September 2012 by The Octagon

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Why caps and gowns aren’t a good idea for Country Day graduation.

SCDSOCTAGON.COM

VOL. XXXVI, NO. 1

Our junior reviewer doesn’t much like an East Sac hipster breakfast restaurant.

September 11, 2012

Points of Interest Enrollment

Renovations like a colonnade and tile roofs create a “Mediterranean” setting in the high-school quad. (Photo by Kelsi Thomas)

Contemporary renovations transform quad according to headmaster Stephen Repsher. They found that solution in the PPRRSM, or Provision for Plant Renewal, Repair and Editor-in-Chief Special Maintenance fund. This fund contains money designated for n open vaulted awning. Windows “capital projects,” or investments that leave practically from ﬂoor to ceiling. An elevated and elegant platform for behind concrete improvements to the school rather than simply contributing to day-to-day the classrooms and lawn. operating expenses. A few months ago this would hardly have deUsing approximately $435,000 from this fund scribed the high school. and others, the school embarked on a complete But the decaying 21-year-old portables have update of the high-school quad, as well as most had a rather dramatic facelift. of its classrooms, over the summer. Over the summer they were refurbished and Carpets, wall sidings, doors and windows revitalized along with the rest of the quad. were replaced in all but two of the classrooms After the Newton Booth plan for the reloca- surrounding the quad, and a massive vaulted tion of the high school fell through early last colonnade was added over the central row. year, the school immediately began looking for Around the quad only rooms 1 and 2 (used solutions to improve already existing facilities, by teachers Brooke Wells and Patricia Dias)

By Jeffrey Caves

Soph trip relocates to ‘dude ranch’ By Emma Williams

Reporter

hen PE teacher Michelle Myers was five years old, she spent her first summer at an equestrian camp, Copper Creek Ranch in Quincy, Calif. “I was learning to jump a horse at five!” Myers said. “Are you kidding? I was so there. I stayed the whole summer and I loved it!” Now, Myers will be revisiting her past this fall as a chaperone on the new sophomore trip. For years sophomores have been spending their trip rafting on the American River. Due to a lack of water, however, the trip has been changed to four days at the Greenhorn Creek Guest Ranch in Quincy. Because of the low snow level last winter, power companies have limited water releases and can guarantee only enough water to raft on weekends during October. Since the upperclassman Ashland trip is in October and all the high school trips must take place during See Sophomore trip, page 7

were left relatively untouched. Louis Kaufman, a local architect and Country Day parent who consulted on the design of the middle school in 2011, oversaw the project with input from both the administration and the Buildings and Grounds Committee of the Board of Trustees. “The main challenge was to create a strong sense of place, so the landscaping and architecture were focused on redeﬁning the high school as a unique space,” Kaufman said. However, the color palette, door and lighting ﬁxtures and window styles from the lower school buildings were reincorporated into the high school. “The school has always had an emphasis on Mediterranean architecture,” Kaufman said. See Renovations, page 7

No more tests—computer proficiency exam eliminated by curriculum changes those. Students had to create documents to show their competence in each part—documents, simple Copy Editor slide shows, spreadsheets and graphs. Microsoft Word is a basic prerequisite for all ight before taking final exams, students are always reminded: don’t for- English classes—by high school, nearly everyone get to take your computer proficiency can use it. “Most (students) know enough about it that test —you need it to graduate. we don’t have to show them how to input docuBut starting this year, that pesky little exam is ments,” English teacher Brooke Wells said. no more. PowerPoint and Excel, on the other hand, are The programs it tested—Microsoft Word, introduced intentionally into the sophomore curPowerPoint and Excel—all have a niche in rericulum via the sophomore project and the required high school courses, making the test unquired chemistry class, respectively. necessary. Chemistry teacher Alan Beamer sets aside two “We felt it was more effective to have it within weeks near the beginning of the year to teach his the content of the students Excel, which he academic classes,” later tests them on. Sue Nellis, head Beamer also requires of high school, students to use Excel for said. lab reports throughout the “There were year. always problems Beamer has always (getting people taught Excel in his curricuto take the test). lum—even before he came Everybody evento Country Day—as Excel tually did it, but is the most-used program it was somein the world, he said. times like pulling His first year teaching at teeth.” Country Day, however, he The test was did not include Excel. So split into three Tom Wroten, director of technology, helps this year’s seniors who did parts—one for sophomores Lauren Larrabee and Tori Peffer- not continue to AP Chemeach program— le with their new laptops, which will be incor- istry weren’t exposed to so students could porated into their classes and help eliminate the program. fail specific parts the Word, PowerPoint and Excel proficiency See Requirements, page 7 and retake only tests. (Photo by Will Wright)

By Garrett Kaighn

Country Day may be turning away prospective students this year for the first time in three years. Grades four, six, seven and nine are all full and any more students seeking admission to these grades will be placed on a waitlist, according to Lonna Bloedau, director of admissions. As a whole, Country Day opened this year with a total enrollment of 469 students, one more than last year. As of Sept. 7, there were 474 students enrolled. In the high school, enrollment was 135 as of Sept. 7, compared to last year’s 131. None of the four high-school classes have dropped in size, and five new international students joined the freshman and sophomore classes. The lower school lost a total of 25 students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, second, third and new students in the middle school led to “incremental growth in the right direction (overall),” Bloedau said. —Maxwell Shukuya

Stolen laptop On orientation day, Aug. 27, math teacher Chris Millsback left his computer on his desk before going to the high-school orientation meeting. Since desks and other furniture were still being moved in, the room was unlocked at the time. When he returned, Millsback realized his school-issued Macbook Pro was missing. Nothing else was stolen, but the value of the brand new computer was approximately $1200. The school did not contact police and, according to Tom Wroten, director of technology, the tracking software installed on the computer has been unable to locate it. In light of the incident, teachers have been advised to store cabinets. —Skovran Cunningham

