theOctagon
Sacramento Country Day School
www.scdsoctagon.com
VOL. XXXIX, NO. 2
October 27, 2015
Search for head of school narrows to three
Finalists visit school, propose plans for growth and student opportunities
Adrienne Odell
Tucker Foehl
By Marigot Fackenthal Opinion Editor
T
hree prospective school heads have visited the school to be interviewed by a lineup of administrators and com mittees over the past two weeks. Each candidate came prepared with a vision of a “per fect school” and plans to improve SCDS. Candidate Adrienne Odell, assistant head at Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, Florida, said that she wants the job because the school aligns with the standards and priorities she’s looking for. “I realized that a lot of the things the school is looking for in its next head are areas that I’m very comfortable with,” she said. “I felt that it’d be a and my own expertise.” Odell’s plan is to im prove the school exter
Lee Thomsen
ties, including increased social variety and more elective options. However, she added that the school’s conditional use permit must be amended before the population can grow. Despite her goals for expansion, Odell said she wants to keep the population at a level that main tains the current sense of community. we lose those close relationships with peers and teachers,” she said. Another priority is renovating old buildings in the middle school and constructing a Fine Arts objective. Candidate Tucker Foehl, SCDS’s assistant head of school, said discussing changes in teach ing style, reintroducing a student counseling pro
“When the Sacramento Community hears ‘Country Day,’ they should know what this school is all about, what it stands for, and why it’s such an excellent school.” —Adrienne Odell, candidate
nally. Her top priority, she said, is developing the school’s public im age in the community. “The key is shining a light on the great things that are hap pening here,” she said. “I keep hearing people say that Country Day is
‘Country Day,’ they should know what this school is all about, what it stands for and why it’s such an excellent school.” Odell’s second priority is expanding the high school. Increasing the student body would, ac cording to her, open up a number of opportuni
his main priorities. “I want to have a dif ferent, richer conver sation about teaching and learning at Country Day,” Foehl said. “I’m re ally invested in how our evaluation system works and the conversations we have about teaching and community want to look
that would include myself as head of school; I want the community to have a chance to review my work.” Foehl is also interested in bringing a theme of innovation and technology to the school. “The curriculum committee’s initiative this year is innovation and technology,” he said. “I’m invested in not trends, but more substantively how we think about our program and how inno
Headmaster Stephen Repsher stands in front of the new middle-school building. Building was a priority of Repsher’s tenure. (Photo by Marigot Fackenthal)
vative it can be. I think it’s a real strength of the school, but we need to consider what that’s going to look like moving forward.”
ing a program to aid students going through so cial and emotional struggles. “I hear of students from all grade levels going through emotional challenges,” he said. “It’s not
more buildings 31% more parking
overall program.” schedule up for discussion, he doesn’t necessarily want to change it. “I want to lead a conversation about our sched still think it’d be productive to look at our sched ule and see if it’s working for the things we want our students to experience here,” Foehl said.
ways. I want to make sure we’re able to accom modate to the best of our ability.” Candidate Lee Thomsen, head of the upper
27%
more scholarship money 16%
increased high-school population 19%
relocated high-school campus 7%
We asked high-school students to choose the priorities they considered most important for the next head of school.
See Head, page 10
New dress-code policy unpopular By Katia Dahmani Page Editor
codes,” Bauman said. “In the winter, girls are more covered up.”
year, and some students aren’t happy about it. Last year, a student’s parents received an
changed over the years. Bauman calls the process more “stream lined.”
infractions in a quarter. This year, however, parents are emailed if their child doesn’t have another set of appropriate clothes to change into at school, no matter the number of of fenses. Patricia Jacobsen, dean of student life, says “Because of the policy, the number of re
at the posted violations to talk to the student about their clothes. Now teachers email Jacobsen directly, ask ing her to go talk to the student and decide whether or not the student is breaking dress code. If the student’s attire is deemed inap
She said that in the past, parents were nev er fully aware of what clothes could cause
recorded in PCR. According to Jacobsen, before this new
Most violations occur during the beginning of school due to the heat, according to Jacob sen.
would be “bombarded” with remarks because teachers had no way of knowing whether or by another teacher. Jacobsen said that having one teacher
straps,” she explained. English teacher Jane Bauman, who often reports violations, agrees.
