The Echo (December 2019)

Kurdistan Page 3

BGA’s New Strategic Plan Page 4

Intro to Recording Technology Page 6

The Echo BGA’s Student Newspaper

December 12, 2019

December Issue, 2019

We Found a Way The 2019 Girls Soccer team will go down in BGA history as the 2019 State Champions. After a successful 2018 season, everyone was filled with excitement and hope for the upcoming year. In the beginning, losing 8 seniors seemed like a setback. Even though the 2019 girls were very young (with only three seniors), the team quickly overcame that. Whether it be injuries or bad field conditions, the 2019 Girls Soccer team conquered any adverse situation along the way. Obstacles only strengthened the team and brought new opportunities. Many players stepped up and found themselves in positions of leadership. While many people don’t see the hours of work off the field, our dedication, hard work and heart led to an unforgettable win.

Reflecting on this season, one post-season practice is highlighted in my mind.

After a normal warm-up and training session, the whole team congregated in the locker room with Coach Korrie. As she spoke to us about her love for soccer and her state championship title, you could feel everyone’s excitement rise. Hearing about a state winning experience was foreign to all of us, considering the current team had

never made it to Richard Siegel Soccer Stadium. Coach Korrie painted the picture and the emotions that come along with state, and it was clear that everyone in the room wanted that same experience. We then proceeded to write down one goal for the season and why we played soccer. After taping the notecards to the locker room wall, it was filled with the words “Win State” and “Beat CPA.” We knew we were playing to win for each other, for the relationships we created, and for the hardships we had conquered. With dozens of injuries, our team had gone through it all. Even though the majority of us were tired and burned out, we were not ready to give up until we had that state trophy in hand.

A defining moment for the team was the tradition of “the tape.” In a team sport, it’s normally implied that we play as a team and for each other. However, the moment that everyone on the team physically and verbally recognized that we play for each other was a turning point in our season. It was the first time everyone on the team was on the same page. We faced a lot of challenges leading up to the regional tournament. It’s easy to get discouraged by the injuries, intimidated by a team with a larger roster, or even forget what we are working so hard for. A few minutes be-

by Shea Kelly Due to the recent removal of all vending machines, students have found an alternative route to feeding their hunger. BGA Snacks is a group of young entrepreneurs that you may have seen on Snapchat, their method of customer connection and advertising. BGA Snacks carries everything from Gushers to PopTarts, and their selection is updated weekly based on their trips to Sam’s Club. Sometimes on Tuesday mornings they even sell Chick-Fil-A Chicken Biscuits for $3, a slight markup from the original $2.59 price. Their main customer segment is underclassmen who

can’t drive, yet somehow always have ample cash on them. Their model is simple: Buy bulk snacks that kids want and sell them for a slightly higher price. This has proved to be a reliable source of income for the group, earning them $60-$120 a week to split among them. Each member put in a starting price to get the company up and running, following the need to “spend money to make money.” Each week they set aside $40 to replenish the stock, and they maintain their customer relationships through Snapchat, directly asking the consumers what they want to see. However, this concept is not new to the student body.

by Sarah May, Dalia Diab, Izzy Donoghue

fore our first regional game, Coach Korrie sat us down and put a bag of tape in the locker room. She told us about how when her state championship team started their post-season journey they would write on their wrist what they are playing for. She didn’t even have to tell us what to write: every single person on the team wrote on their wrist “for my team.” From that game on, before every game “for my team” was written on each of our wrists. It may just seem like a good luck gimmick, but our motto truly motivated us through challeng-

ing moments. The tape tradition was just a small but impactful way our team showed heart.

Traveling over 800 miles seemed to be nothing but a team bonding experience for this team. With music-filled bus rides, there was never a dull moment. Winning over Lausanne and CAK punched our ticket to Richard Siegel Stadium to play in the state semi-final against St. George’s;.

The mud bowl of a game showcased our

Our very own Ms. Thompson sold peanut butter-jelly sandwiches out of her locker during her high school days, having another student on look-out to yell “5-0” if the principal was on the way.

