MAYFIELD C RIER
The
1 Mayfield Crier March 2016
M AY F I E L D S E N I O R S C H O O L S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R
March 2016
Bio Teacher, Theresa Peters, Returns from Field Research in Africa
Show your Spirit
By: CaMi arBoleS & KriSten MaSCarenHaS
CHriStine geng
It’s Thursday, late-afternoon. The bio lab has a rare absence of students, and Hayden is unusually peaceful. Biology teacher and general life-fanatic Theresa Peters stands over a lab desk, donning white surgical gloves. She pokes at a royal blue chunk of agarose gel. “Ah, looks like this group got it right,” says Peters. She is referring to the recent gel electrophoresis experiment performed in her college-prep level Biology class. “Looks like they’re the first to get it. Good.” Peters continues peeking at the gels. Meanwhile, an iguana sits blissfully in the corner of the room, and diagrams of a double helix and sprawling amoeba are displayed on the whiteboard, illustrations left behind by students earlier in the day. Ms. Sharon Santa Ana stops by to resolve a recent issue with the room’s digital projector. “It’s problematic when it starts freaking out during my classes,” says Peters. “I’ve just gotta teach!” For someone who has been on a Sabbatical in Africa all semester, Peters is certainly quick to assimilate back to Mayfield.
Don’t Sit Back! Get to Know the New SAT By: CHriStine geng The new SAT has been drastically altered from the old SAT, and there will be changes that you may like...or hate. The Class of 2017 will be the first to take this brand-new exam. The scoring is changed to a scale of 400-1600, instead of from the previous 600 - 2400. One perk of the new SAT is that there is no penalty for wrong answers, so students won’t have to worry about losing points for guessing incorrectly. There will be only 4 answer choices available instead of 5, which further increases chances of success. Those notoriously recondite vocabulary words so signature to the SAT are being replaced with words students may be more familiar with. It
Biology Teacher, Theresa Peters observing wildlife
Peters is no stranger here, though. Now in her twenty-eighth year of teaching, this seasoned master of Biology has a robust track record of inspiring students to waste less, recycle more, and study harder. When she is not grading papers or setting up labs, she can be found advising the ever-popular Environmental Club, and it’s not unusual for a tortoise to be wandering around the Bio Lab after hibernation season. Let’s also not forget that, year after year, Peters prepares her AP students to earn the maximum score of 5 on the notoriously challenging AP Biology comes with a catch though, as students will need to know multiple definitions of the words. To top it all off, there are no more sentence completions. All of these new developments allow the SAT to more closely resemble the ACT. A few challenges added to the new exam include questions that require multiple steps to get an answer, reading passages with more complex structures, and a greater emphasis on foundational math skills. Reasoning and critical thinking skills will be paramount for this new exam. In addition, there will be fewer sections in the new test, but they will be longer than those in the current test. If you were an ardent wordsmith, the SAT was for you. If you were an aspiring scientist, the ACT was for you. But now, these lines are blurring. Since the plans for the new SAT have come out, it has drawn strong comparison to the ACT. Traditionally, the ACT has had a reputation for being more straightforward and it scores from 1 to 36. It also has a science section, while the SAT does not. With the new changes, however,
exam (it is one of the most difficult AP exams to earn a 5 on, with only 6.2% of testtakers scoring at such heights in 2015). The woman runs not only on caffeine, but also on sheer passion for what she does. But it eventually came time for Peters to take a well-deserved hiatus from her exhaustingly efficacious lifestyle in the Mayfield community. So this fall, she took a break from adventures in the classroom to engage in an entirely different kind of adventure: humanitarian field research in Africa. “Personally, I needed a break,” said Peters of her decision to take the sabbatical. “The school gives sabbaticals to teachers who have been teaching for 25 years full-time, and you have to apply, but I wanted to make sure the timing was right.”
By:
Spirit Week is a great hallmark of the Mayfield school year. it’s when students show off their school spirit to build excitement about their school and show their support for the school, clubs, and sports programs. Spirit Week also encourages students to get involved and work together toward a united and common goal – promoting and supporting the school. during Spirit Week, all grade levels participate to show school spirit. every year, students dress up and have fun with their friends, and memorable moments are remembered by students. freshman, Madeleine Biscaichipy “i am excited to have fun with my friends this year for my first Spirit Week.”
Sophomore, laura noriega “i remember last year someone dressed up See Peters, Page 4 as ellen degeneres on women’s day, that was great, and i had a lot of fun with both tests have the same advanced math my friends. i like seeing how everyone concepts, like arithmetic, algebra I & II, dressed up differently, and all the differgeometry and trigonometry. Both the ACT and SAT essays are optional, but the ent costumes everyone came up with. ACT allows 40 minutes, while the SAT this year, i am ready to have fun and allows 50 minutes. dress up with my friends.” Standardized tests are significant factors used to determine whether an applicant will get accepted to a college or not, but it is not the only. Admissions officers rely on all the elements of your application to paint a picture of you. Your high school record and transcript are the most important, particularly your willingness to challenge yourself to succeed in demanding courses. My advice? Before taking grueling SAT bootcamps or reading through five ACT prep books, take a practice test of both the new SAT and the ACT to see which you do better on. That’s probably the one you should dedicate more of your time to. As for the changes to the SAT? It seems as though the College Board is adapting the test to make it more manageable for students, so hopefully the changes will work in our favor.
