PAGE 4:
PAGE 7:
Te n s i o n s r i s e a s sophomores battle for Kindles.
In the mood for some hipster music late at night?
THEOctagon
5VU 7YVĂ&#x201E;[ 6YNHUPaH[PVU < : 76:;(., 7(0+ :HJYHTLU[V *( 7LYTP[ 5V
SCDSOCTAGON.COM
VOL. Â XXXVI, Â NO. Â 7
May  28,  2013
Veteran instructor gives up teaching
Points of Interest
By Jeffrey Caves
Editor-in-Chief
Band  and  orchestra  place  high  at  festival
&
KHPLVWU\ WHDFKHU $ODQ %HDPHU ZLOO leave the school in -XQH DQG WUDQVLWLRQ DZD\ IURP WHDFKLQJ %HDPHU WDXJKW VRSKRPRUH FKHPLVWU\ $3 &KHPLVWU\ +RQRUV *HRPHWU\ DQG WKH Forensics elective in his three \HDUV DW 6&'6 DQG DGYLVHG WKH 'XQJHRQV DQG 'UDJRQV &OXE Though this is the fourth SULYDWH VFKRRO %HDPHU KDV WDXJKW DW KH KRSHV WR ¿QG D MRE LQYROYLQJ FKHPLVWU\ LQ SULYDWH LQGXVWU\ RU JRYHUQļ ment. ³, ZDQW D FKDQJH RI SDFH ´ %HDPHU VDLG ³, KDYH EHHQ WHDFKLQJ IRU D ZKLOH DQG ,œP VSHQW DQG MXVW ZDQW WR WU\ something new. ³, IHHO OLNH , FDQ VWLOO WXWRU LQGLYLGXDOV LI , ZDQW WR NHHS WHDFKLQJ D OLWWOH EXW HYHQ D XQLYHUVLW\ MRE MXVW GRHVQœW DSļ SHDO WR PH ´ %HDPHU LV VHHNLQJ D PLGGOH ground as far as leadership. ³, GRQœW ZDQW WR UXQ D ODE EXW , DOVR GRQœW ZDQW WR GR VRPHWKLQJ ZKHUH ,œP MXVW ZDVKLQJ EHDNHUV ´ KH VDLG The school has interviewed VL[ FDQGLGDWHV EXW KDV QRW \HW RɹHUHG DQ\ RI WKHP D FRQļ WUDFW DFFRUGLQJ WR KHDGPDVļ ter Stephen Repsher. &DQGLGDWHV DUH LQWHUYLHZHG WKURXJK WKH RQOLQH YLGHRļFKDW VHUYLFH 6N\SH EHIRUH WKH\ YLVļ LW FDPSXV ZKHUH WKH\ WHDFK D class and speak with current science teachers and adminļ istrators. 7KH GHFLVLRQ LV H[SHFWHG ZLWKLQ D IHZ ZHHNV 5HSVKHU said.
Lower school teachers shuffle spots By Aishwarya Nadgauda Page Editor
/
ower school will be SOD\LQJ D JDPH RI PXVLFDO FKDLUV QH[W \HDU %XW LQVWHDG RI VWXGHQWV VKXÉšLQJ QH[W \HDU LW ZLOO EH the teachers. Students from kindergarten through eighth JUDGH ZLOO EH DÉąHFWHG E\ PXOÄĽ tiple changes in teaching poÄĽ sitions. See 6KXÉşH SDJH
Cars line up on Munroe Street while waiting for Jacob Frankel, Carter Brown, Leilani Reid-Vera, Ben Hernried and Jackson Dulla to cross. (Photo by Will Wright)
Students scramble for safety on Munroe By Garrett Kaighn
Copy Editor
,
I \RXÂśYH HYHU SDUNHG RQ $PHULFDQ 5LYHU 'ULYH RU ZDONHG WR /RHKPDQQÂśV 3ODÄĽ ]D \RXÂśYH KDG WR GRGJH FDUV ZKL]]LQJ SDVW /DWKDP 'ULYH DERYH WKH VSHHG OLPLW SD\LQJ OLWWOH DWÄĽ tention to the marked crosswalk despite signs warning of a school crossing. Yet there is no suitable trafÄĽ ÂżF VLJQDO DW WKH LQWHUVHFWLRQ RI /DWKDP 'ULYH DQG 0XQURH 6WUHHW WR SURWHFW WKH VDIHW\ RI VWXGHQWV FURVVLQJ WKH VWUHHW +RZ ORQJ ZLOO LW EH EHIRUH DQ DFFLGHQW RFFXUV DQG ZK\ KDYHQÂśW DQ\ VDIHW\ PHDÄĽ sures been installed? 7KLV ZDV WKH TXHVWLRQ SRVHG E\ MXQLRU 6\GQH\ -DFNVRQ LQ D SURSRVÄĽ DO HVVD\ LQ MXQLRU (QJOLVK UHFRPÄĽ mending the addition of a stop
