Seoyoon Yang Portfolio 2016

SEOYOON YANG

YANG

Cover Letter Resume Page 2 Page 1 5308 Myrtlewood Circle East Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 561-267-3514 yoonienature@gmail.com March 14, 2016

Stephen Moore Adviser, the Marquee Dreyfoos School of the Arts 501 S Sapodilla Ave Palm Beach School, FL 33401 Mr. Moore, The successful production of the Marquees has caught my attention and led to my interest in applying for a position on the yearbook staff. I understand the hard work and dedication needed to create the publication. If accepted, I will assist in the publication procedure and further expand my knowledge as a journalist. In my previous experience on a yearbook staff, I was the Copy Editor of the Masterpiece Yearbook, a publication of Bak Middle School of the Arts. I became proficient in Adobe Indesign and Adobe Photoshop during the creation of said yearbook. To complete my assigned spreads, I’ve taken photos, written copy and captions, designed layouts, edited content, and interviewed. My experiences will contribute to the Marquees staff because I have worked with different people, have been in a deadline-driven environment, and have the utmost confidence that I will put all my efforts toward creating the yearbook. From my previous experience as a yearbook staffer, I recognize that each page of a publication is created to achieve perfection. I know that checking every name and every face, while being tedious and time-consuming, is imperative to the production of a successful yearbook. I can guarantee my complete dedication to working toward the goal of a mistake-free publication. Thank you for considering me for a position on the yearbook staff, but viewing some of my work may help contribute to the ultimate decision. I have attached a personal resume with my achievements and hope to be accepted as a future Marquees yearbook staffer. Best regards, Seoyoon Yang

YANG 5308 Myrtlewood Circle East Palm beach gardens, FL 33418 561-267-3514 yoonienature@gmail.com

OBJECTIVE Assist in creating a publication while further expanding my knowledge of journalism, contributing determination and joy to the staff, and gaining teamwork skills EDUCATION • Attended three years at Bak Middle School of the Arts • Graduation date: June 2, 2017 • G.P.A. 4.00 EXPERIENCE Masterpiece Yearbook, Bak Middle School of the Arts • Aug 2015-2016. Copy Editor: Edit copy and captions, meet deadlines, take photos, write copy, RELEVANT MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDIES Journalism I

HONORS, AWARDS, AND MEMBERSHIPS • Academic Games player 2014-15; competed in Equations, LinguiSHTIK, Propaganda, World Events and Presidents awarded 3rd in locals for World Events and Presidents, 3rd place in states for LinguiSHTIK, perfect scorer in national for LinguiSHTIK, 8th place individual nationally for World Events, 4th place team for Presidents • Active Speech and Debate member Aug 2015-present; awarded 3rd place in locals Original Oratory competition, 2nd place in locals Congress, and 3rd place in locals Duo Interpretation • Pianist 2009-present; started playing piano in the first grade and continued through elementary to middle school, participated in a duet for a competition, played individually in recitals • Community Service Award 2014-2015; awarded for over ten hours of community service by Bak Middle School of the arts • Korean School assistant teacher 2014-present; from the beginning of fourth grade, I have assisted Evergreen Korean School of West Palm Beach, every Saturday I volunteer three hours and help teach younger students the language of South Korea • Palm Beach County Poetry Contest Winner 2015; original poem “Around” was a one of the twelve winners in the poetry contest when I was in the sixth grade at Bak Middle School of the Arts REFERENCES • Jessica Samons: yearbook adviser. jessica.samons@palmbeachschools.org • Alyssa Vaknin: Speech and Debate adviser. alyssa.vaknin@palmbeachschools.org • Lourdes Alonso: language arts teacher. lourdes.alonso@palmbeachschools.org • Douglas Battle: sponsor of Academic Games. douglas.battle@palmbeachschools.org • Jaesoon Son: teacher at Evergreen. 850-980-4396 jsida73@gmail.com

YANG

YANG Self Analysis Reflection 1 Page 3 Page 4 I

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he Dreams and Careers spread for Student Life is the spread that I am proudest of. Our spread was we made a mod, fill completely with greyscale headshots of students. I came up with the basic design for our spread from a Pinterest mod idea. The concept of the mod is to show the dream careers of the individual students at Bak. The purpose of the spread was to create a spread that would portray the dreams of students. As an arts school, students have different careers choices that sometimes reflect on the academics learned at school, or more often their major

started Journalism as a sixth grader at Bak last year. I took Journalism I with Ms. Samons because I wanted to join yearbook as a seventh grader. Journalism I prepared me for yearbook because I learned the basics about copy, captions, headlines, and photos. Throughout the year, I have learned many valuable lessons in yearbook. Initially, I was never really interested in design at the beginning of the year. I didn’t know much about design and if requested to design a spread, I managed to design a basic spread with nothing special. I feel that I have improved most on my designing this year. I have gradually designed spreads that were more interesting and eye catching as the year went on. I think that my growing interest in design will help me as the Editor in Chief of next year’s yearbook staff because I will be able to help and critique not only writing, but design elements as well.

The spread actually came together easier than expected. Even though cobbing three students and rearranging the names to the headshots took a lot of time, the process of gathering photos and quotes from students wasn’t that hard. When we made the mod of headshots, we decided to make it all in greyscale because the “When We Grow Up” would be emphasized.

Secondly, I learned the importance of communication this year. I found that the staff ran into many problems due to lack of communication. I feel that almost all the problems encountered was because we weren’t communicating as a staff. Without talking with other staff members, we are not aware of what everyone else is doing. Additionally, if we communicate more, we could probably catch problems such as problems concerning design early in the process of creating a spread. Next year, I want to stress the importance of communicating.

Our original idea was to have cobs across the spread with thought bubbles about their dream careers. However, after some thought, we concluded that the mod idea would be better because we would be covering a lot more students and the design would be more original. I came up with the idea for the copy too. Last year, in journalism, I did an editorial in a format that I saw as an example. The copy didn’t use any quotes, it was just information categorized into different groups. The idea for our copy stuck and we came up with our three categories of people, the Dreamers, the Innovators, and the Achievers. Through creating this spread, I learned that taking a different perspective or approach can lead to an awarding product at the end of the work.

Lastly, I learned that commitment and hard work is what shapes the yearbook. All the dedication and hard work of every single staff member comes out in the final product. Everyone commits their time and effort to make the yearbook the best it can be. Yearbook was a valuable course to take because I got to work with amazing people, doing what I loved most, to create a Masterpiece. All the teamwork that went into the publication, all the hard work that made the publication, and the people that created the yearbook is the reason why yearbook is so valuable to me. All the people skills learned in yearbook will continue to impact my entire life. Communication and hard work will keep me from running into problems. Working closely with people toward the same goal has made me learn so much in just a single year and I know that being on the Masterpiece yearbook staff has shaped the person I am today.

Colo or - Size 8 - 6-48980: Bak Middle M School of the Arts

Final Draft

First Draft Color - Size 8 - 6-48980: Bak Middle School of the e Arts

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FIRST WE DREAM

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Different paths lead to the same destination: The Stars

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Christopher Watkins

Cristina Meyaart

Rayne Ramlal

Aarthi Allady

Jared Glas

Keane Gosselin

Kevin Ray

Anamaria Navarrete

Ethan Harris

Raphaela Kanlil

Natalie Hamel

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SHAKE IT The eighth grade participants for the Junk in the Trunk game, Charles Bevier-Burr (8) and Brian Simpkins (8) encourage their grade to cheer. “We had to shake our hips to get the ping pong balls out of the tissue box,” Bevier-Burr said. “I felt pretty good about my performance; I like to show off my talent.” The eighth graders won the Junk in the Trunk game. Photo by Heather Rollins

Elizabeth Knott

I want to be a physical therapist because I like to help people feel better. -Noah Sams (8) vocal

