Brandon Lee Portfolio 2016

BRANDON LEE

BAK MSOA

PORTFOLIO

20152016 ALL APPLIED TO THE 2015-2016 MASTERPIECE YEARBOOK

March 13, 2016 Dr. Linda Cartlidge Suncoast High School Principal 1717 Avenue S Riviera Beach, FL 33404

2952 Payson Way Wellington, FL 33414 561-207-0542 s26397109@gmail.com

Dear Dr. Cartlidge, As being a high ranked school in the state of Florida, your high school has become a great interest of mine to attend. Not only will this school be helpful for my education, but Suncoast will also benefit from the success of a student like me.

First off, I will make a great contribution to your current yearbook staff, as in the fact that I have served as the Arts and Academics Editor in the award-winning, “Masterpiece Yearbook”, from the school of Bak MSOA. I have also competed in the Academic Games League, as I have recently gotten first place at the state competition. Of course a school like Suncoast will mostly accept students with high GPAs and spotless report cards. As I live to this day, any grade lower than an A has been yet to be seen my report card, resulting in a perfect 4.0 GPA. I assure you that a student like this would be a 110% benefit to your school.

If I were to be accepted into this school, I would excel in my academic career. I would be attending your Calculus class starting in the ninth grade, alongside Spanish 3, resulting in 3 extra high school credit points (than the average 24) towards my diploma. I strive to work my very best to get the highest possible outcome, and also try to help my surroundings along with me. This is the school I need to successfully travel on the course to career success.

I strongly encourage you to consider my application to your school, as it will be a great benefit for me as a student and to your high-leveled school. I have attached a copy of my resume, and I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Sincerely, Brandon Lee

OBJECTIVE To excel in my academic career by being accepted to the school.

2952 Payson Way Wellington, FL 33414 561-207-0542 s26397109@gmail.com

EDUCATION »» 3 years at Bak MSOA »» 4.0 GPA with straight A’s EXPERIENCE »» Arts & Academics Editor for the Masterpiece Yearbook »» NJHS Member »» AGLOA Member »» President’s Education Awards Program RELEVANT MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDIES »» Beginner’s Spanish, Spanish 1, and Spanish 2 »» Algebra 1 Honors, Geometry Honors, and Algebra 2 Honors »» Yearbook »» Speech and Debate HONORS, AWARDS, AND MEMBERSHIPS »» National Junior Honor Society- This is a highly recognized club meant for volunteering for the people in need. »» AGLOA- Won numerous team and individual awards at the local and state level. »» President’s Education Award Program GOLD- An award for excellence in the area of academics. »» Perfect Score on Algebra EOC- Earning a perfect score on the Algebra EOC in the 6th grade. »» Community Service Hours- Award for doing community service, like playing at piano recitals for the musical benefit of the elderly. I have also participated in a fundraiser to send children to mission trips that can’t afford the cost. »» JEA 2015 AWARD- Excellent Rating in academic photo/caption REFERENCE »» Doug Battle, NJHS and AGLOA Advisor 561-123-4567 »» Jay Stanco Awards Coordinator 561-098-7654 »» Leanne Cornwell Algebra Teacher 561-593-5471

Self-Analytical Evaluation

Reflection #1

First off, I started Yearbook in the 7th grade, learning numerous Journalism and life skills. I have learned how to use programs like Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. I have learned all the rules of layouts, copy, captions, and photos. For example, pictures should have unique angles, using the rule of thirds. Layouts should have an eye line, copy should all be in past tense, and captions should be three sentences all past tense, with an appealing caption headline. Negotiating and conversing with others is the best way to have a successful outcome that satisfies both parties.

My most significant piece of work this year is the math spread for the 2015-2016 Masterpiece Yearbook. This spread was a very successful spread for me, due to the fact that I had many photos and captions that were approved for the spread.

This Masterpiece Yearbook was split into 4 deadlines, which really pushed me to meet all deadlines on time and proficiently in the yearbook and also in life. I have taken this course to see and experience how it was to create a piece of work that would be available to about a 1400 students to read. It taught me how dedication and patience was key to making an outcome that was satisfying. The experience was something that shouldn’t be missed, and I really enjoyed the lessons that it taught me to excel through life.

This spread in particular was easy for me to complete because of my interest and dedication to the spread and the team. At the beginning, I really did think that this spread was an easy task for me to complete. As we moved through the photo, captions, copy, and layout process, this spread really popped out at me, showing me that this would be one of my greatest accomplishments yet. I learned how even academics could have an interesting story to it, with many photos that you can capture.

This course is the reason that I have more patience and knowledge about the journalism world. I have learned so much from the class that I couldn’t have learned anywhere else. This knowledge could be used in future newspaper staffs, essays, articles, and when applying for jobs and positions.

In conclusion, this class had a very positive impact on me as a person as a journalist and as a person.

Most of this spread had my items placed, and this really made me happy since my work and dedication was in the spread, ready for many people to see and read. The copy was mostly not one of my best I have written in my opinion, but it was still decent and the captions were one of my best. The math spread was my greatest achievement for the 2015-2016 Masterpiece Yearbook.

-Brandon Lee

-Brandon Lee

For instance, all captions had an interesting story, going along with the math copy. The photos taken for the spread had interesting angles and storytelling themes. I really did have a great time making this spread, pushing me to do better and make the spread a winner.

Reflection #1 First Draft and Final PDF Beyond the textbook...

What do you like about math?

“I like that math only has one answer and that most questions don’t have multiple possible answers.”Luke Stone communications (8)

-1

-1

PDF HAS DELETED ITEMS ON SPREAD

“Math can help you in the real world and can help you to get a good jobs and into good colleges in the future.”Abigail Garcia theater (8) “Math makes me feel smart when I can answer a question right because for most people, math is difficult.” Jessica Widder communications (8)

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE Peering at the whiteboard, Aaliyah Ali (6) watches her friend draw on the screen. “Ms. Ellrich lets us use this pad to write on the board,” Ali said. “We get to have a part in doing the work that she would normally do.” Ali felt that the opportunity to write on the board was a great part of her math class. Photo

by Brandon Lee

2

1

-1

A QUALIFYING QUESTION Looking at her math teacher, Ria Barnes (6) asks Michelle Ashley, about a problem she is having with her work. “Math makes you work hard and it is useful,” Barnes said.

Barnes enjoyed the real world problems that she had to complete in math. Photo

by Brandon Lee

3

SHOO FLY With a gesture to her friend, Savannah Jones (7) finishes her math classwork. “I like how my teacher explains things thoroughly,” Jones said. Jones liked that math taught her to think outside of the box. Photo by Brandon Lee

HELPING EXPONENTIALLY Math classes at Bak raise the bar, expectations

4

TACTFUL THINKING With a hand against her cheek, Victoria Bramble (8) thinks about the difficulty level of her classwork. “I love getting easy tests and homework. It makes me feel smart,” Bramble said. Bramble believed that math was easy, which was why she was interested in the subject. Photo by Brandon Lee

44

5

NO LACK OF LAUGHING Squirming in her seat, Kate Deviney (6) laughs about math. “I laugh when [my friends] mess up because it is funny and I can learn from their mistakes,” Deviney said.”

She believed that friends made math interesting. Photo by Brandon Lee

S

he furiously worked out the problem on the board, trying to meet the time restraints given. She quickly glanced at her fellow classmates’ faces, showing signs of confidence in their own answer. She solved the problem, double-checking her answer. The teacher called her up. It was time to reveal her answer.