It’s an understanding among the sellers that what they are doing is frowned upon by the powers that be, yet there is no statement in the handbook explicitly saying that students cannot sell snacks to other students. However, there is a rule regarding students not being allowed to “bring food or drink onto the campus during school hours.” Then, there is a slightly contradictory statement that “food and drink may be

consumed only in the student center before 7:50 a.m., during morning activity period, and during the lunch periods.” Clearly, the Food and Drink section of the current handbook has not been updated in awhile due to the mentions of no “partially consumed or open drinks [are] to be stored in lockers,” and we haven’t had lockers in high school for about four years. Nevertheless, nothing in the handbook states that students cannot run their own company on campus. In fact, this entrepreneurial spirit is encouraged and nurtured through the E.L. program, where students learn about what it takes to

Continued on Page 3

Lack of Vending Machines Causes a Rise in New Business

The Echo Staff Bailey Anderson Sydney Carroll Jack Cheney Dalia Diab Jad Diab Izzy Donoghue Mary Courtney Finn Jack Kelly

Shea Kelly Sarah May Mitchell Morrison Dominick Nesbitt Ally Newkirk Kate O’Hara Alex Pareigis Lindsay Phelps

Jack Such Ching Ching Zhang

Continued on Page 6

The Echo

Opinion

Sustainability

by Kate O’Hara In an ever-changing world, sustainability is here to stay. While increased use of the word has created a nebulous understanding, in its simplicity, the term means “supplying resources for society’s current needs without inhibiting the ability to do so in the future.” The area that people are most familiar with is environmental sustainability. Within the last couple of decades, protecting the environment has become a forefront concern. Growing urban communities, technological advancements, and the population’s demands have worn natural resources thin. Such irresponsible consumption has not only elicited detrimental consequences on ecosystems, but put future generations at risk for decline and a lack of necessary resources. While this concern has sparked increased action, more needs to be done to ensure the future stability of our planet. The importance of adopting sustainable measures has been raised in the media, identifying the moral obligations society holds. In 2019,

sustainability has evolved from a good idea to a basic requirement. In many universities across the globe, sustainable initiatives have been adopted to further propel the institutions into a future that is well protected. 421 universities throughout the US already offer sustainability as a bachelor’s degree, with many more beginning to implement sustainable curriculums. As this movement will only continue to grow, BGA’s involvement is essential. There are several ways to get involved, the most prevalent being teaching awareness of individual impact, spreading information on sustainable practices, and implementing sustainable programs.

By following a sustainable initiative, the BGA Way (compassion, respect, accountability, and resiliency) is also exemplified. Through identifying current issues and working towards a solution for the future, one exhibits compassion for those who follow. Essentially, we are trying to leave our community, and on a larger scale, the world better than we found it. This directly relates to respect, another

foundational aspect of BGA culture.

Through acknowledging the importance of natural resources and trying to conserve them, we are respecting what has been given to us. We are also holding ourselves accountable for our individual choices and the following results. While Implementing measures based on conservation will result in positive change, these advancements are hard-fought. Resiliency is necessary

to continue pushing for the changes that need to be made, despite bumping up against obstacles and adversity. Overall, sustainability will benefit BGA by advancing the academy into a modern progressiveness that is marking the 21st century, as well as developing core character traits, leaving each student well rounded and educated.

vox.com

In Defense of Antonio Brown

by Jack Such It’s Halloween night of 2019, and on cue Antonio Brown’s Instagram comments are flooding with clown emojis, on par with his recently acquired nickname “Antonio Clown.” Brown went from one of the most well-liked athletes in the world to having thousands of people who have never met him flood his comments with insults in a matter of months. In my opinion, the criticism of Brown is unjust and unfair despite the numerous allegations, and it is clear that the league is orchestrating some sort of conspiracy against him.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the situation, here’s a list of everything that people are mad at Antonio Brown for: -July 28, 2012: After signing a 5 year extension with the Steelers, Brown gets in a heated altercation with teammates and coaches, telling them not to touch him in practice because he was “the franchise.”

-Jan 9, 2016: Brown exits a playoff game with a severe concussion after a dirty hit

by Vontaze Burfict. Everything really goes downhill from this point forward, and some blame Burfict’s hit.

