The Patriot April 2011, Issue 6, Vol 46

Foreign affairs

Life in the fast lane

Students spend spring break traveling around the globe

Varsity runners stay on track for a winning season

thepatriot

LIFESTYLE 6

SPORTS 16

April 2011

The John Carroll School 703 E. Churchville Rd. Bel Air, MD 21014

Check out JCPATRIOT.COM for the latest news and updates Volume 46 Issue 6

Surveys aim to improve student experience

the future ain’t what it used to be Photo Illustration by Kristin Marzullo

Predictions suggest 15-year low for student enrollment Allison Siegel Print Chief The student population has been declining since 2006, as smaller incoming classes continue to replace larger graduating classes. The upcoming school year will follow this pattern.

The current enrollment is 738 students, but after the class of 2011 graduates, approximately 40 to 50 of those seats will not be refilled by the incoming class of 2015.

According to President Richard O’Hara, low freshman enrollment does not cause

Photo by Joey Hoff

this “large gap.” Instead, having a “large senior class we can’t replace” results in a shrinking student body.

The 2010-2011 year began with 157 freshmen. As of April 19, the admissions department met their benchmark of 170 freshmen for the upcoming school year.

If class size remains at this benchmark, the total student population will dip to 690 students, only 77 percent of 2006’s student body of 894. This decrease would mark the smallest student body size since 1996.

Admissions Director Jesse Roberts created this benchmark after researching historical data and demographic studies to establish next year’s budget and to meet target revenue levels, according to O’Hara.

The class of 2014 has a girl-to-boy ratio of 66 to 34. Next year, the ratio of girls to boys will be a more even 51 to 49—marking an essentially gender-equal freshman

class for the first time since 2007.

“There’s lots of opportunity for young people here. We’re looking to fill spots in rosters, and plays and desks,” Roberts said.

O’Hara says that the retention rate of freshmen has historically been at 97.5%.

If enrollment continues to increase with incoming freshman classes, the chances of having class sizes in the 200 range again will increase greatly.

Roberts spent his first year at JC making changes to the marketing process. “When you looked at the old marketing items, you saw a daunting picture of Archbishop John Carroll. I’m looking to take a more personalized approach to our new materials,” Roberts said.

“Mrs. Brueggeman and I can only walk the prospective students to the front doors.

It’s what’s inside that really brings students to the school,” Roberts said.

‘The Patriot’ receives national award Jenny Hottle Online Chief The Columbia Scholastic Press Association recently announced that the online edition of “The Patriot” won a 2011 Gold Crown.

JCPatriot.com was one of nine high school newspaper websites in the nation to receive this award.

A Gold Crown is the highest recognition given by CSPA “for overall excellence,” according to the CSPA website.

A panel of judges reviewed online newspapers, as well as print newspapers, magazines, and yearbooks and gave its ratings based on written content, coverage of news events, site design, and photography.

The Gold Crown marks the

Index

third award that JCPatriot.com has received in the two years that the staff has been running the website.

Last year, “The Patriot” received a CSPA Silver Crown and was named a 2010 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Finalist.

In addition, the print edition of “The Patriot” was named a 2010 NSPA Pacemaker Finalist and received the 2010 George H. Gallup award from Quill and Scroll, the international honorary society of high school journalists.

The online site started two years ago as the senior project of former editor-in-chief Natalie Shaw, class of ’09.

“I think that what drew me to this project was the idea of leaving my mark on JC in a

Patriot file photo

ABC2 News cameraman Fred Slade films staff members working on JCPatriot.com. “The Patriot” was featured on ABC2 News after receiving the CSPA Gold Crown award in March. way that I had not yet done,” Shaw said. “The online newspaper would be a way for me to perpetuate the trends that had begun during my senior year.”

With the help of English teacher and newspaper moderator Mark Ionescu, Shaw laid the framework for the online

newspaper using a pre-made template.

By the end of Shaw’s senior year, the website was ready for the following school year. “We had started taking the paper into the age of technology. It would be up to the next class to continue it,” Shaw said.

The administration emailed surveys to students to evaluate their teachers. The surveys are being used to make positive classroom changes around JC.