Bak MSOA was a school that had a different perspective on teaching students in the area of math. It helped students learn according to their pace in the class.

“My teacher, Mrs. McIntosh, allows everyone to stay on pace and on track. My elementary school was slow [in pace], and even though Bak MSOA is high in the ranks, math still can be adjusted to my pace,” Sophia Roud

communications (6) said.

The transition from elementary school to middle school was not only the difference in grade level, but the higher standards of their math class. Homework was one of the major differences in the class when transitioning, and had a big difference from their other academic classes.

“Math is definitely a lot harder than elementary school math. There is a lot of homework, and there is no repeating topics if you don’t understand it,” Jackson Vangiessen strings (6) said. “I usually have a lot more homework for math than other academics. If you were to put it on a scale for homework, half of the scale would be my math homework and the other would be the rest of my homework for my other academics.”

Beyond Primary Colors

Pace and the amount of homework were not the only things that made Bak different from other schools. Interaction and hands-on learning with the problems was a way that students could get to learn the lesson better.

“In Bak, we have a separate learning style,” Carlee Tew communications (8) said, “We have more assignments that involve interaction and our teachers teach us in a way that is different from other schools.”

The teacher nodded to the correct answers and pointed at the wrong ones. The teacher was within seconds of finding out if she was right. Her teacher gestured that her answer was correct, and that gave the student renewed confidence.

by Brandon Lee and Aditya Jadvani Arts & Academics/Math 45

Beyond the textbook...

What do you like about math?

“I like that math only has one answer and that most questions don’t have multiple possible answers.”Luke Stone communications (8) “Math can help you in the real world and can help you to get a good jobs and into good colleges in the future.”Abigail Garcia theater (8) “Math makes me feel smart when I can answer a question right because for most people, math is difficult.” Jessica Widder communications (8)

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE Peering at the whiteboard, Aaliyah Ali (6) watches her friend draw on the screen. “Ms. Ellrich lets us use this pad to write on the board,” Ali said. “We get to have a part in doing the work that she would normally do.” Ali felt that the opportunity to write on the board was a great part of her math class. Photo

by Brandon Lee

A QUALIFYING QUESTION Looking at her math teacher, Ria Barnes (6) asks Michelle Ashley, about a problem she is having with her work. “Math makes you work hard and it is useful,” Barnes said.

Barnes enjoyed the real world problems that she had to complete in math. Photo

by Brandon Lee

SHOO FLY With a gesture to her friend, Savannah Jones (7) finishes her math classwork. “I like how my teacher explains things thoroughly,” Jones said. Jones liked that math taught her to think outside of the box. Photo by Brandon Lee

HELPING EXPONENTIALLY Math classes at Bak raise the bar, expectations

S

TACTFUL THINKING With a hand against her cheek, Victoria Bramble (8) thinks about the difficulty level of her classwork. “I love getting easy tests and homework. It makes me feel smart,” Bramble said. Bramble believed that math was easy, which was why she was interested in the subject. Photo by Brandon Lee

44

Beyond Primary Colors

NO LACK OF LAUGHING Squirming in her seat, Kate Deviney (6) laughs about math. “I laugh when [my friends] mess up because it is funny and I can learn from their mistakes,” Deviney said.”

She believed that friends made math interesting. Photo by Brandon Lee

he furiously worked out the problem on the board, trying to meet the time restraints given. She quickly glanced at her fellow classmates’ faces, showing signs of confidence in their own answer. She solved the problem, double-checking her answer. The teacher called her up. It was time to reveal her answer.

Bak MSOA was a school that had a different perspective on teaching students in the area of math. It helped students learn according to their pace in the class.

“My teacher, Mrs. McIntosh, allows everyone to stay on pace and on track. My elementary school was slow [in pace], and even though Bak MSOA is high in the ranks, math still can be adjusted to my pace,” Sophia Roud

communications (6) said.

The transition from elementary school to middle school was not only the difference in grade level, but the higher standards of their math class. Homework was one of the major differences in the class when transitioning, and had a big difference from their other academic classes.

“Math is definitely a lot harder than elementary school math. There is a lot of homework, and there is no repeating topics if you don’t understand it,” Jackson Vangiessen strings (6) said. “I usually have a lot more homework for math than other academics. If you were to put it on a scale for homework, half of the scale would be my math homework and the other would be the rest of my homework for my other academics.”

Pace and the amount of homework were not the only things that made Bak different from other schools. Interaction and hands-on learning with the problems was a way that students could get to learn the lesson better.

“In Bak, we have a separate learning style,” Carlee Tew communications (8) said, “We have more assignments that involve interaction and our teachers teach us in a way that is different from other schools.”

The teacher nodded to the correct answers and pointed at the wrong ones. The teacher was within seconds of finding out if she was right. Her teacher gestured that her answer was correct, and that gave the student renewed confidence.

by Brandon Lee and Aditya Jadvani Arts & Academics/Math 45

Reflection #2 A piece that could still use work would be the Helping Hands spread. I learned how we really have to look for continuity. The spread was just made up of a lot of errors, little items like accidental lower case letters or wrong grammar. Just a little extra time and a more careful eye could of prevented these things from happening.

At the beginning, the team and I were struggling to meet all of the mini deadlines due to other spreads to work on, and because the spread was the very first of its kind. As we went along with the captions and the copy, things started to run faster and smoother, resulting in on our spread being turned in earlier than the deadline.

The spread would have been a lot better if we just really looked for continuity and punctuation/grammar. When we were trying to find the best pictures for the spread, it was difficult because most of the photos that were taken were not by our own staffers or really didn’t have something that was appealing to it. If we could have just taken more photos and fixed all the errors, I really think that the spread would make one of the top spreads that I have completed in the 2016 Masterpiece Yearbook.

-Brandon Lee

Reflection 3 Part 1

Reflection 2 First Draft and Final PDF (First Draft Proof Not Found)

DIJON VU Spreading condiments on bread, Kailee Gomez (6) and Megan Rollins (6) prepare sandwiches for the homeless. “We pass around the sandwich and then add our part to it,” Gomez said. If she was homeless, Gomez would want people to help her out. Photo by Heather Rollins

How Can YOU Help?

1. St. Judes Children’s Hospital “St. Jude...treats and defeats childhood cancer and other lifethreatening diseases. The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.”

2. Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League

Helping

“Peggy Adams...is a limited-admission humane society and provides services to over 28,000 cats, dogs, puppies and kittens each year. Our vision is to create a community where 100% of the adoptable animals find loving homes.”

HANDS

I

“[Our goal is] to help change lives through the power of work.

Goodwill provides career training and placement assistance for employment. We envision a community powered by a skilled workforce, successful businesses and a strong economy.”

PUPPY PRESENTATION Trying to get her family’s foster dogs adopted, Angela Yan (8) plays with the puppies to show off their playful spirit. “At first, [fostering] was not a passion, but we kept doing it and the dogs seemed cuter,” Yan said. There were 12 dogs the Yan family was trying to give homes to. Photo by Guest

Students’actionsweremorethanjustschoolrequirements

t was early in the morning. The beach was dotted with trash sticking out of the warm, brown sand. Water bottles stuck out from the bush and plastic bags scooped up shells. A single crab wandered aimlessly, dodging trash and trying to navigate its way to the ocean.

A group of people with black trash bags arrived on the beach. A difference on the beach was made.

