Valentina Gomez Portfolio 2016 by Jessica Samons

Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor

Portfolio

3087 Hamblin Way

Wellington, FL 33414

561-313-0849

Valgal2412@gmail.com

October 13, 2015

Objective · To create inspiration and creativity to the company, while achieving new ideas and knowledge of the business and the art of fashion.

Nje by Tahece 5279 Germantown Ave

Education · Completed one year at The Temple , 2005

Philadelphia, PA

· Graduation date: May 29, 2013

Dear Nje by Tahece,

· Completed 2 years at Ideal, 2006-2007 · Completed 5 years at Binks Forest · G.P.A. 4.0

The approach Nje by Tahece is making is applying that they’re looking for someone who is unique and creative which are two qualities I have. Selling to buyers, merchandising, and negotiating to distributers are all challenges I would like to experience. I like the company you run and I would appreciate it if I get an internship this upcoming summer since I’d enjoy cooperating with you business.

Experience

Relevant Studies Journalism 1, and 2, Radio Production, Video Production, Speech and Debate, and Graphic Design.

RESUME

References · Bak MSOA: School. 561-882-3870

· Ms. Samons: Journalism 2 teacher. Jessica.Samons@palmbeachschools.org

COVER LETTER

· Aug 2015. Arts and Academics editor · Aug-May 2014-2015. Journalism 1

Valgal2412@gmail.com

Because I’ve taken a class in Graphic Design, I have learned some basic computer skills which are also what you are looking for in an intern. I’ve also been on the newspaper staff so I understand how to multi-task, as well. Since I have experience in dealing with people because of interviews and appointments I’ve done in my time on the newspaper staff, I have learned how to deal with people, which come in handy for contract negotiations. I am willing to determinedly contribute to the successful company you have been running and I promise to try and reach the high expectations you have in stored. I appreciate your considering me for an internship but an interview will allow me to express my abilities to you in person. I have attached my resume to better illustrate my accomplishments and qualifications. Thank you for your consideration and I cannot wait to hear from you soon. Respectfully yours, Valentina Gomez

My piece of work that I considered could use improvement was my layout in issue 4. Due to my errors that I made during that issue, I learned to better communicate with the other staffers as well to make the photos go smaller as they go down the page.

My most significant piece of work was my layout in issue 5. My purpose of this layout was to try to create a visually appealing page that readers would like to read. This wasn’t easy to complete but neither was it extremely hard. This layout took time in order for me to look for an inspiration to base it off of, which made it a bit difficult, and it took time to create the “By The Numbers” and making sure everyone got their work for my page on time and correctly.

From the dummy layout to the final piece, my page evolved into having a very large photo, which could’ve been taken better but unfortunately there weren’t any better ones. Also, it evolved since the photos did not decrease as you descend the page.

This page evolved a lot from its draft to its final piece since it got tweaked as I worked on it. For example, the “By The Numbers” infographic changed because, instead of making the information go vertically, I made it go horizontally. Plus, I added shapes to make the infographic more appealing to the eye. As I was creating this layout, I bumped into some challenges such as having an article that was either too short or too long and having the staffer who wrote it to either add on or cut off of it. In order for me to have created the infographic, I had to meet with the principal, Ms. Rozanski, for the information which made it a struggle to make appointment times that fit for the both of us.

If I had the chance, I would have changed the dummy layout from the beginning into not having an odd placement of photos. In all, I feel that this page could have had a lot of more improvement but that I did make good effort in attempting to make it turn out looking good.

Overall, what I particularly liked about the finished page, was how it ended up looking nice and having a lot of interesting content that people would enjoy reading. Page 10

Page 14

Arts & Academics

The Portfolio April 2016

Students present pieces to annual competition, express talent

Visual majors celebrate success every nine weeks

Reflection 1

what their peers are thinking, and even though they are focused on their major, it lets them be aware of what other people are doing, which is great because we take our kids to performances, which lets them be well versed in different art areas,” Thomas D’Auria, visual arts teacher said. Students also looked forward to the showcase and being able to have their artwork displayed. Samuel Friedman, sixth grade visual major said, “I like people to see what we are doing and what we are capable of doing. You want to show off. There is no point in doing a piece of art nobody is going to see.” Art allowed the students to express their thoughts in different ways and through various mediums. Eighth grade visual major Vyona Smith said, “The reason I started drawing was because it’s a great way to express myself. You don’t have to be good at speaking, you can just draw. The picture speaks for itself.” The showcase attracted many visitors’, and featured many different mediums.

Photo by Nikita Tanguturi

The students worked on various types of pieces, from the more serious house drawings to the carefree dragon paintings. Sally Rozanski, principal, said “I really like the kind of quirkiness and kind of creative ways that they think. It’s not born, it is very crystallized and collected. It is a great way to see what the kids are thinking and how they view themselves.”

Organized Chaos gives students opportunity to be published, show work By Ervin Williams Technology Editor he next edition of Organized Chaos, projected to be available for purchase in late April-early May, holds sketches and literary pieces from the students at Bak. Organized Chaos, a literary magazine, provides students with a real world application for how publishing a book or a magazine works. “This is a great way for [students] to experience what it is like to work on a magazine, and what it is like to be a part of one,” Isabella Kjaerulff, eighth grade communications major said.

Photo by Luke Stone

The MSOA foundation funds Organized Chaos each year. The magazine has been ranked All-American with marks of distinction by the National Scholastic Press Association.

By the Numbers: Bak FSA statistics from 2014-2015

100%

Level 3 or higher for EOC Geometry

99%

Level 3 or higher for EOC Algebra 1

96%

By Sreenidhi Nidamanur Sports Editor any students earned awards from the Scholastic Art and Writing Contest, hosted by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. “I had 17 students from my class who earned either gold, silver, or honorable mentions,” Natalie Sharp, communications teacher, said. Teens entered in categories such as ceramics, poetry, and fashion. Victoria Reis, seventh grade communications major, won an honorable mention for ﬁlm and animation. “When I found out I won, I felt really good because I was waiting for the news,” Reis said. Many students developed a love for arts and writing that motivated them to expand more skills such as Tori Maxwell, seventh grade communications major. Maxwell said, “I personally love writing because it enables you to expresses your feelings.”

Arts & Academics

Level 3 or higher for EOC Civics Data from Administration

Although it is published by the yearbook staff, the content comes from Bak student submissions. Kjaerulff said, “It allows every major to come together and have their talent published and showcased.” The literary magazine also follow a speciﬁc process before being published. Katherine Oung, seventh grade communications major said, “The experience of creating the magazine lets me see how it is published professionally.” Starting in 2006, the Organized Chaos will reach its tenth volume with the upcoming publication.

FSA Preparation: Tips for Testing By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics editor nxiously watching the clock, the student ﬁddled with her pencil, trying to ﬁnish her FSA test. Wishing that she had prepared before the big day, she tried to solve the rest of the questions. “Student preparation for all assessments is the learning and experiences gained during the school year,” Sally Rozanski said. “The art and academics work together to build students’ knowledge.” FSA preparation help can be found on websites such as fsassessments. org, study.com, or testprep-online. com which is useful since “taking the diagnostics and practice tests also help in the preparation,” Rozanski said. Alexander Jones said, “I recommend at least 10 hours of sleep and to feel prepared and stay away from electronic devices.”

Reflection 2

By Nikita Tanguturi Business Manager omprised of pictures, paintings, wire, mixed media, and alien babies, the visual arts department held the annual spring showcase. “It makes you want to work harder, if you know your piece is going to be displayed in the show. ‘You want to be proud of it and have everyone look at it and say ‘oh look at this!’ Savannah McCline, seventh grade visual major, said. The visual arts department holds a showcase every nine weeks in the William Koch gallery in the Mainstage Theater lobby. “We do a showcase to celebrate students success, and everything they have accomplished in a nine weeks,” Michelle Sherman, visual arts teacher said. “We also do it to show parents and faculty what we are working on.” The gallery also provides a different perspective for students from other majors, allowing them to experience visual arts through a gallery. “It shows other major students

The Portfolio March 2016

Eighth graders learn science at Busch Gardens trip

Drawing by Acel Suriaga

Acel Suriaga, seventh grade visual major, participated in the Scholastic Art and Writing Comeptition. She won a gold key for her artwork of “Front Entrance: Garden of Sunshine.”

Photo by Maddy Rubin

Passengers on Busch Garden’s Sheikra sit face down at a 90 degree angle before dropping 200 feet at a speed of 70 miles per hour. Other rides at Busch Gardens such as Cheetah Hunt and Kumba also dropped passengers from high heights at speeds as fast as those of Sheikra.

By Madaleine Rubin Co-Editor In Chief ighth grade science students rose early and headed to Bak before usual school hours on Feb. 12. After the bus ride, they arrived at Busch Gardens- where learning was a thrill. “Busch Gardens was so much fun,” Kora Wilson, eighth grade theater major said. “It gave students a chance to learn in a fun atmosphere instead of sitting in a classroom, bored all day.” While at the theme park, students spent the day watching the various science terms they had discussed in class. “At Busch Gardens we got the chance to experience what we are learning this year in a hands-on type of way,” Skylar

Margolin, eighth grade band major said. Originally only attended by science students of Tracy Smith, the Busch Gardens ﬁeld trip began in 1999. Smith said, “In 2004, the other eighth grade science teachers wanted to join the fun and we have been taking students as part of our science curriculum ever since.” Students were not the only ones who found combining science with an amusement park experience enjoyable. “Watching students show their ‘science nerdiness’ and being able to interact with them outside school day makes this trip so fun for me,” Smith said. Students were able to walk around the theme park with a new connection

Busch Gardens Fun Facts 1. “Cheetah Hunt” is 4,420 feet, making it the longest ride at Busch Gardens. 2. The “SheiKra” was the ﬁrst dive rollercoaster in the United States. 3. The rollercoaster “Montu” was named after an Egyptian warrior god. Information from www.buschfardenstampablog.com

between the terms “fun” and “learning.” Eighth grade communications major Brandon Lee said, “Busch Gardens taught me that science is happening around me everywhere and it never stops.”

‘Servant of Two Masters’ brings entertainment to students, experience for cast By Carlos Trivino Features Editor s the huge crowds of anticipating students hustled into the theater and settled in their seats, the talking ceased with a hush and the lights dimmed, signifying the beginning of the performance. “Servant of Two masters was a great performance to be in,” Madison Elliott eighth grade theater major said. “I loved our cast and we had so much fun even though we were stressed sometimes.” Originally from a novel, it was created in 1746 by Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni. The Servant of Two Masters was a comedy written in the Commedia dell’arte genre. This style of theater is characterized by its improvised performances and masked “types.” It began in the 16th century and was responsible for the advent of the improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. “In the Commedia dell’arte, you can play with the words a lot,” Elliott said. “When it was originally done in the 18th century the actors just had a simple plot line to follow.”