-Jan 8, 2017: Brown is fined $10,000 by the team for broadcasting a locker room celebration on Facebook Live -Oct 9, 2018: Brown was accused of almost killing a toddler after throwing furniture off of a balcony in a fit of rage.

-November 8, 2018: Brown is pulled over and ticketed for going over 100 mph in a suburban area with a 45 mph speed limit.

-Week 17, 2018: Brown was benched after repeated verbal altercations with teammates and coaches, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

-March 2019: Brown is traded from the Steelers to the Oakland Raiders after numerous trade requests.

-July 26, 2019: Brown is absent for the first day of training camp after developing frostbite on his feet from a mistake in a cryotherapy chamber.

-July 29, 2019: Brown leaves practice

after learning his helmet is no longer approved; refuses to make the switch to an approved one. He would return to practice later in the week, but after losing his appeal he would leave again.

-September 4, 2019: Brown posts on social media a letter from Raiders general manager, Mike Mayock, threatening to withhold $54,000 in training camp bonuses.

-September 6, 2019: Brown posts on his YouTube an apology video to his teammates that included a private call between him and Raiders coach, Jon Gruden, playing in the background.

-September 7, 2019: The Raiders impose a fine on Brown for conduct detrimental to the team, thereby voiding his guaranteed money. He is then released hours later after numerous requests to be.

-September 8, 2019: Reports come out that Brown consulted social media experts on how to speed up his release. Hours later, he is signed by the New England Patriots.

-September 10, 2019: Brown is accused of sexual assault by a former personal trainer.

-September 20, 2019: Brown is released by the Patriots, and remains unsigned to this day.

I know what you’re thinking, and yes, I realize that is a lengthy list of allegations.

Fortunately for my argument, almost every single incident has another side to the story that the media isn’t displaying.

He was called a diva for the incident in practice, but what star player in their right mind would want to be vigorously slammed in practice, potentially getting injured and hurting both the team and his career? The Steelers fined him $10,000 for broadcasting a celebration, where he simply wanted to share the joy of a playoff win with his fans. The incident in Miami with the furniture was settled, and no one even got hurt in the first place. Also, Brown to this day refuses to admit he was guilty, which there seems to be no contradictory evidence against, especially because it was proven that there was someone else in the

instagram.com

condo that definitely could have been the culprit. The verbal altercations between him and teammates were definitely not his fault, as the Steelers had been known to have a toxic locker room stemming from Ben Roesthlisberger, who has a history of being too dominant of a teammate, and Le’Veon Bell, who held out for an entire season, which no doubt caused turmoil in the locker room. His trainer could be completely to blame for messing up his cryotherapy chamber and giving him frostbite. As for the helmet, people do not really understand the importance of the situation. In order for a player to play to his full ability, he needs to feel comfortable with the equipment he uses. People wouldn’t expect him to play in ripped cleats or with slippery gloves, right? So the outrage at him for simply wanting his helmet to feel right, especially after he had been using his for ten whole years. And what did the Oakland management do to support him? Nothing. In fact, they tried to extort $54,000 from him for simply trying to get ready for the season correctly. Even after this, Brown still decided to issue an emotional apology video and get back to work. All the media did in response was note the slight faux pas of posting a private conversation, which did not even contain any private or confidential information,

.

and point out that it was against some obscure California law in order to get Brown in legal trouble. After the fine that voided his guaranteed money that was allowed through some dubious fine print clause in his contract, Brown of course felt disrespected and asked for his release.

After it was granted, and he was signed by the Patriots, he appeared ready to get back to football and caught a touchdown in his first game. Then, a few days later, a sexual assault allegation appeared, and the Patriots released him. Obviously, if he is guilty and convicted in a court of law, he deserves any and all punishment that comes his way.

However, it is suspicious that an unproven allegation surfaced during the height of his media troubles alleging an incident that happened years ago. In conclusion, the media and the NFL have successfully blackballed Antonio Brown with the only proven mistake being… a speeding ticket.

Meanwhile, running back Kareem Hunt, who is caught on camera literally dropkicking a defenseless woman, is already back playing games. I’m not exactly sure why the population chose to have such a vendetta against Brown, but it is clear that him remaining unsigned is a product of unfair media speculation and not entirely from his actions.

