Octagon 2016-17 issue 3

THE

OCTAGON

VOL. 40, NO. 3

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Sacramento Country Day School

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2636 Latham Drive, Sacramento

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December 6, 2016

Administration considers early start to ease swift AP pace

BY QUIN LACOMB Many AP teachers begin the first day of school with a short speech about what the class is about, but some include an addition.

Usually, it’s something like “We don’t have enough time to cover all of the material, so we’re going to have to rush.”

But there’s a way to give more time to the APs that many other schools have already incorporated in their schedule: starting school a week earlier.

That’s why Sue Nellis, AP U.S. History teacher, said she pushed to start (and end) school a week earlier when she was the head of high school, 2006-13.

“Obviously our students do well - we have some of the highest AP scores around - but it’s tough when other schools start a few weeks before us,” she said.

“There’s a lot of pressure during the school year.”

And Glenn Mangold, who teaches three AP classes (Physics 1, Physics C and Calculus BC), said that he would be “happy with (any change) that would add more school days before the AP tests.”

AP Biology teacher Kellie Whited said she would have supported the shift a few years ago, but since the College Board revised the AP Biology

STARTING EARLIER page 2 >>

LINCOLN LECTURE AP U.S. History teacher Sue Nellis lectures about Abraham Lincoln’s impact during the Civil War..

Nellis, during her time as head of high school, strongly advocated for starting school a week early. The shift would allow AP courses to have more time to cover material. and review for the exam. PHOTO BY KEVIN HUANG

School aims to renew WASC accreditation

BY KATIA DAHMANI

MEET AND GREET Sophomores Allison Zhang and Joe Zales, and director of admission Lonna Bloedau greet students from St. Michael’s Episcopal Day School, Nov. 29. The students stayed for a half day before having Noodles and Company with the ambassadors at lunch. PHOTO BY JACQUELINE CHAO

New Ambassadors impress

Revamp includes short pitches, school-specific shadow days

BY ALLISON ZHANG

W

hat’s the best way to promote Country Day? Reading off SAT and AP scores?

Or maybe talking about all the clubs and extracurriculars Country Day offers?

It’s a difficult question, but it’s the job of Country Day’s Ambassadors to find the solution.

The goal of the Ambassador Program, started over 20 years ago by director of admission Lonna Bloedau, is to spread community recognition of the school.

Student Ambassadors visit other schools and promote Country Day, encouraging eighth graders to sign up for a shadow day.

After limited success last year, Bloedau decided there had to be a change in methodology.

Last year, when the Ambassadors visited other schools, they stood in a line and talked at the students, reciting a pre-rehearsed mountain of information.

“Beforehand, we had each planned out a topic that we were going to be an expert in, so we wouldn’t be talking over each other,” sophomore Jack Christian said.

“We would literally just talk to them for 35 minutes.”

The remaining time was dedicated to answering questions, but there were rarely any because, according to Christian, it was obvious the students were bored and uninterested.

‘THE FIRST THING WE NOTICED WAS HOW QUICKLY THE ICE MELTED AND THE CONVERSATIONS STARTED’ LONNA BLOEDAU, DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION

This year, Bloedau came up with a different, more interactive approach for the Ambassadors. She said she was inspired by head of school Lee Thomsen’s request for all the faculty and staff to craft an “elevator pitch” to introduce the school.

“I so enjoyed the process of crafting my pitch that it got me to thinking about how the Ambassadors have typically pitched to students at other schools,” Bloedau said.

Therefore, this year, the Ambassadors

start with a 60-second pitch about themselves, what they do, and what they like about Country Day. Sophomore Joe Zales, one of the Ambassadors, talks about free periods in his pitch.

“Because I am a competitive swimmer, my free period allows me to get much of my schoolwork done at school,” he says.

Ambassadors might also include their favorite thing about Country Day or one of its extracurriculars in their pitches.

Afterwards, they divide the eighth graders into small groups with one Ambassador in each. There the Ambassadors answer questions and chat with the students.

And the new approach seems to be working.

“The first thing we noticed was how quickly the ice melted and the conversations started,” Bloedau said.

“We added a bowl of M&M’S to each group, and the atmosphere became happy and chatty. We then added a shadow day sign-up sheet and asked them to indicate if they’d like to come to campus.”

According to Bloedau, nearly every student has signed up.

So far, the Ambassadors have visited

AMBASSADORS page 3 >>

Some very important visitors will be stopping by in the middle of March.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges/California Association of Independent Schools’ visiting committees (WASC/CAIS) accredit independent schools every six years, and they’re coming to SCDS from Monday, March 13 to Friday, March 17.

The committee visiting SCDS is headed by the Rev. Canon Julian Bull, the headmaster of Campbell Hall School in North Hollywood.

The accreditation assures the community and colleges that the school has clear objectives with regards to education and is “committed to ongoing improvement,” according to WASC’s website.

Actually, the accreditation has already begun with a self-study.

Assistant head of school Tucker Foehl is leading the work for the self-study, which started in the summer.

Foehl said that the CAIS has a new framework for the selfstudy.

“It’s more reflective and geared towards why we do what we do instead of what we do,” Foehl said.

The self-study was submitted to the Accreditation Portal in December, head of school Lee Thomsen said.

The self-study has 16 categories, including Institutional Purpose and Core Values, Teaching and Learning, Financial Sustainability, Operations and Institutional Improvement and Sustain-

WASC page 3 >>

RUNNING FOR FUNDING Team SCDS poses before the annual Run to Feed the Hungry (RTFTH) race, Nov. 24. The final amount raised was $11, 435.

Donations to RTFTH will be accepted until Dec. 31. PHOTO BY TOM WROTEN

2

THE OCTAGON

NEWS

DECEMBER 6, 2016

School makes giant changes in calendar for 2017-18

New schedule means full week at Thanksgiving, ski week in February, single week in spring

BY MARIGOT FACKENTHAL

A

new calendar for the 201718 school year will be the biggest revision to the schedule since 2006.

Spring break will now be one week instead of two, and the Columbus Day holiday will be eliminated. Instead, students will have a full week off for Thanksgiving and a new weeklong mid-winter break (often referred to at other schools as Presidents’ Week or Ski Week).

However, the total number of school days will remain the same.

These changes were first proposed by head of school Lee Thomsen during a meeting with administrators in early October. To determine whether or not the school would adopt the change, Thomsen emailed a survey to parents, asking for their votes and comments, on Oct. 22.

According to a report in the Nov. 18 Friday Email, about 50 percent of parents responded to the survey of those, 70.8 percent supported the change, 19.6 percent were against it and 9.6 percent had no preference.

Thomsen said that he hadn’t come in with the intention to change the calendar, but had brought it up after taking a deeper look.

“I am mostly accustomed to places that have a one-week spring break,” he said. “So I just started asking the

LAST SUPPER? Teacher Sue Nellis’s advisory enjoys the last Tuesday advisory Thanksgiving lunch, Nov, 22. When asked whether the lunch will be held on another day , head of high school Brooke Wells said, “It is a wondeful time to gather together as a community, and it would be shame if we didn’t have it. I’t’s actually kind of nice on a Friday!” PHOTO BY JACQUELINE CHAO

question ‘Why is our calendar structured the way it is?’

“We’ve been looking at the calen-

dar for a lot of reasons. One was just ‘What is the general shape of the calendar?’ The other was ‘Are there opportunities for us to do professional development?’

“For example, if we do that, do we set aside days? Do we use afternoons?

We’ve explored the idea of an early release sometimes, whether that’s weekly or monthly.”

Thomsen said that the faculty and staff were either supportive or neutral towards the change.

“The feeling among faculty was that a two-week break is just very disruptive to the student experience,” he said. “You’re not going to be able to do anything about winter break that’s defined by the Christmas holiday and New Year’s. And that usually comes at a fairly logical split.

“But having a late spring break that’s two weeks long is really disruptive.”