The play which was directed by theater teacher, Richard Valentine, took about one and a half hours to perform but “around four and a half months to practice and rehearse for the play including some after school practices,” Jakob Littell, eighth grade theater major, said. “He [Mr. Valentine] thought we were strng at improv and so he chose a performance that ﬁt this the best.” Littell said. Costume design, which is the envisoning of clothing and costumes and the overall appearance of a character or performer, also played a big role in making the costume for Truffaldino, played by eighth grade theater major Preston Padgett. “His costume was made entirely from scratch and took a few months to create. In the end it had a couple hundred triangles in it.” Littell said. The play presented went on for about two weeks and although it was greatly rehearsed, the cast found a few minor mistakes which they would have liked to improve. “If we could improve on one thing

Photo by Carlos Trivino

During a scene of “The Servant of Two Masters”, Preston Padgett, playing Truffaldino, is met with the task of working for two individuals. Padgett said, “My favorite part of the play was working with the other people and learning off them and their abilities.”

it would be memorization, because in best to try and make performances theater it is a bare minimum,” Littell available to all students. It’s kind of like said, “If you don’t have that then you a ﬁeld trip for everyone without having don’t really have anything.” to leave the school.” Valentine said, “One of the things I love about theater is that we do our

Reflection 3

I am proud of this picture because of its composition due to the visual interest. When you first look at this photo, you see the students dancing and following along with the DJ. When I took the photo, I tried to position myself into different locations to try and take different angles. IMG_0217.jpg

I am proud of this photo because of the composition and emotion. Nicolas Madruga is showing emotion as he is speaking to Snoopy about playing fetch. The compostion of this picture is a low angle since I was kneeling below the stage. I love how I took this picture in the moment which contributed to the emotion. IMG_3728.jpg

I am proud of this photo because of the composition. In this picture, the two main characters were showing emotion during the play. The placement of the actors attarcts towards the photo. IMG_9903.jpg

Reflection 4

Reflection 3

I was an assent to the 2016 newspaper staff as the Arts and Academics editor because I helped contribute to writing important articles and covering events such as Geek Games, the Charlie Brown musical and the Spanish Puerto Rico trip. I also helped the staff but offering assistance to any staffers who need help for their pages or writing articles.

a) Some problems that I encountered this year on the staff are absents, missing deadlines and disorganization.

Three areas in which I did not rate myself a “5” in my evaluations were: Selling ads, quality of work and being “Outside of the Box.”

b) During either issue 1 or issue 2, I had to leave school for about 4 days and that caused me to try to catch up with all my newspaper work so I wouldn’t be behind. This was a hardship for me due to the fact that, even though I was in another country, I still had to find a way to turn everything. In the end, I did get everything in on time by emailing my copy.

I did not succeed in selling ads since I wasn’t able to find someone that was interested and because I missed the deadline to sell them for a specific issue. I went around asking my orthodontist, doctor and any family friends who own businesses to see if they were interested in buying an ad for the newspaper. Unfortunately, they either declined or the issue that they wanted to sell the ad for already had passed.

For “quality of my work” I rated most of my evaluations a “4” instead of a “5” because I tried my best but I felt there was some work that I could have put more effort into or I could have fixed. For instance, some of my copy that I turned in to get approved was what I believed to be great work but I would come out with obvious errors that I could have caught.

Another complication that I faced was sometimes missing important deadlines. In issue 3, I missed a couple of deadlines because of my other problem, my disorganization, and it cost me some points from my log.

e) If problems like these occur again in my life, I will make sure to handle them by being organized and finding a way to get everything done despite the circumstance. f)

Overall, I feel like I handled my hardships well by figuring out a solution instead of creating excuses.

Reflection 6

Reflection 5

d) I learned from my situations that to always stay on top of things and to not be behind or slack off or else I could pay the price later by getting points deducted.

I succeeded in thinking “Outside the Box” in some issues while others I did not. For issue 6, I thought “outside the box” by coming up with a very eye-appealing layout using some graphics. Although, for issue 1, I made my page very normal without thinking up of creative and original ideas for the layout.

Features

The Portfolio - October 2015

Teaching methods help students By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics editor ith her lesson in mind, the teacher reviewed her teaching methods, making note of the kids she must help with and those she must keep an eye on. “My goal for students is to turn them into the biggest science nerds ever,” Tracy Smith, eighth grade science teacher, said. In every classroom, each teacher had her own methods of teaching. They use specific lesson plans. No matter what they use, their goal is to help their kids learn in the best affective way. “I try to be relaxed and laid- back as I teach. I ﬁnd that students learn more when they’re having fun,” Joe Balsamo, seventh grade language arts teacher, said. Along with their ways of teaching, teachers also have ways to deal with troublemaking kids in class. For a class to run smoothly, the students had to cooperate. “Students know that I’ll give them the stink eye if they misbehave,” Smith said, “If that doesn’t work, I’ll ﬁll out those CBIR forms and call parents.” Motivating students establsihes classroom routines, according to www. edutopia.com. In order for students

Photo by: Carlos Trivino

Alyssa Vaknin, a new communications teacher, encourages her students to explore various aspects of speech and debate. Vaknin said, “I like my students to have fun while learning. It makes them enjoy coming to school so I usually make my lessons interactive.”

to be in a schedule, they should be motivated to do so. If students think there is no point in routines, they will not do it. “I think by having a regular routine like taking notes or working on something independently, is a good way to control students. People in general are comfortable with routines since they’ll know what’ll happen. Uncertainty can cause stress,” Zane Hurley, sixth grade science teacher,

said. According to www.alternet.org, the pressure to be creative interferes with the outcome. If students do something for fun, they will excel more compared to if they are pressured. Leanne Cornwell, sixth grade math and algebra teacher, said, “I’d recommend teachers to make sure to be themselves and make sure the students be themselves as well. According to www.teaching.berkley.

Students explore taking effective class notes

By Angela Yan was to develop “your own language News Editor of symbols” to write less, but still s the teacher droned on about understand the important information. the properties of matter, a “I write long sentences and can’t student rapidly jotted down keep up with what the teachers are bullet points with a purple pen. Another saying,” Diksha Gupta, sixth grade student pressed her eraser down on the communications major said. paper, spreading pink shavings across According to academictips.org, writing the table. in colored pens helped students retain “Sometimes [I have trouble] writing 50 to 80 percent more information notes down. I try to write things down without reviewing their notes from a teacher’s twice. However, PowerPoint, but highlighting they switch the I write long sentences everything on class slide when I’m and can’t keep up with notes emphasized right in the middle nothing important. of writing,” Brooke what the teachers are Attorney Jennifer Ibarra, eighth grade saying” Phillips said in communications an interview with major, said. FastCompany, “A friend of mine’s A common problem with student’s [civil procedure] book looked like she notes was not writing fast enough. squashed a clown to death between Copying a lecture word-for-word and its pages; everything was highlighted, writing in complete sentences were the thereby actually emphasizing nothing.” main causes for being unable to keep As well as taking notes in class, up with a teacher’s lecture. students found it helpful to rewrite “[Students new to note-taking] notes. should abbreviate a lot and only write “A lot of people say writing something important information,” Andrea helps you memorize it,” Turner said. Turner, eighth grade visual major, said. “After I write the notes, I usually don’t “That way, they won’t fall behind on have to study them because I know

“

edu, teachers can entertain her students in order to make sure everyone is engaged. Smith said, “I show students that science is fun by acting a little silly and telling stories about how science relates to everyday life.”

Clips - Copy - Issue 1 - Squid Dissections

Clips -Copy - Issue 1 - Best Teaching Practices

Page 8

getting into All-State, many hours of preparation were required to meet that goal when they auditioned in late September. “Every day, I spend 30 to 40 minutes running through my piece with a metronome. I make sure to go very slowly so that I can catch the mood of the music,” Abigail McNutt, eighth grade strings major said. Students can get accepted into AllPhoto by Ashley Kulberg State for a variety of instruments, As his audition approaches, Jay Coleman, seventh grade strings including the piccolo, tuba, and flute, major, tunes his instrument. “I was nervous, like most people according to flmusiced.org. were,” Coleman said. “I auditioned for two instruments, so by “For violin, only about 150 people my second audition, I felt more comfortable.” with friends, the majority of band or get in. So of course, there is going to By Ashley Kulberg strings majors were preparing for their be some pressure,” McNutt said. Photo Editor All-State auditions, which would test There were many benefits that can hroughout the summer their musical and sight reading abilities. be achieved by qualifying for All-State. months, while many kids were “[The best part is] being able to play “Getting into All-State gives you a playing sports or hanging out with so many people that have the better chance of getting into Dreyfoos

to play with people from all over the state,” Ansay said. Preparing for such an important audition may cause students to worry, but most just thought about the great things that would happen if they got accepted. Ansay said, “I’m a little bit nervous, but I think I’ve prepared myself enough with the music, so I’m just going to go in there, try my best and hopefully that’s enough.” Students anticipated the day when they would ﬁnd out if their work was enough to make it into All-State. Haury-Parra said, “I feel like I’ve prepared myself the best that I can, but even if I don’t make it in this year, it’s no big deal. It’s helped my skills and will make it easier for any audition I might have in the future.”

Dissections allow students to explore squid anatomy

By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics editor isgusted, a student inspected the dead squid in front of her. She examined the eye and the beak. She cringed as ink oozed out of the specimen. This squid dissection was going to be interesting. “I hope the students gain knowledge. I hope they understand the inner workings of the animal kingdom,” Gary Williams, seventh grade science teacher, said. People thought that opening the insides of an animal may be unethical and they should be left alone, according to animalearn.org. 86 percent of students polled and said that schools should give students the option to use alternatives to dissections. On the contrary, the science teachers believed that the dissections were for the greater good and were not meant to cause harm because they thought it was for the purpose of learning. “I think cutting into an animal is just. It’s like going to the vet. If the vet doesn’t know a dog’s anatomy,

they wouldn’t be good at their job,” Williams said. The squid dissections were one out of the four dissections seventh graders did each year. The science teachers strongly recommended students to participate because it was informative of the anatomy of a squid. The students got an insight of a living organism. “The dissections are educational for students because they get to look inside a living thing and see how everything works,” Kerie Franco, seventh grade science teacher, said. During the dissections, students were responsible for following instructions correctly and obediently. If students did not follow the rules that might cause them to get injured or get ink on them or they might spill something by accident. “Students might cut themselves or get ‘eye juice’ all over them if the students do not follow the rules,” Franco said. According to squid-world.com, squids are cephalopods, which are marine animals with a prominent head and tentacles. Squid characteristics, like the

Photo by Nikita Tanguturi

Seventh graders Isabella Ortiz and Jonathan Estilien look at the squid in awe before dissecting it. Ortiz said, “I got to learn how interesting squids are, and I like that we do them [dissections] because we can learn more about different animals.”

beak or the tentacles, drew the students in, according to biologycorner.com, and made the lab even more interesting, creating fascination in learning. “I ﬁnd the suck rings of a squid intriguing because I didn’t know they had them,” Rachel Gerheard-Sterner,

seventh grade science teacher, said. The seventh graders left the squid dissections with a new knowledge of biology. Williams said, “Students would tell me after the dissections ‘thank you for making me do this.’”

