The Here and Now - 6/2014

The Here & Now Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart

•

Volume 60 Issue 4

Flight 370: countless theories, few answers

June 8th marks three months of the Malaysia Airlines plane being missing, three months of conspiracy theories and failed searches.

by Nora Gosselin, Staff Writer

Since its disappearance on March 8th, Flight 370 has confounded the world, leaving many speculating and weaving intricate conspiracies in the absence of actual fact.

The few facts that are known lead only to dead ends and further confusion. On a early March evening, a Boeing 777 left Kuala Lampur, the capital of Malaysia, on its way to Beijing. Early into the flight, as the plane crossed the gulf towards Vietnam, it went dark-- all transponder and secondary radar unresponsive.

Two days later, reports emerged that the Malaysian military had tracked the flight using radar on a course across the Malay Peninsula in the Strait of Malacca-- experienced pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah seemed to have taken a complete left turn. Shortly after, in an international press release, the flight was declared missing.

Media outlets immediately grabbed onto such news, and have proved to be the leading conspiracy theorists. CNN especially has come under fire for substituting truly outlandish claims in the absence of any real developments.

Such conspiracy theories range from the most technical-- some claiming aircraft fire-- to the most absurd-- others blaming aliens or a black hole. And so, from believable to bizarre, here are some of the speculations that have defined the seemingly neverending pursuit of the lost plane and its 239 passengers: 1. Pilot Crashed the Plane Since mid March, when officials conducted a full investigation of Zaharie Ahmad Shah and discovered a flight simulator in his home, many have suspected the man guilty of intentionally crashing the plane. Speculation circulated that Shah was about to be laid off from his job with Malaysia Airlines

As technology has progressed, the enterprise of YouTube has become an international center known for the sharing of information, creative ideas and self expression. Many Youtubers have erupted out of this enterprise finding a new hobby and even a job in making funny videos and vlogs. But recently some of these famous Youtubers such as Alex Day and Tom Milson have given headlines to the overarching societal issues of sexual assault, women’s rights and rape culture.

Tom Milson, a famous youtuber and friend of the vlogbrothers known for his funny and original videos and songs, is currently facing allegations for being in an abusive relationship with an underage fan.

These charges disrupted the internet world and shocked both his many fans and his youtuber friends such as the vlogbrothers whose record label, DFTBA, he was previously signed to.

Such a controversial event came to

Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy.

Photo courtesy of Aero Icarus.

Photo courtesy of Sailsbystars.

Top left: Officials from the U.S. Navy assist Malaysian Airlines in their search for the missing plane. Bottom left: The Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777. Right: The projected flight path of the missing flight to Beijing, China.

and was about to get divorced. Many abandoned this theory however, when authorities cleared the simulator and Shah’s computer, stating “There’s nothing at all [criminal] about the pilot. Right now there is zero evidence of a criminal act by the flight crew.”

2. The Plane Had a Problem with Cabin Pressure Some believe that a potential cabin pressure drop at around 35,000 feet may have incapacitated the pilot, leaving someone inexperienced in the cockpit-- possibly another crew member, or even a passenger.

Such an incident would explain the flight’s bizarre heading changes and

why the maker of the plane, Boeing has not released any statements.

3. The Plane caught on fire There is also evidence, although tenuous, that the plane may have caught on fire in midair. A hot Asian night and a long-run takeoff are the ideal conditions for a landing gear or tire fire that could have burned for quite some time before making itself known.

The crew’s first response would likely have been to cut all the main circuits and gradually restore power until the compromised one was isolated. This would cause the plane to go silent, and and also explain why the plane seemed to have shot up to

45,00 ft-- perhaps a desperate attempt to cut oxygen flow to a growing fire.

4. Terrorists hijacked the plane After months of silence, during which no terrorist group stepped forward to claim the disappearance, a group 11 individuals with links to al-Qa’ida were arrested on May 4th in Kuala Lampur by investigators from the FBI and MI6 The group is said to be an offshoot of the terrorist sect, and includes students, handymen, a widow and several businessmen.One Malaysia office stated that a hijacking remains a feasible theory, especially in wake of these new developments.

light in earSoon afly March ter these when the events and the fan ancharges came nounced to light , one her story young girl via tumblr. spoke out sayHer confesing that Alex sional got Day, yet anmuch atother famous tention and youtuber, her story Illustration courtesy of Mauritz Knook. had raped her s p r e a d YouTube users like Alex Day have recently come years prior at l i k e under fire for allegations of sexual assault. an event called wildfire.

Vidcon, a conHer posts on Tumblr claim that vention for YouTubers and their fans.

Milson and herself began their reThis one post gave many other lationship when she was fifteen and girls the strength to come out with he was twenty two. She further ex- their stories and claims, most of plained the situation saying their which dealt with Alex Day and some relationship was very often abusive type of abusive or non consensual and that on many instances he co- relationship. Then many of his past erced her into having sex with him. girlfriends revealed that their relaThese posts were only truly ad- tionships with Day were not truly dressed when Hank Green con- healthy and sometimes abusive. firmed the events and his disappointElla Hartsoe ‘15 who has been a ment and shock at finally finding big fan of Alex Day and his youout the truth behind the relationship. tube channel for years said, “person-

ally I love him and i think there’s a lot more to him then past mistakes and while I am never going to defend a rapist, I still think that it all comes down to sexual education and it all comes down to spreading the word of what exactly consent is.”

Recently, many YouTubers such as Charlie McDonnell, John and Hank Green and Laci Green, have made videos dealing with consent and rape culture in order to shine light on the societal issue and get healthy information out to young fans.

The cases concerning Tom Milson and Alex Day, although devastating to the girls and their families, reveal something larger about Youtube culture, society itself and the danger such a message can possess.

It is very common for young girls to fantasize and idolize these young boys who have become famous over youtube, but these events reveal that such an unhealthy relationship with people one has never met could develop into a perverse and detrimental culture for young fans.

NEWS

SPORTS

METRO

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

After Stone Ridge faced a tumultuous spring break experience in 2014, reports surface of yet another Lufthansa strike.

Will adequate preparations be complete in time for the June World Cup in Brazil?

Arianna Scott reports.

Stone Ridge celebrates its final and 47th annual Book Sale.

2014, the year of the selfie, was documented by millions in quintessential selfie fashion.

Lufthansa Round 2

Page 2

June 4, 2014

From Cronkite to Cooper, a generational gap in news coverage

by Nora Gosselin, Staff Writer

The dark side of the YouTube community

by Pamela Lawrence, Staff Writer

•

Rio World Cup

Page 4

Book Sale end

Page 5

Selfie insanity

Page 7

Walter Cronkite, historic news anchor for CBS, came close to tears only once on air, following the assassination of President Kennedy in November of 1963. This uncontrolled emotion stands out starkly in a career of almost 30 years-- a career of complete stoicism and journalistic objectiveness.

Years after Cronkite’s retirement in 1980, Anderson Cooper, from CNN, traveled to Louisiana just as legendary Hurricane Katrina was crumpling its coasts and tearing across the already scarred land. Cooper garnered national attention for his coverage of the disaster, in which he came close to tears on camera several times, and confronted Senator Mary L. Landrieu, in front of an audience of millions, when she was congratulating fellow legislators for their emergency response.

Heatedly, Cooper interjected, “Excuse me, Senator, I’m sorry for interrupting, [but] I haven’t heard that [regarding a state organized relief movement], because, for the last four days, I’ve been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated.

Critics and fellow professionals wondered if Cooper had crossed the line from tough journalism to outright confrontation, dictated by emotion rather than fact. Most viewers however, hailed such emotion as a breakthrough in the media-- finally they were seeing another human being on screen, with responses and opinions similar to their own.

Broadcast news has long shaped the average American’s perspective-relaying everything from international conflict to local occurrences. But the news is more than a mere conduit between government and citizen, or economy and investor. Anchors bear the enormous responsibility of being a personal friend, a trusted informant, and a fellow citizen-- sharing not just what’s important, but why.

As Anderson Cooper’s coverage reveals, while this role has remained fairly consistent over the course of broadcast history, the nature of how one accomplishes it has changed drastically.

One motivator for such a change is that as shows like Today and Good Morning America have found that visceral connection is simply favored over stoicism among the younger and younger audience they’re all vying for. Also favored is viewer interaction, accomplished on the Today Show with the Orange Room, a tech heavy space loaded with fun but lacking in fact. Here, anchors like Matt Lauer and Natalie Morales take a break from actual coverage to share old prom pictures or take polls.

STUDENT INTEREST

A Sacred Heart Prom

Maddie Birch investigates the various styles and trends across the United States Sacred Heart Network.

Page 8

2

News

Lufthansa: strike issues persist one year later

June 4, 2014

The Here & Now

Issue 4

by Anna Primosch, Design Lead

“Lufthansa.” Just utter the word in the senior lounge or the junior cloakroom, and you’re likely to hear a chorus of groans in response. The German airline whose strike significantly shortened the Stone Ridge trips to Spain and Greece during spring break 2013 is stirring up trouble again.

It turns out that a Lufthansa strike is not an isolated event. Various sectors of the airline’s approximately 20,000 employees have been on short strikes throughout the past year. According to Global Travel Industry News, Lufthansa’s unionized pilots left over 425,000 passengers stranded worldwide when they went on strike for three full days in April of this year. They were protesting Lufthansa’s proposed measure to raise the minimum retirement age from 58 years old to 61 years old.

Stone Ridge’s trouble with Lufthansa all began on March 20, 2013, the set departure date for the bi-annual Stone Ridge language trips to Spain, France, and Greece (the trip to Peru had left via Copa Airlines, which according to Maddie Westrick ‘14, who went on the trip, is the national airline of Panama, on March 19). While the group travelling to France jetted off without a hitch via Air France, the Spain and Greece trips were supposed to fly together on a single Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, Germany, where the two trips would stop for a layover before flying to their destinations, Barcelona, Spain and Athens, Greece, respectively.

The trip came to a sudden halt, however, as students were informed that due to a strike by airline employees, Lufthansa was unable to operate, having suddenly lost 12,000 workers.

Lufthansa provided nighttime accommodations for the students in the Holiday Inn at Dulles, or as Ana Spies ‘14, who went to Spain, nicknamed it, the

Photo courtesy of Airbusky.

According to Reuters, Lufthansa’s profit for 2014 is estimated to be 1.7-1.9 billion euros despite 70 million euros lost in recent strikes.

Photo courtesy of Hallie Martin.