“I helped at a beach clean-up and I saw all the people working their butts off to keep the beach clean. It was awesome to see these people gather together to make the beach clean,” Dara Desai vocal (7) said.

In addition to volunteer groups, many students chose to get involved with nonprofit charities, such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Students like Noah Sams vocal (8) also volunteered with their religious groups.

“I babysit at my church, volunteer at camp to watch over the kids, and I run for cancer and some other serious diseases,” Sams said. “I got around 27 hours last year. This year, I want to get at least 20, maybe even 30.”

12

3. Goodwill

Painting Your Own Path

Some people, like Genevieve Ansay strings (7) did community service as a part of their everyday lives.

“A neighbor found some kittens, and we got to take care of them and find a home for them. The kittens have sad stories, so we got the job of taking care of the kittens,” Ansay said. “We fostered them, and we did it for community service. It takes a lot of work to foster kittens.”

Even if it was required, students were driven to help their communities. Some students were born and raised in a family that always helped others. Others were affected by current issues in the world.

“I help package food for people in other countries, like Africa, that are in need of food,” Sophia Salvador theater (8) said. “There are people everywhere living without food and [without] clean environments. [People in Africa] are not happy when they don’t have these items, so I would want to help them.”

With the last bag of trash gone, and the morning transitioned to the early afternoon, the beach once again returns to the pristine beauty, uncluttered, in its natural state.

by Heather Rollins and Brandon Lee

TEACHING TOTS As a library helper, Athena Choi (6) helps out by reading to the younger kids. “I’m in the program ‘Reading Buddies’ where, for 45 minutes, we help kids finish reading the books they picked out,” Choi said.

The library Choi volunteered at was the Gardens library. Photo by Guest

SINGING SENSATION Snapping her fingers along to the song, Aoife O’Grady (7) practices for a concert.

“In show choir, we are going places to do fundraisers and entertain people,” O’Grady said. The chorus group raised money for families who could not afford Thanksgiving turkeys. Photo by Guest

Student Life/Helping Hands

13

I am proud of this photo because I captured a photo that shows the raw emotion and action that happened right at the moment. This photo also has a blur of motion, which I never have done before until now. This is one of the good photos I have taken, and I look forward to taking a photo that beats out this current photo. This photo has elements that make it a good photo; composition, center of visual interest, and motion. This photo attracts because of the quality and composition of the photo. STRINGS04_BRANDON. jpg

Reflection 3 Part 2

I am proud of this photo because it has a lot of interaction included, making the photo interesting and pleasing for the viewer to see.

The photo has good composition, center of visual interest, and lighting. This photo attracts me because I have gone beyond the normal photo and taken multiple reactions at once. Strings02_ Brandon.jpg

Reflection 3 Part 3

I am proud of this photo because it represents the theme of the spread well with a lot of photo rules and elements. This photo has composition, center of visual interest, great lighting, and repetition. This picture attracts me because it was taken in the perfect surrounding, and it captures a great moment of the story.

STRINGS03_Brandon.jpg

Reflection #4 In my opinion, I was a good asset to the 2015-2016 Masterpiece Yearbook. I might not have been the biggest contribution, but my work did have an impact on certain spreads in the yearbook. For example, with me and my team’s cooperation and commitment, we finished out our spread with great photos, captions, and copy.

Our photos had many elements involved, captions that really explained the photo, and copy that enticed the reader. I really have worked hard to achieve the best in everything that I did.

The math spread is an example of commitment and successful work that was accepted to be on the spread (a lot of photos, some of the captions, copy), and the girl’s soccer spread shows accomplishment of photo taking and caption writing. I really enjoy taking photos, so a lot of the spreads that I worked on did have a couple of my photos.

Captions and copy were also good, as those could be found on some spreads as well. I have strived to go above and beyond, like staying after-school for sports games, or working on captions or copy in my free time during other periods or sometimes at home.

In conclusion, my contribution to the 2015-2016 Masterpiece Yearbook can be definitely seen, and I have strived to do so.

-Brandon Lee

Reflection #5 During the making of the 2015-2016 Masterpiece Yearbook, there were problems/hardships along the way. First off, on the strings spread, we really rushed and were stressed because of the deadline and lack of interesting photos. It was a lot of chaos, but we did turn them in on time. Another hardship was the Math spread, where as I was having trouble writing copy (writer’s block) and really couldn’t write something that would appeal and tell a story to the reader.

A minor problem along the way was the girl’s volleyball spread because I had trouble writing captions that not only explained the picture, but really had a meaning to it. My last problem or hardship would have to be finishing off a caption for the art and academics divider spread. This wasn’t a major problem, as I had gotten the interview and typed the caption up, finishing the spread a few days before the actual deadline.

From all of these situations, I learned that time management is key and definitely shouldn’t be ignored. You should always look in your manual if you are stuck or having trouble, and procrastination isn’t the way to go. If these problems were to arise again, I would try to manage time in the best way as possible with a plan, and refer to my manual in troubled times of writing copy or captions.

I could have handled these situations better than I have done, but overall, I think that I did handle these problems in a way that I achieved what I was striving for.

-Brandon Lee

Reflection #6 I set some goals in the beginning of the school year for the yearbook class. The three major ones were to write better copy, take more interesting and good angles for photos, and to follow all design rules on layouts designed or edited.

First off, the goal to write better copy was somewhat achieved, but not fulfilled fully. The math copy was not one of the best, but in my opinion, it did have some quality aspects.

Moreover, the string copy was one of the best in the school year for me, as it covered the whole span of the major, as well as including interesting information.

My second goal of taking better photos was definitely fulfilled. A lot of my photos are in the yearbook currently, and I have strived for more different angles and better quality, with one of the photos being the dominant strings photo showing blur, and the dominant girls’ soccer photo showing action of defending the ball.

My final major goal of following all design rules on layouts was done in the 2015-2016 school year. This is true because when we designed the helping hands spread, we made sure there were no trapped text or copy, following all alignment and proportions. In addition, we didn’t mess-up on any font sizes or fonts in general, following continuity of the whole yearbook itself.

In the end, 2 of my 3 major goals were achieved, with the first one almost filled to the expectation. This yearbook had accomplishments that I fulfilled which I aimed for in the beginning of the year.

Reflection #7 Since the 2014-2015 school year, my skills in journalism have grown.

Eminent growths would have to be photo taking, caption writing, and layout design.

As I have previously stated in my portfolio before, my photo-taking skills have improved by a lot, with many usable and good photos coming back from a photo assignment. Last year I used to come back with only a couple of usable photos, with a lot being dark, light, sideways, or just not having a center of attention. This year, there were a lot of photos that had all the necessary components, with only a few not meeting the necessitations.

Caption writing has improved since last year, as many of my captions have been written with a lot of information and going beyond what the photo shows itself. A lot of my captions have been approved with one shot, as I followed all caption writing rules and included the correct information that correlates with the photo presented.

-Brandon Lee

Layout design improvement can be seen on the theme project of this year, which was called, “Hourglass”. I designed a Showstopper spread that dissected the different majors, and also designed a spread with Lili that centered on sports. We used trends such as slanted photos, cobs, and number correlation. We got designs from magazines, showing current trends and mods.

There definitely were improvements from last year in yearbook, mostly being in the three areas stated before. This year included many accelerations, and there will be more to come.

-Brandon Lee

Clips-Theme Project

Clips-Theme Project

Showstopper-Arts and Academics

Sports Spread-Design

A MAJOR MAJOR

1

2

3

SUB-HEADLINE GOES HERE Gendebit iumquo del eum, sum quiati volo explici lligent.