Bak visual showcase displays school talent, creativity

but did not include all students’ work “My inspiration for drawing is By Ervin Williams “The pieces are chosen by what the usually cartoons. If you pop open my Technology Editor s the brush moved across the students think about it. If the teacher portfolio you will see mostly cartoons

Page 14

The Portfolio October 2015

Page 10

Arts & Academics

Photo by Ashley Kulberg

As his audition approaches, Jay Coleman, seventh grade strings major, tunes his instrument. “I was nervous, like most people were,” Coleman said. “I auditioned for two instruments, so by my second audition, I felt more comfortable.” with friends, the majority of band or By Ashley Kulberg strings majors were preparing for their Photo Editor All-State auditions, which would test hroughout the summer their musical and sight reading abilities. months, while many kids were “[The best part is] being able to play playing sports or hanging out with so many people that have the

By Ervin Williams Technology Editor

and it is just a great achievement to have,” Lucas Haury-Parra, eighth grade band major said. “I want to please Ms. Beebe and I think that it is a really great experience to play with people from all over the state,” Ansay said. Preparing for such an important audition may cause students to worry, but most just thought about the great things that would happen if they got accepted. Ansay said, “I’m a little bit nervous, but I think I’ve prepared myself enough with the music, so I’m just going to go in there, try my best and hopefully that’s enough.” Students anticipated the day when they would ﬁnd out if their work was enough to make it into All-State. Haury-Parra said, “I feel like I’ve prepared myself the best that I can, but even if I don’t make it in this year, it’s no big deal. It’s helped my skills and will make it easier for any audition I might have in the future.”

S 11.

Photo by Nikita Tanguturi

Bak visual showcase displays school talent, creativity By Ervin Williams Technology Editor s the brush moved across the blank canvas, creating people and objects, making a whole new world. The visual showcase, held on Sept. 10, 2015, showcased student art work completed over the summer. “Students can expect amazing sketches, paintings, and sculptures made from recyclable materials that people have done,” Alexa Gaumond, Photo by Nikita Tangaturi Visual arts major Cassidy Zeng seventh grade visual arts major said. prepares for the showcase. “It’s a The showcase housed the artwork of boost of conﬁdence when people returning seventh and eighth graders,

look at your work,” Zeng said.

Photo by Luke Stone

Students make a stop in front of the North Lawn of The White House on Nov. 10, 2015 after the end of their tour of the building. That day, the group also made stops at the National Archives, the Jefferson Memorial, Union Station, the Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of American History.

The trip included visits to George Washington’s house, touring the White House, and other activities which provided some students with the answer to the question: Why is history so important? “If you don’t learn from history,

you are doomed to repeat it. It is so important to learn the past. It helps provide a roadmap to the future,” Battle said. The students were exposed to different aspects of government and how it runs, but one student found that

the trip was more than just reinforcing what was taught. Wisnicki said, “This trip shows me how the government is not all about the politics, but what the government can do for us and how it can help us.”

Chorale to broadcast on The Education Network this December

but did not include all students’ work “The pieces are chosen by what the students think about it. If the teacher thinks another one is good as well, they can put that one in the showcase too,” Gianni Giles, eighth grade visual major said. Professional artists, such Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, was “the base of all pieces and sketches” said Gaumond. “I get my inspirations from looking at others arts,” Gaumond said. Charlotte de Greling, eighth grade visual major, had a more “modern” approach.

“My inspiration for drawing is usually cartoons. If you pop open my portfolio you will see mostly cartoons and headshots,” de Greling said. Although the showcase was a “great way to show off ” the art work, visual majors drew for other reasons as well. Despite their love for drawing, art “isn’t for everyone.” “No one should be forced to paint if they don’t want to,” de Greling said. “Art calms me down. When I am angry, I paint. When I am happy, I sketch, but when I feel there is injustice, I make a piece. Drawing isn’t for other people. You draw because you love it.”

Clips - Layout-Issue 2

Clips - Layout-Issue 1

tudents in the eighth grade went on a Social studies trip to Washington DC. from Nov. 7 -

The students went to some of the “hot spots” of DC., according to Brandon Wisnicki, eighth grade communications major said. “It’s one thing to read about DC in a book. It’s completely different seeing it up close,” Douglas Battle, eighth grade social studies teacher said. “Seeing the Lincoln Memorial up close, where Dr. Martin Luther King delivered one of the greatest speeches in all of American history, is as moving a sight as I have ever experienced in my life.” According to educase.edu, Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs) had the most positive growth in learning, for example school trips, discussions, and immersions. “I am most looking forward to visiting Washington to be immersed in the history that I am learning this year,” Alex Haddad, eighth grade communication major said.

Dissections allow students to explore squid anatomy

Arts & Academics

Students put knowledge to real world events in Washington

Bak students await All-State audition results same interest as you. The experience of auditioning and getting out there is great,” Katelyn Ansay, seventh grade strings major said. While many students took pride in getting into All-State, many hours of preparation were required to meet that goal when they auditioned in late September. “Every day, I spend 30 to 40 minutes running through my piece with a metronome. I make sure to go very slowly so that I can catch the mood of the music,” Abigail McNutt, eighth grade strings major said. Students can get accepted into AllState for a variety of instruments, including the piccolo, tuba, and flute, according to flmusiced.org. “For violin, only about 150 people get in. So of course, there is going to be some pressure,” McNutt said. There were many benefits that can be achieved by qualifying for All-State. “Getting into All-State gives you a better chance of getting into Dreyfoos

The Portfolio December 2015

teacher, said. “For those who do, this have felt stressed or worried. Lacie Michaelis, seventh grade vocal experience will help them get over their major, said, “Of course I’m nervous. nerves when on stage.” The holiday special will air in I want to do well and looking terrbile December, and anyone can tune in to in front of the audience is my worst nightmare.” watch and listen “This opportunity to Chorale as exposes them to the they sing songs This opportunity behind-the-scenes such as “Deck part of a production. the Halls” and exposes them to the They will get to “Here We Come behind-the-scenes see producers and A-Caroling,” really learn how that Rachel Robinson, part of production.” industry works,” seventh grade Taylor said. theater major, said. Though it may have been challenging “It’s good publicity for the school and music department. People from the for students not to get nervous or community will really get to experience worried while preparing for this event, many felt that what mattered most was what Bak can really do,” Taylor said. This was the initial year that the that they performed to their best ability. school of the arts was chosen to Taylor said, “Ultimately, I want their perform in the special. It was a huge friends and family to see their success honor, according to Taylor, but many and be proud of what the students students performing in this event may have done.”

“

Photo by Ashley Kulberg

With perfect pitch, Chorale prepares to be ﬁlmed for the Education Network’s (T.E.N.) Holiday Special. T.E.N. is the ofﬁcial television station for The School District of Palm Beach County.

By Ashley Kulberg Photo Editor

Annual Holiday Special. Bak MSOA was one of the few schools featured in the program. ak students in Chorale earned “Some of these students will go the opportunity to be ﬁlm into performing,” Kent Taylor, vocal for The Education Network’s

Rozanski: We were very well prepared, familiar with testing By Madaleine Rubin Co Editor In Chief

ast spring, students in Palm Beach County all clicked submit on their computers, ending weeks of Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) testing. Now parents, students, and teachers all await FSA Achievement Levels that they had expected to get in September. “Normally, parents, teachers, and students would have already received Achievement Levelsbut this year, the state delayed the process because cut scores have not

been voted on Achievement Levels, and given final and levels 3 and approval by the above are considered This preparation, state legislature,” proficient. Sally Rozanski, coupled with the hard “In January, once school principal, the cut-scores work of the students said. are approved, In previous and staff, resulted in Achievement Levels years, students for each student should high academic achieving be received scores determined,” ranging from scores.” Rozanski said. one through Parents, students, five, one being and teachers received the lowest possible score and five the percentage scores through an Individual highest. These scores are known as FSA Student Report on Nov. 9.

“

“Based on the proposed cut scores, I determined achievement levels for students,” Rozanski said. If the proposed Achievement Levels are used, then Bak will remain the top middle school in the county in academic achievement. Rozanski said, “We were very wellprepared and familiar with the testing system, and we conducted practice tests. This preparation, coupled with the hard work of the students and staff, resulted in high academic achieving scores.”

Check out page 10 to ﬁnd out more about the eighth grade Washington D.C. trip!

We now have our own website! Check us out at http://portfolionews.org

News.................................1 & 4 Editorial.....................................2 Opinion......................................3 Entertainment..........................5 Features.............................6 & 7 Sports and Clubs....................8 Arts & Academics.................10 Technology.......................11 Student Life ............................12

Portfolio

http://Portfolionews.org

December 2015 * Volume 19 * Issue 2 * Bak Middle School of the Arts * 1725 Echo Lake Drive * West Palm Beach, Florida 33407

Clips -Copy - Issue 2 - Fall Thriller

Visual department hosts annual Fall Thriller, frightens students

In memory of Dora Bak: 13 years later By Carlos Trivino Features Editor t has been 13 years since Dora Bak’s passing, whom the school now bears the name in her husbands’ honor. Dora Bak was born on Aug. 14, 1914 in Germany. She developed a love for music and the arts, growing up in a home where her father was a violinist for the town orchestra. Bak also liked to paint, speciﬁcally in the impressionist style until she lost her eyesight. “Dora had a request put in for a donation of $1 million,” Lisa Hanser, seventh grade civics teacher said. “The only condition was that the school be renamed in her husband’s honor and a plaque be dedicated to them. When we agreed she added an extra half a million to the donation.” The Foundation website states, “Dora Bak’s gift and the passing of the half cent referendum in 2004 provided funds to complete Bak’s new campus. The completion of Bak’s auditorium cost upwards of $5.8 million. Students moved onto the new campus January 9, 2006.” Born in 1884 in Austria, Richard Bak, Dora’s husband, was a renowned European economist who specialized in international markets, ﬁnance and economics. He founded the Emile and Zerline Hahnloser-Richard Bak Fund, Inc. in New York, which supported medical research and the arts. He died on Oct. 25, 1973 in Paris.

Photo by Madaleine Rubin

Smiling broadly, eighth grade communication majors Anamaria Navarrete and Amanda Vanner admire each others’ makeup. Eighth grade visual arts majors helped construct the infamous haunted house.

By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor ak MSOA’s annual Fall Thriller was held on Oct. 23, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event included games in the gymnasium, music and lights in the courtyard and a haunted house, courtesy of the visual arts department. “The haunted house was ﬁlled with people pretending to be mummies and things that popped out at you. It also had strobe lights which made it very scary,” Shweta Pandit, seventh grade vocal major, said. The event hosted activities and games

in the gymnasium which rewarded candy, a DJ who played music in the courtyard where students could dance, and a two-storied haunted house in the eighth grade building. Ever since the ﬁrst Fall Thriller 15 years ago, the visual department had been making the dance as eventful as they could. “We try to outdo ourselves, trying to keep making it better. We worked on lighting, music, DJ, and, this year, we made the haunted house two stories,” Glen Barefoot visual arts teacher said. The theme for the haunted house this year was zombies, showing off

Halloween make up and causing frights. Many students participated in the Fall Thriller games such as the Fortune Teller booth which allowed fortune tellers to determine students’ future through palm readings, glitter or a key. “I liked the Fortune Teller because while I was in line, I didn’t know what to expect. When I walked inside the booth, I got to learn more about myself,” Ava Marano, seventh grade communications major said. Students joined their friends in the courtyard, dancing underneath the neon lights as the DJ played modern music to the kids.

