Octagon March 2014 edition

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Rats invade MP room again

By Connor Martin

Editor-in-Chief

In the multipurpose room, underneath the sound booth, sits the school piano. On top is a cloth piano cover, which is littered with rodent feces and full of dried rodent urine.

Much of the MP room electrical equipment, such as microphones and speakers, used to be covered in excreÄĽ ment as well.

And in the kitchen, rat excrement was recently reÄĽ moved from above the refrigÄĽ erator.

Scrubbing this equipment is an annual chore for band WHDFKHU %RE 5DWFOLÉą â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been dealing with this VLQFH GD\ RQH ´ 5DWFOLÉą VDLG Since he started teaching at Country Day in 2000, 5DWFOLÉą KDV EDWWOHG UDW LQÄĽ festations, as he works and teaches in the MP room. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like mosquitoes,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some years theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bad and some years theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not.â&#x20AC;?

5DWFOLÉą VDLG WKH URGHQW problem has increased slightÄĽ ly over the past two years, but this year is the worst it has been in a while. Three to four years ago, the rats were much less prevalent.

Several years ago, Jay HolÄĽ man, director of the physical See Rats, page 3

By Manson Tung

Reporter

T

Head of HS candidate returns Tucker Foehl will be involved with marketing

By Garrett Kaighn

Editor-in-Chief

A new administrative position KDV EHHQ FUHDWHGħWKH DVVLVWDQW KHDG RI VWUDWHJLF SURJUDPVħLQ RUļ der to increase marketing for the school.

And Tucker Foehl, one of the ÂżQDO ÂżYH FDQGLGDWHV LQ WKH KHDG RI high school search conducted in -DQXDU\ ZLOO EH ÂżOOLQJ WKLV SRVLWLRQ next year. The decision was anÄĽ nounced in an email to the parents on March 3.

Headmaster Stephen Repsher said he decided to create this new administrative position in response to concerns presented during the head of high school interviewing process that Country Day is not properly recognized in the SacraÄĽ mento community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of folks think of us as a school for maybe special needs stuÄĽ dents or some other type of educaÄĽ tion that is not college preparatoÄĽ ry,â&#x20AC;? Repsher said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some folks in the community GRQÂśW NQRZ WKDW ZH DUH D ÄĽJUDGH school, and they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know that we are an independent school as RSSRVHG WR D IRUÄĽSURÂżW SULYDWH school.â&#x20AC;?

Repsher said that many people

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Continued lack of rain creates problems for student athletes he missing rains of the wet season seemed to have made a return over the last several weeks, as rain and snow pelted the Northern CaliÄĽ fornia region. In response, some students say WKH\ÂśYH VWRSSHG ZDWHUÄĽUDWLRQLQJ PHDVXUHV Junior Johnson Ma is one of them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the drought is more hype than anything,â&#x20AC;? Ma said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Folsom Lake is low, but at the end of the day, there will be water. People are just overreacting.â&#x20AC;?

0D VDLG WKDW VHYHUDO ZHHNV DJR KH ZDV WXUQLQJ RÉą WKH faucet when he brushed his teeth and shaved, but the reÄĽ FHQW UDLQV JDYH KLP FRQÂżGHQFH WKDW WKH ZHW VHDVRQ ZLOO return.

'HVSLWH 0DÂśV FRQÂżGHQFH &%6 UHFHQWO\ UHSRUWHG WKDW California as a whole is approximately at 24 percent of average precipitation, even after the recent storms. This SODFHV WKH 6DFUDPHQWR DUHD XQGHU KLJKÄĽLQWHQVLW\ GURXJKW ÄŞDQG WKH 6RXWK %D\ DUHD DQG &HQWUDO 9DOOH\ SRUWLRQV RI WKH VWDWH XQGHU WKH KLJKHVW OHYHO RI GURXJKWÄŤ -XQLRU 0LFKDHO :RQJÂśV UHFHQW ZDWHUÄĽFRQVHUYDWLRQ HIÄĽ IRUWV KDYH EHHQ PRUH LQ OLQH ZLWK &%6 ÂśV ÂżQGLQJV WKDQ Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In my house we continue to save water because you have to be prepared just in case the drought doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get EHWWHU ´ KH VDLG Âł,WÂśV JRRG WR JHW XVHG WR ZDWHUÄĽVDYLQJ measures now rather than later.â&#x20AC;?

Wong washes his dishes in large bins instead of leaving WKH WDS RQ QR ORQJHU WDNHV EDWKV DQG WXUQV RÉą WKH ZDWHU when he brushes his teeth.

'HVSLWH WKH UHFHQW UDLQV WKH UHFRUGÄĽEUHDNLQJ GURXJKW RI ÄĽ LV VWLOO FXUWDLOLQJ RXWGRRU DFWLYLWLHV LQ &DOLIRUÄĽ nia. Many students have had to alter their plans in reÄĽ sponse to the lack of rain this winter.

Freshman Zane Jakobsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family cut their Lake Tahoe trip during Winter Break six days short.

also assume that the school is unÄĽ DÉąRUGDEOH DQG QRW GLYHUVH HYHQ though 36 percent of the student body is from diverse backgrounds DQG DERXW IJ PLOOLRQ LV DZDUGHG LQ ÂżQDQFLDO DLG DQQXDOO\ So Repsher decided that it was necessary to bring in someone new to make Country Day â&#x20AC;&#x153;better known and appreciated,â&#x20AC;? since the task would be too much for the FXUUHQW VWDÉą Repsher said he had been considÄĽ ering bringing in someone for sevÄĽ HUDO \HDUV EXW QHYHU PDGH DQ HÉąRUW to recruit someone. Âł:KHQ WKH VHDUFK ÄŞIRU D KHDG RI KLJK VFKRRO FDPH XSÄŤ LW UHLQÄĽ vigorated my thinking that this could be a possibility, so I had my eyes out for folks that could come through the candidate hopper,â&#x20AC;? he said.

While teacher Brooke Wells was chosen for the head of high school position, the response to Foehl was so positive that Repsher decided to ask if he was interested.

Foehl, who is currently the acaÄĽ demic department head at the BalÄĽ timore School of the Arts, accepted WKH RÉąHU â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re told youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the UXQQHUÄĽXS IRU D SRVLWLRQ LWÂśV UHDOO\ QLFH IRU WKHP WR FRPH EDFN DQG ÄŞRIÄĽ IHU \RX D GLÉąHUHQW RQHÄŤ ´ )RHKO VDLG See Foehl, page 3

5VU 7YVĂ&#x201E;[ 6YNHUPaH[PVU < : 76:;(., 7(0+ :HJYHTLU[V *( 7LYTP[ 5V

The low American River shows signs of the drought that has put California at 24 percent of the average precipitation. !Photo by Cissy Shi"

Âł:KHQ , ZHQW VNLLQJ DW 6TXDZ 9DOOH\ WKHUH ZDV VR OLWÄĽ tle snow that we had to repair my skis every single day,â&#x20AC;?

Jakobs said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had to put wax on the skis constantly to keep them gliding. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I also fell and hit my face on rocks that werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t covÄĽ ered by snow, but typically are by that time in the season.â&#x20AC;?

Jakobs and his family ended up leaving early because of the low snow quality. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When it gets to that slush or ice stage, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really hard to do much of anything on the slopes,â&#x20AC;? Jakobs said. )UHVKPDQ 4XLQWRQ /D&RPE KDG D EDG GXFNÄĽKXQWLQJ season this year due to the drought. Âł'XFNV WHQG WR Ă&#x20AC;\ PRUH GXULQJ UDLQ DQG IRJ DQG REÄĽ viously both of those didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen very much this year,â&#x20AC;? he said. Âł:H DOVR FRXOGQÂśW Ă&#x20AC;RRG WKH ULFH SDGGLHV WKDW VXUURXQG my grandfatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estate where I hunt. The rice paddies are the main draw for the ducks, so not having them Ă&#x20AC;RRGHG PDGH WKH VHDVRQ KDUG See Drought, page 3

Teen Tech Week

Sophomores Jacob Sands, Aidan Galati and Max Schmitz play with a MacBook Pro at the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Makey Makeyâ&#x20AC;? event on March 11 when students connected vegetables to electrical circuits during Teen Tech Week, March 10!14. !Photo by Tom Wroten"

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2 Feature

The Octagon

March 18, 2014

Graphic by Kamira Patel

Crazy Chris’s career filled with bikes & slides

By Emma Williams

Page Editor

C

hris Dale, ’93, was born into a house divided. His mother, former Country Day teacher Evelyn Dale, was an artist converted to computer education. His father taught Victorian literature at UC Davis.