See Dress code, page 10
At left, sophomore Katia Dahmani wears pants that were dress-coded for being excessively ripped. At right, senior Amelia Fineberg wears shorts that were dresscoded for being too short. (Photos by Adam Ketchum)
2Feature
The Octagon
October 27, 2015
So not fair! ’60s seniors could really ‘hang loose’ By Manson Tung Editor-in-Chief holds a position as a council member and secretary for the
I
t’s 1 a.m. and senior Jenny Kerbs is furiously typing at her computer. She has been up for 19 hours, but her day monplace. teaches underprivileged children in India through Cognitive
for an hour before slumping down on her bed at 2:30 a.m. casual Wednesday night.
In addition to her current extra curricular load, Kerbs spent According to senior Colby Conner, senior year is even more “I remember you had to prove yourself to the school to be “It was so rewarding and I wouldn’t trade the experience said. dents. classes add most of the stress. Accord ing to Kerbs, some of her courses have
theless over supplemental essays.
anticipated when she selected them last spring. Kerbs is applying to 12 colleges, all of which require supplemental essays
plied to only four: Dartmouth Uni
“It is so much easier to apply to more In addition to applications, many seniors, including Kerbs and Aidan
the stress of applications crescendoes.
Senior Gracie Strumpfer works on a biology lab, due the next period, on Oct. 22. Strumpfer is applying to 10 colleges. (Photo by Madison Judd)
See Senior, page 10
October 27, 2015
News
The Octagon
3
Large Latin class means teacher must adjust former teaching style By Katia Dahmani Page Editor
Chris Millsback teaches AP Microeconomics, which has 20 students in the class. “The only struggle is when we’re left with time to work on our homework after we’ve been taught the lesson,” senior Brad Petchauer said. “It can get loud, and it’ll take more time to get a question answered.” (Photo by Adam Ketchum)
High-school expansion creates loud, crowded classroom spaces
Teacher Jane Batarseh
However, use permit curtails more growth
By Ulises Barajas Page Editor
“At this point we’re exploring options and what other restrictions that might exist.” —Stephen Repsher, headmaster
“I really want to go into medicine when I grow up, so switching to Latin would help prepare for that profession,” —Alexa Mathisen, junior
Number of HS Students Per Year
(Statistics from opening day)
4Sports
The Octagon
October 27, 2015
(Photos by Tom Wroten)
First-time section champions get $200 rings
Swimming and boys’ basketball teams receive gifts for victories By Madison Judd Editor-in-Chief he boys’ varsity basketball team and two swimmers
In accordance with tradition, the boys’ team and the two Although winning sections is not uncommon at Country
See
Cross country hurt by lack of members By Alexa Mathisen Reporter
year and looked forward to doing it again, but she never got her athletic clearance
Although the cross country team began
Coach Nick Domich said many athletes quit the team because they thought they
season too because his family usually had other obligations on Saturdays, when the
cross country since middle school, this is “I decided to do cross country because I had been running a lot over the summer,
Senior Adam Ketchum, who has been one few years, according to Domich, the SCDS team lege visits and information sessions for his
“Heidi has been a total professional as always.” —Nick Domich, coach
During the seasons of 2009, 2010, and 2011, the the boys’ won three years of section cham
However, seven weeks into the season, she also quit the team because she didn’t feel as though ing and committed to
“I have been very busy, and it is very dif
Hansen knew he wouldn’t have time to fully commit to the team this year because
Seniors Elinor Hilton and Emma Bel liveau quit after the season began because they were busy with schoolwork and college
Even new team members Gorny and activity, and cross country will be the only Johnson believes cross country is a good
year she was forced to lessen the amount busy, and this year she decided to quit for Freshman Heidi Johnson competes in the Bella Vista Bronco Invitational on Oct. 17. (Photo used by permission of Johnson)
at the river when I have time, whether it’s before or after homework, and if it’s a busy
Belliveau said she was on the team last
cross country runners since they already are
October 27, 2015
Sports
The Octagon
5
Boys’ soccer primes itself to get to playoffs Eight victories include big wins over Faith Christian, Forest Lake By Ulises Barajas Page Editor
T Freshman Nate Jakobs attempts a shot from outside the box of the Cristo Rey Saints. Jakobs has scored three goals in the season so far. (Photo by Adam Ketchum)
Veteran seniors, crowds propel varsity volleyball to 10-2 record By Sonja Hansen Business Manager The girls’ varsity volleyball team has a
The Cavs came
“After we battled it out and won, the teams’ cheers and loud wins made the win that much better.” —Kyra Petersen, sophomore
chair of the spirit com
said that the Cavs lost
Seniors Sydney Michel, Aidan Galati and Jenny Kerbs set up a play in the Valley Christian game. (Photo by Kevin Huang)
said that the boys’ soccer team started to
Sports Boosters’ Athletes of the Month Brad Petchauer
Sydney Michel
Petchauer has anchored the boys’ soccer team’s defense to three
Michel has had a stellar month of volleyball, contributing to the team’s cohesiveness and string of wins. She has been a constant force in the front row and one of the leading attackers, with a teamhigh of 13 kills in her last match against Valley Christian.
