The Bulldog Print October 2013

The Bullis School 10601 Falls Road Potomac, MD 20854

Bullis School

The Bulldog October 2013

Issue 1

INSIDE:

After-school credit policy demands reevaluation

News

Pages 2-3

Strunk gets married

By Brian Mitchell Editor-in-chief

Features Pages 4-5

Student forms charity

Arts

MORIAH RATNER

Mr. Riffee (left) teaches William Yang (right) how to operate advanced video equipment

Pages 6-7

Video club shoots for success in pilot year

By Rachel Weinberger News Editor

Bullis presents The Laramie Project

Opinions Pages 8-9

Debate on education

Sports

Pages 10-11

Bullis provides a vast expanse of opportunities to meet the two after school credits: sports, yearbook, managing and outdoor adventures among other categories. The technical staff has recently implemented an additional after school activity- film club for the fall and spring!

Film club was created by Mark Riffee, Bullis’ Video Communications Associate, to accommodate everything from a students’ passion for

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Bullis in 3013

different angles and scores are presented to the “Dog Pound” from the film club members in the commentator’s box.

This new innovation has created more legitimacy for sports games.

Currently, the film club members are writing, editing, directing and filming their own scripts. They start with a pitch session in which the members create their own story ideas and each member writes their own script. From there, they would split up into teams in which some would work on

See VIDEO on Page 11

Strong senior leadership improves clubs

By Amanda Greenberg Arts Editor

Washington Sports Curse

film production to the creation of graphics for the new video scoreboard.

The current members are William Yang, Leonardo Wu, Rayna Tyson, Moriah Ratner, Jamie Spiers, Sabrina Snowberger, Dayna Clayton and Katie Panzer.

The film club has significantly impacted the way sports are presented at Bullis. They are able to use three cameras at a time for field action and operate the control station in the press box for live coverage. During Friday night football games, for instance,

In years past, many Bullis students unenthusiastically attended the club fair, reluctantly joined clubs, and even used club-meeting times as a study hall - but this lack of interest in clubs has recently changed. In fact, this year, clubs received more student turnout than ever, and the student body seems to be more involved in the numerous clubs the school offers.

What has led to the increasing interest in clubs this year?

Most likely, the answer is a new, dedicated array of club student leaders.

Community Service club Unlike local public schools, Bullis does not require students to have a certain number of community service hours prior to graduation. It is because community service here is not mandated that the abundant participation in the Community Service club is so meaningful and genuine. In years past, Dr. Romeyn and other faculty members ran the club. This year, however, a trio of senior leaders - Amanda Cohen (‘14), Amanda Greenberg (‘14), and Allison Leasure (‘14) - took on the

responsibilities of management and has since elevated the club to new heights.

60 students attended the Community Service club’s first meeting of the year, a turnout that doubled that of last year. This increase is due to the new co-presidents’ strong advertising for the club. Cohen, Greenberg and Leasure have made announcements and used simple word-of-mouth marketing to encourage students to join the club. Clearly these advertising methods have worked effectively, as every

See CLUBS on Page 2

Balance. It’s a word so central to Bullis’ identity that it’s included in some way or another in everything we do.

You’ve heard the expression “All roads lead to Rome” – well, at Bullis, all roads lead to balance.

This is certainly the case with the Upper School’s activity-credit policy: the administration believes that requiring students to participate in at least two after-school sports or organizations per year promotes a balanced involvement in the Bullis community.

For many students, this policy works seamlessly, allowing them to pursue their various interests in a structured format.

For others, however, the significant time commitment inherent in the two-credit system hinders their ability to follow their true interests, which may exist outside of school or may simply not be offered as an activity credit.

These students find themselves wondering year after year how Bullis can so deeply emphasize balance yet not lend students more freedom in determining what exactly that balance looks like. In short, these students demand a re-evaluation of the twocredit policy.

Before we jump to suggest radical changes – such as abolishing the policy altogether – it is important that we understand why Bullis introduced after-school credits in the first place. Essentially, the current system exists for both philosophical and practical reasons. Philosophically, the administration believes that participation in two activities encourages students to engage with and enrich the school community as well as search for interests and strengths in new areas.

As Upper School Principal Andrew Delinsky puts it, “The more involved kids are,

See POLICY on Page 9

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News

THE BULLDOG

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News

THE BULLDOG

Record participation in clubs

Bullis choir celebrates with Strunk at wedding

Continued from page 1

By Carly Steren

club meeting time Dr. Romeyn’s classroom overflows with students ready to get involved in service. Additionally, the club received significant interest in its sister program, the Community Service winter credit.

24 applicants applied for the available 14 spots, demonstrating an increased level of student interest from last year. Community Service at Bullis is reaching new heights, and with the large number of students participating this year, the club will surely do great things.

SADD club The SADD (Students against destructive decisions) club often goes unnoticed among the vast number of organizations at Bullis. This year, though, new President Carly Steren (’14) and new Vice Presidents Dana Martin (’14) and Jane Beightol (’14) plan to increase SADD’s influence on campus. With the help of dynamic faculty advisor Marc Steren, Carly says that

SADD is “determined to revamp the club and create a safer and more productive environment for the Bullis School.”

The current student leaders claim that last year’s officers lacked motivation, which led to the club’s dormancy. In order to make the club more impactful, the Steren duo, along with Martin and Beightol, are planning many activities that will educate students on how to make good decisions in a fun, hands-on manner. The leaders hope that with their help, Bullis students can better avoid destructive decisions.

Model UN Model UN has always been popular at Bullis, but this year, new Co-Presidents Adam Cohen (’14) and Kendall Buck (’14), as well as new vice president James Wang (’14), plan to strengthen the club even further. The new leaders received a record attendance at their first few meetings and have more interest in

B U LLI S S C H O O L’S

THE BULLDOG The Bulldog is a student-run newspaper made to not only inform students about school information, but also to provide a forum for student expression. Many of the articles are written by the Journalism class, however we accept articles from the entire student body. The Bulldog reserves the right to edit and change submitted articles as we see fit or if they do not meet our specifications. If you have an article you wish to submit, send it to TheBullisBulldog@gmail.com. The Bulldog will not publish anonymous letters, or anything deemed libelous, obscene, or in poor taste.

Editor-In-Chief Brian Mitchell

Advisor Brad Kosegarten

News Editor

Arts Editor Amanda Greenberg

Rachel Weinberger

Opinions Editor Andrew Smith

Social Media Director Matt Hansan

Sports Editor Alec Fink

Culture Connoisseur Jonathan Laetsch

Contributors Oriana Theo Dr. Jordan Schugar

Staff Writers Owen Caulfield Carly Steren Gabe Melrod Greg Lovegrove

Staff Writer In 2012 Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley headed the campaign for same-sex marriage equality in Maryland. In November of 2012, the question of same-sex marriage was put to a vote, and with a 52.4% victory, gay marriages became legal in Maryland on January 1st of 2013.

On October 5th, our beloved choir teacher, Jason Strunk, took advantage of this new law and married his partner of 5 years, Tony. This mar-

riage represents a true feat in the life of Strunk, as he has dealt with numerous attacks against his sexual orientation throughout his life.

Strunk’s perseverance through challenging circumstances inspired the three Bullis choirs - caprice, camarato, and chamber singers - to sing at the wedding in celebration.

While the students did not attend the reception, they sang two songs at the ceremony. The first song was “Oh God Beyond All Praising.”

The second song was “This

LISA VARDI

Students in the Model UN club, which has received record participation this year, will return to the Netherlands this January.

conferences than they have had in the past. Making assembly announcements has helped the leaders get their club more attention, but their better organization and planning has also improved the club a lot from last year.

Cohen remarked that the club is planning more conferences than ever, with both national and global offerings. For example, Model UN members can participate in THIMUN (located at the Hague in Netherlands), Model OAS (Organization of American States), Model Arab League, and National High School Model UN (located in the actual UN building in New York City).