Maddie Birch ‘14 and Anna Blockowicz ‘14 waiting in the Frankfurt airport during a long delay that took several days away from their trip to Spain. Lufthansa and the travel company Explorica reimbursed students for lost time.

“Hotel Motel Holiday Inn,” as they waited in the Dulles terminals during the daytime for their flights to arrive.

Spies recalls being so worried about the status of their trip that she and other juniors “ordered six lava cakes” through room service to console themselves. Finally, the night of Thursday, March 21, two flights to Spain were arranged and the trip was splintered into two groups, the first leaving Dulles on Thursday night and the second leaving Friday.

The Greece trip, however, had to wait longer to reach their destination. After spending one night in the Holiday Inn, the next day they were informed their trip was cancelled and were promptly sent home. Fortunately, Lufthansa eventually pulled through, and the Greece girls were sent on their way on Monday, March 25, one group flying via United Airlines and another via Lufthansa. United, Lufthansa, and

Copa Airlines are all members of the Star Alliance, an international airline conglomerate. To compensate for the delay, the trip was lengthened by three days, and the Greece girls arrived back in Washington Tuesday, April 2, missing one day of school and one day of Social Action as a result.

Fast forward a year, and a new round of strikes have put a damper in Lufthansa’ operations. One major reason why Lufthansa employees are continually disgruntled is that Lufthansa has to cut corners in order to align its limited budget with rising operational costs.

Increased fuel prices and extra security measures have put financial pressure on lots of airlines, but as Germany’s largest air carrier, Lufthansa has been particularly crippled by these rising costs. Occupying 22% of its total annual costs, Lufthansa’s staff budget is more than double that of its European

Firefox C.E.O.’s fast departure

by Sofia Daboub, Staff Writer

Brendan Eich left his position

as CEO of Firefox almost as quickly as he took it, after the Firefox community created a petition demanding that he step down. Back in 2008, he had donated one thousand dollars to a group who supported Proposition 8, which called for a ban on gay marriage in California, according to The New Yorker. When this information was uncovered in 2012, he received much criticism, but it eventually died down.

That is, until he was named CEO of the company in March of this year.

Brendan Eich not only co-founded Mozilla in 1998 but is also the creator of JavaScript. He has a fifteen year long history with the company and, on March 24th, was appointed to the role of CEO. His departure has raised questions over the “fairness of forcing out a qualified technology executive over his personal views”, according to USA Today.

Initially, Eich refused to step down for expressing his own personal opinion, according to Bloomberg. But the pressure continued, with OKCupid, a dating service, leading the charge by blocking anyone who used Firefox to access the website. Many employees publicly expressed their disagreement with Eich’s opinions while venture capitalists, like Michael Arrington and Marc Andreessen defended him.

This isn’t the first time a CEO received criticism for expressing his

competitors, according to its website.

Although the two groups’ vacations to Spain and Greece were significantly shortened, there were a few silver linings amid all the chaos.

Despite all that happened, Claire Whitnah ‘14, who went to Greece, says, “Honestly, I think Lufthansa handled it well.” The airline paid for the students’ stay in the Holiday Inn and gave them food vouchers to compensate for the delays. Whitnah, who had to pay for the trip herself, says that the trip became less costly for her as a result, and she was still able to enjoy Greece once they arrived.

Between the two trips, Stone Ridge girls had the opportunity to stop in a host of European countries. The girls got a taste of Belgium, Germany, England, and Poland, in addition to Greece and Spain, even if it was just making a pitstop in an airport.

Photo courtesy of Mozilla Europe.

views. In 2012, the Chick-fil-a president, Dan Cathy, expressed similar views on the issue saying, “We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that...we know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles”.

Though activists urged boycotts of the food chain, no executives resigned.

Why, then, did the criticism against Eich escalate so quickly and lead to his resignation? Mozilla is unique in the sense that it’s a non-profit organization that relies on work from open-source software developers and volunteers all over the globe.

Therefore, if the people who provide services out of goodwill are not happy, the company is in trouble.

This event has raised questions

about freedom of expression in a society that advocates tolerance and a diversity of ideas. Samu Yagun, OkCupid co-founder, who led the charge against Eich said, “We have freedom of speech, which I would defend to the end. And we have what I believe is a fundamental liberty of people to marry and love whoever they want. We took a stand that matters to us personally and as a business -- and I think the world will be a better place because of it.”

On the other hand, David Pakman, a television and radio host said in an interview, “This idea of those who are for gay rights are intolerant of those who don’t favor gay rights is a total ruse, a total canard. It’s a distraction and it’s a subjugation of what tolerance even is.”

Justin Lee, founder of the Gay Christian Network also expressed his opinion on the incident: “as much as I disagree with the donation, this is America, and I believe he has a right to support the political causes he believes in.”

Photo courtesy of PEK.

Over 425,000 passengers faced travel complications due to Lufthansa’s strike this April, according to the company.

Fort Hood tragedy: just another mass shooting?

by Madi Kaiser, Copy Editor

Mozilla Firefox’s booth at the Mobile World Conference 2013 in Barcelona.

Photo courtesy of Aleksander Markin.

A three-day strike in April downed 3,800 flights, according to the New York Times.

Mass shootings have become a part of the cyclical media frenzy, and a phenomenon that many people of the 21st century are used to. However, a recent shooting at the military base in Fort Hood, Texas, has garnered attention because it is the second mass shooting at that base in five years. Why was a tragedy like this able to happen again?

The details of the most recent Fort Hood shooting are very muddled. Soldier Ivan Lopez, a married father of four and a truck drive at the Fort Hood base opened fire over a two blocks span of the base. The shooting followed an apparent argument with another soldier that may have stemmed from Lopez being told to come back later to retrieve his leave form.

After Lopez was told to come back later, he returned minutes later with a .45 caliber pistol and opened fire. He mortally injured one soldier in the first building, and wounded 10 others. Lopez then got in his personal car and drove to a motor pool area, killing another soldier. Finally, Lopez walked into a medical building and killed a man working behind the front desk.

The shooting spree ended when a female officer engaged in an altercation with Lopez, shooting at him once but not hitting him. Lopez then turned the gun on himself.

While the shooting is not be-

lieved to be an incident of radicalism or terrorism, there are many unanswered questions about the motive of the shooting. The shooter had no past disciplinary discretions with the Army in 15 years, but was being treated for anxiety and depression, and possible PTSD, and reported suffering a “traumatic head injury.”

Lopez had also suffered personal tragedies recently, including the death of his mother. He had trouble obtaining leave to attend her funeral in Puerto Rico, and once it was granted he was only given 24 hours leave. It is thought that this may have contributed to his disgruntled attitude towards the Army.

Repeat incidents such as these renews the battle on gun control. The shooter used a weapon that was not registered at the base. Congressional representatives and a few survivors of the 2009 shootings claim that Lopez could have been stopped more quickly if more soldiers at the base were allowed to carry guns. Even those who have concealed weapons permits aren’t necessarily allowed to carry their weapons on the base.

Essentially soldiers feel like they are sitting ducks in incidents such as this one because they are powerless against the shooter. Some lawmakers and soldiers think that allowing more soldiers to carry weapons will prevent future shootings, while some think that even stricter gun control on base is the only way to prevent tragedies.

June 4, 2014

News

John Kerry’s personal war in the Middle East

by Anna Primosch, Design Lead

To the dissatisfaction of many, Middle Eastern peace talks facilitated by Secretary of State John Kerry are waning. The New York Times reports that right now he is facing criticism for not being more efficient in the peacemaking processes between Israel and Palestine.

Although the United States is a formal ally of Israel, it is trying to act as an unbiased, third-party mediator trying to help Israel and Palestine sort out their differences. As a result, it is shouldering much of the blame for the waning peace negotiations between the two Middle Eastern nations.

Kerry inherited a wealth of foreign conflicts to deal with after his predecessor, Hillary Clinton, resigned from her position of Secretary of State in 2013 after one term with the Obama administration. The Chicago Tribune speculates that the several political action groups supporting Hillary long before she has announced a run on the Democratic ticket are a sure sign that she could indeed run for president in 2016.

The United States has been a longtime ally of Israel, even supporting the establishment of a Jewish nationstate before Israel was formally recognized by the United Nations in 1947, according to the U.S. Department of State. In its role as an Israeli ally, the U.S. has had to take its relationship with Israel into consideration whenever it negotiates foreign policy with other countries in the Middle East, recently Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, in addition to other nations.

The United States’ latest foray into Israeli foreign policy is to help settle an ongoing conflict between Israel, which was established as a Jewish nation, and the sovereign state of Palestine, which

is ethnically Arab and part of which technically exists within Israel’s borders. Both sides claim the city of Jerusalem for their own. According to PBS, the two countries have been warring over ethnic rights to the territory along the Mediterranean Sea for over a century, but the tension has recently heightened as terrorist groups on each side turn to violent tactics to get their message across to their opponents.

Peace talks currently being fostered by Kerry are focused on the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli authorities. This is a condition that has to be met before Palestine will be willing to engage in further discussion about peace. The New York Times, however, reports that internal issues within the Israeli government have led officials to shut down negotiations in their third week.

Damon Linker of The Week calls Kerry’s harried efforts a “frantic drive to settle the nearly seven-decade-long clash between the Israelis and the Palestinians.” He points out that Israel and Palestine have a long, complicated history of conflict with each other and a simple dusting of fairy dust from the United States will not lead to immediate peace. He argues that Kerry should lower his expectations for the negotiations.

Kerry acknowledges that he has a difficult road ahead of him should the U.S. proceed with negotiations.

In his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (of which he was chair during his time as a Senator), he said “Poof. We find ourselves where we are.” Until Kerry can mediate a solution between the two nations, Israel and Palestine will continue to be embroiled in conflict.

The Here & Now

3

Issue 4

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

The SAT has been a popular form of standarized testing for eighty-eight years, starting out as an aptitude test used in military training. In 2013, over 1,664,479 students took the SAT, according to the New York Times.

Look out, freshmen: substantial changes to come to the SAT

by Pamela Lawrence, Staff Writer

Over the years the SAT has changed greatly as well as the emphasis and pressure that is associated with such standardized testing. One of the newest of changes to the SAT will be in effect starting in 2016 and will greatly affect future test takers.

Some of the most majors changes will be the return to the 1600 scale, the development of an optional essay instead of one that is required, the absence of the more obscure vocabulary words and omitting the penalty for wrong answers.

Many sophomores and juniors who have already taken the SAT, such as Colin Barnes ‘16 and

Lizzie Young ‘16, are upset by this change for it doesn’t affect them.