The change wasn’t favored by just high-school teachers - the low-

BYE, EUROPE “It was a fun trip with my friends, and I’m sad that it’s not going to be possible anymore,” sophomore Blake Lincoln said. Lincoln was one of five Country Day students that attended the spring break 2016 trip to Europe, which included a church in Krakow Poland, left, and a square in Dresden, Germany, right. LEFT PHOTO BY JACK CHRISTIAN, RIGHT BY ETHAN HOCKRIDGE

Starting earlier: Extra time before AP exams would help high-school teachers (continued from page 1) curriculum to require less material, she no longer needs the extra time.

“Now time is much more manageable, so it’s much less of a pressing concern,” she said.

Nellis said she was told her plan was never implemented due to opposition from the middle and lower schools.

“We used to start after Labor Day, and there was some opposition to starting a week before that at the time,” Nellis said. “I think that people get used to the schedule, so when it’s changed, sometimes there are ‘That’s the way we’ve always done it’ people.”

Although there was a suggestion that just the

high school could start a week earlier, Nellis said that it ultimately wasn’t practical if families had children in more than one division.

Nellis said she suggested the earlier start every year as head of high school.

“I don’t think it was ever really considered,” she said. “I seemed to be the only one who ever seemed to want to make it happen.”

But head of school Lee Thomsen said he isn’t necessarily opposed to the change.

In fact, he said he did consider moving school up by a week but didn’t think there was much support for the idea.

“When I spoke to the faculty about it, I didn’t hear a sort of outcry for ‘Can we please move things back a week?’”

So what do lower- and middle-school teachers think about the idea?

Head of middle school Sandy Lyon said that “nobody (in the middle school) really feels enamored with the idea.

“No one has given a strong reason that would make the lower and middle schools want to change other than ‘Our friends in the high school need it.’”

She said that the option that only the high school could start earlier was discussed by the administrators, but no one in the high school wanted to do that.

Fourth-grade teacher Pam Livesey said that she wouldn’t be opposed to it.

“If it helps the high-school kids, then a week isn’t a big difference,” she said. “And the time in school wouldn’t change, so our curriculum wouldn’t have to change.”

Former head of school Stephen Repsher said that the administrators briefly discussed starting a week earlier, but “quickly decided to shelve the

er-school teachers were overwhelmingly in support, he said.

“The lower-school teachers will tell you that (if ) you take a first grader out of class for two weeks, it’s almost like starting over in terms of getting a routine again,” Thomsen said with a chuckle.

Another reason for splitting up the two weeks of spring break, Thomsen said, is that the current stretch between New Year’s and spring break is far too long. By making spring break one week and putting the other week in late February, the monotony of third quarter can be broken up.

As to why he decided to remove Columbus Day in favor of a full week at Thanksgiving, Thomsen once again cited class disruption.

“Often families are traveling on (the Monday or Tuesday of Thanksgiving week) anyway, so that disrupts classes because now not everybody’s there,” he said.

Thomsen mentioned that calendar alignment with local schools was a consideration, but not ultimately a deciding factor.

“We looked at that with the public and Catholic schools, but quite honestly, they’re not all the same,” he said.

“A lot of the Catholic schools tend to

NEW BREAKS page 9 >>

idea.”

And first-grade teacher Robin Kren is glad they did. Actually, she’d like to start a week later.

“I like the traditional way of starting after Labor Day,” she said. “The weather can be very warm in August, and this certainly impacts the young children.”

She also said that since Cavalier Camp takes place in the lower-school rooms over the summer, teachers must pack up all of their supplies and move them into a corner and cover them.

Additionally, their rooms must be cleaned and their floors polished, and many teachers have to set up their classroom before school starts, which takes time.

She also noted that unlike the high-school teachers, the lower-school teachers have to order most school materials for their students.

“The first summer of the change would be shortened a week, and this would impact summer camp, the maintenance staff and teachers who work during the summer,” Kren said.

THE OCTAGON

December 6, 2016

REMAINDER

3

WASC: Official reports, class visits to come (continued from page 1)

KEEN ON CLUBS Freshman Héloïse Schep, one of the Ambassadors, gives a group of Merryhill students her “elevator pitch” for the school. Schep ‘s pitch is on her involvement in Country Day’s many clubs and extracurriculars. PHOTO BY JACQUELINE CHAO

Ambassadors: Shadows left excited (continued from page 1) Merryhill Middle School in Midtown.

Junior Lily Brown was one of the ones who visited Merryhill.

“I had a group of girls, and they were all very chatty,” Brown said. “I remember they got very excited when I told them about prom on a train.”

With so many students shadowing, Bloedau has set up specific shadow days for each school, unlike last year.

Fourteen Merryhill students shadowed on Nov. 29, including Marisa DeLyon, Annabelle Horan and Rob Lipper.

“I liked how the Ambassadors got re-

ally involved with the students and did a lot of fun activities,” DeLyon said.

Both Lipper and Horan thought that Country Day’s shadow day was more exciting and interactive than other schools’.

“The physics lab was really cool,” Lipper said. “When I saw nerf guns, I was like, ‘What is this class?’ It was super chill and fun.”

“At the shadow days (of other schools), we were just brought around, and at Country Day we actually got to do the stuff with our friends,” Horan said.

“The other shadow days were just a tour of the school.”

After two decades, these aren’t the

only changes to the Ambassador Program.

In its infancy, the Ambassadors were partially elected by the student body and partially selected by the head of high school, the admission office and the headmaster. There were 12 Ambassadors selected, three from each grade. Now, anyone who wants to be an Ambassador can join.

“The program also changes from year to year depending on the personality of the group,” head of high school Brooke Wells said.

“And there’s a really reflective and powerful group of Ambassadors now.”

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ability.

Faculty, staff, community and the Board of Trustees answer questions via the portal.

For example, the question “How effectively are faculty members engaged in the process of assessing and improving teaching and learning?” was first asked to a small group of teachers, who wrote the first draft in reply. That draft then went to a smaller team that came and “cleaned (it) up,” according to Thomsen.

The committee reviews the self-study before visiting. When they come, they’ll check whether the school honestly evaluated itself in the study, make suggestions as to what the school should prioritize based on its self-study list, and talk to students, faculty and Board members.

They’ll also visit classes and pull students aside to ask them questions about the school.

If the committee sees aspects that are missing from the selfstudy during the visit, they make suggestions in a report sent in April.

The WASC/CAIS committee gave the school six recommendations in its 2011 report, when SCDS received a six-year accreditation with a three-year interim progress report.

Those recommendations included creating “a special task force to address sustainability,” evaluating and communicating the school’s goals to all constituencies, and ensuring that middle- and high-school facilities are good enough for their programs.

But Thomsen said SCDS isn’t waiting for the committee’s recommendations to take action on other matters that the school has pinpointed to be a problem with the help of the self-study’s questions.

“We’re not going to wait until the visiting team comes to change or look at faculty evaluations,” Thomsen said.

In fact, the school is forming a committee to study the faculty evaluation process in December.

Foehl and Thomsen said they are hopeful and confident that SCDS will receive a full accreditation (six years) again.

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THE OCTAGON

SPORTS

December 6, 2016

NBA to MFA: Why Brian Frishman gave up big leagues for big screen

Multiple debilitating injuries, bad timing deterred drama teacher from professional sports career

BY ADAM DEAN

A

t 6-feet-6-inches, drama teacher Brian Frishman is easy to spot as he towers over most of his actors. But it was his ability, not his height, that made him stand out on the basketball court.

Most students know of Frishman’s acting past (“1941,” “Midnight Madness,” “Savage Streets”), but many are unaware of his college basketball career (1972-77), when he was putting up big numbers against some of the best teams in the country.

Some of Frishman’s stellar performances in 1976 include scoring 20 against No. 2 UCLA and 32 against No. 1 New Mexico, which included future Hall of Famer Michael Cooper.