Junior, Kathryn Berzas “Spirit week is bomb. it really brings the school together and lets us see how creative our classmates can be.” Senior, Bayley Malloy “it’s our last Spirit Week to go all out, and i want to take advantage of it! i feel like we all grow closer and bond more during this week. We all have one thing in common on one day, and that’s awesome.” Senior, Claire Stanley “Spirit week is a fun way to show your enthusiasm for your school and a great way to bond with your friends. it brings something spicy to your everyday school routine.”
What’s inside
Opinion
Winter Formal
Arts and News
Cubs Athletics
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SENIORS’ REFLECTIONS
The Mayfield Crier Editorial Staff
Editors-in-Chief CaMi arBoleS AND KriSten MaSCarenHaS
Dear Mayfield,
This is an open letter from the Senior class, telling you about what we have learned over our past four years at Mayfield, what we have enjoyed, what we wish we could have done better, what we would have wanted to change, the moments we wished could have lasted longer or even those we wished we could have skipped over. Most importantly, what we have learned that can help you in your futures. We offer you these stories, pieces of advice, and words of wisdom in the hope that you can get the most out of your high school experience, because trust us-- the time really does fly by. To the Juniors…take a deep breath. This is the most academically challenging year, when you are balancing school with a bunch of extracurricular activities. Not to mention the cloud of college applications that is following you, and probably causing some fear. In between those late nights fueled by caffeine writing AP Bio Gnotes or in-depth discussions of American History detailing the the French and Indian War, you may be haunted by the question: “What is the point?” But we would like to tell you that there is some kind of point. Everything you learn will help you grow in some way. Stick with it and you will achieve success. You will learn a lot about the world around you and even a bit about yourself. Remember to take breaks and not overdo it. And most importantly, remember, the best is yet to come! To the Sophomores…find a balance. Keep busy, but don’t overschedule. Find some new activities to get involved in, but don’t join every club. Maintain the friendships you made as a freshman, but get to know more of your classmates as well. Get to know some of the upperclassmen before they leave. Take risks. Join a new sport you’ve never played before. Audition for the school musical. Get your driver’s license. This is the year where you have the opportunity to find out what you like...and what you don’t. You can learn so much about yourself, but only if you put yourself out there. To the Freshmen…welcome. We hope you have been finding your way around school and your place in our community. Much of freshman year is about transitioning. Transitioning to this new environment, new friends, new classes, new activities. Do not be afraid to talk to some of the older girls (we do not bite!). We are sure any of them would be happy to give you advice about scheduling, different activities, or anything that might be on your mind. The girls in the grades above you have most recently walked in the shoes you are walking in now, so they are the best people to talk to when you have a question. Also use your time this year to make strong friendships. We promise you that some of the friends you make this year will be your friends forever. College roommates. Bridesmaids at your wedding. At your side during the good and the bad. So take the time to form lifelong friendships. We will miss you all, but wish you the best. Go Cubs!
Would-be Presidents... Who would you vote for? As you probably know from the constant news coverage and discussion, the 2016 Presidential Election is coming up this November. U.S. citizens have already been given a taste of each candidate’s ideas and political views, especially for some of the more controversial runners. Some of the candidates announced running are (Democrats) Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, (Republicans) Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, and Ben Carson. The majority of these candidates are in government as senators or governors, and the lesser of these are businessmen and women. The best place to see candidates side-by-side are during their respective party’s debates. Debates occurring soon take place March 9 (Democratic), and March 10 (Republican). Michael Alvarez, professor of Political Science at Caltech, mirrored the sentiments of many others paying attention to politics now:
Let it Shine! By KeMi aSHing-giWa & KriSten MaSCarenHaS In this season of Lent, Sister Barbara Mullen talked to us about its importance to the church and in our own lives. Lent is a time when we experience an incredible gift: that God would become human for us. Therefore, Lent
Op Ed Editor: Bree Barnes Athletics Editor: Bella Gaspar Faculty Advisor: Kimberly Gomez Administrative Advisors: Lisa Brunolli Michelle Gergen Mary Leon Reporters: Sophia Alvarez Christine Geng Kemi Ashing-Giwa Miriam Bargout Holly Helmuth-Malone Caitlin Lee Gabrielle Magat Carmen Mascarenhas Elizabeth Nail Julia Nail Mikayla O’Reggio Laura Searcy Cartoonist: Alison Cordano
Love, Mayfield Class of ‘16
By: gaBrielle Magat & SoPHia alVareZ
Co-Editors-in-Chief: Cami Arboles & Kristen Mascarenhas
“The Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary were surprising and exciting because outsider candidates performed very well in both. They were exciting because turnout in each was very high,” he continued. “Looking ahead, these elections over the next few weeks will be interesting to watch because it’s likely that by early March we may know the nominee of each party.” Some people already have chosen who to vote for, and are passionately supporting that candidate. The legal voting age for Americans is eighteen, and some Mayfield students have already reached that age. Voting is a privilege that has been fought for and is something we should all take advantage of in order to share our input in selecting our country’s next leader.