Colin Barnes shared her feelings on the changes, specifically the removal of the essay, saying, “I don’t understand what they’re waiting for. Why don’t they just take the essay part out next year? Or they could have taken it out this year!”

The SAT has greatly changed over the years, implementing a generational gap. Many parents lived in a time when such tests were not nearly as emphasized and stressed over.

The SAT was originally created

by Carl Brigham in 1926. At its start the SAT questions were generally more simplistic and straightforward.

But over the years the questions in all sections have increased in difficulty and the test itself has greatly ex-

panded in relevance and importance.

Sagal Alisalad ‘15 commented on how older brother took the SAT back when it was a 1600 scale and looked at her practice tests and really took notice on how much harder the test itself has gotten.

Now, one of the major defining cornerstones of a high school student’s academic career is their test scores for it controls their entire future.

Ella Hartsoe ‘15 feels specific frustration with the test because “in some aspects you kind of buy your test score. The fact that you have to pay for incredibly expensive courses that really just teach you tricks not life application qualities, which just seems ridiculous to me because it is a four hour test test that determines your future in some aspects.”

Virgin Galactic offers a new opportunity for space travel

by Jennifer Flanagan, Managing Editor Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

The pangolin is a small mammal.

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Ugg is accused of animal cruelty.

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

The pangolin hangs on its tail.

Pangolins at risk of extinction

by Maddie Greene, Editor-In-Chief

When one imagines animal traffick-

ing, often an array of textbook images including lions, tigers, and elephants comes to mind. Wildlife traffickers, however, have an obscure prize that many Americans are not aware of. The pangolin, a mammal native to Africa, is the world’s most trafficked mammal. according to CNN, and without immediate attention and support, this precious species could go extinct.

According to TRAFFIC International, a global wildlife trade monitoring network, 10,000 pangolins are trafficked each year, compared to 1,000 rhinos and 200 tigers. Considering trafficking’s hidden nature and the media’s tendency to downplay such stories, the advocacy group Annamiticus estimates the reality to be 116,990 to 233,980 trafficked pangolins over a two-year period.

Each pangolin has an estimated value of $22.50 for a hunter, $265 to a high-level trader and $350 to a restaurant in Vietnam, according to TRAFFIC and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their scales are thought to have protective quali-

ties from evil, their meat is a delicacy in southeast Asian countries, and elements of the pangolin are even believed to have medicinal uses as well.

If nothing is done, activists argue the pangolin could go extinct.

At the rate of current education and activism, that possibility seems increasingly likely. As the most trafficked mammal in the world, how did this happen? As a species in danger of extinction, how are most Americans unaware of its existence?

The answer, as Living Green Magazine points out, is the 20 billion dollar industry that is wildlife trafficking. It is considered only the third largest illegal activity by the United Nations and rarely finds a spot as a front page story. Perpetrators often go unpunished due to the large and remote nature of their markets, out in the deserts and woods of Africa.

Dr. Laurel Neme, an expert in resource management and wildlife conservancy notes the critical component of money when it comes to illegal animal trade. “Ounce for ounce, products such as rhino horn and deer husk can be worth more

than gold or cocaine,” she says.

According to PETA, pangolins are not alone in being lesser-known animals vulnerable to trafficking.

Chinchillas, beavers, and even dogs and cats are trafficked all around the world for their valuable furs.

Ugg Australia, a popular footwear company among Stone Ridge girls, has recently faced allegations regarding its treatment of sheep in the cultivation of their furs. In a partnership with PETA, the Princeton Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) drafted a petition to the officials of Ugg Australia in an attempt to shed light on issues of animal cruelty in fashion.

PAWS President Jenny Palmer said, “We want people to realize that fur, whether it is fake or real, is just ugly, and there’s no reason to wear it at all.”

Whether or not the cruelty allegations against Ugg are true, many have found wisdom in ideas similar to Palmer’s.

Animal trafficking, though largely under the radar, has become an increasingly pervasive issue in modern fashion. Luckily, it is up to the informed consumer to determine whether or not its influence depletes entire species.

English billionaire Sir Richard Branson announced that the first Virgin Galactic flight into space will occur in late 2014.

The ambitious idea was inspired by a question asked over twenty-five years ago. Then-child Shihan Musafar asked Branson on the BBC Saturday morning show Going Live in 1988 “Have you ever thought about going into Space?”

The seemingly quixotic question transfixed Branson in 1988, and “over the next decade, [he] started travelling around the world meeting technicians and engineers to see if we could find a genius who could build a spaceship that could take you and me into space,” Branson explained on Jonathan Ross’ ITV chat show, A quarter century later, the company Virgin Galactic was born, as was the six passenger SpaceShipTwo that could soon begin commercial flights into space.

Branson is confident the inaugural flight will occur in 2014 because of the success of the many test flights of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo. At the beginning of the year, three rocket-powered supersonics were successfully launched and flown in the Mojave Desert, soaring to a record 21,600 metres on its most recent flight.

Virgin Galactic says the 10-minute test flight moves the company closer to its goal of flying paying passengers into space. The first passengers, however,

will be Branson and his own family.

“It’ll certainly be the most momentous moment of my life and my children’s lives,” Branson told CNN. “It’ll be very difficult to ever cap it I think. Anyone who has ever been into space says the same thing.”

Future would-be astronauts will have to pay upwards of $200,000 for a ticket on the two hour flight. Celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher, Brad Pitt and Angelia Jolie are reported to have already made down payments.

Branson told Guardian Weekend Magazine, “The biggest worry I had was re-entry. Nasa has lost about 3% of everyone who’s gone into space, and re-entry has been their biggest problem. For a government-owned company, you can just about get away with losing 3% of your clients.

For a private company you can’t really lose anybody. Nobody we met had anything but the conventional risky re-entry mechanism that Nasa had. We were waiting for someone to come up with one that was foolproof.”

TV station NBC has gained the rights to cover the inaugural flight.

“Without a doubt, Sir Richard and his children taking the first commercial flight into space will go down in history as one of the most memorable events on television,” NBC said in a statement to the newspaper.

Attempting to break world records is not a new feat for Branson, His company Virgin Galactic was founded in 2004.

Sports

4

June 4, 2014

The Here & Now

Issue 4

World Cup 2014: is it time for Brazil?

by Arianna Scott, Photo Editor

The Fédération Internationale de

Football Association (FIFA) as well as other nations are questioning Brazil’s capability as a host country of this summer’s twentieth World Cup. Suffering from major delays, will Brazil be adequately prepared to host by the tournament’s start date, June 12?

Said Jerome Valcke, FIFA secretary-general, at an African football conference in early April, “If you want me to summarize, we are not ready,” in regards to Brazil’s preparations.

According to BBC, the construction of two stadiums in Porto Alegre and in Sao Paolo have proved most protracted. There have been three construction deaths at the stadium in Sao Paolo, which only delays the building process. That stadium in Sao Paolo was supposed to host the inaugural match between Brazil and Croatia, but its deadline having passed in mid-April, there is no assurance that the inaugural stadium will be ready.

Host cities, such as Porto Alegre, are allegedly considering dropping out if additional funding is not found sometime soon. After all, an aspiring Brazil opted for twelve stadiums, though the nation only requires eight. Prior infrastructure propositions are being disowned, to lighten Brazil’s construction load.

Will the stadium construction pull through before June 12? If not, does Brazil have a plan B or last resort?

Apart from delays, the safety of Rio de Janeiro also poses an issue.

Brazilian police security forces are attempting to obliterate the city’s drug

gangs. Rio is indeed home to major drug-trafficking slums, which threaten the safety of the incoming influx of visitors. The nation is participating in a “pacification program,” launched in 2008, to improve Rio’s safety.

The police force has already confiscated “large quantities of drugs and weapons” hidden near the Olympic Village, which is in construction for the 2016 Olympic Games to take place there. Unlike Sochi’s terror threats, Rio poses crime threats to visitors.

On the bright side, the tourism that Brazil will receive from its millions of foreign visitors will most definitely help to balance the budget overspending on preparations.

Many of the low-class Brazilians are outraged that their government is spending these billions of dollars on building stadiums for world events like the World Cup and the Olympic Games, while such a large portion of their population remains living in destitute slums and poverty, according to Sporting News.

Neymar, FC Barcelona soccer star and, is feeling the intensifying pressure in these weeks leading up to the tournament. Brazilian soccer fans are truly relying on the 22-year-old Brazilian soccer prodigy to pull through. He will be playing all of his games at home, after all.

Brazilians really want this sixth World Cup title, especially on their home turf. Says Isabelle Kramer ‘15 of Brazilian heritage, “I think they’ll probably either win or be runner-up.”

Having received in total, approximately 3.5 million ticket requests, Brazil is really feeling the pressure.

Photo courtesy of Agencia Brazil. .

Photo courtesy of Jose Luis Pedroso.

Left: Joseph Blatter announces the location for the Cup. Right: Estádio do Morumbi in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Photo courtesy of Pedro Lopez.

Organizers at Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil look to host another packed crowd after almost 73,000 fans attended the 2000 FIFA Club World Cup World Championship between two Brazilian teams.

New Nats manager focuses on “every individual”

by Jennifer Flanagan, Managing Editor

It was a sad moment at Nationals Park the night of ex-manager Davey Johnson’s final game at the Washington National’s baseball team.

The Washington Post reporter Adam Kilgore describes Johnson’s greatest strength as “figuring out his own players, and how to draw the best out of them. His philosophy hinges on the player — extract the potential of every individual, and the whole will reach its full potential.”

Johnson’s self-described coaching philosophy supports Kilgore’s opinion. “To be able to coach, you have to know where a person is coming from.

What were the circumstances now and in the past that got them to this point in their life? It’s always a learning experience. That’s life. I guess I’ve always been curious, you know, about things.”

Matt Williams makes his major league manager debut as the new manager of the Washinton Nationals.

The baseball club signed the franchise’s greatest sucWilliams in late October cess, it’s entirely possible the of 2013 with a two-year Nationals might not take as contract that includes well to Williams, in which two team-option seasons. case it’d be easier for GM How each manager apMike Rizzo to cut ties with his proached the spring trainmanager than with his star.” ing display the differences Tensions between Wilin coaching philosophies liams and players have albetween Johnson and Wilready become public. Harper liams. Johnson, as reported was benched on the night

by James Wager, Johnson, of April 29 when Williams “believed in easing playpulled Bryce Harper to the Photo courtesy of Dru Bloomfield. ers into spring training, bench for “lack of hustle” The Nationals’ new manager, Matt Williams, being more lenient with after Harper began his repictured above with a player, was previously a veteran players, and hold- third base coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. turn to the dugout instead ing shorter workouts in of sprinting to first base afthe morning so that players could ter his hit was an obvious flyball. the reporter Wager that he already leave before lunch time to rest.” WilESPN’s Keith Law blames William’s had day one through twenty-five of liams, by contrast, wants his playfor Harper’s most recent injury, a torn camp mapped out in minute detail. ers to work hard during the trainthumb ligament, which has placed The team may have troubling adapting season and plans every minute.