By Nikita Tanguturi Business Manager hree, two, one. The two girls held hands as they dived off the side off the boat into the awaiting reef below. Once they got in, the sight under water took their breath away. The annual seventh grade Marine Lab trip was fun for both students and chaperones. “Snorkeling in the keys is one of my favorite things to experience,” Zane Hurley, sixth grade science teacher said, “and sharing it with kids who never done it before is really cool.”

As they explored the open ocean of the Florida Keys, the students were able to see tons of different flora and fauna. “I really like seeing the different animals and species of fish, it was really cool,” Emma Troast, seventh grade visual major said. “They [also] have a lot of jellyfish but I try to avoid them.” One of the more popular species in the water was the Aurelia Aurita, Photo courtesy of msoafoundation.org Dora Bak was born in 1914 in otherwise known as a moon jellyfish.

Dora Bak

Continued on page 4

Seventh graders embark on Marine Lab trip

Photo by Guest/William Anderson

Students were able to see a variety of marine creatures, including a green turtle. Students saw how the ecosystem bounced back from a disease called white pox, which was caused in the coral by a human pathogen.

Marine Lab Trip Continued on page 4

Breslau, now Wrocław, a city in Poland. In the 1930’s she moved from Europe to New York.

Clips - Copy - Issue 2 - Should students care about elections

The

The Portfolio December 2015

Opinion

Page 3

Why students should care about elections By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor

ash decisions on politics, chaos in the economy, a fallout in education, and a drastic change in the environment are just a few potential possibilities if students do not care about the upcoming presidential elections. In order for our country’s safety to be secured, teenaged students in middle school through high school should pay attention and keep up with the elections in America. Once we grow up, some of us will go on to become part of one of the branches in government. Middle school will be able to vote by age 18 in the 2020 elections. According to Carl Azuz from CNN, just because topics like the economy are difﬁcult to understand, does not mean we should not pay attention. In fact, we must understand the past errors so we will not repeat them again in the future. Dear Editors, I want to commend you on the ﬁrst issue of “The Portfolio”. The student-related articles and schoolbased subjects make the paper easy to read and relevant. The technology section is my personal favorite because it keeps me informed of new discoveries. The fact that the paper is created

Ask Astra

Dear Astra, I’m moving during the school year. I was wondering what I should do for the remainder of time while I’m still at the school before I leave for Colorado. Do you have any tips for moving or what I should do before I leave? Sincerely, Travel Tips Dear Travel Tips, I would suggest making friends that you can keep in touch with along the way. Make sure to focus on succeeding both athletically and artistically. Most importantly, be sure to enjoy the rest of your time at Bak. Sincerely, Astra

Letters to the Editor and put together by my peers motivates me to want to read it even more. One day, I actually hope to possibly be involved with this project and be a part of “The Portfolio staff. Sincerely, Alexander Jones

Dear Astra, This is my first year at Bak and I want to join clubs and programs here, but I don’t understand how you can get the flyers! What’s your tip to getting all the flyers and joining on time? Is it too late? Sincerely, Confused Club Dear Confused Club, The best way to stay organized is to pay attention to the announcements. You can always check Edline or ask the teacher sponsor for more information. You should also write due dates in your planner if you need to remember. Sincerely, Astra Dear Astra, I feel as though some of my teachers feel as if I am a “troublemaker”, which I do not think I am. How should I fix this problem? Sincerely, Soy Guapo Dear Soy Guapo, Make sure that you are focused in class and that you aren’t goofing off. Listen to your teacher whenever he/she is talking, and be a model student. Most likely, if you improve the quality of your work, then your impression on your teacher should fix itself. Sincerely, Astra

Dear Editors, Overall, I thought the newspaper was excellent. The articles were well-written and were interesting. I found it very fun to read. I was shocked by how well the staff did on this issue. The photos looked great and the layout design was fun, creative, and professional. If I saw this paper on the streets, I would not be

According to lhslance.org, the average teenage student could not name four out of the ﬁeld of 22 candidates. Teenagers believe that their opinion makes no difference, so why care at all. On the contrary, just because students cannot vote does not mean they should not care. “Every decision that is made by politicians, whether it be on the national level or the local level are going to affect you, and what the future of this country is like,” Myrna Whitworth, the Chairwoman of the Fredrick County Democrats, from an interview by The Lance, said. Those who educate themselves and will better understand how the elections work. Joey Lynn, Hough Chairwoman of the Frederick County Republican Central Committee, in an interview said, “Do your own research. Don’t listen to what others have to say. Don’t follow the crowd. Be a leader.” able to tell it apart from other papers and know it was written by kids. Of course, everyone makes mistakes, but all you have to do is ﬁx them. I think that in the end, compared to how amazing the paper looked, the mistakes were not as big of a deal as everyone made them seem. Sincerely, Brianna Angiolillo

‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2’ hits theaters, ratings surge

By Maddy Rubin Co-Editor In Chief he Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2,” the major motion picture finale to Suzanne Collins best-selling trilogy, was released on Nov. 16, 2015. The movie has grossed in about $247 million worldwide. It opens showing Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence. It was engaging, but it gave no background as to where it was picking up from its predeccessor. “The Hunger Games: MockingjayPart 1” was a slow moving picture that set the stage for the “revolution” that would supposedly take full force in the follow up film. I found, however, that the action scenes did not necessarily begin right away in the final movie and took a bit too long to finally appear. Stars like Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mallark), Donald Sutherland (President Snow), and Julianne Moore (President Coyne) all brought the emotion of the book on to the big screen. The unique technology and camera angles also deserve high praise. This long-awaited end to the Hunger Games series trumped its predecessor only in overall quality. After reviewing “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2,” I rate it a 4 out of 5 stars.

“There is something in your loving that tears down my walls,” she sings. Every song in the album contrastsfrom the others, from a slow R&B melody, like in “Remedy” to songs with instrumental backgrounds, like in “All I Ask”, and in “I Miss You.” This makes every song a diferent experience, which is what I feel goes underapreciated in pop music.

Winter chills bring chocolate cravings

Clips -Copy/Photos - Issue 3 - Hot chocolate re view and Glow Party

Photo courtesy of ew.com

“Mockingjay: Part 2” grossed in about $279.4 million worldwide.

chord operation. After selling more than 3.38 billion copies in its first week released in the United Kingdom, Adele’s “25’; has been a huge hit. Due to her voice and her lyrics, I give “25” five out of five stars.I recommend everyone, (even if you are not a hardcore Adele fan) to buy the album.

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ one of best in franchise history

By Luke Stone Co-Editor-In-Chief fter a long 10 year wait, Star Wars fans across the world got to see the seventh installment of Lucasfilm’s famous series, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The movie takes place 30 years after the events of “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” and was centered around three new protagonists. After being captured by the evil First Order, Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) was being held captive on one of their ships until Finn (John Boyega), a stormtrooper who wants to flee, helps him get to the main hangar to escape. After taking a ship, the two attempt to escape to Jakku, where Poe must find a droid named BB-8. JJ Abrams, the director, did great with the film’s plot, even with the 30 year time gap. He added new characters to ease the transition between episodes, while keeping old characters like Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) to keep their stories alive. Unfortunately, other old cast members had no reason for being there, like C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and Admiral Ackbar (Tim Rose). I give the film four and a half out of five stars because Abrams did a great job with the plot and characters, but dropped the ball with some old cast members who took away from the film.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Panera Bread By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics editor he cold arrived and so did the cravings for hot chocolate. I visited four places. I critiqued them on customer service, the hot chocolates’ taste, how clean the restaurant was, how hot or cold it was and the waiting time. I ﬁrst went to Dunkin’ Donuts. It was mostly clean besides the occasional dirty napkins on the ﬂoor. The service was poor. The barista failed to provide options for me like whipped cream. The hot chocolate, on the other hand, was exceptional. It was at the perfect temperature. The texture was smooth, not too thick. The waiting time was also very quick. Because of these critiques, I gave Dunkin’ Donuts 3.5 stars out of 5. The second place I visited was Starbucks. Due to a long line, the waiting time was slow. The customer service was really good as they were polite and took accurate notes of my order. The hot chocolate was at an adequate temperature. It had a creamy texture since the barista asked me if I wanted

Starbucks

Toojay’s Deli

Features

cream. I rated Starbucks 4 out of 5 stars. Next, I went to Panera Bread. The customer service was unsatisfactory. The employee had a bored tone, not being helpful. The restaurant was very clean. The hot chocolate came with marshmallows which gave the taste a thicker texture. Although, the chocolate was too hot as it burnt my tongue. For the waiting time, it was incredibly quick. I gave Panera Bread 3 stars out 5. The last place I visited was TooJay’s The Portfolio Gourmet Deli. The customer service February 2016 was exceedingly good. The waiters all had big smiles and took great notes. The hot chocolate was unfortunately burnt. The ﬂavor tasted more like By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics editor coffee than it did hot chocolate. The waiting time was really he strings department held a good since all the employees went Glow Party, on Dec. 4, in order to raise money for their trip to through every customer’s order fast. the Carnegie Hall in New York City. The restaurant was also very neat. “Strings’ parents organized it with core planning. They had I rated TooJay’s Gourmet Deli 3 stars. several meetings for months with Overall, Starbucks sold the best hot a goal of making it a fun night,” Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service chocolate, scoring 4 out of 5 stars Nancy Beebe, strings teacher, said. The dance included a DJ, neon because of the best customer service, MOMS-CSM-MOVIE-REVIEWPhoto by Valentina Gomez lights, and a dance ﬂoor with music, taste, cleanness, and temperature. STAR-WARS-VII-1-MCT As the crowd followed the lead of the DJ, the students began dancing a photo booth, and the movie

Page 10

Arts & Academics

Strings department holds Glow Party fundraiser

the Cha-Cha Slide under the neon lights. The Strings Department held a Glow Party fundraiser to raise money for their trip to Carnegie Hall.

TomorrowLand in the gymnasium.

“It was a Glow Party so it was pretty. Everything tied in together. It was pretty cool at what they were trying to achieve,” Jessica Gomez, seventh grade communications major, said. The students were supposed to arrive to the party wearing either white or neon colored clothing to pop out against the lighting. The dance featured popular songs and dance challenges for the students to move to with their friends. Upham said, “I had a great time! It was nice to be with my friends and have a time to hang out with them. Being with your friends was the best part.”

Freezer malfunctions in cafeteria during break, spoiling food

By Ashley Kulberg Photo Editor

ww that smell! Can you smell that smell?”

The cafeteria walk-in freezer broke over winter break, and $2500 worth of food was completely ruined. “You just couldn’t miss the smell,” Robert Gold, cafeteria manager, said. Students ate outside while the problem was being handled. However, the courtyard could not handle the amount of students. “I was glad to be outside for once, but I would like to be able to sit across

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The Portfolio - February 2016

from my friends, not on a wall in the cold. There’s just not enough seats,” Sabrina D’Agostino, seventh grade visual major, said. Over winter break, the freezer’s Freon line broke. According to aetinc.biz, Freon is a trade name for a class of chemicals known as Chloroﬂuorocarbons or CFC’s used as a refrigerant. No one was allowed inside of the cafeteria for several days, until it was deemed safe and reopened on Friday, Jan. 15. Gold said, “Over the course of six or seven days, the walk-in freezer became more like a walk-in oven.”