La is ressent ommoluptat.

Bus, voluptibus, quunt officatibus derro bea volut dellia voles ut maximin ulpario recum, optate peliquatquos abo. Intia inciend itatem explam nient pre int aut fuga. Nem et occatqu aspicipsant iumenisinLorporunt modion repuda dio et, cupti incimil iquidunt voloAlit faccaborro blabor alique autatias nonem ressimpor sequos aliquatia qui odisAdis et que apisi bearumquasAquae excea nis susdaer orestiandis arcimentem quas a seque reiunti or-

1 FOCUS cone cuptatur? 2 ATMOSPHERE asExeribus eos endicta temporpore moTus. Lo imust ex exerunti ini denihilissim aliquam, sitiatus, cum exereni aesequis et plantus

3 FORM cone cuptatur?

Exeribus eos endicta temporpore moTus. Lo imust ex exerunti ini denihilissim aliquam, sitiatus, cum exereni aesequis et plantus

4 PROPORTIONS cone

cuptatur?

Exeribus eos endicta temporpore moTus. Lo imust ex exerunti ini denihilissim aliquam, sitiatus, cum exereni aesequis

1

BUN

cone cuptatur?

Exeribus eos endicta temporpore moTus. Lo imust ex exerunti ini denihilissim aliquam, sitiatus, cum exereni aesequis

3 ATTIRE cone cuptatur?

2 26

Folio Copy Time to learn.

Exeribus eos endicta temporpore moTus. Lo imust ex exerunti ini denihilissim aliquam, sitiatus, cum exereni aesequis et plantus eiusam qui

Sports Beyond Uptatiae rsperfe remoloria nihitatibus autat um, occulpa conCulparcia con poribusSam ad quas molorepe nis quia vel este voluptatem facesto voluptios autati temAniet evendundis ipsunt

1

Time to Play

2

Gendebit iumquo del eum, sum quiati volo explici lligent.

La is ressent ommoluptat.

Bus, voluptibus, quunt officatibus derro bea volut dellia voles ut maximin ulpario recum, optate peliquatquos abo. Intia inciend itatem explam nient pre int aut fuga. Nem et occatqu aspicipsant iumenisinLorporunt modion repuda dio et, cupti incimil iquidunt voloAlit faccaborro blabor alique autatias nonem ressimpor sequos aliquatia qui odisAdis et que apisi bearumquasAntus. Les et liberro consecto iusdgkjdbojwriofhsrgjfslrgjklrgtjm

Cepre que nesequibus doleceatum sitatio. Et vere, quissimodio. Nem es que cullant auda velende mporeic iandeliquat.

Tes doluptur? Quis ipsum explabo. Vitin

Duncan H.L. Watkins Jupiter

Bak Stars work hard and play hard

3

Jeaga

H

e scrambled for the ball, his arms flailing behind him, his cleats digging into the AstroTurf. He pulled his leg back as it slammed into the ball, flying into the air, landing in the goal.

“I play soccer to have fun and support my school,” Christian Diaz right midfield said. “My teammates motivate me and they encourage me when I’m on the field.

The boys’ played hard and worked together as a team, though they had many losses.

“I think the season was so rough because we had a bunch of inexperienced players,” Joel Soto team captain, said “and then we also didn’t have a goalie, so people had to volunteer.”

The boys’ toughest opponent was Duncan, who also bested Bak in almost all other sports of the school year.

“Duncan’s team was very organized. They knew how to control the ball and pass it through the defender’s channels,” Soto said.

The Stars’ worked hard and played hard to achieve their goal of a good season.

“I think nothing comes easily or naturally in life and you have to work hard at anything that’s worth doing,” Xavier Zambrano center attacking midfield said. “Soccer is worth doing which is why I work hard at it.

by Lili Mueller

4

4

WHY DO YOU PLAY?

Oluptia vent utat prem esse nis atior re pliquo dolenis con ra nem volorum liat iderepel modi dolorerum facerum enectur autatem haris eum conempore volum volupta sus quunte cullabor aut volese sundiPudis mod quam sunt rest

sitibus, cone cuptatur?

Exeribus eos endicta temporpore moTus. Lo imust ex exerunti ini denihilissim aliquam, sitiatus, cum exereni aesequis

Independence Bak MSOA Duncan Oluptia vent utat prem esse nis atior re pliquo dolenis con ra nem volorum liat iderepel modi dolorerum faceru m enectur autatem haris eum conempore volum volupta sus quunte cullabor aut

H.L. Watkins Jupiter Jeaga Independence Iquis vis. Aximanum averces sediend ienterimili publin tis; horur aude reisser istussus. et prior ad consili cavocch iceribultus. Quonsul iesinc ma, us? Loc remus nonirtis aucon sus rem de tem forDeruntur ionsedis nis non cupturEveliqui vel mos non comnim etur sequia volectur, consequam ipsanti odipsam facerovid explit et la

2 ALIGNMENT cone

cuptatur?

Exeribus eos endicta temporpore moTus. Lo imust ex exerunti ini denihilissim aliquam, sitiatus, cum exereni aesequis

4 STANCE cone cuptatur?

Exeribus eos endicta temporpore moTus. Lo imust ex exerunti ini denihilissim aliquam, sitiatus, cum exereni aesequis et plantus eiusam qui

Folio Copy Arts and Academics showstopper

27 3

Iquis vis. Aximanum averces sediend ienterimili publin tis; horur aude reisser istussus. et prior ad consili cavocch iceribultus. Quonsul iesinc ma, us? Loc remus nonirtis auconsus rem de tem forSinvent ut aut et rendio te sequam dis restia vel int que re lam ligendu saperiaAtia voluptatur, nonsequ aspicimo optat eosame

56

TIME TO PLAY

SPORTS/BOYS’Soccer

57

Clips-Deadline 2

Clips-Deadline 1

Math-Photos, Copy, and Captions Communications-Photos and Captions Girl’s Softball-Photos and Captions

Helping Hands-Copy, Photos, and Captions Strings-Photos, Captions, and Copy DIJON VU Spreading condiments on bread, Kailee Gomez (6) and Megan Rollins (6) prepare sandwiches for the homeless. “We pass around the sandwich and then add our part to it,” Gomez said. If she was homeless, Gomez would want people to help her out. Photo by Heather Rollins

How Can YOU Help?

What do you like about math?

“I like that math only has one answer and that most questions don’t have multiple possible answers.”Luke Stone communications (8)

“St. Jude...treats and defeats childhood cancer and other lifethreatening diseases. The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.”

“Peggy Adams...is a limited-admission humane society and provides services to over 28,000 cats, dogs, puppies and kittens each year. Our vision is to create a community where 100% of the adoptable animals find loving homes.”

HANDS

I

12

Painting Your Own Path

Some people, like Genevieve Ansay strings (7) did community service as a part of their everyday lives.

“A neighbor found some kittens, and we got to take care of them and find a home for them. The kittens have sad stories, so we got the job of taking care of the kittens,” Ansay said. “We fostered them, and we did it for community service. It takes a lot of work to foster kittens.”

Even if it was required, students were driven to help their communities. Some students were born and raised in a family that always helped others. Others were affected by current issues in the world.

“I help package food for people in other countries, like Africa, that are in need of food,” Sophia Salvador theater (8) said. “There are people everywhere living without food and [without] clean environments. [People in Africa] are not happy when they don’t have these items, so I would want to help them.”