The Echo

Current Events

Hong Kong Protests

by Mary Courtney Finn Chances are if you flipped on the news in the last couple of months, you probably saw some news regarding Hong Kong and its months-long civilian protests. In order to get to the bottom of why these protests are occurring, it is essential to understand Hong Kong’s relationship with China. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Great Britain kept Hong Kong as a colony but handed it over to China in 1997, which began the complicated road for Hong Kong’s independence. At this time, China promised high levels of autonomy to the newlynamed Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

While most of that promise has stayed true, other parts have not. China then created the “one country, two systems” principle where socialism and capitalism coincide.

Hong Kong has its own currency, passport, and legal system, but leaders in China must approve government leaders in Hong Kong.

Now, after some Hong Kong history, the protests will make much more sense. In April of 2019, there was a bill introduced that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China as need be.

Many Hong Kongers believed this new bill would expose them to unfair trials and violence from the Chinese government.

To stop this bill, thousands of Hong Kong citizens gathered in the streets to protest the bill. While peaceful in the beginning, the protests turned violent, with police using water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets against civilians. The bill initially protested was withdrawn in September; however, protests did not stop there. More significant ideas such as increasing democracy in Hong Kong and investigations into the police took center stage. The New York Times describes the current situation by stating, “China has viewed the protests as a challenge to its fervent nationalism, while democracy supporters worldwide

have cheered what they see as a poke in the eye of the autocratic Chinese government.”

Whether or not these protests will cease is anytime soon is still unknown, but many Hong Kongers are hoping for a resolution

the Atlantic

involving more democracy and autonomy from China.

Kurdistan: A Modern Day Betrayal

by Dominick Nesbitt

Before I get into the actual war going on in Kurdistan that we’re seeing in the news, I need to establish the background for this whole conflict. So basically Kurdistan is a region (see map) in the Middle East where the majority of the population is Kurdish.

There are about 35 million Kurds, and they are the largest ethnic group in the world without their own country. And while Greater Kurdistan (red) is just the areas with a Kurdish majority population the unrecognized nation of Kurdistan (yellow), the Republic of Rojava (green) is under Kurdish control. The Kurds have been trying to establish their own country for almost a century now because of continued oppression from the Iraqi, Syrian, and Turkish governments. During the early 1900’s, the Turkish Government tried to wipe out all ethnic minorities in Turkey during the Armenian Genocide.

Hundreds of thousands of Kurds were killed, and the suppression of Kurdish culture and language began. Today, the Turkish government denies the existence of the Kurdish people, and speaking the Kurdish language is illegal in Turkey. In Iraq, Saddam Hussein purged the Kurdish population during the Anfal Genocide, killing anywhere from 60,000-180,000 people with a combination on concentration camps and chemical weapons. In fact, the 1988 Halabja chemical attack was the largest chemical weapons attack directed against a civilian-populated area ever. And in Syria, the Assad regime just said that most Kurds were just illegal immigrants and denied them citizenship, despite Syria

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being a home for Kurds for thousands of years. And when the Islamic State took over most of Syria and parts of Iraq, they killed anyone who resisted them, and all of the Kurds resisted, taking heavy casualties in the fight against the Islamic State The Rise of Rojava The Peshmerga (The Kurdish Army) and other Kurdish Allied suffered 11,000 deaths in the fight against ISIS, but once the dust had settled the Kurds controlled most of the territory east of the Euphrates River. The Kurds were reluctant to give the territory back to the oppressive authoritarian Assad regime, so they established the Republic of Rojava, a polyethnic democratic state in Eastern Syria.

Today, Rojava is a secular Islamic State with a surprising amount of gender equality and cultural tolerance. A few former

members of the Syrian parliament actually defected to the Rojavan government. And despite being a Kurdish controlled nation, Arabic and Kurdish populations have been getting along. Much to the chagrin of the Turkish government, who have been trying to incite unrest in the fledgling nation out of the fear of a unified Kurdish State.

Sheikh Farouk al-Mashi, an ethnic Arab former member of the Syrian parliament and designated co-chairman of the Manbij City Council (a city in Rojava), stated: “I have a Syrian ID, and Kurds have a Syrian ID. Let those people who talk against us in Turkey and Europe come here and fight ISIS. Why this distortion in media about problems between Kurds and Arabs?”