Photo by Ashley Kulberg

Leah Sloan, seventh grade theater major, receives her lunch in the courtyard. Every student was required to eat outside until the school district deemed the cafeteria safe for students.

Visual majors raise money with sculpture By Sreenidhi Nidamanur Sports Editor

alm Beach Island Cats lets cats live free. They asked the visual department to paint and decorate a cat sculpture to raise money. “There is a large number of feral cats that live in the wild. The charity, instead of putting them in shelters, let them live out their life,” Glen Barefoot, visual arts teacher said. Palm Beach Island Cats (PBIC) is the organization that had asked the visual department from Bak to participate in this cause. PBIC prevents future generations of homeless cats by implementing the humane practice of Trap, Neuter and Return. PBIC maintains the current population through daily feeding, watering and providing medical care as needed. PBIC responds to all citizens’ concerns in order to achieve peaceful coexistence between the town’s cats and residents, according to pbislandcats. org. The visual arts students like Andrea Turner and her sister, Allison Turner, eighth grade visual majors, spent over 20 hours making the cat sculpture perfect. “The cat is cast in ﬁberglass and painted with acrylic,” Barefoot said. “The cat is purple with multicolor rings and ﬂowers,” Turner said. Turner and her sister both worked on the cat at their house.

“Sometimes the work gets very tedious, but it’s still fun and relaxing,” Turner said. In addition to being a fundraiser, the cause had beneﬁts. “It’s nice to know that someone is taking their time out for something like this,” Barefoot said. In late January, there will be an auction to sell the cat sculptures. “I think the cat will sell for a lot of money. I know a lot of people will be impressed because people are always impressed by what this school does,” Barefoot said. Barefoot believed it was beneﬁcial for visual students to use their artistic skills and talent to support the community. “I think it’s a good idea for artists to give back,” Barefoot said, “and use their talent for good.”

Photo by Nikita Tanguturi

Spraying the paint onto the cat sculpture, Allison Turner, eighth grade visual major, paints her design onto the cat along with a few of her friends.

Clips - Copy/Photos - Issue 3 - Theatre featurette, Hot Chocolate

Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune

Showing change from past years, Adele faces new challenges, such as motherhood. Her feelings are expressed through her music.

“Hello.” Adele’s “Hello” started at the top of Billboard’s top charts, keeping a steady ranking of ﬁrst place. As she sung of past lovers, the heartbreak she went through was reﬂected in an array of dynamics, from high to low. This was one of the things that made the album differ from other pop albums. Adele conveys her true feelings

‘The Lottery’ theater show shocks audience

By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics editor he actor stood on the stage, speaking out his lines like he had done so many times during rehearsals. When his part came up, he performed to his very best, astonishing the audience. “The Lottery” was a theater show presented in the main stage theater during Artsgiving. “[The cast] worked pretty hard. They did best in the end. Once they had costumes and were performing with lighting and sound, it was then that it clicked for them,” Nicolas Santana, theater teacher, said.

As the students acted out silent but funny scenes, the comedy improvisation brought laughter to the audience, a great start for the show. “The Lottery,” another theater show presented during Artsgiving, was about how a town believed that in order to control the weather for better crops, they had to keep up a tradition where they make a lottery. Francesca Delguzzi, seventh grade communications major, said, “It was suspenseful and it caught you by surprise but it was also really sad.”

Dance performs African pieces

Separate instruments, one major: Students represent music By Nikita Tanguturi Business Manager uning their instruments, reviewing their pieces, music majors were prepared for the chance to represent their department in the schools second annual Artsgiving. Seventh grade band major, Aidan Taylor, said, “Performing gives me a sense of excitement playing music which I love.” The music department performed series of concerts, featuring vocal, band, strings, and piano. “For Artsgiving, we [band] played two pieces. We worked on one of them around the beginning of the year,

and already performed it in an earlier performance. The other we played for the first time for an audience. It was really good practice for us,” Janice Hu, seventh grade band major said. Most students thought being able to perform in front of their peers was beneficial. “When we perform, you are under more pressure so you get to see what actual mistakes there are. I want to see how I play under pressure and what I need to improve on,” Jason Ibalerrosa, seventh grade piano major, said. As the concert finished, the performers took their bow, walking off the stage with the audience clapping.

Photo by Jessica Samons

Seventh grade dance major, Nathalie Garcia performs a West African dance piece for Bak’s Annual Artsgiving.

which included live drummers who By Jacob Schlessel “originated from Guinea,” Jessica Copy Editor ak’s second annual Artsgiving Widder, eighth grade communications showcased the arts with various major said. “Your movements correspond performances. The dancers had a number of showcases, from African with drums. The drums tell you what movement to perform,” Widder said. dance to classic and modern pieces. Dance majors were not the only ones “One jazz piece and two modern pieces who performed, as were performed,” non-majors who Holland Schiller, chose to take dance The drums tell you dance teacher said. class performed as The performances what to perform.” well. Some found it were shown in the a challenge to focus dance studios. One with a crowd of fellow students, while of the classes was Repertory class. said. On the Saturday following the pep “Basically the Repertory class presented others found it enjoyable. Ashley Tabachnick, seventh grade rally, Florida and Florida State had their choreographic etudes that were learned 60th all-time meeting. After a game in from guest choreographers,” Schiller Wade dance major said, “I enjoyed performing in Artsgiving because it where Florida’s offense struggled, the said. Seminoles prevailed 27-2. Another part of the performances was fun to perform in front of my included an African Dance piece friends.”

Entertainment

‘Hello’- Adele returns with her first album in four years By Nikita Tanguturi, Business Manager fter waiting four years, most Adele fans are glad to hear that she is back with a new album, “25”. With hits like “Sweetest Devotion”, “Remedy” and of course, “Hello.” Adele’s “Hello” started at the top of Billboard’s top charts, keeping a steady ranking of ﬁrst place. As she sung of past lovers, the heartbreak she went through was reﬂected in an array of dynamics, from high to low. This was one of the things that made the album differ from other pop albums. Adele conveys her true feelings

“

Students chant for their favorite team at annual FSU-UF Pep Rally As more and more students walked into the courtyard, students supporting both sides began to cheer for their school. “My favorite part of the pep rally is when the faculty starts the cheers and chants on the megaphone,” Owens

Page 5

The Portfolio February 2016

Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune

Showing change from past years, Adele faces new challenges, such as motherhood. Her feelings are expressed through her music.

‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2’ hits theaters, ratings surge

through heartwarming lyrics and a dynamic voice. After listening and comparing “25” to her past two albums, “21” and “19”, Adele now focuses on unlocking the true potential of her voice and her feelings, with lyrics that tell stories through music. “There is something in your loving that tears down my walls,” she sings. Every song in the album contrastsfrom the others, from a slow R&B melody, like in “Remedy” to songs with instrumental backgrounds, like in “All I Ask”, and in “I Miss You.” This makes every song a diferent experience, which is what I feel goes underapreciated in pop music.

Winter chills bring chocolate cravings

Photo courtesy of ew.com

“Mockingjay: Part 2” grossed in about $279.4 million worldwide.

With quite a few collaborators, which include Paul Epworth, Max Martin, Danger Mouse, and Bruno Mars Smeezintons squad among them, “25” reveals a delicate side of Adele as she faces a new set of challenges, such as motherhood and a pressing vocal chord operation. After selling more than 3.38 billion copies in its first week released in the United Kingdom, Adele’s “25’; has been a huge hit. Due to her voice and her lyrics, I give “25” five out of five stars.I recommend everyone, (even if you are not a hardcore Adele fan) to buy the album.

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ one of best in franchise history

Dunkin’ Donuts

Starbucks

Toojay’s Deli

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The Portfolio February 2016

Arts & Academics

Page 14 Students present pieces to annual competition, express talent

Strings department holds Glow Party fundraiser By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics editor

Photo by Valentina Gomez

As the crowd followed the lead of the DJ, the students began dancing the Cha-Cha Slide under the neon lights. The Strings Department held a Glow Party fundraiser to raise money for their trip to Carnegie Hall.

he strings department held a Glow Party, on Dec. 4, in order to raise money for their trip to the Carnegie Hall in New York City. “Strings’ parents organized it with core planning. They had several meetings for months with a goal of making it a fun night,” Nancy Beebe, strings teacher, said. The dance included a DJ, neon lights, and a dance ﬂoor with music, a photo booth, and the movie TomorrowLand in the gymnasium.

Photo by Ashley Kulberg

Leah Sloan, seventh grade theater major, receives her lunch in the courtyard. Every student was required to eat outside until the school district deemed the cafeteria safe for students.

Visual majors raise money with sculpture By Sreenidhi Nidamanur Sports Editor

Photo by Nikita Tanguturi

Spraying the paint onto the cat sculpture, Allison Turner, eighth grade visual major, paints her design onto the cat along with a few of her friends.

Clips - Layout-Issue 4

Clips - Layout-Issue 3

ww that smell! Can you smell that smell?”

Arts & Academics

Eighth graders learn science at Busch Gardens trip

Freezer malfunctions in cafeteria during break, spoiling food

By Ashley Kulberg Photo Editor

The Portfolio March 2016

Drawing by Acel Suriaga

Acel Suriaga, seventh grade visual major, participated in the Scholastic Art and Writing Comeptition. She won a gold key for her artwork of “Front Entrance: Garden of Sunshine.”

Photo by Maddy Rubin

between the terms “fun” and “learning.” Eighth grade communications major Brandon Lee said, “Busch Gardens taught me that science is happening around me everywhere and it never stops.”

Photo by Carlos Trivino

it would be memorization, because in theater it is a bare minimum,” Littell said, “If you don’t have that then you don’t really have anything.” Valentine said, “One of the things I love about theater is that we do our

best to try and make performances available to all students. It’s kind of like a ﬁeld trip for everyone without having to leave the school.”

Page 6

The Portfolio News Page 4 March 2016 Clinton earn frontrunner Presidential Primaries: Trump, status after early primary victories

Clips -Copy/Photo - Issue 4 - Spelling Bee

n Feb. 1, 2016, the ﬁrst votes of the 2016 Presidential election cycle were cast in the Iowa caucus. After more than six months of campaigning, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas emerged victorious in the caucus on the Republican side, and Sec. Hillary Clinton edged out Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont on the Democratic side.

Hillary Clinton speaks with husband Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton by her side in Ankeny, Iowa, on Mon. Feb. 1, 2016. Clinton narrowly defeated Sen. Bernie Sanders in Monday’s Democratic Iowa caucus. (AftonbladetIBL/Zuma Press/TNS)

“I was surprised that Cruz won despite his reputation of not getting along well with Congress,”Lisa Hanser,seventh grade social studies teacher said. Cruz won Iowa with 27.6 percent of the vote, 3.3 percent ahead of second place finisher Donald Trump, who finished with 24.3 percent. As for the results of the Democratic caucus, Clinton, who finished with 49.6 percent, narrowly defeated Sanders, who finished with 49.3 percent “On the Democratic side, I was surprised that it was as close as it was.,” Hanser said. Another result some viewed as surprising in the Republican field was Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s strong performance, finishing in third place with 23.1 percent, only 1.2 percent behind Trump. “For months they told us because we didn’t have the right endorsements or the right political connections, we had no chance,” Rubio said in his speech on the night of the caucus. “But tonight, here in Iowa, the people of this great state have sent a very clear message.”