is not a time of sadness and negativity, but a season when we learn to live with
Graphic Artist : Christine Geng Photographers: Mikayla O’Reggio Holly Helmuth-Malone Amanda McGloin Olivia Mestas
The Mayfield Crier is a forum for student expression, written by students for the benefit of the Mayfield Senior School community. Our goal is to report relevant issues to the best of our ability. Mayfield Senior School of the Holy Child Jesus 500 Bellefontaine Street, Pasadena, California
can find God in these struggles. We should ask ourselves if they
a spirit of love and generosity, even at
are wise promises or foolish ones. A
times, when bestowing kindness is hard.
second question should be if they help
Each and every person tries to
us love others more, or if their purpose is
find God in their life, especially in things
so that we can brag about our sacrifices.
that challenge them, whether it’s in
If a selfless oath is made with selfish
academics or sports.
intentions, then it will be difficult to
During Lent, keeping the promises you’ve made might be difficult, and we
uphold.
OPINION
By: MiKayla o’reggio
Is Straight Hair Better than Curly Hair?
To answer this question, let’s get down to the root of this issue. As you have probably learned in biology class, your type of hair is determined by genetics. Usually, your hair is similar to your mom’s or dad’s or maybe a combination of both. In Los Angeles, we see so many different types of hair, mostly because many people here are transplants-- immigrants or children of immigrants. Even at Mayfield, we can see the immense variety in hairstyles. About one hundred years ago, French hairstylist Alexander Godefroy fashioned the first hair dryer, which he modeled after a vacuum cleaner. This was the beginning of the hair revolution, as women realized that with a simple tool, they could transform their image. With modern day technology (think straighteners, hair dryers, or curling irons), we have
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Junior Oumayma Ben-Youssef agrees with Morin’s views. “When people tell me that my hair looks really nice today, I start to wonder, ‘does my hair not look so good other days?’” But this sentiment goes beyond the Mayfield community. All over America, women are being fired for sporting their natural hair in the workplace. While it is important to look presentable at work, a woman should never be forbidden to show her natural hair. Take meteorologist Rhonda Lee for example. She was dismissed from her job after defending her naturally curly hair, a statement that received much criticism from ignorant viewers over social media. This strikes me as especially peculiar due to the fact that the many women in America do not have naturally straight hair. As a result, negative influences from Westernized media the ability to change our hair--and thus have shaped the mold of what a woman appearance-- in a matter of minutes. The should look like to be “accepted.” By question of “can we” is no longer an issue, accepting these cultural stereotypes, but now we have to wonder, “should we not only encourage many young we?” children to be critical of their natuWhen I asked various curly- ral hair, but also gives permission for haired students and faculty about their others to discriminate against women experiences with changing their ‘do, I who proudly display their natural hair. noticed a pattern. Regardless of skin color, ethnicity, or For example, junior Sierra Morin culture, a woman ought to be proud to straightens her hair regularly, but is still rock her natural ‘do. amused when she gets remarks about As a proud owner of curly hair, changing her usual look. When friends I am well-acquainted with the struggles compliment her straightened locks, and blessings of having curly hair. HowMorin often feels offended. ever, it’s surprising to see how many “I get compliments when my people in Mayfield’s intimate comhair is curly,” said Morin. “But I get even munity mask their curly hair with the more compliments when my hair is use of straighteners and blow dryers. straight.” To me, beauty is embodied in Most of these straight-haired how we present ourselves. We should compliments come from her male be confident in showing the world the friends, which ultimately cause Morin hair God naturally gave us. Sure, it’s fun to deliberate more deeply about her to mix it up once in a while, but we appearance. should never be ashamed of our natu“It just makes me more self- ral hair -- whether it’s curly, straight, or conscious about my curly hair when I go somewhere in between. Everyone can out in public,” said Morin. feel like they are accepted and appreciated, no matter how they choose to style their hair.