Harper on the sidelines until July. ing to the stricter coaching style of Williams arrived in Viera, Florida, “Williams’ tirade on “lack of hustle,” Williams. Grantland’s Michael Bauthe sight of Spring Training for the directed at a player who is hustle incarman belives “after following the Nationals, nearly a week before the nate, was a low point for the Nationals more laid-back Davey Johnson to pitchers and catchers did and told this season, but Harper’s injury, which

came as he tried to stretch a double into a triple by — wait for it — hustling, is a new nadir. It’s bad enough that the inexperienced manager felt the need to heap dispraise on Harper in a public forum; it’s worse that those empty criticisms might in any way have led to Harper taking more of a risk than usual and tearing that thumb ligament.”

Reliever Craig Stammer believes William’s rigorous rules are a positive change for the Nationals. “Davey, one of his specialties was getting teams off to a good start,” reliever Craig Stammen said. “He had a track record of doing that. Last year, that kinda didn’t happen for some reason.

Maybe it is because we got a little too relaxed and we came into the season a little too loose. I don’t think Matt is gonna let that happen. He was a regimented player from what I know about him from when he played.

And I think that’s how he’s gonna manage also, which I’m okay with.”

petition to a culture of cut throat intensity? Is it our choice to play or do our parents force it upon us? Is the reason we play to get recruited? Or Is it to get a collegiate scholarship?

The NCSA reported that there are 7 million high school athletes currently playing sports. These athletes are all competing to play at the next level.

Only 2% of these athletes will receive a roster spot and have the opportunity to play in college, and 1% of the 7 million will receive a “full ride.”

Travel teams are now becoming more and more common for kids who are serious about their sport.

These teams are exclusive groups of athletes who all have the com-

but after that is over she starts up with her summer team. Her summer team plays outside on the street instead of inside in gyms. When asked why she plays on three teams she said, “I just love volleyball and can’t really imagine my life without it.”

But when the summer is over we will all reconvene in Good Hall and share our intense summers, some will share the endless memories about the tournaments and the recruiting trips they went on, and some will share fun memories of the beach and relaxing. But who knows, you might even have practice that night. The cycle never ends.

Summer break: hardly a break for high-level athletes

Photo courtesy of Lauren Jan.

Volleyball hosts open gyms over the summer, led by Lauren Jan ‘15.

by Isabella Richardson, Social Media Editor

Why has the culture of sports changed from a culture of fun com-

mon goal -- to win and to play at the next level. Starting as early as 8 or 9 girls and boys across the country are signed up to play at these elite levels.

An average family with a child on a travel team could spend anywhere from 2-6 nights a week driving to and from practice, weekends away at tournaments, and extraordinary amounts of money to be on these teams.

More locally, Stone Ridge girls such as Maddie Hartman ‘15, Lacey Foster ‘16, and Nicole Gainsford ‘17 all bel ng to one - two travel teams.

Maddie Hartman plays on two lacrosse teams. She plays Varsity for Stone Ridge and she plays “club” (also known as travel) lacrosse for

Rebels. From the months of September- November her club team plays in a fall ball league, From December- February Hartman plays “Winter Indoor” for Stone Ridge, from February-May her Varsity season takes place, and from MayAugust Summer Club takes place.

Lauren Jan ‘15 plays on three teams. The Stone Ridge Varsity team, her travel team, and her summer team.

This summer, her travel team will go to two camps one in July and one in August. The week before Stone Ridge tryouts she will be here running the open gyms for people thinking about trying out for the Volleyball team.

Her travel team’s season ends in May,

June 4, 2014

The guide to outdoor spring dining

Metro

The Here & Now

5

Issue 4

Beloved 47-year tradition ends

For a variety of reasons, the Stone Ridge Annual Book Sale hosted its final sale on the weekend of April 11, 2014.

by Nora Gosselin, Staff Writer

by Isabella Richardson, Social Media Editor

With the cherry blossoms in bloom and the weather changing people are eager to get out of their houses and hit the streets for a quick and delicious bite to eat. My top 5 places in the DMV to eat this spring are Jetties, Surfside, Dean and Deluca, Sweetgreen, and Pizzeria Paradiso.

Jetties, a gourmet sandwich shop that is owned by Bo Blair, is one of a kind. “The preppy, ocean-themed spot” is loved by many Stone Ridge girls. Jen Flanagan ‘14 said, “I love Jetties and the fun beachy atmosphere.”

What to order: The Nobadeer, The Tom Nevers, or The Surfside.

Surfside, another of Blair’s restaurants claims it “is a fresh breeze on the restaurant scene where you can get great grilled tacos, salads and entrees inspired by the beach cuisines of the world. Surfside is all about laid-back, simple preparations with grilled steak, fish, shrimp and chicken with a wide array of fresh vegetables served on a colorful plate in a bright open space. Perfect for a quick bite or a gathering with friends -- great for families and kids.” It is always fun to eat your delicious tacos while people watching through the window.

What to order: The Mahi fish tacos, The Cabo San Lucas tacos, or the Nevis shrimp tacos.

Dean and Deluca opened its first doors in September of 1977 in SoHo, New York. The company website explains, “the concept behind the original store was designed to evoke a turn of the century food department. On display was a staggering variety of produce and foodstuffs, including many never previously sold in the United States.” It is always fun to walk around all the different food counters and browse the many delicious choices.

What to order: The sandwiches, soups, and salads are always good, but they have everything from bagels and lox to macaroons.

Sweetgreen, founded in 2007, has a passion for healthy salads, while upholding a standard of environmental sustainability. Everything at Sweetgreen can be composted and customers are encouraged to help make the world a better place. Sweetgreen’s motto is, “Your time is now. Work on a purpose and with purpose…

Leave a gentle footprint. Be a contribution today… Pursue your passions…Live the Sweetlife.” Even though the restaurant offers many different combinations, the layout enables you to make easy decisions.

What to order: Guacamole Greens, Classic Caesar, or the Kale Caesar.

Pizzeria Paradiso (also known as Pizza P’s) started in November of 1991. The owners “opened Pizzeria Paradiso so we could make the kind of pizza we longed for but couldn’t find in the DC area; the kind of pizza where the crust was the most important part.” Today, the Pizzeria is open in its three locations for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

What to order: the Siciliana Pizza, the Margherita Pizza, or the Genovese Pizza.

Whether you are looking for a quality quick bite on the run, or want to sit down and enjoy your meal with family and friends all these restaurants pride themselves on quality products, enjoyable ambiance, and value for your dollar. In a town where restaurants seem to come and go, these tried and true staples are here to stay.

Ever since its inception in 1967, the Book Sale has been considered a Stone Ridge tradition, loved by students, parents, volunteers and of course, the floods of dealers and book lovers that stream through the auditoriums each year. Boasting what volunteers describe as “miles” of books, the sale is believed to be one of the best on the East Coast.

Suddenly however, after 47 years, the sale has reached its end, shuffling its dedicated patrons out and closing its doors for the final time only weeks before.

Questions have surfaced over the logic behind such a decisive decision, many students feeling that not only is the event loved, but surely it must be profitable, given the attention and customers it garners. What then was the rationale? And how did the scores of avid supporters take the news as they attended the final sale?

The sale began as it always has, with a snaking line of expectant customers along the perimeter of the campus. This time however, these prospect shoppers did not enjoy the shade of well-known trees nor the comfort of a neat fence. Instead, many sat crosslegged on stumps, absentmindedly toying with sawdust from the construction as they rifled through small paperbacks and enjoyed the company of old friends, and fellow regulars. But while these friends had returned, impending change was palpable in the saturated air. And responses were mixed.

To some degree, these men all

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Flanagan

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Flanagan

Clockwise from top: book collectors meet outside of the main school entrance; In recent years, these book collectors have developed a new method of holding their place in line -- each person brings and arranges his or her own numbered box; The books are set up the week leading up to the sale.

Photo courtesy of Allie Rock

knew this was inevitable, as the nature of their entire industry has changed. Peter holds up a kindle, of which he himself is an owner, and concedes that far easier, far more portible than the hardbacks of old.

V i c t o r historically its one of the best sales in this area. It’s a very clean sale, well handled and the volunteers are dedicated, the display makes it easy to acsess the books. It’s stayed high level, the level maintained.

even the parking is well organized.

I’m a collector, a reader mostly One good change is that they don’t let people to group early P e t e r the biggest problem you have is some of the book sellers, some of the buyers. A few of them don’t know how to handle themselves. But for the most part these are people who love books, love to sell books, and love to collect.

My wife and I have always been book lovers and in 2003 she started her book

business. She had been a preschool teacher at Bethesda Country Day and then sort of discovered this world and saw how much a book could be worth and how much she loved them.

When we started she loved mysteries and I knew a lot about movies so we thought lets look for books that have been turned into films and then we started to find more and more of everything from signed books to history but we mostly stayed in fiction.

Cherry blossoms in full bloom

by Anna Primosch, Design Lead

Meander through Stone Ridge’s wooded campus and you will find that the street is coated with the fallen petals of the cherry blossom trees that Stone Ridge cherishes. Stone Ridge, however, is just one of the many places in the Washington, D.C. area that are home to the simple, elegant trees.

This year’s Cherry Blossom Festival marks the hundred-and-second anniversary of a longstanding tourist tradition of the Washington, D.C. area. The Festival estimates that 1.5 million tourists flock to the Tidal Basin each year to see the cherry blossom trees that mark the alliance between the United States and Japan.

According to the National Park Service, it took twenty-seven years of planning for the cherry blossoms to be planted along the Potomac River. In 1885, after visiting the cherry blossoms of Japan, travelling socialite Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore suggested the District plant cherry blossom trees of its own along the Potomac Waterfront.

By 1910, Mrs. Scidmore had become the first female trustee of the National Geographic Society, and her proposal had earned the attention of First Lady Helen Taft. The 2,000 cherry blossom trees to initially arrive from the City of Tokyo, Japan, as a gift to the State Department, were found to be infested with bugs, however. The trees were burned, and it was not until 1912 that

Photo courtesy of Sofia Daboub

Kenwood is one of the best-known neighborhoods in the area for cherry blossom viewing. Residents host thousands of visitors each year.

