacher, graduated from University of Delaware and coaches boys varsity soccer. Geckle sat down to chat with opinion editor Ben Merenbloom. Reading? Oh man. I just finished last month, the “Song of Ice” and “Fire Series”, which is what the TV show “Game of Thrones” is based off of. That was about 5,000 pages of long, long stuff. But it was awesome. Now, I am back to a little bit of lighter reading. I’ve got Kurt Vonnegut “Player Piano” sitting by my bed.
Following? I’m always following everything. I’m always following the science news, always keeping tabs on what’s going on in the world. I’m keeping an eye on the Syria crisis. The thing that stinks during soccer season is that I don’t follow everything as closely. I use the little free time that I have to try to keep up; anything that comes out of CERN. Following media, culture, news, science, sports, all of it.
Watching? I wanna give a shout out to all these good things: I just watched the first season of “House of Cards”. Brilliant. Absolutely awesome. One of the best shows I’ve seen. Ever. I recently finished watching “Breaking Bad”: the finale was just a little bit too neat and tidy for me. I have a few others: “Boardwalk Empire” and football all day Sunday. Listening? I have my diverse music tastes. I can’t stop listening to Kendrick Lamar because his stuff is just awesome. I’ve been listening to a lot of Talking Heads and Queen also. Music depends on your mood so you gotta mix it up.
photo by jen seigel
Eating? I have gone to a partial vegetarian diet. I still eat meat because it’s delicious, but I’ve cut down to only eating meat two days a week, so I’ve been trying a lot of new awesome vegetarian recipes. Changing? Everything. I like to look back at different stages of [my] life. You’re just always changing. Your thoughts are changing. Your opinions are changing. Your likes and dislikes, they can change. Your friends are changing … But it’s good to reflect on that change. You can look back and go “Wow, when I was 25 or 21 or 18, I can’t believe I was so stupid; I can‘t believe I did this”. But it was also really great being that young for these reasons. It’s interesting to really do some self-reflection. Because it’s always happening. It’s not ever going to stop.
october 17, 2013
New way of teaching foreign languages advocates conversation
mariah chenowith, contributing writer magine a foreign language class with no grammar. In a January Education Week article, Chief Executive Officer of VIF International Education David Young and principal of the Education Innovations Group J.B. Buxton, advocated a new approach to foreign language studies: forget about memorizing endless lists of verbs, or translating countless stories about Marie’s fun-filled trip to the grocery store and focus on teaching kids simple vocabulary and sentences they may actually use if they visit a foreign country. This way, Young and Buxton argue, students will emerge from their foreign language study with a more in-depth knowledge of global issues and the economy. Latin teacher Jason Slanga teaches senior Samantha Resource teacher, Jennifer Audlin Smyth, junior Kelsey Talley and sophomore Brady said that perfect sentence structure Sach in his first period Latin IV class. isn’t always essential. photo by jen siegel “You don’t have to speak in complete sentences to be understood,” just cheat, you don’t learn anything,” seAudlin said. It wasn’t until she studied nior Carolyn Taras said. Taras found she abroad in Chile that she fully understood obtained the most knowledge after interSpanish. acting with native Spanish speakers. Evan Gardner, a friend of Latin teacher Spanish student junior Ellie Mathey ofJason Slanga and a researcher of endanfered a recommendation. gered languages agrees conversation prac“Yes, learning verb tenses is importanttice is more important than perfection. but we should practice a normal conver“Close enough is good enough for now,” sation, not just recite conjugations.” when learning a language, he said. Slanga Junior Latin student Michael McClelhimself supports and uses this approach. land said this already happens in Latin “Infants acquire their first language withclasses to some degree referring to the out the use of charts or diagramming writspring break trip to Italy. ten sentences. Their brains begin to con“We walked all over Rome speaking struct an internal grammar by listening,” Latin to each other all day,” McClelland he said, comparing the natural language said. learning method to “the scientific method Of course, despite all the enthusiasm on warp speed.” there’s at least one student- alum Omnia Many students prefer this method. Shedid-who said she learned a lot, from “I’ve gotten better at Spanish from the basic greetings to verb conjugations. cooks at Seasons Pizza than the teachers “That is of course, when I wasn’t twidhere; they actually correct me,” an anonydling my thumbs the entire class period,” mous source said. Shedid said. “The workbooks aren’t helpful, you can
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New machine makes ancient texts available
available artifact. Latin teacher Jason Slanga obtained this ancient text from a book machine in Washington. photo by jen siegel
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finn hasson, columnist ave you ever felt the desire to crack open an ancient Latin text, but were frustrated by the discovery that most classics in their native languages can cost upwards of $150? Well, fret no more, for the Espresso Book Machine (EBM) gives consumers inexpensive Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.