“There were Victorian novels on one side, then disks and hard drives on the other,” Dale said.

Dale’s ambitions and career are just as contradictory. As a child, Dale’s dream was to be an artist, like his mother.

Then, in college at Colgate University, Dale majored in English, thinking he might become a poet or English professor.

And after graduation Dale moved to New York City for a year to work as a paralegal for a big corporate law firm, but decided to work toward a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge after “the wake-up call that being an attorney would never work out for me.”

He considered staying on to get a doctorate in English literature, but decided against it.

“It wasn’t a lifestyle I was willing to invest the next five years of my life in,” he said.

Dale changed his calling yet again when he started working in the press relations department of Google six years ago.

The combination of writing and technology in Dale’s Google job reflects his divided past. But both schools of thought are perfect arenas for his enthusiasm and curiosity.

As he showed me around the Google campus in Mountain View a few weeks ago, Dale’s excitement was evident—his heels bounced as he walked, and he continually turned back to point out landmarks along the way.

The campus design scheme—everything from the wiring

Q&A with Chris Dale, ’93 Chris Dale, ‘93, has worked at Google for six years.

He currently runs the communications and public affair policy division of the Google Glass project.

Q: What’s your favorite part of working at Google?

A: The people who work here are wonderful, smart and talented but without a lot of ego. They’re honest, and they truly care about creating products that are going to make people’s lives easier.

Q: And the worst part?

A: Someone could argue that I just can’t detach; I’m always online. You need to be able to put down the phone and shut the computer down, but ultimately those decisions must be made by you. The news media never sleeps—they’re faster, hungrier than ever before. Managing the media is a huge challenge.

Q: What’s your typical day like?

A: I check my email first thing when I wake up. Then I check Techmeme, which gives the tech news of the day. I write down and prioritize what I need to do that day. Then I connect it to the broader strategy that everything has to be timed back to. (At work) I have a fair amount of meetings. There are meetings about meetings about meetings! I go for a walk if I’ve been sitting a long time to order my thoughts. Hopefully, I can take a little bit of time in the back garden or on the shuttle home to just zone out for 15-20 minutes.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: What gets me excited about (press relations) is that everything is different. You are constantly having to look at (situations) in a different way. I want to have a lot of different things to play with.

to the lights—is composed completely of the Google colors: yellow, red, blue and green.

Dotting the campus are Google Bikes (communal bikes for employees), Android statues and lawn chairs.

Dale said even the design of the campus was made to inspire innovation.

For instance, all of the food served is complimentary for employees. The philosophy behind this is that great ideas come over lunch.

Also, the hallways are narrow to inspire conversation when people bump into each other.

While looking through the Google In addition, Google has store, Chris Dale, ’93, picks a pair of a dry-cleaning service, mas- green Android footy pajamas off the sages, educational classes, rack nearest him, holding them up una day care service, multiple der his chin. “My life just wouldn’t be gyms, an outdoor volleyball complete without a pair of these!” he court, a long and swirly silver said (right). Dale gives junior Emma slide and a Tyrannosaurus rex Williams a tour of the Google facilities skeleton replica decorated (above). (Photos by Kamira Patel) with pink flamingos. Dale “We can described these amenities enthusiastically, but added that not balance the all the services are free.

After leaving the main cafeteria, Dale led the way to a gar- needs of the with den and explained, while leaning over the wooden fence, how user the needs beautiful and relaxing it was to sit there on a busy day.

It turns out that, besides working in an unexpected career, of the busiDale is also surprisingly interested in attaining serenity in the ness instead of just beever-busy world of press relations.

But his nerdy-chic appearance (with tortoise-shell pat- ing dictated terned glasses, dark jeans, white Adidas tennis shoes and pink what press to pinstripe shirt with rolled-up sleeves) made him look the part release write and of a Google employee.

He tried to schedule a test drive in the Google self-driving when.”

Now, Dale cars, but there was no opening at that time of day. runs the communications and public affairs/policy division of Needless to say, Dale is happy where he is, even though he the Google Glass project. Google Glass is essentially a wearnever expected to find himself at a place like Google.

“I kind of stumbled into this industry, but it’s hard to come able, holographic phone which projects a computer “screen” to the Bay Area and not get involved in technology at some in front of a pair of glasses.

“The future of computing is going to be wearable,” said point,” he said with a laugh.

“What’s attractive (to me) is how technology is the single Dale, who has had Glass without frames for 10 months and will get a new pair with frames when his pregreatest catalyzer scription lenses are made. in our lifetimes— “Glass simply asks, ‘Is the way that we use just look at the “What’s attractive (to me) is how possibilities that technology is the single greatest computers the right way, or is there a better way to interact with technology?’” technology brings!” catalyzer in our lifetimes—just look This type of questioning is why Sue Nellis, Dale, who now lives in San Fran- at the possibilities that technology Dale’s middle-school history teacher, is not surprised that he ended up at Google. cisco with his brings!”

“He was somebody who wanted to take a wife and two sons, different path and a different way of looking at was recruited via —Chris Dale, ’93 things,” she said.

LinkedIn, a social Dale’s mother, Evelyn, agrees. “He’s a guy who network for promarches to a different tune,” she said, remembering how he fessionals. One day he was clearing out his inbox and saw an email with the heading “Google Hiring.” He was about to used to wear mismatched socks on each foot.

Dale’s history teacher Daniel Neukom often called him delete it, but then decided to read it, a choice that, after a six-month hiring process, landed him in the press relations “Crazy Chris.”

“Chris was always eager, excited and enthusiastic. He was department of Google’s YouTube project.

“I’d always looked at Google’s (press relations) work and always bursting with energy,” Neukom said.

Dale still remembers Neukom telling him that he had a “joie really liked it,” Dale said. “There’s a Google voice that’s unlike any other corporate company’s voice. It’s fun, friendly, casual de vivre,” or enjoyment of life.

He also remembers how the school taught him to be confiand hugely ambitious in a humble way.”

Also, he said, the Google press relations department re- dent, curious and free thinking, characteristics that he utilizes ports to the legal department unlike at most companies, in his work daily. where press relations is a part of marketing. According to “Country Day gave me an opportunity to play soccer and Dale, this gives Google employees more freedom. do all these things that led to intellectual curiosity and con“(The system) allows us to be autonomous in the decisions fidence,” Dale said. “You could make your world what you wanted it to be.” we make,” Dale said.

The Octagon

News 3

March 18, 2014

Mosquito increase vexes students

By Connor Martin

(Continued from page 1)

Dirty dishes from the middle school’s Renaissance Faire were stacked in the kitchen. (Photo by Cissy Shi)

Rats: Traps removed after 5 rodents taken from kitchen (Continued from page 1) plant, had Western Exterminator come to identify the rats’ entry points into the building. The maintenance staff then filled in any holes and pipes and again in early February.

Holman said rats can still enter the building through any holes (as small as a quarter) that were left unfilled.

The doors to the building are also a concern. A sign on the kitchen door tells people to keep it closed at all times, yet it is often left open.

“We can do as much preventive maintenance as we want,” Holman said, “but if someone props the doors open, then rats can get in. I close those doors daily. Daily.”

Ratcliff added, “I close the doors daily!”

Although the kitchen was used to prepare school lunches until 2010, it now remains mostly empty, as lunches are prepared off campus by Goodfellas4Kids catering service.

But faculty, students and the Parents’ Association often enter to fetch ice, bowls and utensils, Ratcliff said.

According to drama teacher Brian Frishman, whose office is in the MP room, problems arose last summer when Breakthrough prepared food in the kitchen or left food out.

Because the kitchen was unoccupied after Breakthrough finished, leftover food attracted the rats.

Frishman said that the last infestation that he really noticed was seven years ago. However, three weeks ago he found a dead rat in his office.