Frishman didn’t begin playing bas‘I STILL ketball until his junior year of high WANTED TO school, after a racBE ABLE TO ist football coach SKI AND SURF, drove him away from the sport, he AND WALK said.

WITHOUT But he quickly ANY PAIN’ fell in love with basketball’s quick BRIAN pace.

FRISHMAN, “I loved leading TEACHER the fast break,” Frishman said. “It was like being a running back and everybody was chasing after me.”

Frishman spent his first two years at West Los Angeles College, playing in the best junior college league in the country, he said.

And in his freshman year, Frishman was the sixth highest scorer in the state.

His coach at West LA, Charles Sands, was the only competent coach he had during his career, Frishman said.

“Charles was a good disciplinarian and a funny guy,” Frishman said. “He also had a great basketball mind. We played an up-tempo, runand-gun offense.

WORTHY OPPONENTS When Frishman (left) played against UCLA, the basketball powerhouse was rated second in the nation, boasting athletes like David Greenwood, who later made the NBA All-Rookie First Team. PHOTO USED

BY PERMISSION OF FRISHMAN

One of Frishman’s favorite games was during his sophomore year against Compton Junior College. Frishman led his team in scoring on the way to upsetting the best team in the state.

“They beat our butts three times in a row before that,” Frishman said. “So it felt great to get revenge.”

But Frishman’s second year was the beginning of what would be a long struggle with injuries, when he developed a blood clot that held him out for a month.

The next step in Frishman’s career was a transfer to Brigham Young University in Utah for his junior season.

He chose BYU because it had a new arena that housed 19,000 people - the most in the country at the time.

“I liked to perform in front of large crowds,” Frishman said.

After basketball, he would satisfy this urge by performing on the big screen.

Frishman continued to string together impressive performances against ranked LEGENDARY ADVERSARIES In the game against UCLA directly following teams.

He scored 25 against No. his redshirt year, Brian Frishman (with ball) scored 20 points against Marques 24 Colorado State and had Johnson, a five-time All-Star. PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION OF FRISHMAN 27 points and 19 rebounds “At camp I was really groggy due to my against No. 18 Arizona.

But once again, Frishman was set back by in- meds,” Frishman said. “Getting elbowed in the juries. This time it was a broken finger, an ankle jaw also didn’t help my play.” sprain and a flu that lasted multiple weekends.

Frishman was not invited back to camp the Injuries weren’t the only problems Frishman next day, which would be his last opportunity faced at BYU. He was suspended from the last to play professional basketball. three games of the season after a disagreement In the beginning of his senior year, Frishman with his coach. injured his quadriceps femoris. The shredded The coach was dismissed after the seas≠on, tendon in his knee hindered his play, but he and Frishman left Utah, too. was still able to play during the season. After He then opted to take his talents to San Di- the year, though, the damage done from playing ego State University. through it was extensive.

The Aztecs were an attractive choice because Doctors offered reconstructive surgery as an he had friends at SDSU and missed Southern option, but they couldn’t guarantee a full recovCalifornia, he said. ery, not to mention the risk of further injuring But because Frishman had transferred from the knee. a D1 school, he had to sit out a year before resuming play. (The rule is to discourage athletes from transferring.)

His first game back in December of 1976 was against his childhood-favorite team, No. 2 UCLA. That’s when Frishman scored 20 points against one of the premier teams in the nation.

Despite early success, Frishman’s year was very up and down. He played with torn cartilage in his ribs and knee, which left him playing at 70-percent ability.

However, one of the highs of the season one of Frishman’s favorite games - was a loss against No. 4 University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

In the fast-paced game, both teams scored over 100 points. Frishman contributed a couple fast-break dunks among his 23 points.

With his ability, he had aspirations to make it to the NBA. During his redshirt year at SDSU, Frishman was invited to Lakers camp.

But his big opportunity came at a really bad time, as Frishman received the invitation right after he had four wisdom teeth removed.

Sports Boosters’ Athletes of the Month Aidan Cunningham

Cunningham assisted on the first goal of the boys’ soccer season. As one of the captains, he has already shown exceptional leadership skills early in the season.

Alexa Mathisen

Mathisen was awarded Team MVP for volleyball. In addition, the league voted her First Team All League as well as League MVP. And she has been selected for the Optimist Game, the all-star game for seniors in Sacramento.

“It wasn’t worth the risk,” Frishman said. “I still wanted to be able to ski and surf and walk without any pain.”

Frishman still deals with issues due to his rough playing days. He has had six surgeries on his knees, including two full knee replacements.

However, Frishman said he would have been a solid rotation player in the NBA at best.

With his playing days over, Frishman quickly turned to acting.

“I always wanted to be an actor,” Frishman said. “I wanted the lifestyle and I never wanted a 9-to-5 job.”

So Frishman began taking acting classes at San Diego State. Just nine months later, he was making a living as an actor.

But this wasn’t the end of Frishman’s education.

As an athlete, his grades had been fixed and he had learned next to nothing, he said.

“In college you could do two things outside of playing sports: getting good grades, or partying,” Frishman said. “I didn’t choose to get good grades.”

So at the age of 32, Frishman went back to school as a freshman. He received an academic scholarship to Sonoma State University, where he studied English and creative writing. And he earned a full ride to UCLA, where he eventually earned his Master of Fine Arts.

Superstar Moments • • • • •

Scored 20 against No. 2 UCLA Scored 32 against No. 1 New Mexico Scored 25 against No. 24 Colorado State Scored 27, rebounded 19 against No. 18 Arizona Scored 23 against No. 4 UNLV

THE OCTAGON

December 6, 2016

SPORTS

5

We hate the (insert name here)!

Big crowds, bad sportsmanship, fierce players fuel rivalries

I

t’s the start of the basketball and soccer seasons, and with them come SCDS’s fiercest sports rivalries with Valley Christian Academy (VCA), Buckingham Charter School and Forest Lake High School.

BY KATIA DAHMANI But why is competition so intense with these schools, and how long have these rivalries been alive?

I’ve played sports at SCDS since fifth grade, but it wasn’t until ninth grade that I learned we actually have sports rivals.

Every year that I’ve been on the varsity volleyball team, our goal has been to beat the VCA Lions in league.

It turns out that this rivalry with VCA has been fierce for a while.

The competition began 12 years ago, when the leagues were realigned and we formed a new league, the Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League, according to athletic director Matt Vargo.

He said that half of the new league was comprised of the now defunct Sacramento Valley Christian League, and the other half was from our previous league, the Central Valley Christian League.

Although we didn’t immediately have a fierce soccer rivalry with the Lions, our competition in volleyball and basketball was intense from the beginning and still is today, according to VCA athletic director Brad Gunter Jr. Mary-Clare Bosco, ‘13, who played basketball and volleyball, said that there was often an atypically huge SCDS turnout at away games against VCA’s basketball team.

“People would make the trek (to VCA) because they knew it would be a good game,” Bosco said. “It was never a blowout with them; games were always tight.”

Bosco also recalled how VCA’s crowd fueled the rivalry.

“They (the crowd members) were always loud and heckled us,” she said.

VCA alum Micah Gunter, ‘14, who played boys’ basketball, agreed.

“An environment with huge fan sup- not playing each other,” Vargo said. “Kids port on both sides makes the games a lot may have issues with each other, but the more fun and competitive,” Gunter said. administrators are always on good terms.”

Senior Alexa Mathisen, who has played However, our soccer rivalries are a difvarsity volleyball for three years and is ferent story. being recruited for college volleyball, said Tibor Pelle, who coached boys’ varsity the even skill level between SCDS and soccer from 1993-2002, said our rivals VCA makes for really close games. during his time were Forest Lake, SacMathisen said the league game against ramento Waldorf School and Woodland VCA at the end of the season was the only Christian School. league game that she was nervous about A huge reason that we had our soccer because she knew it would be close. rivalry with Forest Lake was because of “The noise of (VCA’s) crowd really their lack of sportsmanship, Pelle said. pushed me to keep my cool, focus and play “They simply lacked grace in defeat but my heart out,” Mathisen said. “I didn’t were boastful in victory,” Pelle said. “Playwant to let my team down by succumbing ing against them was usually an ill-temto the pressure of pered affair characterthe crowd.” ized by trash talking Elise DeCarli, and fouling.”