games. The shutouts came against Buckingham, Cristo Rey and Faith Christian. The team holds sole poswith the assistance of Petchauer.
Athletes of the Month are chosen by the athletic department on behalf of the Sports Boosters.
6
Centerpoint
The Octagon
October 27, 2015
7
Is religion dying out for millennials?
Students less religious than rest of U.S., but more diverse Percent of religions among students
Y By Nicole Wolkov
No
Yes
u t?
Is
O
R
Gudwara
n D yi n o i g ig l e dents say. u t S .. 40%
52%
Not Sure 8%
Based on 126 surveys distributed on Oct. 1.
Diego Perochena Senior
Avi Bhullar Junior
Samuel Buck Freshman
Serajh Esmail Senior
Elie Kuppermann Senior
Shriya Nadgauda Junior
6
Centerpoint
The Octagon
October 27, 2015
7
Is religion dying out for millennials?
Students less religious than rest of U.S., but more diverse Percent of religions among students
Y By Nicole Wolkov
No
Yes
u t?
Is
O
R
Gudwara
n D yi n o i g ig l e dents say. u t S .. 40%
52%
Not Sure 8%
Based on 126 surveys distributed on Oct. 1.
Diego Perochena Senior
Avi Bhullar Junior
Samuel Buck Freshman
Serajh Esmail Senior
Elie Kuppermann Senior
Shriya Nadgauda Junior
8 Editorial
The Octagon
October 27, 2015
“Unrealistic Expectations” by Jake Sands
My Angle By Manson Tung
You have exactly 5 seconds of my attention
EDITORIAL: High schoolers need guidance counselor to handle stress The signs are clear: Country Day students, especially seniors, have a serious stress problem. In an Octagon poll distributed to seniors, many said that their level of day-to-day stress was 8 to 11, on a 10-point scale. In “Search for head of school narrows to three,” (p. 1), Tucker Foehl, assistant head of school, says, “I hear of students from all grade levels going through emotional challenges. It’s not just the high-school students who are stressed out - this is something that’s really impacting our overall program.” Stress is caused by many factors, such as busy schedules and college apps for seniors (see “So not fair! ’60s seniors could really ‘hang loose,’” p. 2), and is a perfectly normal part of life, until it becomes too much. At that point, it can interfere with students’ ability to cope with daily emotional struggles, complete work effectively and stay healthy. Several of the candidates for next year’s headmaster position have their own ideas to reduce stress. For instance, candidate Adrienne Odell proposed dropping one class each day to reduce homework load, a solution that worked at her school, Shorecrest Preparatory, in Florida. Foehl, also a candidate, suggested hiring a guidance counselor In the past, Country Day had a dedicated guidance
the
Editors-in-Chief Madison Judd Manson Tung
Online Editor-in-Chief Zoë Bowlus
Reporters
Annya Dahmani
Jake Sands
Feature Editor Madison Judd
Opinion Editor Marigot Fackenthal
Sports Editor Zoë Bowlus
Copy Editor Amelia Fineberg
News Editor
Social Media Editor Page Editors
Adam Dean Amelia Fineberg Annya Dahmani Katia Dahmani Madison Judd
professional in the past year. Hiring a guidance counselor will accomplish one other crucial thing: it will show current and prospective families that Country Day’s administration cares about the mental health and well-being of the student body.
