The Nevarmore by Ravenscroft

Ravenscroft School In Trouble? Page 3

7409 Falls of Neuse Road

December 2012

Favorite Movies To Weed Page 12 Or Not To Weed

‘Croft Bucket Lists Page 14

‘Croft Critters Page 10

Can Marijuana LOWER Your IQ?

Pages 8 & 9

Ravenscroft Plans Yearlong 150th Anniversary Celebration Calley Mangum

Stephanie Money, Director of Special Events & Constituent Relations, issues a book to Jane Fitzhugh, former 2nd grade teacher at Ravenscroft School. Photo by Susan Washburn

How well do you know Ravenscroft? Take this quiz and find out!

Associate Editor

s made apparent by the 150 logo seen on the school computer backgrounds, the T-shirts we received at the start of the school year, and the commemorative books every family received about Ravenscroft’s history, our school is celebrating its one hundred and fiftieth anniversary this year. What began in a wooden building connected to Christ Church in Raleigh, first opened in 1868, has grown into the 125-acre campus of roughly 1,200 students that we attend today. The 150th celebration committee is tri-chaired by Jennie Hayman, mother of Will Hayman ‘11, Tal Mangum ‘77, mother of Walker ‘08 and Calley ‘13, and Mary Brent Wright, mother of Brent , ‘95 and Rob Wright, ‘98. All three women are former members of the Ravenscroft Board of Trustees. The 150th committee organized the T-shirts for the first day of school, the skydivers at the homecoming football game, the returning of past faculty at the Thanksgiving Chapel. Though its plans are kept secret from most students, more events to come include a gala on April 20 and the celebration of the 150th day of the 2012-13 school year. th

1. When was the first yearbook published? a. 1940 b. 1950

c. 1960 d. 1970

2. In what year was the first Ravenscroft prom, then called Spring Formal? a. 1972 b. 1973

c. d.

1974 1975

3. When was Ravenscroft’s first high school graduating class? a. 1967 b. 1970

c. d.

1973 1975

4. What future president gave the commencement address to the Class of 1974? a. Jimmy Carter b. Gerald Ford

c. d.

Ronald Reagan George H.W. Bush

5. Which Ravens team won back to back to back state titles in 1978, ’79, & ’80? a. Boy’s Tennis b. Boy’s Basketball d.

c. Football Girl’s Soccer

6. Who is the longest-employed current faculty member at Ravenscroft? a. Coach Gonet b. Nurse Janes

c. d.

Mr. Yohman Coach Cox

Answers on Page 16

A close-up of the 150th Anniversary book inscription. Photo by Susan Washburn

Did You Know... Bill Moore, ‘73, drove his motorcycle down Senior Hall, now the current 6th grade hall. A Ravenscroft family who owned Pine State Creamery introduced, in 1973, a new kind of milk carton to the school. The package was shaped like a beanbag, so instead of tearing open a milk carton, students got straws to poke through the plastic packaging like a Capri Sun juice pouch. One problem: the milk containers were extremely flimsy. Therefore, when many students attempted to see how many milk pouches they could stuff into their pockets, the pouches would break and soak the students’ pants. The annual Medieval Feast, which was held in conjunction with the 8th grade’s study of the Canterbury Tales during the 70’s and early 80’s served, among other meats, bear.

A photo of Elaine Cottrell, Middle School History Prompter, at Medieval Festival in 1984.

Photo of 1984 Corvus by Caroline Scales

Table of Contents Page 2

News AP Class Conundrum: To Collect, Or To Learn Casey Harris T

AP Class Casey Harris

he AP program at Ravenscroft began around 60 years ago, and was meant for a small group of students that were educationally ready for college, according to Bill Pruden, Head of Upper School. Since their inception, AP classes have been the topic of much discussion, especially within the last couple of years. According to Pruden, there is a concern that students may not be developmentally ready to take what are meant to be college level courses, and many educators wonder if they truly serve an educational purpose. Ravenscroft offers a total of 24 AP courses; 17 in the core subjects of History, Math, Science, and English as well as 6 in Foreign Language, Fine Arts and Computer Science. This is more than local schools often thought of as competitors with Ravenscroft with the exception of Durham Academy. A potential problem that can occur with all of these courses offered is that students may feel pressure to take as many as possible. Pruden commented that school is meant to be about “what you know, not what you can survive.”

Page 3 Troublemaker Trouble Austin Morin Page 3 Band Camp Stephanie Wiehe Page 4 Almost Maine Caroline Scales

“For schools that offer AP courses, colleges do evaluate a student’s record of taking some of the most challenging courses the secondary school offers, providing the student has the preparation and motivation to be successful in such courses. Because the depth and pace of AP courses is significantly different from even honors level courses, students need to be judicious in taking them. Far too often, students learn too late that they do not have enough time in the high school day to handle all they are trying to do.”

Page 5 Community Service Page 6 Move DC Emi Myers Page 7 AP Class Editorial Caroline Scales, Calley Mangum & Max Sminkey Pages 8 & 9 Legalize Marijuana Sarah Lowery Christian Walker Stephanie Wiehe Page 10 Croft Critters Tate Replogle Lindsay Thompson Page 11 Ravens In The Outdoors Jamie Herakovich Page 12 Holiday Movies Audrey Hammerstein Page 13 Recipes Emerson Storch Layla Tanik Page 13 Scars Austin Morin Page 14 Bucket List Sarah Lowery Page 15 Odd Sports Kate Sweeney Page 16 Fall Sports Awards Greg Harper Nevarmore NamePlate ArtWork Bella Kron

STAFF WRITER

-Angela Connor, College Counselor Kyla Babson, ‘13, balancing her stack of AP books in front of her locker. Photo by Casey Harris

In our Community... K

yla Babson, ‘13, is currently taking AP Biology, AP European History, AP Calculus BC, AP Literature and Composition, AP Psychology, a total of 5 AP classes. In her opinion, AP European History, AP Calculus BC and AP Literature and Composition are considerably harder, especially compared to Honors classes, due to the increased workload and the difficult concepts they cover. “However,” she adds, “Some AP classes are comparable to the Honors’ workload.” Babson is a perfect example of a strong student who sees AP classes as a necessity in order to get into her first choice college. One of the controversial issues surrounding AP classes is whether or not it is healthy for teenagers to take so many classes that require high levels of work. Planning on applying to schools including Yale, Babson admits that she does feel pressured to take as many AP classes as possible because she feels there is an expectation among the highly acclaimed schools that applicants will have the most rigorous schedule possible. Some people believe that there should be a limit on the number of AP classes a student can take. Babson, for example, thinks that having a limit on AP classes would be beneficial to the students. She does recognize that Ravenscroft would have to offer additional non-AP classes in order to compensate for the restrictions.

“It’s about what you know, not what you can survive... and a measure of chance.” -Bill Pruden, Head of Upper School

The Most Popular APs at Ravenscroft According to Debbie Pirotte, Registrar, the most popular AP classes vary from year to year, with the acception of the AP Psychology class, that is full most years. She gave The Nevarmore the official numbers of the AP classes with more students this year: AP Class

AP United States History

AP United States Government and Politics AP Psychology AP Biology AP Language and Composition

Students Enrolled 61 Students 40 Students 39 Students 35 Students 33 Students

Whether or not an AP class has any prerequisites can play an important role in whether or not a student decides to take an AP class. Some AP classes without prerequisites include:

AP Class

AP World/AP Euro AP Psychology AP Macroeconomics

Prerequisite

No Prerequisite No Prerequisite Regular economics, but not always

Paired with the ample opportunities in athletics, fine arts, and community service that Ravenscroft has to offer, students have little free time, Pruden explained. AP classes are meant to be demanding, and require many more hours of work a night than other courses. Pruden mentioned that from the perspective of college counseling, students are encouraged to take the highest recommended level of a course in the area of their interest; many don’t seem to focus of the “area of their interest” part of that recommendation. Part of the debate over the value of AP classes, from Pruden’s perspective, is that a higher level curriculum does not have to be limited to the AP label. Cary Academy allows the teachers to modify the AP curriculum, though most students choose to take the corresponding exam at the end of the year. The AP exam is one of the most stressful aspects of AP courses. Maintaining a balance between focus on learning and focus on the “end result” can be a challenge since the AP courses have a standardized curriculum, that must be certified, aimed at teaching the material on the exam; unlike other high school courses in which the teacher creates the exam based on the material covered in class. Pruden, however, adds, “I do not measure a teacher or a student by exam.” As with exams in general, the downside of the standardized AP exam is that the student’s performance does not always represent his/her mastery of the subject. Some level of chance and luck must be taken into account. Pruden said that sometimes a teacher has assigned an essay or document based question that ends up on the exam; giving those particular students an advantage. On the other hand, sickness, nerves or “off days” can affect a score negatively. With all of the stress, many may wonder why anyone would choose to enroll in an AP course. One motivation that drives students to take AP classes is the always-looming concern about college options available based in part on GPAs and course loads. Putting college aside, it is important to remember that high school does involve enjoying the teenage years that are only lived once, added Pruden. If a student’s workload prevents physical care, like getting those important hours of sleep, or social contact, it might be time to re-think his/her schedule. When deciding whether or not to take AP classes, try to remember that no one is expected, or is able, to do it all, Pruden added as a final note.