OpEd The Call of the Cub
Barbie’s New Perfect? By: gaBBy Magat There isn’t one person in the world who doesn’t feel the least bit insecure. If someone claims they are fully confident in their body and appearance, then that person is most definitely lying. We have built ourselves a depiction of what “beautiful” is and what “ugly” looks like. This way of thinking leads everyone to thinking that their thighs are too large or their stomach is not flat enough. Our society has also offered us “solutions” to these insecurities, whether that be plastic surgery or diet pills. It has also given us these ideas of what looks bad and what looks good. We all have this mindset of what we should look like in order to be, in a way, “pleasing.” Every one of us has a certain idea of what “perfect” is, and we try our best to fit that description. The most generic version of “perfect” can be seen through a Barbie doll. Barbies fit the description of “perfect,” being skinny, tall, and pretty. Little girls playing with these representations of “perfect” are probably used to that idea. But not all of us have these qualities, so how can girls feel confident about themselves if they don’t fit their idea of a perfect body? Mattel has introduced a new range of Barbie dolls, all different skin tones, hair, and body shapes, being tall, petite, and curvy. Girls can feel comfortable with themselves knowing that not everyone is and should be this one image. There are different types of people with different types of genetics, and we should all be acceptable of our differences instead of changing ourselves because of them. These dolls are more realistic to females today, since, being honest, there is no such thing as a perfect body. Everyone is beautiful, and why constantly worry about how others see you when you can feel confident in your own beauty?
Affirmative: We’re Not There Yet By: Bree BarneS As a progressive generation we tend to ignore the persisting effects of past racial oppression. Within the past year there have been two Supreme Court cases involving people who insist affirmative action-- the policy of favoring members of a disadvantaged group who suffer from discrimination within a culture--is no longer necessary. Jessica Lopez, the Art Director for Boys and Girls Club, said on the issue, “I used to think that affirmative action was unfair for the rest of the population. I used to think that everything was equal but now that I’m older I see that everybody’s not treated the same. Nothing is the way it is supposed to be.” Lopez, who identifies as an ethnic minority, continued, “Minorities are obviously at a disadvantage, not because other races are more qualified, but we’re at the bottom. Even if we go in with the same amount of education and experience behind us we’re still at a disadvantage. So now I think it’s something that we need until we resolve that (the inequality) in society but that’s not going to be for a while.” Today, we are only five generations removed from slavery and two generations
removed from the civil rights movement. Acting as if the affects systematic oppression has had on generations past is negligible and insisting that this systematic oppression no longer exists prevents society from making progress towards true equality (or equal opportunity). Slavery, segregation, substandard education, lack of access to healthcare, mass incarceration and the mentality the many African Americans continue to have as a result of the racism they have faced all contribute to the success and educational capabilities the current generation receives. African American and Native American teenagers are more likely to be incarcerated as a juvenile and receive out-of-school suspension. Children of color are more likely to attend underfunded schools with harsher disciplinary action, few rigorous course offerings, inadequate facilities, and lower paid and less experienced teachers. This overall causes children of color to have a less positive attitude towards school. According Lindsey Cook, a writer for US News, “Lower wealth, lower health, lower parental education levels, more dealings with the justice system and other circumstances create a perfect storm that leaves blacks without the same educational opportunities as whites.”
Because of all of these factors, teachers, parents, and African American children themselves have low expectations for their educational capabilities. “Lower expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies” says cook. “I feel like affirmative action is necessary today. Not that it’s outdated, we don’t need it as much but it is still necessary for children of color to get into colleges. And I feel like white people are like ‘oh they don’t need it because that is discriminating against us’ but we had to make our own colleges at first. I feel it’s important especially for African American kids in lower class communities, it’s really pivotal for them to have a program that is trying to put them into good schools. Especially if they are good kids with good grades, from a really bad neighborhood with a family that can’t support them, affirmative action helps them get into college, it helps them progress.”- Sophia Silva ‘17. Although affirmative action is no longer as necessary as it has been in the past, people of color continue to reap the consequences of their past oppression while white people continue to reap the benefits. White people are not responsible for the actions of their ancestors, but not acknowledging that the past still affects the present is ignorant.
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Peters Continued
Peters completed her field research through Earthwatch, a non-profit environmental organization with supports “citizen science,” where any individual can help field scientists perform their work. There were two distinct studies that Peters focused on in her work: one on Chimpanzee populations and the other on Rhino populations. “In both of the studies, I gained a lot of insight about the ultimate fear of mass extinction,” said Peters. “We could stop this process, but it can’t be done by belittling the people who are doing it. You can’t just blame someone and tell them to understand your perspective… We have to look around and see what’s going to be the best solution for the people involved.” Peters had the opportunity to interact with the inhabitants of the African communities in which she carried out research. “We went and interviewed the people that provided food and stuff to grow gardens. So these people spend all this time growing their food, while the chimps are getting less food. Then the chimps go crop-raiding, and villagers feel they have to kill the chimps because they keep stealing food supply, say, for example, mangoes,” explained Peters. “I spend a whole hour interviewing a family about that.