access to over 3 million books at a low cost. The EBM was originally designed for independent authors who could not pay to have their books published, but after Google digitized thousands of ancient texts, it now offers a wide range of classics that had been rare. “I wouldn’t have been able to get this 20 years ago,” Latin teacher Jason Slanga, one of the beneficiaries of the EBM, said while holding his copy of Ludvig Holmberg’s “Nicolai Klimii Iter Subterraneum.” Not only does it offer consumers rare books at the click of a button, it cuts costs greatly. A quick Google search shows that “Nicolai Klimii Iter Subterraneum,” which Slanga acquired through the EBM for $12, can cost over $250. He has referenced the book in class, and says that Latinists everywhere will be able to benefit from the new wealth of material that will help them practice the language and grow their vocabulary. Before you work yourself into an EBMbased fervor, stop to consider that EBMs are expensive and Slanga got his book from a machine in Washington. So, if you want to read an obscure classic and can get to Washington to pick up your book, check out booksondemand.com to order.
the griffin
10 features
october 17, 2013
Fall fashion trends spotted amid students sophie golden & kayla young, staff writers rispy leaves, chilly winds, jack-o-lanterns and pumpkin pie. With a new season, comes new fashion. Six students say trends among students include oversized sweaters, flannels and combat boots. But Vogue Magazine lists different trends. Patterns like plaids, geometric prints and
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camouflage. Of course, they also note the move from lighter fabrics to heavy, especially rich and luxurious velvet — anything velvet. These trends can be found in combination with popular items. For guys, shoes are one of the main expressions of style. One of the most popular brands is Vans. For girls, this season features maxi skirts of different shapes and patterns.
Top, left to right: 1. Senior Pache Faulcon- “I liked the skirt because it was a little different but simple at the same time and I love that.” 2. Senior Emily Slaughter- “I just really like velvet and long skirts and dark colors so this was all three! It was a gem.” 3. Senior Danielle Simpson- “I think I got it from Zumi’s. I just thought it was cute. And it matches my backpack.” Bottom, left to right: 4. Senior Jaquon Swann- “I got them because I like Vans a lot. And they’re really different. I kinda have a thing for camo stuff, too.” 5. Senior Julian Sheppy- “I found them online. They were sweet and unique and no one has them.” 6. Junior Kai Johnson- “I got them at the Vans store. I just needed to have the swag.” photos by kayla young, sophie golden and lucia tarantino
SISTERS SKETCH. Clockwise from bottom left: Junior Charlotte Slaughter sketches in art class; Artwork by senior Emily Slaughter; Emily Slaughter draws in her sketchbook; Artwork by Charlotte Slaughter. photos by katie walters, lucia tarantino and alex wright
an among us: Sisters approach drawing with differing styles, subjects
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katie walters, staff cartoonist s the light of the projector flickers, junior Charlotte Slaughter remains focused. Here in Joanna Waring’s sixth period Fine Arts class, Slaughter works every day to improve her already advanced art skills. Over in James Kuhlman’s fifth period Studio 1 class, senior Emily Slaughter, sketches in her notebook. The Slaughter sisters are not only talented, but passionate about artistic expression. This passion dates back years for both. “When I was a wee Charlotte, I was an art helper,” Charlotte Slaughter said. “My art is still displayed at Carroll Manor Elementary.” The Slaughter sisters both find inspiration in everything they see, whether it is people or trees, but these