With so many conferences, the leaders are making sure to prepare better than they did in years past: “We will hold meetings prior to conferences to ensure that all participants are ready to be active,” assured Cohen.

Cohen, Buck, and Wang also advertise upcoming conferences through their new Model UN bulletin board located next to the Commons. The new leaders of Model UN have better structured the club and helped produce the highest student involvement ever.

Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Two years ago, Bullis’ GSA was not yet an active club in the community; instead, it was merely a Facebook group. Nevertheless, the club’s unofficial lead-

ers, Rayna Tyson (’14) and Darcy Argain (’14), have helped lead the club from its humble Facebook beginnings to its current role in working to make Bullis more welcoming to students of all backgrounds.

The club leaders have led assemblies about topics such as gender and gender expression, which Tyson states “were very different than most assemblies and sort of shocking to some people, but I think that was the point, so that people knew we were here and we weren’t just a Facebook group anymore.”

Moreover, last year the club held a day of silence and a “think before you speak” week to honor LGBT students forced to silence their voices and curb the insensitive comments that are unfortunately part of the teenage culture. Also, Bullis became the area’s first independent school to host a GSA summit last spring when a a variety of schools came here to participate in workshops and listen to keynote speakers.

This year, the club has about 20 members, and Tyson feels as though the group is a close-knit family. The student leadership of Argain, who started the club, and Tyson, has transformed the once Facebook group into an influential organization working to end the high school bullying that ruins so many young lives across the nation.

Booster Club Another club that has seen a tremendous increase in student interest from last year is the Booster club.

With more enthusiasm and better advertising, copresidents Greg Lovegrove (’14), James Barlia (’14), and Clay Cosimano (’14) doubled the student turnout from last year. According to Lovegrove, the club has received a lot more interest because “kids are genuinely more interested in improving school spirit this year.”

The new leaders have already improved the student section cheers at football games and increased the sense of pride in all Bullis students. Using a Facebook group, the leaders plan themes for sporting events and spread the word about upcoming events in the community.

Lovegrove, Cosimano, and Barlia are taking their roles as copresidents more seriously than leaders have in the past, putting more effort and time into their work.

This has shown, as many students and faculty agree that school spirit is at a peak.

With the numerous clubs Bullis offers, it is nearly impossible not to find one that peaks each students’ interest. Kids should join these remarkable clubs to further involve themselves in the school community in both a fun and personal way.

Bullis Choir teacher Jason Strunk married his longtime partner,Tony, on October 5th.

Marriage”, which was sung right before Jason and Tony pronounced their vows to one another.

In the years Strunk has worked at Bullis, many students have established emotional connections with him. The opportunity to sing at his wedding was thus a privilege for the members of the Bullis Choir: “Mr. Strunk has been a big part of my life since 7th grade,” said senior Jane Beightol. “It was an amazing feeling to be able to be there on one of the biggest days of his life.”

As a Bullis teacher, Strunk says he has the ability to inspire and work alongside wonderful students: “I have a really unique job where I get to see a kid change over 7 years and that is the most rewarding thing. I love each and every student individually,” said Strunk. “We have a really unique situation in that we do not get to merely be teacher and student but we also get to be artists together. The experience of creating music and joining together in that sort of arena

creates a bond like no other.”

Senior Chelsea Widerlite elaborated on Strunk’s influence even further, commenting that she was beyond grateful to have him as a source of not only musical talent, but also as a friend and an outstanding mentor. Chelsea says that without Strunk, she would not be nearly as successful in her musical pursuits as she is today.

Strunk spends an enormous amount of time trying to not only better himself, but better the community and those around him. He puts his heart and soul into everything he does and never leaves a student to feel unappreciated: “Mr. Strunk has made me more confident in my self both in singing and in general,” said senior Blake Priddy. “He has opened my eyes to how important each individual is. Everyone has their own story that defines them as a person, and it is worth while getting to know people and where they come from.”

When asked what it meant to have the Bullis choir at his wedding, Strunk responded, “It meant a lot because the work that I have done here, and the people who I work with have become the great love of my life. I couldn’t imagine having a

huge life-altering event without sharing it with the people who mean so much to me.”

Strunk considers the entire Bullis community to be his family. His parents were unable to attend the wedding, so having the support of the Bullis choir and his peers made him feel as though he were surrounded by family.

Topping off the wedding was a cake beautifully crafted by Sandra Borckardt, Sandrita’s mom: “She [Mrs. Borckardt] spent hours making the cake so it was absolutely perfect for Mr. Strunk,” Sandrita said. “The wedding cake was the perfect final touch in celebrating Mr. Strunk’s marriage. It represented how much Bullis cares for Strunk and how thankful we are to have him in our lives.”

Sandrita went on to address Strunk directly, “I am so sad that I will not be able to see you every day next year but I know you will carry on making a difference in the lives of students, the same way you have made a difference in my life. Thank you and congrats!”

Alumnus shares wisdom on high school years

By Jordan Schugar Contributing Alumnus

I’m not normally a person who likes to take a lot of advice from people, as I tend to revel in the opportunity to figure things out for myself. However, navigating middle and high school is an experience you’ll never repeat, and at times I had wished someone older and wiser had given me a few tips during the six years I was a Bullis student. While certainly the goal of high school is to prepare students for college; and the goal of college is to prepare students to be productive and contributing members of society, I have a two things that I think will make you successful in all your years of schooling and also in your chosen career path: Critical Thinking and Respect.

Currently, as a college professor, I am fortunate to teach a variety of students and a variety of courses.

And, what shocks me is how students, for the most part, lack good critical and higher-order thinking skills. I am grateful that much of the curriculum and many of my teachers at Bullis, people like Mr. Foster, Mr. Hunter, and

Ms. Kirkwood emphasized critical thinking. The ability to objectively analyze, deconstruct, and problem solve any situation in any content area is relevant in just about any situation you’re in; whether you’re studying for a test or preparing for a sporting event, or rehearsing for a musical.

Understanding the task at hand, creating a plan of action, and following through are all skills that teachers, coaches, directors, professors, and employers all highly value. Take advantage of the quality teachers that Bullis employs. Take advantage of the various opportunities Bullis offers with academics, athletics, and the arts. And, take advantage of the various and diverse resources that are made available to you on campus and in your com-

BULLIS ARCHIVES

munities.

While at Bullis, I also learned a great deal about respect. Respect for my school; respect for my teachers; and most importantly respect for myself.

When I started at Bullis, in 1988, the school was going through a sort of a transition from a military prep school into the current, more liberal program currently in place. Certainly, Dr. Jung was instrumental in implementing this vision, as was Mr Farquhar, and now, Dr. Boarman is continuing this great leadership legacy.

But when I first matriculated in South Hall, we had a strict uniform (not dress code) policy: white or blue shirts; a choice of two ties; hard-soled shoes (oh, how I loathed those

JORDAN SCHUGAR

THEN: Alumnus Jordan NOW: Mr. Schugar currently Schugar (‘94) sporting the teaches at West Chester Uniold Bullis sportcoat. versity of Pennsylvania.

shoes) and blue blazers. We stood when our teachers entered the room and we could “earn hours” if we got too many demerits for things like “Failure to Follow Instructions” (FFI) and “Conduct Unbecoming of a Bullis Student” (CUBS) which meant we spent our Saturday mornings on campus copying the dictionary or scraping the gum from underneath the desks.

But, the reality is, respect is what makes the world turn. We have to respect our intellectual, artistic, and athletic abilities. We have to respect our opponents. We have to respect our teachers and administrators and coaches and mentors and parents and bus drivers. We have to respect our environment and our history and our heritage. Bullis has a long, rich tradition and I am very proud to be affiliated with Bullis, first as a student and then as a teacher and coach (9 years total). We are all a fraternity/sorority and you, now also share a kinship with the great people like, Seth Davis, Kira Orr, Henry Rollins, and Brian “Bubba” Bunting, who have graduated before you.