‘13, recalled the The competition intensity of the with Waldorf and For‘PLAYING AGAINST (FOR2011 semi-final est Lake picked up in EST LAKE) WAS USUgirls’ volleyball 1994 when we beat playoff victory both for the first time ALLY AN ILL-TEMPERED against the Lions, in 20 years, Pelle said, AFFAIR CHARACTERIZED which went to five adding that the schools

BY TRASH TALKING AND sets. were similar in size DeCarli said and had lots of pride at FOULING.’ she especially restake.

TIBOR PELLE, FORMER members how Our soccer conflict COACH packed the gym with Woodland began was. at SCDS’s first under“I wanted to the-lights soccer game win the game so in 2000, when Woodbadly,” she said. “Not just because it was land walked off the field in the middle a semi-final game, but also because it was of the game because “the lighting wasn’t against VCA.” good enough for them,” according to DeCarli said that during the game she Pelle. did more barrel rolls (when one dives for a “They used that as an excuse; they said ball and rolls after) than usual because of they couldn’t see the ball the way we saw the high intensity. it just because they were losing,” he said.

“After the game I remember jumping Girls’ soccer didn’t have a rival at the around the gym because of how elated I time because the league they played in was that we beat them,” she said. was young, Pelle said.

Even though DeCarli played volleyball They didn’t play the same teams each for a year at Occidental College, she said year, so they didn’t form any rivalries. she still remembers the VCA victory as Even now, there isn’t a real rival for her favorite game ever. girls’ soccer, according to senior Natalie Vargo called the competition with Brown and junior Nina Dym. VCA a “competitive rivalry with mutual However, the boys’ competitiveness respect.”

“We root for each other when we’re RIVALRIES page 9 >>

ROAD TO CHAMPIONSHIP Top: Junior Cole Johnson goes for a layup in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship game against the Valley Christian Lions on March 5, 2015. Johnson had 22 points, and the Cavs won the game, 104-85. Bottom: The girls’ varsity volleyball team celebrates after they defeat the Lions, 3-2, in the semi-final game in 2011. This victory put them into the championship game against Victory Christian. PHOTOS BY DAVID RYAN

Q&A

WITH

Q: Are most club soccer players not

A: Sacramento United, Boca and a Q: How often do you practice? bunch of small youth teams when I was A: Monday through Thursday for twoyounger. and-a-half hours a day. Sometimes it’s a hassle to make the drive, but once I start Q: Which is your favorite? playing, it’s worth it.

A: Sacramento Republic FC Acade- Q: How much of a role has your dad my is the hardest and most competitive.

A: No, it is just at my academy. They

A: He has never officially coached me,

Freshman Sandor Pelle, a Sacramento Republic Football Club Academy player, has been playing soccer for nine years. His club team does not allow him to play soccer for SCDS.

BY BRI DAVIES

allowed to participate in school sports?

want to monitor all of our athletic activity and want to know what we are doing.

They don’t want us to get injured, either.

Q: Will you ever play school soccer?

A: Probably not, but possibly. It de-

pends on if we have a break in our season.

It also depends on what club I am playing at in the future.

SHOOTING ANGLE Freshman Sandor Pelle holds off a defender from the De Anza Force Soccer Club while attempting to shoot. Pelle’s father, Tibor, has mentally coached him for many years. PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION OF PELLE

SANDOR PELLE

I’m not the best player on my team, so it makes me push myself. The Academy treats us like professionals - they expect more from us, and we get free stuff like shirts, jackets, socks, shorts and sweats.

Q: How has your season been going?

A: Considering we have only been playing together for three months, we are doing pretty well. Our record is 7-2.

Q: How often do you have games and tournaments?

Q: What other clubs have you played A: We have three tournaments a year for? and one to two games a weekend.

(Tibor Pelle, former UCLA soccer player and former SCDS high-school soccer coach) played in your career? (but) he has always helped me off the field with pre-game preparation and my mental game. He helped me with technique when I was first learning to play soccer. Now he mostly helps me with game analysis.

Q: Do you have any colleges you are thinking about?

A: No, not really. They start talking

to teams the year above me, so next year, hopefully. However, we do have national team scouts at every game.

8

THE OCTAGON

EDITORIAL THE OCTAGON

December 6, 2016

“The Grass is (Literally) Greener on the Other Side” by Mohini Rye

PRINT EDITORS-IN-CHIEF ADAM DEAN MARIGOT FACKENTHAL

By Héloïse Schep

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SONJA HANSEN

Zwarte Piet’s a derogatory tradition that needs to go

BUSINESS MANAGER CHARDONNAY NEEDLER PRINT COPY EDITOR QUIN LACOMB ONLINE COPY EDITOR SAHEJ CLAIRE NEWS EDITOR MARIGOT FACKENTHAL FEATURE EDITOR ANNYA DAHMANI OPINION EDITOR KATIA DAHMANI SPORTS EDITOR ADAM DEAN SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR JACK CHRISTIAN PAGE EDITORS JACK CHRISTIAN ANNYA DAHMANI KATIA DAHMANI ADAM DEAN MARIGOT FACKENTHAL CHARDONNAY NEEDLER MOHINI RYE NICOLE WOLKOV ALLISON ZHANG REPORTERS LARKIN BARNARD-BAHN EMMA BOERSMA BRI DAVIES ANNA FRANKEL MEHDI LACOMBE BRYCE LONGORIA JAKE LONGORIA JACKSON MARGOLIS RIYA RAMPALLI HÉLOÏSE SCHEP SPENCER SCOTT GARRETT SHONKWILER DAVID SITU CARTOONIST MOHINI RYE MULTIMEDIA & TECH QUIN LACOMB PHOTOGRAPHERS JACQUELINE CHAO KEVIN HUANG BENETT SACKHEIM ADVISER PATRICIA FELS The OcTagOn is The high-schOOl newspaper Of sacramenTO cOunTry Day. iTs purpOse is TO prOviDe a reliable sOurce Of infOrmaTiOn On evenTs cOncerning The high schOOl anD TO fOcus On TOpics Of significance anD general inTeresT in OrDer TO infOrm anD enTerTain The enTire schOOl cOmmuniTy. The sTaff sTrives fOr accuracy anD freeDOm frOm bias in iTs sTOries. significanT errOrs will be nOTeD anD cOrrecTeD. The OcTagOn shall publish maTerial ThaT The sTaff Deems in The besT inTeresT Of The schOOl cOmmuniTy. The sTaff recOgnizes The impOrTance Of The reaDership’s having accuraTe anD reliable infOrmaTiOn in OrDer TO be well infOrmeD anD On which TO base DecisiOns anD OpiniOns. The OcTagOn will publish all Timely anD relevanT news, subjecT TO The fOllOwing excepTiOns: ObsceniTy; slanDerOus Or libelOus maTerial; maTerial cOnTrary TO The besT inTeresTs Of The schOOl cOmmuniTy, as juDgeD by The newspaper sTaff anD aDviser.

eDiTOrials shall be vOTeD On by The enTire sTaff. cOlumns anD cOmmenTaries shall be clearly labeleD as such anD represenT The OpiniOn Of The auThOr Only.

in The inTeresT Of represenTing all pOinTs Of view, leTTers TO The eDiTOr shall be publisheD, space permiTTing, unless OTherwise requesTeD by The auThOr. all leTTers musT be signeD anD cOnfOrm TO The abOve resTricTiOns On publisheD maTerial.

The sTaff reTains The righT TO make changes in grammar anD puncTuaTiOn anD TO abriDge leTTers fOr space cOnsiDeraTiOns.

My Angle

EDITORIAL: Here’s your motive to start earlier - help our APs!