Subheadline will eventually go here

FLYING PUFFS As seventh grade representative Brynna Hanley (8) throws Cheetos, Mary Carson, science teacher, tries to move her head to “catch” them. “In the Sticky Cheetos competition. I had to throw Cheetos at Ms. Carson’s head, which was filled with shaving cream.” Hanley said. Hanley was nervous during the competition because the crowd was yelling at her. Photo by Heather Rollins

SHOUT Kevin Ahern (8) and Hayley Alfonso (8) demonstrate their enthusiasm by cheering for their eighth grade classmates. Ahern said, “My favorite part of the pep rally was the fact that I got to hang out with my friends, while showing spirit for our grade.” Ahern’s favorite part of the pep rally was helping his grade win by cheering as loud as possible. Photo by Heather Rollins

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Painting Your Own Path

SUPPORT FROM THE STANDS Along with her friend Ruby Dunn (8), Emma Artero (8) cheers for the eighth grade representatives in the Reindeer Relay Race. “I was excited since we hadn’t won the last two years,” Artero said. “I wore a blue shirt and put blue paint on my face to support my grade.” The event that Artero enjoyed most at the pep rally was when the teachers had to dance. Photo by Angela Yan

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David Liu

Joshua Kenny

Student Life/Winter Pep Rally

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hree students sat, poised at their desks, each holding a pencil. The first doodled a spiral on the edge of her math homework, head full of dreams and wishes. The second tapped his pencil against the desk impatiently, occasionally sketching yet another invention idea. The third sat, pencil tucked behind their ear, waiting for another opportunity. All three were similar, because each were hopeful for a bright future. THE DREAMERS lived in a world of fantasy and did not see limits to their accomplishments. In the halls, dreamers did not rush to class, but rather took their time, focusing on the detail. Dreamers saw the world through ethereal lenses, seeing what could be instead of what was. THE INNOVATORS made changes to something already established, mostly by introducing new ideas. During class, innovators shared their opinions on the latest issues to their friends. Their best trait was the ability to focus; they worked

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Lacie Michaelis

Lemar Mcogg

Katherine Garcia

Jenelle Pollock

Painting Your Own Path

Aubrey Barnes

Olivia Arnold

Sara Abdo

Athena Choi

Christian Diaz

Cristina Lindner

best in loud, moving environments. The innovators saw the world as a contraption, something they had to improve somehow. THE ACHIEVERS accomplished what they set out to do and set goals. When school let out, achievers rushed home to complete their homework to avoid the stress of procrastination. They were loyal to themselves, their work, and their loved ones. As perfectionists most of the time, they saw the difference between perfect and almost perfect. Their best trait was determination, as achievers found it almost impossible to leave a task incomplete. Achievers focused not on the all the faults in the world, but only on what they were able to fulfill. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” –Harriet Tubman by Isabella Kjaerulff, Seoyoon Yang, and Heather Rollins

I want to be a Broadway actress. It’s been my dream after I saw my first play. -Kai Koren (7) theater

I want to be a dancer because it’s the way I express myself. -Andrea Engativa (6) dance

Dreams and Careers/Student Life

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YANG I

Reflection 3 Reflection 2 Page 6 Page 5

feel that the Entertainment spread in the Student Life section could still be edited and revised to make it better. The Entertainment spread was my first spread I made this year and the entire group was all seventh graders so this was probably my hardest spread.

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his photo contains elements of rule of thirds, depth of field, and unique angle. The center of visual interest is framed in relation to the rule of thirds. The depth of field is shown through the focus on the center of interest, while subjects further away are less focused. The unique angle is a prominent element in this photo because instead of framing the photo from the front or the back, I framed it from the side. (YOONIE01.jpg)

I genuinely like this spread however the only problem I have are the placing of the some elements on the spread. Looking at it now, I see that the placement of captions were unorganized and trapped. I also realize that there are no vertical spreads which disturbs the balance of the spread. Furthermore, I feel that if we moved the copy up a little more, we could have fixed that problem and maybe even included another mod. I am a little disappointed because we could’ve made a much better spread, which is the reason the Entertainment spread is a piece that could still use some work.

Most popular in

Alexis Effenberger (8) met Joey Graceffa on June 4, 2015 at Books & Books during the book signing in Miami. “I was in shock,” Effenberger said, “it was crazy, and he was genuine.”

2K15

Movies, books, and celebrities; a way to lose yourself in the world of entertainment

EYE-OPENER Shock fills the face of Aaron Idlis (7) as he reads “Absolutely Positively Not” with Jared Teitel (7). “I enjoy reading because sometimes the book creates emotions, like happiness and sadness,” Idlis said. “I gain knowledge from reading, like learning new words and new things.” They read during their free time in study hall. Photo by Jade Johnson

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CHECKMATE Practice makes perfect for Jackson Vangiessen (7). “I like chess because it’s not based on luck, it’s based on skill and ability,” Vangiessen said. His dad introduced him to chess when he was in kindergarten. Photo by Jade Johnson CAPTURE With phone in hand, Sarah Haber (7) snaps a photo as her two friends, Jenny Paul (7) and Amber Mistry (7), lean in. “I like social media because you can express yourself, but I also dislike it because some people use it inappropriately,” Mistry said. Photo by Jade Johnson

s the previews ended and the lights slowly dimmed, the group of friends looked at each other with excitement as the theme song of “Jurassic World” started to play. The popular entertainment of “2k15” featured dynamic books, inspirational celebrities, and emotional movies. “When I went to see ‘Inside Out’, someone from fifth grade was there and we sat together. Parts of the movie were funny and we laughed, but some parts made me cry,” Tori Gilbert dance (6) said. Although some movies made the audience emotional, many movies made the theater burst with laughter. Animation was also popular among students, including ‘Minions’, ‘Home’, and ‘Pixels’. “‘Pixels’ was my favorite movie because it’s funny,” Luciana Vivero vocal (6) said, “It’s about this old video game that comes to life and attacks, and the good video gamers have to save the world.” “Paper Towns” was an original book written by John Green,

published in 2008. The film came out over the summer of 2015 and many students had different opinions about whether they enjoyed the book or the movie version better. “You’re expecting so much after reading the book and once you watch the movie, you feel disappointed because it doesn’t include what you want,” Madaleine Rubin communications (8) said. Along with the many amazing movies that moved students, many celebrities were considered inspirational for many reasons. “[My favorite celebrity is] David Beckham because he was a soccer player and I enjoy soccer,” Dylan Taylor communications (6) said. “He inspires me to score some goals and play with friends.” With books, movies, and celebrities to entertain the students throughout the “2k15” year, everyone looked forward to all the new movies and books that came out in the fall and winter of 2015. by Seoyoon Yang and Isabella Ramirez

EYE-OPENER Shock fills the face of Aaron Idlis (7) as he reads “Absolutely Positively Not” with Jared Teitel (7). “I enjoy reading because sometimes the book creates emotions, like happiness and sadness,” Idlis said. “I gain knowledge from reading, like learning new words and new things.” They read during their free time in study hall. Photo by Jade Johnson

CAPTURE With phone in hand, Sarah Haber (7) snaps a photo as her two friends, Jenny Paul (7) and Amber Mistry (7), lean in. “I like social media because you can express yourself, but I also dislike it because some people use it inappropriately,” Mistry said. Photo by Jade Johnson

JAMMING OUT Focusing on the music, David Liu (7) listens to his favorite song “Get Low” on his purple pair of Beats. “I think Beats have a better build than other brands and the surround sound is a lot clearer,” Liu said. Liu enjoyed listening to music to and from school. Photo by Jade Johnson

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60 JAMMING OUT Focusing on the music, David Liu (7) listens to his favorite song “Get Low” on his purple pair of Beats. “I think Beats have a better build than other brands and the surround sound is a lot clearer,” Liu said. Liu enjoyed listening to music to and from school. Photo by Jade Johnson

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Painting Your Own Path

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Bari Weiner (7) met Sandra Bullock during the summer of 2013 at New York City during “The Heat” premiere. “It felt amazing to meet her because she was the first celebrity I had ever met,” Weiner said.

Christopher Bedecs (6) met Cody Johns on Oct. 3, 2015 at Bedner’s farm. “I was really shocked and excited to take a picture with him,” Bedecs said.