Photo courtesy of Isa Corcoran

Spring is a great time to take beautiful pictures of the cherry blossoms.

3,020 new, healthy trees arrived and began to be planted in their place. In 1934, the District of Columbia Commissioners held a three-day celebration in honor of the cherry blossoms’ spring bloom, and according to the National Park Service, what came to be known as “The Cherry Blossom Festival” has occurred annually ever since.

Even while the United States fought Japan in World War II and placed Japanese-Americans in internment camps from 1941 to 1945, the trees and their festival remained intact for the duration of the war, with the exception of four trees that were chopped down in an act of anonymous vandalism three days after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.

To discourage tourists from associat-

ing the trees with the enemy, the cherry blossoms were vaguely referred to as “Oriental” and not Japanese.

Trees that bloom similarly to the cherry blossoms are not an uncommon sighting throughout the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area; even Stone Ridge calls itself home to cherry blossoms. Stone Ridge’s cherry blossoms are unique. Empress Michiko Shoda of Japan donated the cherry blossoms to Stone Ridge when she visited campus. The Empress is a triple alumna of the Sacred Heart, having attended “Seishin” (Sacred Heart) Junior High and High Schools and graduating as the valedictorian of Tokyo’s University of the Sacred Heart in 1957.

6

Arts & Entertainment

Snapchat to the front page: celebrity nudes June 4, 2014

By Arianna Scott, Photo Editor

“It’s a Hollywood tale as old as time: nude photos almost always get out” according to Hollywood Life. Nude photos, particularly among celebrities, are becoming increasingly common and are seen as

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

less of a big deal to the American population. According to Psychology Today, one in five teenagers has participated in the act of sexting, or sending someone sexually explicit photographs or messages via social media.

Many of those people who don’t see sexting as a big deal are not aware of the repercussions of sexting. Sexting has become a prevalent issue amongst teens and celebrities, especially. Ac-

The Here & Now

cording to the New York Village Voice, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy conducted a survey showing that approximately 20% of teens had participated in some form or other of sexting.

Once a photo is on the web at all, there is no guaranteeing who is seeing it: it is accessible to everyone. If you put a photo on the Internet and delete it, the photo has never really disappeared for good. Oftentimes, the photo comes right back around sooner or later.

Sophos’ Naked Security spills the truth about a common iPhone app used for sexting, Snapchat. Sophos’ Naked Security, according to their web site is

research on computer security issues and the latest internet threats.” Ac-

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

your own, keep in mind that nothing is completely private on Snapchat.

Miley Cyrus, accused in the past of sexting, was brought much attention because of her nude music video of Wrecking Ball. She really showed off her vocal range in the song, yet received little attention for them in comparison to her nakedness.

Demi Lovato, along with a trail of other issues, has been accused of sexting as well. A number of suggestive photos of her in a bathtub and lying topless have been uploaded on the Internet. She has also allegedly taken nude photos with her boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama.

Fullly nude photos were posted

an “award-winning threat news room, giving you news, opinion, advice, and

cording to Sophos’ Naked Security, Snapchat really doesn’t erase the snapshots you take and send to your contacts. The receiver of your snapshots could potentially take a screenshot of one of your snapshots and have that screenshot saved to their phone and be in control of it.

According to Sophos, when you take a snapshot on Snapchat, “It’s stored on Snapchat’s servers, where it will probably be deleted once it’s been delivered, but not in every case.”

So, unless you want your snapchat hanging around somewhere forever, don’t send it on the app. Whatever you choose to take pictures of on

Mindy Kaling’s first book is the natural next step in her quest to make a name for herself as a comedic powerhouse. Reminiscent of of an autobiography mingled with anecdotes, Kaling will not disappoint those who have come to know her as Kelly Kapoor (The Office) and Mindy Lahiri (The Mindy Project).

Kaling’s book takes the reader

through her life as a chubby, awkward child, a Dartmouth student, and as an emerging comedic writer struggling to be taken seriously. Expect there to be much self-deprecating humor along the way, as Kaling almost highlights more of her failures than her successes.

While Kaling takes us on her journey from becoming a struggling writer starring in her own two man

play, to starring in her own show, she digresses many times with her own random hilarious thoughts, including her bullet-proof way to make a clean exit from a party, and the glamorous funeral she is planning for herself.

Kaling’s novel, with its quick wit and comedic life lessons, definitely earns a spot in your carry-on bag this summer.

With a movie version slated to be released in early June and considerable media attention, the Fault in Our Stars is a timely book to pick up. John Green continues to delight fans with the story of a budding romance between two cancer patients.

The most profound aspect of this book is the range of emotions it makes its reader feel. You can go from ela-

tion, to anger, to tears, all in the span of a few pages. This is Green’s best talent. he is not content to placate his audience, he wants to test their emotional limits and bounds with the depth of character and plot that he concocts.

This particular Green novel deserves a read because of the numerous teen romance cliches it manages to avoid. While the book is not too

long and is a relatively easy read, Green manages to fill the pages with profound thoughts and life advice that does not come off as preachy.

As the plot twists and turns and thickens, the reader is able to build “their own infinity” with the book and enjoy the experience (maybe even two times) in their own individual way.

Eleanor and Park is not your typical teenage romance novel. I actually would recommend you read this book if you are are losing your faith in the genre as a whole.

Rowell takes you through the school year of two 16 year-olds who could not be any more different. Eleanor is awkward and bull-headed, while Park would rather blend into

the background. However, once these teens end up having to share a bus seat everyday on the way to school, they gradually build a friendship through comic books they pass back and forth, almost speaking an unwritten language.

Rowell writes so realistically that you can feel the jolting of the bus and the painfully awkward silences as Eleanor and Park begin to forge a

friendship. This friendship transforms into an inseparable bond that not only spans classes and bus rides to school, but touches all aspects of their personal and home lives. This friendship gradually builds into a relationship so genuine and awkward, it manages to restore your faith in humanity and in the romance genre all in one fell swoop.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

on Twitter of Dylan Sprouse, who played Zack

Issue 4

on Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zak and Cody, by a girl who he had sexted before. Afterwards, Dylan Sprouse tweeted: “I messed up…

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

but I’d be a fool not to own up to it.

Got to move past it I suppose.”

Other celebrities are Rihanna, who has taken nude photos with her ex boyfriend Chris Brown, and Josh Hutcherson, who allegedly sent nude photos to ladies on an unnamed dating site, according to Life of the Rich and Famous.

Stone Ridge, however, encourages students to make smart decisions regarding this pertinent topic, especially among teens.

Beach reads: three picks that can’t be missed

By Madi Kaiser, Copy Editor

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

The Duggars: from childhood to courtship

By Sofia Daboub, Staff Writer

And the Duggars have done it again.

They’ve caught the world’s attention with their lives, but this season, they’re focusing on courting and relationships. “19 Kids and Counting” returned to the air on April 8th and highlighted these conservative Christian parent’s dating rituals for their kids.

To some it may seem ridiculous, but to them this type of courting is completely normal. It entails talking and going out only with supervision. They may not hold hands, kiss, or hug (only side hugs are allowed).

According to Today.com, there are 7 Duggar courtship rules: 1: “Courting is not dating; it’s ‘dating with a purpose.’” Dating many times doesn’t have a clear goal. Courting, on the other hand, has a clear goal of finding if you are compatible with the other person and finding the person that God has sent you.

2: A chaperone must always be present. The girls are committed to always be accompanied by

someone else, usually another sibling or one of the parents. Skype “dates” are also chaperoned.

3: Brothers know best. All of the Duggar boys have chaperoned Jessa and Ben at some point and can provide insight on how he treats both her and the parents and the respect he shows.

4: When texting, only group chats, which include the parents, are allowed. When Ben asked permission to text Jessa, the parents agreed, but only if they were both included in each text. Though they barely actually chime into their conversations, it’s interesting for them to see what Jessa and Ben talk about, from scripture to their views on parenting.

5: Side hugs, but no kisses or handholding. The daughters and beaus are allowed to set their own boundaries when it comes to physical touch.

Ben and Jessa have decided to hug only when greeting each other and when posing for pictures, but are saving their first kiss until marriage and handholding until they’re engaged.

6: Beaus must go through dad before starting a courtship with one

of the Duggar girls. The girls really trust their dad’s opinion and never even consider a courtship before consulting him. Every week, Jim Bob receives several calls and emails from men who are interested in courting his daughters. When he shows the requests to his daughters, they always ask him his opinion.

7: “You can’t fail at courtship.” The whole point of courting is to find someone you’re compatible with. If you don’t find that person, then you simply move on.

While Jill Duggar is currently working on wedding plans, Jessa is still enjoying her courtship with Ben. Tune in on Tuesdays to find out where these relationships will lead and what new courtships are blossoming in the Duggar family.

While Jill Duggar is currently working on wedding plans, Jessa is still enjoying her courtship with Ben. Tune in on Tuesdays to find out where these relationships will lead and what new courtships are blossoming in the Duggar family.

Jessa and Ben

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

• The couple met at church and then started dating. Ben owns a windshield repair shop and works at a country club.

Jill and Derick

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

• The two were introduced by Jill’s father while Derick was doing humanitarian work in Nepal. They are recently engaged.

Arts & Entertainment 7

June 4, 2014

The Here & Now

Issue 4

2014, the year of the selfie #SRSelfie

Photos collected via Twitter #SRSelfie.

by Maddie Birch, Staff Writer

Since the advent of the smartphone,

a blossoming culture has emerged. It is a cultural phenomenon that has swept up the world’s youngest generation with a simple tap of the finger. The “selfie,” a word officially added to the Oxford Online English Dictionary in August 2013, is a phenomenon unlike any the world has ever seen.

The ability to take “a photograph of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website,” has redefined social media, the internet, and an entire generation. With over 35 million selfies with the hashtag #selfie in circulation between Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook combined, according to Media Bistro, the question remains: is the selfie movement one of self-expression or self-obsession?

The concept of the selfie originated in the early 2000s, when MySpace reigned as the dominant social media platform. Often taken at a downward angle with a digital camera and in front of a mirror, MySpace selfies took over the Internet until about 2006, the year Facebook took its place as king of the social media world in the years following.