sisters express what they see completely differently. Charlotte Slaughter is more of a realistic drawer; she finds that flowers are recurring objects in her artwork. Emily Slaughter is more of an abstract drawer; she tends to draw a lot of aliens. Waring has noticed Charlotte Slaughter’s dedication to art, as she has had her for art classes two years in a row. “Charlotte has an impeccable attention to detail, but she includes little unexpected treats in her work that you may not catch if you just look at it for a second,” Waring said. Ironically, pieces that each sister finds most pride in are the antithesis of their preferences: Emily Slaughter’s most prized artwork is a negative space piece consisting of a realistic hand grabbing onto
a girl’s back, and Charlotte Slaughter finds pride mostly in a piece called Untitled because she had an abstract use of colors. “Sometimes you look at it and it’s just your beautiful little baby. It’s awesome when you finally finish something you’ve worked so hard on,” Emily Slaughter said. Like many artists, the sisters still face difficulties. Emily Slaughter finds difficulty in trying to translate exactly what she’s thinking onto the paper, while Charlotte Slaughter finds difficulty in actually thinking of what to draw. But once their ideas are set, the flicks of their pens and the shading of their pencils come naturally.
MEMOIR:
Losing her way, finding her confidence
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maddy brancati, staff writer he West Lake located in the western area of Hangzhou, China has inspired famous poets, scholars, artists and travelers since the 9th century AD, including Marco Polo who regarded Hangzhou in his travel notes as “the most splendid and heavenly city in the world.” Upon my visit this summer I apparently found it so inspiring that I lost myself. I mean I literally got lost. I spent one month traveling around China with a group of 10 students and two leaders organized by Putney Student Travel. We had just reached the three week mark when we arrived in Hangzhou where a fellow student pointed out the masses of people on tandem bikes bobbing and weaving between pedestrians and cars around the perimeter of the lake. When it was suggested that our group should participate in such an activity my mind started running through all the things that could possibly go wrong. Throughout my life I have often equated riding bicycles with impending death, and cycling in a crowded Chinese city without a helmet, posed a similar outcome. Given no other option, I regrettably mounted the twowheeled death machine, of which I fell off of about every five minutes. Eventually I was so far behind the group that I could no longer see them ahead of me. “Well, this can’t
be good” I thought as my heart began to race. The thought of dying alone in the streets of Hangzhou crossed my mind several times, and I didn’t find the occasional whispers of “wai guo ren” (foreigner) as I passed by people particularly comforting. In case this doesn’t sound stressful enough, let me clarify that I had left my cell phone in the hotel, of which I didn’t know the name. Oh, and did I mention that it was at night? My salvation came in the form of an elderly Chinese couple whom I had stopped on the street and sobbed to (as best as I could) about my situation. The couple called the police, and when the car arrived I felt relieved. The first thought that ran through my head was “Wow, the rental time on my bicycle probably lapsed several hours ago.” I had mentioned to the police car driver that I was a Chinese language student, so when we entered the police station he bragged to the other officers that the lost foreigner he picked up speaks Chinese. The concept was apparently so unfathomable that it resulted in an extensive argument among the officers as to whether or not it was true. When they finally allowed me to confirm their suspicions, I was given the wonderful experience of having the most extensive conversation I’ve ever had in Chinese with sENIOR MADDY Brancati pauses during a tandem bike ride in Hungzhou one of the officers. As it turns out, failing to learn to ride a back in July. Minutes later she took her chaotic solo bike ride. photo provided by brancati bike as a kid might pay off in the long run. Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.