VLJQ RU D Ă&#x20AC;DVKLQJ FURVVZDON EHDFRQ ÄŞWKDW Ă&#x20AC;DVKHV RQO\ ZKHQ SHGHVWULDQV DUH FURVVLQJÄŤ WR WKH /DWKDP 0XQÄĽ roe intersection. -DFNVRn argued that the marked crosswalk alone is not enough to ZDUQ GULYHUV HYHQ if the law reÄĽ quires them to stop. Âł-XVW EHFDXVH GULYHUV VKRXOG VWRS GRHVQÂśW PHDQ WKH\ ZLOO XQOHVV theUHÂśV D FOHDU VLJQ ´ VKH ZURWH Âł,I WKH\ GRQÂśW VWRS WKH FRQVHTXHQFHV could be gravH 1H[W WLPH LW FRXOG EH D IDWDOLW\ ´ $QG WKH LQWHUVHFWLRQ LV GHÂżQLWHÄĽ O\ GDQJHURXVħLQ D UHFHQW 2FWDJRQ SROO RI KLJKÄĽVFKRRO VWXGHQWV reported having a close encounter with a car while walking across the intersection. -XQLor Madeline Mahla even triggered a minor accident while crossing the intersection on her bike.
³2QH FDU KDG VWRSSHG IRU PH ZKLFK ZDV QLFH DQG , VWDUWHG WR FURVV ´ VKH VDLG ³7KHQ DQRWKHU FDU ZDQWHG WR JR DURXQG ĪWKH ¿UVW FDUč EHFDXVH KH GLGQœW VHH PH 7KH FDU WKDW ZDV VWRSSHG WXUQHG DQG WKH\ FUDVKHG ´ ³,W ZDV UHDOO\ VFDU\ħ, WKRXJKW VRPHRQH ZDV JRLQJ WR KLW PH EXW WKH JX\ ĪLQ WKH ¿UVW FDUč VDYHG PH ´ -XQLRUV /HLODQL 5HLGļ9HUD DQG $ELJDLO 3DQWRMD VDLG WKH\ ZHUH QHDUO\ KLW E\ D ZRPDQ ZKR ZDV checking her phone while turning RXW RI /DWKDP 'ULYH -XQLRU $OH[D *ULJJV DQG IUHVKļ PDQ -HQQLIHU .HUEV VDLG WKH\ ZHUH KRQNHG DW E\ GULYHUV ZKR GLGQœW ZDQW WR VORZ GRZQħHYHQ WKRXJK pedestrians in a crosswalk have the OHJDO ULJKW RI ZD\ $QG PDQ\ RWKHU VWXGHQWV WROG See Crosswalk SDJH
Pursuing selective college acceptances, some sophomores pile on AP courses for junior year 1HOOLV KHDG RI KLJK VFKRRO VKH FKDQJHG KHU SODQV ,QVWHDG 1DGJDXGD ZLOO WDNH IRXU $3V MXQLRU \HDU DQG Reporter /DWLQ ,,, DQG ,9 RYHU WKLV ÄŞDQG QH[WÄŤ VXPPHU &ROOHJH FRXQVHORU -DQH %DXPDQ VSHFXODWHV WKDW RQH ophomore Grant Miner stares at his course RI WKH UHDVRQV VR PDQ\ MXQLRUV DUH WDNLQJ PRUH $3V LV request form as he debates between Advanced 3ODFHPHQW ÄŞ$3ÄŤ 3K\VLFV % DQG $3 &KHPLVWU\ See Sophomores SDJH thinking aloud as he weighs the pros and cons of each. 0LQHU KDV DOUHDG\ VLJQHG XS IRU WKUHH $3V DQG LVQÂśW Manageable or much too much? WKH RQO\ MXQLRU FRQVLGHULQJ WKH GUHDGHG IRXUÄĽ$3 FRXUVHÄĽ ORDG KLV MXQLRU \HDU â&#x20AC;&#x153;(Taking  four  APs)  was  pretty  easy,  6RSKRPRUHV &KLHQ +R $LVKZDU\D 1DGJDXGD (PPD but  you  canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  procrastinateâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  :LOOLDPV DQG $QQD :LOH\ DOVR SODQ WR WDNH IRXU $3V got  to  turn  everything  in  on  time,  Ī:LOOLDPV LV DGGLQJ LQ D ÂżIWK UHJXODU FRXUVH DQG :LOH\ and  you  have  to  be  sure  you  like  the  LV WDNLQJ $3 6WXGLR $UW DV ZHOOÄŤ subjects.â&#x20AC;? $OWKRXJK &RXQWU\ 'D\ÂśV FROOHJH FRXQVHORUV EHOLHYH ²/RJDQ :LQÂżHOG VHQLRU that a schedule of three APs and two regular classes is â&#x20AC;&#x153;I  started  out  my  junior  year  tak- WKH PRVW ULJRURXV D MXQLRU VKRXOG DWWHPSW WKHVH VRSKRÄĽ ing  four  APs  and  a  regular  class.  