Contrary to popular belief, the term “selfie” was coined in Australia around 2002 when a teenager used the word to describe a self portrait he had taken for his blog. According to The Guardian, once the term was first used, it exploded all over the country. Since then, selfies have become a predomi-

nant aspect of Australian culture, as the nation boasts the highest number of selfies per person in the world. Australia’s prolific selfie culture has certainly influenced the rest of the world, especially here in the Western Hemisphere.

After a short lull in “selfie” taking, the development of the iPhone 4 in 2012 instigated a new selfie culture with its front facing camera that prompted the release of both Instagram in 2010 and Snapchat in 2011, two social media platforms that have taken selfie taking to new heights.

All iPhone models subsequently released have enhanced the device’s photography features to (further encourage selfie culture- wording?)

The year 2013 was indeed the “year of the selfie,” as a record number of selfies (get exact number) were posted for the entire world to see. Notable selfie takers within the last 12 months include Barack Obama, Pope Francis, astronaut Aki Hoshide, and Ellen DeGeneres and fellow Academy Awards attendees, to name a few globally known figures that have engaged in the selfie revolution and embraced the publicity and power selfies have over the pop culture and youth of today.

It is clear that the selfie has become an integral part of both American youth culture and cultures of young people everywhere. A study

by Samsung revealed that selfies make up over 30% of photos taken and posted by social media users between the ages of 15 and 24.

According to TeenVogue, the most common selfie is not only attractive, but also strategically angled in order to maximize likes received and, subsequently, confidence gained. SelfieCity, a selfie analysis campaign, has gathered a multitude of data regarding selfies based on regional trends. According to their research, the average selfie is taken at an angle of 12.3 degrees in front of the face.

SelfieCity’s findings show that, of the world’s major metropolises, women on average take nearly 2 times the number of selfies that men take, the cities of Bangkok and Sao Paulo display the happiest disposition among selfies taken. Moscow’s selfies, on the other hand, display a more miserable look. The site’s gatherings show But have selfies in fact become an integral part of our generation’s self esteem, identity, and disposition as a whole? Though the pleasure of receiving online praise for a selfie picture is indeed short-lived, these mini boosts of confidence fuel a constant, prolific stream of posts that have transformed the mindsets of the millennial generation into ones of pure narcissism and near self-obsession.

Science has pointed out the psychology behind selfie taking; neuroscientist James Kilner of the University College of London demonstrated that when shown different versions of themselves, subjects chose the more attractive photo as their actual likeness. In short, we tend to think we are younger-looking and more attractive than we actually are. One could argue, then, that selfies nurture an overconfident view of ourselves and foster an unrealistic, superficial identity solely based on image.

This arguably presents dangers to our overall psychological well-being, warping our perception of ourselves and threatening the stability of our self-esteem and sense of self-worth.

Danny Bowman, a selfie-obsessed 19 year old from Newcastle, UK, is a prime example of the mentally damaging effects selfies can have on the teenage psyche: “I was constantly in search of taking the perfect selfie and when I realized I couldn’t, I wanted to die. I lost my friends, my education, my health, and almost my life,” the teen explains.

While selfies have proven to be quite the source of entertainment and time consumption, a sense of overwhelming narcissism permeates throughout this ever-expanding selfie culture. As New York public relations

and pop culture writer Mario Almonte observes, “We are living in a culture of people who are very much involved in themselves and becoming a culture of self indulgence….when they turn that camera on themselves they believe they are so important tna so interesting.” The sheer volume of selfies posted just goes to show the obsession and near addiction that young people have developed on documenting themselves everywhere they go.

To give some celebrity perspective: reality star Kendall Jenner has posted nearly 500 selfies on Instagram, giving her the highest selfie count of any celebrity. She is just one of the millions of teenagers that make selfies a daily habit. Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook users alike share the “but first, let me take a selfie” mentality, as The Chainsmokers’ new hit song entitled “#Selfie” captures so perfectly.

We are living in an incredible age of individuality, of freedom of expression, of celebrating the beauty within each person and expressing that beauty in an infinite variety of forms. Selfies indeed contribute to this culture of self-expression and showing pride in one’s inner beauty. However, it is worth looking deeper into the psychology behind selfie culture, and asking ourselves if our true selfworth and inner confidence indeed derives from simply receiving likes on a picture. Is our image of ourselves only as substantial as a 10-second snapchat? Does our sense of who we are hide behind an Instagram post?

The world’s obsession with TLC & its quirkiness

by Arianna Scott, Photo Editor

TLC, abbreviated for The Learning Channel, airs the quirky television shows that attract buzz. As is clear from TLC’s ratings, the world loves watching the lives of the Duggars, the Kleins, the Georgetown Cupcake sisters, Amish people, and America’s hoarders via television.

19 Kids and Counting recounts the lives of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar with their nineteen children together-nine girls, ten boys, and two sets of twins--all names beginning with the letter “J.” Michelle has given birth approximately every year and a half.

The Duggar family’s life has been televised since 2008. The family drama of twenty-one people of all ages is not aired on a typical TV show.

Furthermore, the Duggars, as Fundamental Independent Baptists, live an extremely modest lifestyle, with censored media, clothing, and chaperoned courting (their restricted and limited form of dating). In order to attend to all the individual needs of each of their children, the Duggars follow a buddy system, where an older sibling is assigned to a younger child’s care.

A fan of the Duggars’ show, Faith Palmer, ‘16, thinks “they’re super funky. I really like the old fashioned courtships. I think it’s so weird, but I love it. It’s just interest-

Photo courtesy of Amisok Los Angelesben.

In the second season of Breaking Amish, a new group of Amish say goodbye to the old traditions & hello to new.

ing; I guess all weird things are.”

According to TIME, some are concerned as to 45-year-old Michelle’s health status; after suffering from the miscarriage of her would-be twentieth child, she told Ann Curry on Today she would do it again. The Duggars believe “every child is a blessing from the Lord,” and wish to continue having children, hence the name of their TLC television show: “19 Kids and Counting.”

Bill Klein and Jennifer Arnold have dwarfism and are featured on TLC’s The Little Couple. The show features the ups and downs of their marriage,

the process of having a child, and coping with cancer. Klein explains on her show that being below four feet can prove difficult at times, because to some people, height does indeed matter.

Klein also explained to CNN how bullying has affected him personally: “bruises and intimidation” as well as the consequences of “lack of self-worth, the encumbrance of making a living or achieving career goals, socializing and feeling like you just don’t belong” are some of the repercussions he faced in his youth and that so many others continue to face today.

TLC even features a show

based on the daily trivial problems that a business like Georgetown Cupcake faces. DC Cupcakes follows the work lives of Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis as they run Georgetown Cupcake. Georgetown Cupcake has its original store in downtown Georgetown, but has a second nearer location close to home in Bethesda Row. Breaking Amish is one of the shows that first comes to mind for Stone Ridge students in terms of TLC television shows. The show revolves around five Anabaptist (four Amish and one Mennonite) who emigrated to New York City in order to decide whether,

after experiencing everyday human life in the “big apple,” they wish to return to their Amish communities or break free. If they leave their communities, they risk estrangement and ostracism from their family, friends, and the world in which they were raised.

According to Kelsey Brigati, ‘16, “The show is so unrealistic. I go to camp in Amish country, Lancaster.

It’s extremely different. Amish people don’t isolate themselves. They obviously work at the Amish market, but they also go into town and interact. Some even use electricity.”

TLC even documents the lives of America’s hoarders in Hoarding: Buried Alive and the help that they receive through the television show. Hoarding is a prevalent issue, particularly in the United States. The show also interviews family members to display the effects of hoarding on not only the hoarders but on the lives of their family members, who in addition have to manage the effects of the disease.

The name claims to be a sort of informative reality TV. TLC essentially recounts the lives of America’s minorities: from Fundamental Independent Baptists, to those living with dwarfism, to the Amish, and even to hoarders, TLC covers it all via video footage aired on television.

8

Student Interest

June 4, 2014

The Here & Now

Prom dresses across the Network

gowns, often trailing to the floor and accompanied by stiletto pumps.

Sacred Heart Prom-goers in the On April 11, 2014, juniors and South approach their outfits a little seniors celebrated the annual Stone differently. Dresses run the gamut in Ridge Prom. All fashion styles were terms of styles and patterns; however, present both on the dance floor and in what really defines the Southern Prom the beautiful pictures taken before the is the dress change from the dance to event. As the theme of this year’s Prom the afwas “The t e r G r e a t Prom G a t s b y, ” “breakseveral fast.” students In placsported a es such glamoras Hatous, roartiesing twenburg, ties look.

M S , McKenzie girls go Barnes’ 15 all out ensemble for the comes to Prom mind when itself, reflectsporting on the i n g thematic gowns elements v e r y that Stone simiRidge girls lar to chose to those incorporate of the into their E a s t Prom attire Coast. this year.

After Trends Prom, in prom girls dresses change vary reout of g i o n their Photos courtesy of Anna Primosch. ally. These trends origi- Above: A map of the U.S. Below: Students from Boston’s Sacred Heart School pose for Prom dance attire nate from pictures. a n d the culture, history, and population of each in this area often go casual to Prom. into a casual, Sunday-best style dress part of the country. The Sacred Heart Simple elegance seems to be the key for the after-Prom “breakfast,” an afnetwork expands across the nation here in Maryland; not too busy de- ter party that goes until sunrise. Breakand is represented in every region of signs or patterns yet tasteful in form. fast is served at the break of dawn.

In Northeastern regions of the UnitOur sisters from the West Coast, the U.S. Prom season in the Sacred Heart community illustrates the geo- ed States, prom is a showy, glamorous particularly in California, tend graphic trends among prom dress ordeal for our Sacred Heart sisters. to host casual Proms. Girls tend trends all over the United States. Young women, especially in states like to display a sporty, beachy look, As mentioned above, members of New Jersey and New York, can can be sporting shorter, thinner dressthe Sacred Heart community living in seen decked out in rhinestone adorned es that give off summer vibes.

by Maddie Birch, Web Editor

the DC area and the surrounding MidAtlantic region exhibit a wide variety of prom dress styles. It is difficult to pinpoint what exactly comprises the Mid-Atlantic style; perhaps a lack of strict dress type is the style itself. With the exception of girls attending costume themed dances, young women

The sudden end to consortiums

by Pamela Lawrence, Staff Writer

A

new school year usually comes with its fair share of changes to classes and schedules. One particular change that has captured the attention of many students is the news that this year is the conclusion of consortiums. Beginning next year Stone Ridge will no longer offer consortiums for any class.

Consortiums have been an option at Stone Ridge for a long time.

They initially started providing students with the option of a consortium class because “they allow students to take classes outside of their home school, especially classes such as Honors Multivariable Calculus which schools could not assign a full period to because there was such a small group of people taking the class.”