Core AP Classes offered at Ravenscroft:

Elective AP Classes offered at Ravenscroft:

English AP Language and Composition AP Literature and Composition

World Languages AP Spanish Language AP French Language and Culture AP Latin

History AP Comparative Government and Politics AP European History AP Macroeconomics AP Microeconomics AP Psychology AP United States History AP US Government and Politics AP World History AP Human Geography Math AP Calculus AB AP Calculus BC AP Statistics Science AP Biology AP Chemistry AP Physics AP Environmental Science

Fine Arts AP Art AP Art History Computer Science AP Computer Science

How We Compare... School

# of APs

Durham Academy Ravenscroft

27 24

Cardinal Gibbons

Needham-Broughton

NRCA

Opinion

This One Time... At Band Camp...

Troublemaker Troubles

If you find yourself in trouble all the time, here are a few ideas to minimize the punishment for the crime

Austin Morin

staff writer

So, while swaggin’ down the Math hall before

Stephanie Wiehe, ‘15, (second from right) with her friends at band camp. Photo provided by Stephanie Wiehe

Stephanie Wiehe

staff writer

“T

his one time...At band camp...” This infamous quote, stemming from the movie series American Pie, has led to a generalized and negative view of band camps and of those who attend. Having attended band camp for the last four years, I can safely say that not every band camp is like the infamous Tall Oaks Camp featured in the movie. While the camp I attend isn’t a marching band camp without supervision or classes, it nevertheless shares a few similarities to Hollywood’s rendition.

Rumor: Everyone Wears Ridiculous Uniforms In American Pie, campers at Tall Oaks wear shirts color-coded to their band, navy shorts, and the rookies wear beanies as part of “tradition.”

Actuality Some band camps, including the one I attend, are heavily based around tradition. Unfortunately, tradition encompasses uniforms. Everyday required attire includes a blue embroidered polo shirt (white on Sundays), navy shorts, knee high socks (the boys get belts instead of socks), and the everimportant lanyard and name tag. But wait, there’s more. Depending on what age group a camper falls into, sock color changes. Also, concert attire in most normal ensembles involves black and white dresses and tuxedos. However, at this band camp, we wear the most fashionable, baggy, navy, corduroy knickers. The camp claims these uniform requirements are part of “tradition”, but we know that these uniforms are put in place; perhaps to diminish any sex-appeal.

Rumor: Everyone Gets Pregnant American Pie creates an image of band camp filled with sex and romance. In the movie, everyone is involved with someone else, and music, the root of camp, seems to be less important than the social aspects. Also, The Secret Life of an American Teenager starts with a 15 year old girl getting pregnant at band camp, thus supporting American Pie’s portrayal.

Actuality The romance factor at real band camp, in my experience, is not as important as it is portrayed in media. Like any situation in which hundreds of teenagers are cut off from the world, band camp creates a situation in which kids are forced to rely on each other for entertainment. The band camp I attend keeps a pretty watchful eye on the promiscuous teenagers, yet there are still mysteries as to what happens in “the tuba huts.” While the stories of my camp aren’t exactly pure, they are tame in comparison to those of public high school marching band retreats. There are many stories passed around the campfire of marching band retreats gone wrong, involving the suspension of students

and in the worst situations, problems with the law. So, while camps may not measure up to the common perception of the sexual activities in American Pie, like any situation with teenagers, fraternizing is not entirely avoidable.

Pranks A prank war occurs between the main character Matt Stiffler and his enemy, Brandon Vandecamp, in the movie. These repulsive, yet hilarious pranks include filling a soda can with spit from instruments and putting Ipecac in the opposing team’s Gatorade. This movie gives band camps a reputation of having crazy prank wars, and though the reality may not be as extreme, this isn’t exactly a falsity.

Actuality Being at camp that has band and other arts programs, makes for a creative crowd with creative pranks. Prank wars are often brought up between the boys and girls sides of camp, and between girls cabins. The best prank between the guys and girls involved the boys taking several canoes and duct taping them to trees and to the sides of cabins in the middle of the night. However, the girls are a little more artful. This one time, we managed to ensue a prank war with our neighboring cabin. It began when some of the girls in the other cabin received large boxes containing packing peanuts. They proceeded to fill our cabin knee deep in packing peanuts, a pain to clean up before morning inspections. As payback for our having to clean up the mess, we tied their shoes to the rafters and took the cabin’s shower curtains and toilet seats. Imagine fourteen teenage girls attempting to shower without curtains. Similarly, the boys get into prank wars. One of the cruelest pranks I’ve heard of involved a guy that crawled into the rafters and dumped buckets of cold water onto the unsuspecting shower-ers below.

American Pie and Secret Life of the American Teenager create an interesting perception of band camp, one that doesn’t always make band camp look positive. However, the generalizations made by the media are exaggerated. Regardless, band camp, most camps in fact, are great socializing experiences and provide educational values as well. Which leads to these misconceptions like the following one by Audrey Hammerstein, ‘15, “Babies are made at band camp!”

Halloween, I noticed a particularly round, basketball looking pumpkin just sitting there...beggin’ to be rolled. Without much thought, I stooped down and began to let ‘er roll. Just when I was at maximum Morin speed, I heard, “AUSTIN! I thought you were more mature!” No matter what I do I can’t go a year without getting someone angry with me. Well, let’s be honest, I’m lucky to go a week. Whether it is one of my favorite teachers or one of my favorite friends, I just seem to have an uncanny knack for saying the wrong thing at the worst moment. It is not that I try to make others angry, it’s just that I say or do

Photo by Sarah Lowery

whatever pops into my mind without much consideration of the aftermath. Given my vast experience in the awkward moment department, I have developed pretty good responses to the various situations and I have become skilled at not making it worse . So, the purpose of this column is to give people like me some advice on how to make it not so bad when a teacher is mad. There are essentially four categories of students’ behaviors that tend to infuriate even the most laidback teachers: the Sleepers, the Fighters, the Trouble Makers, and the Class Clowns.

Sleepers You know, that kid that never has any idea what is

going on around him/her when called upon in class. Not surprisingly, they usually have those blasted dogs that eat homework on the regular. The extreme sleepers...literally sleep.

Fighters A fighter is always in defensive mode;

A student who shall remain nameless snoozing during class (special permission granted by his teacher in this case, of course).

Photo by Helen Velk

no matter how guilty they are, their first response is to strike back and strike back quickly. Often, their comments hit below the belt, like the examples below: “But you didn’t teach it to us!!!!” “I pay umpteen thousand dollars to go here and you won’t give me a flippin’ replacement battery for my calculator on hand in case I need it?” “Just because I am holding a Cookout milkshake does NOT mean I went off-campus for lunch.”

Trouble Makers These ‘Crofters just seem to look for a

problem and when there are none to be found, they make one out of thin air.

The extreme fighters...are no longer students here.

Class Clowns A

class clown sees humor in every situation; no matter how inappropriate. Think...Collin Vernal, ‘14. They are quick to add classic one-liners like... “That’s what she said” to the end of a teacher’s statement in the middle of class; you know the type.

Collin Vernal, ‘14, is shocked at the label of class clown while Josh Moorman, ‘13, is completely unaffected. Photo by Lloyd Mallison

Advice...For What it’s Worth If you are a Fighter, Trouble Maker and/or Class Clown,

here’s how to know if you are going too far... If a teacher is yelling in your face, you might have gone too far. You need to resist the urge to fight with them because it just makes you look stupid. No need to respond with “but I didn’t do it/say it/think it.” If you stay calm, then the teacher has no reason to keep getting more angry; just take their advice and move on without any back talk. It may be funny to the rest of the class at the time and gain you some solid moments of popularity, but in the end you are stuck with a teacher that is angry with you. You may not care...until you get your report card. Here are some solid strategies to help you through these situations:

No Harm, No Foul:

Good advice for all is that you need to start off on the teacher’s good side. From the first day of school, do your homework and do not complain too much. No matter how difficult it is, just try to act like you actually want to be in their class and the teacher will believe that you care about them as well as their subject matter. Then, when you do something wrong, they will be more willing to forgive you because of the respect you have shown to them in the past.

Man Up:

You’re not in Lower School anymore and you don’t need to call for parental backup at the first sign of trouble. DO NOT immediately tell your parents and get them involved. Try to work through the problem yourself. And, not in the middle of the class period. Ask for a private meeting at a convenient time for the teacher. They will respect your approach. So, the next time you see steam flowing out of your teachers ears, please, take the advice above and do not make it worse.

Cat’s Got Your Tongue:

If a teacher does or says something that you do not agree with, just keep your mouth shut. You don’t have to say anything or make a big deal about it. Remember, you have to be in their class for the rest of year, and if you burn too many bridges, you will be stranded on the wrong bank of that infamous creek! Without that bridge over troubled water, you will find yourself actually in the troubled water in for a rough remainder of the year.