Ethnic Kurdish fellow co-chairman Salih Haji Mohammed stated:

“In our social contract, we say we want to have good relations with neighboring countries like Turkey. Any country that does not interfere in Manbij and our areas, we will have good relations with.”

Betrayal by The American Government A few weeks ago, the president began the process of pulling out US soldiers stationed in our base in Rojava. Those US soldiers were the only thing keeping president Erdogan of Turkey from invading. Turkey is our NATO ally, and while they have wanted to stop the nation of Rojava for a while now, they never attacked because they feared that they might accidentally attack US soldiers stationed there. This is also the same reason why we had soldiers stationed there in the first place. All US soldiers in Rojava had to do to prevent a Turkish invasion was to sit in their base and do nothing. That was it. There was no large scale active combat and no immediate threats to US soldiers stationed there. So when President Trump decided to pull out US troops out of Rojavas, he threw the Kurds the wolves. Turkey began invading the next day. And the reason why this has been in the news so much is because literally anyone who knows anyone about the Kurds or Rojava saw this coming. I cannot think of a single benefit of sacrificing the American-alligned secular democracy of Rojava to Turkey, an increasingly authoritarian and Islamic nation with a history of genocide. All of which, could have been avoided by doing nothing.

We Found a Way (continued) resilience and that’s when we knew we could win. With a slight win of one goal by Alyssa White, everyone knew deep down in their hearts that we could beat CPA to obtain our state title. The support of the student body before the state final game excited the team even more. Nerves filled everyone as we got dressed and took the bus to Murfreesboro, but excitement and resilience ran through our veins. This season’s journey was long and the sweet ending would result in beating CPA. We never stopped fighting. We all had one goal and CPA was the only thing in the way of us reaching that goal. Even though the score was 3-0 at the half, we continued to fight as if the score was 0-0. Undefeated CPA quickly got frustrated as we remained composed. The final five seconds were surreal. Although we were up 4-1, no one gave up fighting until the very last second. Feelings of joy, pride, and accomplishment filled the stadium as the whole team rushed the field and tackled senior Scout Speer. Players, coaches, and parent’s eyes welled up with tears. We could finally breathe, as we had seized our goal to beat CPA and win the state championship title. This group of girls will forever hold a special place in my heart. It’s insane to believe that we are the 2019 Girls Soccer State Champions. When we are all called to reunite in ten years at the homecoming football game, we will remember the bus rides, the laughs, the determination, and the emotions behind accomplishing something so incredibly memorable. Despite any mental or physical roadblocks, we faced this year, and we found a way to overcome every challenge.

Community The Echo

Cross Country Wrap-Up

by Lindsay Phelps

The 2019 season was a successful one for the BGA cross country team. Many team records were broken and personal goals were reached, but not without the hard work they put in from the beginning. Coached

by Luke Johnson and Wendi Parker, runners trained throughout the summer and into the fall with efforts that paid off in the end. On November 2nd, they competed in the Region Division II-A Meet and continued on to race in the State Meet at Steeplechase in Percy Warner Park. At Regionals, Trace Alexander ‘22 and Lindsay Phelps ‘22 both placed in the top 10, individually qualifying for state. The varsity boys team battled the CPA runners for 3rd place, sending our top 7 to state as well. At state, the boys matched BGA’s best finish in the last decade, taking 5th place as a team.

Volleyball Wrap-Up

Trace Alexander placed 4th individually, with a time of 16:49. Coach Johnson has worked on researching past records in relation to what has been accomplished this season. Here are some statistics: -16 out of 21 boys broke their personal records, and 4 out of 5 girls broke theirs.

-This season was the first time in 20 years that there were both boy and girl finishers in the top 20 at the state meet.

-In 2014, the varsity boys easily qualified for state with a 19:58 team average time. This year it took an average of 18:25. Enough said.

The program has had much growth and will continue to grow and improve in the years to come. Congratulations to each of our runners and we are looking forward to see the turn out of next season.

by Ally Newkirk BGA Volleyball, coached by Tatiana Alvarez, Alana Gilmore, and Charlie Carlisle, made incredible accomplishments this year with a young, dynamic team. As Coach Alvarez posted: “Always moving forward.”