Mr. McCluskey then continued to explain that the reason there will be no consortiums next year is because “these courses became more popular and more accessible and budgets and the schools expanded they could offer these classes on sight and so there was really no need for a consortium since most of the schools were doing those classes in house anyway.”

Many students that have taken a consortium have strong opinions on the topic of consortiums. Cate Calogero ‘14 shared her experience with her consortium, multivariable calculus, saying that “it was a good way to learn outside of class and I like that I had a free period so I am kind of upset that they are not going

Photos courtesy of Arianna Scott.

The graphic shows that 46% are indifferent to consortiums being canceled for next year, and 30% are very disappointed.

to offer that for incoming seniors because I think it is a really good way to reduce stress in your schedule.”

Other students, especially incoming seniors and juniors, have strong views on the subject for such a change very directly affects them and their class schedule and experience.

Suzanne Antoniou ‘15 and Delia Friel ‘15 both desire to take Multivariable

Calculus as Seniors. The class itself is only offered as a consortium, bringing worry to the two sophomores that now feel stressed and disappointed because they might have to take the class online.

Friel expressed her worries with an online class saying, “I think the classroom setting of learning with peers is really important because I think it gives classes another dimension.”

Issue 4

Newest addition to many Third Academic jewelry boxes

by Maddie Birch, Web Editor

posals were amazing -- Lauren Jan

Ring Day is perhaps the most be- went all out!” observes one senior. loved Sacred Heart tradition among Here at Stone Ridge, there are strict 3rd and 4th academics at Stone Ridge. rules regarding promposals on campus The event this year took place on April during school hours. As a single-sex 11 and was an immense success. The institution, Stone Ridge holds the imoutfits were especially stunning, the portance of maintaining a safe sancturings were especially shiny and the ary for girls during school hours withsmiles on the faces of the students out any disruptions, especially from as they gave and received their class the opposite sex. However, Ring Sister rings were especially glowing, light- proposals excite a similar disruptive ing up every corner of Good Hall. atmosphere that promposals potenThe anticipation of Ring Day cre- tially have on students here. “I think ated a highly exciting atmosphere promposals and Ring Sister proposthroughout the halls of Stone Ridge als have the same effect,” says Emily in the days leading up to the event, Joyce ‘14. “Both gestures are equally prompting a series of Ring Sister pro- disruptive of our daily routine. The posals, a newly developed tradition only difference is that promposals inwithin the Upper School community. volve boys.”

The If the concept of premise of Ring Sister the strict proposals prohibition stems from of promposa similarly als is strictly new generabased on tional trend the disrupthat has surtion of the faced within school day, the last five this begs the years or so: question of “promposwhether or als,” or prom not Ring Sisproposals. ter proposOur parals have the ents’ generasame effect. tion, noting Students the clever, had the elaborate napleasure of ture of these welcoming gestures, a number Photo courtesy of Meghan Zorc. often likens of guests p r o m p o s - Above: Meghan Zorc ‘15 and ring sister Lindto the cersay Bratun ‘14 show off class rings. Below: als tongueThird Academic classmates Chessie Dahut, Zoe emony itself, in-cheek to Malhotra, and Maddie Kane do the same. including marriage Mrs. Fries, proposals.

Ms. Flood, Promposals Mrs. Mohave taken rin, Michael hold across Ann Cullen, the nation director of within the alumni relalast five tions, Ms. years, the Zindulis, a craze conchild of the sisting of Sacred Heart teenagers herself, Ms. asking their Gonzales, desired date

to Junior or the school’s Senior Prom campus minin a creative, ister, and thought-out Ms. Key. But way, often inthere was volving careone guest ful planning that was Photo courtesy of Maddie Kane. and extraneentirely unous help from friends and relatives. expected: Mrs. Karrels.

Ring Sister proposals operate in It had been long understood that a similar manner. This year at Stone Mrs. Karrels had planned on missRidge, proposals were especially elab- ing Ring Day to attend a conference orate. Zoe Malhotra ‘15 and Emily for Sacred Heart heads of school on Maxwell ‘15 “proposed” to their ring the day of Ring Day and Prom. Howsister, Shannon Lydon ‘14, by way of ever, due to the status of the final anan assembly announcement; Ella Hart- nual book sale, she decided to stay soe ‘15 posted, “Rachel, will you be and attend Prom, oversee the book my ring sister?” in latin on the senior sale proceedings, and of course, Ring lockers; Lauren Jan ‘15 surprised Bella Day. Seeing her was indeed a pleasVagnoni ‘14 by popping out of a deco- ant surprise for the upperclassmen. rated box. These are just a few of the This year, the Stone Ridge comseveral gestures performed by Stone munity had the pleasure of welcomRidge juniors asking members of the ing an alum to campus to deliver the senior class to be their ring sisters. annual alumna Ring Day address. She Ring Sister proposals are a school- impressed all of the students with an wide favorite time of year. Through- artfully crafted speech describing out the month of April, the halls of the meaning behind our class rings the school are abuzz with excite- and explaining the significance of ment, shrieks of joy and laughter, her Sacred Heart heritage in her life. and cell phones recording that speThe anticipation of Ring Day created cial moment between Sacred Heart a highly exciting atmosphere throughsisters. “Ring Sister proposals are out the halls of Stone Ridge, promptdefinitely some of the best moments ing a series of Ring Sister proposals. at Stone Ridge. This year the pro-

Student Interest

June 4, 2014

The Here & Now

9

Issue 4

Summer plans: students venture beyond the beach

by Arianna Scott, Photo Editor

During Stone Ridge’s three months away from campus, students are not sitting at home watching Netflix and delving into a carton of ice cream like they often do on the weekends. From NASA to the Vatican to Australia, Stone Ridge students have engaging summers ahead of them around the world.

Annie O’Connor ‘16 will be traveling with Lacey Foster ‘16 and Annelise Coffin ‘16 to Brisbane, Australia, to visit the exchange students who visited them here this winter.

Said O’Connor, “We’re leaving this coming July for three weeks.

We’ll be attending Stuartholme with them and possibly visiting Sydney.”

Delia Friel ‘16 and Liv Anderson ‘16 will be traveling to Colombia on June 1st for exchange. Flying via Avianca Airlines, Friel and Anderson will be staying in Colombia for three and a half weeks with the exchange students that came to visit them this past fall.

“The first two and a half weeks I’m there, I will be going to classes. They have about twenty-five kids in the grade, so they all go to every class together: kind of like what we did in elementary school,” said Friel. “On the weekends, I will be going to tour Bogotá. Sofia (my hostess) has a farmhouse in the countryside, so I will be going there for a few days. They have

a pool there and it’s really beautiful.”

Anderson will be spending time with Sofia, Friel’s exchange student, because her own is in the grade above.

“Not during school hours, I will be with Natalia at her house in the city of Bogotá. She hasn’t detailed all the plans yet, but I’m excited to see what’s in store.”

Katherine McClure ‘16 has an internship at the Vatican this summer for a week. “I will be going in August to shadow my aunt at Vatican Radio and probably doing paperwork. Hopefully I will be assisting with an interview, too.

Afterwards, I may possibly be holding a following internship at another small Italian boutique store there.”

A number of students will be interning at NIH this summer, including Aarthi Reddy ‘15. Reddy will be “putting data on computers. Since I’m not eighteen yet and the doctors there will be working with people’s hearts, I’ll be helping to record the data for them.”

Julia Tepper ‘15 is working with N.A.S.A. this upcoming summer.

Said Tepper about her internship at the N.A.S.A. Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, “I will be working under the supervision of a mentor there. As for what I’m doing individually, I’m going to be analyzing data from a satellite from Europa (one of Jupiter’s moons). Europa is actually covered in an icy crust. I will be helping N.A.S.A. to sort of try to get

an idea of what is under that layer of ice and if there’s any water. If so, we will be trying to discover whether or not that water is habitable for simple life organisms. I’m not looking for aliens or anything.” Tepper will be working with N.A.S.A. for six weeks.

Some Stone Ridge students, however, are participating in special programs here at Stone Ridge. Alice Felker ‘16 has stayed on campus as a camp counselor on Stone Ridge’s Summer Campus last year. “I was a counselor last year for the After Care Program,” says Felker, “working 3-6 p.m. It was one of the best experiences because you get to plan yourself what you do with the kids. Every Friday we had a mat fort competition in Gym 2, and I was the judge (playing the role of a different celebrity every week). I really got to structure the planning, even though it was my first year working there. This year, I’m incredibly excited because I get to work full day. I’m not sure where yet, but I can’t wait because the whole program is so great.”

Whether back on Stone Ridge’s campus or halfway around the world in Australia, summer is a time for students to become involved with something new, but also to relax and take a breather from the stress of academic school life. Take the time to kick back with a book and a cup of tea and also to discover something new!

Photo courtesy of Annie O’Connor.

Annie O’Connor, ‘16, and Lacey Foster, ‘16, welcome their Australian exchange students, Bridie and Harriet (above). Liv Anderson, ‘16, is with her Colombian exchange student, Natalia (below).

Photo courtesy of Liv Anderson.

Continuing SR traditions into college years: a guide for seniors

by Maddie Birch, Web Editor

Photo courtesy of Arianna Scott.

The 3D model of the incoming turf field is located in Hamilton House.

Gators go turf

by Madi Kaiser, Copy Editor

Stone

Ridge’s much anticipated turf field is the first of many construction projects to come. The field is part of the 15 year plan which is called to greatly enrich the school’s academic, athletic, and theatrical aspects.

Stone Ridge is installing a new turf field in the hopes that the athletic programs will continue on an upward trajectory. A turf field will allow the school to host games in case of rain, host schools in tournaments, and enhance the visibility of our overall athletic programs.

There will also be a turf field surrounding the stadium. This stadium will feature rows of bleachers, restrooms, and will eventually have mounted field lights.

How exactly is the turf field being constructed, and will it affect other teams and the upcoming fall season?

So far, the sports program that will be most affected is fall tennis. To make room for turf and a stadium, the current tennis courts are being torn up and will be relocated at a to be determined part of the school. For next year’s fall season, the tennis team will have to use Landon’s extra tennis courts for practices and games.

Stone Ridge will not only be affected during the school year, but also

during the summer. Stone Ridge’s summer camp will feel the ramifications of the construction. The summer camp will not be able to host its tennis clinics, which is one of its more popular camp activities. Whether this will affect enrollment is to be seen.