Marigot Fackenthal Sonja Hansen Ulises Barajas
Manson Tung
Sonja Hansen
In short, a guidance counselor helps students cope. Many of Country Day’s rival schools, such as St. Francis and Christian Brothers, have entire departments devoted to guidance for students, with counselors for each graduating class and a “wellness counselor,” in addition to the requisite college counselors. Even if the budget will not allow for a full-time “wellness counselor,” a part-time counselor would be better
OctagonManson Tung Alexa Mathisen Allison Zhang Ben Miner Chardonnay Needler Grace Naify Jack Christian Jake Longoria Mac Scott Mohini Rye Nicole Wolkov Quin LaComb Sahej Claire
Business Manager
2007-09, her position was eliminated as enrollment dropped. But as the school expands once more, we need her (or someone in the same capacity) to return. A guidance counselor is a safe person to go to when the stress of school and life becomes too much and ents. A counselor would have formal training in guidance counseling, unlike most teachers and administrators, who, while well intentioned, do not have the
Graphic Artist
Photographers Adam Ketchum Ethan Hockridge Kevin Huang
Adviser
Patricia Fels
The Octagon is published eight times a year by high-school journalism students of Sacramento Country Day School, 2636 Latham Drive, Sacramento, Calif. 95864. Phone: (916) 481-8811, ext. 347. The online Octagon (www.scdsoctagon.com) is updated daily.
Orchids
&
Onions
O
rchids to. . . Student Council for creating interesting themes for the Spirit Week leading up to Homecoming. The ideas were original and easy to follow.
O
nions to. . . the tech department for blocking even more social media sites, including Twitter and Snapchat. Our Wi-Fi goes right on being oh so slow!
O
rchids to. . . the Arts Boosters for placing fall-themed decorations in the high-school quad for the Arts Boosters mixer. We love the festive autumn vibes!
nions to. . . the people who are putting non-recyclable items in recycling bins. The environmental club does not want to go through your smelly banana peels.
O
October 27, 2015
The Octagon
Opinion
9
Pizza Palooza Where to spend your dough on dough By Quin LaComb Reporter
T
Pizza Hut had the fastest delivery time, but only by a little. They took 20 minutes, followed by a swift 21 minutes from Dom
hroughout high school, I’ve or dered pizza for numerous occa sions such as free period long or Pizza Guys. Before we even tried the pizzas, we rat occasionally a class. I’ve ordered ed them solely by aesthetics. The one from from Pizza Guys consistently due to “peer Pizza Guys looked the best due to the pro pressure.” I’d ask where I should get my pizza, and people would tell me Pizza Guys. portions of the toppings. Domino’s was second and Pizza Hut was third. That’s because Pizza Guys is supposedly We agreed that the pies from Pizza Guys quick and cheap, especially when compared and Pizza Hut had way too much pepper to its competitor, Pizza Hut. oni. Whereas the Domino’s pizza had just However, I recently learned that there’s enough pepperoni to satisfy meat lovers, a Domino’s across from Pavilions. This dis the other two were completely overrun covery made me rethink my pizza policy. with pepperoni. According to an Oct. 20 Octagon poll And while the pizzas from Domino’s on this subject, I’m not alone in my lack and Pizza Hut were of knowledge. Of the 74 divided into eight people who have had pizza “Dust on the crust is a must. slices, the Pizza delivered to school, 61 had Guys pizza had 12, In Domino’s I trust.” no idea that this Domino’s it optimal existed. —Isabelle Leavy, junior making for parties of more I now knew three places than four. for pizza: Pizza Guys, Pizza At this point, the Hut and Domino’s. Which entire group was of these three could best satisfy my pizza practically drooling over the three pizzas. needs? And so, accompanied by a small group so we all grabbed a slice and bit in. of friends, I ordered from the three with four criteria in mind: budget, time, taste and sensations in my mouth. First came and aesthetics. To give each an equal oppor the small crunch from perfectly cooked tunity, I ordered one large pepperoni pizza pepperoni and a slightly crunchy crust, followed by the overwhelming taste of the sauce. Last was a slight taste of garlic from the sauce and crust. we were delighted by crust with a dust of some
Juniors Emil Erickson and Quin LaComb, freshman Ben Miner and junior Isabelle Leavy enjoy Domino’s pizza. (Photo by Adam Ketchum)
sort on it. It tasted slightly of garlic and was
Even though all pizza is good, it’s clear that Pizza Guys pizza isn’t that good. We agreed unanimously that Domino’s was