CHECKMATE Practice makes perfect for Jackson Vangiessen (7). “I like chess because it’s not based on luck, it’s based on skill and ability,” Vangiessen said. His dad introduced him to chess when he was in kindergarten. Photo by Jade Johnson

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am proud of this photo because it contains elements of depth of field, filling the frame, and unique angle. The depth of field is shown through the focus on the hand and the paper, while the face of the student is less focused. The center of visual interest in filling the frame. The photo shows unique angles because the camera is positioned at eye level to the paper, almost showing the point of view of the paper. Additionally, the photo also captures the concentration of the students, further enhancing the picture. (INK WRITING_6TH_YOONIE.jpg)

Throughout creating this spread, I learned about creating mods and infographics. After choosing photos and placing them on our spread, our group decided that polls about the favorite social media and top video game console would be interesting. I feel like the infographics enhanced the spread and made it a lot more interesting. I remember encountering a problem making this spread. Our group was going to make a modular package about different music but later realized the Fashion and Trends were using music in their spread. When we told the Fashion and Trends group about our problem, Sophia gave us the idea to do #bakcelebritymeet. We started a hashtag on Instagram and had students tag photos of them with celebrities. The #bakcelebritymeet is my favorite thing about the Entertainment spread because it is original and gave an insight on the lives of students.

First Draft

YANG

Hannah Gardner (7) met Selena Gomez during the school year of 2012-13 at a Selena Gomez concert in Miami. “I was so excited I could barely breathe,” Gardner said. “I thought I would scream.”

Devika Jhaveri (8) met Pretty Little Liar’s Keegan Allen on Sept.17, 2015 at Macy’s at the Boca Raton mall. “I talked [to him],” Jhaveri said, “but for the first time I was speechless, realizing he wasn’t just a character on a show.”

Student Life/Entertainment

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am proud of this photo because it shows depth of field and it fills the frame. The angle of the photo shows three different depths in the center of visual interest. It is shown that each student is further away from the camera and shaped in a half circle due to the depth of field. The center of visual interest also fills the frame because there is not too much blank/white space in the photo. (ELA_YOONIE_03.jpg)

YANG

Reflection 4 Reflection 5 Page 7 Page 8

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As the copy editor, I feel that I have contributed a lot to the yearbook. I have copy edited everything in the yearbook to limit the amount of mistakes we have in the final publication. We do have mistakes in the yearbook this year, which is why I will work even harder next year to make the yearbook mistake free.

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I have dedicated time and effort to yearbook a few times this year. I’ve m ssed lunch and spent the time interviewing to meet deadlines and finish work. I tried to do as much as I can for a spread and I did it the best I could. I have interviewed on the bus, in other classes and before school to do my part for a spread. Additionally, for the theater spread, I left my Civics class to go to Ms. Graham’s improvisation class to take photos. We selected a photo from this class and that helped our spread be finished without major problems or rush. Additionally, when I took photos for the boys’ baseball spread, I contributed to the girls’ softball spread. The girls had a game that day that was last minute and no one from the girls’ softball spread was covering. I found out about thirty minutes after I got there and called everyone on the girls’ softball spread about the game. Eventually, I ended up staying an hour longer than I was supposed to so that I was able to cover both games.

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feel that I was an asset to the staff and the yearbook because I have tried my best to meet all deadlines, work hard on everything I do, and I don’t leave anything half done. I have met all my deadlines but one and I’ve tried to avoid procrastination so that I don’t leave anything half done. I have stepped up to do something when another team member couldn’t. I think my determination has helped develop a lot of my spreads and I feel that I have motivated my other team members to finish a spread or meet a deadline.

I feel that I have contributed to the staff and this yearbook in many ways from working to complete a spread to taking time to work on yearbook.

YANG

I actually didn’t face that many different problems this year. I feel like I faced the same type of problems throughout the course of the year. I faced a lot of design/photography problems. Sometimes, our design didn’t follow the rules and we had a hard time fixing the spread. Other times, photos didn’t go match our spreads and we sometimes finished our spreads later because of that problem. Another problem was procrastination and pushing things off until the last minute. I feel like our entire staff procrastinated and that resulted in speeding at the last seconds and therefore not doing the best we could have. From those situations, I learned the importance of planning and communication. If we had planned better, I feel that the design or photography problems would arise less often and the procrastination would never happen because everyone would know what to do and when. If we had communicated earlier in the process, we would have caught our mistakes faster. I will try to plan and think about the future in advance to avoid all those problems but if I were to have those problems again, I would communicate with the people in my group to come up with the best solution. Communication and planning will continue to help me and will be a life lesson because they are needed whenever I work with other people.

Honestly I think my group and I handled all of our problems this year pretty well. While we could have stopped those problems from ever happening if we planned and communicated more, when a problem arose, we took control of the problem and work harder to solve it. We asked others for help, stopped procrastinating, put all our effort into solving the problem, and worked to solve the problem efficiently.

YANG YANG ReflectionPage#69 Theme Project Page 10 M

y first goal was to design our spreads more efficiently to avoid design problems in the future. My spread of the year, the Entertainment spread experienced many design problems because we had not planned the spread correctly. We didn’t have room for a few elements and the spread had elements that broke basic design rules. I think I did accomplish this goal because while I still had small problems with a few of my spreads, there were no spreads that needed a lot of design editing. After the Entertainment spread, I paid close attention to the design of the spreads and caught any problems early on to avoid running into major design difficulty later on.

Time to Enjoy Students’ work to make a difference

The hallways rumbled with the sound of the carts from the Green Team as they worked to make the world a better place. National Junior Honor Society and Student Government Association conducted a meeting to improve the school and community. Chorale voices echoed throughout the music wing and Speech and Debate team members practiced outside, using different voices and fast paced motions. The clubs and organizations at Bak revolved around a similar cause or worked to sharpen their major skills. “Speech and debate lets me express myself while speaking competitively. It’s also a great community and throughout the year, my team has become a sort of family. We motivate each other both in and outside the club,” Katherine Oung communications (7) said.

My second goal was to avoid missing any deadlines throughout the entire year and stop procrastinating. I met all the deadlines for all my spreads except my clubs and organizations spread. Three people on that spread made the deadline but Esha didn’t finish her copy on time. Additionally, after running into problems because of procrastination, I think I improved a lot in that area. As the year progressed, I found myself avoiding procrastination. I think this really impacted my later spreads because we didn’t hurry as much, which resulted in more hard work put into the layouts. My last goal was to communicate more with my team members on all of my spreads. I feel like I accomplished this goal because I communicated a lot more and ran into less problems as the year went by. I feel that communication really impacted the final product and really helped to get the spread done to meet the deadline. I think I met all my goals this year but I will continue to work on these goals next year. Setting these goals will help me throughout next year because I will not be faced with the problems I was faced with this year. Meeting these goals will help reach our yearly goal to make the yearbook the best it can be.

Parallel to Speech and Debate, organizations such as Newspaper also had a family like connection between the members. Nikita Tanguturi communications (7) felt that each issue of the Newspaper brought the staff closer and as the year went by, the staff members seemed to connect more. “In newspaper, we really connect and spend a lot of time with each other throughout the year. We help each other out to create a publication that reflects all of our hard work and dedication,” Anushka Lakum communications (7) said. Hard work and dedication went into clubs such as National Junior Honor Society and Green team. Club members were required to stay after school and meet up outside of school to further assist their community and school. “In NJHS, we have to be dedicated to serving in our community and to become

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better students and people. When you are a part of this club, you have to realize that community service and education should be two of your top priorities,” Cora Gilbert communications (8) said. “Green team requires dedication because we need to recycle every week and if we don’t, then there is a pile up. We also strive to keep the school clean and set a better examples for the other students,” Heather Rollins communications (8) said. As the school year ended, the effort and hard work of all the students showed throughout the school and community. Students became better people, the school became cleaner and organized, and the community became happier because the students made a difference. By: Seoyoon Yang

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Personalities of Different Team Members 124

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Clubs & organizations

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The Fine Art of Language Arts

57% of students felt that they would rather test language arts on the computer

A fly swatting game to help sixth graders learn vocabulary words fast and easily. An online quiz on Cranium Core for groups of seventh graders to spark their competitive spirit. A game of telephone to demonstrate the fast paced plot of a novel in a simple eighth grade class. Students learn and grow through simple games in a unique perspective. “We were using fly swatters to learn vocabulary words. You set up flash cards on the desk, and when the caller says the definition, the person that swats the card first gets the card. And the person with the most cards at the end wins. I had fun because I won and it was easy,” Abigail Hart strings (6) said.