The team marched through the Regular Season with only six home matches. Hana Robertson was selected to the All-District Regular Season 1st Team, and Ally Newkirk was selected to the All-District Regular Season 2nd Team. This year’s District Tournament was held at Columbia Academy with BGA taking first place beating FRA. As district champions, sisters Abby and Hana Robertson were selected to the All-Tournament Team, and Kearstyn Seay as MVP. Next, the team traveled to Goodpasture for the Regional Tournament, finishing in 3rd place with Ally Newkirk being selected to the All-Region Tournament Team. Finally, the team crossed the state multiple times, traveling to Jackson and then to Knoxville to compete in the Elite Eight.

Seniors Hana Robertson and Caroline Hicks were successful in bringing the team together through various team bonding experiences, building the team bonds closer than they have ever been. Their personalities and drive to make their team better will be missed throughout the coming volleyball seasons.

After 1,956 miles traveled throughout this year, it is time to clean out the lockers, reflect on a rewarding season, and prepare for what the future has in store for the BGA Volleyball Team.

Golf Wrap-Up

by Duke Waldrop The golf team had a season of ups and downs. We started the season with several roster changes as we started to find our way. Will Rieck and I led the team. We had several key teammates that helped us find the success we did throughout the season. These younger players had to play significant roles in our lineup after losing a key member to the squad after graduating last year. We started the season off strong with impressive finishes against other schools during our matches. The season really began to kick off when the district tournament rolled around. Will and I got off to a hot start in the postseason. After a 72 from myself, and a 75 from Will we were able to win the district tournament.

This was a great accomplishment for the team. This helped us move forward to the next qualifying round for the State tournament, the region tournament. The proceeding week the team competed to redeem ourselves by qualifying for state again, as we missed out last year. After an impressive 70 (2 under par) from Will, and another round of 72 from myself, we found ourselves in second place. Just enough to qualify for the State tournament. This was an impressive feat for the team that made us appreciate our efforts thus far. After it was all said and done we came in third place at the 2019 TSSAA Golf Championship. Will Rieck lead the team finishing as runner up as an individual. The team struggled after a rough first round. However, we were quick to come back strong during the second round, making a stride to the lead. Although, we came up shy of what we had hoped for the team fought hard. Will and I were both incredibly proud of the teams’ effort.

BGA’s New Strategic Plan

by Sydney Carroll We all sat and listened during assembly as Mr. Kesler detailed the new ‘Strategic Plan’ BGA would be implementing over the next 14 months. However, it was a Monday morning, and because most of us probably remember trying to stay awake better than what Mr. Kesler explained, it may be helpful to outline exactly what this ‘Strategic Plan’ is, and more specifically, why it’s necessary, who’s going to be affected, and what’s going to change.

Why is it necessary? BGA’s strategic plan is designed to bring a school that was established in 1889 to be a school that can offer the best education in the 21st century.

More than anything, the strategic plan is designed to have a more well rounded school community, which will ultimately produce a more well rounded student. The main goals of the program are to ‘Foster

a bold academic program, ensure student well being in and out of the classroom, elevate our model of diversity and inclusivity, and steward our facilities, finances, and relationships for a sustainable future.” That’s a lot of big words. What do they all mean?

Here’s a quick summary: Foster a Bold Academic Program: Diversifying class choices and teaching methods. BGA is trying to create the best environment possible to foster and further the potential of a 21st century learner.

Ensure Student Well Being In and Out of the Classroom: Enhancing extracurriculars, character education, and creating a focus on mental and physical health of students, as well as new security initiatives.

Elevate our Model of Diversity and Inclusivity: Creating a more diverse school community, and as a result, a more inclusive one.

Steward Our Facilities, Finances, and

Relationships for a Sustainable Future: Creating a future financial plan, becoming a community hub, and strengthening our campus.

For a more in depth explanation of all that, visit: https://www.battlegroundacademy.org/about-bga/strategic-plan Who’s going to be affected? Everyone.