“It was a horrible stink,” he said.

The current infestation, however, has not disrupted classes, Ratcliff and Frishman said. “(The rat problem) hasn’t affected (drama) except for scaring a couple of the actresses,” Frishman said.

Holman, under the counsel of Western Exterminator, uses baited snap traps to kill the rats. A representative comes on campus every Saturday to monitor the progress.

Holman has pulled out five rats (the last of which was removed on Feb. 18) and had hoped that he got all of them.

But a rat sighting on March 13 ruined the streak. Snap traps remain in the MP room in untrafficked areas.

Despite the problems the rodents have caused Ratcliff, he said he is content with maintenance’s efforts. “(Holman) comes in here all the time to ask me how it’s going,” he said. “They’re on top of it.”

According to Holman, Western Exterminator said rodent monitoring boxes (the black boxes on the ground that can be found throughout campus) have detected an increase in rodent activity throughout the region.

Editor-in-Chief

I

t’s 5:30 p.m. and senior Eric Hilton is dancing in the high-school quad. His hands jerk around and he slaps himself—first on the neck, then on the ankle and again on his arm.

But his dance isn’t exactly voluntary.

Hilton, like many students and faculty who have stayed on campus after 4 p.m., is fighting off mosquitoes.

“Oh, my God, they’re so annoying!” Hilton said.

Although mosquitoes have been a complaint for years, many students think they’ve reached unacceptable levels.

In fact, 71 percent of high schoolers said that mosquitoes are a problem on campus.

“They’re demon creatures,” senior Maya Kuppermann said. “They’re even indoors, so it’s hard to escape.”

Jay Holman, director of the physical plant, said the maintenance crew makes regular trips around campus to get rid of stagnant water where mosquitoes breed.

And despite the complaints, Holman said he won’t make further attempts to control the mosquito population.

In early February, he said he noticed an increase of mosquitoes and considered notifying the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District.

But Holman said he felt the higher mosquito levels didn’t last long enough to merit a notification.

“In order to take action with Vector Control,” he said, “I’d have to feel like (the campus) was the breeding ground for mosquitoes.”

Any further attempt the maintenance staff itself could take to control mosquitoes might require pesticide application, he said. And to do that, he must post notices explaining the chemical usage unless the product is classified as “EcoEXEMPT.” These products are typically comprised of organic ingredients.

In all forms of pesticides, Holman opts for EcoEXEMPT products for safety reasons, and he asks the school’s exter-

Graphic by Kamira Patel and Emma Williams

minating service, Western Exterminator, to do the same.

So products such as rat poison and Raid insecticides are not used on campus.

“I have a third grader here,” Holman said, “and I don’t want her playing on a lawn that has been sprayed with pesticides. “We’re literally using rosemary oil and wintergreen oil (as insecticide and repellent).”

Holman said he hasn’t seen a major increase in mosquito numbers this year except for in early February.

Some students have asked whether electric insect control systems, which attract flying insects with black light and kill them with low voltage, are a possibility, But a University of Notre Dame study concluded that socalled “bug zappers” are marginally effective and don’t meaningfully lessen mosquitoes, according to www.mosquito.org.

There is also concern that the electric shock can cause a mist of insect parts that can transmit disease.

So students who seek a fix to the mosquito invasion will have to look elsewhere.

Junior Melissa Vasquez doesn’t think the mosquitoes are a major problem in the first place.

She recommends bug spray.

Foehl: New hire has marketing experience (Continued from page 1) And although it is a much different position than head of high school, Foehl said he thinks he’ll do a good job with marketing because he has done similar work at the Baltimore School of the Arts.

“When I arrived (at the Baltimore School of the Arts), there was a real

“Baltimore is a big city that feels like a small town­— much like Sacramento— and word of mouth goes a long way.”

—Tucker Foehl

misconception within the community that we didn’t have a strong academic program,” he said. “I was cast with demystifying the notion that we were

just an art school and messaging the about Country Day when he visited strength of our acaand was very interdemic program.” ested in working Foehl went about here and sending this task by expandhis own children here—his son Mating the curriculum teo will be starting with new AP courses, kindergarten next recruiting from local year. schools, meeting with “My first impresstudents and parents, sion was a warm and holding informaand caring commution days. nity,” he said.

“Baltimore is a big Foehl added that city that feels like a he hopes to teach small town—much a high-school elecTucker Foehl like Sacramento— tive, although the and word of mouth logistics of this goes a long way,” he said. “I think it’s also crucial for people have not yet been worked out.

He said he’d like to use a course to experience the passion and excitehe taught at Yale and at the Calhoun ment that exists among the students School in New York City called “Race and faculty at a school firsthand, and that is a clear goal as I think about the and Ethnicity in the American West.”

Foehl visited the school again on vibrant and passionate community of March 10 soon after accepting his new students and teachers at SCDS.” He also said that he loved everything position.

Drought: Lack of water has mixed effects on student activities

activities due to the drought.

“We have been filling Shortline Lake (a manmade lake in Elk Grove designed for water skiing) with well water, so we are completely self-sufficient,” Canepa said.

“We don’t have to rely on any public water, and since our wells still have plenty, it’s business as usual.”

Some impacts of the drought on student activities have been positive.

(Continued from page 1) “The drought will actually make fly fishing better,” said sophomore Jacob Sands. Sands is an avid fly fisherman, who “The whole season from October to January was a loss.” often travels to the Truckee area to fish.

“Because there is In fact, even though LaComb and his father went so little water in the hunting multiple times, they didn’t shoot a single “The drought will actually rivers and streams, we duck.

The drought is having mixed effects on rowing ac- make fly fishing better. Be- can venture out further,” he said. “Also, cording to sophomore Sydney Michel. the volume of water cause there is so little water “It has been nice so far not having to row in the has shrunk, but the rain much this year,” Michel said. in the rivers and streams, we amount of fish hasn’t.

Michel rows on Lake Natoma, which has not can venture out further.”

We should be able to been affected as much as Folsom Lake because Lake –Jacob Sands, sophomore catch more fish.”

Natoma is still receiving inflows from Folsom Lake However, the Sacupstream. According to KCRA 3, Folsom Lake is at ramento Bee (March 30 percent of capacity.

10) claims that the drought will eventually adversely impact An activity that is surprisingly unaffected by the drought the fishing season by decreasing the amount of water and increasing the temperature of the water. is water skiing.

Meanwhile in Ma’s bathroom, the faucet is still running.

Freshman Ryan Canepa, a water skier, has not changed his

4Sports

The Octagon

SWIMMING

j Freshman Natalie Brown (in red) fights against a Cornerstone Christian defender for the ball, on March 10.

Country Day lost, 3-1. (Photo

by Ryan Ho)

SOCCER

The girls’ soccer team is very young this year: it even has a freshman co-captain, Natalie Brown.

Brown said Champayne made her co-captain because of her experience in competitive soccer outside of school and her leadership skills.

The girls had their first scrimmage on March 10, which they lost 1-3, and another on March 13, which they tied 2-2. Their first season game is on March 18.

Coach George Champayne said the team has strong players, such as sophomore goalies Julia Owaidat and Emily Berke, and he thinks the team could finish first or second.

“It’s exciting to see that we’ve

March 18, 2014

had a little more talent than in years before,” he said.

Fourteen girls showed up to the March 10 scrimmage, with three on the bench. The others had conflicting obligations that prevented them from being able to attend.

“If we had all our team members, we could have been the victor,” Champayne said.

Sophomore Madison Judd agrees that the players got tired.

“If we learn to conserve our energy a little bit more, I think we’ll do fine,” she said.

Junior co-captain Melissa Vazquez and Brown agreed that the team ran out of energy due to their

lack of substitutes.

Despite the team’s talent, Champayne has not yet assigned positions to all of the players.

“Coach George has a (general) idea for what the lineup is, but hasn’t decided exactly,” Vasquez said. “We haven’t had people working specifically for positions because of that.”

Brown said the practices have been relaxed due to the low attendance.

“We’ve been working on individual skills, so George has been helping each person with their ‘struggles,’” she said.

—Austin Talamantes

The swim team placed last at their first meet at Jesuit High School, March 6.

“It’s not that we did badly—it’s just that we only have two swimmers,” junior Lauren Larrabee said.