Fine Arts

Thank You for Visiting Almost, Maine Caroline Scales

Editor

ven though the town of Almost in the state of Maine isn’t actually real, the stories of love won and lost hit close to home in John Cariani’s play Almost, Maine. The Ravenscroft Upper School Drama Class performed this comedy November 8th, with a record-breaking audience. As stories of new, old, and hidden affections intertwined with each other, the physicalization of inanimate or symbolic objects keeps things interesting. For example, in the scene, They Fell, with Colson Dorafshar, ‘14, and Garrett Anderson, ‘14, the two men quite literally fall in love with each other, or in the scene Her Heart with Colson Dorafshar and Eryn Murphy, ‘14, the woman, Glory’s, heart is in a paper bag and broken because her ex husband left. But not every story left the audience hopeful for love. In the scene, Story of Hope, with Caroline Scales, ‘13, and Michael Hall, ‘15, Hope returns to her ex-boyfriend, whom she left to pursue a college education, with hopes that he will take her back. To her dismay, he has married, and has moved on from her. Or in the scene, Where It Went, with Lloyd Malison, ‘13, and Kianna Jimenez, ‘13, a marriage hangs in the balance of a remembered anniversary and a lost shoe. Since it takes place in Maine in January, the Aurora Lights are shone from above between every scene. Will Ormand, ‘13, who worked the light board, and Brandon Tung, ‘13, who worked on light tech and special effects, blew the audience away with the gorgeous flow of the sea-like night sky. All Photos by Dr. Watters

Service

Ravenscroft Sponsors 64 Children Through Guardian ad Litem Angel Project

Zoe Welsh, Science Instructor, wheels a bicycle built for one lucky child out to the collection truck in time for a Christmas delivery by the volunteers that work with the Wake County Guardian ad Litem program. Photo by Sarah Miller

Sarah Miller

staff writer

his year, the Ravenscroft community came together to sponsor 64 children in the hope of sharing gifts with children that would not otherwise receive many this holiday season. Janet Smith, Head of Academic Skills, coordinates the annual event and accepts donations from students in Lower, Middle and Upper Schools as well as staff and faculty members.

Cathy Hairr, Math Instructor, assists a volunteer in loading a bag full of gifts to add to the Ravenscroft donation. Photo by Sarah Miller

According to their website, “The mission of the Guardian ad Litem Program is to provide trained independent advocates to represent and promote the best interests of abused, neglected, and dependent children in the custody of the county’s foster care system and work towards a plan that ensures that these children are in a safe, permanent home.”

While not as picturesque as Santa’s sleigh, this dump truck gets the job done. Photo by Sarah Miller

To F i n d S e e a V i d e o I n t e r v i e w w i t h J a n e t S m i t h A b o u t t h e A n g e l P r o j e c t b y S a r a h M i l l e r, G o t o N e v a r m o r e O n l i n e

Scan this QR code for instant access!

News opinion

KONY Campaign, a Search for Fame

EmiMyers Is there anywhere uneducated

Ignorance IS Bliss... Apparently

STAFF WRITER

people can go to listen representatives from international organizations and governments, protest, and party while saving war affected children and arresting one of the worlds most wanted criminals? If you were wondering the same thing on Friday, November 16th, you would have been in luck because the wonderful people at KONY 2012 had just the event for you!

This raises the questions: What is it going to help? How are governmental representatives reiterating already published statements going to help arrest Kony? Will thousands of people surrounding the White House rehabilitate victims of the ongoing violent struggles in Uganda and its neighbor countries?

The Basis of the B.S. Over 12,000 self-proclaimed “humanitarians” gathered on November 16 in Washington D.C. as a part of the KONY 2012 “Move DC” campaign designed to compel policy makers to shut down the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda; more specifically, the group’s leader, the evil Joseph Kony. The supporters of this movement are blissfully unaware of exactly what is going on in Central Africa. Kony is wanted for crimes against humanity as well as war crimes by the International Criminal Court and the LRA is listed as a terrorist organization of the United States of America. Essentially, people are gathering for to try to fix something that they do not even know anything about. If the supporters were educated about not only the cause but also the organization they are promoting, it would be surprising if they would still descend in mass knowing that only 32% of the over 8 million dollars raised for KONY 2012 went directly to the people of need in Uganda.

An American Perspective As‘Mericans, it might be easy to want to chant “USA” and shove the $10 profits from a T-shirt at the “impoverished” African communities filled with emaciated children and lions running through isolated villages in endless desert. Contrary to popular belief, this is not how African society functions today. Constant conflict has been a part of Ugandan culture since the 4th century C. E. There is indeed

Most of all, how is a dance party going to save children from war and violence?

Participants marched to the White House in protest wearing matching t-shirts that no doubt made them instant do-gooders. Photo taken by Josiah Blizzard, josiahblizzardmedia.com

a deeper issue at hand than just the wrongdoings of one man, and money of teenage wannabe heros is not the solution.

KONY 2012 After the Fact

KONY 2012 has had a history in being able to mobilize thousands of people for a cause, as the whole world witnessed from the 30 minute documentary video that went viral, racking up over 109 million views to date, as well as monetary donations from around the world.

Out With a Fizzle Instead of a Bang However, after the media got tired of the video, there is evidence from tax returns to show that the majority of money collected went straight to the designer jean pockets of the producers of the film. In a short 7 minute movie on the MOVE DC website, Jason Russell, Cofounder of KONY 2012, addresses this problem by stating that upcoming events will prove that the KONY 2012 movement was not just a trend on twitter spurred on by celebrities and their abundant fan base of screaming girls. KONY 2012 targeted popular

sensations such as Justin Beiber, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga to recruit a band of adolescent “Beliebers”, “Swifties”, and “Little Monsters.” This was a full blown publicity stunt at the hands of Hollywood’s finest. Of these outstanding humanitarian examples, few acted on the “plea” for help and just as quickly as Rebecca Black’s “ Friday” made its debut, the movement died out and was forgotten.

MOVE DC The MOVE DC campaign is the second stage of a five step plan listed at the very bottom of the KONY 2012 web page is as follows:

1. Make Kony Famous 2. Engage policy makers 3. Strengthen regional efforts 4. Stop LRA violence 5. Rehabilitate war- affected communities

From first glance, this seems like a very well formulated plan. The organizers of the Kony foundation have indeed thought about the major steps in this process of change but have overlooked possibly the most important of all of these steps; find-

ing the plea for change itself. The Move DC event itself entailed the “Global Summit,” a meeting of global leaders that could be attended by the general public, the “March on DC,” where protesters surrounded the White House all followed by the “Global Dance Night,” which is exactly what it sounds like; a party. Even with the new movement, KONY 2012 failed to attract even the popular media, overshadowed by Honey Boo Boo and the new Twilight movie.

Lies Upon Lies Upon Lies The KONY 2012 campaign claims that their goal is to call on global leaders to make good on their promises to stop the LRA and kill Joseph Kony. For this reason, the campaign invited 10 global leaders including the newly re-elected president Obama, United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, and Ugandan President Yoweri Mueveni. Of these leaders, 8 representatives (listed below) actually attended. The website advertised that the leaders would be present to answer questions and deliver “their plan” to stop Kony.

Yoweri Museveni is the current president of Uganda. He was represented by a delegation of Ugandan officials who are knowledgable on Joseph Kony and the LRA situation.

François Bozizé

Picture taken by an employee of the CAR intended for public use.

Barack Obama

Ban-ki Moon

Picture taken by World Economic Forum employee for public use.

Mayardit is the current president of South Sudan, an area directly affected by the LRA. He was represented by Dr. Majak D’Agoot, the Deputy Minister of Defense and Veterans’ Affairs.

François Bozizé is thecurrent president of the Central African Republic, one of the areas affected by the LRA. He is being represented by Jean-Francis Bozizé, the Deputy Minister of Defense of the CAR. Picture taken by Pete Souza for the US government.

Yoweri Museveni Catherine Ashton is the High Representative for the Union of Foreign Affairs at the European Union. Ashton attended the meeting in person.

Ban-ki Moon is the Secretary- General of the United Nations. He was represented by Abou Moussa, a UN Special Representative for Central Africa.

Salva Kiir Mayardit

Fatou Bensouda is the cheif prosecuter in the International Criminal Court.She was represented by Dianne Luping, a trial lawyer in the prosecution division. Picture by Russell Watkins/Department for International Development’

Dlamini-Zuma is a South African politician who is currently a representative of the African Union. She was represented by Fransisco Madeira, the Union’s special envoy on the LRA

Picture taken by Jenny Rockett.

Fatou Bensouda

Picture taken by Max Koot Studio, intended for public use.