I  PRUHV VD\ WKH\ DUHQÂśW ZRUULHG couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  deal  with  the  workload  of  all  1DGJDXGD RULJLQDOO\ SODQQHG RQ WDNLQJ IRXU $3V DQG those  classes  plus  my  extracurricu- D UHJXODU FODVVħ$3 (QJOLVK $3 &KHPLVWU\ $3 &DOFXOXV lars.  It  was  impossible.â&#x20AC;? %& $3 8 6 +LVWRU\ ÄŞ$386+ÄŤ DQG /DWLQ ,9 +RZHYHU ²<DQQL 'DKPDQL VHQLRU DIWHU WDONLQJ WR FROOHJH FRXQVHORU %URRNH :HOOV DQG 6XH
By Annie Bell
S
Amid  the  shouts  and  ap- plause  of  more  than  a  thou- sand  high-Âschool  musicians,  junior  Ryan  Ho  and  freshman  Serajh  Esmail  walked  on- stage  to  accept  the  Sweep- stakes  Trophy  for  Country  Day  at  the  Forum  Music  Festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Judgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  Invitation- al  Competition  in  Anaheim,  April  19.  The  Sweepstakes  Trophy  is  awarded  to  the  school  with  the  highest  combined  score  of  its  band  and  orchestra.   At  the  festival  the  high- VFKRRO 2UFKHVWUD ZRQ ÂżUVW place,  the  high-Âschool  Con- cert  Band  placed  second  and  the  high-Âschool  Jazz  Band,  the  only  high-Âschool  jazz  band  competing,  received  a  silver  rating.   The  middle-Âschool  Jazz  Band  and  Orchestra  both  won  second  place.   Individually,  sophomore  Micaela  Bennett-ÂSmith  re- ceived  the  Outstanding  Musi- cianship  Award  for  being  the  best  soloist  in  the  Jazz  Band. And  sophomore  Emma  Williams  was  named  the  Outstanding  High  School  Instrumentalist  of  all  high- school  orchestra  players  at  the  festival. Sixth  grader  Allison  Zhang  won  the  same  award  for  mid- dle  schoolers. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Zoe  Bowlus
Student  Council,  publications  assign  new  positions New  Student  Council  po- sitions  have  been  appointed  for  next  school  year.  Junior  Madeline  Mah- la  will  serve  as  president.  Sophomore  Caroline  Mehta  will  be  the  vice  president.  Freshman  Serajh  Esmail  will  be  the  director  of  events  (secretary)  and  junior  Sa- vannah  Symister  will  be  WKH GLUHFWRU RI ÂżQDQFHV DQG communication  (treasurer). The  Medallion  has  as- signed  positions  for  next  year  as  well. Junior  Sydney  Jackson  will  be  the  editor  in  chief.  Symister  will  be  the  assis- tant  editor  in  chief,  as  well  as  a  design  editor.  The  new  Octagon  editors  in  chief  will  be  juniors  Gar- rett  Kaighn,  Connor  Martin  and  Kamira  Patel.  Juniors  Ryan  Ho  and  David  Myers  will  be  the  online  editors  in  chief.   â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Zoe  Bowlus