Eight days after the Iowa caucus, the first primaries of the election cycle were held in New Hampshire. The results were clear relatively early on. 24hour news networks across the country called the Republican primary for Trump and the Democratic primary for Sanders. Both of them dominated the rest of the field in their party. Trump finished with 35.4 percent of the vote, nearly 20 percent higher than second place finisher, Ohio Gov. John Kasich. As for Sanders, he finished with 60. 2 percent of the vote, 22 points ahead of Clinton. “Together we have sent a message that will echo from Wall Street to Washington, from Maine to California,” Sanders said in his victory speech. “And that is that the government of our great country belongs to all of the people, and not just a handful of wealthy campaign contributors and their super PACs.” On the Republican side, the competition started to get tighter for spots at the middle of the field. The margin between third place finisher

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks after coming in second place at his Iowa Caucus night gathering in Des Moines, Iowa, on Mon. Feb 1, 2016. (Dennis Van Tine/ Abaca Press/TNS)

Annual spelling bee allows students to represent Bak at regionals

By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor ecently, Danielle Nelson, seventh grade visual arts major, won the annual school wide spelling bee on Jan. 28 in the media center. “The school spelling bee was very intense. We ran out of words which had never happened before,” Jennifer Gardner, language arts teacher, said. The students were given words such as pneumatic, WYSIWYG, epoxy, methodology, guardian and anachronism. “I prepared for the spelling bee by going over the words and circling the ones I misspelled so I can work extra hard on them,” Esha Dudhwewala, seventh grade communications major, said. Little to no preparation was available during the ﬁrst round or classroom spelling bee. “In the class spelling bee, we didn’t give out a list to study since we’re looking for the natural spellers,” Gardner said. The second round, the school spelling bee, was held in the morning in the media center, organized by Jennifer Gardner. Each student was

given a number to indicate when to go up. Winners of each class were given a list of words to practice. “The students were very well prepared this year more so than the students have any other year,” Gardner said. During the spelling bee, many of the strategies had strengths they used in spelling the words correctly. “The easiest part was how a lot of the words were not difficult to spell since you can ask for the definition and word in context,” Dudhewewala said. Students in the spelling bee also struggled with disadvantages such as preparadness and memorization. before and during the competition. “Preparedness could also be a weakness for the students, too. In the first round of the school, you could easily tell the students who studied and who didn’t,” Gardner said. “The hardest part was memorizing the spellings of all the words from different origins and the pressure when you go up there,” Dudhewewala said. The winner of the school’s spelling bee was Danielle Nelson and the runner up was Luke Stone, eighth

Eighth grade visual trip Continued from page 1 By Angela Yan News Editor he institution later became the state art museum. “The Ringling Museum was comprised of various works of art gathered in one place,” Lianna McDonald, eighth grade visual major said. Students took an audio tour of the Salvador Dali Museum on the second day. Dali was a famous Spanish surrealist painter who lived from 1904 to 1989. His works often featured

Photo by Angela Yan

A sculpture made completely out of glass hangs from the ceiling of the Chihuly Collection. This particular sculpture took hours to assemble because each piece had to be put in a speciﬁc spot.

Photo by Valentina Gomez

Danielle Nelson, seventh grade visual major, win Bak’s annual spelling bee. She moved on to regionals along with the runner up, Luke Stone, eighth grade communications major.

grade communications major. the regional spelling bee but I’m also, Nelson said, “I’m excited to go to at the same time, really nervous.” optical illusions. Emily Colainta, eighth grade visual major said. “I got to spend some time going through the Dali Museum with my friends.” The Morean Art Center boasted the Chihuly Collection, Dale Chihuly’s permanent glass exhibition in St. Petersburg. “All of the works in the Chihuly Collection were intricately sculpted,” McDonald said. The Museum of Fine Arts, also in St. Petersburg, is “the only comprehensive art collection of its kind on Florida’s west coast,” according to the museum’s website.

“We were able to visit museums that we’ve never been to before, like the Museum of Fine Arts,” Colainta said. “It gave us a sense of independence while still being in a group.” On the final day, students enjoyed three hours at the Florida Aquarium. The aquarium not only exposed visitors to marine life, but had a Madagascar exhibit as well. McDonald said, “I felt tired [on the drive home] because we had a fun and fulfilling day at the aquarium.” The trip was both the first and last trip for the visual class of 2016. Lumely said, “We experienced another side of art that we didn’t know before.”

Entertainment

Crunch, the truth behind the shell

Cruz and ﬁfth place ﬁnisher Rubio was only 1.2 percent. “You have all reset the race,” Bush said to supporters on the night of the primary. “This campaign is not dead. We’re going to South Carolina.”

Tijuana Flats

Taco Bell

Chipotle

Moe’s

By Ashley Kulberg Photo Editor reviewed four taco restaurants based on cleanliness, customer service, taste, value, and cost. When I walked into Tijuana Flats, I was greeted by a friendly cashier who was knowledgeable about the excessive and confusing menu. At $3.30, it was the most expensive taco I reviewed. The taco had a good blend of ingredients and a unique taste, but it was so big that it was hard to keep it from falling apart. I gave Tijuana Flats three out of ﬁve

stars because of the helpful staff and price value. The next restaurant was Taco Bell. The restaurant was fairly clean, and I ordered a Crunchy Taco, which did not have much ﬂavor. The only ingredients were ground beef, lettuce, and cheese. The menu had a lot of variety and was easy to understand. The service was somewhat slow. The cashier was not paying attention to my order, either. At $1.19 per taco, Taco Bell was the cheapest place I visited. It also had the smallest taco I tried. I gave Taco Bell two and a half out of

ﬁve stars because it had a great menu, but poor service. Chipotle had the best customer service out of the four restaurants I visited. The cashier explained the menu to me with excitement. The food was even better. The ingredients were fresh, however there was a mediocre variety of toppings. The taco did not fall apart easily and had a lot of ﬂavor. The simple menu made ordering easy, and the food was out in no time. The taco was priced at $2.75 per taco. I gave Chipotle four and a half out

of five stars, deeming it the best taco I reviewed; the taco was delicious and the service was excellent. The final taco I tasted was from Moe’s Southwest Grill. The restaurant’s appearance was clean, and there was friendly customer service. I ordered a ground beef taco with a hard shell, which cost $2.99 per taco. While the overall taste of the taco was okay and the ingredients were fresh, the shell fell apart almost immediately. I gave Moe’s Southwestern Grill three and a half out of five stars; it had creative menu items but bland taste.

Clips - Copy - Issue 4 Daddy’s Home

By Luke Stone Co-Editor-In-Chief

The Portfolio March 2016

Oscar predictions give insight about winners The Oscars: By the Numbers 2- Number of Oscars’ director Steven Spielberg has purchased and returned back to the Academy. 5- Previous acting winners renominated this year. 10- Out of 11 of Warner Bros nominations were given to “Mad Max.” 11- Number of nominations for both “The Turning Point” and “The Color Purple” without a single win. 12- Number of nominations “The Revenant” got, making it the film with the most number of nominations this year. 13- People who are part of the EGOT club, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony in competition. 14- Record number of wins for a single film, held by both “All About Eve” and “Titanic”. 15- How long the first Oscars were in minutes. 20- How many hours it takes to make a statuette. 23- Films who only got a single nomination. 25- The age of the youngest person to get four acting nominations (Jennifer Lawrence.) 26- Number of nominations FOX Studios got. 59- Walt Disney’s record-setting number of nominations. 87- Age of the oldest nominee for the best original score award (Ennio Morricone.) 88- Years since the first Oscars were held in 1928.

By Nikita Tanguturi Business Manager tarting out as a 15 minute ceremony with only 13 categories, the Oscars has now evolved into of the most watched television awards show. With plenty of categories, and even more nominees, it is a huge event for the film industry. Arguably one of the most major categories, I think that the 2016 best picture should go to “The Martian.” Getting a 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it “pretty sunny and often funny” and “destined to be a sci-fi classic”, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon. With five final nominees, I think that the best actor in a lead role should be Eddie Remayne, for his work in “The Danish Girl.” Being cast as a transgender woman, he received a lot of praise, and the film itself was a success, receiving four Oscar nominations in various categories. As for best actress, I think that the chances for all of them are pretty equal, but due to all of the Hunger Games popularity, Jennifer Lawrence stands out a little bit. Another frontrunner in my opinion would be Charlotte Rampling for her performance in “45 years.” I think that the winner for the music category. will be either “Writings on the Wall”, from Spectre, or “Earned it”, from “50 Shades of Grey”. Both those songs debuted on Billboard top charts. Overall, the 88th Oscars are one worth watching, with the air date set as Sunday, Feb. 28.

Wahlberg and Ferrell ‘Daddy’s Home’:compete for father role

Courtesy of www.dealflicks.com

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg face off for role of father in the ﬁlm “Daddy’s Home,” which grossed about $234 million.

By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor otion picture, “Daddy’s Home,” hit theaters on Christmas Day 2015, and was directed by Sean Anders. The movie grossed $212.7 million. The movie began with Megan (Scarlett Estevezone), one of the children, presenting drawings to her stepfather Brad (Will Ferrell) that showed how apart he was from the family. As the pictures progressed, it was clear how Megan and her brother, Dylan (Owen Wilder Vaccaro) ﬁnally considered Brad as family. Throughout the story, the ex-husband,

Dusty (Mark Wahlberg), returns to his family after finding out his ex-wife (Linda Cardellini) remarried and tried to take back his family. “Daddy’s Home” was rated PG-13 for mature humor, suggestive content and language. It had a good plot and was funny. Although, the few effects that were added into the movie were surreal, and made the scene unrealistic. One scene where the stepfather, Brad, tries out Dusty’s motorcycle to “show him up” was one of many scenes where the two characters try to outdone another. In the scene, Brad did not know how to control it, leading to him crashing into the house. The special effects made the crash scene seem unreal. However, actors such as Hannibal Buress, Bobby Cannavale and John Cena brought comedy to the big screen. One specific scene in the movie was where Dylan, told Brad and Dusty how some kids at school were bullying him. At a father/daughter dance, they soon realize that their son’s tormentors were girls, yet they had taught Dylan how to fight his bullies. The director also did a great job with keeping the audience engaged all through the duration of the film; either by cracking jokes or creating a surprise twist. “Daddy’s Home” definitely kept the viewers laughing. I gave “Daddy’s Home” four out of five stars since it gave an entertaining plot, and talented actors, but minor parts throughout the film were unrealistic.

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News.................................1 & 4 Editorial.....................................2 Opinion.................................3 Entertainment.........................5 Features.............................6&7 Sports and Clubs.......................8 Arts and Academics.....10 Technology..............................11 Student Life...................................12

Puerto Rico trip enhances students’ Spanish Donnelly: ‘The girls got to learn different sayings and expressions.’