The main goal of the strategic plan is to create a better community, and as a result, everyone will be affected. However, a large focus is being shifted to the school’s EL (Entrepreneurial Leadership) program.

Because the new Fine Arts building (stay tuned for more on that) has 4 brand new EL classrooms as well as a makerspace, one of the ultimate goals of the Strategic Plan is to use inquiry based learning in not just EL, but all classes.

What’s going to change? In the next few months, there will be more gripes about loss of parking space and ultimate incon-

venience in the fine arts building, however, this will all be worth it soon enough. The most noticeable change will be the new performing arts building. The brand new performing arts building will be 3,700 sq ft, and will include a 550 seat theatre, EL classrooms, breakout rooms, a makerspace, storage for theatre and band, and ultimately more dedicated space to our arts programs. There will also be many curriculum and character education changes, all in an effort to improve BGA’s community as a whole.

Altogether, the strategic plan is designed to improve the experience of BGA students, families and faculty. And while not everyone is entirely sure of what the future holds for Battle Ground Academy, we know for sure that with the strategic plan in place that BGA has only one direction to go in: up.

The Echo

Calendar and Entertainment December 13 9:00am-11:00am: English Exam 1:00pm-3:00pm: Foreign Language Exam 4:00pm: Swimming (away) 4:30pm: Basketball: Boys JV Game (home) vs. FRA 6:00pm: Basketball: Girls Varsity Game (home) vs. FRA 6:00pm: Hockey vs. Father Ryan 7:30pm: Basketball: Boys Varsity - Game (home) vs. FRA December 14 9:00am: Wrestling (home) 2:30pm: Basketball: Girls Varsity Game (home) vs. JPII 4:00pm: Basketball: Boys Varsity Game (home) vs. JPII December 16 9:00am-11:00am: Science Exam 1:00pm-3:00pm: History Exam

December 18 Conflict Exam Day 11:30am: Athletic Signing Day December 19 Basketball: Boys Varsity - Game (away) Holiday Break December 20 Basketball: Boys Varsity - Game (away) 12:00pm: Hockey (away) 3:00pm: Basketball: Girls Varsity Game (away) vs. Centennial HS December 21 Basketball: Boys Varsity - Game (away) Wrestling: (away)

December 17 9:00am-11:00am: Math Exam

Assassin’s Creed the Rebel Collection

by Jack Cheney Get ready to rebel this december with the Assassin’s Creed the Rebel Collection.

Play two different games that put you not in the role of an assassin, but a hooded swash-buckling warrior! In Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, play as Edward Kenway, a normal pirate turned reluctant hero. Plunder ships for epic treasure, explore the seafloor for hidden collectibles, and fight the British Empire. Become the most feared pirate captain and crew in all the seven seas this december. In the next title, Assassin’s Creed Rogue, Shay Pat-

rick Cormac turns to the Assassin’s greatest enemy, the Templar order, after being betrayed by his brotherhood. Now no longer and Assassin, Cormac will hunt down his brotherhood, and claim his revenge.

This awesome collection holding two of the most critically acclaimed Assassin’s Creed series is quite the epic package for the holidays. Assassin’s Creed the Rebel Collection dropped on December 6th.

Will you sail under the Black Flag, or the Rogue one? You choose first.

nrjantilles.com

Joker Review

by Alex Pareigis Now the highest grossing R-rated film and also the most profitable comic book adaptation, Joker follows Arthur Fleck as he transforms into the infamous Joker. Joker previously premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival in August and won the Golden Lion. The film’s dark tone instantly polarized viewers, with most people praising Joaquin Phoenix’s performance and others raising concerns about the portrayal of mental illness. People were worried that the film would generate violence. Even with all the concerns, the movie still made a massive profit and will continue to be recognized this award season.

Joker follows Arthur Fleck, who works as a clown and as an unsuccessful aspiring comedian. He lives in Gotham City, which has become overrun with criminals and all other unsavory aspects of life, and Arthur is unable to connect to the world around him.

When Arthur’s life begins to fall apart, the Joker is born. The film has some disturbing and violent images, but it also has beautiful cinematography. Overall, the movie made people understand and feel for the Joker, and it should encourage us all to become better people and treat people with respect so that no one feels isolated.