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“In writing, high vocabulary is showing the teacher that you know higher words rather than the basic, like elegant and beautiful rather than pretty,” Willow Hackett communications (6) said. While vocabulary helped the students in writing, the perspective of language arts affected their view of language arts. The techniques used by language arts teachers helped to make the class more enjoyable. Cooper Musser theater (7) said, “Ms. Gardener makes the lessons fun because instead of vocabulary, we do projects and activities. She made the Okay for Now project fun because instead of just writing a paragraph, we got to color and decorate birds.” Jacob Schessel communications (7) said, “She gives us fun activities that overlap with the lesson so we can have fun while we’re learning.” By Seoyoon Yang and Joel Soto

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4 out of 5 students enjoyed reading different passages in language arts

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Hart said that her teacher let the class play games about vocabulary words which helps her study and be excited about learning new words. Learning vocabulary also benefited students in writing.

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Time to enjoy

“Los Angleas is less a melting pot than a great, glittering mosaic.”

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Jonathon Gold, Pulitizer prize winning food critic, on his beloved home town.

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Q: Which way of learning works the best for you? Textbooks Notes

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Interactive Assignments arts & academics/language arts

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YANG YANG Deadline 1PageClips Deadline 2 Clips 11 Page 12 Movies, books, and celebrities; a way to lose yourself in the world of entertainment

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published in 2008. The film came out over the summer of 2015 and many students had different opinions about whether they enjoyed the book or the movie version better. “You’re expecting so much after reading the book and once you watch the movie, you feel disappointed because it doesn’t include what you want,” Madaleine Rubin communications (8) said. Along with the many amazing movies that moved students, many celebrities were considered inspirational for many reasons. “[My favorite celebrity is] David Beckham because he was a soccer player and I enjoy soccer,” Dylan Taylor communications (6) said. “He inspires me to score some goals and play with friends.” With books, movies, and celebrities to entertain the students throughout the “2k15” year, everyone looked forward to all the new movies and books that came out in the fall and winter of 2015. by Seoyoon Yang and Isabella Ramirez

EYE-OPENER Shock fills the face of Aaron Idlis (7) as he reads “Absolutely Positively Not” with Jared Teitel (7). “I enjoy reading because sometimes the book creates emotions, like happiness and sadness,” Idlis said. “I gain knowledge from reading, like learning new words and new things.” They read during their free time in study hall. Photo by Jade Johnson

CAPTURE With phone in hand, Sarah Haber (7) snaps a photo as her two friends, Jenny Paul (7) and Amber Mistry (7), lean in. “I like social media because you can express yourself, but I also dislike it because some people use it inappropriately,” Mistry said. Photo by Jade Johnson

Christopher Bedecs (6) met Cody Johns on Oct. 3, 2015 at Bedner’s farm. “I was really shocked and excited to take a picture with him,” Bedecs said.

CHECKMATE Practice makes perfect for Jackson Vangiessen (7). “I like chess because it’s not based on luck, it’s based on skill and ability,” Vangiessen said. His dad introduced him to chess when he was in kindergarten. Photo by Jade Johnson

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“I love to write outside of school, and my language arts teaches me how to write better in my free time. “ Nicholas Manganiotis (6) “I like to write stories, poems, and Mrs. Alonso has taught me to annotate the text, which helps me with my writing. “ Ava Murray (6) “Language arts helps me understand how to use my words properly, such as your and you’re, as well as there, their, and they’re, which is really important. Caroline Kelly (8) BOOKWORMS Pointing to the worksheet, teacher Laurie McCormick helps a group of students with their critical thinking questions. “Group work helps kids gain a richer view of topics because they are interacting with their friends,” McCormick said. The worksheet had to do with “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Photo by Katherine Oung

OLD SCHOOL Wrriting the name of her favorite book, Leah Sloan (7) uses a colorful chalk pen on a blackboard. “I think teachers should do more fun activities in language arts because it is a tedious subject. The more fun you have, the better you do,” Sloan said. She wrote the title of a book that her friend also wrote. Photo by Seoyoon Yang

with your SAT’s and with getting into good colleges. It may also spark interests in books, reading, and writing,” Philippa Scroggins strings (8) said. Students also felt that their teachers impacted their love for writing and reading. Willow Hackett communications (6) said, “I like how Ms. Alonso respects us and makes us learn while having fun. We play games and do Reading Plus.” While students had goals they wanted to accomplish throughout the year, teachers also had objectives to achieve. Alonso said, “My goal is for my students to become lifelong learners and to love literature.” by Seoyoon Yang and Isabella Ramirez

Language Arts: copy, dominant photo, photo, sidebar EVERLOST Aiyana Wyatt (6) and Samantha Rycroft (6) work on an Everlost assignment on exposition. “We got certain parts of the story to draw about and at the same time write about,” Wyatt said. The project taught students about the different parts of the plot mountain. Photo by Seoyoon Yang

Kevin Ray

Anamaria Navarrete

Ethan Harris

Raphaela Kanlil

Natalie Hamel

Arts&Academics/Language Arts Arts and Academics/English Language Arts

Lemar Mcogg

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Aubrey Barnes

Sara Abdo

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best in loud, moving environments. The innovators saw the world as a contraption, something they had to improve somehow. THE ACHIEVERS accomplished what they set out to do and set goals. When school let out, achievers rushed home to complete their homework to avoid the stress of procrastination. They were loyal to themselves, their work, and their loved ones. As perfectionists most of the time, they saw the difference between perfect and almost perfect. Their best trait was determination, as achievers found it almost impossible to leave a task incomplete. Achievers focused not on the all the faults in the world, but only on what they were able to fulfill. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” –Harriet Tubman by Isabella Kjaerulff, Seoyoon Yang, and Heather Rollins

I want to be a Broadway actress. It’s been my dream after I saw my first play. -Kai Koren (7) theater

I want to be a dancer because it’s the way I express myself. -Andrea Engativa (6) dance

Dreams and Careers: copy, copy idea, and mod/spread idea I

Mathletes; Mathcounts Club

Garcia Mathcounts helpsKatherine students gain knowledge Jenelle Pollock

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Painting Paththrowing socks and n a room filledYour withOwn children discussing secret organizations, one would not expect to find some of the greatest mathematicians in the school. However, with the MATHCOUNTS club, that was the case. MATHCOUNTS strived to engage middle school students of all ability and interest levels through enjoyable, challenging math problems. It helped to expand their academic and professional opportunities, according to the MATHCOUNTS website. MATHCOUNTS focused on difficult concepts such as counting and probability, sequences and series, and number theory. But to the students in the club, it was a place that analytically gifted students could challenge themselves in a way much different from the traditional math class. “MATHCOUNTS is a more creative and thought provoking version of a regular old math class,” Anish Ravichandran strings (8) said. “Math class is straightforward and black and white, while in MATHCOUNTS, you begin to see that there are other colors to math also.” While some MATHCOUNTS members joined the club for fun, some were there with a mind set on improving themselves, but all of the the members came with one shared sentiment; their love for math. by Subhash Kantamneni

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Teachers take initiative, makes class more enjoyable for students arts is reading lots of interesting stories,” Cooper Musser theater (7) said. “We got to read a poem called ‘The Dash,’ which is about the dash between since you were born and when you die.” “My favorite time in language arts was Cranium Core, where we split up into teams and got to make a funny team name. Ms. Gardner would put up questions on the projector and our team would have to come up with an answer,” Jacob Schlessel communications (7) said. Language arts teachers also encouraged students to improve their comprehension, vocabulary, and mechanics. “Studying vocabulary can help you