F

or most classes, it doesn’t matter that our school starts relatively late. As long as the entire curriculum and test timeline is shifted appropriately, students are at no disadvantage.

However, for AP classes this is not the case. Unlike other tests that can be scheduled to fit our school’s calendar, the AP exams are fixed for schools across the nation.

Therefore, when we start school later than other schools, we’re losing precious weeks before the AP exams.

So if the current calendar puts AP students at a disadvantage and non-AP students at no advantage nor disadvantage, the obvious question is “Why haven’t we changed the calendar?”

High-school teachers were told that the reason the school never made the shift was because the lower-school teachers were adamantly against it.

However, upon investigation by the Octagon, it seems that lower-school teachers’ feelings are mixed.

So why not make the change? Even one extra week would do a world of good for heavily content-based courses.

AP Physics C, for example, covers about two high-school years of material in one. At

Orchids

&

Onions

SCDS all of AP Physics C Mechanics is covered, but students who wish to also take the AP Physics C Electricity and Magnetism exam must self-study about a fourth of the material.

Our AP courses are excellent, no doubt - teachers consistently churn out high scores without teaching to the tests - but there’s really no reason to put ourselves at a time disadvantage. We’re needlessly selling ourselves short and letting students from other schools have a preventable edge over us.

Even for AP classes that are not as pressed for time, an extra week of review wouldn’t hurt.

And for non-AP classes, a shift in the school year should make absolutely no difference.

The few arguments against starting a week earlier reference summer vacation.

One concern is that if the school decided made the switch, the first summer would be one week short. However, this is a short-term problem that, if overcome, would grant long-term benefits.

Another, the one brought up by lower school, is that there will be less time for lower-school teachers to purchase and set up classroom supplies. This is a valid drawback - but our missing week is also a drawback.

If sacrifices will be made either way, it seems logical to favor the many over the few. If just a few lower-school teachers adjust their schedules to expedite their classroom preparations, many high-school students and teachers will benefit.

A nice thing about the late start is that summer programs rarely conflict with the start of school. However, we begin so late that starting a week earlier would hardly add to the number of conflicting summer programs.

The school also benefits from starting late because it allows time for students who started at other schools to seamlessly transfer in. But making transferring easier is a poor reason to put the high school at an academic disadvantage. And so few students transfer that even if the late start really is helpful to them, it should not take priority over the needs of the rest of the student body.

It’s not like this is a difficult thing to amend - we already have great courses, which is the hard part. Why constrict our time?

And, for the record, there’s nothing more miserable than spending that last week of school taking finals in the sweltering gym while students from other schools are relaxing beside the pool.

ORCHIDS to. . . faculty members that have already written college recommendations. You’re taking away a bit of the college-related stress.

ONIONS to. . . the lack of proper drainage on the soccer field. When the field becomes muddy, players slip and fall, sometimes hurting themselves.

ORCHIDS to. . . students who donated to the Dyer-Kelly Canned Food Drive. Those children will really have something to be thankful for this holiday season.

ONIONS to. . . teachers who habitually dismiss their students after the period is over. When there’s no passing time, students are chastised for being late to the next class.

In the Netherlands, we have our own version of Christmas called Sinterklaas.

Sinterklaas is celebrated on Dec. 5 and is a little different from Christmas. Instead of stockings, children put boots next to their chimneys, and Sinterklaas is believed to ride a horse onto the roofs of their houses instead of a sleigh.

Also, instead of elves, Sinterklaas has a very controversial helper: Zwarte Piet.

Zwarte Piet (pronounced “Zvahrta Peet”), which translates to Black Peter or Black Pete in English, helps Sinterklaas with presents, navigation and other small tasks (although he usually hinders more than helps since he is very clumsy).

He first appeared in the book “Sint Nikolaas en zijn Knecht,” written by Jan Schenkman in 1850.

This doesn’t seem too controversial, right? Well, there is one thing I forgot to tell you: Zwarte Piet is almost always depicted as black.

According to most historians, Zwarte Piet is black either because he is a Moor from Spain or because he enters children’s houses through chimneys, causing his face to be covered in soot.

However, actors portraying Zwarte Piet typically put on blackface makeup in addition to curly wigs, red lipstick and earrings.

Not surprisingly, these costumes have made Zwarte Piet controversial in recent years.

Although Zwarte Piet is a big part of the Dutch holiday season, I think his appearance should be altered.

I understand that Sinterklaas is a children’s holidayvand that some children might not even associate Zwarte Piet’s color with race. When I was little, I associated Zwarte Piet only with soot.

But for others, Zwarte Piet is an offensive misrepresentation of their community.

They are being portrayed as somewhat clumsy helpers who always cause problems. And Dutch minorities certainly don’t wear brightly colored clothes, big wigs and lipstick.

Growing up, I saw Zwarte Piet everywhere from November to December: in stores, in the streets, at parties - even on the news! There was no escaping him.

Zwarte Piet would even come to visit our elementary school.

Quite frankly, the behavior and costumes of Zwarte Piet seem outdated. They represent what the Dutch thought of black people in the 1850s, before slavery was outlawed and the Civil Rights movement.

But Zwarte Piet doesn’t represent the ideals of the Netherlands today.

The Netherlands is a progressive country, pro-equality and pro-civil rights. Consequently, derogatory traditions like Zwarte Piet just aren’t right.

Why can’t we have actors of all ethnicities represent Zwarte Piet?

Some organizations have already started making actors represent the ash from the chimneys by putting dust on their clothing or arms instead of on their faces. This isn’t too much work, makes a lot of people happier about our traditions, and doesn’t diminish the holiday spirit at all.

THE OCTAGON

December 6, 2016

REMAINDER

9

Rivalries: Trash talk foments rivalry (continued from page 5)

BASEBALL LEGEND Students who went on the Cuban trip in April 2016 during spring break pose with retired baseball player Pedro Medina (center), who played on the Cuban National Team. They later attended a baseball game between Habana/Havana and Matanzas. PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION OF MILES EDWARDS

New breaks: Sports reap benefits

(continued from page 2)

take their spring break around Easter, but that wouldn’t make sense to us because two years from now (in the ‘18-19 school year), Easter is April 21. It’d be absurd to wait that long to go on spring break.

“I (also) had some people say, ‘Please align with the public school calendars,’ but they’re not always the same (or) ‘Please align with the legislature and their break,’ but you’re always going to bother somebody. It would be convenient if they were all the same.”

Thomsen said that some parents had concerns about extensive travel. However, it was determined that too few were affected for the school not to adopt the change.

The shortening of spring break will also make future international school trips unlikely.

However, Spanish teacher Patricia Portillo, organizer of last year’s spring-break Cuba trip, said that she doesn’t see the change as much of a loss.

“We really have a hard time getting students to go on trips,” Portillo said. “We’ve tried having trips in the past, even in the summer, but people don’t sign

up.

“So it’s not like, ‘Oh, no, we do it so often and now we can’t!’

- I can’t say that.”

Math teacher Patricia Jacobsen said that she looks forward to the changes.

“I’m most grateful that we’re changing the two-week spring break to two one-week breaks,” she said. “The spring is difficult enough with spring sports always taking out the last class of the day on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“It’s hard to keep that momentum going - teaching and learning and quizzes and tests and everything - because there’s always an interruptor.

“And then when we have that two-week spring break, it’s really hard to come back from that and finish out the year.”

Jacobsen also approves of the smaller changes.

“It was always nice to have (Columbus Day after class trips) off, but I’d rather have a week at Thanksgiving.

“I make dinner for my family, and I think a lot of other people do that too, if (they’re) hosting people - like if your family is coming from out of town or out of state.

“It’s just nicer to be able to

spend more time with people.”

Jane Bauman, director of college counseling, said that she was indifferent about the change.

“Traveling in February is difficult because of athletics and weather, but students could use (the ski week break) to look at schools in California,” she said.

“And then they could use spring break to go farther afield.