Global Summit Supposed Attendees

Barack Obama is the current president of the United States of America. Although marked as “attending” on the KONY 2012 website the U.S.A was not represented

These questions remain largely unanswered even after the event. In a follow-up video on the Move DC website, a campaign employee asks a group of girls what they are most excited about and one group responded the “Global Dance Night.” Big surprise! Another group said they were looking forward to the “Global Summit.” When further questioned about her knowledge on the participants of the “Global Summit” she could not name a single representative. Although it is not necessarily fair to generalize the attendees of the campaign as uneducated and ignorant that is the message that comes across in this video.

Looking Forward The proof, however, is in the pudding, my friends! This most recent attempt to captivate the world went largely unoticed in the grand scheme of things. KONY 2012 is coming to an end. Fear not! The coming years promise other scheming popular sensations that claim to make the world a better place. There will always be whales that need saving and starving children that need feeding. Perhaps these future organizations will make a difference and maybe their founders can run drunken through the streets WITH their clothes on! But then again, what kind of fun would that be?

Editorial

Stressed for Success

Are the APs Really Worth the Extra Effort?

Reach for the

hen twenty-four AP classes are offered, one would think the options are limitless. In the Ravenscroft reality, this is not the case. If students do not take as many AP classes as possible, they believe that colleges see this as a lack of academic diligence that will lead to a negative effect on their college admission. Unfortunately, if students take too many APs, they sacrifice their high school experience and lose the carefree teenage years that they can never relive. The many different negative facets of high school can be boiled down into a single word: stress. Especially during the Junior and Senior years, the ever-looming thoughts of college and the future can be daunting to some students. The extra work APs provide does not help with this pressure, either. The thought now is that, in order to get into a good college, one needs to take multiple AP classes, which provide GPA bumps, and often hours of work each night. With sports, in which, according to the Ravenscroft website, 80% of Ravenscroft students participate, the workload given by APs causes some students countless all-nighters. Add to that Fine Arts commitments and countless non-school related activities, time becomes a scarce commodity. Also, the AP exams themselves add pressure, since most colleges give incoming freshmen exemptions from certain required classes if they score threes or higher on their exams. Taking AP courses and exams, and the workload that comes along with them, is hard enough, but some students receive additional pressure from their parents, who may insist upon straight A’s in an all AP schedule. But the pressure doesn’t end there. While some AP teachers consider the stress that their students are under when assigning work each night, Ravenscroft has a few teachers who believe that their class is the most important, and therefore comes first, whether the assignment is to study for a test or read an entire chapter in one night. It doesn’t matter how many hours of homework the student has, how long his or her practice is, or how little sleep he or she gets; all that matters is that the assignment is completed for that specific class. While it would be nice to say this is an exaggeration, it is not in most cases. All of these factors are a recipe for disaster, for sophomores, juniors, and seniors alike. Granted, there exist a few special students who can take four or five APs, sports, fine arts, outside-of-school activities, and still manage to have social lives, but these students are rare, even at a school as prestigious as Ravenscroft. So what is to be done? A few teachers have suggested a three-AP limit for students, which is still a lot of work, especially when sports and fine arts are added to the mix. Perhaps we should get rid of APs all together. After all, colleges can’t penalize applicants for a lack of AP courses if the high school doesn’t offer APs. The question remains...with so many AP choices, does a student really have a choice?

even if you miss,

you’ll be just vine!

Cartoon by Caroline Scales.

A Brief History of AP Class Offerings 1955

10 AP Classes Available: Biology, Chemistry, English Composition, French, German, Latin, Literature, Mathematics, Physics, and Spanish

The Nevarmore subscribes to MCT Campus, which provides photographs, national news & entertainment services to high school newspapers.

Faculty Advisor: Helen Velk

2012

29 AP Classes Available

34 AP Classes Available Editorial Content:

This paper serves as a communication link within Ravenscroft School and between the school and the local community. The Nevarmore staff strives to produce a professional-quality publication that follows the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists. Our overall objective is to print the news for and about our students and other members of our school and community in a fair and objective way with the utmost regard for integrity.

Wire Service

1995

Editor-in-Chief

Caroline Scales

Associate Editors Calley Mangum & Max Sminkey The unsigned editorials in this issue are a reflection of the combined opinions of the editorial team. Responses in the form of a letter are welcomed and will be considered for publication.

NamePlate Artist Bella Kron

1) The students on The Nevarmore staff will print articles which have been researched to the best of their ability to obtain the most complete information. 2) The information will be presented in an objective, truthful and fair manner. 3) When personal commentary is given it will be in good taste on issues that have been researched, analyzed and where expert opinion has been sought, and then presented to the best ability of the writer. 4) No material which is obscene, libel or anything that will cause a “material and substantial disruption” of the school day, according to accepted legal definitions, will be printed.

To Weed

Should Marijuana be Legal?

Two States Legalize Use of Marijuana for Recreational Purposes and The Nevarmore Spoke With Dr. Perry on the Usage Facts of this Drug

Sarah Lowery A

staff writer

long with the re-election of President Barack Obama on November 6, voters in Colorado and the state of Washington voted on the controversial issue of marijuana for recreational use. Use of marijuana for medicinal purposes when prescribed by a doctor was already legal, but on election night, citizens of these two states decided that the recreational use should be legal as well. Although the use of Cannabis sativa was legalized in Colorado and Washington, people still aren’t allowed to use it yet, due to conflict with the federal government. According to Congress, marijuana is considered a controlled substance, posing a problem for potential users in Colorado and Washington. Also, the states have yet to write the rules and regulations for use, which will take any amount of time. But, by legalizing marijuana, the United States government could save as much as $10 billion that has been used in the effort to enforce laws prohibiting the use of the drug. Common short-term side effects of marijuana include increased heart rate and blood pressure, red eyes, increased appetite (also known as “the munchies”), and a slowed reaction time, although these symptoms tend to only last a few hours. Although the feeling of euphoria lasts three to four hours, traces of marijuana can remain in the body for almost a month after consumption. The driving skill is usually not affected until the concentration of marijuana in the blood reaches a level of five to 10 ng/mL. But, according to Dr. Susan Perry, Upper School Guidance Counselor, “The long term use of marijuana can lead to decline in cognitive ability, physical coordination, and memory and consequences in home life, relationships, work environment.” Contrary to popular belief, marijuana can be addictive and one in three hundred adults is addicted to this substance. Perry says the adolescent brain is especially vulnerable to addiction because it is still in the process of forming and developing. Perry also emphasizes the fact that dealers don’t care about the buyers’ health, but the money that they receive, and often, marijuana is mixed with other drugs like ecstasy and crystal meth, creating a dangerous and potentially fatal mix. When we consider that, according to WebMD, almost 30% of the teenage population uses marijuana, Perry says that “it stands to reason that all use is therefore high risk.”

To Weed

Support of the Legalization of Marijuana ChristianWalker staff writer

arijuana. Pot. Mary Jane. Weed. Purp. Chronic. Kush. These are just some of the names used to describe the plant Cannabis sativa, something that has been getting a bad reputation for years. I’m not saying that marijuana is good for people. I’m not saying people should smoke weed. But the benefits of legalizing marijuana far outweigh the risks. Legalization would save our country millions of dollars by decreasing arrests and paying for incarceration of offenders as well as helping to standardize production of the substance so that fewer people would be injured due to poisonous substances infused into the product by drug dealers. For one thing, most people who try to criminalize weed know nothing of its history. In 1545, marijuana was introduced to the New World where it was grown as a cash crop alongside tobacco and cotton. In 1762, Virginia even imposed penalties on farmers who didn’t produce this valuable resource. According to the Macro-Metrics website, www.procon.org, The first official action was taken against weed in 1937 as the Marijuana Tax Act. The act itself did not criminalize the possession of cannabis but levied a tax on anyone dealing the substance. This didn’t just mean the buds, but anything with hemp or hemp oil in it was essentially taxed out of business. A legitimate dealer was required to have a tax stamp but no stamps were ever printed. These over-elaborate regulations prevented marijuana from being a profitable source of income. In reference to the International Opium Convention of 1928, Cannabis sativa was considered a drug and all state governments had some kind of laws against its consumption. The Marijuana Tax Act was introduced to the U.S. congress by “Drug Czar” Harry Anslinger. Anslinger is widely credited as the driving force behind the criminalization of weed. The year 1937 was coincidentally the same year that the Decorticater Machine, a new technology for the hemp industry, was invented and the Marijuana Tax Act was passed. Supposedly, with help from the Decorticater , the hemp industry would have been able to take over competing industries virtually overnight. Popular Mechanics predicted that hemp would be America’s first billion dollar crop. William Randolph Hearst, newspaper mogul, possessed enormous acreage of forest. Hearst is believed to be a major force behind making hemp illegal in the 1930s. His land and paper making company would have lost tremendous value had the tax act not been passed. Hearst reportedly had strong influence in Congress and his interest in preventing hemp production is easily explained. If hemp is re-legalized throughout America, then these fibers can be used again to produce more goods at cheaper costs and in faster times. That will help to speed up our trade system while cutting into our national deficit.