Leavy said, “Dust on the crust is a must. In Domino’s I trust.” Overall, it had the perfect amount of pepperoni but far too much sauce. nally, Pizza Guys. Domino’s swept the board Next we moved on to a Pizza Hut slice. Al when it came to price and tastiness. though it didn’t look greasy, we soon discovered Reading the pizza poll yielded surprising that the grease was hid results. Of the 74 people who den on the underside. Domino’s swept the board have had pizza delivered to However, its crust was when it came to price and order from Pizza Guys, while still somewhat crunchy. The slice tasted tastiness. only two have ordered from slightly of oregano. Its Domino’s. crust had some sort of The reasons were interesting as well. The students who ex into it, making it all the better and somewhat plained their choice had reasons ranging from similar to the crust on the pizza from Domi no’s. However, the slice had almost no cheese people wanted it.” and the crust was slightly sticky. Ironically, most students order from Pizza Finally, we moved onto the Pizza Guys pizza, Guys with the belief that it has the best price, which was drenched in grease. On top of that, taste, and delivery time. But in our test, Dom its crust tasted like cardboard. Junior Maryjane ino’s trumped it in every single one of those categories. So next time you think of pizza, couldn’t help but agree. think Domino’s!
Even though 80 percent of the high school regularly chooses Pizza Guys when they order, our reviewers found that Domino’s pizza is cheaper and tastier. Statistics are based on poll results from 68 high schoolers who were asked which local pizza place they order from most frequently.
10 Remainder
The Octagon
October 27, 2015
Rings: Varsity basketball, swim teams awarded for historic triumphs years ago, the team worked at the snack games on Saturdays.
since the basketball team was so tal ented and successful, it helped bring more people into the gym, allowing the Sports Boosters to make more money from admissions and the snack bar. “All of that money helped them to pay
resulted in the memberships doubling. “The snack bar was also really well coordinated, so there was more reve nue at the gate and at the snack bar,” Vargo said.
new courts in the gym,” Lally said. ly cover the cost of their own rings with their service. of asking them to work,” she said. tribution.” This year, however, the Sports Boost ers decided that the team members groundbreaking nature of the wins, Var go said. Petchauer, who was on the winning again. “Honestly, the snack bar was no big deal,” he said. “It was just a couple of hours, and you
Lally, on the other hand, said that
Senior: 50 years later, new hoops for admission Like Kerbs and Michel, Conner is applying to a slew of
“You have to do a lot of research on every school because the acceptance rate for each of them is so low,” Conner said. “Even for safety schools, you have to convince them that you genuinely know and care about that school. They might Comparable schools to the ones Conner is applying to have acceptance rates hovering around 9 percent. In con
tant, agrees. “Since more fans came out to watch the games, it contributed to more SCDS families joining the Sports Boost ers,” she said.
According to senior America Lopez, many seniors are
paying for the rings. “When the Sports Boosters approved paying for the championship rings last spring, we earmarked the funds to pay for them,” Ketchum said.
time for testing,” Lopez said. Like Lopez, Kerbs is also studying for standardized test ing in the fall. Kerbs has a personal SAT tutor who helps
talent helped raise more money for the Boosters, their projects and the rings,
Kerbs said.
year. The Boosters also worked hard at increasing their memberships, which
Dress code: Only one teacher tells students about dress violations
root memorization.
Senior Jag Lally receives his ring from Matt Vargo, athletic director. (Photo by Tom Wroten)
One senior girl said that girls are intrinsically more likely
or pants, revealing “bro” tanks, and inappropriate slogans on their shirts.
That student wore a shirt with an inappropriate reference to alcohol, she said.
admissions process. “The school would tell you that there was a test on the weekend,” he said. “It was then your prerogative whether or not you took it, and a lot of students, particularly those
imal during his time in high school. At the beginning of the year, senior Amelia Fineberg was
designated for talking to students about their dress is the best method. Although the dress code applies to both boys and girls,
said. “I decided on my own to wait until the last minute to take the test, and I took it in December.”
during junior year,” he said. And, he said, no one had a pri vate college counselor at his high school.
ever, instead of being told in person, she learned of her viola tion after receiving an email that included her parents. “I wish I was given the opportunity to change out of my
“There was minimal college counseling at my school,”
“I think dress code is unfair, but in my favor,” she said.