“It gives two separate opportunities to visit colleges when students are on campus.”

Bauman said that while the two-week spring break never disrupted her instruction, she can see how the change will benefit AP teachers.

AP US History teacher Sue Nellis confirmed this.

“We don’t actually gain any more time, but maybe not having a two-week spring break will be helpful,” Nellis said.

“It will help refocus people on the APs.” The athletics department was relatively vocal in favor of the change.

“This year, our two-week spring break doesn’t match up with any other schools’ spring breaks,” athletics director Matt Vargo said.

“So not only do we end up

Swing dancing: Luca Procida’s Superman meets Superwoman (continued from page 7) she said.

Bobby is an older, outgoing gentleman with a less erratic style of swing dancing than younger people. He’s always prowling the sides of the room, looking for a partner.

Zach is a young, energetic male who flies across the dance floor like a hummingbird, twirling and dipping his partner, and never missing a beat until the song is over.

Every time a new move that looks hard is demonstrated, a large sigh can be heard from the crowd.

One woman shouts, “I can’t do that!”

But everyone attempts the move with their new partner, then rotates again.

By 8:40 p.m., people are no longer smiling or laughing as much, and instead just look tired.

Their brains have been completely fried from the influx of new information.

Nevertheless, the process continues for the rest of the hour: rotate, learn a new move, practice it, rotate again.

Toward the end of the hour, the instructors

ask dancers to start putting all of their individual moves together.

Instead of showing the dancers a specific combination of moves, the instructors now allow the leads to form their own combinations.

At first, there can be a moment of uncertainty as a new lead tries to determine what move to attempt in the middle of the dance.

But that moment of uncertainty soon goes away with practice, and the dances become noticeably smoother.

As they teach the lesson, the instructors choose the music.

During one lesson, a female instructor controlled the music with her Apple watch, allowing her to stop and start the music with ease.

Songs like “Hooked on Swing” by Larry Elgart and his Manhattan Swing Orchestra and “Sing, Sing, Sing” by BBC Big Band are popular.

Music is picked based on its danceability, not its popularity.

No one sings or hums the song like at a modern-day dance. The point is to dance to the beat of the song, not to know it.

with three weeks of non-competition, which puts our teams at a disadvantage during the spring, but also we have to jam together all our games in the rest of the season.”

The jamming of games, Vargo said, causes great disruption to classes because it increases the frequency of early dismissals.

“The new calendar will just make scheduling so much easier. I won’t have to move so many games. I’ll be able to schedule games in the pre-season.

“And I’d like to try to avoid having three games in a week.

with Waldorf is still alive, and Buckingham has been added to the fierce boys’ soccer rivalries.

Senior Aidan Cunningham says that we have an aggressive rivalry with Buckingham because of their lack of sportsmanship.

He recalled that during a 2016 away game, a Buckingham player was trash talking former student Jayce McCain, now attending Folsom High School.

When McCain’s mother told the Buckingham player to stop, the player yelled at her, according to Cunningham. Then senior Jesus Galindo ran off the bench to help defend McCain, Cunningham said.

“Whenever they play us, they’re constantly scruffy,” he said.

Vargo said that the competition with Buckingham took off during a league championship several years ago.

The Cavs were down 0-3 in the first half but ended up closing the lead and beating the Knights 5-3.

Buckingham got six yellow cards and a red card, but none were soccer related, Vargo said.

Vargo said the altercations with Buckingham haven’t been one-sided; the Cavs are just as involved in the intensity that makes the game deteriorate when it becomes too physical.

“When you have young men battling on the field and officials that let the game get too physical, then of course there will be altercations,” Vargo said.

Junior Theo Kaufman said that our biggest soccer rival now is Waldorf because of their lack of sportsmanship as well.

“In the (2015) championship game one kid on Waldorf ’s team swung at Jayce (McCain), and got red-carded,” Kaufman said. “They always play dirty, but we ended up beating them in the champs.”

This year, Vargo said, because there are five different weeks of spring break across the league, conflicts are simply unavoidable.

“It’s hard to field teams during breaks - for a small school, if you’re missing one or two of your best players, there’s not much you can do.

“We can hardly get practices together, much less games.

“It’s been a challenge to reschedule all those games over the years, and that doesn’t include when we have a rainy spring and then we have to reschedule baseball and softball.”

TO THE HOOP Skovran Cunningham ,‘15, attempts a layup against Valley Christian Academy in the 2015 Section championship game..

Cunningham started and had 9 points. PHOTO BY DAVID RYAN

After the class, people free dance until they But the regulars aren’t the only outgoing and get tired or until the studio closes at midnight. enthusiastic ones.

Lonergan and her friends usually stay one to On Oct. 28, Lonergan led a group of sophtwo hours after the class finishes around 9 p.m. omores to Midtown Stomp for Hallow“After about an hour after the class, it starts een-themed night. to get really tiring to keep dancing,” Lonergan Everyone was dressed in costumes, and the said. “It can get especially tiring if you dance dance floor was decorated with spiderwebs. with some of the more advanced swing dancers Sophomore Luca Procida, dressed as Superwho go really fast.” man, spotted the perfect match across the room Once free dance begins, - Superwoman, who happened some head toward the middle to be around Procida’s age. of the room to dance, while “I just had to dance with ‘PEOPLE DON’T others stand on the outside to her,” Procida said.

JUDGE YOU OUT watch or wait until someone “While we danced, we talkasks them to dance. ed about school, and once the THERE. THEY “You can always spot the dance was over, I said thank ARE JUST THERE regulars,” Lonergan said. you, and we both walked away.

TO HELP YOU “They just look advanced “That was it.” and are always asking people Sophomore Bianca Hansen AND HAVE FUN’ to dance.” also came along, even though CHLOÉ The regulars are mainly she had some fears at first.

COLLINWOOD, guys, who range in ages from “I thought a lot of people 30 to 75. would be advanced, and we SOPHOMORE The younger dancers follow would just look stupid out a more traditional ‘20s style there,” Hansen said. of swing dancing, using the “I eventually caught on, and moves that the instructors demonstrated in the I didn’t turn out to be as bad as I thought!” lesson.

Sophomore Chloé Collinwood agreed.

On the other hand, the older gentlemen go “People don’t judge you out there,” Colfor a more ‘50s style of swing dancing, the style linwood said. that one would see in older movies.

“They are just there to help you and have fun.”

10

THE OCTAGON

REVIEW

December 6, 2016

Fancy live frogs or alligator feet? Try KP Market!

T

he whir and click of the rolling metal belt at the heart of Koreana Plaza International Market (10971 Olson Drive, Rancho Cordova) punctuates the dozens of tortillas churning out every minute. Nearby crackling, fresh tortilla chips in 18inch bags beg to be dipped in guacamole.

FISH MARKET A Koreana Plaza International Market fishmonger gives junior Sahej Claire advice on which ones to buy. He discussed the value of each type of fish displayed in the market, and what one can use each type for. Before buying the fish, it’s standard for the salesperson to cut the fish open and take all of the insides out for the customer.

PHOTO BY SIMI CLAIRE

By Sahej Claire Originally a Korean market, KP International Market now boasts the widest selection of foods and products I’ve ever seen; it includes Asian, European, Hispanic and American goods all under one enormous roof.

With fresh vegetables at one end, a mini fish-and-meat market in the middle and a mall-worthy cafeteria at the other, the market is an all-purpose, Costco-sized warehouse in which shoppers can easily spend hours. (I can attest to this - I almost got lost a few years ago.)

Some of my favorite products include the

fresh tortilla chips, Japanese ramune (marble soda) and the Hawaiian yams (otherwise known as Okinawan sweet potatoes) that are brilliantly purple inside.

Ramune is sealed with a marble that is pushed inward to drink and comes in distinc-

tively shaped bottles. It’s a refreshing drink in a variety of flavors like bubble gum, green apple and lychee.