Cha, Dude! Weed don’t make you stupid... IQ of Habitual Adolescent Users Can Drop 8 Points PERMANENTLY

Synopsis from an article by Drs. Tiffany Chao and Shari Barnett on Aug 27, 2012, by ABC News titled, “Teenage Marijuana Use May Hurt Future IQ”

adeline Meier, lead researcher and a post-doctoral associate at Duke University, conducted a study of 1,000+ adolescents in New Zealand that habitually smoked marijuana (at least four times per week) prior to age 18 and found that their they experienced an eight-point drop in IQ between the ages of 13 and 38.

The average IQ is 100 points. A drop of eight points represents a fall from the 50th percentile to the 29th percentile in terms of intelligence. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, charted the IQ changes in participants over two decades. Those who never used marijuana at all gained nearly one IQ point on average. Meier concluded that persistent use of marijuana in adolescence appeared to blunt intelligence, attention and memory.

“Collectively, these findings are consistent with speculation that cannabis use in adolescence, when the brain is undergoing critical development, may have neurotoxic effects,” - Madeline Meier

Even after these subjects stopped using marijuana for a year, its adverse effects persisted and some neurological deficits remained. People who did not engage in marijuana smoking until after adolescence showed no adverse effects on intelligence. This new research reinforces the stereotype of the “stoner” because it is the first study that measured IQ prior to the experiment and establishes the fact that there is, indeed, a significant loss in IQ in adolesents that use marijuana regularly.

Why does it have lasting negative effects on adolescents but not adults?

Experts believe that it is because of a substance called myelin. Myelin can be described as an insulation for nerve cells in the brain that also helps speed brain signals along and it is not completely formed in adolescent brains. “Frontal lobe myelination is not fully completed until age 25 years or so, and the pre-myelinated brain is more susceptible to damage from neurotoxins,” says Dr. Richard Wahl, director of adolescent Medicine at the University of Arizona. “Cannabis, most likely, is a neurotoxin in high and continuous doses.”

“Increasing efforts should be directed toward delaying the onset of cannabis use by young people particularly given the recent trend of younger ages of cannabis-use initiation in the United States and evidence that fewer adolescents believe that cannabis use is associated with serious health risk.” - Madeline Meier

Info for this map is derived from erowid.org, norml.org, webehigh. com, and Wikipedia. Creative Commons license allows use.

Mari

Not To Weed

Not to Weed

Downsides of Marijuana Legalization

S A R H C

The Low-Side: Just Too Much of a Bad Thing Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) from the 1982 movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, played the stereotypical “stoner.”

Stephanie Wiehe

staff writer

Photo from the movie’s promotional poster

ijuana Laws in the U.S.

We Should Legalize Marijuana Because..... “In South America, some countries have legalized all drugs and they have drug rates significatly lower than countries with laws against drugs.” -Kate Sweeney ‘13

“The government is spending money in drug prevention, but if marijuana were to be legalized, the government could produce marijuana and tax the consumers.” -Emi Myers ‘15

it will only escalate the problems. Some may say that weed poses no dangers, with exception to driving, but smoking marijuana poses many health related dangers. Given that weed is often smoked, the effects on a user’s lungs are similar to that of someone who smokes tobacco. Smoking marijuana causes stinging of the mouth and throat and makes users more prone to chest related illnesses and infections including lung cancer. chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and bullous lung disease. While marijuana smokers intake fewer and smaller amounts of addictive and dangerous additives, pot smokers are said to hold smoke in their lungs longer, causing just as much, if not more damage to health than tobacco smokers. Smoking marijuana affects a user’s heart as well as lungs. Within the first few minutes of smoking marijuana, the heartrate of the user increases by 20 to 50 beats per minute. While heart rate is increasing, blood pressure is dropping significantly. With these two effects of smoking marijuana, the risk of heart attack in someone high is more than four times that of a sober and healthy individual. These circulatory effects occur within minutes of inhalation of THC, but can also occur within an hour of ingestion of marijuana via methods such as baking weed into brownies.

he legalization of marijuana has been a popular topic in recent news as Colorado and Washington state have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Legalizing marijuana is a poor decision for the people and brings more problems than solutions to the national war against substance use and abuse. Although the recreational use of marijuana has been recently approved in states, the federal government still limits the use of marijuana to those with prescriptions. Due to the supremacy clause in our national Constitution, federal law always trumps state law, thus Colorado and Washington’s rulings should be void. It is very likely that the legalization in Washington state and Colorado will lead to some sort of dispute with federal government in the court of law. Nevertheless, in this situation, the federal government is making the correct decision in maintaining a stance against the use of marijuana and other impairing drugs. Like alcohol, weed is considered an impairing substance, thus driving and other activities become dangerous. Many argue that driving high has the opposite effects of driving drunk because, when high, people are often paranoid, thus they drive more cautiously. However, this is not necessarily the case. Marijuana has been proven to cause neurological effects such as: slowed reaction time, distorted sense of time, random thinking, hallucinations, and aggression. These effects can significantly change an individual’s driving for the worse and, like drunk driving, can risk the life of the user behind the wheel and other innocent drivers on the road. While the government has a set blood alcohol level and method procedure for testing the alcohol in a person’s system, there is no such procedure and legal level for testing the user’s THC levels in DUI cases, primarily because anyone with signs of marijuana in their system is immediately hauled to prison. However, if marijuana is legalized, a system of testing will be necessary. The problem with this is THC levels cannot be tested via breathalyzer or anything similar, but only through urine or blood samples. Collecting such samples to test THC levels on the side of the road would be expensive, complicated, and most likely mortifying for those acussed of driving high. And so, having a set legal limit of THC in a driver’s blood is dramatically more complex and inconvenient than leaving weed illegal and hauling all high drivers straight to jail. Regardless of methods of ingestion, the use of marijuana, outside of medical use, poses health risks and other dangers on users and those around. Driving while impaired can lead to dangerous and often fatal Legalizing the recreational use of this car crashes like the one that this 2005 Chevrolet Malibu was dangerous substance would be risking involved in. The car was hit head on by another car on Ohio the lives of many to satisfy few, for less State Route 317 when the other car crossed the center line. than 10% of American adults admit to The Malibu subsequently rolled over. The Jaws of life were using marijuana at least once a year. used to extract the driver, who survived. The drivers seat belt While keeping marijuana and other was buckled, which police say likely contributed to her survival. narcotics illegal may not absolve all dangers and relevant issues, legalizing Self made photo. GNU Free Documentation License

ritters of the ‘ Lindsay Thompson andTAte Replogle

STAFF WRITERs

roft

ll across America, people are fascinated by their pets, and the students and faculty of Ravenscroft School are no exception. Whether they have traditional dogs and cats, or more unusual critters, people love their pets and sometimes enjoy especially amusing moments with them. Most pet owners have experienced an incident in which their pet has been particularly humorous, adorable, or difficult, and here we have shared some of these stories. Additionally, we have identified which pets are most popular, as well as whether the Ravenscroft community prefers dogs or cats.

BIG Bark, No Bite “I have a 120 lb dog, Max (a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog), who is afraid of almost everything (including people). He’ll bark at everyone he meets, and when someone tries to pet him, he’ll hide behind me. One day, I was walking Max when some kids were out. Max started barking and the kids ran up to him to pet him. He was so scared that he bolted the other direction, got away from me, and I had to chase him across the whole neighborhood, while everyone stared and no one helped.” Max Photo Provided by Caroline Scales - Caroline Scales, ‘13

The Escape Artist

“I have a chocolate lab who is 14 years old and she loves to play fetch outside. When we put her outside in a fenced in backyard and we weren’t playing with her, she would find a way to escape the backyard and she would go run off into m Sage Photo Provided by neighborhood, which is quite large, and walk around Sam Sutherland until she found kids outside because she knew they would play with her, so we would have to search for her which took a while and at the age of 14 she still escapes to find kids.” - Sam Sutherland, ‘15

Fluffy Friends “At my dad’s house, we have a Bernese Mountain Dog and her name is Shya but whenever we give a bath, her hair fluffs up and we call her Miss. Fluffypants. A good story about her was that one time when we gave a bath, we let her outside and she started rolling through the grass. When we looked back outside a couple minutes later, she had a friend. The Pomeranian from next door had squeezed through the fence and was playing with Shya. Once the Pomeranian was done, she slipped back through the fence and Shya tried to follow but figured she couldn’t squeeze back through.” - Maddy Ringenbach, ‘16

Seven Is Heaven When interviewed about her pets, Rhonda fondly described her seven Shetland sheepdogs. Over the years, Rhonda and her dogs have been involved in competition obedience, which requires lots of preparation and training. Her first dog, Holly, had to be trained from six months old to two years of age before she was ready to compete. In addition to competition dogs, Rhonda also has a few that faithfully serve as loyal pets and she has many wonderful memories of her furry friends.

Rhonda Morin’s Seven Dogs.