IMDb.com

The Echo

Thoughts by Mitchell Marco Polo should be a competitive swim sport.

Has anyone ever played real Marco Polo? The kind where you don’t cheat and peak or forget to say Polo back? It is difficult. In a perfect world, I see Marco Polo as an Olympic sport in a massive pool the size of a basketball court with the Marco wearing blacked out goggles, and Referees intently monitoring and listening for the other participants “Polo” response.

BlueFaceIndoor is experiencing bias in the indoor soccer league.

Recently, the Williamson County Recreational Soccer league announced they will be conducting random I.D. checks on U19 indoor teams. This is an unfair reaction to BlueFace’s popular technique of pulling players from the crowd.

Taking a Mary Cambell class has made me regret lacking talent.

Sometimes, I sit in my Art History class, surrounded by art, and think: “Life would be more fun if I was good at art.”

BGA needs a metal forging and glass blowing facility.

Quad Question With Jad “If you could add a class to BGA, what would add? ”

Imagine taking a metal forging class or even a glass blowing glass. No other school in the area provides this, but BGA should be the first and add metal forging and glass blowing facilities to the Mary Cambell. It would be a lot cooler than more EL classrooms.

Why does BGA have black fences?

I just don’t understand. Why? Why black? Why not white? Or why not leave them the original wood color which fits the BGA campus aesthetic far greater than black could? It is not something one really notices, but once it’s noticed it cannot be unseen. Now, everyday I pull into school, I want to know who made the executive decision to paint the fences, the same fences that sit in front of a school with red brick and white columns, black.

Abby McConnell, Senior “It would be an enneagram class.”

Why did I never learn how to play the harmonica?

Imagine pulling out a harmonica and playing it. Ultimate flex. Everyone would say “Wow, this guy can play the harmonica.”

BGA needs a talent show for the untalented and the unincluded.

I am not necessarily bitter that I was rejected from Artist Guild, although I believe I was well qualified (Check my VSCO @mitchellmorrison20 if you disagree). With that said, I believe BGA should have a traditional talent show alongside Artist Guild. Specifically, one where a massive ensemble can lip sync “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Mulan, or a contestant can juggle, or Nick can do his magic tricks. I believe this allows artistic expression that may not fit the more polished nature of Artist Guild, and it would also make for an enjoyable assembly.

Can I sign for academics?

I want to commit to a school for academics. They don’t have to commit back, but it would be fun to get all dressed up, sign my “letter of intent” and act like I have a chance of going there.

Lack of Vending Machines Causes a Rise in New Business (continued)

Will Mahoney, Junior “Um, I would go for some type of psych class that is not AP Psych.”

start their own businesses. Why should students fear being punished for putting their education to use? Why can’t BGA Snacks show pride and claim the company they have created? If students creating a solution to an obvious problem (lack of snacks) on campus is an issue, why is there nothing in the handbook? It’s somewhat paradoxical that this group of young entrepreneurs feel the need to run their establishment secretly and are not applauded for starting their own successful business as high schoolers.

Ryan Griffin, Sophomore “Um, a cooking class.”

Class Overview: Intro to Recording Technology

by Jack Kelly Introduction to Recording Technology is one of the most recent additions to the course offerings of the 20192020 school year. This course is taught by Mr. Altman, in addition to his other classes of Contemporary Music, History of American Music, and Vanguard. As time has gone on, the way music is made has changed so much.

Music has gone from being made in a large studio to being able to be produced in someone’s bedroom. This course teaches students how to become young music producers and learn all the necessary parts to producing a song. After talking to some members of this semester’s class, I learned they all had differing inspirations that directly reflected on the work that was produced in the class. This class features “an environment of creativity, where there is always someone there to listen and give helpful feedback on what you have created,” as explained to me by Hugo Cederhage. After popping into a couple studio sessions this semester, it is really incredible to see the amount of talent that these kids in this class have. Currently, they are working on a project where they put their minds together to produce a song. One person produces the melody, another person produces the drum, and they then combine what they did together to make a track. This class is available to anyone interested in how music is produced and is a fall semester course.

Faith Newman, Sophomore “We need a class, like, what’s happening in the world currently- a current events class.”