In the future, we as

Alumni look forward to seeing what the next generation of Bullis students can do for the world. You all can decide the directions you want to take with your lives and you’ll decide what sorts of positive impacts you all can make as students, and then as an Alumni. You certainly have big shoes (thankfully not the hard-soled ones) to fill, but I’m certain you are all up for the challenge.

Dr. Jordan Schugar is a professor of English and Educational Technology at the West Chester University of Pennsylvania in West Chester, PA. He graduated from Bullis in 1994 as a member of the National Honor Society, and studied at the University of Colorado, Boulder; Humboldt State University; and the University of Maryland, College Park. From 2000-2003, as a teacher at Bullis, he taught English and Media Journalism and coached soccer and ice hockey. In 2013, he was named an Apple Distinguished Educator.

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Features

THE BULLDOG

Technology department keeps Bullis running smoothly

By Gabe Melrod Staff writer

When students open their computers and log in to their Gmail and Haiku or their databases and programs during the day, they most often think nothing of it.

However, there is a lot of work that goes into making this possible. Meet the people who make it happen.

The Bullis tech staff is comprised of three major parts: infrastructure, technology, and resources.

Heading the infrastructure systems is Ty Lloyd.

After hearing about an opportunity to come to Bullis and work as the systems administrator, Mr. Lloyd thought it would be a great opportunity to put the fixit-up skills he had gained as a mechanic earlier in his career to the test.

Mr. Lloyd makes sure that all the infrastructure systems at Bullis work properly.

“I am responsible to maintain and keep functioning all of the infrastructure systems. Phones, video, laptops desktops, anything in the hardware realm” as Lloyd puts it.

Mr. Lloyd is the highest level of support at school.

He images all of the desktops over the summer to make sure they are the same machines and any student can use them. He manages and updates the phone system decennially;

Mr. Lloyd handles all technological infrastructure here at Bullis

he updates the wireless system and monitors the many servers that keep all of the systems at Bullis functioning.

With students often knocking on his door, students would assume that the tech staff is hardest at work during the school year. Not true.

“The summer is the busiest time of year for us” said Lloyd. “Lots of long hours and late nights.”

While there is clearly a lot to do, the tech staff goes all in and makes sure everything is ready when the school year starts.

While it is certainly a very tough job to have because not every problem can be solved, Lloyd says the best part of his job is, “getting to learn something new everyday”. The biggest technology problems Bullis faces go to him, and he is always on the clock. Living minutes away makes this possible.

Lloyd is working in “power outages, snow storms, rain storms, you name it,” making sure that everything runs well and problems are solved promptly.

MORIAH RATNER

With Mr. Lloyd handling the big machines that make everything work smoothly, when it comes to personal computer issues at Bullis, Samantha Davis is the woman to talk to.

Davis handles the, “dayto-day one-to-one technology issues for the entire students body as well as the faculty and staff.”

Ms. Davis handles everything from connecting to the printers to viruses and on a rare occasion, the dreaded water spill. She is the first line of defense when it comes to

personal computer problems.

However, if Ms. Davis can not fix your computer problem for whatever reason, the person to see is Mr. Dickie.

Mr. Dickie is a man of many hats. While working side by side with both Mr. Lloyd and Ms. Davis, Mr. Dickie oversees all of the major technological projects at Bullis.

He oversaw the phone overhaul, where every phone on campus was replaced, that was done this past summer.

He also helps with individual technological problems within the Bullis community and he works with all the integrated technology within the Bullis classes.

“I have always been interested in technology. As a teacher I have always integrated technology into my courses, and from there it just became a personal interest” as Dickie puts it.

One thing is certain, working for the technology department at Bullis is truly a labor of love. Each and every member of the technology staff including Mark Smith, the Assistant Director of Technology and Mark Colburn, the Network Administrator, all work as hard as they can to constantly solve each and every problem that arises with all of the technology at Bullis.

So whenever you open your computer and log on to a website at school just remember that it takes a lot more than just a few clicks of the mouse to make those webpages open.

American and Chinese education systems differ greatly

By Matt Hansan Social Media Director Imagine one single test score determining whether you can continue your education. In America, we would view this system as cruel and unreasonable - it would never happen. For students in China, however, this is reality. Clearly, the American education system functions much differently than that of China. Bullis’ foreign exchange students have had the rare opportunity to experience both systems.

Bullis is fortunate to have a diverse student body of which our group of foreign exchange students are an important piece. The foreign exchange program allows students originally from opposite ends of the globe to learn with and

from one another. Thus, as a community, we should be more aware of the cultural and educational differences between countries.

While American students often complain about school here being test-directed, this is even more extreme in China.

There is a very strong focus on doing well on the college entry test, for students’ scores on this determine whether or not they can continue onto college. Indeed, a poor score on this entry exam ends a student’s education and forces them to look for a new direction in life. Foreign exchange student John Wang (‘16) explained that the Chinese education system revolves around “how to take the test and how to review for the test.” Although the SAT and ACT in America are similar to the Chinese college entry exam, the key distinctions are that

one may take the SAT or ACT multiple times and standardized test scores here are only one element of a more holistic college admissions process.

That is, college in America do not accept students solely based off of one single test score but rather this score in conjunction with a student’s

academic record, extracurricular activities, personal essays, and teacher letters of recommendation. James Li (‘14), who has been an exchange stu-

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Features

THE BULLDOG Continued from page 4 dent at Bullis for three years, noted that the Chinese College Entrance Examination is “stressful” because it is a one time thing - there are no retakes whatsoever.

Wang elaborated that in China, “the schools don’t really care about your class participation, since the grade of homeworks, quizzes, and tests won’t affect your college application.”

Wang explained that he likes the education system that Bullis has in place. Bullis encourages class participation, giving effort grades on report cards and having participation worth a percentage of a students grade each trimester. Wang has

only been at Bullis a short time, but he has already noticed a difference in his study habits: “I now treat every single assignment seriously, since they’re also an important part of the grade,” he said.

In China, however, students have a more rigorous schedule, starting school at 7:30am and ending around 5:30 at night. Unlike at Bullis, there is no built-in time for sports and other activities after school.

Also, whereas Bullis students are required to participate in at least two after-school activities each year, Chinese schools just offer education.

This highlights a major cultural and educational difference - Bullis and most other

American schools promote well-rounded students who participate in multiple facets of the school community. In contrast, Chinese schools have one job and one job only - to produce high-caliber students.

Both Li and Wang agreed that the education system here in America is more flexible.

Li feels that the biggest difference between Bullis and his school in China is that “everybody has a different schedule.” In China, students have one class of about 40 students who all go to the same classes together. Li feels that this uniform schedule has both negatives and positives. One negative is that this type of system does not allow students to choose the courses that they

want. Bullis lets students choose their own personal schedule that fits their interests.On the other hand, Li described the one positive of going to classes with one group of students is that they become really close with one another. Li added that at Bullis there is “less interaction with classmates during class” because who you have classes with one year may be totally different than the next.

Bullis has allowed students like Li and Wang to experience a new culture here in America. It is important, though, for American peers to support foreign exchange students. This support helps the foreign

Bullis student creates non-profit “Cleats for Peace”

By Rachel Weinberger News Editor

“Soccer cleats do not belong in dusty drawers or dark closets!”

Such is the motto of junior Sarah Bair (’15).

As Sarah was rummaging through her garage, she stumbled on a couple of her old cleats that she’d forgotten about. Sarah never thought her find would turn into anything significant, much less a non-profit organization.

Sarah is the proud leader of “Cleats for Peace”, a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting used soccer cleats and other equipment to give to kids who cannot afford them.

Her idea was prompted by her attendance at the HOBY (Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership) seminar in Chicago. Last spring, Sarah was selected as the one sophomore to represent Bullis at the Maryland conference, which sparked her interest to apply to the international seminar in Chi-

Combined with her passion for the sport, Sarah also holds the core value of ‘giving back’ close to her heart. Sarah participated in Bullis’ winter community service program. She has also joined her youth group on a mission trip to Nashville, Tennessee and West Virginia this past summer.