Pacemaker nomination For the second year in a row, the Octagon has been nominated maker award, often referred to as the Pulitzer Prize of Journalism. The Octagon has entered over 17 times, but has been nominawinning once in 2002. The Pacemaker winners will be announced Saturday, Nov. 17, at the JEA/NSPA Fall National Journalism Convention in San Antonio, Texas. —Mary-Clare Bosco

2 Community

The Octagon

September 11, 2012

Students travel over 9000 miles to Rwanda Above: Sophomore Micaela Bennett-Smith (second from right) shows Mansi a video of himself reciting English words. At right: Senior Donald Hutchinson and a Gasiza Secondary School student carry stones uphill for the foundation of new school buildings. Below: Junior Patrick Talamantes plays “car” with an orphan child in Rulindo. Students brought gifts such as Frisbees, stuﬀed animals and toothbrushes. (Photos courtesy of Elena Bennett)

Senior bonds with host family, assists village in Paraguay By Madeleine Wright

Editor-in-Chief

n a sparse field in Paraguay, two groups of children crouch facing each other, their small fingers digging into the soft dirt. Their eyes flicker between senior Jacob Frankel, who stands out of the field of play, and the object in between themselves and their opponents: a dirty, wrapperless water bottle. Then Frankel makes his move. “Cuatro!” he

By Ryan Ho

Page Editor

ive high-school students spent a month in Rwanda, Africa, in July, learning about the history of the country and leading community service projects at a number of organizations, including The Rulindo School. Led by Elena Bennett, lower-school music teacher, the team—composed of seniors Donald Hutchinson, Brandon Mysicka, and Brandon Pefferle, junior Patrick Talamantes, and sophomore Micaela BennettSmith—joined Chico High School and C. K. McClatchy High School to embark on their 21-hour trip to Kigali, Rwanda, July 7. The trip was organized by Afripeace, a nonprofit organization which aims to promote peace and conflict resolution between Africa and the U.S. through education and community development. From going on a safari in Akagera National Park to swimming in Lake Kivu, the group also shopped at traditional markets, attended special lectures at the University of Rwanda and visited museums. However, a trip to the Murambi Genocide Memorial Centre impacted the students in indescribable ways. The memorial was a school, the exact site where 20,000-40,000 Rwandans were massacred, and their bones preserved. Bennett-Smith especially remembered seeing the skeleton of a child with chopped-off ankles and of a person with arms frozen in the air as if trying to shield himself from an attack. “They told us it would be powerful,” Pefferle said, “but looking back, words can’t even describe how I felt. I’ve never seen a dead body before.” But the somber experience contributed to the students’ gradual understanding of Rwanda’s recovery from the genocide. In Kayonza, the Afripeace students met the women from the Association of the Widows of Rwanda (AVEGA), who are genocide survivors. Bennett-Smith remembered asking them whether they hate the United States, since the country did shouts, and the game begins. One child from each group launches themselves to their feet and races as fast as they can toward the water bottle that at any other point in time would be a piece of trash. But today the water bottle is not waste. It is the “Mandioca” (a starchy, white root vegetable available at every meal), as in the game “Steal the Mandioca”—or as you probably know it, “Steal the Bacon.” And this was only one of the games Frankel played with these children this summer. As a volunteer with Amigos de las Américas, a nonprofit organization that, according to their website, aims to inspire and build young leaders through collaborative community development and immersion, Frankel spent eight weeks in a small village of 200, working with elementary-aged children as well as the rest of the community. While there, he

little to help Rwanda during the genocide. “They said no because we had helped them afterwards,” she recalled. “Lots of people don’t know about the genocide and think it’s still going on, but Rwanda is so peaceful. The kids are just like us, and it’s important to keep a relationship with them and try to support them. Everyone is trying to move forward.” And that feeling was only intensified when they arrived at The Rulindo School for their second community service project. To the students’ surprise, The Rulindo School, a term so commonly used, turned out to be misleading, since there are actually seven schools in the Rulindo “community,” and the group was only visiting the main campus. Welcomed by Father Onosphere, a line of drummers and the welcoming committee, the Country Day and Chico teams settled in the rooms of the parish in preparation for the work ahead. The project was to construct floors and install windows in classrooms of the Gasiza Secondary School. “It was extremely arduous,” said Mysicka. “We had to go all the way down the hill and carry up anywhere from 15-30 pounds of stones.” But throughout the project, the team wasn’t alone. Although the school was not in session, many Rwandan students came to help, even if they lived far away. For example, a girl Bennett-Smith met lived 45 minutes away. “It was awful,” Bennett-Smith said. “I thought about how she has to walk that every day.” And through working and interacting with Rwandan children and adults, the students observed that the people had moved past the genocide. “Watching Patrick playing with bubbles with three children was one of the cutest things ever,” wrote Mysicka in his blog. “It just goes to show that Rwanda is not just a country scarred with genocide, but a recovered, growing and happy region.” Although the team was unable to finish the project because it had only five days, to Hutchinson, it was the effort that was important. “Our ability to work was the highlight of the trip,” he said. “We were actually giving something other than money.”

was attempting to “apo no audior” or “assist, not help.” “A lot of people who do community service say, ‘We’re going to go to help the poor people’—but that’s not what we were doing,” Frankel said. “We were going to get the youth involved, to facilitate working together.” Frankel initially heard about the organization from Spanish teacher Patricia Portillo who, two years before, had suggested Sarah Fleming, ’11, volunteer with them. Once Frankel told his parents about Amigos, he learned they, too, had volunteered with the organization while they were in college. He applied to Amigos programs in Peru, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Nicaragua, and nine months later found himself dropped oﬀ by a bus in the tiny camSee Paraguay, page 6