Junior Claire Pinson explained that she and Larrabee most likely won’t place as a team but they can individually qualify for the finals.

Both Pinson and Larrabee also swim on more competitive U.S.A. teams.

Pinson swims for DART (Davis-Arden Hills Racing Team), practicing every morning for two hours.

Pinson said she swims at a much higher level than normal high-school students.

“If they competed with our team, it would be like an el-

ementary school kid coming to high school,” she said.

After taking a year off, Larrabee has just started swimming again for STAS (Spare Time Aquatics Sacramento).

“I did swimming for 11 years, and I did it for so long that I got burned out,” she said. “I realized when I visited colleges that I wanted to swim again.”

Despite the break, Larrabee got some of her best times at the first meet, improving her 50m freestyle by one second.

“Maybe it was good taking a break,” she said.

Both Larrabee and Pinson said that the high-school meets are mainly for extra practice.

—Maxwell Shukuya

AS WEATHER WARMS, SPORTS WARM UP TENNIS

Balls bouncing, shoes squeaking on the court, racquets swishing—the air is filled with the sounds of tennis at Rio del Oro Racquet Club.

Even though the team has lost its two matches, with last year’s singles’ champions returning on both the men’s and women’s sides (junior Caroline Mehta and sophomore Johann Dias), they are poised to have an improved season.

Standing in their way is a lack of practice— only a few people have showed up to the 7 a.m. practices, according to coach Haitham Batarseh.

Mehta lost her first singles match of the season against the Forest Lake Falcons, March 11, and attributed it to her lack of practice.

However, she won her singles match against Highlands on March 13, 6-4, 6-1.

And Dias defeated his Falcons’ opponent with

(Left) Johann Dias serves the ball against the Highlands Scots on March 13.

Dias won the match, 6-2. 6-0.

(Photo by Elena Lipman) (Above) Juniors Claire Pinson and Lauren Larrabee after their first swim meet at Jesuit High School, March 6. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Daniels)

little exertion, 6-0, 6-2.

“The entire league is pretty easy for me,” said Dias, who practices daily for 4-5 hours. “But if I get to the last few rounds of playoffs, the competition will definitely become more challenging.”

Other members are working to get better now.

Junior Emma Williams and freshman Elena Lipman won their first doubles match but lost 1-10 on March 14 against Highlands.

“A lot of our mistakes happen when either we are both going for the ball at the same time or we both think the other person is going to get it,” Williams said.

The Cavaliers will return to action in their next match on Thursday, March 20, against Golden Sierra.

—Micaela Bennett-Smith

TRACK AND FIELD Senior Charlie Johnson turns the corner during his 400-meter race at the 10th annual CSUS Track Classic, March 8.

Johnson finished 45 of 49 with a time of 1:02:57.

(Photo by Ryan Ho)

Track and field had its first meet of the season, March 9. Only a handful of students competed: sophomore Adam Ketchum and seniors Abi Pantoja, Ryan Ho and Charlie Johnson. Others had conflicts with drama and music.

Despite coming in last in the 100-meter, Ho beat his personal record by a little over a tenth of a second. Pantoja also finished last, but as this was her first competition, she has room to improve.

Of 49 boys competing in the 400-meter, Ketchum and Johnson

finished second-to-last and fifthto-last respectively.

They may not be in it to win, however.

“I don’t really have any large aspirations, aside from just improving,” Johnson said. “I really just joined because I enjoy physical activity.

“Running is a bit of a love/hate thing. I enjoy running, but the pain that sometimes accompanies it isn’t always too enjoyable.”

Pantoja agrees with Johnson’s aspirations.

“I mainly joined to get a good workout, get fit and relieve some stress,” she said. “Since I am a beginner, I am not really concerned about my time or being the fastest.”

Coach Nick Domich said that he expected more of the team to show up for the March 15 meet at Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove, where they will be competing with athletes from Bret Harte, Marysville, El Dorado and Modesto Christian High Schools.

—Amelia Fineberg

Sports Boosters’ Athletes of the Month Emily Berke Although the girls’ soccer team lost their first pre-season game in the second half, 3-1, sophomore Emily Berke played goalie until halftime and was never scored on.

Eric Hilton Senior Eric Hilton has played on the golf team for three years. In their first league match on the Arcade Creek course at Haggin Oaks, Hilton had the lowest score on the team, shooting a 46.

Athletes of the Month are chosen by the athletic department on behalf of the Sports Boosters

The Octagon

March 18, 2014

Sports 5

Freshman Emil Erickson readies a throw to home plate. The baseball team played a doubleheader against Buckingham Charter on March 14 and lost both games. At right, junior Michael Wong and sophomore Brad Petchauer work on their short-range passing during an after-school lacrosse practice. (Photos by Cissy Shi)

Spring teams swing into action

Golfers outdrive Buckingham by 5 in first league match Senior goalie Troy Hoddick agrees.

Baseball “Losing players like Donald has forced evThe baseball team has both new faces and Online Editor-in-Chief eryone to work harder together,” Hoddick many experienced players.

Coach Chris Millsback is especially de- said.

This season the team also saw a new rule— lighted that the team has more pitchers, Golf The golf team started a promising season including juniors Erik Morfin-Ruiz, George the “defenseless player rule.” Wells said it was by winning the first league match at the Ar- Cvetich and Ethan Ham, who pitched last probably implemented for lacrosse to avoid cade Creek Course of Haggin Oaks, March year. Freshman Emil Erickson will also pitch. being seen as a heavy contact sport such as “That’s one of the key things this year—to football, in which high contacts could lead to 11. The team was five strokes ahead of the head injuries like conhave our guys throw strikes, get second-place Buckingham Charter. cussions. ahead of batters, get us off the Three of six starters were among the top used to field and try to score some runs 10: senior Eric Hilton (fifth), freshman Zane “Losing players like be“What considered a Jakobs (sixth) and senior Garrett Kaighn in,” Millsback said.

Millsback also said new play- Donald has forced ev- good, solid hit is (eighth). Sophomore Jake Sands placed 11th. now considered a ers will strengthen the team. eryone to work harder.”

Coach Greg Kaighn is very pleased. dangerous play,” Freshman David Boley plays “We don’t look like a Div. VI team at all,” –Troy Hoddick, senior Wells said. first base, and senior Patrick TaGreg said.

The new rule lamantes has replaced Donald Of the six starters—Garrett, Hilton, Jakobs, Hutchinson as catcher. proved challengSands and sophomores Brad Petchauer and Sophomore Jacob Sands, who played Little ing when junior midfielder Dominic Stephen Manson Tung—four are returning. Jakobs, League for eight years, is also new. went through foul trouble in the first game. a freshman, has been playing golf for three When a player fouls, he sits in the penalty While lacrosse and baseball shared seven years and was on the middle-school team. players last year, that number is down to box, leaving the team short one player. If he Although Greg said the players are get- three. accumulates more than five minutes of penting better, he wishes they attended practices “I pretty much have a full squad at all of alty time, he’s out for the game. more often. Practices have shrunk from four our practices,” Millsback said.

Losing Stephen in the game was especially to three days a week because players are comThe team’s first two games were affected problematic. mitted to multiple sports or other activities.

“Our defense is very strong, our attack is by rain. The March 10 Trinity game in Napa Four of the six starters participate in an- was canceled because the field was unplay- very strong and our first level of midfield is other sport, and several also have other extra- able. Buckingham Charter was rescheduled very strong,” Wells said. “But underneath curriculars such as The Octagon and Mock for a doubleheader on March 14, which the that first level, our midfield is still very inexperienced.

Trial.

Cavs lost.

“Therefore, when Dominic got into foul The team will play the six other teams— Garrett, who received the First Team Alltrouble, it was difficult to replace him.”

Trinity, Woodland Christian, Valley Christian, League award last year, said he hasn’t pracBut Wells said the team is overall very Lutheran, Faith Christian, Buckingham— ticed very much this year. “(The match) was my second full nine-hole twice. The top three will move on to playoffs. good. The majority have played at least two seasons, and many have improved from last round since last season,” he said. year, such as juniors Alex Bushberg, Chris Lacrosse “I can still hit pretty well, but I’m still Liston and Johnson Ma. The lacrosse team is off to a slow start. rusty, and that’s cost me a lot of shots.”