The point is to get the family raising the right crops, crops that animals aren’t going to want to steal.” Above all, it seemed like these community interactions -- getting to experience firsthand the society that deals with these endangered species and becoming acquainted with the inner-workings of the dynamic of African village life -- are the interactions that count in making a difference. “The primary way you can save the environment and these animals, like the chimps and the rhinos, is if you work with the people who actually live with them and give those people more opportunities,” said Peters. Such work was inspiring for Peters, who had always wanted to engage in research with primates. “I knew I’d always wanted to study apes, and I did study them in college, but I hadn’t studied them in the wild before this. This was really the first time I got to see apes in the wild -- other programs are more like working at an ape humane society,” said Peters. Peters did have the pleasure of some interesting runsins with the flora and fauna of the African landscape. “I mean any time you go out into the wild, you have an experience that you are privileged to have,” explained Peters. “For example, I was the first one to find a Cobra snake in the Rhino research site. One night, I was walking to get water and I saw the snake. I didn’t do the freak out that most people would do… I went to go and ask for help, and sure enough it’s a Spitting Cobra! That was pretty cool.”
Winter Formal 2016: Unmasked By: Holly Helmuth-Malone On Friday, February 19th, Mayfield’s Winter Semi-Formal was held in Pike auditorium from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The theme was Midnight Masquerade. The Commons and Pike were decorated with sparkling lights, moon cutouts, a disco ball, and shiny wallpaper. The magical decorations made the evening come alive for everyone and complemented the color scheme of gold, silver, red, and black. Head advisor, Emma Marcussen ’18, worked diligently with Student Council and Ms. Gergen to plan and execute the dance. The entire sophomore class was involved in helping run the dance, with committees including: decoration, ticket selling, coat check, and refreshments. The decorations committee also worked with Ms. Kleeman, Mayfield’s fine arts teacher, to choose ornamentation to fit the theme.
Even for seasoned travelers and wildlife enthusiasts such as Peters, witnessing such a creature is thrilling. “I thought oh, yeah. There really are snakes here. Like, okay, I just saw my first Cobra in Africa.” said Peters. It’s fair to say that Peters is a heroine of sorts for Mayfield; she somehow compels students to recycle, gets teenagers excited about taxonomy and photosynthesis, and now gets to share her knowledge of chimps and rhinos alike. But who is Peters’ personal heroine? “I’ve always just wanted to be Jane Goodall,” said Peters. “I could have worked at her ape center!” Peters was fortunate enough to have an exchange with Goodall, a renowned British primatologist and ethologist, a number of years ago. “She was at a Vroman’s book signing, and the event wasn’t that crowded, which was nice,” said Peters. I got to speak to her -- I told her that I study primate behavior too, just in female adolescents in high school.” The Mayfield student body is a fortunate group of female primate adolescents as long as Peters is around. An advocate for relentless participation in this world and humanity’s role in taking care of it, Peters is no slacker when it comes to doing what she loves, whether it be in the African savannah or the Hayden Biology lab. “If there’s one thing I want students to know, it’s be involved. Find your thing to be involved in. There’s always someone or something that needs your attention,” said Peters. “Find what you’re passionate about and do it.” Peters has finished looking at the gels. She sits on top of a lab desk, crosses her legs, and shrugs. “It really is about actions, not words.”
“Every sophomore was included in the process, whether planning, helping with refreshments, or decorating before the dance,” says Sophomore Class Representative, Madeline Tupy. Formal truly was a group event, with all students participating and taking leadership roles in order to make the dance happen. Over 150 Mayfield students from all grades participated in the festivities along with guests from various outside school that were invited. Many freshmen were excited for their first high school dance. Marie Bland ‘19 said, “It was fun because we got to dress in fancy clothes and it was definitely a good shindig.” The students also enjoyed seeing their peers outside of school. Maddie Lewis ‘19 said, “I was excited because my friends from other schools got to mix with my Mayfield friends, which they had not been able to do before.” Even though masks were not allowed for safety reasons, everyone looked their best. “My favorite part was seeing everyone dressed up and being introduced to all of your dates. I love seeing each Sophomore class come in the evening and see their vision there for everyone to enjoy,” said Ms. Michelle Gergen whosaid she was very proud of the hard work of the sophomore class.
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Spotlight on the Arts
Letters To... the 16th annual Choreographers Ball By: SoPHia alVareZ The spectacular amalgamation of hip-hop, jazz, contemporary, and classical dances made this dance concert one to never forget. The time and effort put into the performance by the choreographers, dancers, and Theatre Tech Conservatory were evident. The event is completely produced, organized and choreographed by Theatre Tech and Dance Conservatory students. This year’s show, Letters To…, included touching and uplifting stories told through various forms of dance, all set to beautiful lighting and sound. The performance was outstanding and each displayed the hard
work, collaboration and dedication of these remarkable Conservatories led by Denise Leitner, Dance Instructor, and Phillip Velasco, Theatre Tech Instructor. One member of the tech team present during these performances commented and said that they had to put up lights and follow stage cues. Each dancer exuded confidence and grace performing in front of an audience. Dance Conservatory offered a preview of the show during Assembly period on Friday, which gave the school a sneakpeak of the show. The dancers’ attitudes allowed the piece to come to life, while each student choreographer told a personal story through the dances. Overall, the show was fantastic and the dancing was so on pointe.