Senior Jacob Frankel and his host dad, Miguel. (Photo courtesy of Frankel)

The Octagon

Sports 3

September 11, 2012

SPORTS

FALL

Senior Elise DeCarli serves the ball during the Cavaliers’ 3-0 victory over the Waldorf Waves. Their 3-1 pre-season record includes a win over Victory Christian, the team they lost to in the section championships. (Photo by Will Wright)

At left, senior Jacob Frankel, four-year member of the cross-country team, sprints to the ﬁnish line. He ﬁnished with a time of 15:40 at Del Oro High School, Aug. 30. (Photo by Kelsi Thomas)

At right, senior Logan Winﬁeld dribbles through aWaldorf Waves defender, Aug. 24. Seniors Morgan BennettSmith and Donald Hutchinson combined for three goals while Winﬁeld scored one. (Photo by Kelsi Thomas)

At left, senior Jianna Gudebski hits the ball at the waiting Waldorf Waves. So far this season Gudebski has 13 kills. (Photo by Will Wright)

Junior Darby Bosco cools oﬀ after a hot 5K race in 95-degree weather. Bosco ﬁnished with a time of 20:40 at the Del Oro meet in front of the cheering crowd (at right). (Photo by Kelsi Thomas)

At left, senior Logan Winﬁeld and sophomore Erik Morﬁn-Ruiz mount an attack on the Capital Christian defense. Country Day went on to lose the game, 4-0, in their only loss in The Cougar Classic tournament, Aug. 29. The Cavs took second place. (Photo by Kelsi Thomas)

4 Editorial

The Octagon

September 11, 2012

By Margaret Whitney

My Angle

Texas: it’s really cool

EDITORIAL: caps and gowns are overrated

f you’ve ever been to a public high-school graduation, you know it is nothing like Country Day’s. At other schools’ graduations there is a big auditorium. Every ticket is claimed. Hundreds and hundreds of identical caps and gowns sit in neat rows. The three-hour-plus service seems never-ending as student after unknown student marches across the stage. Recently seniors Natalie Polan and Jianna Gudebski petitioned the administration to have seniors wear caps and gowns at the 2013 graduation. Their argument: “We want a traditional graduation.” But wearing caps and gowns does not make it a traditional graduation. Instead, it takes away the uniqueness of our ceremony. We embrace our non-conformist ways here by toasting or roasting every senior. Only such a tightknit community such as our own has the opportunity to do this. Another part of this individuality is the seniors’ freedom to dress in a personalized, yet classy, style. Our graduation is this way on purpose. We can afford to be unique because of the small class sizes. “Country Day is such a special place and we are treated as adults, and that is represented at graduation through the roasts the teachers give us,” Meredith

Bennett-Smith, ‘06, said. “And the individuality of everyone not looking the same on stage along with the roasts really showcases each individual’s personality.” Therefore, why would we try to mimic something that we are not? If they want a traditional graduation, then should we eliminate the toasts and roasts? It’s hard to imagine the traditional individuality of this event with everyone looking the same up on the stage. The high-school faculty is unanimous in their opinion that each student should dress as they please. Anyone who wants to wear a cap and gown is welcome to. Not only will these seniors be attempting to ruin an unbroken “non-tradition,” but they will also be trying to force those students who are opposed to caps and gowns into wearing something they are not comfortable with on one of the most memorable nights of their lives. It is understandable that some seniors may have imagined their graduation day for years—tossing their tassled caps high in the air along with a few hundred other clones. But that is simply not what Country Day is about. We are about celebrating individuality, not conformity.

The Octagon Editors-In-Chief Jeffrey Caves Yanni Dahmani Madeleine Wright Copy Editor Garrett Kaighn Business Manager Jeffrey Caves News Editor Mary-Clare Bosco Editorial Editor Ryan Ho Community Editor Connor Martin Sports Editors Micaela Bennett-Smith Morgan Bennett-Smith Skovran Cunningham Centerpoint Editor Madeleine Wright Opinion Editor Darby Bosco Feature Editors Yanni Dahmani

Kamira Patel Online Editor David Myers Photo Editors Kelsi Thomas Will Wright Reporters Annie Bell Zoe Bowlus Emma Brown Elise DeCarli Eric Hilton Madison Judd Grant Miner Aishwarya Nadgauda Max Shukuya Manson Tung Anthony Valdez Emma Williams Foreign Correspondent Margaret Whitney Cartoonist Shewetha Prasad Adviser Patricia Fels

The Octagon is published eight times a year by high-school journalism students of Sacramento Country Day School, 2636 Latham Drive, Sacramento, Calif. 95864. Phone: (916) 481-8811, ext. 347. Email: octagon@saccds.org, Web address: http://www. scdsoctagon.com.