the griffin
11 features
Club rush ritual revisted
kathy chen & sumin woo, staff ing up for clubs that they found The new addition of papers that writers interesting or useful. required students to find informaslow trickle of wide-eyed “I want to join Habitat for Hution on three clubs frustrated some freshmen, quiet and stoic, manity because it looks good on representatives and students. fumbled with their pens “I thought the papers actually deand papers. The auditorium lobby stroyed the purpose of club rush,� was still, club representatives and sophomore Key Club representafreshmen alike not sure where to tive Jessica Bishai said. “When I begin. went last year, I didn’t have to ask Then someone broke the ice, and for superficial information like time a low hubbub began. and date.� “There are way too many people Some freshmen shared her dishere,� freshman Lucy Du said. may. Some 25 clubs displayed their “Making us fill these papers out wares at this year’s club rush, an is just taking away from the experiannual event that included veteran college applications,� freshman ence,� freshman P.J. Saumell said. groups, and fledgling groups like Andrew Walsh said. The din in the auditorium sugthe American Sign Language Club. gested that not everyone agreed. Some showed signs of trepidaMore than 500 freshmen attended, “I heard nothing but good tion. armed with papers given by their things,� Student Government “I’m very overwhelmed right English teachers to encourage Organization Stacy Herring-Jones now,� freshman Sarah Gude said, interaction. as club representatives tried to said of the day. If that wasn’t enough, tables beguile her. laden with fliers, tri-folding display boards and posters lined the auditorium lobby. Promises of food, fun and new friends tempted many freshmen to explore the array of extracurricular activities offered here. A-lunch and midday periods when freshman English isn’t taught brought a lull in the activity, but after a two-period break, anxious freshmen hurried in energized at the prospect of the day’s final bell. And the first thing they said, even after lunch? “Is there any food here?� one freshman was overheard to say. Laughing and chatting, the Freshmen From left to right: Bridget Hughes, Kaitlyn Dabkowski and Kiley Bolonda comfreshmen bounced from board plete worksheets from their English teacher during club rush on Sept. 17. to board exploring and signphoto by lucia tarantino
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“Is there any food here?�
october 17, 2013
New clubs appear Rube Goldberg Club
Goal: to do complicated tasks through simple engineering. Meetings: Thursdays, room 320, After school Information: Steve Labbe (slabbe@bcps.org
Sign Language Club
Goal: to learn sign language and new information about the deaf community Meetings: Wednesdays, room 311, after school Information: Dulaneysigns@gmail.com
Society for Gender Equality
Goal: Inform people of advantages and disadvantages faced by both genders in society. Meetings: Mondays and Fridays, room 115, after school Information: Send Avalon Bomlie a Facebook message
Autism Youth Ambassadors Club
Goal: Help people to better understand autism and families affected by it. Meetings: Every other Wednesday, room 309, after school Information: nickjd@hotmail.com
Spoken Word Club
Goal: Have an open environment for people to express themselves by presenting creative literature. Meetings: Every other Wednesday, room 310, after school Information: jwicks@bcps.org
K-pop Club
Goal: Dance to Korean Pop music. Meetings: Fridays, room 226, after school Information: dlynas2@bcps.org Compiled by Andrew Bank
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the griffin
12 features
october 17, 2013
New staffers join school’s line-up
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Match faces with facts
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New Staff Members 1. Morgan Lefebvre, English 2. Katie Owens, Guidance 3. Patrick Holt, Business 4. Alissandra Seelaus, Art 5. Richard Reed, Weight Training 6. Martin Lopez, English 7. Sara Spangler, Spanish 8. Jason Bowman, English
9. Heidi Rios, World Language 10. Rebecca Welker, Music 11. Steve Binko, Math 12. Kim Howard, Special Ed. 13. Judith Frumin, Spanish 14. Christopher Buckler, Tech Ed. 15. Leanne Voos, Math
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photos by jen siegell, alex wright, erin briggs, kalie paranzino, meghan reinhardt, lucia tarantino, and kyra twohy
Quirky Facts About Teachers a. Cannot whistle. b. Hula Hoops with a fire hoop. c. License plate is pi. d. Is an enthusuastic baker. e. Walked 120 miles across England. f. Read 42 books in one semester. g. Was a knight at Medival Times. h. Is a huge NASCAR fan.