The Cavs fell 4-14 to On Tuesdays and Thursdays, PGA pro Justin-Siena High School Greg Ciavarelli comes to instruct the team. on Feb. 25, and (Ciavarelli narrowly missed is a teaching the win against professional “We don’t look like a Casa Roble, 7-8, who works on March 4.

Div. VI team at all.” as an instrucBut coach –Greg Kaighn, coach tor at Haggin Brooke Wells Oaks.) said the team imThe team proved greatly in will play two more nine-hole and one 18- the second game. hole matches before determining whether it “We cut down on penalmoves on to sectionals. ties significantly, we put a Traditionally, the top three teams move on. lot more balls in the cage, The team has qualified three years in a row, and we were attacking but a change of rules this year has Country better,” Wells said.

Day competing for the top two spots in the After losing star player league against Buckingham, Faith Christian, Donald Hutchinson to the Valley Christian, Freedom Christian and Sac University of Colorado, Adventist.

Boulder, the team has According to Greg, Valley and Bucking- been working on its new ham might be Country Day’s biggest league attack formation. competitors, though he’s certain of the team’s “Last year we kept runability to make it to sectionals again. ning ‘Duke,’ which feaThe team’s next match will be at the Green tured Donald at the top, Tree in Vacaville on Monday, April 7. Results to see whether he could from the March 17 match were unavailable at score a goal,” sophomore Brad Petchauer said. press time.

By Ryan Ho

The team will next play St. Mary’s in Stockton on Thursday, March 22. The Feb. 27 game against the Bay School was canceled due to bad weather, and the March 13 game against Sir Francis Drake was rescheduled due to several players’ illness.

LAX FACTS Lacrosse was invented by Native Americans and was originally called stickball.

It was played by tribal warriors for training, recreation, and religious reasons.

The rules were created in 1794, when a game between the Seneca and Mohawk tribes was played.

New York University was the first college in the United States to establish a lacrosse team.

Information from www.filacrosse.com

6

Centerpoint

The Octagon

e-cigarettes

March 18, 2014

1 24 tried

10 30 tried

8

7

health risk, the reality is unclear. school, dangerous: let’s face it, cigarettes just aren’t all that cool anymore. friends or at parties.

“It gives me something to do, and it’s not as bad as it would be to smoke

They’re sleek, stylish, relatively odorless and even tasty with their broad rently subject to the same FDA regulations as regular cigarettes.

By Garrett Kaighn

not printed on packages.

“It’s almost like a toy in a way,” another senior said. “Playing with the smoke is really fun. I don’t want to use it often, but when I do, it’s mostly because it’s amusing.” smokes them alone in her room.

Another senior who hasn’t smoked any types of cigarettes before said he could see the fun in it and compared it to blowing “smoke” by inhaling

And statistics certainly show that’s the case.

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. the FDA will begin regulating them at some point in the future.

rettes, all interviewees either tried them only once or use them irregularly,

According to a Feb. 25 Octagon poll, 31 percent of sophomores, juniors into an unhealthy habit, especially if they contain tobacco.

“I could see it developing into a nervous tic for me so that when I’m doing my homework, I have to have one in my hand,” he said. “If I could in popularity the past three years.

and sizes: while some are designed to look exactly like conventional cigarettes, many resemble fancy metal pens.

It is illegal for minors to purchase them, though that doesn’t necessarily stop them from ordering them online or asking an

“They kind of make your room smell like a weird version of Bath and Body Works.”

— a senior

addictions.

Though not necessarily false, even that claim isn’t backed by much more than anecdotal evi dence, and recovering addicts are clearly not the only target audience.

While cigarette advertisements were banned

And with much research still to be done and legislation to be decided, the

legislation has been discussed in Davis and Rancho Cordova over the past two weeks.

But only time will tell whether they become popularized as a cool, new, harmless toy or ultimately create a new generation of smokers.

sion, even appearing during the Super Bowl.

ing obtrusive odors.

Some students said they would never smoke regular cigarettes, but had

sion ads featuring celebrities endorsing the product and implying that the lack of ash and odor solve all of the problems of traditional cigarettes.

Most Country Day students, though, said they purchased generic brands at gas stations.

free varieties.

it about a month ago. “We’ve been so educated on how horrible they are for you, I would never use them.

ing celebrities and cartoon characters and sponsor music festivals and sport ing events popular with young people,” they wrote.

to get addicted to them any time soon.” years, the companies seem to have been successful in marketing. ones.

Plus, they can be smoked inside without the permeating stench of to bacco.

“They kind of make your room smell like a weird version of Bath and Body Works,” the same senior said.

E-cigarettes use battery power to heat and vaporize a liquid solution in order to imitate smoking tobacco (none actually contain tobacco, though most have nicotine).

This solution is often independently sold so the rest of the device can be reused, but some one-piece disposable ecigarettes are available.

The exact ingredients of the solution are not at all uniform, though. Nicotine is the active ingredient, but its concentrations vary by product from 0-36 milligrams per milliliter so that consumers can control their own consumption.

The solutions also contain water and some other chemicals—which vary by manufacturer and are not published

the same could be said about those who have tried regular cigarettes.

7

depending on the producer, including classic tobacco, all sorts of fruits, bacon, roasted chicken, apple pie, gummy bears and Cap’n Crunch.

She added she also tried a regular cigarette once “just to experiment” and

Graphic by Kamira Patel

23

27

tried tried

6

Centerpoint

The Octagon

e-cigarettes

March 18, 2014

1 24 tried

10 30 tried

8

7

health risk, the reality is unclear. school, dangerous: let’s face it, cigarettes just aren’t all that cool anymore. friends or at parties.

“It gives me something to do, and it’s not as bad as it would be to smoke

They’re sleek, stylish, relatively odorless and even tasty with their broad rently subject to the same FDA regulations as regular cigarettes.

By Garrett Kaighn

not printed on packages.

“It’s almost like a toy in a way,” another senior said. “Playing with the smoke is really fun. I don’t want to use it often, but when I do, it’s mostly because it’s amusing.” smokes them alone in her room.

Another senior who hasn’t smoked any types of cigarettes before said he could see the fun in it and compared it to blowing “smoke” by inhaling

And statistics certainly show that’s the case.

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. the FDA will begin regulating them at some point in the future.

rettes, all interviewees either tried them only once or use them irregularly,

According to a Feb. 25 Octagon poll, 31 percent of sophomores, juniors into an unhealthy habit, especially if they contain tobacco.

“I could see it developing into a nervous tic for me so that when I’m doing my homework, I have to have one in my hand,” he said. “If I could in popularity the past three years.

and sizes: while some are designed to look exactly like conventional cigarettes, many resemble fancy metal pens.

It is illegal for minors to purchase them, though that doesn’t necessarily stop them from ordering them online or asking an

“They kind of make your room smell like a weird version of Bath and Body Works.”

— a senior

addictions.

Though not necessarily false, even that claim isn’t backed by much more than anecdotal evi dence, and recovering addicts are clearly not the only target audience.

While cigarette advertisements were banned

And with much research still to be done and legislation to be decided, the

legislation has been discussed in Davis and Rancho Cordova over the past two weeks.

But only time will tell whether they become popularized as a cool, new, harmless toy or ultimately create a new generation of smokers.

sion, even appearing during the Super Bowl.

ing obtrusive odors.

Some students said they would never smoke regular cigarettes, but had

sion ads featuring celebrities endorsing the product and implying that the lack of ash and odor solve all of the problems of traditional cigarettes.

Most Country Day students, though, said they purchased generic brands at gas stations.

free varieties.

it about a month ago. “We’ve been so educated on how horrible they are for you, I would never use them.

ing celebrities and cartoon characters and sponsor music festivals and sport ing events popular with young people,” they wrote.

to get addicted to them any time soon.” years, the companies seem to have been successful in marketing. ones.

Plus, they can be smoked inside without the permeating stench of to bacco.

“They kind of make your room smell like a weird version of Bath and Body Works,” the same senior said.

E-cigarettes use battery power to heat and vaporize a liquid solution in order to imitate smoking tobacco (none actually contain tobacco, though most have nicotine).