Orchids

Onions O nions

t’s funny. When I would tell people I was moving to Texas, the conversation always fell into the same pattern: after the initial why’s and when’s, we’d inevitably start in on the stereotypes. Had I bought my hat and boots yet? How would I survive all those Republicans? Would I get an accent? Now I’ve only been here a couple of weeks, and, though I have yet to encounter any gun-toting, hatwearing, fervently patriotic Romney-voters strolling down the street, I have encountered my fair share of Texas clichés. There are the occasional “honey”s and “y’all”s (our realtor, for one, was an apparent devotee to “Southern Hospitality”); I’ve seen a few pairs of boots clicking their way through the halls at school; and I expect the Republicans will come out in force now that Mitt’s officially nominated. The masses have, however, proved dead wrong on one point: forget the heat and humidity—Texas is cold. This week there was an average high of 90 degrees and the humidity hasn’t dipped below 70 percent, but, short of reading an actual weather report, you’d never have guessed it. You see, the old adage “everything’s bigger in Texas” is proving to be all too relevant, especially when it comes to AC. In Houston they don’t cool; they refrigerate. Step into almost any building and you’re greeted by the icy waft and gentle hum of the busy machines as they work exhaustively, over-compensating for the rising heat outside. At my new school the unofficial uniform seems to be some combination of pants, long-sleeves and sweaters. And it’s September. You feel a little ridiculous sweating through the early morning heat of the parking lot, but such preparations are necessary to survive the icy breeze inside. It was incredibly disorienting exploring the quaint Woodlands Market Street right after moving down here. I’d duck into stores to escape the mid-July swelter, only to find myself looking for a sweatshirt. Oftentimes the only things warm about a place are the people. Most everyone (yes, even the ladies at the DMV) has been more than hospitable. For instance, one neighbor, an outgoing lady with a bubbly personality and bashful beagle, gives our yellow lab treats whenever she passes our front gate. She also brought over a heaping plateful of chocolate-chip cookies to welcome us to our suburb, The Woodlands, but only when she knew the whole family would be home to enjoy them together. (Hectic summer schedules kept at least one of us absent most of the summer.) And thus you have the great paradox of Texas life: they welcome you in while freezing you out. (Junior Margaret Whitney will contribute regular columns from her new home in Houston.)

rchids to. . . the Harvego family and Parents’ Association for donating and distributing free spirit T-shirts to the whole school.

nions to. . . the removal of the drinking fountain by the senior lockers. It used to provide the coldest water in the high school.

nions to. . . the vending machine for not accepting debit cards. This issue has continued since last year, and it’d be nice to have it fixed.

rchids to. . . the Student Council for implementing new fun events on Olympics Day, such as the dunk tank. What a brilliant opportunity to dunk Mr. Beamer!

The Octagon

: By Connor Martin

Page Editor

Opinion 5

September 11, 2012

Long wait, way too many flies: East Sac hipster breakfast place just doesn’t live up to all its hype

almost 25 minutes to arrive, and it was only decent. The blueberry cornmeal pancakes ($8.95) had a great texture around the edges with a perfect amount of fresh blueberries in the batter, although towards the center, the pancakes were doughy. The pesto scramble ($8.50) is made with delicious house made pesto, but the texture was monotonously soft and mushy. Aside from eggs, it included only grilled zucchini and tomatoes, so there was no interesting textural element.

from Hispanic oﬀerings to Asian stir fries, as well as the traditional American breakfast fare. According to Antoine, the service is always slow. “I go to Orphan knowing that it’s going to take a long time,” she said. When I mentioned that I was turned oﬀ by the dirty seat cushions, she responded, “I haven’t noticed (them), but it wouldn’t surprise me since (Orphan) is a hipster place.”

undreds of Yelp reviews urged me to try Orphan Breakfast House (3440 C St.), many of which claimed that this is by far the best breakfast in Sacramento. So why, then, was I so disappointed? Orphan serves breakfast until they close at 2 p.m. Although they offer a lunch menu, breakfast is the restaurant’s focus. From the outside, Orphan’s façade is just as depressing as its name. The exterior walls are covered with olive green stucco and black awnings. And the “h” in the Orphan logo is created by a somewhat creepy silhouette of an adult holding a child’s hand. Known for its nonconformist style, the interior decor includes syrup dispensers made from old Coke bottles, and the ATM machine (Orphan doesn’t accept credit cards) has been decorated to read, “B-ATM-AN.” My party of three sat outside on the pa- An Orphan waitress pours hot water over coffee grounds then stirs the coftio on a Wednesday fee while it drips into cups. Orphan is known for roasting its own beans and afternoon, anxious for brewing each cup of coffee individually. (Photo by Will Wright) the food all those reviews raved about. Between bites, we constantly swatted Antoine noted that We sat in the sun for almost 10 minutes flies away from our food. I noticed other she enjoys the unconvenwithout water or a menu. tional qualities of Orphan. tables had the same problem. When the waiter arrived, we ordered For instance, she pointed out that one I thought I would be forever done with water and coffee. The heat became too Orphan, but my friends expressed shock can order a multivitamin or an American much, so we decided to move indoors. Spirit cigarette (both for 75 cents each). when they heard about my experience. The booths, padded with fabric cushAfter talking with Antoine and Guliani, Nicole Antoine and Parul Guliani, ’11, ions, seemed inviting at first, but a closer are both frequent customers at Orphan. I better understood Orphan’s mystique. inspection revealed dirt and stains. Guliani says Orphan is one of the first On my first visit, I went nitpicking everyThe menu, however, was impressive. places she suggests when meeting friends thing that wasn’t perfect, so I was bound It boasted a huge variety from banana- for lunch. to be unimpressed. I wasn’t prepared for blackberry pancakes ($8.95) to breakfast “It’s the best breakfast place I’ve ever the laid back, unconventional style. tamales ($8.50) to the “Zen Breakfast” been to (in Sacramento),” Guliani said. “It But, if I go back in the winter (when complete with brown rice, grilled tofu reminds me a lot of New York cafes.” flies won’t be a problem), seeking that and scrambled egg whites ($8.50). Guliani, a sophomore at Columbia Uni- hipster style, I’ll ignore the slow service Unfortunately, that creative food took versity, loves the diversity of the menu, and maybe get myself a multivitamin.