Quilters: Spring Musical
By: MiriaM Bargout
Theatre Tech, Theatre Conservatory, Dance, and Vocal are coming together to recreate the Broadway musical, Quilters. Based on the novel Women and Domestic Arts written by Patricia Cooper and Norma Bradley Allen, Quilters tells the stories about the joys and hardships pioneer women faced during life on the frontier through song and dance. It is a spiritual story about how quilting plays a role through family, history, and legacy. Director Sam Robinson says, “I chose this play because I was drawn in by the community created by the performers and the incredible stories of faith and family that were being upheld through a very practical visual artform- quilts that tell
the stories for women’s lives that were passed down generation to generation. I was also excited about the fact that it is an all female musical!” Freshman Avery Arroyo ’19, who will be acting in the show, adds, “The rehearsals have been going great. We’ve done most of the songs, we’ve blocked about half of the show, and it’s going to be fun!” Freshman Abby Holtz ’19 notes, “We’ve never gotten to study that kind of history before. The show’s a great fit for the Mayfield community, because it’s all women, so we can really connect with the characters.” Experience the ups and downs that Sarah and her six daughters go through in the production of Quilters on March 17th, 18th, and 19th at 7 pm and March 20th at 2 pm in Pike Auditorium.
Creative Writing Students awarded for Fiction, Poetry, and Prose. Regional Key level winners receive pins, and all award winners will be given certificates for their contributions. As a Gold Key winner, Hannah will advance the National Adjudication Finals and will find out if she qualifies to compete in that competition in March. Pictured: Julia Nail ‘18; Hannah Rivera ‘18; Kemi AshingGiwa ‘18; Laura Searcy ‘18 have been recognized by the National Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards.
C OMMUNITY NEWS Mayfield Students, alumnae Contribute to Scientific discoveries 6 Mayfield Crier March 2016
The Caltech LIGO Laboratory’s contribution to the breakthrough discovery of the existence of gravitational waves is close to the hearts of Mayfield science students. Over the past decade, many Mayfield students have spent summers interning—with some staying on as paid research associates—at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) Laboratory at Caltech. According to Dr. Jack Blumenthal, who helped to pioneer Mayfield’s Caltech connection, “[Our students] really have done some very meaningful work at the LIGO lab under the original direction of scientist Riccardo DeSalvo [father of Martina ‘05 and Giulia ‘07] and later
under Dr. Calum Torrie, who is also our longtime Mayfield soccer coach.” Most recently, Sabrina Waller ‘15 (UC Berkeley) studied imaging and analyzing contamination on optical sur faces and her sister, Madeleine Waller ‘13 (MIT ), worked on the analysis and design of a proposed new pendulum suspension for Beyond Advanced LIGO. Ashley Schammel ‘12 worked on the development of geometrical representations in 3D of all of the advanced LIGO chambers with their unique optics. Other Mayfield alumnae who interned at the LIGO lab include Christina Lara ‘14, Morgan Shaner ‘11, Morgan Asadoor ‘10, Martina DeSalvo ‘05 and Nicole Virdone ‘05. Students learn about gravitational waves from Caltech researchers
Mayfield Represented at Natl. Coalition of Girls’ Schools Conference By: eliZaBetH nail
Mayfield’s Freshman Debaters were poised and sharp and received many compliments from both judges and the other teams at the Compton High School Debate on February 6! Mayfield’s Freshman Debate Team: Elisa Gonzalez, ‘19; Katie Low, ‘19; Alexxandra Riley, ‘19; Lily Brogdon-Mitchell, ‘19; Lauren Kezele ‘19; Isabella Paine ‘19
Mayfield to take on Moody’s Mega Math Challenge
In February, Mrs. Melissa Tighe, Ms. Angela Howell, Mr. Sam Robinson, and Mrs. Kate Morin went to New York City for a conference hosted by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, as well as to visit alumnae on the East Coast. They hosted an alumnae event at the Harvard Club in New York City. There were alumnae from the past fifty years but over a third of them were graduates from the past 10 years. Mrs. Tighe and Mr. Robinson both did presentations addressing the Global Forum on Girl’s Education. Distinguished speakers for the event included feminist activist, Gloria Steinem, and publisher, Arianna Huffington. Mrs. Tighe’s presentation was on Tuesday, and it was called “Keeping Girls on the S.T.E.A.M. Train,” working
on the acronym for Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics. This subject interests Mrs. Tighe especially because one of the things she tries to do to is “keep young women excited about mathematics and wanting to continue studying it in college and wanting to go on to careers in it in college.” One of the things Mrs. Tighe does to fulfill this goal is bring back mentors, former students, to talk to current students about what “kept them in the game”, and about some of the challenges they’ll face when they get into college. Mrs. Tighe and other teachers try to teach students co-curricular habits that enable them to continue on this path, which, as she says, is very wonderful and valuable and necessary. Why bother at all? Said Mrs. Tighe, “You feel you have made an important difference when you do something that needs to be done.”