Meg Kirchner, Leah Polakoff Reporters Senior Ben Gabrielson smiles as he opens his email to find a teacher survey.

His excitement mixes with fear as he debates whether to share his actual opinion.

“I wanted to say my opinion, but I was nervous the teacher would take it personally, which he did,” Gabrielson said.

The surveys are used to evaluate how the teachers get material across to students.

According to Vice Principal Gary Scholl, the results are compiled and given to the department heads to review with teachers. “[Going over the surveys] is very uncomfortable. I try to ask them how they feel about their survey and go from there,” science teacher and department head Rebecca Jansing-Kaestner said.

“I completely embrace it. I read every single comment and review it with my classes,” social studies teacher Brian Powell said.

“You have to take all of the comments in stride, but to be honest, I don’t think it’s the best way to assess teachers,” social studies teacher Jake Hollin said.

Some students have taken the surveys as a chance to personally attack their teachers, but those who take it seriously leave some beneficial comments. “I think they’re helpful. My teachers have made an attempt to change. It’s beneficial,” junior Patrick McGuirk said.

Some teachers will consider any and all responses for new ways to tweak and change their teaching. “As a teacher, I have to think about this being the view of a teenager. Is this something I should change?” religion teacher Dave Huber said.

“It’s important that students see that we do read and care about their opinions and that it affects our teaching,” Powell said.

News...2 Lifestyle...4 A & E...7 In-Depth...8 Opinion...11 Sports...14

2 news Japanese nuclear plant reactor threatens lives Grace Kim Managing Editor One magnitude-nine earthquake, one devastating tsunami and numerous crippling aftershocks later, the people of Japan face the threat of a nuclear meltdown.

According to the BBC, Japan sits on “several converging tectonic plates.” The result is about 1,000 tremors each year, along with tsunamis, which are caused by earthquakes. This has led Japan to enact many precautionary measures, such as reinforcing its nuclear power plants. However, the March 11 the 9.0 magnitudenine earthquake is the largest Japan has ever experienced.

All 11 nuclear power plants in Japan did “trip” as they were designed to, according to the BBC. However, the heat that they are giving off is still dangerous and is threatening to melt the core rods within the power plants. Water is needed in constant circulation to prevent meltdown, and a “cold shutdown” of the plants does just that.

This was successful for most of the power plants except for the three oldest Fukushima plants, where the water in the pressure vessels boiled and contributed to the mounting heat in the reactors.

“If the wind carries the emissions to sea, that will certainly minimize the human and environmental impacts in Japan,” Timo-

thy Mousseau of the University of South Carolina told The Washington Post.

A more recent update by the Associated Press on April 12 revealed that Japan has raised its “crisis level…to a severity on par with” Chernobyl.

The Japanese government has cleared a 20 kilometer radius around the plant, and the community of Iitate, along with four other communities, has been added to a list of communities that the public is advised to avoid. Iitate is about 40 kilometers from the plant and high radiation levels have been found in the soil.

According to the Associated Press, Japanese officials estimate that the Fukushima plant leaks total to about a tenth of the levels emitted in the Chernobyl incident.

However, if the leaks are not stopped, they could surpass Chernobyl’s total emissions.

According to CNN, there is one significant difference between Chernobyl and Fukushima, and that is the surrounding population.

There was a dense population near the Ukrainian plant, therefore the effect of the radiation was obvious.

On Friday April 8, the U.S. State Department issued a travel alert that “strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid tourism and nonessential travel to Japan at this time,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

According to the Huffington

Containing a nuclear reactor What keeps nuclear reactors like the type damaged in Fukushima Dai-ichi, Japan, from releasing harmful radiation into the atmosphere:

Seniors disappointed with Shock Trauma visit

Roof

Primary containment

Steel containment vessel 30 or 40 ft. (nine to 12 m) wide, made of thick steel Concrete shell Explosions at reactors occurred outside this shell Reactor vessel covers reactor core

Secondary containment

(reactor building) Designed to keep leaked radioactive gas from escaping into environment

• Explosions at the two reactors damaged the secondary containment structure Source: Union of Concerned Scientists, Scientific American Graphic: Lee Hulteng, Judy Treible

Post, President Obama issued an official statement sending “deepest condolences.” He has also promised aid to the struggling country, and numerous relief efforts and organizations are accepting donations to send aid to Japan, such as The Red Cross, Save the Children, UNICEF, and World Vision.