SARAH BAIR

Sarah Bair (‘15) recently conducted a school-wide soccer cleat drive for her “Cleats for Peace.” cago. During her HOBY experience, Sarah had to pitch her idea to a few groups of people who, in turn, had to vote for the Non-Profit they thought would be the most successful. At the closing Gala, 7 out of 432 ambassadors were chosen to receive $250 grant to start their Non-Profit.

Sarah expresses a sincere appreciation for the sport of soccer, allowing her idea of an athletic-based organization, to be an easy one to support. Sarah has been

playing soccer since Kindergarten and upon realizing her connection to the sport, proceeded to participate in outside club teams, eventually making the Bullis Varsity Girls Soccer team her freshman year.

Soccer was a great way to catch a break from the hectic school days.

“I can always count on my teammates to make my day better, and anytime I need to take some stress out soccer is always the best method,” said Sarah.

“Cleats for Peace is my personal way of giving back while also allowing boys and girls to enjoy soccer as much as I do,” said Sarah.

Over time, Sarah’s “Cleats for Peace” has gained recognition through its partner, DC Scores. DC Scores is an after-school program 2

Bulldog Online Poll Results How would you describe your lunch line experience?

International students Mike Fan (‘15), left, and Ted Gu (‘15), center, value Bullis’ academic freedom.

BRIAN MITCHELL

students feel more comfortable in this new school and also offers American students the unique chance to learn more about different cultural backgrounds. This will help all students become global citizens, a key goal of a Bullis education.

It is without question that school is a stressful but necessary part of life in order to be successful. Both China and America offer education that is globally recognized but these countries have different approaches to the education system. While China is very focused on a single college-entry test, Bullis and the American education system offer a more flexible schedule and do not limit students’ future success to a one-and-done type test.

days a week consisting of soccer practices and games against middle and elementary schools that cannot afford P.E other wise. The kids are able to express themselves through rotations of poetry as well. Both organizations have a goal of getting the kids to stay physically active, as well as stressing self-expression.

So far, Sarah has collected at least 150 pairs of cleats, about 50 of which came from the Bullis community. Those cleats will be delivered to the D. C. Scores program. Sarah believes her organization is so successful because resources are used effectively.

She has yet to use her $250 grant. Sarah was able to get her business up and running with the support of her family friend who happened to work in advertising. So far, “Cleats for Peace” has gained legitimacy by obtaining a business logo, as well as a lawyer to file for a 501C3 (to become an official non-profit).

With the word out about “Cleats for Peace”, it is fair to say that Sarah can expect a healthy response!

How does this year’s homecoming rank among others?

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Arts

THE BULLDOG

Bullis Theater Dept. presents The Laramie Project

By Oriana Theo Contributor

What began as a small idea, a quick remark, has developed into a large, demanding project.

This past summer Rayna Tyson (‘14) and Teddy Sullivan (‘15) had the idea of mounting and directing the Laramie Project at Bullis. Rebecca Mazer (‘14) soon joined the crew after Rayna and Teddy realized they needed someone who had experience in the theater and who was willing to commit to the project. So the planning began.

The Laramie Project is a play about Matthew

Shepard, a homosexual male, who was brutally beaten and left to die in his hometown of Laramie, Wyoming. This play is made up of a series of monologues from the point of view of different people who were in Matthew’s life.

“It’s been a personal goal of mine since my freshman year to put on Laramie no matter where I was but I’m glad it will be at Bullis. I think it’s so important for people who both don’t know and do know about Matthew to hear his tory,” says Tyson. “Laramie being so real and beautiful is the perfect way to start and further conversations about acceptance and kindness in

the world and in the Bullis community.”

Auditions for this play have been completed and all the roles have been cast. The show is set to be performed on November 14 and 15. The cast is made up of students from different grade-levels and composed of both students who are actively involved in theater and those who are not. What they all do share in common, though, is the desire to bring to light is the importance of having an openmind and accepting others.

Rehearsal schedules are flexible and the cast meet after after-school activities and on weekends.

‘It’s been a personal goal of mine since freshman year to put on Laramie’ - Rayna Tyson (‘14) Unfortunately, there is a chance that members of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church, a church community who is strongly against homosexuality as can be seen from their website URL: godhatesfags. com, might show up. They were present at Matthew Sheperd’s funeral, though not to honor him but to

denounce him for his sexual orientation. The Westboro Baptist Church monitors which organizations receive royalty rights to perform the Laramie Project and make it a point to show up to these events and demonstrate.

But, fear not, Mr. Berger, our head of security, has been alerted to the possibility of them being there and has made it clear that they will not be allowed to cross the street (Falls Road) to get close to campus.

In either event Bullis is prepared to take on the challenge of fending these people off and performing such a moving, important and relevant play.

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Arts

THE BULLDOG

Exposé: Inspiration behind Bullis art

By Amanda Greenberg Arts Editor

Everyone has seen the art students’ various works displayed around campus, but many do not know the professional artists that motivate these pieces. It is easy to determine that football players admire RGIII and that aspiring actors look up to Jennifer Aniston – but who inspires the talented students involved in Bullis’ art department? In the image pairs below, the inspiring artists’ works are on the left, and the inspired students’ art is on the right.

Ben Catt: Bryan Sona

Paul Mavrikes: da Vinci Originally a pianist, Paul Mavrikes switched to the visual arts his freshman year. Paul says he would have never discovered his talents in the arts without Bullis. Not one but many different artists have inspired Paul’s art – these include Impressionists Van Gogh and Monet as well as Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo and da Vinci. He believes the best takeaway from art is the sharing of ideas through generations.

While many know Ben as a dedicated athlete, few realize his passion for photography. Ben signed up for photography class his junior year to fulfill an arts credit and ended up loving it. Both his brother and father’s photography have inspired him, but the biggest influence on his work has been Bryan Sona. Sona is a local photographer who uses color film to make Polaroids. His work inspired Ben to produce his own Polaroids.

Jon Demand Movie Review: Runner Runner

By Jonathan Laetsch Culture Connoissuer An ecstasy of bright light greets you from afar.

Time is but a word here, in the city of sin. Days turn into nights as nights turn into days. Money spent, money made. Friendly faces and cool beverages.

Die role and cards turn.

You inhale the artificial air that is keeping you awake, the thrill of the game that is keeping you alive. One bet and your life could change…. Viva Las Vegas!

If you pass through the city you will notice them all around you, attracting tourists and locals like a pulsating magnet- Casinos.

Offering a large variety of games such as Slots, Black Jack, Roulette, Craps and Bingo, Casinos attract both novice gamblers and professionals, young and old.

The Gambling Institutions pull in billions of revenue annually, stabilizing infrastructures and creating millions of jobs around the globe.

While Casinos were popular throughout the twentieth century, a new branch of gambling recently emerged: Online Gambling. Through it the industry has adapted to a generation that spends most of its time in the virtual world. In between posting a Facebook status and shopping for new attire individuals now have the unique opportunity to gamble for money- real money.

But have you ever wondered what happens at the other end of the computer screen? How legitimate the platforms are that live of their client’s addiction?

What they are capable of?

The dark sides of this virtual gambling mechanism are beautifully depicted in Brad Furman’s new film Runner Runner.

Runner Runner- starring Justin Timberlake (The Social Network, In Time), Ben Affleck (Argo, The Town) and the highly talented Gemma Arteron (Quantum of Solace)- is one of the hottest new blockbusters of the year. The movie evolves around Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake) a highly intelligent individual who, after a lucrative career on Wall St., is currently studying at the prestigious Princeton University. Furst uses his intelligence and his unique ability with numbers to gamble online for his tuition.

The game is Poker. With his tuition payment coming up shortly he puts all his savings on the line with the risk of losing everything.