With the last bag of trash gone, and the morning transitioned to the early afternoon, the beach once again returns to the pristine beauty, uncluttered, in its natural state.

by Heather Rollins and Brandon Lee

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE Peering at the whiteboard, Aaliyah Ali (6) watches her friend draw on the screen. “Ms. Ellrich lets us use this pad to write on the board,” Ali said. “We get to have a part in doing the work that she would normally do.” Ali felt that the opportunity to write on the board was a great part of her math class. Photo

by Brandon Lee

3. Goodwill “[Our goal is] to help change lives through the power of work.

Goodwill provides career training and placement assistance for employment. We envision a community powered by a skilled workforce, successful businesses and a strong economy.”

TACTFUL THINKING With a hand against her cheek, Victoria Bramble (8) thinks about the difficulty level of her classwork. “I love getting easy tests and homework. It makes me feel smart,” Bramble said. Bramble believed that math was easy, which was why she was interested in the subject. Photo by Brandon Lee

44

SINGING SENSATION Snapping her fingers along to the song, Aoife O’Grady (7) practices for a concert.

“In show choir, we are going places to do fundraisers and entertain people,” O’Grady said. The chorus group raised money for families who could not afford Thanksgiving turkeys. Photo by Guest

TEACHING TOTS As a library helper, Athena Choi (6) helps out by reading to the younger kids. “I’m in the program ‘Reading Buddies’ where, for 45 minutes, we help kids finish reading the books they picked out,” Choi said.

The library Choi volunteered at was the Gardens library. Photo by Guest

Student Life/Helping Hands

13

“Sergei Prokofiev: his orchestral pieces are very energetic and they motivate me to practice more,” Philippa Scroggins (8) said.

“J.C. Bach. He is my favorite [composer] because he can look at a painting and write a piece based on it. He can express many emotions just through a couple of measures. You never get tired of his music,” Joseph Cuenco (7) said.

“Leonard Bernstein because one of his compositions was the music in West Side Story,” Olivia D’addio (8) said.

STANDING OVATION Playing his instrument, Ian Lewis (8) practices with a professional bass player. “When I was in second grade, [bass] was the coolest instrument, the biggest [instrument], and I was the tallest one,” Lewis said. Lewis planned to attend Oxbridge.

Photo by Lili Mueller BLURRED LINES Playing the delicate notes, Elizabeth Nelson (6) has a unique story why she started playing the violin. “I had a dream [that] I saw a violin shape, and when I went to my old school, I saw the violin and I was inspired to play it,” Nelson said. Nelson appreciated the Bak MSOA strings program. Photo by Brandon Lee

FOLLOW THE LEADER Showing her students the proper posture, strings teacher Nancy Beebe models of the correct position to hold a violin.

“Good posture will allow flexibility to play well and have good technique,” Beebe said.

Posture was very important for all instruments, Beebe stated.

Photo by Brandon Lee

BRIGHT FUTURES S

he furiously worked out the problem on the board, trying to meet the time restraints given. She quickly glanced at her fellow classmates’ faces, showing signs of confidence in their own answer. She solved the problem, double-checking her answer. The teacher called her up. It was time to reveal her answer.

Bak MSOA was a school that had a different perspective on teaching students in the area of math. It helped students learn according to their pace in the class.

“My teacher, Mrs. McIntosh, allows everyone to stay on pace and on track. My elementary school was slow [in pace], and even though Bak MSOA is high in the ranks, math still can be adjusted to my pace,” Sophia Roud

NO LACK OF LAUGHING Squirming in her seat, Kate Deviney (6) laughs about math. “I laugh when [my friends] mess up because it is funny and I can learn from their mistakes,” Deviney said.”

She believed that friends made math interesting. Photo by Brandon Lee

communications (6) said.

The transition from elementary school to middle school was not only the difference in grade level, but the higher standards of their math class. Homework was one of the major differences in the class when transitioning, and had a big difference from their other academic classes.

“Math is definitely a lot harder than elementary school math. There is a lot of homework, and there is no repeating topics if you don’t understand it,” Jackson Vangiessen strings (6) said. “I usually have a lot more homework for math than other academics. If you were to put it on a scale for homework, half of the scale would be my math homework and the other would be the rest of my homework for my other academics.”

Beyond Primary Colors

NEWS GATHERING Pointing at her screen, Lauren Mulé (7) edits her news package alongside Joanna Luchese (7). “I like Electronic News Gathering because it gives me a chance to experience jobs I can possibly pursue in the future,” Mulé said. Her news package focused on the Student Government elections. Photo by Isabella Ramirez

“Speech and debate is a combination of theater [and communications] and allows you to be yourself.”

Natalie Macadar (6)

ART FOR NON-ARTISTS While designing an infographic in Adobe Illustrator, Nedda Gosman (8) asks Natalie Sharp, communications teacher, how to make three dimensional objects with shading.

“I like Adobe Illustrator because it’s a clean way of doing art, and it helps non-artists become artists,” Gosman said. Gosman felt that Adobe Illustrator was a way to express herself. Photo by Brandon Lee PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Practicing her Congressional Debate, Lauren Herba (8) begins to think about her upcoming speech and debate competition. “In speech and debate, we write speeches and prepare for our upcoming competitions,” Herba said. She loved speech and debate because she felt that it gave her freedom to express her thoughts. Photo by Aditya Jadvani

Pace and the amount of homework were not the only things that made Bak different from other schools. Interaction and hands-on learning with the problems was a way that students could get to learn the lesson better.

“In Bak, we have a separate learning style,” Carlee Tew communications (8) said, “We have more assignments that involve interaction and our teachers teach us in a way that is different from other schools.”

The teacher nodded to the correct answers and pointed at the wrong ones. The teacher was within seconds of finding out if she was right. Her teacher gestured that her answer was correct, and that gave the student renewed confidence.

by Brandon Lee and Aditya Jadvani Arts & Academics/Math 45

Writer’s Group: Working collaboratively LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! Adjusting the camera position, Manasi Patel (7) listens for cues from the control room. “I like TV production because you get to learn how to produce a news show and how to incorporate game shows and features,” Patel said. Students learned how to operate all the equipment and perform each job correctly. Photo

by Isabella Ramirez

26

In Jessica Samons’ creative writing classes, students learn to work in writers groups, sharing their fiction and poetry in order to recieve constructive feedback on how to improve and grow as a writer.

(Left to right) Emma Shukla, Ryden Trimble, Nicole Chien, Eryon Panier

Beyond Primary Colors

Arts and Academics/Communications

A PITCH IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Players improve after every win and loss he crack of the bat signaled the start of the game.

The light shined into her eyes and she squinted against it, fighting to catch a glance of the ball. “[The worst part about softball] is when you’re in the outfield, the sun is in your eyes, and you get a pop fly,” Valeria Beattie (8) said.

Some players included softball in their plan for the future, such as scholarships or careers.

“I think [softball] will contribute to my future because it is one of my favorite sports and I want to play softball in college,” Annabella Saccaro (6) said.

The girls won many matches, such as a home game against Howell Watkins, winning 15-0, a game at JFK, winning 22-4, a game at Howell Watkins, winning 13-8, and another game at JFK, winning 15-5.

Players faced tough opponents such as Duncan, to whom the girls lost 15-0 or to Jupiter who they lost 10-0.