“I have not donated, nor do I know of anyone who has. However, I think all the organizations that accept donations are doing

thepatriot Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

Reactor building

© 2011 MCT

a great job helping the people of Japan out of this crisis,” freshman Travis Nelson said.

The JC SAC plans to launch a campaign to involve the whole school in making donations to Japan.

According to SAC moderator and social studies teacher Rodney Johnson, the SAC traditionally organizes donations for international catastrophes such as hurricane Katrina and the 2007 flood in

On Tuesday April 13, Senior Project coordinator Louise Geczy took JC seniors on a trip to the Shock Trauma Center at University of Maryland.

All students on the trip are incorporating medicine or healthcare into their senior projects.

However, the trip did not meet some of the students’ expectations.

“I was expecting to see someone dying on a table and someone else saving them,” senior Faizan Multani said.

Instead of a more hands-on Shock Trauma experience, seniors and their chaperones sat in an auditorium to learn about therapy for Shock Trauma patients. The session did not strike much of a chord with some of the seniors.

“I think that we could have learned a lot of it at school,” senior Tyler Boyd said.

The JC seniors and chaperones wanted a more interactive experience. However, they did learn about why the Shock Trauma Cen ter is the best in the country.

“We all wanted a little bit more of a hands-on on experience,” Geczy said. Still, she thought the session was informative and useful to students.

-Meg Kirchner, Reporter

Honor society inductions shift to nightime format On Thursday, April 14, the foreign language honor society inductions took place at night for the first time in JC’s history.

In the past, the language honors society inductions took place during the school day as an assembly.

The French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and German programs all have inductees this year.

“The inductions went really well, everyone gave positive feedback about it being at night,” foreign language Chair Danica Attanasio said.

Inductees were pleased with the arrangements for this year’s induction.

“Having the ceremony at night makes it feel as if it holds some importance,” sophomore Spanish Honor Society inductee Jimmy Knell said.

Having the ceremony at night also allowed more parents to attend and eliminated students who were not getting inducted. “I don’t think the students really care about watching other people getting inducted,” junior Chinese Honor Society inductee Jenny Yang said.

-Meg Kirchner, Reporter

thepatriot

news

Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

3

Mulch Madness volunteer event spruces up campus Maggie Cassidy Managing Editor On Saturday April 9, junior Colleen Zulty braced herself to face the wet, spring morning to devote her time mulching and landscaping the green spaces of JC’s campus for the Mulch Madness event.

Mulch Madness was a service project created by Director of Facilities Stewart Walker for members of the JC community to landscape and lay mulch on JC’s green areas.

The purpose of Mulch Madness was to focus on mulching and landscaping in preparation for the Country Fair and the class of 2011’s graduation.

“Our goal was to get all the planter beds fixed and define the edge of the beds. We didn’t do any planting.” Walker said.

Instead of hiring people to landscape the campus, JC invited people to devote their service to the project.

“Two primary reasons [why JC did not pay a service to landscape

Photo Courtesy of Sue Greig

Seniors Monica Molina and Morgan Fraczkowski and sophomore Olivia DiFonso rake mulch as part of the Mulch Madness event held on April 9. Another Mulch Madness Day is planned for May, and similar volunteer events will be held throughout the year in an effort to enhance the campus.

the school] were making sure volunteerism is part of the school.

That has to be a part of it, and then there is the financial incentive. We paid for the materials, but we’re spreading the mulch. If you had to pay for that, it would be expensive.” Walker said. “It’s just an easy way to get involved.”

According to Walker, 25 to 30 people, mainly JC students, attended Mulch Madness.

“A good number of participants were [JC] students. Around 75 percent were students,” Walker said “I came to Mulch Madness because I really needed service hours. I only have 20,” junior Col-

leen Zulty said.

“The reason why I came was because Mr. Schick told me I wasn’t going to show up, so to prove him wrong I showed up. Also, I just wanted to help out the JC community,” senior Mathew Miller said.