Photo Provided by Rhonda Morin

POPULAR PETS

Fish Are Friends, NOT FOOD “I have a pet Clown fish named Wasabi” - Austin Morin, ‘15

A Birthday Surprise

Feature The Charging Chinchilla

“My chinchilla’s name is Cheerio. She has chewed up every phone charger I own, and she sometimes jumps from my bed to my desk and completely falls flat on her face.” - Kate Sweeney, ‘13

Cheerio the Chinchilla Photo Provided by Kate Sweeney

The Vanishing Act When I was young, I had four pet tadpoles and one of them was clear, so I named him ‘Ghostie.’ My family went on vacation for a weekend and when we came back, Ghostie was the only one left and he had grown. I think he ate the other tadpoles since they weren’t lying outside of the bowl or anywhere inside it!” -Margaret Edwards, ‘13

The “COW”ardly Horse “We bought a horse named Scout in Florida and we put it in my aunt’s barn that night. We didn’t know it was scared of cows, which were in the pasture behind the barn. The next morning we found scout hanging halfway out of the barn through a small stall window. We didn’t know how to get him out so we tried to prop his hind legs up on hay bales and we even considered cutting the stall door but he eventually fell out on his own.” -Rebecca Powell, ‘14

Bill Pruden, Head of Upper School, was also The Daring interviewed about his pets. While his family does Dachshund not currently own any pets, partially due to family allergies, he did have a dog as a child. Perhaps the “My dachshund-terrier mix, most exciting memory of this dog was the time Chas, once jumped out of our truck that she attended a birthday party at the Pruden’s because he saw a squirrel on a fence. home. In the backyard, where the boys were He proceeded to do two rolls in a ditch, playing, there was a little log cabin in which the got up, and acted like nothing happened.” children could play. However, when one of the - Danielle Given, ‘13 boys went to look inside the playhouse at the party, he found quite an unexpected surprise! The family dog was curled up in a corner and had given birth Joyful Blues to six adorable little puppies! They had known that she was pregnant, however this was one birthday “I have a 16 year old horse named Blue. surprise that nobody expected. When Mr. Pruden’s He is an angel and I love him to death. older children asked him why they couldn’t get a I found this great quote: pet, he comically responded that that is what the ‘The essential joy of being with horses is that younger siblings were for. it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.’ Puppy Love ~Sharon Ralls Lemon.” - Lydia Jobe, ‘14 “We had a dog, Bear, pass away and my Dad and I went to the shelter to look for a dog a few weeks later. Then my Dad brought home a dog for his mom for Xmas (A black sheltie). We feel in love with him when he came home and kept him and got his brother for my dad’s mom. We also decided to taken in the shelter dog a black lab mix we named Abby. The black sheltie was named Blacky. Meanwhile our golden retriever at home Sam was excited to meet some new friends, but sad he just lost one. So we ended up having 3 dogs the Xmas of 2006.” Lydia Jobe, ‘14, on her horse, Blue. - Emily Gately, ‘15 Photos Provided by Lydia Jobe

ARE YOU A DOG OR CAT PERSON?

Molly

Photo by Lindsay Thompson

Willow (above)

Photo by Lindsay Thompson

Shep Photo Provided by Abbie Green

Bailey

Photo by Tate Replogle

Malone (left)

Photo by Tate Replogle

Feature

11 Ravens In the Outdoors JamieHerakovich

STAFF WRITER

In North Carolina,

the Fall and Winter offer some of the best hunting. It is the best time to be in the woods; the leaves are changing and falling off of the trees. The most popular animals to hunt among the students are deer, duck, and dove. Five wood ducks killed by Robert Vaughan, ‘14, and Jamie Herakovich, ‘14. Photo by Robert Vaughan

Michael Ronco English Instructor

Michael Ronco,

Upper School English Instructor, likes hunting because of the challenge it presents. Lee Massey, ‘13, with few Teal that she shot. Photo provided by Lee Massey

“ My ultimate goal is to kill a deer with my handgun. I love sitting in the stand watching the sun come up over the field.” Ronco likes dove and deer hunting the most, but he has also been pheasant hunting.

“I

Lee Massey, ‘13

enjoy to hunt because it’s something that my dad and I both love doing; it gives us something we can do together. Waking up a good hour before sunrise isn’t a highlight, but it’s worth it to see the amazing sunrise and get some good laughs in with my dad.

Michael Ronco patiently waiting in his deer stand. Photo Provided by Michael Ronco

Thomas Sigmon ‘13

“I hunt for the peacefulness and quiet time

it brings me. You don’t know quiet until you’ve been in the woods by yourself in the middle of nowhere.” Thomas mainly hunts duck and deer, but has done some dove hunting.

Scott Ringenbach

Middle School Math Instructor

cott Ringenbach is very passionate about deer hunting, and the woods. “I really enjoy being out in the woods at sunrise and sunset. It gives me peace and allows me to collect my thoughts. I have also seen some amazing things in the woods that have nothing to do with deer,” said Ringenbach.

Michelle Powell ‘16

Freshman Michelle Powell likes

Thomas Sigmon, ‘13, with a goose he killed over Thanksgiving break, hunting with Jamie Herakovich, ‘14. Photo by Jamie Herakovich

hunting and enjoys the outdoors as a whole. “I hunt deer most often, I’ve gone squirrel hunting as well. Hunting is rewarding for me even when I don’t see anything, because it’s only I the woods that I feel truly alone where I can think without being judged by anyone. It’s nice to have time alone sometimes. Also, my dad and his friends are all hunters and hunting is the most fun way I can bond with him and meet new people in the hunting world.”

North Carolina Hunting Seasons Dates Deer

Archery Sept. 8- Oct. 12

All Weapons Oct. 13- Jan. 1

Duck

Oct. 3-6 Nov. 10- Dec. 1 Dec. 15- Jan. 26

12 Feature Ho-Ho-Holiday Movie Favorites Audrey Hammerstein

staff writer

round this time of year, you start seeing commercials on TV for classic holiday movies, like ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas, which plays one Christmas movie, modern or classic, every night until Christmas. Everyone loves a good Christmas movie. My favorite Christmas movie is Elf, with Will Ferrell. Stephanie Wiehe, ‘15 says her favorite is Elf too, saying “I can really relate to Will ferrell. I too enjoy pressing the buttons on the elevator and soaking spaghetti in sugar. I too passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the Sea of Swirly Twirly Gum Drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel. I encountered many cotton-headed ninnymuggins, but this place reminds me of Santa’s Workshop! Except it smells like mushrooms and everyone looks like they want to hurt me.” These holiday movies also serve as traditions to some families. gathering together, families sit and enjoy some of their favorite movies year after year. Halle Lutz, ‘15, says her favorite movie is The Polar Express, and she has watched it every year for seven to eight years running, and will continue the tradition this year. Eryn Murphy, ‘14, watches A Charlie Brown Christmas every year with her family. Whether the movies serve as a time for you to spend with your family, or you just enjoy the movies, everyone can agree that Christmas movies are the best movies, and always bring out the best Christmas spirit in everyone.

Stephanie Wiehe, ‘15, sits in her elf-sized chair, after her adventure through the Candy Cane Forest, as a special visitor creeps up on her. All Photos by Audrey Hammerstein

“Beyoncé” “I love Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. All the reindeer are adorable. And the song is very catchy.” -Olivia Aschman, ‘14

“My favorite is The Grinch! I love Cindy LouWho” -Zoe Quirk-Royal, ‘14

-Ahmad Ratliff, 16’

“Christmas Vacation and Home Alone are the best Christmas movies” -Kevin Billerman, Assistant Head of Upper School A Christmas Carol…the old Reginald Owen-Gene Lockhart version, and It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart & Donna Reed. We always watched them together as a family. If for some reason, we cannot be together, we try to watch the movie, and then they call me after the movie is over. It is really special!” -Susann Heckman Chemistry Instructor

“Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer is the best Christmas movie of all time” -Christian Walker ‘14

Ravens Favorite Christmas Movies

We like It’s a Wonderful Life!” It’s really romantic!” -LJ Young, ‘14 and Anna Brey, ‘14

Feature

c a r r eA dM f o r L i f e ? ustin

orin

STAFF WRITER

cars are a physical reminder of your past. They can tell some interesting stories. And they normally don’t go away unless you’re Harry Potter. When the wounds heal, it becomes a part of you. What would Harry Potter be without his? His scar is in the shape of a lightning bolt and is a sad reminder of the death of his parents. Although this is sad, some scars may be funny, looking back at how the owner acquired it. Or, your scar could be used as bragging rights. For example, Tate Replogle has a scar that goes all the way down her back from back surgery and it took 400 stitches to sew up!

Rebecca Powell, ‘14 “My foot almost got chopped off by an exercise bike.”

Caroline Gainey, ‘15

“I dropped a trash can on my left middle finger. And I got another from chicken pox.”

Alison Kelly

Hailey Stewart, ‘15

English Instructor “At the age of three, I sliced the back of my right ear open by falling into a radiator grate. The stitches were not fun!”