“I think we had some very tough competitors this year,” Beattie said. “The eighth graders last year were a very big asset.”

Some students have unique stories related to games this season.

“I was pitching in a game for the other team, and I was scared but it was exciting because it was the first time I pitched for a whole game,” Saccaro said.

To some students softball was more than just a game.

“I think that being in softball gets me out of trouble because it’s something that I love,” Beattie said.

The girl saw the ball streaking across the clear blue sky. She held up her glove, yelling, “I got it!” and stood her ground, easily encasing the ball in her mitt.

by Lili Mueller

Girls’ Softball Scoreboard

Students have high hopes for future careers

Beyond Primary Colors

“My favorite aspect is filming because I like to create [videos] people can enjoy on a screen.” Carlee Tew (8) “I like filming because it’s exciting to get out with my friends and make a movie.” Jameson Houran (6)

T

Who is your favorite composer?

30

“Video production because it allows me to be creative and it’s what I love to do.”Adam Goldstick (7)

Math classes at Bak raise the bar, expectations

S

“My favorite composer is Beethoven because all of his pieces express how he feels and there are many dynamic changes in his pieces,” Nicholas Manganiotis (6) said.

UNIQUE NOTES Paying close attention to the teacher, Nyah Palka (6) shows off her colorful violin. “My mom gave me a choice between the piano and violin. I was always interested in unique instruments so I chose the violin,” Palka said. Palka wanted to perform in the front row in Carnegie Hall one day. Photo by Brandon Lee

immediate feedback.

“I think we really get to work together well and we are able to tell our true feelings,” Zane Hurley (6) said. “[We can] express ourselves.”

Whether it was learning how to write speeches, or speaking in front of a camera for video production, communications offered a wide variety of classes to give students skills that could assist them throughout their entire lives.

by Subhash Kantamneni and Aditya Jadvani

HELPING EXPONENTIALLY

Beyond the music...

EXPRESSIONS Playing a piece called ”Tengo Expressivo,” Natalia Sanchez (6) has a future in mind. “I want to go to Dreyfoos, and then [I] want to play in an orchestra in my during college,” Sanchez said. The elegant look of the violin was one reason why Sanchez liked strings. Photo by Brandon Lee

prepared students with skills that went beyond their communications classes and into their academics.

“Whenever we do presentations, it relates to speech and debate.

Whenever I’m writing a passage, it relates to newspaper. Whenever I’m writing a persuasive essay, it’s my marketing class,” Luke Stone (8) said.

Students in sixth grade were required to either take journalism or creative writing. These classes provided students with a preview of the writing aspect of communications. They worked in groups to peer edit each other’s work and to get

A QUALIFYING QUESTION Looking at her math teacher, Ria Barnes (6) asks Michelle Ashley, about a problem she is having with her work. “Math makes you work hard and it is useful,” Barnes said.

Barnes enjoyed the real world problems that she had to complete in math. Photo

by Brandon Lee

SHOO FLY With a gesture to her friend, Savannah Jones (7) finishes her math classwork. “I like how my teacher explains things thoroughly,” Jones said. Jones liked that math taught her to think outside of the box. Photo by Brandon Lee

PUPPY PRESENTATION Trying to get her family’s foster dogs adopted, Angela Yan (8) plays with the puppies to show off their playful spirit. “At first, [fostering] was not a passion, but we kept doing it and the dogs seemed cuter,” Yan said. There were 12 dogs the Yan family was trying to give homes to. Photo by Guest

Students’actionsweremorethanjustschoolrequirements

t was early in the morning. The beach was dotted with trash sticking out of the warm, brown sand. Water bottles stuck out from the bush and plastic bags scooped up shells. A single crab wandered aimlessly, dodging trash and trying to navigate its way to the ocean.

A group of people with black trash bags arrived on the beach. A difference on the beach was made.

“I helped at a beach clean-up and I saw all the people working their butts off to keep the beach clean. It was awesome to see these people gather together to make the beach clean,” Dara Desai vocal (7) said.

In addition to volunteer groups, many students chose to get involved with nonprofit charities, such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Students like Noah Sams vocal (8) also volunteered with their religious groups.

“I babysit at my church, volunteer at camp to watch over the kids, and I run for cancer and some other serious diseases,” Sams said. “I got around 27 hours last year. This year, I want to get at least 20, maybe even 30.”

T

“Math makes me feel smart when I can answer a question right because for most people, math is difficult.” Jessica Widder communications (8)

Beyond the lens...

What is your favorite aspect of communications?

Communications provides students with many valuable skills for life

ension was high in the studio as the floor director ordered around students on the set. In the control room, students hit buttons and turned knobs with speed. The anchors were making last minute tweaks to their wardrobe, but stopped when they saw the signal to go live, “In three, two, one.” And the show began.

“There is a lot of stress [when creating the announcements] because it is hard to create a professional show in the short period of time that we have,” Thomas McCabe (8) said.

The communications department also

“Math can help you in the real world and can help you to get a good jobs and into good colleges in the future.”Abigail Garcia theater (8)

2. Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League

Helping

STOP TALKING, START COMMUNICATING

Beyond the textbook...

1. St. Judes Children’s Hospital

he raised and lowered her bow, thinking about the goals she wanted to achieve. With each motion, her dream university flashed in her mind. She just couldn’t wait to see what her career would turn out to be in the future.

“I want to make it into Dreyfoos and become a professional musician that teaches other kids,” Lemar Mcogg (6) said. “I want to become a musician because I am interested in bass.”

Numerous students strived for a professional career in strings, and

commitment was needed in order to make the dream turn into a reality.

Practicing methods varied from person to person, as according to bulletproofmusician.com.

“I like to practice my weakest sections slowly and gradually get to the original tempo,” Adrian Carchi (7) said. “[Bak] has taught me a lot, including skills and knowledge.”

Learning to play a musical instrument was beneficial not only to the students’ careers, but to their normal lives as well. According to education.jhu.edu,

learning to play music improved focus, concentration, built a sense of anticipation, released tension, and improved memory. “[Learning music] helps me be more focused and more relaxed,” Sarah Rivera (8) said. ”We can play with different people in quartets. It is fun to interact with the people.”

She played her last note, satisfaction rushing through her veins. She knew what she would be. She knew what her path was. She knew her goal was in reach.

by Brandon Lee

Arts and Academics/Strings

31

110

Team

Us Them

Howell Watkins Duncan JFK Jupiter Howell Watkins Duncan JFK Jupiter Independence

15 0 22 0 13 0 15 4 4

Sporting a New Color

0 15 4 10 8 15 5 0 15

STRIKE OUT Winding up for her pitch, Annabella Saccaro (6) pitches in their game against Independence. “I want to play softball in college, and I really want to play in the professional leagues,” Saccaro said. Though Saccaro’s favorite part of softball was hitting, she also enjoyed pitching. Photo by Lili Mueller

WINDING UP Winding her arm into her pitch, Valeria Beattie (8) has a future career in mind for softball.

“I have been playing softball ever since I was eight and I have always dreamed about getting a scholarship for softball,” Beattie said. Catching a pop-fly in the blinding sun was Beattie’s least favorite part about softball. Photo by Lili Mueller

KEEP AN EYE ON THE BALL Aiming for the ball, Alyssa Foglia (8) lines up her swing. “My brother inspired me because I grew up on the baseball field watching him play and I always wanted to try it,” Foglia said. Foglia played softball to follow her brother’s footsteps. Photo by Brandon Lee

Sportscheck Why do you play?