According to Walker, the April 9 event was such a success that JC

is holding another Mulch Madness in May. And in the future, service projects similar to Mulch Madness will be held to enhance the physical appearance of JC and to help students earn their service hours.

“Every second Saturday of the month, we are going to have an event. In the fall, we’re going to have a similar event. There will be a few areas that we’ll dress up with mulch and landscaping. We’re going to try and have four big days in the year. One for spring, summer, fall, and winter,” Walker said.

The next Mulch Madness will take place Saturday May 14 at JC from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine.

“We would like to see a real broad mix of people. It would be great for more people to show up in May. If we can get 50 or 60 people to come, then we could get a lot done,” Walker said.

Future events similar to Mulch Madness will be an “opportunity for people to get together and serve,” Walker said.

Additional reporting by Grace Kim.

Slusher to address grads Leah Polakoff Reporter

Photo by Kristin Marzullo

Freshman Ellie Daney and sophomore Mackenzie Reese participate in a trust exercise during Senior Project Coordinator Louise Gezcy’s advisory. No changes to the advisory program are planned for next year.

Advisory program earns mixed reviews by how the students from different year levels have worked together,” Section Chief Hollin said.

The introduction of the advisory One year after the implementa- program included starting the day tion of the advisory program, For- immediately with mod one to curb eign Language Chair and Head of student lateness. the Advisory Committee Danica “The idea was to keep students Attanasio is satisfied with the pro- from being late as often as possigram. ble because they were responsible A survey sent to faculty and stu- for reporting to their first class,” dents on April 20 brought back Attanasio said. “mixed reactions,” according to According to Attendance ModAttanasio. erator Molly Tebin, A total of 533 stulateness has not dedents responded to creased but rather, “I’ve heard some the survey sent via “it’s about the grumblings from e-mail. same.” teachers, but I’m Over 21 percent of Still, Library hearing a lot of those students who Media Specialgood things...” responded gave the ist Anne Baker enjoys the social program a 5 out of 5.

Danica Attanasio “I think the proand community gram in the first year aspects of the prohas gone very well,” Attanasio gram. said.

“It’s something I look forward The program has gone so well to every day especially because I that, according to Attanasio, the didn’t have a homeroom,” Baker committee plans to make no said. changes to the program for the upBaker lets the students have coming school year. some control over their time in That’s good news for advisors advisory. “I encourage them that if like social studies Chair Jake Hol- they want to make it a great expelin who have had a positive experi- rience they can be active, but for ence with the program. me, it’s really great,” Baker said.

“I have been very encouraged Guidance Counselor Carrie

Allison Walczyk

Siemsen, however, has mixed feelings about the program.

“I think it has the ability to be a great program, but I think it will take some time for it to reach its full potential,” Siemsen said.

According to senior Viktor Polyak, it was harder for seniors to make the adjustment to the program.

“As a senior, I don’t like it that much since there are a lot of people I’ve never met or seen, which makes it hard to get into interacting with them,” Polyak said.

Both Hollin and Baker feel that the program benefits underclassmen especially.

“It is going to hurt to have our seniors leave, but I have some incredible underclassman who are going to be taking the reins next year,” Hollin said.

“I like it. In the morning, it’s nice to just relax. I haven’t really gotten to know any upper classmen because of it,” freshman Faith Bahr said.

Overall, Attanasio is pleased with the progress of the program.“I’ve heard some grumblings from teachers, but I’m hearing a lot of good things from both advisors and advisees about what they are doing in their groups,” Attanasio said.

Twenty-nine years after graduating from JC, Barbara Slusher, class of ’82 will return to accept the Reverend Charles K. Riepe Alumni Award and speak at this year’s graduation ceremony, held on June 5, 2011.

Slusher was nominated for the award by her son, junior Ethan Slusher, and Russian teacher Ed Miller.

According to the JC website, the Reverend Charles K. Riepe Alumni Award “recognizes alumni who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and community service. The winner shall be an exemplary role model consistent with the Catholic values and philosophy of The John Carroll School.”