After a successful start, Furst is outplayed at every turn by his online opponents and slowly sees the digits of

his bank account plummet into nothingness. With his frustration at a high and still in shock of the utter defeat Furst takes the statistics of the tournament to the data analysis Department of the University. The results are even more shocking…

Furst has been cheated by the gaming platform “Midnight Black”!

Without much hesitation he embarks on a journey to Costa Rica, the headquarters of “Midnight Black”, to confront its creator and international entrepreneur Ivan Block (Ben Affleck) with the problems he encountered.

After Block fires the coders that allowed for the mishap to happen he takes Furst under his wing offering him a job to assist him with the site, guaranteeing seven figure salary within the first eighteen months. From that point on Furst’s life will never be the same. His dreams of Wall St. are pushed aside as Furst and the viewer dive into a world

of glitz and glamour, corruption and greed: “ The deeper you get into the story the darker it gets” Justin Timberlake recently revealed in an interview with Screen Slam.

With his morals torn between wanting to do the right thing and welcoming his new upper-class lifestyle with open arms Furst, a “guy in the wrong world trying to do everything the right way” (Justin Timerlake, Screen Slam), continuously finds himself questioning if the choice he made is the right one.

When the FBI gets involved, threatening Furst with exile and with the job as Block’s assistant becoming increasingly dangerous Furst is forced to make a decision.

Whether he will choose to play by Block’s or the FBI’s rules one thing is for sure: He has to go all-in, folding is not an option.

Runner Runner is like an old train, as it takes time to get moving and the viewer

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engaged but once it does nothing can stop it. The unique plot in along with a fresh blend of actors make for a thrilling cinematic experience. Justin Timberlake seems excited to play such an important role in a movie besides Affleck and you notice his effort to do everything right, following the script exactly. As the movie develops though so does Timberlake’s acting.

Flying high after his last performance in Argo- arguably one of the best film of the last year- Ben Affleck shows his consistency as he shines in the role of high rank criminal Block. In more than one moment of the film his acting expertise as well as his ability to grab the viewers attention with threatening dialogue and bursts of anger make Affleck one with his role.

Another actress, the jawdropping Gemma Arteron, acts as a cherry on top of a delicious movie sundae consisting of witty dialogue, adrenaline pumping scenes and a thrilling journey you want to be apart of.

With Runner Runner Furman puts his own unique spin on gambling movies, shining light into the dark alleyways of online gambling and the concept of corruption that seems to spread like a disease, infecting all participants. Even though Runner Runner will not spark intellectual debates at elegant cocktail parties, it does suit someone who enjoys diving into different worlds while still fully aware of Hollywood’s influence.

Runner Runner is a royal flush among pairs, a rare occurrence and a risk you have to take. Place your bets and witness the thrill unfold…

LEONARDO DA VINCI

PAUL MAVRIKES BEN CATT

BRYAN SONA

Sophie Roberts: Richard Hamilton Sophie Roberts has been an art student since elementary school, but Bullis art teachers have helped her develop her talent and foster a deeper appreciation for the arts. Although she likes exploring various types of art, Sophie’s focus is drawing. Richard Hamilton, whose pioneering artworks combine popular culture and media, has inspired Sophie’s own foray into the unique genre called “Pop Art.”

SOPHIE ROBERTS

RICHARD HAMILTON

Moriah Ratner: camp counselor Itay Moriah Ratner is passionate about photography and wants to study photojournalism in college. Her dream is to travel the world taking pictures for National Geographic. This past summer, Moriah spent six weeks in Israel and discovered that her counselor, Itay, was a combat photographer in the Israeli army. Itay inspired Moriah with his photography and taught her techniques she had never learned before. Moriah has one of Itay’s photos hanging in her room as inspiration and as reminder of the life-changing experience she had in Israel.

MORIAH RATNER “ITAY”

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Opinions

THE BULLDOG

Debate surrounds offseason sports workouts

Liberal arts vs. specialized education debate

By Alec Fink Sports Editor

Point: Liberal arts provides better foundation for college and career

By Andrew Smith Opinions Editor

To date, Bullis has taken a liberal arts approach to education; that is, students take classes in a variety of subjects such as literature, languages, history, mathematics, and science. Despite the new Signature Programs, Bullis should continue their liberal arts approach because it exposes students to a wide range of knowledge and helps them discover their interests.

Realistically, the majority of high school students arrive having no idea what one subject area they want to pursue in high school, college, and beyond. It is thus unreasonable to have a specialized education system in place that forces students to

make hasty decisions about their future. While, yes, students can always change their specialized field, this changing process wastes valuable time that students could have used exploring knowledge.

A liberal arts education, though, exposes students to many different subject areas.

From this sampling, students are more likely to discover their passions by the end of their high school career and are better prepared to choose a major that interests them in college. Thus, a liberal arts education better fits the high school dynamic than does the specialized education, as it recognizes that most students at this age are unaware of their lifelong interests and need a cross section of all the

academic fields in order to find their core passions.

Furthermore, students enter college studying one major but often change majors because of a lack of interest. Students that focus heavily on only one or two subject areas in high school are at a disadvantage if they decide to switch majors (which statistics show they probably will) because they lack a base knowledge in various fields. Thus, taking only specialized classes in high school limits the amount of majors a student can enter and also be successful in.

A liberal arts education, on the other hand, gives students a foundation of knowledge and skills so that almost every college

major becomes a possibility. While one may argue that the liberal arts approach does not provide an in-depth look at each subject area, high school is less about digging deeply into one subject area as it is about providing a set of skills and background that open doors to various college majors and courses.

Taking a diverse set of classes is the key to success.

The more knowledge a person acquires the greater the chance they succeed. Studying in the liberal arts allows people to master language, public speaking, and reading. In addition, mathematics and science are a part of a liberal arts curriculum and can be further explored after choosing a major.

The liberal arts approach has proven itself as a successful educational system at the pre-college level. The ancient Greeks started the liberal arts education to create knowledgeable members of society who could speak to the public, vote, and make smart decisions for themselves and their communities. In other words, we have always used the liberal arts to create a functioning civilization with diversely educated people. Bullis’ new Signature Programs are a great way for students who already know their core interests to pursue them further; but the school should retain its liberal arts focus in years to come. Anyways, why would we change a proven system?

Counterpoint: Specialized education lets students delve deeply into area of interest

By Carly Steren Staff Writer

In a specialized educational program, students are able to hone in on a specific subject area that interests them and select a schedule that optimizes their participation in that subject. With its recent introduction of two “Signature Programs,” Bullis has incorporated elements of the specialized educational approach into its liberal arts tradition. Nevertheless, Bullis should increase the emphasis on the specialized approach because it enables students to more deeply explore a subject of interest, better prepares students for a certain college major and career, and simply makes school more enjoyable.

Students in the STEM Signature Program this year can take a larger proportion of math, science, and technology classes. These types of classes interest those students more than, say, a literature or history class typically mandated in a liberal arts education. The key here is that many students know by their junior or senior years what subjects really intrigue them; so it just makes sense to allow these students to focus more on those subjects than others.

In addition, allowing students to specialize increases their overall satisfaction and dedication in school. Once again, consider the STEM example: students select STEM-related courses that truly spark their curiosity.

Because they have genuine interest for the subject mat-

ter, these students will likely work harder and go above and beyond in those classes. In turn, these students will see their grades improve and will enjoy coming to school more.

No longer will they have to sit through classes that bore them; instead, they will actually look forward to attending that specialized class they individually handpicked.

The enjoyment from the specialized educational approach is already evident on campus, as students are buzzing about the new Signature Programs: “I like learning the steps to becoming successful. I thought creating a business was simple but this class has shown me how many more elements there are. The Entrepreneurship program applies the real world concept of starting a business into the school environment,” said junior Alyse Wilmore.