By: KriSten MaSCarenHaS and eliZaBetH nail
This year, Mayfield will be participating in Moody’s Mega Math Challenge (stylized as M3), a math competition taking place at the end of February. The nonprofit organization gives scholarship awards to the winners, ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. This competition, which started in 2006 in New York, has now for the first time expanded to the West Coast. Students taking AP Calculus BC will represent Mayfield. The teams consist of Team 6885: Leader Charlotte Watkins ’16, Writer Sarah Johnson ’16, Researcher Emily Pratt ’16, Modeler Katherine Tighe ’16, and Statistician Kristen Mascarenhas ’16; and Team 6886: Leader Kate Weissmuller ’16, Writer Akemi Elguea ’16, Researcher Faith Doney ’16, Modeler Gabi Mukai ’16, and Statistician Elizabeth Dimen ’16. The teams will work for fourteen hours straight on real-world problems involving mathematical modeling and applied mathematics. They will participate in the competition on Saturday, February 27th. To prepare, the girls have been studying statistics, paper formatting, and math modeling. Additionally, Mr. Chris DeBoever, husband of Mayfield’s SEAL team leader Michelle DeBoever, came in to teach the students about statistical coding, with the program R. He also taught the students about various statistical tests, such as p-tests and chi-square tests. The girls will work together to solve the challenge with their skills of reasoning and logic, using math as their tool. So far, most of the winning teams have consisted only of men. Good luck to the participants!
Caroline LoCoco, Laura Searcy, and Madeline Tupy are Mayfield’s 3 Holy Child Exchange Students this year. From Feb 13 - Mar 20 the students will be attending school at the Holy Child School in Killiney, Ireland as part of the the Holy Child Exchange program. They will attend classes there sitting in and participating in Transition Year classes in Killiney.
7 Mayfield Crier March 2016
The SEAL team headed to dinner after learning about good metal catalysts to use in future experiments
SEAL Teams Share Ideas on Solar Energy By: AnNie Tighe A club on campus which isn’t heard about very often, but is doing incredible work is the SEAL Team. SEAL stands for Solar Energy Activity Lab, and the initiative is part of an international team attempting to affordably split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The remaining hydrogen can then be used as an energy source. This all happens with the help of an unknown metal catalyst, which is what the Mayfield SEAL Team is trying to discover. On February 6th, the Mayfield SEAL Team went to the CCI Solar annual meeting in Newport Beach. They presented a poster covering our findings to date. At this
Kemi and Ellie showing off their poster explaining the great results they received from the SEAL kit to Solar Army members from around the world
meeting, scientists throughout the US, and other countries come and share their research. The SEAL Team’s mentor and Mayfield alumna, Michelle DeBoever, is the Director of Education Outreach and Diversity at Caltech. She helps with the meetings every year. “The conference is when researchers at the Center for Chemical Innovation in Solar Fuels get together and present their research. The high school students also attend and present posters on their work,” says DeBoever. Ellie Parisi, ’17, has been a part of the SEAL Team for two years, and participated at the meeting for the second time. Parisi explains another program
for younger kids that was being presented at the meeting. “It is interesting for me to see the Juice for Juice program because I haven’t seen it in action before. Juice for Juice is a similar science program for elementary levels students as well as high school students.” One of the seniors on the team, Elizabeth Dimen (’16), talked about the research presented by other high schools. “I think a lot of other schools had very interesting research and it was fun to see the different paths they took in the name of the same experiment. It was also interesting to see the varied results one school had compared to our results.” Overall, the meeting was a success. There was enthusiasm and new and stimulating research being presented and shared.
MPA Showcases Arts Community By: Carmen Mascarenhas Mayfield’s Patrons for the Arts (MPA) held their first annual fundraiser “Hearts for Arts” on Friday, February 12th, 2016. With showcases from all nine of Mayfield’s conservatories, the event was a rousing success. The evening commenced in Pike Auditorium with a performance from the Instrumental Conservatory. After opening the show with their popular rendition of Coldplay’s “Paradise,” Mayfield’s instrumentalists began a series of pieces that corresponded with Mayfield’s Creative Writing Conservatory’s stories. Jazz music from the Instrumental Conservatory managed to capture the tone and feeling of each writer’s piece, greatly enhancing the experience for the audience. Next, Mayfield’s thespians took to the stage to perform a scene from their recent production, “An Attic Anthology,” which was written in conjunction with Mayfield’s Creative Writing Conservatory. After a heart-warming and hilarious encounter between Rosalind Franklin and a Mayfield student, as performed by the Theatre Conservatory, members of the Dance Conservatory stunned the crowd with selections from their recent Choreographer’s Ball. Behind the scenes, students of the Theatre Tech Conservatory masterfully lit the stage and managed all technological aspects. As the event progressed to Strub Hall, a visual presentation of fine art, film and photography was projected using the building’s exterior as well as the ceiling of the North Porch as a canvas. Guest artists, Catherine Forbush, and Courtney and Todd Strange performed to help the MPA’s efforts of fundraising for the Vocal Conservatory’s upcoming trip to Washington D.C. To top it all off, our Head of School Mrs. Morin and her husband Skip even joined in on the fun, performing the cello and harpsichord, respectively. The Vocal Conservatory also made an appearance, singing three selections from their repertoire for the competition in April and even debuted some authentic Japanese choreography to go along with one of their pieces. Meanwhile, in Pike, the remaining students had a blast as they feasted on pizza and finished off the night with early 2000’s karaoke. All in all, Mayfield’s first annual Hearts for the Arts fundraiser was a splendid success!