This solution is often independently sold so the rest of the device can be reused, but some one-piece disposable ecigarettes are available.

The exact ingredients of the solution are not at all uniform, though. Nicotine is the active ingredient, but its concentrations vary by product from 0-36 milligrams per milliliter so that consumers can control their own consumption.

The solutions also contain water and some other chemicals—which vary by manufacturer and are not published

the same could be said about those who have tried regular cigarettes.

7

depending on the producer, including classic tobacco, all sorts of fruits, bacon, roasted chicken, apple pie, gummy bears and Cap’n Crunch.

She added she also tried a regular cigarette once “just to experiment” and

Graphic by Kamira Patel

23

27

tried tried

8Editorial

The Octagon

March 18, 2014

By Grant Miner

‘Suggestions’ by Jacob Sands

My Angle Summer of my discontent: How Mark Twain and my dad conspired against me

EDITORIAL: YA novels make for good

summer reading, not-so-good curriculum The Octagon can be a pretentious institution, especially when it comes to what books we read. After all, who needs “Twilight” when you can curl up with an AP Stylebook?

On a more relatable note, we as teenagers expect our elders to roll their eyes at our pop culture.

So we were surprised to hear that the English faculty has added Young Adult novels like “The Fault in Our Stars,” “Looking for Alaska” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” to their curriculum.

Not that there is anything wrong with those books.

They’re enjoyable and fun to read. But why assign students books in class that they would read anyway?

“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green is widely popular on campus. The freshmen are reading not one but two John Green books.

The point of reading books in English class is to expand our horizons. In order to do this, teachers should be assigning more challenging literature.

Previously the freshman curriculum included “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Shakespeare, “Inherit the Wind” by Robert E. Lee and Jerome Lawrence, “Old School” by Tobias Wolff and “Animal Farm” by George Orwell.

The reason we discuss books in English class is so that teachers can help us see things we would not real-

ize or understand without their guidance.

We can easily follow the plot and character development of “Looking for Alaska.” Believe it or not, we do not need teachers to explain that Alaska is struggling with an internal conflict.

Having one or two young adult novels for summer reading would be fine. Over the summer we do not have guidance from the teacher.

English class reading should challenge us. We should look up words we don’t understand and read between the lines to grasp the full message of the author. At Columbia University students read “The Odyssey” in four days and “Crime and Punishment” in a week. To be prepared to cover the material so quickly, students must have a strong ability to comprehend.

As to the argument that these pop-literature books are more relatable to teenagers, books with more depth can be just as accessible. Even though “Inherit the Wind” takes place in the 1920s, the idea of a struggle between science and religion is very relevant today.

Country Day’s standards are supposed to challenge our intellectual abilities. Teen fiction doesn’t do that.

As English teachers are ordering their summer reading and course books, we want them to keep in mind that we need books that make us think.

The Octagon Editors-in-Chief Garrett Kaighn Connor Martin Kamira Patel Online Editors-in-Chief Ryan Ho David Myers Copy Editor Garrett Kaighn Business Manager Garrett Kaighn News Editor Emma Williams Editorial Editor Zoe Bowlus Community Editor Grant Miner Sports Editors Micaela Bennett-Smith Eric Hilton Centerpoint Editor Kamira Patel

Opinion Editor Maxwell Shukuya Feature Editors Connor Martin Aishwarya Nadgauda Photo Editor Cissy Shi Assistant Copy Editor Amelia Fineberg Reporters Avi Bhullar Daniel Hernried Zane Jakobs Elena Lipman Madison Judd Austin Talamantes Manson Tung Cartoonist Jacob Sands Adviser Patricia Fels

The Octagon is published eight times a year by highschool 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

My father has always been a big believer in the “trial by fire” method.

I can’t blame the man, really, as I’ve done my part in making him believe in its efficacy. Whether it’s my opinion on vegetables or the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, he always proves me wrong in his grand “I told you so” moments.

By the time I was 9, he had grown so confident that he decided to overstep his bounds and interfere with the one thing I held dear (besides video games, of course): my summer reading.

Our mission that June day was to buy copies of “Island of the Blue Dolphins” and “By the Great Horn Spoon,” two books that I needed for my California history curriculum in the fall.

Of course, it was also time to pick my summer reading books.

As I scanned the children’s section for the newest “Edge Chronicles,” my dad walked up and handed me a book.

It was thick and heavy, two words that I immediately associated with “boring.”

What? Had this thing come from outside the children’s section?!

“It’s called ‘A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,’” my dad said.

Oh, great, a sports novel.

“Don’t worry, you’ll love it.”

Yeah, sure.

The executive decision had been made, and we walked off to the cash register. I came out of that store two historical fiction novels and one tome of pure, unadulterated 19th-century literature richer.

Needless to say, the visit had not gone as planned.

So there I sat in my bedroom, reading a novel based in an era I knew nothing about (save that knights slay dragons) written by a man in whose time the only thing I could associate with was cowboys.

“If there’s a word you don’t know, look in the appendix. It’s in the back.”

It soon became apparent that, despite the novel’s lengthy appendix, it was quite difficult for me. I still don’t know what a hauberk is.

Two months later the deed was done. I’d hated every single minute. (There wasn’t even a dragon in it! And what kind of princess is named Sandy, anyway?)

But it would all be worth it. There would be no more “I told you so”’s.

I told Dad what I thought of the book and learned that there was something far, far worse.

“You’ll thank me later,” he said with a knowing smile.

Two months later I found a copy of “The Prince and the Pauper” on my desk.

rchids to. . . Student Council for organizing grilled cheese days. It’s nice to have an alternative to pizza and our everyday lunches.

O

nions to. . . middle schoolers who break the vending machine by pressing the button one too many times. We need to get our snacks, too.

O

rchids to. . . the librarians and tech department for planning Teen Tech Week.

Picking apart electronics and playing oldschool video games have never been so fun.

nions to. . . the noisy sixth-grade English students who work outside. Although you may be working hard, you’re distracting the rest of us as we try to focus.

O

O

The Octagon

Opinion 9

March 18, 2014

‘Distracted Antics’ by Jake Sands

So here’s the problem:

You’re just being plain rude

By Ryan Ho

Online Editor-in-Chief

Y

But people do need to realize life isn’t about checking phones, and they should consider its negative consequences.

For starters, the obvious arguments against constantly checking your phone include eye damage and distractions from what you’re supposed to be doing.

But on a more serious note, phones are creating a subtle social barrier.

I’ve been to coffee shops where businessmen barely glanced up when ordering a latte. I’ve seen students on their phones when they should be watching the soccer game, looking at the World Cultures Day performance or paying attention at morning meetings.

Try being without a phone for once. I’ve done it (not exactly hard for me) with my friends (very hard for them) on the Ashland trip. We sat down at a Thai restaurant to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and we placed all our phones in the middle.

Whoever attempted to reach for them was to pay for everyone’s dinner. And guess what? That night I had one of the best dinner experiences I’ve had. It was filled with chatter and fun.

Try it. Reduce your excess phone use. The world of social media will survive without your constant presence.

“Sure—after I snatch that phone out of your hand and throw it against the wall.

Would I have your attention then?”

Graphic by Maxwell Shukuya

ou do it literally everywhere.

You do it when you wake up. You do it when you eat your breakfast. You do it when you’re in the car going to school (hopefully you’re not driving, but perhaps that doesn’t stop you). You do it when class is so boring—you think to yourself, “I’ll just make it quick.”

Heck, you probably do it when you’re sitting on the toilet.

You do it so often and subconsciously that doing it has become a reflex, an addiction.

Ladies and gentlemen, this thing is none other than the new cultural phenomenon: constantly checking your phone.

In this digital age, I’ll acknowledge that it’s hard living without technology simply because the world around you requires it, whether for school, work or personal use. A phone, in particular, is one high-tech device that everyone should own.

But when it comes to choosing a phone, there’s a plethora of choices, and most of us choose a smartphone, a mobile, powerful device that greatly surpasses the function of a phone.

A smartphone allows you to do so many things: you can download and play games; you can get instant directions to a place you’ve never been before; and you can surf the Internet almost wherever you go, whenever you want. The smartphone is a nifty invention that has revolutionized our world.