“I play softball because I like the rush in the game. I like meeting new people and playing with some talented individuals.”

Lillian Khanna communications (8) “I play [softball] because it is in my family. My brother plays, and I thought it would be cool to play also.”

Erica Ellison visual(7)

OVER THE PLATE In position, Sydney Williams (7) prepares to catch the ball soon to come sover the plate. “I like when we are in the dugout and one of our teammates is batting because we get to cheer for them and make jokes,” Williams said. She was inspired to begin running because of softball and loved that aspect of the game. Photo by Brandon Lee

Sports/Girls’ Softball

111

27

Clips-Deadline 3

Clips-Deadline 4

Dance-Captions, Sidebar, and Photos Girl’s Volleyball-Sidebar, Captions, and Copy

Arts & Academics Divider-Copy and Caption Girl’s Soccer-Photos, Copy, and Captions

FROM CLASSICAL TO CONTEMPORARY

A

BEYOND PRIMARY COLORS

Dancers branch off into different styles of dance

s the music began, the dancers slowly got up and performed deliberate, defined movements to the beat of the song. The pace of the song quickened, and the girls ran to the side of the room as a new group took the stage, with movements that were faster than before.

Guest teacher, Lara Bennett, had taught the dancers this choreography, unlike other dances performed at Bak. “Our organization, [the American Dance Legacy Initiative], is about keeping dance history alive and passing it on the next generation.

We bring dances from famous choreographers [to the school]. Some

are contemporary, some are more historical,” Bennett said. “[The Bak dancers] work hard, are dedicated, focused, and open. The teachers are committed to bringing the students to another level.”

Styles of dances learned at school varied from contemporary to tap to jazz.

Ashley Labbe (8) enjoyed learning all the different styles of dance taught at Bak because it made her a more wellrounded dancer.

“You can express yourself more in these styles by doing loose and flowy movements,” Labbe said.

Along with learning about all of the different genres, professional dancers

who took unique paths inspired dance majors.

“I look up to Savion Glover and Alvin Ailey,” Alexander Thomas (7) said. “They have special techniques that I want to learn.”

During the school year, dancers were presented with the challenge of learning choreography from guest teachers who introduced them to new styles of dance.

“I like dancing at Bak,” Labbe said.

“We get a lot of guest teachers that can teach us different, unique, and more challenging styles of dance other than ballet that we aren’t being introduced to in our studios [outside of school].”

by Cora Gilbert and Joel Soto

Teachers use hands-on schooling to make learning more enjoyable

S

tudents made posters in social studies, incorporating artistic abilities into everyday learning. The mariachi song echoed down the world language hallway. Teachers showed videos of people dancing and singing to help their students memorize mathematical concepts. By using artistic methods of learning, Bak students were able to achieve some of the highest FSA scores in the state, according to GreatSchools.

Some teachers, such as Anne-Marie Bouchard, incorporated games, such as bingo, into her French curriculum in order to keep students’ attention.

“To play French bingo, we have to put any French words on our bingo sheet. The teacher calls out words, and we mark them off on our paper,” Marco Flavio visual arts (8) said. “If we get bingo, then we have to go up to the front of the class and pronounce the five words in our bingo as best we can. If we do, then we get to claim our prize.”

According to Scholastic.com, “hands-on” learning stimulates a student’s mind better than any other method of learning. Judy Dodge, author of “25 Quick and Formative Assessments for a Differentiated Classroom,” said “if you’re only listening, you’re only activating one part of the brain, but if you’re drawing and explaining to a peer, then you’re making connections in the brain.” Research showed that when students worked together on projects, they grasped concepts quicker. “[In Mr. Miller’s class], we use Google Docs, which is a program like Word.

You can have your whole group working on one document and see who is typing things. It’s the best class ever,” Vail Benedetto dance (8) said.

The arts were good for kinesthetic learners, according to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, hands-on science experiments were a favorite among students.

“We paired up with partners, got our sand with minerals, and placed the pan in the water. We shook it on the ridge, looked for the minerals, and repeated that process,” Rachel Hobbs vocal (6) said.

Because of the arts, students excelled in academics. Students went beyond primary colors.

by Heather Rollins and Brandon Lee

CORRECTIONS As guest choreographer Cristopher Huggins corrects his position, Brenan Gonzalez (7) aligns his hips. “[Huggins] was very friendly and he wasn’t mean about anything. He taught us in a way where you learned, but also fixed your mistakes,” Gonzalez said. The guest choreographer was involved in the class and talked to everyone, Gonzalez said. Photo by Joel Soto AIRBORNE Practicing a dance in class, Jemma Prizzi (8), Riannon Rintamaki-Wolin (8), and Rachel Abelenda (8) lift up Zoe Robins (7). “[In this dance], we get to pretend that we’re water.

It’s cool to imagine that,” Prizzi said. The most challenging part of the dance for Prizzi was that it was fast paced. Photo by Cora Gilbert

Beyond the steps...

What is your favorite position and why?

“Fifth position, when your toe touches your heel. It’s my favorite because that’s how most combinations start.”

Ria Barnes (6) “Second position, when your legs are past hip width. It’s my favorite because it makes the jump more elegant and easier to do.”

Alexander Thomas (7) “Arabesque, the longest position, because it makes you extend your arms and legs. It’s my favorite because it makes you feel free.”

Anna Ceruti (7) “Fifth position, because it’s when your legs are crossed and turned out. It’s my favorite because it’s hard to hold which challenges me.”

Alexa Olivier (8) 28

Beyond Primary Colors

Sportscheck Why do you play?

“I can use my height as an advantage and I like that [volleyball] has to do with teamwork.”

Czhen Beneby vocal (8) “I really enjoy that it’s a team sport and it involves a lot of strategy.”

Emilia Andersen vocal (8)

TOGETHER FOREVER Setting the ball, Lara Weiss (8) helps her teammate, Rebecca Boss (8) score a point for their team. “I started [volleyball] in fifth grade, because my friend introduced it to me, and I thought it would be fun to give it a try,” Weiss said. Setting was Weiss’ favorite thing to do in volleyball. Photo by Madison Elliott

SERVE AND SCORE Saving a near-miss, Nashani Gilbert-Taylor (8) sets the ball to the setter. “[Volleyball] works on my leadership skills, as I have to instruct the players,” Gilbert-Taylor said. Getting a nice pass or set was essential to Gilbert-Taylor in winning the game. Photo by Madison Elliott EYES ON THE PRIZE Getting ready for the next play, Vivian Miller (6) waits for Lara Weiss (8) to serve the ball. “We practice hard during the week, and we do lots of hitting drills to improve our power when we hit,” Russell said. Russell liked to play volleyball because she got to play different teams. Photo by Tori Maxwell

118

Sporting A New Color

DROP IT LOW Retrieving a missed pass, Julia Gonnello (7) does a dive, resulting in a hard hit.

“My favorite part about volleyball is everything it encompasses and entails. It takes a lot of physical excursion to do the sport,” Gonnello said. She learned to have self-discipline when working with other people. Photo by Isabella Ramirez

JUMPING TO THE BEAT Jumping up on cue, Kevin Stricker (6) practices a switch called a shangma. “Dance is great because you get to express your motions through the movements of your body,” Stricker said.