Elizabeth Knott

Students help to preserve their earth

The FUNdamentals s tudents sat at their desk, scanning their textbooks for important words to highlight. However, language arts classes at Bak were unique and exciting. Language arts teachers used different teaching methods that gave students a fun learning experience. “I try to find literature that they’ll enjoy,” Lourdes Alonso, sixth grade language arts teacher said. “All the teachers here at Bak do creative activities to keep the students interested.” Many students also had a favorite part about language arts. Language arts introduced students to enjoyable activities, such as an interesting literature or study game. “My favorite part about language

Keane Gosselin

I want to be a physical therapist because I like to help people feel better. -Noah Sams (8) vocal

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MARVELOUS MUSTACHES Putting on a mustache, Samantha Diaz (7) simulates having a handicap. “Our teacher makes it interesting by explaining the lesson and giving us cool activities,” Diaz said. The activity was based on a story, “Harrison Bergeron.” Photo by Tori Maxwell

Jared Glas

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“My [language arts] teacher teaches me how to speak properly. It allows me to express myself better and not jumble up all my words.” Derran Kittrell (7)

Beyond Primary Colors

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How does language arts affect your life?

FLY SWATTING As James Walter 6) calls out the definition, players Adam Wenta (6), Matthew Fernandes (6), and Juan Guerrero (6) prepare to swat the right word. “I repeated the definition so I was able to identify the word for the test,” Fernandes said. He won second place. Photo by Seoyoon Yang

Cristina Meyaart

Devika Jhaveri (8) met Pretty Little Liar’s Keegan Allen on Sept.17, 2015 at Macy’s at the Boca Raton mall. “I talked [to him],” Jhaveri said, “but for the first time I was speechless, realizing he wasn’t just a character on a show.”

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hree students sat, poised at their desks, each holding a pencil. The first doodled a spiral on the edge of her math homework, head full of dreams and wishes. The second tapped his pencil against the desk impatiently, occasionally sketching yet another invention idea. The third sat, pencil tucked behind their ear, waiting for another opportunity. All three were similar, because each were hopeful for a bright future. THE DREAMERS lived in a world of fantasy and did not see limits to their accomplishments. In the halls, dreamers did not rush to class, but rather took their time, focusing on the detail. Dreamers saw the world through ethereal lenses, seeing what could be instead of what was. THE INNOVATORS made changes to something already established, mostly by introducing new ideas. During class, innovators shared their opinions on the latest issues to their friends. Their best trait was the ability to focus; they worked

Hannah Gardner (7) met Selena Gomez during the school year of 2012-13 at a Selena Gomez concert in Miami. “I was so excited I could barely breathe,” Gardner said. “I thought I would scream.”

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Bari Weiner (7) met Sandra Bullock during the summer of 2013 at New York City during “The Heat” premiere. “It felt amazing to meet her because she was the first celebrity I had ever met,” Weiner said.

JAMMING OUT Focusing on the music, David Liu (7) listens to his favorite song “Get Low” on his purple pair of Beats. “I think Beats have a better build than other brands and the surround sound is a lot clearer,” Liu said. Liu enjoyed listening to music to and from school. Photo by Jade Johnson

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Different paths lead to the same destination: The Stars

Alexis Effenberger (8) met Joey Graceffa on June 4, 2015 at Books & Books during the book signing in Miami. “I was in shock,” Effenberger said, “it was crazy, and he was genuine.”

2K15

s the previews ended and the lights slowly dimmed, the group of friends looked at each other with excitement as the theme song of “Jurassic World” started to play. The popular entertainment of “2k15” featured dynamic books, inspirational celebrities, and emotional movies. “When I went to see ‘Inside Out’, someone from fifth grade was there and we sat together. Parts of the movie were funny and we laughed, but some parts made me cry,” Tori Gilbert dance (6) said. Although some movies made the audience emotional, many movies made the theater burst with laughter. Animation was also popular among students, including ‘Minions’, ‘Home’, and ‘Pixels’. “‘Pixels’ was my favorite movie because it’s funny,” Luciana Vivero vocal (6) said, “It’s about this old video game that comes to life and attacks, and the good video gamers have to save the world.” “Paper Towns” was an original book written by John Green,

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he low sound of wheels on linoleum and papers emptying out echoed through the hall. This was one of the many tasks of the Green Team. “The impact of Green Team is helping to make the earth a better place. Basically, Green Team is preserving the world for when one cares to recycle. We show them how easy it is to keep the world green and how simple it is to recycle,” Aalivea McCloskey vocal (8) said. Green Team was a way for the students to have fun while helping the world. Aarthi Allady said that her favorite thing to do was to jump in the dumpster used to empty paper items into, because it was “the next best thing to a bouncy house.” “I feel happy during Green Team meetings. It is a great way to uplift my spirits because I get to hang out with my friends,” Lianna McDonald visual (8) said. The whole experience Green Team had given the students would help them be more conscious about what they threw away and recycled. They learned how to work together with teammates, get tasks accomplished, and other life skills. McCloskey said, “I think Green Team will help me in the future by assisting me in reminding people with ways to keep the world greener.” by Esha Dudhwewala

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HELPING A FRIEND Sixth grade piano major Timothy Chen teaches fellow mathematician Ashesh Amatya (6) a concept in probability. “Helping people on difficult problems is one way to help people grow as mathematicians, and MATHCOUNTS lets people do that,” Chen said. Amatya eventually grasped the concept after Chen’s lecture. Photo By Subhash Kantameni

Fixing the Planet; Green Team

RESPECTABLE RECYCLING Placing a piece of paper from the recycling bin into the bigger trash can, Aalivea McCloskey (8) feels respected for doing the right thing. “Green Team to me is not just a club. It is a place full of people that have the same motivation to protect the earth,” McCloskey said. McCloskey joined Green Team because she learned what good it does for the school, and she was an avid recycler at home. Photo by Esha Dudhwewala

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New Voices; Chorale

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RAISE YOUR VOICE As the girls follow along on their sheet music, seventh graders Samantha Hooker (right), Dara Desai, and Alessia Degraeve prepare for a winter performance. “In Chorale, we have lots of songs to learn in a short period of time and that helps me learn songs quickly and prepare fast,” Hooker said. The class was singing “Hanukkah Celebration.” Photo by Seoyoon Yang

Marvelous Mechanisms; Robotics

alking through music wing, a Life crescendo11 Dreams andthe Careers/Student of voices filled the hallway. In the middle of a room, a boy was silently reading his music. As his teacher pointed to his section of the chorus, the student raised his voice with all the other students. “I joined Chorale so that I can participate in more performances than all the other vocal majors,” Jacob Moses vocal (7) said. Chorale allowed members to improve vocalizations and grow their passion which they used in vocal organizations outside of school, Lacie Michaelis vocal (7) said, “[Chorale is] more advanced than the other choirs and also sounds more harmonized.” Chorale was an elective for students, open to all majors. They had goals they wanted to accomplish throughout the year. “[One of our goals] is that we should be able to sight read easily,” Emilia Andersen vocal (8) said. Returning vocalists needed to be the example for the newcomers. Chorale practiced diligently for concerts, which was a new experience for some. “There are additional people in chorale,” Andersen said. “Although we have to learn some songs over again, it’s nice to have new voices.” by Seoyoon Yang

Members design a better future

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nticipation and determination filled the room as he built piece by piece, making sure to make the placement perfect. His team stared intently as he placed his robot on the map and pressed start. The robot performed a series of tasks; it spun, dodged obstacles, raced, and rolled through tight spaces. “A lot of times [Robotics] is challenging because if the robot isn’t fit to do them, it can alter its performance,” Christopher Anthony strings (7) said. The main goal for robotics was to build robots and program them to perform different missions. For some members, they found that programming was their greatest challenge. “[The hardest part] is programming because if you are off by a little bit, it can be frustrating. Programming isn’t too difficult; it’s just tedious and you have to be very precise,” Christopher Watkins strings (6) said. Before competition, members faced many challenges that included time management and difficulties while programming. However, throughout the hard times members still found ways to make it enjoyable. Anthony said, “Being able to work on things I’m interested in gets to be fun and rewarding.” by Isabella Ramirez