Photo courtesy of Christina Donnelly

Nine students visit Puerto Rico on a Spanish trip during spring break. They participated in activities such as kayaking in the bioluminescent bay and hiking in a tropical rainforest.

By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor

“It lets kids open up a desire to travel more, learn more and be more open-minded about people across the panish World Language class globe,” Christina Donnelly, Spanish traveled to Puerto Rico during teacher said. spring break from March 20 to During the ﬁeld trip, students had March 25. the chance to practice the Spanish they

Advanced orchestra travels to New York City to perform at Carnegie Hall, sightsee By Angela Yan News Editor

ach performer stared out at the audience, gripping their instruments and mentally reviewing the notes of their pieces. As the conductor waved her hand, the orchestra broke out into song, with the sweet sound resonating across the hall. Carnegie Hall, a world renowned concert hall in New York, invited the advanced orchestra to play and tour New York City from March 23 to March 26. “The acoustics of the hall were nice and really projected our sound,” Anish Ravichandran, eighth grade strings major said. The orchestra played “St Paul’s Suite Jig” by Gustav Holst, “Aase’s Death” by Edward Grieg, “Double Cello Concerto” by Antonio Vivaldi, “Gabriel’s Oboe Play” by the Portland Orchestra, and “Semiramide Overture” by Gioachino Rossini. “Ms. Beebe sent a recording of one

of last year’s performance to Carnegie Hall. They accepted us and let us play there,” Ravichandran said. On Thursday, March 24 the group saw the Broadway show “Phantom of the Opera.” “The singers performing the ‘Phantom of the Opera’ had high vocal ranges, but the special effects were a little crazy,” Kong said. “The acting was definitely Broadway quality.” The students walked to Central Park the following Friday. Central Park is an urban park that is one of the most filmed locations in the world. In 2013, 40 million people visited the park. “The part [of Central Park that] we saw was about five times the size of Bak,” Kong said. According to Carnegie Hall’s website, Andrew Carnegie built the hall in the undeveloped section of upper Manhattan. It opened on May 5, 1891. “Carnegie Hall was beautiful, but it was pretty small,” Ravichandran said. “There were a lot of backstage rooms where we could warm up.”

learned in class in real-life situations. “In class, we learned basic words to talk to people. Spanish class helped me communicate with the residents there and know basic needs like how to order your lunch or ask the price of souvenirs,” Taylor Haynes, seventh

grade communications major said. Nine girls went on the Puerto Rico trip and participated in activities such as “kayaking in the bioluminescent bay, hiking in a tropical rainforest, snorkeling off of Catamaran in the coral reef, cave-exploring, visiting the old St. Juan from the Spanish war, and, of course, shopping,” Donnelly said. “[I liked] the bioluminescent tours because we got to see the water glow at night,” Haynes said. Puerto Rico, also known as “The Island of Enchantment,” is in the top 25 best places to visit in the world, according to travel.usnews.com. “I was expecting to see an interesting culture and to learn about the islanders and I did,” Haynes said. According to Ehow, Puerto Rico had several Catholic faith shapes in its culture” and “has many foods with indigenous seasonings such as Cocina Criolla. “The girls got to experience a different culture, a different schedule, different foods, and different sayings and expressions,” Donnelly said. Bak’s annual Spanish trip let students “communicate,” Haynes said, and “learn and practice Spanish.” Haynes said, “I wanted to enhance my Spanish. My mom is Spanish, so I want to learn the language she speaks.”

Morning announcements receives new LED set to modernize show

Photo by Madaleine Rubin

With a quadruple LED light display, the new set illuminates the television studio. The four lights randomly changed colors to professionalize the Morning Announcements.

By Lily Gumbinner Photo Editor

ak MSOA Today updated the look of the morning announcements by adding a new set to improve the show and teach students how to work with a real, professional set. “The students really wanted something different than the black curtain. They

wanted to enhance their news program and modernize their show,” Shannon Owens, communications teacher, said. The crew ordered the set from Gelbach Designs, a professional set design company out of North Carolina. The set was custom built to match the anchor desk.

Morning announcements set Continued on page 4

Arts & Academics

The Portfolio April 2016

Visual majors celebrate success every nine weeks

April 2016 * Volume 19 * Issue 5 * Bak Middle School of the Arts * 1725 Echo Lake Drive * West Palm Beach, Florida 33407

Photo by Nikita Tanguturi

Organized Chaos gives students opportunity to be published, show work Entertainment

The Portfolio April 2016

Page 5

Popular YouTubers pique students’ interest

Graphic by Ashley Kulberg

By Ashley Kulberg Photo Editor hree hundred hours of video footage are uploaded on YouTube every minute. That translates to 172,800 hours every day. Many teenagers would consider YouTube an instrumental part of their daily lives. “I like YouTubers that can make me laugh when I’m having a bad day,” Berta Pavaci, seventh grade communications major, said. The company has rapidly gained momentum since its launch in 2005,

and currently has 800 million visitors every month, according to socialbakers. com. “Someone who’s not afraid to tell jokes [is a good YouTuber],” Aidan Dunn, seventh grade theater major, said. Teens, especially, spend more time watching YouTube than any other age group, with an average of 40 minute sessions, according to YouTube. “When YouTubers make advanced videos with lots of graphics, I’m more likely to watch other videos they made,” Pavaci said.

Forty one point six percent of YouTube users in the United States regularly watch videos by their favorite YouTubers, according to statista.com. PewDiePie currently holds the record for most subscribers, with over 43 million. “If you’re a content creator, you’re going to look for two things,” Susan Wojcicki, YouTube CEO, said in an interview with recode.net. “You’re going to look for promotion and distribution, and you’re going to look for revenue. We have both of those.” Many teens aspire to become

Scooping up flavor:

Carvel wins against other ice cream competitiors

Inspiring ski jumper moves viewers

Photo by Jordan Taylor

Out of four places, the Carvel brand ranks as the best ice cream with four and a half stars. Carvel has employed over a thousand people and it was founded in 1929 by Tom Carvel.

By Jordan Taylor Website Editor n the 1700’s, ice cream was introduced in America. According to icecream.com, this delicious frozen treat is still one of the most popular selling desserts. I went to four ice cream locations around the West Palm Beach area and rated them on their ﬂavor, texture, price, and customer service. Cold Stone Creamery is an ice cream chain that is located around the country. When I walked in, the overwhelmingly wonderful smell of sweetness and cream came over me. The service was

good, but they only had one employee that helped customers. The ice cream itself was very rich, with a smooth consistency. The flavor was strong, but not too overpowering. The price was not too high for the amount I received, about $4, so I gave Cold Stone a 4 out of 5 stars. Haagen-Dazs is also a very popular chain of restaurants. The service was okay, but the ice cream was extremely expensive, about $6, for the tiny scoop that was given to me. The flavors were very good, but it had a gritty consistency. The location was clean and they had a wide variety of flavors to chose from. I gave Haagen-Dazs a 2.5 out of 5 stars. Kobosko Kreamery has one location in Wellington, Florida. When I walked in, the place was clean and the service was okay. No one greeted me at the door and they did not seem very happy while I was ordering. The ice cream was very smooth, but it tasted artificial and unnatural. It was reasonably priced, about $3.50, for the amount I received. I gave Kobosko Kreamery a 2 out of 5 stars. Carvel has been around since 1934, and has been rated very highly by other customers, so I had pretty high expectations, and I was pleased with the taste and texture of the ice cream. It had a lot of flavor and was rich and creamy. The total price was reasonable for two scoops of ice cream; it costed about $6. The only negative comment was that the cashier was not very friendly. I gave Carvel a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor eleased on March 28, “Eddie the Eagle” grossed $15.2 million. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, this PG-13 film was based on a true story. Starting off as a kid, young Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) gave an insight of his huge dream of being part of the Olympics ever since he was a child. This inspiring story gave a moral lesson on never giving up and to always dream big. I felt that the overall film was exceptional with great music that caught the perfect moment in a scene like when Eddie got accepted into the winter Olympics. The music made it very moving and it made the audience cheer for Eddie as well. The film also had an amazing plotline since it took the viewer through each obstacle with the characters. This film gave viewers many suspenseful scenes. One of these scenes is when Eddie is trying out the 70 meter takeoff ramp for the first time. Eddie was very inexperienced, the audience was praying for a good outcome. Eddie is a very nerd-like, sweet dreamer with a strong passion. With lots of help from his friend and coach, Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman), he was able to make it in his journey to compete in ski jumping in the winter Olympics. Actors such as Jackman and Egerton along with Tim McInnerny and Jo Hartley helped contribute into the heart-wrenching plot of the film by

professional YouTubers. According to stageoﬂife.com, 49 percent of teens have uploaded a video to YouTube. “The best thing is helping people and making them happy,” Zoe ‘Zoella’ Sugg said in an interview with dailymail.com. No matter how many future accounts are created, YouTube plans to continue improving their services. Wojcicki, said, “The great thing about the Internet is you can launch a product, and within just a few hours, people will tell you what they think about it.”

adding dramatic and emotional scenes. I gave “Eddie the Eagle” ﬁve out of ﬁve stars because of its great acting, inspirational message, amazing music and perfect plot-line.

Photo courtesy of calgaryherald.com

Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) competes for the 90 meter jump for ski jumping in the winter Olympics, which was his all-time dream as a child.

Clips - Copy - Issue5 - FSA Prep

Clips -Copy - Issue5 - Puerto Rico Trip, Eddie The Eagle

The

By Ervin Williams Technology Editor he next edition of Organized Chaos, projected to be available for purchase in late April-early May, holds sketches and literary pieces from the students at Bak. Organized Chaos, a literary magazine, provides students with a real world application for how publishing a book or a magazine works. “This is a great way for [students] to experience what it is like to work on a magazine, and what it is like to be a part of one,” Isabella Kjaerulff, eighth grade communications major said.

Photo by Luke Stone

The MSOA foundation funds Organized Chaos each year. The magazine has been ranked All-American with marks of distinction by the National Scholastic Press Association.