Stricker’s sister was his inspiration to start dancing. Photo by Brandon Lee

BOURRÉE Gracefully twirling in a small circle with three other dancers, Savannah Jones (7) performs on stage at the 19th annual winter performance. “During the performance, I was slightly nervous, but very excited to be performing for my friends and my family,” Jones said. Her favorite dance style was jazz because of the sharp, fast-paced movements. Photo by Sophia Pregadio

22 Arts & Academics/Dance

T

Beyond Primary Colors

“I just love the sport and everything about it.”

Sylvia Ng, right midfield

A

EXCUSE YOU Trying to steal the ball away from the opposing player, Payton Hart (8) thinks about her strategy during the game. “We wouldn’t be successful if we didn’t pass because one person can’t carry the entire team,” Hart said. Hart believed working together and communicating was necessary in order to score. Photo by Aditya Jadvani

Girls’ Soccer Scoreboard Team

Scores

2-0 (25-12) (25-16) 2-0 (25-10) (25-16) 1-2 (12-25) (25-15) (8-15) 0-2 (19-25) (18-25) 0-2 (14-25) (15-25) 2-0 (25-15) (25-9) 1-2 (9-25) (25-19) (9-15) 2-0 (25-20) (25-21) 0-2 (20-25) (11-25)

DEFEND AND PROTECT Fighting to maintain possession of the ball, Samantha Cohen (6) puts on a determined face. “Our team stepped to the ball, and as soon as we had it, we gave support to each other to maintain the ball,” Cohen said. A call out for a pass was made often by Cohen’s teammates, which added up to the team’s success. Photo by Brandon Lee

119

JUKEBOX Juking out an opponent, Ashley Labbe (8) rethinks her performance. “I wasn’t as confident as I could have been going into the game, but I did put my full effort into the game,” Labbe said. She was glad that the team was working together more by reading each other’s passes more often. Photo by Isabella Kjaerulff

HEAD FIRST Heading off the ball, Julianna Booth (8) keeps the ball away from the opposing team.

“I like heading the ball because it is a unique way to control the ball,” Booth said. Competition was one of the reasons why Booth enjoyed playing soccer. Photo by Brandon Lee

Girls’ Volleyball Scoreboard

Sports/Girl’s Volleyball

Players give advice and tips on and off the field to help improve the entire team

“I started playing soccer because I wanted to get into a sport and soccer was my best option.”

Chloe Chen, captain

he ball rocketed toward the ground, too fast for the opponents to retrieve. With only a few more points for the win, Nashani Gilbert-Taylor, middle hitter (8), hit the ball over the net, scoring another point for their team. Rebecca Boss setter (8) celebrated with her teammates. The Bak Stars kept their hopes high throughout the game. “[Winning] definitely builds our team’s bond more and motivates us to try harder and play to our full potential,” Jordan Beres, middle hitter (8), said.

Although they won four games, the girls lost a total of five out of nine games in their season. The Bak stars won against Conniston, Independence, and twice against HL Watkins.

“We practice every part of volleyball such as hitting, passing, and setting,” Jordan Taylor, middle hitter (7), said. “Coach Sallas had us [practice] different drills so we could do the best we can.”

One of their top opponents was Jupiter Middle, who beat them twice 2-0. Hannah Hiede, a hitter for Jupiter, was “good at saving, hitting, and passing,” according to Isabelle Ruan, outside hitter (7), said.

“One time, one of our outside hitters hit the ball to one of [Hannah Hiede’s] teammates, and it went outside the court. She went running for the ball while it was in the air. She passed it with one hand, and once the ball was in the court, her teammate hit a back pass over the net. Unfortunately, we did not get the point and were left in shock,” Ruan said.

The end of the match was near, and Lara Weiss setter (8) made the final serve. After a few passes back and forth over the net, the score was final. In the end, the players won the game with a 4-5 season.

by Isabella Ramirez and Brandon Lee

Opponent

23

CUTTING OFF THE OBSTACLES

Sportscheck Why do you play?

Players strive to improve their skills on the court

Conniston HL Watkins Duncan Independence Jupiter HL Watkins Duncan Independence Jupiter

Arts & Academic/Divider

29

OVER THE NET

JUMP FOR THE STARS Playing outside hitter, Rebecca Boss (8) hits a ball set by one of her teammates. “I was drawn to [volleyball] because it was so exciting watching other people play and I could only imagine how the players felt,” Boss said.

Her favorite thing about volleyball was when she got a kill, which was hitting the ball straight down, without anyone [on the opposing team] touching the ball. Photo by Tori Maxwell

OPEN ARMS Spreading his arms wide, comic book artist George Perez welcomes visual arts and communications students to attend his master class. ”One of the things about creative art is that you don’t use a lot of your imagination. Unless you live in a cave, you use outside experience,” Perez said. Telling a story was Perez’s favorite thing when creating comic books. Photo

by Jessica Samons

114

Sporting a New Color

HL Watkins Independence Roosevelt Duncan Jupiter HL Watkins Independence Duncan Jupiter

Us 7 0 8 1 1 7 1 0 2

Them 0 2 0 1 1 0 2 2 1

STRAIGHT FORWARD Advancing with the ball, Lucy Steigenga (7) strives to have a future in soccer. “Everyone on the U.S. Women’s soccer team are my idols, and it also shows how far you can go with just playing soccer,” Steigenga said.

Steigenga played left-forward, and enjoyed the position because of the ability to score and cross during games. Photo by Madison Elliott

whistle rang to signal halftime. The Bak stars huddled into a circle with Coach Lauren Goepfert at the center, giving the team one last pep talk before the game resumed.

“You have to deal with the pressure. We need to open up our outsides. Put it to the corners, not to the goalie. Talk to each other.

Say each other’s names. Play it tough, play it hard. All we need is one,” Goepfert said.

The girls put their hands in, chanting “Stars on three, stars on three, one…two…three…stars!” and the game commenced.

The season started off with a major win against Howell Watkins at Bak. They scored seven goals against the opposing team with Sylvia Ng right midfield (7) scoring two of those goals. Com munication during games helped the team score goals like Ng’s.

“As a team we communicated well because everyone would give advice to each other which made us all do better,” Ng said.

“Everyone wants to win a lot so everyone puts their all into the games.”

The Bak stars did not fend well against Independence, losing both of their games against them. But every loss they had strengthened the team and allowed them to see the faults that could be corrected in the future. Motivation was another key to unlocking the team’s full potential during their games.

“The captains usually do most of the motivation, but everyone on the team helps tell people what they can do better or what they should do again,” Annabel Roach left defense (6) said. “You never put someone down because a happy team can play better than a team that is mad at each other. The captains always say that we need to be like one big happy family.”

After their loss at Independence, the girls won a game against Roosevelt with a score of 8-0, tied in a home game against Jupiter with a score of 1-1, and tied again in an away game against Duncan with a score of 1-1 also. Along with the teamwork previously mustered up, the girls credited their coach for their numerous successes. “[Coach Goepfert] knows the game really well and has a lot of experience,” Chloe Chen captain (8) said. “She is really fun and makes us want to play. She makes us want to work hard and win the game.”

The referee signaled a goal and the Bak Stars cheered. The girls ran to each other and high-fived their friends in excitement. They had won the last game of the year against the undefeated Jupiter with a score of 2-1 with both of the goals being scored in the fourth quarter by Ng and Chen. The Bak Stars ended their season of 4-2-3, all thanks to the teamwork which paved the way to success.

by Isabella Kjaerulff, Aditya Jadvani, and Brandon Lee

Sports/Girls’ Soccer

115