Chorale: copy, caption, photo

Clubs&Orgs/Chorale

FUTURE ENGINEER Adjusting pieces, Thomas Ashley (6) prepares to test his robot for the course. “It is challenging to build a robot because there aren’t really instructions, and we have to come up with different ways to build,” Ashley said. Robotics taught him how to build different contraptions and program them. Photo by Isabella Ramirez

Clubs and Organizations/MATHCOUNTS/Chorale/Green Team/Robotics

YANG YANG Deadline 2PageClips Deadline 3 Clips 13 Page 14 Sportscheck Why do you play? “I joined to see if I was good enough to even make it and prove to myself that I could start playing for real.” Eli Bludworth (6) “It challenges me to be a better athlete. It motivates me to focus better in school and on the field.” Nicolas Buitrago (7)

HIT IT Warming up for the pitch, Luca Oberndorfer (6) concentrates on hitting the ball. “I had a good spot in the pitching order. We had a good team, and good players,” Oberndofrer said. He was the first athlete in his family. Photo by Skyler Johnson

HOME RUN Slipping on his gloves and practicing his swing as he goes up to bat, Nolan Anschuetz (7) feels the pressure to hit a good run. “In my head I think about what we’re going to do to win and how I’m going to help my teammates accomplish it,” Anschuetz said. He was inspired by his dad who was a former professional baseball player for the Astros. Photo by Sophia Pregadio PERFECT PITCH Thinking about how to strike out the player up to bat, Jin-Seong Park (8) realizes how much of a mental game baseball is. “It’s a hard game and I like a challenge. It takes a lot of thinking unlike other sports where you just do it,” Park said. Wins against tough competitors like Howell Watkins and JFK helped improve his mental game. Photo by Jacob Schlessel

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BATTER UP As he locks eyes with the Duncan pitcher, William Isreal (6) breathes heavily and prepares to swing his bat. “[I like] getting better at batting, ground balls, and diving,” Isreal said. He played baseball for five years prior to coming to Bak. Photo by Seoyoon Yang

SKY HIGH Getting ready to throw the ball, Cooper Musser (7) looks over his shoulder at another player. “We won one game and I felt accomplished because we didn’t have the best record but we still won our first game,” Musser said. This was Musser’s second year on the Bak baseball team. Photo by Sophia Pregadio

GRAVITY GAME Doing a handstand, Jamie Stamile, science/ESE teacher, tries to dump ping pong balls out of a tissue box. “I liked the game because I got to use what I teach to be awesome!” Stamile said. “As a science teacher, I knew that gravity was a force that I could use to my advantage.” Stamile noted that, by going upside down, the ping pong balls would fall out of the box. Photo by Heather Rollins

HEAD IN THE GAME Teamwork, practice, and motivation drives the players to try their best

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e stood at home base and practiced his batting as a pitcher from Duncan Middle prepared to throw the ball. The chatters from the crowd were tuned out as he focused in on the ball. He took one last deep breath, stepped forward, and swung. Long hours of practice and motivation energized the players to use all their effort into the game. Thoughout the season, the team faced tough opponents but still strived to succeed. “[Duncan] always hits and pitches very well. It made me feel nervous when we had to play them, but I know inside that I can hit the ball just as good as them,” Evan Riccardi pitcher (6) said. “Losing doesn’t mean you’re a bad player. Losing makes you a better player.” Riccardi believed that failing lead to success. Although the losses outnumbered the team’s wins, encouraging moments throughout the entire season helped to boost their motivation. A triple hit from the pitcher resulted in a win against JFK Middle, which was a perfect example of boosting the players’ motivation. “It was [Jin Seong] Park’s turn to bat. He got to home plate and swung the ball so far, he hit a triple, where you hit the ball and run all the way to third base,” Ricardo said. “It basically won us the game. We were already winning, but it raised the score.” The season started off with a win against JFK Middle 11-2. The team then experienced four losses against Duncan, Howell Watkins, Independence, and Jupiter Middle. Although a perfect season was out of reach, the team regained its spirit after a 14-0 landslide win against JFK Middle. “We can definitely work on working better together because sometimes we can all play good, like passing the ball to each other well and swinging a homerun, but we’re not all equally working as a team.” Gianni Giles right outfield (8) said, “We need to work on helping each other out and stop focusing so much on individual skills. We won our first game because we worked as a team.” After a 3-8 loss against Duncan Middle, the team won another game 14-0 against Howell Watkins. The team finished off its season with two losses against Independence and Jupiter Middle. Jin Seong Park (8) pitcher said, “Physical mistakes are going to happen and you can get rid of those physical mistakes if you’re mentally in the game. I want to make sure my head is always in the game and I’m focused.” by Sophia Pregadio and Seoyoon Yang

SHAKE IT Participating in the Junk in the Trunk game, Charles Bevier-Burr (8) and Brian Simpkins (8) encourage their grade to cheer. “We had to shake our hips to get the ping pong balls out of the tissue box,” Bevier-Burr said. “I felt pretty good about my performance; I like to show off my talent.” The eighth graders won the Junk in the Trunk game. Photo by Heather Rollins

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SHOUT Kevin Ahern (8) and Hayley Alfonso (8) demonstrate their enthusiasm by cheering for their eighth grade classmates. Ahern said, “My favorite part of the pep rally was the fact that I got to hang out with my friends, while showing spirit for our grade.” Ahern’s favorite part of the pep rally was helping his grade win by cheering as loud as possible. Photo by Heather Rollins

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FLYING PUFFS As seventh grade representative Brynna Hanley (8) throws Cheetos, Mary Carson, science teacher, tries to move her head to “catch” them. “In the Sticky Cheetos competition. I had to throw Cheetos at Ms. Carson’s head, which was filled with shaving cream.” Hanley said. Hanley was nervous during the competition because the crowd was yelling at her. Photo by Heather Rollins

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SUPPORT FROM THE STANDS Along with her friend Ruby Dunn (8), Emma Artero (8) cheers for the eighth grade representatives in the Reindeer Relay Race. “I was excited since we hadn’t won the last two years,” Artero said. “I wore a blue shirt and put blue paint on my face to support my grade.” The event that Artero enjoyed most at the pep rally was when the teachers had to dance. Photo by Angela Yan

For productions, elements from all the technical theater classes came together. All the basic sewing techniques, utilizing tools in the workshop, costume designing, and set design helped the performance come to life. “The technical things [are important], such as lighting and set design. Without all the technical stuff, it’s just you acting, but once the lights go on, it really starts to feel like a show,” Rachel Robinson (7) said. Three years of learning theatrical aspects led to eighth grade productions, which included “Servant of Two Masters”, “La Dispute”, “Babes on Broadway”, “Charlie Brown the Musical”, and “The Lottery”. Madison Elliott (8), who played Clarice in “Servant of Two Masters”, said, “Getting ready for the show required a mix of talent from all of the theater department. It included Ms. Amico’s

Annual winter pep rally celebrates student success them that I couldn’t play basketball, but they still decided to put my name in,” Ortiz said. While the eighth graders attended their last middle school winter pep rally, sixth graders soaked in the new experience. “Since it was my first pep rally, I was surprised at how loud the whole thing was,” William Dhana visual arts (6) said. “My ears were ringing after coming out.” Eighth grade claimed victory after winning the majority of the competitions. The grade celebrated by running to the middle of the gym, jumping and hugging with their friends. Payton Hart communications (8) said, “At the end of the pep rally it was pretty emotional. It was sad and exhilarating. Sad because it was our last winter pep rally and exciting because we had won.” by Heather Rollins, Seoyoon Yang, and Sophia Pregadio