“One time, when I was a kid (about ten or so), I tried to pretend I was Tarzan on a weeping willow tree. After swinging a few times, I decided to take a risk and swing over the rocks. I almost fell the first time, but the second time, I flew into the rocks because the vine broke and cut my ankle open and to this day I have that scar.”

Audrey Hammerstein, ‘14

Michael Ronco

English Instructor “I earned the scar on my forehead when I was 12 years old and drove my ten speed bike into the back of a parked car. I was looking down at the time, but was propelled up and slammed my head into the top of the back hatch. 17 stitches and a concussion. This was before helmets!”

“Once in 6th grade, I was walking to my car on the second day of school, and I wiped out on the concrete because my backpack was so heavy. Mr. Yohman didn't even help me up, and then I got in the car and started crying. Now there's a giant scar on my elbow from the pavement.”

LaylaTanik & Emerson Storch During this holiday season, families will be staff writer

gathering from all over to enjoy each other’s company while eating tasty foods. These desserts are some of the most delicious, yet simplest recipes that have been passed down through some of the family members here at The Nevarmore.They are perfect for the Christmas that is quickly approaching. The slutty brownie and s’mores cookies have been shared by Layla Tanik, ‘13, and her sister Melis Tanik, ’10, for many years. Emerson Storch’s, ‘14, family has passed down a delectable sweet potato recipe through several generations.

S’MORE COOKIES

“My coolest scars are from knee surgery, but that's not very cool.”

Liam King, ‘15

Dynamic Duo’s Delectable Delites

Sarah Lowery, ‘15 “I have a scar under my left eyebrow where I fell on a heater when I was learning to walk.”

Non-Lifetouch and Photoshopped Images from Austin Morin.

Upper School Exam Schedule Friday, December 14 English

Monday, December 17 History/Social Studies

Tuesday, December 18 World Language

Wednesday, December 19 Science

Thursday, December 20 Math

If you are ill, call or email Bill Pruden, Head of Upper School at bpruden@ravenscroft.org

-3 Bars of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate -1 Box of Graham Crackers -Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix (Nestlé) -Bag of White Mini Marshmallows Directions: 1.Preheat oven to 350 °F. 2.Place graham crackers on bottom of dish. 3.Pour cookie mix on top of crackers. 4.Bake for 8-10 minutes. 5.Place squares of Hershey’s Chocolate on top. 6.Evenly distrubute mini marshmallows on top. 7.Bake in oven until marshmallows are golden.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE -1 Large Can of Sweet Potatoes (29 oz Can) - ¾ Stick of Butter (Melted) -2 Eggs -1 Cup Canned Milk - ½ Cup Sugar - Dash of Cinnamon and Nutmeg Topping - 1 Cup Crushed Frosted Flakes Cereal - ½ Brown Sugar - ½ Cup Pecans - ¾ Stick of Butter (Melted) Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F. 2. Warm the sweet potatoes in the microwave, then drain. 3. Mash the canned sweet potatoes, and mix all ingredients under the Sweet Potato section together. 4. Pour the sweet potato mixture into a pan and bake it for 15-20 minutes at 400 °F. 5. Mix all ingredients under the “Topping” section together, and take sweet potato pan out of the oven. 6. Sprinkle the topping over the sweet potatoes and bake in the oven for an additional 15 minutes.

SLUTTY BROWNIES For the bottom cookie layer: FROM SCRATCH -1/2 Cup Butter-flavored Shortenin -1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Sugar -1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar -1 Egg -1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla -1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda -1/2 Teaspoon Salt -1 Cup All-Purpose Flour -1 Cup Chocolate Chips For the top brownie layer: FROM SCRATCH -10 Tablespoons Butter -1 1/4 Cups Sugar -3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder (Dutch process gives it a fudgier flavor) -1/2 teaspoon salt -1 teaspoon vanilla -2 eggs -1/2 cup all purpose flour Directions: To make the bottom cookie layer: In a mixer, cream together butter-flavored shortening and sugars until fluffy. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add vanilla, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. Add in the flour and stir until everything has come together. Fold in chocolate chips. Press into the bottom of the greased pan. To make the brownies: melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove. Once melted, whisk in the cocoa powder until combined. Add in salt and vanilla and stir until combined. Add in the eggs and quickly whisk together. Stir in the flour until everything is incorporated. Pour the brownie batter on top of the Oreos, making sure that it covers everything. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.

Feature

Ravens Share Their Bucket Lists Christian Walker, ‘14

Sarah Lowery

STAFF WRITER

The term “bucket list” comes

Lizzy Micyus, ‘15 Do the Warrior Dash Go Skydiving Visit Paris Own a Wrangler at some point Get on TV Get married Meet Enrique Iglesias

Kat Belk

from the term “to kick the bucket.” A bucket list can show a lot about someone’s character, whether they are humorous, fun, very ambitious, or any number of things. Many people believe that only people of older age have a list of things they want to accomplish before they pass on, but many Ravenscroft students and faculty already have a head start on their bucket list.

Math Instructor See a whale in its natural environment Join a curling team See the Olympics in person (winter or summer) Own a Jeep Set up two people that eventually get married Swim with dolphins See the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person

Ashley Suh,‘15 Run into a store or public place and ask people frantically what year it is, and when they respond get excited and yell “IT WORKED!” and then run out Listen to “Rhapsody in Blue” while walking into Times Square in New York Meet Nathan Adrian Backpack through Europe Go to a Rolling Stones concert

Emi Myers, ‘15 Speak two languages fluently Document the story of a homeless person Live in Tokyo Finish an entire glass of water at a Chinese restaurant before they refill it Figure out what the “great perhaps” is (Rabelais) Own a goat Meet an astronaut Make macaroni and cheese stuffed grilled cheese sandwich Spend a night in the Ice Hotel Horseback ride through Mongolia Go to Times Square on New Years Find something cool with a metal detector

Wrestle a Bear

Photoshopped image by Sarah Lowery

Caroline Gainey, ‘15 Go skydiving Go to Bali Have a food fight Climb a mountain

This concept is so universal that it inspired a blockbuster movie.

The Bucket List

2007 American dramedy film Directed by Rob Reiner, Written by Justin Zackham, and Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman Distributed by Warner Bros. Grossed a total of $175.3 million worldwide

Natalie Hianik, ‘15 Swim with dolphins Go to Las Vegas

Grace Edwards

Administrative Assistant to Athletics

Go through a drive-thru Take a spontaneous flight while not in a car Backpack through Asia Ride in a helicopter Visit Brazil (Rio de Janiero) Go scuba diving Build a tree house Go to the Olympics Take a cross country road trip (not in them) Be a part of a flash mob Travel the world Visit every arrondissement in Paris in 1 day Go to/participate in the Pingxhi festival in Thailand (floating lantern Be in a TV festival) Own a dog show Work in a disaster zone Own a shark Sell some of Visit South Dakota Pay for someone random’s my art Go to a Venetian Masquerade Ball groceries/whatever they’re Own a pet (actually in Venice) buying red fox and Own a house with hardwood floors Stay at the Plaza in New raccoon Go to a wedding York at Christmas Time Pet a squirrel Document the story of a homeless Memorize every line in a book Swim in Jello person Leave a secret admirer letter for someone Design my own clothing Go scuba diving somewhere really tropical Travel around the world Go give out random Christmas presents to people Go to Antarctica Go to Spain, England, France, and Italy Go on a safari in Africa Go on a safari Make a difference in the world Win something exciting, like a trip Have the chance to address evSew a quilt ery person in the world at once Hold a monkey Start a charity Learn to play a really exciting instrument Jump wakeboarding Meet Julia Andrews Become best friends with someone on an airplane Get an Build an actual, really good snowman. employee at Live one whole day like I’m in a musical Chick-FilGo ice skating at Rockefeller Center at night on A to say December 23rd “thank you” Stay on my own island or own it instead of Fill up the back of a truck and sleep there over“my night pleasure”

Kate Sweeny, ‘13

Alex Payne, ‘15

Audrey Hammerstein, ‘14

Sports

Polocrosse, Curling, and Buzkashi, Oh My! Unusual Sports from Around the World Appear at Ravenscroft Kate Sweeney STAFF WRITER

A rider carries a goat calf with defenders in pursuit during a Buzkashi match Friday, April 9, 2004, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Hundreds of spectators showed up to cheer on their favorite teams.

ow far are athletes willing to go to win? Some students and faculty at Ravenscroft play sports most people would find strange or dangerous. Although danger is prevalent, athletes continue to put themselves to the test to prove their worth. Most Ravenscroft athletes play sports such as basketball, baseball, soccer, and swimming. Sometimes, the athletes involved in more obscure sports are overlooked. Sports from around the world may be varied, but they all have one thing in common: the goal is to win and have fun, and though there are infinite ways to prove yourself in the sporting world, some are stranger than others. Whether tossing a goat carcass over a line or pelting your friend with a wooden octagonal ball, sports are simply fun and no matter what the risk, there will always be people up for the challenge to win the title.