But, unfortunately, it has probably also forever changed the way people, in particular those my age, interact with each other. Instead of spending time talking to each other, we’re constantly looking down at the screen, enveloped in our own bubbles in a virtual world created by these smartphones.

I was on my way to history class the other day behind two students who were walking while looking down at their phones. A teacher walked by us in the opposite direction and said hello, and I was the only one who replied. The others just continued on without acknowledging the teacher’s presence.

To be clear, I’m not arguing for social etiquette, nor am I expecting everyone to say hello. But that they didn’t even look up is discouraging.

Interacting with phone addicts is also a frustrating task.

There are instances in which I dutifully explain things—like the second fundamental theorem of calculus—to a friend only to find that he isn’t listening at all. He’s too busy browsing through Instagram.

“Did you hear what I just said?”

“Wait, sorry, what? Can you say that again?”

Sure—after I snatch that phone out of your hand and throw it against the wall. Would I have your attention then?

One of my friends recently went to dinner with her friends before Winter Ball. Although it was a nice Italian restaurant, the dinner was awkward because out of a party of five, four constantly checked their phones. She said there was next to zero conversation that night; they might as well have been

complete strangers who happened to sit at the same table.

Now I’m not saying checking is bad. Maybe you’re interested in news alerts from NBC—great. Maybe you’re checking the time—wonderful (though I’d say wear a watch). Maybe you want to see what’s new on Instagram—fine. I’ll even acknowledge that pretending to phone-check can be a convenient way to avoid attention in awkward situations.

But the problem with my generation is that we’re constantly checking without limits. You don’t need to check during orchestra practice or English class.

Perhaps the problem lies in the lack of attention span caused by the distractions of technology. We’re so used to fast-paced information that we can’t help but check to be sure we’re not missing out.

Or maybe it’s just the norm. In a recent Octagon poll, 26 percent of SCDS high-school students said they check their phones more than 50 times daily. Maybe that’s not too bad compared to 110 times—an average from a 2013 study done by Locket, an Android app that tracks how many times its users unlock their phones daily.

People are also checking their phones as a way to fidget.

Reaching for the phone is progressively becoming natural for my friends. One asked for a teacher’s opinion on a college and proceeded to take out his phone while she was answering. Though my friend claimed he didn’t unlock the screen and was just “touching” and “fiddling around” with it, his act shows how habitual the act of “reaching for the phone” is.

It’s also interesting to see teachers caring less and less about phone usage in class. Students now openly place phones on their desks during class (although some are courteous enough to flip them over). Of course, not all are waiting for a chance to check it, but I often hear buzzes or ringtones going off, telling the whole class that so and so just got a text. And when that happens, the person almost always checks it. Teachers might say something, but most of the time they only shoot the person a dirty look and carry on.

I don’t want teachers to be more strict—I think it’s awesome that our school is so relaxed, and I know our students usually don’t abuse this “privilege.” It’s simply further evidence that people checking their phones is very common.

But I still find it annoying, and I hate walking into the library to find my friends looking down at their phones.

I’m proud to be among the 12 percent of polled students who say they check fewer than 10 times a day. (I don’t participate in Twitter, Instagram or other social media.) Nonetheless, I just don’t see the reason to be on my phone when I can be talking to a real person or doing something productive.

So what can we do about phone-checkers? Take away their phones? That’d be ridiculous. Our school culture is not that.

“But the problem with my generation is that we’re constantly checking without limits and knowing when’s the right time.”

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10 Sports

The Octagon

March 18, 2014

Ancrum’s all-star lineup Coach Dave Ancrum gives the rundown on his top players.

“(Cole Johnson) has really matured this year.

He’s very talented and can do a lot.”

Eighth grader Jayce McCain takes a jump shot against a St. John the Evangelist defender in the league championship game on March 2. The Cavs won 46-35. (Photo by Elena Lipman)

“(B.J. Askew) is the brains of the operation. He’s always cool under pressure. No moment is too big for him.”

“(Jayce McCain) is the engine of the team. He makes them go and sets the table.”

Experienced team bounds over competition

By Elena Lipman

Reporter

T

he eighth-grade boys’ basketball team is undefeated, winning all tournaments and games, even a scrimmage against the high-school varsity.

Thus, athletes who plan to attend the high school should provide a big boost for the varsity team next year.

Eighth graders Cole Johnson, Jayce McCain, B.J. Askew and Reggie Fan all say they will return next year to play varsity.

Eighth grader Miles Edwards will also return, but it is unknown whether he will play on varsity or JV during his freshman year.

Johnson, McCain, Askew and Fan also play on teams outside of school in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).

The AAU is a multi-sport organization that promotes the development of sports programs.

Askew and McCain play for a team called 916 Select, ranked first in its division in Northern California. It also placed second in the Hype Sports Winter Jam 2014 tournament in Texas, playing against teams from all over the country.

And a 916 Select teammate of theirs, Rick Barros, also plans on attending SCDS next year to join them on varsity.

Fan said that playing on outside teams improves his game.

“You get more playing time and find yourself in more complicated situations during games,” Fan said.

McCain agrees.

“The games are faster and you have to think more,” McCain said.

Even though they balance several different basketball practices after school—sometimes every day—the athletes also spend their free time together, playing on the blacktop at lunch every day.

Coach Dave Ancrum said the team has worked really well together under pressure, even in their hardest game of the season in the Jesuit Junior Classic against St. John the Evangelist, whom they also played in the league championship.

In the first game against St. John the Evangelist, Askew shot the winning basket at the buzzer.

“Everyone was going crazy,” he said.

The team asserted their dominance over St. John the Evangelist a second time in the league championship, beating

“(Reggie Fan) is our most improved player.

He’s worked on his game every day in the summer.”

“(Miles Edwards) is a really good basketball player.

He’ll help the basketball team a lot next year.”

them 46-35 on March 2. “(St. John the Evangelist) is really tough, and they impose their will,” Ancrum said.

The boys are looking forward to playing against more competitive teams once they reach high school.

The team has also won the Holy Spirit/Sacred Heart, Jesuit and Christian Brothers tournaments.

In the league playoffs, they beat St. John Vianney, 55-25, in the first round, St. Roberts, 60-17, in the second round and St. John Notre Dame, 57-32, in the third round.

If the boys stay focused and continue to improve their game, Ancrum said that they could have a very successful high-school season.

They were 6-0 in league games.

The Octagon

March 18, 2014

The new classics:

Community11

Suggestions bring fresh ideas to summer reading “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Saenz.

The novel revolves around two teenage boys, Dante and ArisPage Editor totle, who strike up an unlikely friendship that eventually grows he night before school starts in the fall many stu- into love.

While some said that the “Fault in our Stars” is a book more dents are doing one of three things: 1) Skimming the summer reading book, desperate- likely to be read by girls, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” is told from a guy’s perspective. ly trying to find how it ends.

The book is a coming-of-age novel about two teenage boys.

2) Reading the ever-faithful SparkNotes version of the story.

“I think it’s relatable for teen3) Doing nothing and praying agers because we’re constantly the teacher won’t give a quiz or, even worse, ask them to write an “I think it’s relatable to teenagers questioning what we should be essay about it. because we’re constantly questioning doing,” Brown said. “Both of those boys come into problems But the problem, for the most what we should be doing.” similar to the ones we have and part, isn’t that students are un—Emma Brown, sophomore have to figure out how to overwilling to read over the summer. come them.”

It’s the books that are being asOther students advocated for signed that seem to make them avoid the task. books with historical context.

So what books would they prefer?

Junior Micaela Bennett-Smith and freshman Elena Lipman In a recent Octagon poll, the most suggested book for sumsaid they thought “The Book Thief ” by Markus Zusak mer reading was “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green.

“The Fault in Our Stars” is narrated by a 16-year-old cancer would be a great addition to the sophomore patient, Hazel Lancaster. At a support group she meets Augus- summer reading list.

“The Book Thief,” written from the point of tus Waters and falls in love with him.

“It’s one of those books that when you start reading it, you view of Death, is about the Holocaust.

Bennett-Smith said that this would tie have to read all of it at once because it’s really intense,” sophointo both English and history for sophomore Aidan Galati said.