A point of contention for the future is what teams will get to use the turf field in season. In the fall season, both soccer and field hockey use an outdoor field, and in the spring season, lacrosse and softball take field space.

So far, the athletic office’s plan is for field hockey to use the turf field in the fall, and for lacrosse to use it in the spring. Soccer will continue to use the upper Bermuda grass field. As of now, the turf field is on track to be ready for next year’s lacrosse season!

A big concern with the large amounts of construction is the environmental impact. However, turf fields have no more of an environmental impact than natural grass fields, according to The University of Arizona. Natural grass requires more maintenance, fertilizer, pesticides, water, mowing, and paint. Turf fields, while more cost efficient, can lead to flooding because of their runoff capacity, loss of microbial activity, and increased heat retention, which impacts the environment and players using the field.

As the Stone Ridge seniors prepare to say goodbye to their high school lives and graduation approaches, the world of college becomes a growing reality for the class of 2014. As most college freshmen would not hesitate to say, college life is a huge change in environment and a dramatic transition from childhood to adulthood. With newfound freedom comes immense responsibility, a freedom and a burden that takes a few months, and maybe even the whole year, to adjust to.

The prospect of leaving home and essentially beginning a new life is indeed a daunting one. Having spent the entirety of their lives under the loving care of their parents and the tutelage of Stone Ridge faculty, some lifers say they are not yet ready to leave the place they have called home for the past 18 years.

Making the transition from high school to college is something all students must experience, regardless of their “lifer” status. However, as it is frequently said, once a child of the Sacred Heart, always a child of the Sacred Heart. No matter how long one has attended Stone Ridge, the Sacred Heart networks makes a lasting impression on its students, many of whose values will come into play later in college.

To the class of 2014: As you enter your collegiate lives as children of a Sacred Heart education, here are some tips as to how to utilize the values and information gained at Stone Ridge to make the best of your first year as a college freshman: 1. Remember all those late nights studying for APUSH and Calculus?

Well, be prepared to stay up even later.

Throughout your first few months as a freshman in college, you’ll find it rather difficult to strike a balance between studying and getting used to the college atmosphere. Between meeting new people, seeing the town, and exploring campus, studying might come

Photo courtesy of Adriana Hernandez-Palomino.

Students in the Class of 2014 attending Boston College and Boston University next year portray the rivalry between the two popular colleges.

second to the exciting new world of college for the first few months, which may lead to some late, late nights (perhaps all nighters). This phase will pass, but just know that Stone Ridge has prepared you well for handling a rigorous workload and a demanding social schedule. We’ve all juggled a sizeable workload with a hectic extracurricular agenda at some point during our high school experience, so you shouldn’t be too overwhelmed. Also, remember where the coffee shops are on campus…. that should be a huge help.

2. Remember conges? Well, get ready for a whole slew of surprises coming your way in college. Much like life, college is full of unexpected things. Be prepared to embrace the unknown and don’t be afraid to venture into uncharted territory. Being adventurous and taking on the curveballs college throws at you will help you better understand who you are and who you want to become in the future.

3. Remember gouter? Well, gouter isn’t just a special, occasional treat anymore. Gouter will be all around you now; dining halls aren’t exactly a nutritionist’s dream. You will be surrounded by gouter 24/7, with all the junk food we loved to indulge in periodically during birthdays and holidays and

advisory snacks at Stone Ridge. Don’t let the college gouter become your daily diet, or you may have to spend a few extra hours in the gym every day.

4. Remember mother-daughter liturgies and father-daughter field days? So do your parents. And they miss you more than you miss them.

Call them once in a while -- they love you and would be thrilled to hear from you more than once a semester.

5. Remember Goal V (personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom)? Use this value and cherish it.

With great freedom comes great responsibility, as mentioned above, and making good use of your free time is something that will take a few months to get the hang of. You won’t have as structured of a school day that you had here at Stone Ridge; classes will start later in the day, you won’t be coming home after school ends, and you won’t be participating in a scheduled sequence of activities day in and day out. This newfound freedom requires you to be proactive in how you use your time. Be constructive in your free time; read, meet new people, explore the town, go for a run, or write that paper that’s due tomorrow.

Sofia Daboub- University of Notre Dame Jennifer Flanagan- University of Notre Dame Mia Flood- University of Notre Dame Grace Hills- University of Notre Dame

Maddie Greene- Northwestern University

Gaby Corcoran- Dickinson College Laura Garcia- Villanova University Cate Poch- Villanova University Natalie Gosnell- Lafayette College Allie Ingram- University of Pittsburgh Adriana Hernandez PalominoPhiladelphia University Julia Leep-Lazar- Muhlenberg College Madeline Melch- Bucknell University Stephanie Rousey- Messiah College Anna Salmonsen- Gettysburg College Joslynn Watkins- Gettysburg College Raina Williams- Swarthmore College

Lily SanbornWashington University in St. Louis

West

WE MI

4%

Emily Joyce- Scripps College Lily Gasaway- UCLA

Dallas Charles- Arizona State University

Claire Whitnah- University of Denver

Rachel Bugge- Baylor University Chloe Canton- Southern Methodist University Bailey Johnston- Southern Methodist University Laura Keehan- Rice University

SR SENIORS S

Ana Spies- University of Michigan

Kayla Berry- Amherst College Mia Gancayco- Williams College Allie Delgado- Boston University Morgan Spellman- Boston University Alyssa Granger- Boston College Shannon Lydon- Boston College Jamie Myrose- Boston College Margaret Williams- Boston College Francesca Obordo- Northeastern University

Wunmi Duyile- University of Connecticut Anna Blockowicz- Salve Regina University

Vicky Gomes-Boronat- University of Delaware

EST ID-

9%

South 25%

t s a

t e s th ea

r o rth N 62% o N

SPREAD OUT

Rahel Allelign- University of Maryland Baltimore County Rebecca Camacho- Johns Hopkins University Tylar Clark- University of Maryland, College Park Janie Davidson- Montgomery College Chelsea Iloanya- University of Maryland, College Park Sofia Marmolejos- University of Maryland, College Park Bella Vagnoni- St. Mary’s College of Maryland Andrea Valencia- University of Maryland, College Park Mariah Edelin- Morgan State University Chioma Ukaegbu- Mount Saint Mary’s University

Cate Calogero- Georgetown University Joyce Connolly- Georgetown University Anna Primosch- Georgetown University Maddie Westrick- Georgetown University Katherine Kelly- Georgetown University Ellie Blakeslee- The Catholic University of America Cathaleen Grimann- George Washington University Sophia May- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Lauren DeVol- Virginia Tech Natalie Tobias- Virginia Tech Madi Kaiser- University of Virginia Charlotte Gosnell- Duke University Allison Long- Elon University Lindsay Bratun- University of South Carolina Haley Mulera- University of South Carolina Natasha Armstrong- Emory University Allie Rock- Mercer University Isa Corcoran- Stetson University

Maddie Birch- Tulane University Jessie Myrose- Tulane University Nora Brown- Loyola University New Orleans Kayla Mims- Loyola University New Orleans

Jessica Belledonne- Fordham University Hailey Shull- Fordham University Madi Taylor- Saint Joseph’s University

GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK

Maddie Greene served as our outstanding editor-in-chief this year. She spent countless hours proofreading articles and helping us figure out how to work the chaos of Indesign.

Maddie always jumped right into her work, leading us in brainstorming sessions and keeping us on track. We will truly miss her next year but we know we’ll see her in the news someday, making it and covering it. Northwestern University is in for a treat! Chicago: here comes Maddie Greene!

Anna served as a principal contributor to The Here and Now’s news. She always had witty, intelligent comments and remarks regarding what’s going on in the world that surrounds us. Her toil to co-design a world news spread in Issue 3 with Editor-in-Chief Maddie Greene proved superb. Anna’s quickwitted personality and interminable Frozen references will be missed by The Here and Now. Although we will miss her dearly, we know that she will contribute greatly to the Georgetown University paper.

Madi Kaiser always contributed to brainstorming sessions, spent hours working on articles and was always there to help the younger members of the class.

She was very approachable and never hesitated to give constructive advice that made every article better. Being in charge of the Arts & Entertainment section of the paper, she always made it very exciting to open up to pages 7&8.

We will miss her and her seltzer next year but know she will take UVA by storm. WAHOOWA!

Jennifer Flanagan served as a wonderful team leader and writer this last year. She was never afraid to tackle bigger news stories such as the controversy behind the Olympics but also took time to focus in on original, local features, like her (extremely passionate) snowy owl article. Jen was always smiling and her brilliance was shone through especially during brainstorming and peer-editing. Notre Dame is lucky to be getting such a wonderful journalist and leader.

Maddie Birch, although new this year to Journalism, easily became a leader in the class and a star writer, known for her insights in the student interest section and her twist on worldwide news stories.

Not only did Maddie have great ideas for brainstorming about how to make large stories accessible, but she dedicated herself to hyper local features such as her traffic cop article.

Maddie was always energized and ready for whatever came her way, like a true journalist.

Sofia always came to class with a bubbly mood and a big smile across her face. She never failed to bare down and focus on serious issues in class, but always saw the positive side of all situations.

Her renowned restaurant reviews on the best local spots have given readers a true culinary opinion and insight. Sofia’s lively personality, work ethic, and honest writing will be dearly missed by The Here and Now. We know she will have such a good time at Notre Dame.

Journalism simply would not be the same without Mr. Sands. He went beyond standard teaching and posed probing questions that forced us to really consider our language and our layouts. Sometimes these questions simply amounted to “figure it out yourself,” which, although slightly infuriating, actually did make us search for an answer

ourselves. From making predictions about World War Three, to blaring Queen on deadline, to pushing us to move beyond standard news and find real stories, Mr. Sands served as a mentor, but also as a friend. He taught us that in a changing world, and a changing industry, it is imperative to find a voice and use it. He taught us how

to figure stuff out and to listen carefully for the news breaking all around us, all the time.

The Journalism class

will miss him next year but wishes him the best of luck in Chicago, with all the wonderful news stories he’ll find there.

The Here & Now Staff Maddie Greene- Editor-in-Chief Madi Kaiser - Copy Editor Jennifer Flanagan - Managing Editor Anna Primosch - Lead Designer Maddie Birch - Wed Editor

Follow The Here and Now on Twitter! @SRHereAndNow

Arianna Scott - Photo Editor Isabella Richardson - Social Media Editor Pamela Lawrence- Staff Writer Sofia Daboub - Staff Writer Nora Gosselin - Staff Writer

Visit The Here and Now Online! http://www.srhereandnow.com/