Winter Pep Rally: copy and captions Student life/Winter Pep Rally Student Life/Winter Pep Rally

costume design class, who did an amazing job with the costumes, Mr. Steadman, who worked really hard on the set, Mr. Valentine and Ms. Pascal who coached us, and Mr. Santana who helped us with the swords and daggers.” Although most productions were performed by the eighth graders, the production of “Orphan Train” was a seventh grade show. Since every seventh grader had a part, there were three different casts of the same show. Hannah Gardner (7) said, “In Ms. Tepper’s class we have been working on how the characters in ‘Orphan Train’ stand, talk, and gesture. We have also been working on costumes to look and resemble our character.” In the actress’ mind, all the effort led her to this moment, the moment when she would shine. She took a deep breath and stepped into the light. by Seoyoon Yang, Aditya Jadvani, and Madison Elliott

VANITY AFFAIR As Annie Oxer (8) and Lauryn Owen (8) argue about who is prettier, they are held back by Cassidy Patz (8) and Jordan Beres (8), while Shaina Franks (8) and Sawyer Hyatt (8) watch from above. “I was very nervous during the performance because I thought people would react differently when they saw ‘Egle’ and I were yelling and fighting with each other,” Oxer said. They were performing in the play called “La Dispute.” Photo by Lili Mueller

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Beyond the script...

Learning aspects in theater helps to bring productions to life

he stood in front of the mirror, staring at her glistening makeup and trying to contain her nervousness. Her friend made last minute tweaks to her hair as she reviewed her lines over and over again for the next scene. When she stepped closer to the stage, everything she had learned in the past flashed through her mind. Students learned different aspects of theater, varying from improvisation with Laura Graham, set design with Wayne Steadman, costume design with Erin Amico, musical theater with Randy Booth, fake combat fighting with Nicolas Santana, to acting with Richard Valentine and Sandra Tepper. “I have gained the ability to memorize monologues and scripts, use power tools and drills in Mr. Steadman’s class, and make things up on the spot in Mr. Valentine’s class,” Ryan Lamontagne (6) said.

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tudents shoved through the gym doors, anxious to find a seat with their friends. People stood on the bleachers, dancing, laughing, and screaming for their grade level. Some put in ear plugs to block out the exuberant shouting and cheering. “To be honest, I love the pep rally,” Isabella Ortiz vocal (7) said. “I get to hang out with my friends, take a break from school and work, and just relax.” Grade levels competed in various games, such as “Sticky Cheetos”, where students threw Cheetos at shaving cream on a teacher’s head, and “Junk in the Trunk”, in which teachers and students had to get as many ping pong balls as possible out of a tissue box tied around their waist. “My friends signed me up for the basketball game. A week before the pep rally, I told

It’s showtIme

Painting Your Own Path

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What is the real life application of theater? “In theater, they teach us how to express ourselves and be outgoing. If I had an interview then I would speak my mind honestly.” Brianna Souffrant (7) “It gives me collaborating skills and presentation skills.” Sawyer Hyatt (8)

SNAPSHOT Posing for the last scene of an improvisation play, Julia Kenny (6) and Kaitlyn Diaz (6) pose in the center while Andrew Munoz (bottom center), Jacoy Paul (6), Nicolette Carew (6), Angelina Tharitimanont (6), Mia Lopes (6), and Davilia McDonald (6) hover around. “We would have somebody make up a word and then we would make a story to act out and perform,” Munoz said. They were playing a game with different sea characters. Photo by Seoyoon Yang

“We learn stage combat which is what to do in a fight when we’re performing. Our teachers tell us what to do then, and what to do when we’re in a dangerous situation.” Olivia Saurberg (7) “In theater, I learn valuable information I will use later in life, including speaking in front of a large group of people about something or someone I care about.” Seth Greenberg (7)

PANTALONE In the production “The Servant of Two Masters,” Jakob Littell (8) plays Pantalone. “Rehearsal is relaxed and has less energy than a show because during a show you can feed off the audience and their laughing or applause push you to do the best you can,” Littell said. Littell was playing the wealthy business man of Venice. Photo by Aditya Jadvani REAL FACE MASKS As Isabelle Eisenberg (8) prepares to form the mask on her group partner, Rebecca Boss (8) waits patiently for the strips to be placed on top of the Vaseline. “[The Vaseline] covered your eyes, so it was almost kind of soothing to me and I was isolated from the rest of the classroom,” Boss said. The girls were in Erin Amico’s eighth period costume design class. Photo by Isabella Kjaerulff

Theater: copy, captions, photos, and sidebar Arts&Academics/Theater MAKING BOUNDARIES As Sophia Salvador (8) lightly outlines the wood with a pencil, Jillian Gore (8) (left) and Kaila Cohen (8) add their inputs. “First, Mr. Steadman tells us what we are going to be doing, then he helps us with the measurements and guides us while we do it by ourselves,” Gore said. Their goal was to get the sets done early so

YANG YANG Deadline Page 3 Clips Deadline 4 Clips 15 Page 16 Boys’ Basketball Scoreboard

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS

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Social studies influences students’ life decisions

hile watching a fellow classmate present her Dreampiece, the students learned how the Aboriginal Australians functioned as a society. As she continued her lecture, the students realized how one country connected to other foreign civilizations. By the end of the presentation, the students were able to associate social studies to real life. Isabella Caggiani vocal (8) said, “More people can appreciate the mechanics of the world when you learn different parts of history.” Unlike other middle schools, Bak’s social studies curriculum was divided throughout the three years. Eighth grade studied American history, seventh grade concentrated on civics, and sixth

graders learned world history. “World history is about the start of early civilizations and civics focuses on what laws and rights we are entitled to,” Arman Khoshbin visual (7) said. “When you’re learning social studies, you [get] to learn about different cultures, and it inspires you to visit these other places,” Cole Hamilton visual (6) said. “It’s interesting because you are learning about a different way of life.” In social studies, learning important and tragic events helped to prevent history repeating itself. Isabella Lipkey visual (6) said, “Social studies helps me because if we can learn about the mistakes people made in the past, it can help to prevent our mistakes, such as a quarrel. Social

studies is important because being able to learn about what other people have done will help us rethink what they did and improve it.” The lessons taught helped to spark creativity in the career choices that corresponded with their art. “I feel like visiting bilingual and diverse cultures would help me pursue my career in communications,” Erin Hoffman communcations (6) said. “Social studies helps me by opening my horizons to learn about different people’s government, religion, agriculture, beliefs, war strategies, and how we used their ways to benefit ours to create the United States of America.” by Seoyoon Yang and Jade Johnson

Team

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Them

Jupiter Independence Duncan HL Watkins Jeaga Jupiter Independence Duncan HL Watkins Jeaga

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THERE’S NO “I” IN TEAM

BUCKETS Working on a free throw, Jaylen Sanders (8) gets ready to spring up and launch the ball. “During the game if you want to win you have to pass and work as a team. We work hard and we know that we can’t win every time but we learn from our losses and try to do better,” Sanders said. He practiced sixteen hours a week to improve his strategies. Photo by Lili Mueller

SPELLING IT OUT Doing a group activity with Julia Reiss (7) and Ashley Kulberg (7), Nicholas Lamaina (7) continues to place letters on his Republican Party group poster. “I was working hard because I wanted our poster to look the best and be the most descriptive,” Lamaina said. They were describing the party platform and were preparing for a class presentation. Photo by Lili Mueller

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JUMP BALL The starting whistle blows and Quintavius Tally (7) leaps into the air to hit the ball to his teammates. “Making shots feel natural to me. It’s a good feeling to know that I might have helped my team win,” Tally said. He focused on getting the ball into the basket. Photo by Seoyoon Yang

FREE THROW Preparing to make the shot, Ian Lewis (8) concentrated on the basket. “I like shooting because I love the sound the net makes when you make the ball in,” Lewis said. Lewis believed that losing motivated the team. Photo by Sophia Pregadio

INK WRITING After dipping his quill into a bottle of ink, Bryce Broedell (6) continues copying Hebrew onto his paper. “I was writing the ancient Ten Commandments in Hebrew. I’m used to seeing the Ten Commandments in English, but seeing them in Hebrew was cool,” Broedell said. He was in Janet Karvonen’s eighth period world history class. Photo by Seoyoon Yang

Beyond the culture...