Rayna Tyson, a senior in the Entrepreneurship program, added that she has an easier time completing assignments and paying attention in class because she is more invested and interested in the Entrepreneurship class than she is in many of her other subjects.

Moreover, the specialized educational approach provides students the opportunity to delve deeply rather than just skim the surface of a specific subject area. A student that can allot more of his/her schedule each year to a certain academic field will graduate with a much more advanced knowledge in that field in comparison to the traditional liberal arts student.

More time in the classroom with a specific subject means an improved skill set, under-

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Opinions

THE BULLDOG

When Bullis School athletic fans cheer on their friends and family they see classmates working together with hopes of finishing victoriously. What they do not see is the dedication many varsity athletes put forward during their offseason.

Some students choose to prepare for a future athletic season by joining a current team to stay physically active.

Vitaliy Nosov (’15) plays on the Varsity Hockey team in the winter trimester. Instead of going to hockey workouts after school in the fall, he chooses to play Varsity Soccer.

“It’s always great to be a part of a team and have something else to do off season beyond hockey,” said Nosov.

Nosov also added he appreciates the workout he gets from playing soccer, which helps him stay on track for the upcoming hockey season.

Many Upper School students report to the athletic facilities after school to exercise and practice with their teams while others are on the fields receiving an activity credit in a separate sport.

At these workouts, athletes participate in a variety of exercises in order to stay in shape and build chemistry with their teammates for the season.

While student-athletes preparing for an upcoming season are not competing in games against other schools at that specific moment, they are putting in enough effort to raise the question: do these students deserve a credit for their offseason efforts?

Varsity sports such as boys basketball, lacrosse, baseball and hockey as well as girls lacrosse are teams that have these workouts during their offseason. These workouts help make sure players are ready to compete at a high level against opponents from other schools. Although these

workouts may be optional, athletes hoping to earn a starting role and even gain attention from collegiate scouts face the pressure of having to be with their team instead of playing another sport and receiving an activity credit.

Boys varsity basketball player Russell Sangster’s (’14) after-school workout schedule this fall includes one and a half to two hours of weight lifting and conditioning on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and an open gym for basketball-related workouts on Tuesday and Thursday under the same time restraints.

After-school workouts like these are strenuous and consume a lot of time from his schedule, having to balance athletics and academics. However, as a leader of the basketball team, Sangster feels he should be there to set a good example for his teammates.

“There is pressure to not do another sport because you

don’t want to fall behind,” said Sangster. “You need to go to workouts consistently.”

Similar to basketball, the girls varsity lacrosse team holds after-school workouts during the winter trimester.

They meet for an hour four times a week: two days in the gym and two days outdoors.

Megan Wetzel (’15) explained players feel pressured to show up unless they are playing a winter sport to keep them in shape.

Students participating in their teams’ workouts spend just about the same amount of time with their team as credited athletes do and seem justified in wanting to receive a credit of their own. However, it is best Bullis School continues to not recognize team-organized after school workouts as an after school credit. Although students are working hard towards their upcoming seasons, current sports teams would suffer greatly as a result.

Compared to public

schools, Bullis does not have enough students to fill teams if others are going to decide to receive a credit for working out with a future team as opposed to being a part of an athletic team during the current season. Bullis’ athletic program would take a hit if many of our talented athletes choose to report to optional workouts instead while still receiving credit.

Last year’s varsity football team needed junior varsity players to help them practice and even suit up for games.

Finally, with increased class sizes Bullis teams seem to have found more roster spots for students who wish to play a sport.

Despite what players might think, coaches respect a student’s choice to play another sport while some of their teammates workout together.

Not only are athletes staying in shape for their next season, they are dedicating their time and efforts towards Bullis’ success.

Delinsky, administration will consider new credit policy Continued from page 1

Noah Spriggs (‘14) works hands-on in the Robotics Lab for his STEM Capstone project

standing, and exposure to that subject’s dimensions.

It is also easier for teachers to incorporate real-world applications of a subject if their students have a more nuanced understanding.

Consequently, the increased knowledge and experience students gain through specialization puts them at an advantage heading into college and their career.

Nonetheless, one recognizes the importance of taking a variety of subjects in addition to a specialized program. At the high school level especially, students in STEM and Entrepreneurship concentrations definitely still benefit from

courses in, say, writing, history, and foreign language.

But what if those supplemental classes could be geared towards a student’s specialization? For example, could students in the STEM program take classes on the history of mathematics or scientific discoveries?

Could Entrepreneurship students take foreign language classes focused on business conversational skills or English classes that teach the art of writing concise emails, action plans and memos?

Although these types of classes are not common, they perhaps exemplify what the 21st-century high school education should

MORIAH RATNER

look like. Students would gain the range of skills that the liberal arts approach provides but do so in a way that applies these skills to their major academic interests.

The Bullis administration should consider the many merits of the specialized educational approach and move away from the archaic liberal arts method. And it looks like the school will have ample opportunity to do so, as the STEM and Entrepreneurship programs have already kicked off and concentrated programs in the humanities and global studies are soon to follow.

the better. The more kids try different things, the better.”

The two-credit requirement also satisfies a key practical concern, namely the maintenance of a competitive athletics program: “When we compete interscholastically against singlesex schools and some co-ed schools, we have lower numbers. So the thinking is that by putting some requirements in place, we make sure that we can fill teams,” Delinsky explained.

But this practical need for the policy declines as Bullis continues to expand. With over a 20% total growth in Upper School enrollment since the 2009-2010 school year (379 students then versus the current 460), we have more students to fill athletic rosters. In fact, some programs this year such as boys’ soccer have added a third, freshman team in order to accommodate the unprecedented student numbers. And the steady increase in Bullis’ size will likely accelerate as the ambitious 20-year-plan requires hundreds more students to fill beautiful new buildings and a boost in tuition and fundraising dollars to finance these many additions. This leads us to question whether the practical need for the two-credit policy is still relevant.

Nonetheless, changes to the system pose many potentia issues in the “practical” regard. There is the argument that if the two-credit mandate

were to be cut, a number of student-athletes would drop their second sport, instead focusing on offseason training for their primary sport or taking a season off from sports completely.

But if the policy is at all effective in one of its main philosophical goals of inspiring in students a love for their activity choices, then we should be confident that students would continue participating in their two activities regardless of whether this is required or not.

Furthermore, say a student were to drop one of their activities in order to train for another sport, free up time for their studies or other noncredit hobbies, or – dare I mention it – get a healthy dose of sleep at night: should Bullis not respect these sensible reasons as the decisions of a soon-to-be adult? Should we not view these choices as part of that student’s attempt to define his or her personal balance?

Another doubt is whether less popular sports teams could survive without the two-credit system. Would programs such as cross country, wrestling, and swimming – those that are usually not the primary sports for their participants – endure without a school-wide requirement?

Perhaps the growing student numbers would negate any loss of involvement – or perhaps these types of afterschool programs really would struggle under a reduction to

the activity-credit policy.

Unfortunately, this type of uncertainty surrounds the entire policy debate and complicates any movements toward change.

With regard to the policy’s philosophical motive, a switch to, say, only one credit for upperclassmen would free up time to better pursue their individual version of Bullis balance. Juniors and seniors could dedicate more time to a school organization they lead or an outside-ofschool organization in which they participate. In addition, as Signature Programs such as STEM and Entrepreneurship evolve, students could use their newfound afterschool free time to engage in an internship or work with peers and faculty on a handson research project. And don’t underestimate how far two extra hours every day goes toward one’s studies and college applications, both of which are aspects of the “Academics” element of Bullis’ balance trio (Academics, Athletics, Arts).

Notice that I included only upperclassmen in my justification above for a one-credit - or some other form of reduced - policy.

This is because freshmen and sophomores need the time and structure in order to find the passions that may define the rest of their high school career. Likewise, the two-credit policy encourages underclassmen to truly partake in the Bullis commu-

nity – something that is often uncomfortable and unnatural to do as a young teenager.