REVIEW:
Pretty Lights stuns audience
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lucia tarantino, staff writer erriweather Post Pavilion was brimming with nearly 50,000 people for Virgin Free Fest and I was one of them. Everywhere you looked there was someone next to you. If you needed to use the bathroom – good luck. If you lost your friends – good luck. If you were hungry – good luck. But if you needed to have fun, luck was the last thing you needed. Robin Thicke played before the best show of the night. As people gathered for the end of his set, it became obvious that people did not want Thicke anymore. A faint chant began to pulsate over his song: “Pretty Lights! Pretty Lights!” Now, I wasn’t a big fan of Pretty Lights before this show but after… They’re called Pretty Lights for a reason. I have never seen so many lights on one stage. Finally, Derek Smith, the Pretty Lights DJ, came out. A beat dropped, a huge stroke of white light lit the crowd, and everyone started screaming, preparing for the extravaganza. Every possible
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i. Studied abroad in Chile and Costa Rica j. Is an Americanized Argentinian Jew. k. Is a current event junkie. l. Plays in a rock-and-roll band. m. Has a one-year-old daughter. n. Likes skydiving. o. Was a former Pre-K teacher. (Answers at the bottom of the page)
REVIEW:
Out of the oven, into your ears
I Derek Smith’s lights radiate into the audience at Virgin Free Fest on Sept. 21.
photo by lucia tarantino
color you could think of radiated into the audience. With the mesmerizing strobes of lights, the constant beat, the build-up of sound and that final base drop, I was forced to move, compelled to sing — I was naturally trapped into the concert. It was raining throughout the show, but no one noticed it. You could have seen the rain as a negative disruption, or as I did: a marvelous addition. The droplets of
pigmented rain sparkled with vibrant color and casted a magical sensation over the audience. Eventually, Smith chose to play “Finally Moving,” one of his most popular songs. It created a sense of unity in the crowd. We were one; thousands of people became a single giant body. It didn’t matter what kind of person was jumping and singing next to you. We were together now. We were all fans, including me.
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Answer Key: 1. f 2. o 3. h 4. d 5. k 6. g 7. i 8. e 9. n 10. a 11. l 12. b 13. j 14. m 15. c Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.
alyssa engelman, staff writer f a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie were a band, it would be Fall Out Boy. The gooey dough would be their punk rock roots and the smooth chocolate of the chocolate chips would be their relatable lyrics. Once you take one bite, you’re hooked. The day the tickets went on sale, I sat camped out on the floor of room with my computer, constantly refreshing the page. Eventually, I got two tickets in the fifth row and it was incredible! We were close enough to see everything from the individual notes played on the guitar to the beads of sweat rolling down their faces. They only played for an hour, but it was packed with a mix of their older and more recent songs. I was lucky enough to also see them again in New York. I camped outside the concert for about an hour and a half, but the flashing lights, scream-
overall rating:
Fall Out Boy rocks out on stage at the Maryland State Fair on Aug. 29 photo by alyssa engelman
ing fans and deafeningly loud music made up for the wait – it was just as amazing as at the fair. There were many appearances of other musicians, from Twenty One Pilots to Panic! At the Disco; although the concert seemed a little too short, it had plenty to keep the audience entertained. Fall Out Boy’s most recent album, Save Rock and Roll, was released after a 2009 hiatus. Although they took a couple years off, Fall Out Boy has shown that they’re good enough to come back and that their fan base is willing to accept them.