“It’s great for the summer because it’s really emotional and mores since they study World War II in the World Cultures class. you’ll want to read it alone.”

“The Help” by Kathryn Stockett Junior Melissa Vazquez said she suggested the book because was also suggested, because it ties in it’s important and relatable.

“It’s modern and a lot of people can connect with the cancer with the junior U.S. history class.

The novel is about African-Ameraspect,” Vazquez said.

“Also, it’s not something guys would go out of their way to ican maids working in white households during the 1960s. It switches read, but if it was summer reading, they would enjoy it.”

English teacher Brooke Wells agrees. This year, Wells incor- back and forth between the points of porated “The Fault in our Stars” into the freshman English cur- view of the African-American maids and the white writer. riculum.

“At times it’s really funny and at Wells said his reason for picking it was that many students suggested it. In addition, he said he liked the strong female pro- times it’s heartbreaking,” senior Ryan Ho said. “It really hits you tagonist.

Many students echoed the sentiment that books about mod- that all these things probably actually happened.” ern teenagers would be great summer reading choices.

English teacher Patricia Fels has Sophomores Emma Brown and Sydney Michel suggested

By Aishwarya Nadgauda

T

taken the English and history connection into consideration when choosing her summer reading for next year.

She said the sophomores will read a biography of the person they want to do their sophomore project on.

In addition, she is assigning “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell to familiarize the sophomores with expository techniques they will use in the project.

Junior Anna Wiley prefers classics, particularly “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë, being read over the summer.

“They stuck around for so long for a reason,” Wiley said.

She said she particularly enjoyed “Jane Eyre” because Jane is a strong-willed woman.

Junior Grant Miner suggested “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams.

The humorous novel follows Arthur Dent, a radio-station employee, in his intergalactic adventures across space and time.

“Kids need to know how to make writing funny,” Miner said.

Junior Erin Reddy said she prefers books that are more interesting to teenagers, such as “Lord of the Rings.”

“Who knows? People might actually read it,” Reddy said.

Student-teacher ratio swells as even more join Algebra II Honors class

By Madison Judd Reporter

9:1.

This is what the Sacramento Country Day website advertises as the ratio of students to teachers in each class, on average.

But the Algebra II Honors class is nowhere close.

That class’s ratio is 21:1.

At the beginning of the school year, the class had 18 students.

Although 18 students is twice the advertised ratio, there were several reasons why the class wasn’t split up into two smaller sections.

Contractually, for a teacher to be considered full-time, they have to teach five classes.

Math teacher Patricia Jacobsen was given the Algebra II Honors class and four other courses before the school year began If Jacobsen had been given the addititional Algebra II Honors class, she wouldn’t have had a free period.

However, that option was not chosen.

Another reason for the lack of a split was that there weren’t any other teachers who could teach Algebra II Honors.

Last year, Jacobsen taught two sections of Algebra II Honors because her Geometry Honors class was given to chemistry teacher Alan Beamer.

However, since Beamer is no longer at Students in Patricia Jacobsen’s Algebra II Honors class fill every seat in the room, SCDS, Jacobsen had to take back the Geomeven the massage chair in the back. (Photo by Cissy Shi) etry Honors class and get rid of one of the Algebra II Honors classes.

With 21 students, the Algebra II Honors class is the largest Jacobsen has ever taught.

She said challenges include the high noise High-school classes by the numbers level and the distractions caused by teaching 21 eighth, ninth, and tenth graders in one classroom.

Biology of Sophomore Julia Owaidat agrees. the B-Movie “Since it is a small classroom, it doesn’t really matter if people are talking normally Ceramics or are whispering because we can hear everything they are saying anyway,” Owaidat said.

Latin IV Some students said they aren’t doing as well because of the class size.

“The hardest part of the class is that (JaFrench III cobsen) isn’t really able to have a one-on-one relationship with a student because of the AP English amount of younger students,” sophomore Jag Lally said.

Literature In the middle of the school year, Jacobsen attempted to split the large class into two sections. The plan was to teach one section Journalism during the elective period.

But this was unsuccessful, as only a few students could take the class then, Jacobsen equals one student said.

Size Matters

12 Feature

Dropping the formula, finding the voice

When senior Cissy Shi signed up for teacher Patricia Kelly’s studio art class her sophomore year, she was concerned she wouldn’t be able to keep up.

“I thought I needed extra help,” she said.

So she started studying with Richard Yang, her cousin’s private art tutor.

Yang is an independent artist who graduated from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art in China with a degree in oil painting.

He worked as a graphic designer, became art director of the company, and then taught art part time in middle school and college. For the past 20 years, he has been working in photography.

Shi is among a group of Chinese students at SCDS who take weekly art lessons outside of school with Yang.

Juniors Rio Liu and Layla Sun also work with him—Liu on scratchboard and oil painting and Sun on oil painting.

It turned out that Shi didn’t need Yang’s help for the studio art class. So in her lessons, she focused on painting, something she was interested in. As she further developed her painting skills, she decided to work on drawing as well.

But when Shi transitioned into AP Studio Art, she did need help.

In the AP class, the students were using art media, such as watercolor, that she had never used before. So Yang adjusted the schedule to help her on school projects.

Shi, who came to the United States her freshman year, said that in China, art is less important than all other subjects.

“The art classes in China are jokes,” she said.

Art was a class that students had less often, maybe once a week. The teacher wasn’t really inspiring either, she said.

Liu, who also came her freshman year, agrees. She said that students in China don’t focus on art and would sometimes do other homework in the art class. In China, Liu said, students drew only with pencils, worked on scratchboards and painted.

Often she had an art book with homework assignments.

“We just followed what they wanted us to do in the book,” she said.

Kelly said the Chinese approach to teaching art is formulaic. Students there build art skills by doing the same thing over and over and over again—like drawing eggs and apples, or copying the masters—until they have perfected their technique.

While Kelly agrees that copying does teach something, she said there’s also a limit to that benefit.

“Where do you break out of the mold?” she asked. “Where’s the personal voice? Where’s the creativity?”

Kelly said the Chinese students do learn to focus, which is conducive to art. But she thinks that “it’s really about looking and studying the piece, thinking about the interplay of light.”

Art teacher Andy Cunningham and Kelly said that spontaneity is hard to develop in the students who come from China.

Cunningham said he doesn’t have a strictly set curriculum, and his teaching philosophy is very different from that in China: “Let kids draw.”

He said it’s important for the Chinese students to accept their freedom to draw whatever they want to since they come to the school with such a high skill set.

Acknowledging that freedom, Cunningham said, will help the students “move in an area where they can do what they want to do with such awesome ability.”

Yang said he needs to explain to his students the important parts and outline of the process.

“In order to help students define their direction and style, I have them study visual art theory and explore masters’ works that are related,” he said. “During the process, I need to help them stay focused in their direction until complete.”

He said students experience struggles but enjoy the end result. Often he sees that they show what they’ve learned from copying masters in their later works.

Shi said that Yang gave her a lot of choices on what she wanted to do.

He does give students open-ended assignments, “recreation work by theme.”

“It is important for the students to have a diverse perspective on art,” he said.

“In the recreation process, students need to study the theme, brainstorm, establish a direction, define a style for the final view, produce, refine and finalize at the end.”

“Art is like everything else we do in life,” Shi said. “If you devote time to it, you will be able to see the progress you’re making.”

Liu said that when she does art, she feels nothing but the art itself.

“When I do some artwork, I can calm down,” she said.

She said she is sure that her future in college will involve art.

Shi said she does not plan to pursue art as a major but rather as a hobby or a club activity.

“I am sure I am better at math, to be honest,” she said.

Yang notices that Chinese students who receive American instruction begin to “express more talent of art in their work.”

“My ultimate goal is to create satisfaction for students and their parents from learning art,” he said.

Shi said that Yang’s class filled in the blanks she had from learning art in China.

And the combination of instruction from Kelly and Yang helped her to improve a lot, she said.

“Ms. Kelly’s class gave me the freedom to say what I want in my artwork. Mr. Yang’s class gave me the language, the ability to express myself.”

By Zoe Bowlus

The Octagon

March 18, 2014

Eastern students study a Western approach to art

Original painting by Rio Liu; graphic by Connor Martin