Finally, required participation in two activities exposes underclassmen to the timemanagement and prioritization they will need as leadership positions, AP-filled academic regimens, and the college application process all become realities of the upperclassmen years.

Juniors and seniors, though, better know their interests and do not need a requirement pushing them to join a team or other activity. Indeed, upperclassmen face challenging academic workloads, ever-increasing competition for college entry, and many other commitments that can make the roughly ten-hours-per-week commitment to a second activity more of a burden than an enjoyment.

No matter the form the new policy takes, the reevaluation process is complex and will take time. As I have tried to shed light on in this article, it is extremely challenging to predict the effects of changing such a staple program. Ideally, the administration would add in layers to the policy so that it better fits a range of student circumstances. The trouble with this, though, is that all situations are unique: “No two situations are the same. You put something in place that works for someone, but somebody else will look at it and say, ‘But my

situation is very similar with one exception – why can’t I do it, too?’” Delinsky commented.

Moreover, even the act of gathering the faculty to have the conversation proves formidable because each would likely come to the discussion table with a bias for the program they represent. At the risk of being reductive in my reasoning, I think it would be natural for athletic directors and coaches to favor maintaining the current two-credit policy, whereas leaders on the academics side might fancy the thought of their students having more time to dedicate toward their studies.

In spite of the many obstacles standing in its way, Delinsky assures that “the administration is well-aware that this issue is something we need to study carefully as a school.”

As we embark on this undeniably difficult task, I urge all to realize that the policy is indeed capable of changing with the times. In fact, over the past few years, the after-school offerings have expanded to include many non-athletic options such as Robotics & Computers, Model UN, Yearbook, and Student Tutors. These successful changes demonstrate how, despite its long standing, the activity-credit policy is not set in stone; it is actually quite capable of adapting to the current school environment.

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SPORTS

THE BULLDOG

By Alec Fink Sports Editor

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It’s the same sad story every year for captain Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals

Ovechkin and the Caps will be back in the playoffs again this year and hopefully make a run deep into the playoffs and bring home some hardware.

As for your favorite Native-American-controversycausing football team, the story does not get much better.

Last year, rookie of the year, Robert Griffin III, and his Redskins team demanded attention from the sports world as they finished the regular season winners of the NFC East. This was a big deal, as the 2013 postseason was the first time Skins fans watched their team in the playoffs since 2008.

However, the fun ended when the Skins lost a home playoff game to the Seahawks. To make matters worse, RGIII went down with a major knee injury in the final minutes of the game, which left Redskins fans

wondering (and still wondering) whether he would ever be as explosive as he proved to be in 2012.

Thankfully, RGIII persevered through the injury and took the field with his teammates to start the 2013 season. That, however, seems to be the only glimmer of success the Skins have seen this year

- they got off to a dismal 1-4 start and coach Mike Shanahan currently stands on thin ice.

If Washington’s second-year quarterback and running back can get back to the offensive explosiveness of last year, the Redskins can possibly salvage a wild card spot and shock the NFL with a Lombardi trophy.

But I would not get my hopes up if I were you – the D.C. sports curse remains strong within the Skins, so anything bad that can happen most likely will.

The Nationals surprised us with their sudden resurgence in baseball after being one of the worst teams in the league for multiple years.

The Nats are an up-and-coming powerhouse in the MLB. They made the 2012 playoffs and gave D.C. a chance of striking gold as they saw themselves one strike away from advancing to the NLCS Championship series.

Their playoff story ended in horror as the Nats’ bullpen blew a save in the ninth inning,

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Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper shows promise for the future.

stunning their faithful fans.

Analysts believed the Nationals would prevail this season, expecting them to win over 100 games and labeling them early World Series favorites. Despite what many thought, the Nationals missed the playoffs this year, bringing more distress to D.C. sports.

The Nats have a beautiful stadium, great players, and passionate fans, setting up the perfect baseball town. It’s time to put that all together and be the team that ends this curse.

Whatever the issue was this year with our baseball team, let’s hope Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, and Steven Strausburg can turn it around next year and get back to the playoffs.

And that sums up the past six years for sports fans in the area. Bad luck?

Simply a coincidence?

No, and no. This is the outcome of the works of the great D.C. sports curse.

Some say it started when former Wizards superstar Gilbert Arenas brought a gun into the locker room.

Others would argue Miley Cyrus’ transformation into a rebellious young adult brought about this long streak of failure.

No matter what brought this dark cloud to our nation’s capital, what we want to know more desperately is: what will push it away?

ready played in a number of competitive international events, including matches against England and Japan, as well as the Costa Rica Cup. This past year, they compiled an impressive 4-1-2 record in international competition, scoring 21 goals and only allowing six.

When asked about how it felt to play at such a high level as well as represent the school and her country, Gyau proudly said, “It’s awesome, I’m so proud to be a part of the national team.

Representing Bullis and America, I feel like I can

Continued on next page

freshman on the cross-country team, she dominated in a number of races, winning one race by 41 seconds and another by an astounding 3 minutes and 25 seconds.

She was also selected to the girls All-Gazette Track and Field Team as freshman, running the second fastest 800 meter time in the state.

The margins with which Gyau won her races were unheard of, leading some to

wonder whether the soccer star had a collegiate future in multiple sports.

Another reason for Bullis to be proud of Mia Gyau is that she is a “lifer.” Students and teachers know Gyau as an extremely humble and kind person, especially for someone who achieves as high as she does.

“Mia lights up the classroom,” said Kerry Hosmer, Gyau’s ninth grade English

teacher. “She draws people towards her with her words and her kindness. She’s incredibly modest of all her achievements.”

Mia sets an example for others in her achievements as well as her attitude.

“She shows how great achievement can be reached through exploring one’s passion, while maintaining a sense of fun, and working really hard” said

Hosmer.

Gyau follows in the footsteps of her father, who played international soccer for a number of years, and her brother, who is breaking into professional soccer in Germany. Gyau shows a promising future in soccer, and she hopes to play at the national and international levels as she gets older.

The Bullis community looks forward to tracking her success.

Film club makes great use of new JumboTron Continued from page 1 lighting, audio, camera operation and focus pulling, just like a real production crew.

Senior Rayna Tyson is optimistic about the new club and the way it allows her and other students to follow passions that they may want to pursue on a grander scale in the future. Rayna’s drive toward the cinematic process allowed her script to be the first project filmed.

“I want to major in film. I love it!” said Tyson.

Rayna’s passion for filmmaking led her to construct a love story about a girl’s relationship with her secret admirer via letters. The story concludes with the girl uncovering and feeling shocked about the identity of her admirer.

Dayna Clayton’s short film is the next green-lighted project.

Senior Jamie Spiers shares the same optimism for establishing the new cinematic club.

It was the perfect opportunity to pursue her passions as well, though they were more towards the technical aspects of the filming process.

“I wanted to join film club because I really like to edit film, and I wanted to get better at shooting” said Spiers.

Not only is the Bullis film club learning from their skilled camera expert, Mark Riffee, but they also have another cinematic figure to look up to.

Willian Yang (‘14) captures a shot in the library.

By Greg Lovegrove Staff Writer

By Owen Caulfied Senior Staff Writer

and I would always go to his practices, which got me into it and it was a lot of fun” said Gyau.

Gyau began playing competitively shortly after at age 6, on a 7U team. She continued to play on various competitive teams as she grew older, gaining a reputation as an excellent soccer player and athlete.

Gyau further secured her athletic reputation by playing on a boys club team– the Bethesda Lions 15U. In 2012, before reaching high school, Gyau competed on the 15-and-under National Team.

Gyau is one of seven defenders selected to the national team, which has al-

inspire people, which is a cool feeling.”

Gyau also revealed that playing on the US team has taught her life lessons beyond soccer.

“I have also learned to never take anything for granted when playing for the national team.”