By Jeffrey Caves

Cooking in the Cave

Unlocking tomatoes’ juicy secrets

cannot believe it has taken me this long to write a column on the finest of fruits. The words should have come easily to me. And yet they did not, as a rather angry journalism adviser can attest to. The tomato is an organism of such importance that the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on whether it was a fruit or vegetable (I’m not kidding. They actually ruled on it and came down on the vegetable side.). It is impossible to describe the delight of those few months when fresh tomatoes are available. And indeed the length of that season is one of the main benefits of being a Californian. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration, as is the assertion that disliking fresh tomatoes in California is tantamount to sedition. Nevertheless, those claiming to dislike fresh tomatoes have likely been deprived of a good one. Sweet, juicy and pleasantly acidic, a good tomato represents everything summer can be. Add some olive oil, a few shreds of mozzarella from the milk of the Italian water buffalo (yes, a water buffalo) and perhaps a splash of balsamic vinegar to lend it that deep, nuanced acidity, and you have something truly remarkable. A quick trip to any farmers market in the state will show you what the tomato can be. This time of year stands are filled to bursting— Cherokee purples, green zebras, brandywines, tomatoes so dark purple they verge on black—and every bin is a myriad of colors and tastes. The tomato is a New World fruit, a member of the deadly nightshade family and therefore considered poisonous by many in Europe for centuries even as other New World exports like beans, corn, potatoes (and syphilis) spread widely. Perhaps because of its supposedly deadly heritage (guilt by association at its worst), it was regarded as inedible for centuries in Europe. And yet one day a brave Italian thought to char that strange orange fruit (yes, tomatoes all used to be orange) and created a sauce that would unlock the full potential of pasta. I am speaking, of course, of tomato sauce. Now it is certain that a fresh tomato—perfectly grown and perfectly ripe—is superior to any method of cooking it. A great tomato sauce, however, comes closest to rivaling that glory. Here is the unfortunate truth: tomato sauce is barely Italian at best. I don’t just mean that it is made from an American fruit; I mean that in most of Italy it lacks the spicy garlicky wonderfulness that we associate it with. It is enjoyed rarely in the north of Italy, and one has to go as far south as Sicily to regularly encounter the intense flavors that mark the best examples of its American cousin. That’s right—by and large it is the American version that is superior. Now savor that statement, for it is not one you will hear me say often. A great tomato sauce has four things in common: chilies, garlic, herbs, and finally something that few would ever think of in a tomato sauce and that sounds disgusting to those who have not tried it— anchovies. That’s right: those little fish that only bizarre human beings—beyond the scope of my understanding—like on top of their pizza are key to the good sauce below. Granted, the sauce is not bad without them, but it lacks the depth of flavor, the intensity that these morsels bring to the party. But as I said before, making sauce from tomatoes, even a great sauce, is at best a compromise. A perfect tomato at the height of the season, sprinkled with nothing but salt, pepper and basil, is something that is not just quintessentially Italian but representative of all that is great about food. Find Chef Jeff ’s recipe for tomato sauce at “Cooking in the Cave” at www.scdsoctagon.com.

6 Feature

The Octagon

September 11, 2012

Alumna comes full circle

Covey returns to teach second grade By Aishwarya Nadgauda Reporter

Second grade teacher Alexis Covey, ’02, helps six-year-old Tommy Goyette with a spelling assignment. It was the class’s ﬁrst spelling lesson. (Photo by Will Wright)

fter 10 years, Country Day is welcoming back one of its own. Alexis Covey, ’02, has joined the Country Day staﬀ as a second grade teacher replacing Sue Ryan, now the lower-school librarian. Covey, now 28, was encouraged by her parents Jacqueline DeLu and Michael Covey, who taught at Country Day from 1998 to 2005. DeLu taught life science, and Michael taught chemistry and is currently teaching gardening at Country Day. Covey attended Skidmore College where she majored in child psychology. Covey took a part time job working with children in My Gym, a gymnastics and play program for young children, while she attended college. Covey considered quitting her job to focus on her studies, but realized that this was not what she wanted. “I realized I loved teaching and nothing was stopping me from doing that,” Covey said. Covey obtained her teaching credentials from Sacramento State University after working at My Gym and decided to teach at a public school. Since she attended Country Day, Covey knew students would already get a good education here. However, she felt that the same was not true of public schools and she could better serve children there.

She spent a year as a long-term substitute at Regency Park Elementary School, in Sacramento. At public schools it was difficult to make sure all the students had a sufficient grasp of the topic, Covey said. The large class sizes made it impossible for her to give individual attention to students during class time. “It was very frustrating not being able to help the kids there,” Covey said. On occasion, Covey had to cut in on their art-activity time or when they were playing a math game to help them keep up. “Students who needed extra help had to miss out on other valuable learning opportunities just to stay afloat,” she said. Covey says she looks forward to the more “open (SCDS) curriculum.” “This flexibility makes all the difference in the world,” Covey said. She says that at public schools if a teacher spends more time trying to develop a skill they fall behind schedule and its difficult to make that time up. But working at Country Day will be a “big transition,” Covey said. For one, the technology is different. Covey is accustomed to using a Smartboard, a digital, touch-sensitive whiteboard. She’s excited to use the iPad’s that Country Day has introduced to the lower school. “It’s different technology that I haven’t used before but it’s exciting. Plus it looks cool,” Covey said. Covey describes the faculty as “fun without being unprofessional.” She enjoyed the faculty meeting in August when Patricia Fels, junior English teacher, wore a wig and did a rap to encourage teachers to donate to the school. “I needed to come back to where my roots are and pursue what makes sense for me,” Covey said.