Because Koreana offers food from so many cultures, staples like rice, spices and noodles are reasonably priced and have whole aisles dedi-

cated to them.

Customers can also find a smorgasbord of European meats, cheeses and butters near the live lobster, crab, catfish and halibut.

One drawback of the wide selection is that finding a specific product can be difficult.

I wandered around for nearly 15 minutes looking for ramune before asking an employee for help. However, it was almost worth it; I saw more foods I’d never heard of in those 15 minutes than I had in all my 16 years, including alligator feet, peeled sugarcane, halal meats and a live frog.

Food aside, a trip to Koreana is worth it just to experience the lively atmosphere. Crowds of shoppers of all ethnicities and backgrounds flock to the market to find foods popular in their native countries and can be heard speaking in all different languages to each other and the staff.

Cost Plus a true heaven for expat Dutch family

By Héloïse Schep “We are not getting milk chocolate hagelslag!” my mother exclaims in one of the overlit hallways of Cost Plus World Market, comparing different packets of the Dutch chocolate delicacy.

“That’s the American hagelslag. It’s too sweet for us. Get the dark chocolate one!”

Meanwhile, my dad tries to slip some stroopwafels (cookies filled with syrup) and drop (savory licorice) into our basket - unsuccessfully.

For most people, World Market (1821 Howe Ave.) has the repu-

tation of a place where grandmas would shop - kind of dusty, with lots of strange foods stacked on wooden shelves with no clear order.

There’s always a number of shoppers older than 65, and candy flavors tend to be on the weird side (think honey-celery).

But for those of us who enjoy European delicacies, it’s a type of heaven.

World Market is a chain of retail stores that specializes in home furniture, decor, gifts, beverages and, most importantly, international food products.

There are three World Markets in Sacramento and five others in the wider Sacramento area. My family visits the Sacramento World Market roughly once a month, mostly for Dutch sweets.

Their international foods largely consist of snacks and small dishes -

GOLDEN COINS Freshman Héloïse Schep compares different types of chocolate coins, a Dutch holiday delicacy. Children receive the coins on the Dutch holiday Sinterklaas (Dec. 5) as a reward for being good. There’s a Dutch legend that if children are bad, Sinterklaas will take them away in his sack to his house in Spain. PHOTO BY JOHAN SCHEP

you won’t find traditional meats or fish.

World Market officially carries foods from Britain, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, Hawaii, Eastern Europe, Japan, India, Australia, China and the Middle East. But I’ve found that foods from Europe, Japan and India are most frequently in stock.

In the months leading up to Christmas, the market carries holiday foods from every European country.

I was definitely impressed with the amount of traditional food from European countries. In November about one-third of the store is dedicated to Christmas. There are racks of panettone (an Italian bread filled with fruits and nuts), challah (a twisted bread), speculaas (a spiced cookie), plum pudding, bread pudding, mince pies, cakes, chocolate figures, Advent calendars and mulling spices.

Of course, there are also cheesy Christmas and Hanukkah cards, as well as “rustic” (think grandma-chic) Christmas decor.

What I love about the store is its variety of seasonal food. Traditional Dutch foods for holidays like Sin-

terklaas (the Dutch version of Christmas) can be hard to find elsewhere.

According to their website, World Market carries up to 1,188 interna-

SWEET BREAD Schep checks out a selection of panettone, a sweet Italian bread filled with fruits and nuts like almonds. PHOTO BY JOHAN SCHEP

tional items in store and online - and about 200 are European - so there’s always something new for me to try.

There hasn’t yet been a Dutch item I haven’t been able to find, and the many locations make shopping very easy. Food items are also labeled in English to help non-native speakers.

Considering the quality, the prices are fair. The brands World Market carries are well known and mostly organic, so I don’t mind paying a few extra dollars. And compared to international foods on Amazon, which are pricey and often of questionable quality, the cost really isn’t that high.

One thing that I don’t like is the service. My family has been going to World Market for a while, so we know where all the foods are. But if you do need help, there aren’t many employees there. We also occasionally wait in long lines at the checkout stations.

I’m also disappointed that World Market doesn’t carry any foods that cannot be packaged. There are no meal stations, to-go stands or anything that could be described as a full dinner (except pasta).

But the low prices, high quality and accessibility outweigh the negative aspects.

THE OCTAGON

December 6, 2016

REVIEW

11

Oto’s sells bentos, fish, desserts, Daiso goods

W

alking through the aisles of Oto’s Marketplace (4990 Freeport Blvd.), it’s hard to believe that you’re still in Sacramento.

By Chardonnay Needler Opened by Ted Oto in 1956, Oto’s is a market that sells high-quality specialty goods from Japan as well as local and organic meats and produce.

It’s been about five years since I stopped shopping here regularly, but this shop still has the same charm.

As I scan one shelf in search of my favorite rice seasonings (furikake), I decide to grab just a few chopsticks for sophomore Jacqueline Chao and myself before we eat.

Widow Mollie Oto, who currently cooks at the store, described her husband’s original plan. “(Ted’s) vision was to have a store that he owned,” Mollie said. “He, (a butcher), wanted something stable for the kids to take over, if they wanted to, in the future.

“When he first took over, (the

store) was on Fruitridge (Road).

Competition-wise, (we) couldn’t compete with the big stores. But then he went into (Asian) markets, which were primarily Japanese, and we didn’t face the chain store competition anymore.”

Shopping, you’ll hear grandmothers quietly speaking Japanese and diligently searching for the udon noodles that their sons like the most.

Oto’s isn’t big, so it has a cozy feel. But just like Japan, there is variety within the store’s rice-bag-lined walls.

Take a look at the massive sections of Japanese snacks.

There’s mochi (processed rice ball desserts) in every color, instant noodles that’ll put your Maruchan ramen to shame, Costco-sized packs of rice crackers, frozen tofu and natto (fermented soy beans).

Interested in making homemade sushi and sashimi?

Stop by the Little Daiso section that sells only goods from the Daiso (the Japanese Dollar Tree) chain stores for some sushi rollers.

There you can pick up virtually anything - Japanese stationery, plastic onigiri (rice ball snacks with meat, fish or filling) makers or bamboo su-

BRINGING IN THE BENTO A regular customer purchases a homemade bento. Oto’s handcrafted bentos and specialty plates, such as curry rice, are the most popular dishes. PHOTO BY JACQUELINE CHAO shi rollers - for only $1.50 apiece.

For some, the bright colors and cutesy Japanese fonts might be a little much, but have no fear if you feel light-headed and need a quick bite on your shopping journey.

Guests can enjoy sushi made in house by sushi chef Yamamoto.

Or if seafood isn’t for you, the beef is also inexpensive yet of top quality.

Or pick up a fresh, pre-made bento from Mollie herself, which you can

either take home or microwave and eat in a designated area near the exit.

Then, after you’ve gorged yourself and emptied your wallet, take a oncethrough of the store again to see what you’ve missed.

Eastern European delicatessen worth the line for fresh breads, sausages, sodas Ever had a craving for beef pelmeni and smoked fish? Want to wash that down with a cold glass of kvass?

But if you don’t want your breath to smell like F i s h e r m a n’s Wharf, I suggest you sample sushki

By Nicole Wolkov (pretzel crackers in the shape Pelmeni of a circle) and AlIf so, Neroe’s Bakery (6451 Fair Oaks yonka chocolate afterward.

Blvd.), founded in 1996, sells and There’s also lots of hard candies! If bakes a variety of Eastern European you can’t read Cyrillic, just look at the foods (and some Middle Eastern pictures of fruit on the wrappers to and Mediterranean). know which flavors you’re buying.