Outside of soccer, Gyau has impressed coaches and teammates alike in track and cross-country at Bullis. As a

MORIAH RATNER

Bullis alum, David Bernard, is a successful Hollywood producer. He has produced movies and HBO television shows. The film club is able to communicate with Bernard on a weekly basis to broaden the scope of their learning by receiving valuable advice from a professional.

Mark Riffee has high hopes for the future of the newly established film club. One being a mini film festival organized with a panel discussion where the producers and directors are able to answer questions asked by the audience.

This way, the film club can demonstrate to the school the sufficient amount of work they put into making their films and how pleasing the results are. In the near future, film club also hopes to publish their films onto the Bullis website, so all bulldog families are able to view and appreciate them as well.

Riffee’s second hope is that students come to understand the importance of teamwork.

“I think the thing that excites me the most is watching the pitch session and how they collaborate together,” said Riffee. “Everyone has a

unique perspective to offer.”

The film club has proved to have the ability to keep up with any realistic film operation that might face professionals. From Dayna’s artistic touches with the camera to William’s practical demeanor to Sabrina and her prior experience with lighting to skilled photographer Moriah’s expert advice on camera angles and lens focusing.

It is clear that everyone has some skill to offer for the succession of the group as a whole.

“It’s fun to watch everyone work to create everything whether or not they have much interest in film,” Riffee said.

“They will take away the ability to work as a team because they all had to lead in some kind of way.”

The formation of the film club has opened an even broader scope of opportunities for Bullis students to pursue passions that might be more artistically than athletically inclined. Bullis proves its great diversity in prospect as it expands credit options for a greater number of students.

What other opportunities does Bullis have in store in the future? Whatever that may be, one can count on having abundant options!

Bullis football heads into crucial matchup with Landon

Athlete spotlight: Mia Gyau It is not uncommon for Bullis athletes to receive local recognition or go on to play for upper-tier college teams. What is uncommon, however, is a Bullis athlete dominating at the national level. This is exactly what sophomore Mia Gyau (’16) has done, though, as she was recently selected to the 17-and-under United States Women’s National Team.

Gyau’s interest in soccer began at a young age.

She would frequently attend her older brother’s practices, where her father would have her practice on the sidelines.

“I was about 5 years old when I started playing. My brother played,

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Continued from page 10

Curse continues to haunt D.C. sports At the start of every season, we expect success from our professional sports teams. However, we end up remembering the majority of our sports teams’ years with tragic and pathetic endings.

We are D.C. sports fans and we have witnessed enough letdowns in the past six years to fill a lifetime.

Recently, the Capitals, Redskins and Nationals have all toyed with our sanity and broken our hearts with failure after failure.

“When will it end?” we sometimes wonder. Let’s take a look at each team’s chances to turn our embarrassment into triumph: The Capitals are the most consistent winners between the three D.C. teams in terms of the regular season.

That is about all they have to say for themselves.

The Caps have appeared in the playoffs each of the last six years, having won five division titles and one president’s cup. At the start of the playoffs, the Capitals always seem to be strong candidates to claim the Stanley Cup. Yet, in each of the past six years, we have yet to see our hockey team appear in the Eastern Conference Finals. Instead, we have watched the Caps lose five game-sevens and suffer through a four game sweep in 2011 to the Lightning.

While the agony of defeat has been painful to watch, it is only logical to think captain Alexander

SPORTS

THE BULLDOG

MIA GYAU

Mia Gyau (‘16) plays defense on the U-17 Women’s National Team

For the fourth season in a row, the Bullis football team will enter the final games of the year in a position to win the IAC Championship. As the football team heads into their last three games of the season, two of those being conference matchups, students can’t help but notice a familiar feeling.

At 2 pm this Saturday, Bullis will play Landon in a game that will have crucial implications on the both teams’ season.

There is a lot of history behind the Bullis-Landon rivalry. In their last two meetings, each game was decided by only one score. Bullis was successful in beating Landon in 2011, but fell short to the Bears last year 12-7.

Many returning Bullis players have used last year’s loss as motivation throughout the season and are heading into this Saturday’s game excited at the opportunity to redeem themselves.

“Losing last year is definitely a big motivator for us, but you need to take in account that there are more teams than Landon. We need to play every game as if our season depends on it” said linebacker Chris Aust (’14).

After losing on opening night to St. Johns 42-0 the Bulldogs have recovered significantly; they have given up less points combined over the course of the last six games than they did in that loss. The offense has improved drastically as starting running back Devonte Williams (’15), who

did not play on opening night, and the Bulldogs average 38.5 points a game.

Both Bullis and Landon students tend to have a lot to say about each other, but the rivalry between the two schools provides an inevitable excitement when they meet on the field.

Bullis Head Coach Pat Cilento is determined to keep his team focused. Cilento wants to get the message across that every game is important, but many students and players will be eager to say that this game provides an atmosphere that is difficult to match.

“We still have 3 more games, Landon is always an exciting game but Episcopal and Georgetown Prep will be tough too,” said Cilento.

Bullis’ standards have recently increased and this matchup is no longer one where Bullis fans will be happy with a close game.

While the Bulldogs still la-

ment over last year’s loss to Landon, they will have a shot at redemption this Saturday at Landon.

Bullis students and football players celebrate a crucial win in 2011.

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The Bullis School 10601 Falls Road Potomac, MD 20854

THE BULLDOG

Bullis School

Bulldog 3013 October 3013

Upper School enrollment breaks 10,000 With the Class of 3018 settled in, the Upper School student body has eclipsed the 10,000 mark. The school population’s rapid growth rate began in 2011 and has exponentially increased ever since.

Despite the massive student body, North Hall still remains as it was one thousand years ago.

As a result, there have been hundreds of reported hallway injuries, and it takes this year’s 10,000 students about two hours to navigate the sea of bodies and get to their classes.

Issue 1

Legend Glenn Hunter retires The man, the myth, the legend. After a historic career at Bullis - one that saw the passing of multiple millennia - teacher Glenn Hunter has just retired.

So how does a man sustain a career from 1981 to 3013? We at The Bulldog suspect that it was Mr. Hunter’s calm but stern demeanor and slick, silver hairdo that led to his great longevity in the educational field.

Over 100,000 of Mr. Hunter’s former students and colleagues returned to Bullis’ newly renovated Kline stadium this past weekend for his farewell ceremony.

New Senior Commons!

Students arrested for various “crimes” The Bulldog has received reports of Bullis Security arresting and expelling students for a variety of misdemeanors.

One student was apparently kicked off campus for wearing a winter jacket during the school day.

Several other students have faced charges for not signing into Study Hall in the Commons.

Whether these reports are accurate or not, we urge all students to beware of the very intimidating golf cart security vehicles navigating campus.

Fingerprint scanning added to lockers

20-year-plan finally breaks ground

One-to-one Smart Car program launches In order to fit the large number of vehicles in the senior parking lot, Bullis has required that all seniors purchase Smart Cars.

By next year, seniors will have to drive to school in their Smart Car or else they will face a $5000 fine for parking their regular-sized car in the senior lot.

The positive news is that Bullis will offer special edition, blue and gold Smart Cars in the School Store.

Bullis has recently added a suite of biometric security technologies to student lockers in North Hall. Students must now pass through fingerprint, iris, and DNA testing in order to verify they are actually the student to whom the locker belongs.

The heightened security measures all started about one thousand years ago, when the school introduced hallway cameras and wooden lockers that students opened with personal keys.

Snack changes to ONLY apple bread Bullis has finally revamped the snack given during break - but this change has left students in uproar. Instead of the long-standing rotation between cinnamon buns, apple bread, sugar cookies, cinnamon bread, and chocolate chip cookies, Bullis has decided to only serve apple bread.

There are outcries from the student body, and alumni have been supporting the students’ complaints. Alumnus Matt Hansan (somehow still alive despite having graduated one thousand years ago) commented that “no one likes apple bread - no one! Back in my day, students would starve on Tuesdays because of that gosh darn apple bread!”

Bulldog 3013