What is the most interesting thing that you have learned in social studies?

“I learned about the Syrians and how they attacked using the siege method. They circled the village until the villagers ran out of food.” Stephen Uter strings (6)

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Beyond Primary Colors Beyond Primary Colors

MOCK DEBATE The class stares as Kristina Ronan (8) stands up to give her argument in the class mock colonial debate. “Mock debates are informative because they offer a preview to what a real debate looks like, and shows both sides of the Anti-Federalist and Federalist arguments,” Ronan said. She was portraying the Federalist stance in the discussion. Photo by Seoyoon Yang

“The reason I play is because it is fun and it keeps me out of trouble. It pushes me to get good grades.” Ian Lewis (8)

“It would be the Egyptians because I think the mummification process is interesting.” Ava Rosenberg communication (6) COLORFUL ACTIVITIES As Gabriella Jaburek (7) looks up information on an iPad, Danielle Stolack (7) writes on their group’s poster. “I think the activities are fun because we got to learn more about governments,” Stolack said. She also enjoyed the activity because she got to work in groups. Photo by Jade Johnson

“How America got their government from the Greeks,” Benjamin Gao band (7)

Arts & Academics/Social Studies

tarting the season off with losses and close calls, the boys’ basketball team ended the season with a long-awaited win against Watkins Middle School. With season after season of loss and disappointment, the boys came away with a win. “I felt that it was a needed win for our team. Our teamwork finally paid off. I’ve never seen so much cooperation on the court during a game before,” Alexander Haddad post (8) said. The boys’ basketball team had a tough season and lost against challenging competitors such as Independence, Duncan, and Jeaga. Isaiah Robinson point guard (7) felt that Independence was a tough competitor because they had the advantage of height, which enabled them to get rebounds quicker. “If we’re playing against a team from Jeaga and they’re guarding us really well, then we have to pick up the pace and put more strength and dedication into moving the ball,” Maximus Wagner center (8) said. Jordan Juliano shooting guard (8) said, “Jeaga has a very strong defense so we want to use our drills to counter it.” Captain, Jaylen Sanders (8), tried to motivate the team to focus more on their defense rather than their strong offense. The team reflected on their past game to identify areas that they could improve. “Our losses affect the team mentally. I like to look back at the game film and see what I did well and what I did wrong and work on my weaknesses afterward,” Jordan Haynes shooting guard (7) said. They lost 36-49 against Independence in a home game but continued to work hard in following games against Watkins and Jupiter and came back with a 52-45 win against Watkins. “I feel like our win was something that should have come a while ago but I’m still proud of how the guys came together on the court,” Sanders said. “It helped knowing that I added points to the score, knowing that I might’ve helped us win motivated me to stay positive and keep playing.” by Seoyoon Yang and Skyler Johnson

Sportscheck Why do you play?

“My favorite thing about the American Revolution is that they fought in wars for their independence.” Jane Djajaputra vocal (8)

WRITING LIKE A SCRIBE Using a bamboo stick, Jessen Joseph (6) writes in the Sumerian language on a clay tablet. “The writing looked different and it was harder than English because they used a lot of different symbols,” Joseph said. His favorite part of the activity was squishing the clay to write on it. Photo by Aditya Jadvani

As the season comes to an end, the boys achieve a victory

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Social Studies: Copy, Captions, Photos, and Sidebar

Finishing

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TEAMWORK To stop Watkins from making a basket, Maximus Wagner (8) attempts to hit the ball out of the opponents’ hands. “The swish of the net sticks in my mind. We all want to win and improve our season from last year even though it’s been difficult,” Wagner said. Wagner and the team put in their effort to work together on the court. Photo by Lili Mueller

“I play because it makes me happy and it gives me a lot of energy in the game.” Tyler Asuncion (8)

Boys’Basketball:Copy, Photos, Captions, and Sidebar

TOUCHES

Sporting a New Color

Arts&Academics/Social Studies

PASS THE BALL Dodging a Duncan player, Isaiah Robinson (7) looks for a receiver. “On the court, we have to work harder. It will help us work together to win more games,” Robinson said. He practiced basketball everyday with the support of his family. Photo by Sophia Pregadio

Sports/Boys’ Basketball HUG IT OUT With her arms around Danielle Hoogterp (8) and Madison Dowling (8),Sports/Boys’ Leila Lunsford Basketball (7) thinks about the memories she has made throughout the year. “I am going to miss the eighth graders a lot since they are all going off to high school,” Lunsford said. She was happy that she was able to express herself while at Bak. Photo by Katherine Oung

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Students show their true colors through self-expression

he last day of school sped by in a blur of tearful goodbyes in reminiscence of the year. Phone numbers and hugs were exchanged as the students realized the inevitability of the closing of many shared memories. Sixth and seventh graders looked forward to their next year and eighth graders found themselves at the end of the journey of middle school, preparing to start a new chapter of their life: high school. “I feel like over the past three years, I have really found myself as an artist. Coming into sixth grade, I knew that I was okay at singing but as the years went by, I found a deeper understanding of what it means to be a performer and develop my voice,” Mia Marquez vocal (8) said. “This school has really challenged me to push the limits of my knowledge of music and the level of musicianship it takes to be professional and collected.” Over the course of the three years of middle school, students were able to take a variety of core classes that provided indispensable opportunities. Regular, advanced, gifted, and even honors courses were offered to help students succeed academically. “The support I got from my academic teachers helped me improve because they pushed me to always do more than I thought I could,” Antonio Caleca piano (8) said. Along with core classes, arts courses and other electives could be taken by both major students and non-major students. These

courses allowed kids to explore the aspects of not only their expertise, but all of the other majors that were offered at Bak. Each period every year was spent improving areas in students’ art areas. “Speech and debate helped me improve because it gave me confidence and direction in my life,” Nedda Gosman communications (8) said. “It helped me to have a positive attitude. Attitude pays off.” “I improved in visual arts. I understand a lot about the different elements now,” Dennis Gettinger visual (6) said. A year of electives, academics, clubs and the everyday successes led to the end-ofyear pep rally. Held on the last day of school, the gymnasium was filled with screams and hoots as the different art areas competed to win first place. “I am excited because I get to see all the majors show their talent through competition,” Cristina Meyaart strings (6) said. The blank canvas without memories of the year were now filled with unforgettable events that would continue to impact students for the rest of their lives. The sixth and seventh graders finished up their goodbyes, already looking forward to their next year, their next masterpiece. As the eighth graders walked through the campus for the last time, they added the finishing touches to their middle school experience. by Isabella Kjaerulff, Katherine Oung, and Seoyoon Yang

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM As George Perez helps Jae den Perez (8) by critiquing his work, he compliments and gives feedback. “[George Perez] helped me with proportion, shading, and cool techniques I never would have thought of,” Perez said. Jaeden Perez felt ecstatic because he got to meet George Perez personally. Photo by Jessica Samons FRIENDS FOREVER While laughing with Charlotte Ostrov (8), Henry Heun (8), and Preston Padgett (8), Jakob Littel (8) practices his comedy skills. “Without theater I wouldn’t be as happy as I am right now and I wouldn’t be as responsible,” Littel said. Over the years, Littel had improved specifically in patience and respect. Photo by Heather Rollins

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Finishing Touches

Closing:Copy and Captions DANCE IT OFF With a flourish of his hands, Ryan Jaffe (8) follows the instructions of Phoenecia Flynn, guest and wife of comic book artist George Perez. “She taught us different styles than we are used to here which were unique rather than what we would normally do,” Jaffe said. While George Perez met with students in the main stage, his wife taught belly dancing in the dance studio. Photo by Jessica Samons

Closing

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