By the Numbers: Bak FSA statistics from 2014-2015

100%

Level 3 or higher for EOC Geometry

99%

Level 3 or higher for EOC Algebra 1

96%

Level 3 or higher for EOC Civics Data from Administration

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Arts & Academics

The Portfolio April 2016

Page 14

Visual majors celebrate success every nine weeks By Nikita Tanguturi Business Manager omprised of pictures, paintings, wire, mixed media, and alien babies, the visual arts department held the annual spring showcase. “It makes you want to work harder, if you know your piece is going to be displayed in the show. ‘You want to be proud of it and have everyone look at it and say ‘oh look at this!’ Savannah McCline, seventh grade visual major, said. The visual arts department holds a showcase every nine weeks in the William Koch gallery in the Mainstage Theater lobby. “We do a showcase to celebrate students success, and everything they have accomplished in a nine weeks,” Michelle Sherman, visual arts teacher said. “We also do it to show parents and faculty what we are working on.” The gallery also provides a different perspective for students from other majors, allowing them to experience visual arts through a gallery. “It shows other major students

The Portfolio May 2016

Charles Schulz lives on in the musical ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor ased on the comic strip, “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schulz, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” was presented in the main stage theater. “The reason ‘Peanuts’ stayed around so long is since everyone identiﬁes with it by reading simple stories on problems young kids have,” Richard Valentine, director, said. The ‘Peanuts’ comic strip ran from Oct. 2, 1950 to Feb. 13, 2002. Charles M. Schulz entirely focused on the miniature society of young kids with no adult ﬁgure throughout the whole comic series. “Charlie Brown has always been a part of my life in my childhood on

Sundays,” Valentine said. “In high school, I did a scene from this show and directed it professionally two or three times. I have history with this production.” Characters who performed in the musical included Jakob Littell as Charile Brown, Nicolas Madruga as Linus, Chloe Colbert as Schroeder, Molli Scramowicz as Patty, Preston Padgett as Snoopy and Abigail Garcia as Lucy. “This musical was special for me because when I was a kid, I used to love watching the ‘Peanuts’ comics so I was so excited to be a part of it,” Colbert, eighth grade theater major, said. Learning and practicing the lines for the actors came as a challenge. “Memorization [was my greatest

By the Numbers: Bak FSA statistics from 2014-2015

100%

Level 3 or higher for EOC Geometry

99%

Level 3 or higher for EOC Algebra 1

96%

Level 3 or higher for EOC Civics Data from Administration

Clips - Layout-Issue 6

Clips - layout-Issue 5

The MSOA foundation funds Organized Chaos each year. The magazine has been ranked All-American with marks of distinction by the National Scholastic Press Association.

struggle]. I had a big monologue so I found it challenging for me,” Colbert said. Linus van Pelt, one of the main characters in the show, is never seen without his blue blanket and when he does not have it with him, he freaks out. “[My favorite scene in the play] was when Linus was dancing with his blanket because it added humor and he was a very good singer,” Emma Taffe, sixth grade dance major said. According to ideaﬁnder.com, Schulz said during an interview, “It seems beyond the comprehension of people that someone can be born to draw comics, but I was. My ambition from earliest memory was to produce a daily comic strip.

Photo by Valentina Gomez

Linus (Nicolas Madruga) and Snoopy (Preston Padgett) perform in the musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” on April 28. Based off of the hit comic strip “Peanuts,” the musical ran through sixth and eighth period.

Eighth grade visual majors display their final projects in the art gallery Photo by Nikita Tanguturi

Organized Chaos gives students opportunity to be published, show work

Photo by Luke Stone

Arts & Academics

Photo by Ervin Williams

The art show displayed pieces created by the leaving eighth grade students. The art pieces consisted of sculptures, self-portraits, dresses, and photos. “ Art, for me, is like an extention of my personality,” Giles said. “Everything I draw is a reﬂection of who I am.”

By Ervin Williams Technology Editor n May 5, 2016, the graduating eighth grade visual majors featured their ﬁnal projects for students and parents at the William I. Koch Gallery and the Visual Arts Wing. One of the main purposes for having

the showcase was to “show how we grew from sixth grade to eighth grade,” Danielle Hoogterp, eighth grade visual major, said. “When I started sixth grade, I was drawing things that made me happy and more positive sketches,” Gianni Giles, eighth grade visual major, said. “Now, for my eighth grade project, I

made a cut mug about my anger, that I glazed and molded from clay.” For others, the eighth grade project and personal project reﬂects more about what they feel when they are making their pieces. “When I draw, I feel a strong passion and excitement for art I create,” Hoogterp said. “It is the feeling that I know my love for [art] can’t be taken away.” Despite the projects’ content being totally up to the students imagination, the art pieces have to follow a certain parameter to be approved by their teachers. “Everyone has to make a self-portrait but the other piece can be about anything that is deep and affects you,” Aidan Nelson, eighth grade visual major, said.” The art pieces showcased at the gallery were not how they started. The artist ﬁrst had to think about what they were going to make. “Before I made my pieces, I did a few small sketches and a few sentences describing what I was going to do,”

Hoogterp said. While working on their numerous art pieces throughout the years, students were helped by their teachers. “Honestly, I would not have gotten better and learned new techniques of drawing if it wasn’t for my teachers,” Giles said. “Teachers like Mr. Fallon and Mr. Barker really inspire students to draw about their passions and inspire others by your art.” The pieces for the art showcase went through a carfeful selection process in order to “express the emotions of the pieces more ﬂuidly” Giles said. “After we ﬁnish our pieces, we have to go through peer edits,” Giles said. “During the peer editing stage we critique our pieces based on shading, color, idea, emotion, and realism. Although the showcase was for students to feature their artwork, it also marked the end of their Bak experience. Giles said, “At Bak, I honed my skills and had so much help and tips from all my teachers. My experience was great, and I am going to miss this school.”

Students win annual Literature contest by submitting pieces to Library of Congress By Jordan Taylor Website Editor etters about Literature is a reading and writing contest sponsored by the Library of Congress. Eighth grade language arts teacher, Tom Felt, had his students participate in this contest this was the first year with so many winners. It is for grades four through 12, and kids were asked to read a speech or poem and write a letter to the author about how the material affected them. “My language arts teacher gave the letter to us as an assignment, and we were supposed to write about a book that changed our life. I knew the exact book that fit the mold, and I knew immediately what I was going to write about,” Philippa Scroggins said. Scroggins received first place in state level and will move on to the national contest, as well as receiving $100. She

wrote her letter to Gayle Foreman, the author of “If I Stay”. Gabriella Siedle received third place in state level as well as a $25 gift card, and wrote her letter to John Bayne, the author of “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”. “I chose this author mainly because of her book. ‘If I Stay’ was very ironic to read because it was almost like I was reading about another version of myself,” Scroggins said. There were eight more state ﬁnalists, including Amanda Vanner, Sally Zhang, Christian Stephans, Brooke Ibarra, Angela Yan, Noah Sams, Madaleine Rubin and Shaina Franks. They will be mentioned at the eighth grade ceremony and each of them received a certiﬁcate as well. “Any student can enter the Library of Congress contest each year. You don’t have to enter through your teacher, and you choose an author that had an

impact on your life,” Felt said. Tens of thousands of students entered the contest every year. Students could enter on their own, using the website read.gov/letters, not just through a class. “This contest requires students to evaluate a book and make a judgement about its quality and to clearly inspect evaluations. This is a very prestigious contest sponsored by the Library of congress, so it’s a big deal,” Felt said. The Letters about Literature contest was funded by a generous grant from Dollar General Literacy Foundation, plus gifts from the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, which promotes the contest. This Literature contest improved students’ writing abilities by using descriptive and creative strategies to create personal letters of how that certain book related to them personally.

Photo courtesy of Tom Felt

Phillippa Scroggins and Gabriella Siedle place in the Literature contest. Scroggins said, “It’s safe to say that this book [If I Stay] shaped me into the person I am today.”

800 being 2.28.9. “It’s [Track] good in muscle build up, makes you stronger, and gets your endurance up,” Kennate Hendrix, seventh grade communications major, said. They competed against other teams, as well as against each other in various events, like 400 and 100 meter runs, as well as 200, 800, 800 medley, and other Photo by Ervin Williams events. Runners from the Bak team Aidan Nelson, eighth grader, visual major, practices for the 100m run. this year tried to get into the regional His next competition will be against Duncan on Tuesday, May 17. met, and into county championships.

Hendrix said. Track not only provided an athletic beneﬁt, it also let students compete and bring home awards. “Most of the kids on the track team, if not all, are supportive. If we do badly or if we do well, it doesn’t matter, we are cheering each other on, and pushing each other to our limits,” Greenberg said. “I ﬁnd it is so much more fun when you have a helping hand, and someone who inspires you to go a little bit faster or a little bit further.”

Geek Games inspires students to use imagination to play games

Clips -Copy - Issue 6 - Geek Games

kids could play games about movies they like such as the Hobbit and they can ﬁght against other characters they are interested in like the Hulk,” Geek games supervisor, Zane Hurley, said. Ihaveaplaniowa.gov states that besides enhancing students’ time management and stress management skills, extracurricular activities can be fun and a great way to socialize with peers. “It’s helped me improve my social skills,” Thomas Ashley, sixth grade communications major, said. According to helpguide.gov, children who are playing games develop a stronger sense of creativity and inquisitiveness. Zane Hurley, Geek Games supervisor, said, “Even for games Photo by Ervin Williams that apply probability, the kids use Fox Lopez, Geek Games member, plays HeroClix at the Geek Games imagination such as using certain cards meeting. HeroClix includes Superman mini action collectible ﬁgures for Dungeons and Dragons.” and centers on the world of superheroes.

Boys’ volleyball 0-7 as season comes to end By Jordan Taylor Website Editor s the season came to an end, the boys’ volleyball team put in an effort with a score of 2-4. “We had a difﬁcult schedule and teams was tough because every team was stronger than us” Matthew Sallas, coach, said. Players kept their spirit up throughout the season and knew what they needed to work on as well as their strengths. “We were good at offense, but we Photo by Ervin Williams needed to work on our defense,” Nolan Jordan Haynes, seventh grader, bumps the ball to the other side. The Anschuetz, setter, said. boys played against Duncan on Tuesday, May 3.

Coach Sallas believed the team was trying their best though they did not have much experience as other schools did. Schools such as Independence with a score of 17-25 first set and 19-25 the second set, Duncan with 14-25 the first set and 16-25 the second set and Jupiter with 19-25 the first set and 2325 the second set. “After we learned the basics, we worked on how to implement them into game experiences,” Sallas said. Anschuetz said, “We practiced hard and we’ve lost all of our games, but I think we are going to get better.”

The Portfolio May 2016

Arts & Academics

Charles Schulz lives on in the musical ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’

Clips - Copy/Photos - Issue 6 - Charile bBrown Musical

By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor eek Games provides a chance for students to learn how to play games, interact with their peers, and use their imagination to be creative. “The students play a lot fantasy and character-based games,” Zane Hurley, Geek Games supervisor, said. Several games that the students play in the club are Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, Yu-Gi-Oh, Hero Clix, and Dice Masters. “Every game is taught to you or you can play whatever you want,” Zane Hurley, sixth grade communications major, said. According to quora.com, people join clubs to make friends or expand experience. “It’s a club based on being able to have friends with similar interests. The

Page 14 By Valentina Gomez Arts and Academics Editor ased on the comic strip, “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schulz, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” was presented in the main stage theater. “The reason ‘Peanuts’ stayed around so long is since everyone identiﬁes with it by reading simple stories on problems young kids have,” Richard Valentine, director, said. The ‘Peanuts’ comic strip ran from Oct. 2, 1950 to Feb. 13, 2002. Charles M. Schulz entirely focused on the miniature society of young kids with no adult ﬁgure throughout the whole comic series. “Charlie Brown has always been a part of my life in my childhood on

Photo by Valentina Gomez

Eighth grade visual majors display their final projects in the art gallery

Photo by Ervin Williams

Photo courtesy of Tom Felt

Phillippa Scroggins and Gabriella Siedle place in the Literature contest. Scroggins said, “It’s safe to say that this book [If I Stay] shaped me into the person I am today.”