Paraguay: language problems, snarling dogs & warm cookies (Continued from page 2) po (countryside or village) of Cerro Cora with only a small packet of information, his bag, and Val Frank, his partner in the mission. And with three parts to Frankel’s project, that’s exactly what it was—a mission. Over the course of the eight weeks, Frankel and his partner would have to organize the Campamentos, Somos el Presente, and a Community Based Initiative (CBI). The Campamentos (“Camps”) and Somos el Presente (“We are the Present”) were time devoted to working with the youth of the campo. Campamentos took place once a day—Frankel and Frank would divide the older kids (third and fourth graders) from the younger kids and work with each group for one hour, educating them on topics such as reforestation, oral hygiene and proper eating habits. Each topic was introduced with a game such as “Toothbrush Tag,” “Tree Club,” or the ever-popular “Steal the Mandioca.” But working with the children wasn’t easy, and language quickly became a barrier. Because the younger children had not been exposed to Spanish in the school as long, many of the children spoke only Guaraní, the local language of the campo (Spanish is confined mainly to the cities, as it is the language of commerce). “I had been told some people spoke Guaraní, but it wasn’t very prominent, and that the rest spoke Spanish,” Frankel said. “But every person in my community spoke Guaraní perfectly, and not a lot of Spanish.” Somos el Presente occurred less frequently. Twice a week for an hour, Frankel and Frank led a photography class, which culminated in the kids taking photos with film cameras supplied by Amigos and entering their pictures in a project-wide competition. The final part of the mission, the CBI, was to organize a project that the entire community decided on. Frankel and his partner acted as facilitators, not laborers, and with the $350 awarded to them by Amigos, funded the building of a pileta, or dishwashing station. The community had wanted to build a kitchen for their school, but it exceeded the budget. So Frankel and Frank applied for a grant of $1000 to build the kitchen—and they got it. A fundraiser was organized within the community to demonstrate the project was something everyone wanted and the commu-

nity was not “leeching oﬀ an American community service organization,” and a festival was held at the local school. In support of the fundraiser, Frankel and Frank made and sold chocolate chip cookies. The pair, along with Frankel’s two host brothers, walked an hour into the nearest pueblo to buy the ingredients. The store didn’t have chocolate chips, so they settled on a chocolate bar, and instead of butter, they had to buy margarine. They baked the cookies at Frankel’s host uncle’s house in their convection oven—the only one Frankel knew of in the community. “We wanted to give them something American—everyone in that entire community had given us so much, from food to companion-

And while Frankel did live with his host parents, they were not the only family he grew close to over the eight weeks he was there. Because his host mom could not afford to feed him every day, she set up a system with the rest of the families in the campo for Frankel to rotate from house to house for various meals. It was on one of these treks across the campo that Frankel and Frank came across a “different” member of the community. A very poor woman with her three children and three dogs lived off the path through the woods in a home Frankel described as “some boards nailed up in a circle.” The children didn’t attend school (and therefore did not know Spanish), and no one in the family

At center, senior Jacob Frankel stands at the top of El Cerro with his host brothers, their friends, and his Amigos partner, Val Frank (far right). The day-long hike up El Cerro was an activity that all the youth of Cerro Cora did at least once. (Photo courtesy of Frankel) ship, and we felt like we needed to give back,” Frankel said. Despite the time commitment of his project, Frankel feels it was the time he spent with his host family (his parents, Miguel and Ignasia, his brothers, Demitrio, Angel and Isidrio, and his sisters, Belen and Elisa) he will remember the most. “My host dad is one of my favorite people,” he said. “On Sundays when the rest of my family went to visit the grandparents, he and I would just hang out all day. One time we talked about what happens after you die. Another time we chopped down sugar cane and fed it to cows.”

brushed their teeth. It was dark. Frankel and Frank were making their way back to their homes, when out of the bushes three snarling dogs surrounded and circled them. “They were the largest dogs I ever saw there—I stopped short, held my hands up in surrender and tried to ‘shh’ them. They ran away, but from that point on whenever we walked by the house at night we carried sticks and stones,” Frankel said. Still, the pair was circled two more times before the end of the trip, and then one evening in the middle of dinner his host uncle heard barking.

“He grabbed a gun, ran outside and we heard two shots,” Frankel said. “He came back in, his mood no different, and told us he had shot the dogs.” The dogs had belonged to the woman. “(My host uncle) was perfectly fine—the dogs had been trying to steal his chickens, but they were all this woman had,” he said. On some days Frankel’s host mother couldn’t find a house for him to eat at—so she sent them to school to have lunch. He remembers one occasion when the teachers prepared a meal of seared chicken, potato salad, bread and guarana soda. Also having lunch were the school children, but rather than the teachers sharing the food they had prepared for Frank and Frankel with them, all the kids got were bowls of rice. “The kids just sat there and watched us eat our heaping plates of food,” Frankel said. “I felt like Major Major Major from ‘Catch-22’ when he’s promoted and Milo makes him eat better food than the rest of the men.” But Frankel’s frequent visits to all households in the campo were marked by more positive experiences than negative ones. “I became part of the community—everyone knows everyone, and everyone is family. People just call you over, offer you some yerba mate (a highly caffeinated herbal tea) or some food, like tortillas or beef stew. That’s how it is,” he said. And returning to the United States made Frankel realize just how different the countries actually are. “Here it is so different—coming back to all the hustling and bustling is super weird. In Paraguay, everything is tranquilo (“calm”). People say come at 3 p.m, you show up at 6 p.m. Ninety nine percent of the time I was just sitting around, talking to people.” The night before Frankel returned home, his host mom went into labor. Frankel was home with his host parents and sisters, and his host dad approached him, saying he needed to take his wife to the hospital and needed Frankel to stay to watch Belen and Elisa. “He was saying he trusted me as a member of the family. I didn’t realize until then how much the Amigos idea meant to me.” The next day, Frankel and Frank took a bus out of the campo and flew home. One week later, Frankel received a call saying the kitchen and pileta were complete—and the entire community, including the youth, had showed up to build them.