Their frozen beef pelmeni (meat One drawback is that although dumplings) make for a tasty the store is large and carries proand quick lunch, especially duce, beverages, meat, freshly served with Russian mustard baked bread, homemade cheese, or sour cream. Shelves are candy and canned goods, I’ve lined with Russian tea, kvass (a seen only a maximum of three soda made of fermented bread people working there at a time - I’d recommend Nikola), and Thus the line to check out can sparkling lemonade that tastes be very slow (up to 10 people), vaguely of cotton candy. especially around the Russian In the back of the store, Orthodox holidays (Christmas there is a glass-case counter and Easter usually come a week displaying sausages, salami and after Western Christianity’s behomemade cheeses. The saucause Russian Orthodoxy is sages are labeled in Russian based on the Julian calendar). and English with city names However, not only Russians such as Warsaw, Minsk and shop there. It would seem Kiev. that all of diverse Sacramento The only salami I’ve tried is shops there. The workers speak Nikola kvass the one labeled “Jewish,” as my both Russian and English and father and I assumed that this was the only are more than happy to help. kosher meat in the whole selection.

But I can attest that this specific salami is flavorful and great in solyanka (a spicy meat soup with pickles and mushrooms).

I also definitely recommend Neroe’s challah (braided bread) and smoked fish.

The fish is just as good as pickled herring!

Challah

SITTING SUSHKI Sushki is a popular Russian snack that is sometimes dipped in tea. PHOTO BY WINDELL OKSAY

12

THE OCTAGON

FEATURE

I

n Latin classes, students pick Latin names to go by.

Ranging from Maximus to Maya to Machiavelli, they’re used throughout high school.

Even Latin teacher Jane Batarseh starts to think of the students using their chosen names.

But these names exist only within the classroom.

So imagine choosing a new name that might be used for the rest of your life.

然

BY MOHINI RYE

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BY ALLISON ZHANG

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For many Chinese international students, the English names they choose become their new identities.

For most of us, it’s a strange thought. A name is a title; one would think that it shouldn’t be decided lightly.

However, several Chinese international students had the same response when asked about their English names: “It’s just a name!”

Junior Crystal Jiang, whose Chinese name is Siyu (江思雨, Sìy ), chose her name a year before coming to SCDS, taking inspiration from Krystal, a member of a South Korean girl band called f(x).

“I was going to choose an English name that starts with a C, and I was thinking of Camille or Carmen,” she said.

“Then I saw Krystal and thought it could work out if I changed the spelling.”

Jiang liked choosing her own name and said it’s interesting to have a name in a different language.

“Because I’m not American, I can pick whatever name I want - not what my mom wants it to be,” she said.

Senior Kevin Huang (黄柯铨, K quán) actually has two English names: Ken and Kevin. “(Ken) was given to me by one of my American neighbors (in China),” he said. “It’s the name of one of their respected friends.”

But when he came to America, Huang changed his first name to Kevin for two reasons.

“The name Ken is a monosyllabic word, (and) every time people call me, it sounds like (they’re) saying, ‘Hey!’” he said.

MICHELLE Kevin is also closer to his “SHIRAN” LI, Chinese name, Kequan.

Huang said he will keep SENIOR going by Kevin after he graduates from high school; My dad picked it from a four-word he plans to use Kevin as long term from Taoism, as he’s in an English-speakand that means ing country. “live your life” or “I know for certain I will try follow the natural to stay in the United States laws. He picked (for college and a job) betwo of the words cause I am so used to the from it to make culture, and I love (it here),” my first name. he said. “(If) almost everyone here knows me as Kevin, then I don’t see the point of switching my name back to Kequan.”

Junior Howard Yuan (袁浩, Hào) said he also chose his English name because of its similarity to his Chinese name, Hao. However, not all Chinese students get to choose their English names.

Senior Michelle Li (李师然, Sh rán) said that she was given her English name by her first English teacher in second grade.

“I didn’t care at the beginning because I was a child, and I knew nothing,” she said.

“I grew to like (Michelle).”

Her story is very similar to how many Americans feel about their names - they don’t love them at first, but there’s not much to be done about it.

Surprisingly, most of the Chinese students treated their English names nonchalantly.

But they say that’s because choosing a name is so commonplace in China.

For sophomore Jacqueline Chao (晁怡舒, Yísh ), choosing an English name was simply part of English class in China, just as choosing a Latin name is at Country Day. However, Chao had another reason to change her name that she thinks is one of the biggest differences between English and Chinese names - the meanings.

“My first name is a similar pronunciation to the will that people leave when they die or a suicide note (遗书, yísh ),” she said.

Chao’s parents had named her that because of the cheerful meaning of the characters: happy and comfortable.

They didn’t realize the resemblance between the name and the word until an elementary-school peer pointed out the similarity - and not in a friendly way.

“When people saw my last name (in China), they

December 6, 2016 just ignored it. And when they said my first name, it was very awkward,” Chao said.

So when she moved to the U.S., Chao decided to stop using her Chinese name altogether.

The meaning of English names is rarely a deciding factor for parents in the U.S., according to Chao. “(Your) Chinese name is something you’re called for life, so you’d better choose a better meaning name,” Li said.

Jiang agreed with Li. “If you want to choose a Chinese name, it has to be meaningful,” she said.

“People will react to the name.”

In addition to name meaning, the characters of the Chinese language make a huge difference.

“Chinese people can pick any two words, putting them together to make up a person’s first name,” Huang said.

CRYSTAL “There are about 90,000 words out there, 7,000 of “SIYU” JIANG, (which) are used daily.”

JUNIOR Huang’s own name is created from two words.

In Chinese Siyu “My parents used my means rain because when I was mother’s last name as the born, that day it first word of my first name was raining. But (柯 K ), (and) my dad at the moment picked the second word of my mom told me my first name (銓, Quan), this - the moment meaning justice,” he said.

I was born, the sun Like Huang’s, junior Zihao came out. So Siyu Sui’s name (随子昊, Z hào) means “later rain” it’s like heavy rain is also created from two that comes from words. little rain.

“The Zi in my name means ‘son,’ and the hao part means ‘sun on the sky,’” she said. “The Zi part is the left part of my mom’s last name, and the hao part is similar in structure to my father’s first name.”

Overall, Sui said, her English name doesn’t come close to the meaningfulness and formality of a name gifted at birth.

Sui went by Sherry at Capital Christian High School, her first American school.

However, when she transferred to Country Day as a sophomore, she decided to revert back to her Chinese name.

“I got tired of hearing a name that’s not my actual name after one year,” Sui said.

However, she didn’t get quite the effect she wanted, as Americans are largely incapable of pronouncing Chinese names properly, Sui said.

“It becomes kind of hard to recognize the correct way from all the other ways after a while,” she said.

“Many think they have misunderstood me because it’s such an uncommon name.

“At Starbucks, for example, it’s very inconvenient sometimes.”

However, it doesn’t bother her much.

“It bothers me more when people can’t pronounce my name at all,” she said.

Sophomore Yelin Mao (毛冶林, Y lín) also goes by his original name, and while he accepts that it won’t be pronounced properly, he also doesn’t mind it.

“I like the way people call me in American style,” Mao said.

“I think it’s a little hard to pronounce my name exactly right for the non-Chinese speakers.”

This is often because Chinese contains a complexity that is difficult for non-speakers to grasp.

“We have all these difHOWARD ferent tones, and different tones can mean different “HAO” YUAN, things, even though they JUNIOR have the same spelling,” Chao said.

My mom said Sophomore Rita Chen there are five (陈星如, X ngrú) is another elements in the Chinese culture, victim of mispronunciation. like fire, water, Although Rita is her Enand earth. My glish name, there are stuname has water. dents and teachers who call her Xingru instead.

According to Chao, however, the pronunciation Chen often hears (“Zingroo”) is wrong. The correct pronunciation is closer to “Shing-roo.”

Chen, who doesn’t mind the difference in intonation, said that the only problem is when she doesn’t know if she’s being spoken to.

“When (people) say Zing-roo, I don’t know if (they’re) calling me or not,” she said. “I get confused, and it makes me nervous.”

But when the debate between English and Chinese names comes to an end, all the Chinese international students seem to be unanimous on one advantage of using an English name.

It’s just easier.

随