“Our college counselor functioned as the advisor to every other student at the school and was in charge of student psychology, mental health and college admissions.” In contrast some seniors have a private college counselor in addition to the one provided by the school.
The senior girl agrees.
to beep. She slaps the machine, and the sound breaks the “Here we go again,” she murmurs.
Head: Thomsen proposes student internships to reach out to community
Thank you to our sponsors on increasing the population, improving the attrition rate from eighth to ninth grade and getting students involved with outside academic activities such as organized internships.
would be for this physical space,” Thomsen said.
maintain a very caring culture where everybody knows everybody.”
Thomsen is enthusiastic about bringing in and possibly implementing ideas from his current school.
He also wants to make internship opportunities more accessible to stu dents by organizing a system that would allow students to apply through the school. “If we can get Country Day students working in, say, a lab at Sac State or
“We can build up a collection of professionals who are willing to host
internships.” Currently, the Search Committee is working to make a candidate rec
for keeping us in the black The Barajas Family
The Judd Family
The Bowlus Family
The Longoria Family
The Christian Family
The Mathisen Family
The Claire Family The Dahmani Family The Fackenthal Family
The Naify Family The Needler Family The Scott Family
The Fineberg-Chiu Family
The Tung Family
The Hansen Family
The Wolkov Family
The Zhang Family
October 27, 2015
The Octagon
Community
11
Like many in the student body, the “jock clique” dressed up on Pink Day, the day in Spirit Week, Oct. 19-23, when students wore pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At left is senior Jenny Kerbs. (Photo by Adam Ketchum)
Sophomores establish school’s first ‘jock clique’
But boys reject label, saying they’re smarter, nicer, and not really exclusive By Annya Dahmani Social Media Editor
I heads. Like the royal families of England kind of thing.” —Jake Longoria, sophomore
THE LEADERS
“What makes us a clique is that we play basketball. It’s what made us come together.” —B.J. Askew, sophomore
“We are a clique in the way that we have the same interests and we’re really good friends.” —Jayce McCain, sophomore “We can’t control what others do. We aren’t any different than any other group of friends.” —Rick Barros III, sophomore
12 Feature
October 27, 2015
The Octagon
Student Council
Orches
Medall
Black Team
ntry Day
ck Trial
leyball
Red vines, and deadlines
The Devil Wears T-shirts Ubiqui t ous l ogowea r s t uf f s c l ose t s, Squande r s r esou r ces
E
very morning, senior America Lopez opens her clos et and scans its contents, trying to decide which But behind the heaps of frequently worn clothing Ketchum agreed, adding that he has lots of shirts from
Instead of dredging up the depths of her closet, Lopez se “Having class pride and comfort is the best of both worlds,”
By Sahej Claire
“Our senior sweatshirts came from H&M,
wearing the shirts only if who has been at Country “I wear my volleyball shirt whenever we have a game, but the rest I wear
“I
means of branding and delineation? According to high schoolers, owning at least 10 Country
basically
never
reasoning with a note of nos
“Sometimes I look into my closet and I think, ‘This is so wasteful.’” —Atsuo Chiu, sophomore
“The quality of the Run shirt is one of the best,”
either way, though, to show pride in the school or their ac
my life, so they mean something to Chiu said that he enjoys receiving garments for school ac However, senior Zoë Bowlus said
buy the clothing if it was cheaper,”
The ubiquitous garments come from clubs, sports teams,
Molly Gherini
Julia Owaidat
Sophomore
Senior
Luca Procida Freshman
Favorite item: Gray Country Day Sweatshirt
Favorite item: Black Student Council T-shirt
Favorite item: Red 1964 50th Anniversary shirt
Why? I got it after I returned to Country Day. Everyone welcomed me back nicely.
Why? Black goes with everything, and the shirt itself is really soft. The quality of the stiching’s great.
Why? I think it represents the “new” Country Day. It’s extremely soft, and it has the fresh and slick Cavalier logo.