The Octagon

Remainder 7

September 11, 2012

Frosh pack soph French III class By Micaela Bennett-Smith

Page Editor

rench teacher Richard Day is thrilled to be teaching in a newly renovated classroom. But the large windows, new cabinetry and fresh paint job accompany another change that is less noticeable, but even more welcomed by Day: more students in the seats. A look into the sixth-period French III class reveals 15 students, making it one of the largest French classes in Day’s 15-year tenure at the school, as well as one of the youngest. Four freshmen are enrolled in French III, a more advanced level than usual. Middle-school students have traditionally enrolled in French I in seventh and eighth grades, before moving to French II their ﬁrst year of high school. But three years ago, Melissa Albrand, middle-school French teacher, changed her curriculum so that French I began in sixth grade and eighth graders took French II. “The lower-school French program has gained so much momentum since the arrival of Madame (Patricia) Naylor ﬁve years ago,” Albrand said. “By the time students come to sixth grade, they have the necessary foundation and background to begin a more rigorous program.”

While the high-school French program saw no change in the number of overall students this year, the uptick in students taking higher level French classes has Day optimistic that more will continue on to AP French. “We’ve averaged between eight and 10 students (in French III) the last few years,” Day said. “I’m obviously hoping to have larger AP classes (in the future).”

The disparity still exists—there are 27 French students in the high school compared to the 37 students in Latin and 49 in Spanish. But even given the gap between students enrolling in French and the other languages, AP French in particular has suffered from low enrollment. Just four students have taken AP French in the past five years, although more than 40 took at least French II. There are currently eight students in AP Spanish. “This is the fi rst year that At the very least, “this is the first year that I’ve been concerned about I’ve been concerned space in my classroom,” Day said. about the space in my One thing Day is not concerned about, however, is a different classclassroom.” room dynamic, even with a mix of –Richard Day, French teacher older and younger students. “(Day and I) have been working side by side so that we’re at the same place Sue Nellis, head of high school, said with our students,” Albrand said. “The students have really met the that the unusual enrollment figures in French III didn’t cause any more prob- challenge,” she said. Freshman Jenny Kerbs admitted to lems than what advanced students in math and other world languages usu- being a little intimidated initially in a French III class that is usually just for ally do. “Because students will take the AP sophomores, but said, “Now that I rea year before they ‘normally’ would, alize that they’re all nice and welcomit might affect what other AP classes ing I feel that it’s going to be a good they will and won’t be able to take,” year.” Day said he expects his now small Nellis said. This has historically not been an French II class to also benefit from issue for the French program, which the shift in enrollment. “There are three very lucky students has not had as many students enrolled compared to the Spanish or Latin pro- who will get my undivided attention!” he said. grams.

Requirements: senior class first to benefit

Sophomore trip: cabins replace traditional camping

(Continued from page 1)

These students—or others who didn’t take Beamer’s sophomore class—still must prove proficiency. “I track them down before they graduate and we find a mutual time and I run them through a few days of the curriculum,” Beamer said. Unlike Excel, PowerPoint isn’t explicitly taught in class, but is included in the sophomore projects—students must be able to use it for their presentations. Still, most students have at least a basic understanding of these three programs without teaching. “Interestingly enough, when I asked this year who had experience with Excel, almost everyone raised their hands,” Beamer said. And Wells doesn’t even have to bother teaching Word and PowerPoint. “I can’t recall anyone ever asking me how to use PowerPoint,” he said. The sophomore project has existed for only four years, and Beamer has taught at this school for only two years, making this year’s seniors the first class with all three programs in their curriculum. On top of all this, the laptop pilot program further supports removing the proficiency test, Nellis said. So by the end of senior year, the odds of anybody not being able to use a computer is rather low. “Why force you guys to take a test on something you already know?” Wells said.

the same time, there was no way for the rafting trip to remain a possibility. Before deciding on Greenhorn, Brooke Wells, trip coordinator of the trip, considered a trip to the Tahoe area or Sugar Bowl. The class will spend the days “horseback riding, swimming, frog racing (yes, frog racing), dancing, singing, and generally having a good ole Western time of things,” Wells said in a letter. This trip will be much more structured than rafting with two to three activities planned each day, and the students will sleep in cabins with two or three people instead of camping out in tents. Many sophomores are looking forward to the trip. “I love riding and I get to go with my friends,” sophomore Erin Reddy said. Wells, who helped create the rafting trip and goes rafting in his free time, may oﬀer a voluntary rafting trip in the spring. So what lies in store for the sophomore trip next year? “It depends on how this trip goes,” Nellis said. “The rafting trip was new a few years ago. Students ( used to kayak) in Tomales Bay for many years so we don’t mind changing if a new trip needs to happen.”

We thank The Nadgauda Family The Kong Family The Myers Family Lee Tait Sutcliffe LLP Lisa Wible Wright The Williams Family The Martin Family

Renovations: style reflects Mediterranean architecture (Continued from page 1)

“We wanted to be responsive to the style of the lower school while incorporating a more contemporary look.” “The tile roofs and colonnade, for instance, not only serve a functional purpose but it is also a very Spanish idea to have a ﬂow from indoor to outdoor,” he added. Teachers and students are generally enthusiastic about the changes. “They really enhanced the space and gave it a sense of order,” teacher Jane Batarseh said. “It just seems more planned and more balanced now.” “It makes (the buildings) look like respectable school buildings, not old portables,” senior Gerardo Vergara said. Arguably the most striking feature of the renovation—the nearly ﬂoor-to-ceiling windows in most The new awning provides shelter for rooms—was “an rooms 4-9. (Photo by Kelsi Thomas) easy decision” for Repsher. “The idea of having an elegant interior space was key, and we wanted to introduce natural light into the rooms,” Repsher said. “I think (they) make everyone, or at least me, a little bit happier,” senior Taylor Oeschger said. Other students, however, have reservations about the amount of visibility that the windows provide. “It’s going to be distracting in class,” senior Ben Hernried said. But the motivation for revitalizing the quad was not merely aesthetic, according to Repsher. The portables that make up much of the high school were badly dilapidated after 21 years of use. Wall sidings were rotting, and there was termite damage in several buildings. The renovation removed those problems, replacing much of the original materials with high-quality composites. “(The sidings) we used are extremely durable and very high quality. They’re meant to last,” Repsher said. Because the renovations addressed years of maintenance issues, the upkeep cost in the future will now be much lower, according to Repsher. The school also used approximately $180,000 left over from the bonds issued to cover the cost of the lower-school construction project, Repsher said. Some donations given towards the new campus were used in funding the renovations. However, many donors were reluctant to allow their money to go towards the new renovations and requested that donations be used for only the dual campus vision. But that vision is on hold for the moment. “I would say (a second campus) is more of a ‘maybe some day’ idea now,” Repsher said.