“I play polocrosse, mounted games (on ponies), eventing, goose cutting. Polocrosse is lacross on horses, and you have a racquet and a bouncy ball and there are three people on a team and you throw a ball between goalposts on horses,” - Stephanie Wiehe, ‘15

Photo from MCT Campus.

International Sports O

Buzkashi

ne of the most unusual sports in the world, buzkashi, has actually been named the national sport of Afghanistan. Buzkashi is a sport that involves tossing a beheaded goat carcass over a line while riding on horseback. The players carry a whip in one hand to repel other horses and riders. The goat in a Buzkashi game is normally beheaded and disemboweled and has its limbs cut off at the knees, then soaked in cold water for 24 hours before play to toughen it. In Afghanistan, buzkashi is usually played on Fridays in arenas filled with thousands of fans. It is definitely not a sport for children or those who cringe at the sight of blood.

“I have a strange obsession with curling. I’ve never done it, but would love to and it is my favorite Winter Olympic sport to watch (but since I do not have cable that is often difficult to do.)”

Bog Snorkeling

Some athletes even go as far as to immerse themselves

in muck to score the winning title: Another strange sport, bog snorkeling, originated in England. The objective is to swim 120 meters through a bog, but conventional swimming strokes like freestyle and breaststroke are not allowed. The players must use only their flippers to propel them through 120 meters of muck. Gross!

Pato

The national sport of Argentina, Pato, is almost as strange as

buzkashi. Pato also involves riding horseback and combines polo and basketball. In Spanish, “pato” means duck, and the sport was named such because players use to actually use a live duck instead of a ball. Two four-member teams fight for a ball and aim to throw it into a basket, much like basketball, but on horseback. Pato is played by both amateurs and determined competitors, usually at weekend fairs. Since about 90% of Argentinians have never seen a pato match, its status as Argentina’s national sport has been debated.

Ga-Ga Ball Many sports around the world have been played to test the endurance

and strength of athletes, such as ga-ga ball. Ga-ga ball is a game that originated in Israel that involves pelting wooden, octagonal balls at other players’ knees. All players start out pressed against the wall, and the ball is thrown into the air. On the first bounce, everyone yells “GA!” and on the second, they scream it again. Once both “GA!” shouts have been heard, the ball is in play and players are allowed to leave the wall. The goal is to hit other players below the knee to get them “out” much like dodgeball, but in this sport, it really hurts. In July, 2012 Karen Alexander, journalist for The New York Times, wrote “Believed to have originated in Israel, the game — which translates to “touch, touch” in Hebrew — has been a standby of Jewish summer camps and community centers in the United States since at least the 1970s. Now, to the surprise of parents who recall the game from their youths, gaga is solidly mainstream.”

- Kat Belk, Math Instructor “Although I have never been a synchronized swimmer (other than taking a summer camp class one summer as a kid), I did work for the U.S. Synchronized Swimming team during the 2000 Olympic games (in public relations). It was fascinating. I think I would definitely put it in the category of “obscure!” - Penny Rogers, Director of Strategic Communications

“I pole vault. Not as obscure as some sports you are getting probably.” - Garrett Anderson, ‘14 “I played water polo in high school. Does that count?” - Jason Sharp, Drama Instructor

“Fencing is not strange, but not many people play it as a competitive sport. I was on the fencing team for 4 years in high school and 1 year in college. I never won a championship. We were the only high school in the area with a fencing team. That was due to the that our French teacher, Mr. Alfred Rebersak, was a Fencing Master who had served in the French army during WWII. He started the team, but my schedule was so full, I had to stop, which was a shame because I really enjoyed it.” - Susann Heckman, Chemistry Instructor

Have a GREAT idea for an article for the January issue of The Nevarmore? Write it and email it to Caroline Scales (cscales@ravenscroft.org) or Helen Velk (hvelk@ravenscroft.org) Ga-ga ball being played in an arena Photo from MCT Campus.

No Time to write? Simply email the concept and it might become a future article.

Sports

FALL VARSITY SPORTS AWARDS FOOTBALL

COACHES’

MOST IMPROVED WILL BAREFOOT ‘13

BIG EAST ALL-CONFERENCE

HONORABLE MENTION

ALEX NESVISKY, ‘14 GREG HARPER, ‘14

STAFF WRITER

he Fall Sports Banquet was full of awards and recognition of all the athletes. We sat down with Will Barefoot, a senior of the Varsity Football team was chosen to participate in the 2012 Shrine Bowl, and Layla Tanik, a senior of the Varsity Tennis team, who received the golden raven award, and TISAC player of the year, to talk about their awards and teams success.

ROBERT LIPPITT, ‘14

AVERY EDWARDS, ‘14 MIKE FAGAN, ‘14 ROBERT LIPPITT, ‘14 WILL BAREFOOT, ‘13

FIELD HOCKEY

greg harper

COACHES’

SAVANNAH STORY, ‘13

MOST IMPROVED AVERI GAINES,‘13

CHEER

ALLCONFERENCE

MVP

SAVANNAH STORY, ‘13 TAYLOR EDNIE, ‘13, TAYLOR FLECK, ‘13 ANNA COLAWN, ‘16

AVERY EDWARDS ‘14

ALL STATE

ALL-STATE

AVERY EDWARDS, ‘14

SAVANNAH STORY, ‘13, TAYLOR EDNIE, ‘13, TAYLOR FLECK, ‘13

SOCCER

OASIS ALL-STAR SHRINE CLASSIC WILL BAREFOOT, ‘13

TENNIS

MOST IMPROVED

COACHES’

MOST IMPROVED ABBY CZITO, ‘15

EMERSON BURKHARDT, ‘16

CHRISTOPHER BRAJER, ‘13

MOST IMPROVED

ALL-CONFERENCE

ABBIE GREEN, ‘16

ALL-CONFERENCE LAYLA TANIK, ‘13 EMILY RATFLIFF, ‘14

MVP

LAYLA TANIK ‘13

ALL-STATE

LAYLA TANIK,‘13, EMILY RATLIFF, ‘14

HONORABLE MENTION ABBY CZITO, ‘15

VOLLEYBALL COACHES’

MORGEN McCREEDY ‘14

ALEX COOLEY, ‘13

MAGGIE COLLAWN, ‘14

COACHES’

MVP

COACHES’

MOST OUTSTANDING

EMILY RATLIFF, ‘14

JENNIFER FUNSTEN, ‘15

MOST IMPROVED REBECCA QUBAIN,‘15

ALL-CONFERENCE MORGEN McCREEDY, ‘14, ERIN KELLY ,‘15

Quiz Answers

How well did YOU do?

COACHES’

ANDREW SMITH, ‘13

MVP

THOMAS SIGMON

5. Which Ravens team won back to back to back state titles in 1978, ‘79, & ‘80? c. Football 6. Who is the longest-empolyed current faculty member at Ravenscroft? b. Nurse Janes

MVP

TURNER MAKEPEACE, ‘13

HONORABLE MENTION

PARKER SUTHERLAND, ‘13, ZANE LAUGHERY , ‘13, ELIOTT COPELAND, ‘13

MOST IMPROVED ANDREW PRUDEN, ‘16

ALL-REGION

ALL-STATE

ALEX COOLEY, ‘13 ALEX COOLEY ,‘13 TURNER MAKEPEACE, ‘13

ALLCONFERENCE

GIRLS GOLF

THOMAS SIGMON, ‘13

MVP

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

JESSICA KITTELBERGER, ‘14

COACHES’ ALEXANDRA LEE, ‘15

COACHES’

MVP

MOST IMPROVED

EMILY BEDSOLE, ‘13

MADDY RINGENBACH, ‘16

MAGGIE DeLEONARDIS, ‘18

MOST IMPROVED HALLE LUTZ,‘16

ALL-STATE

JESSICA KITTELBERGER, ‘14

ALL-STATE

MADDY RINGENBACH,‘16 CHLOE MIKLES, ‘16

2. In what year was the first Ravenscroft prom, then called Spring Formal? b. 1973

4. What future president gave the commencement address to the Class of 1974? b. Gerald Ford

ALEX COOLEY, ‘13 TURNER MAKEPEACE, ‘13 ZANE LAUGHERY, ‘13 ELLIOTT COPELAND, ‘13 JACOB JOHNSON, ‘13

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

1. When was the first yearbook published? a. 1940

3. When was Ravenscroft’s first high school graduating class? c. 1973

MVP

TAYLOR EDNIE ‘13

ALL-CONFERENCE

MADDY RINGENBACH, ‘16, CHLOE MIKLES, ‘16, CLAIRE FUSCOE, ‘14, ELISABETH SCHRICKER, ‘13

NCISAA TOURNAMENT CHAMPION

JESSICA KITTELBERGER, ‘14

ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR JESSICA KITTELBERGER, ‘14

Varsity Winter Sports Mid-Season Records Boys Basketball 2-7 Girls Basketball 5-3

Wrestling 3-2

Girls Swimming 7-0 Boys Swimming 4-2