Hearts for Arts The Mayfield community was feeling the Love for the Arts at the Mayfield Patrons for the Arts Fundraising event., “Hearts for Arts” in February. The event benefitting the Arts Conservatory featured a student showcase of dance, theatre music and projections of visual arts.
8 Mayfield Crier March 2016
CUB
ATHLETICS
Cubs Heat up Winter Season Soccer By: Bella gaSPar On Thursday, February 11th, the Varsity and Junior Varsity soccer teams honored their seniors at their last home game against Westridge at Occidental College. For the Varsity team, they said their final farewells to the eight seniors leaving this year: Madeleine Coppersmith, Claire Courtney, Isabella Duran, Mary Harding, Julia McMullan, Sophia Remedios, Leilani Tran, and Marissa Valenzuela.
Although it was sad to say goodbye to eight valuable players, the team showed unity when they beat Westridge 6-1. The Varsity team is now moving on to CIF-SS! The Junior Varsity team also played very well yesterday, but unfortunately lost 0-1 to Westridge. After the game, the five seniors, Lauren Allan, Jade Bryant, Sophia Fortner, Perry Hotchkis, and Mary Rose McClain,were honored with flowers, balloons, cupcakes, and of course, cardboard cutouts of their faces.
Sophia Remedios, ‘16 defends against Poly by clearing the ball out of the back line
Basketball By: Caitlin lee The Mayfield Senior School basketball team has had a marvelous season thus far, excelling with many wins and awesome team spirit. The Varsity team has won nine Prep League games, earning them a spot in the CIF championships. Jazzmyn Bando ’16, Alix Winschel ’16, and Megan Villar ’16 are the seniors that have been leading the team to victory. Their hard work was clearly visible during the recent senior game against Westridge, when way the Cubs took the win by more than 20 points!
Another highlight of the season was when Megan Villar ’16 scored her 1,000th point, a goal she has been working towards over her past four years on the team. This is particularly impressive, as she was not even able to play last season because of an ACL injury. This basketball team is one of the best Mayfield has had and has set a great model for the JV team who has had a significant improvement from previous years as well. Overall, both teams had great seasons, and all of Mayfield will be rooting for Varsity as they advance to CIF and (hopefully) take home the gold!
Jazzmyn Bando, ‘16, takes the open shot against Fireball
Carolyn LoCoco,’19 dribbles the ball past Poly to make the play
Athlete OF THE MONTH The Mayfield Crier cries out to senior Megan Villar, whose admirable efforts on the basketball court have led her to a major accomplishment: scoring over a staggering 1000 points in her four years of playing for the Cubs. “I started playing basketball when I was four years old. It’s been quite the trip, with ups and downs,” said Villar. “I know a lot of athletes who started when I did and have given up since then, so I’m blessed to still have it in my life.” The big breaking of the four digits occurred on Friday, February 5th as Mayfield played a tough game against Flintridge Prep. “I didn’t actually know when it happened -- I just knew I had to score nine points to make it to a thousand. It was surreal,” said Villar. “Now we are making Mayfield history -- we’ve got the first home CIF game ever in Mayfield Basketball!” The entire Mayfield Basketball team has worked tirelessly this season to earn their place in Mayfield’s history. “This team has been so special. This team is a family, and it’s so important to enforce that idea of family,” said Villar. “We all feel like we have a voice on this team, and we are all equal.” Although Villar has decide to not formally pursue Basketball at the collegiate level, her journey on the court will undoubtedly continue. “I could potentially be playing for colleges, but I’ve decided that I won’t be officially on any teams,” said Villar. “But even then, I’ll still be playing just to play.” A-paws to you, Megan Villar!
Water Polo Continues Streak of Winning Seasons By: CarMen MaSCarenHaS
For the fourth straight year, Mayfield’s water polo program won more games than it did the year before. The Varsity team, led by seniors Maggie Ireland, Sam Rivas, Helen Lejeune, and Jessie Miller, achieved a record second place finish in the prep league, securing them a spot in CIF playoffs. Seniors Kristen Mascarenhas, Kate Weissmuller, and Isabelle Gallardo led the JV team to an enormous win against Westridge in their final game of the season, which was the Aquacub’s first victory against the Tigers in three years. Maggie Ireland scored her 250th goal in her high school career with a beautiful backhand this season. This year, along with our beloved seniors, the Aquacubs bid farewell to head coach Torin Ortmayer, who has worked tirelessly for the past 5 years to transform Mayfield’s Water Polo Program into a regular championship contender. Maggie Ireland, ‘16, shoots for goal.