8 Feature

The Octagon

September 11, 2012

‘ Music Man’ launches dancer’s career nutcracker

Ballet

Hanging out with freshman Elie Kuppermann is like being in a “High School Musical” movie.

By Darby Bosco

Perform

Sing Recital Ballet

The Music Man The

Dance

Out of nowhere she will spontaneously start singing famous songs from Broadway musicals, like “Hairspray,” while pirouetting around the room. Aspiring to one day perform on Broadway, Kuppermann started her professional career in The Music Circus’s production of “The Music Man” this past summer. According to her mother Nicole Glasner, Kuppermann was drawn to theater throughout her childhood. “We took her to see ‘The Lion King’ in New York when she was not even three, and she sat through the whole show, absolutely mesmerized.” Even before Kuppermann could talk, she was singing, Glasner said. “She didn’t know more words than ‘mama’ and ‘dada,’ but would sing the Barney theme song with the right tune and a bunch of random syllables thrown in,” Glasner said. And Kuppermann’s love for Broadway musicals grew along with her— according to her mom, she always preferred Broadway show tunes over “usual kids’ music.” Kuppermann enrolled in her ﬁrst dance class at age 2. She always enjoyed going to class, Kuppermann said, and by the ﬁrst grade she was dancing with girls two years older than she was. “It acts as a form of therapy,” Kuppermann said. She trained in ballet for 10 years, but has experimented with many styles of dance from samba to jazz to Mexican folk. Now she focuses on contemporary dance— a combination of modern dance elements with classical ballet—at iMPACT dance studio in Folsom. Kuppermann’s passion for dance motivates her even through injury. Four years ago Kuppermann broke her arm in gymnastics the day before the auditions for The Sacramento Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.” Not wanting to miss the auditions, Kuppermann abandoned the pain medication that made her wobbly while dancing, and went to the audition without it. The pain was overshadowed by nerves, and she just felt numb the whole time, Kuppermann said. “(But) the minute the audition was over, she was in horrible pain and barely made it home—she was screaming the whole way,” Glasner said. Even so, she got the part she wanted as a “party girl.” While dancing was the focus of her energy as a child, singing has also been a passion of Kuppermann’s. She began pursuing her singing career

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream-

Sleeping Beauty Ballet

The Three Little Pigs

The Nutcracker

Ballet

A Midsummer NIght’s Dream

when she was 11 in The Music Circus’s junior production of “Annie Junior,” in which she played an orphan. Her first professional show, however, came this past summer with “The Music Man.” Rebecca Plack, Kuppermann’s voice coach for the past two years, suggested that she audition for her first professional part in that play. Kuppermann’s voice is unusually pretty and sweet for her age, and she has excellent pitch, according to Plack. “(Kuppermann) is what’s known in musical theater as a ‘triple threat’—that is, she can sing, act and dance,” Plack said. The audition process was grueling, though. Kuppermann was called back four times before her part was solidified—most actors are called back only once or twice. While auditioning, Kuppermann performed the song “Far From the Home I Loved” from the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” and did a reading from a scene in “The Music Man.” “(Kuppermann) is good at auditioning because she is a very expressive young singer,” Plack said. “She sings with beautiful expression, both in her voice and on her face.” Kuppermann originally tried out to be in the junior company (ages 9-13) as a River City “townskid,” but she got called back for the larger part of piano student Amaryllis. In the end Kuppermann was cast as a “townskid.” The company rehearsed nine hours each day on weekdays for two-and-a-half-weeks. Kuppermann was not involved in any of the dance numbers, but she sang six songs with other members of the cast. And of the 22 kids chosen for the junior company, Kuppermann was one of six selected to wear

“(Kuppermann) is what’s known in musical theater as a ‘triple threat’— that is, she can sing, act, and dance.” —Rebecca Plack, voice coach

a microphone to highlight their voices. They performed eight shows in six days, in front of an unusually large crowd due to the presence of Shirley Jones who played Mrs. Paroo. Jones, more famously known for her part as Marian Paroo or Marian the Librarian in “The Music Man” movie, took the stage again 50 years later. But this time her son, Patrick Cassidy, who she was pregnant with in the ﬁlming of the movie, played the lead Harold Hill, alongside her. “It was very inspiring to act alongside Jones,” Kuppermann said. Although Kuppermann never interacted with Jones backstage, she got the autographs of all 53 cast members, including Jones and Cassidy. Kuppermann spent most of her time with the other members of the junior company. To get themselves amped up and rid of all their pre-show jitters, all the kids would sing a special warm-up song. “We would sing it over and over, and then dance to it,” Kuppermann said. It was really refreshing to be around a group of people that shared her passion for theater, Kuppermann said. “(Theater) does limit her social life and she’s had to struggle with that,” Glasner said. Although she has reached the age limit of 13 for children’s roles, Kuppermann hopes to one day secure an adult role at Music Circus. “My dream is to go to college in either New York or Los Angeles and try and get a job on Broadway,” she said.