The highest honor that can be given to a JC graduate, this award is presented each year at the Commencement ceremony. The winner must be nominated by at least two

people. A selection committee reviews the nominations each year.

Slusher is the Chief Scientific Officer of the Brain Science Institute NeuroTranslational Drug Discovery Program and Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She has published 108 scientific articles.

Slusher hopes to share some of her life lessons in her speech to the graduates.

“It is an exciting time to pursue a career in medical research. The field is expanding dramatically with many new discoveries and technical innovations,” Slusher said.

Slusher discovered her interest in science in college, but she attributes her work ethic to her time spent at JC. “What JC did for me was foster a love of learning. The challenging classes and supportive teachers and coaches gave me the confidence and preparation for success in college and beyond,” Slusher said.

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4

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lifestyle

Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

Alumnus sculpts future with ceramics Taylor Schafer

Lifestyle Editor Walking in to his sophomore ceramics class, Brad Blair, class of ’04, knew nothing about working with clay. But eight years later, Blair is about to complete his Masters in Fine Arts in ceramics at Florida State University.

Ever since he first took ceramics with art teacher Michael Gaudreau, Blair was immediately interested in the subject.

“After taking a drawing and a painting class, I wanted to explore the other fields of art. Ceramics was next in line, and I was up for the challenge,” he said. “I remember constantly heading to Mr. Gaudreau’s room during my off mods and after school to work on or finish up ceramics projects.”

Blair attributes his skill level to the extra time spent in the studio in high school.

“Gaining more hands-on experience not only increased my skills and led to better artwork, but also enhanced my overall interest in clay,” he said.

After graduating from JC, Blair went on to pursue art at Towson University, where he graduated in 2009, even though he started out as a Biology major with only

a minor in art, he “eventually, I found myself more at home in the ceramics studio than the biology lab. With the confidence and accolades from teachers and peers, I decided to take the risk and switch over to fine arts major with focus in ceramics,” he said.

As an art major, Blair knew it would take hard work.

“I knew that I had to give it everything I had to be successful in the competitive field of art,” he said. “Every project I had was completed with 110 percent effort, constantly pushing myself while finding my niche in the world of ceramics.”

Today, Blair credits Gaudreau with forming his initial and current passion for ceramics.

“Mr. Gaudreau has been a supporter of mine since day one. He was always helping me form ideas within my work to help add a deeper meaning to it,” Blair said.

“He encouraged me to push myself in his class, which led to me to win the ‘Best in Show Award’ at the JC student art exhibit with a ceramic sculpture.”

Gaudreau is still a supporter of Blair’s and even wrote a letter of recommendation for Blair’s graduate school applications.

Photos courtesy of Brad Blair

Brad Blair, class of ‘04, (above) has sculptures (right) and other ceramic pieces on display all around the country. Blair is on his way to earning his Masters in Fine Arts from Florida State University.

Gaudreau admires Blair’s work and remembers him as an extremely hard worker.

“He was a great student, always thinking,” Gaudreau said. “He was never afraid of trying something new or getting out of his comfort zone.”

Currently, Blair displays his artwork in galleries around the country in places like Baltimore

Clayworks in Baltimore, Academy of Fine Arts in Virginia, and Rome Art Coterie in Georgia, as well as local art shows like “Pottery at the Barn” at Rockfield Manor in Bel Air. After gaining his MFA, Blair does not have a concrete plan for his future.

“I will have to see how the next few years unfold to be cer-

tain, but with my degree, I will be able to teach at all levels including college. Ideally, I would like to teach as well as be an active artist and exhibit my work in galleries worldwide,” Blair said.

Blair estimates that over the past seven years, he’s made over 1,500 pots and 75 ceramic sculptures.

Blair’s art is also displayed on www.bradblairceramics.com.

teacherSPOTLIGHT

Photo by Kristin Marzullo

Eva Bialobrzeski In-Depth Editor Religion teacher Dick Gatto is a real live renaissance man.

In the past 39 years, Gatto has taught math and reading at St. Mary’s School, music, drama and chorus at Our Lady of Mount Caramel, religion at JC, worked as principal at Saint Clare School in Baltimore County and served as Director of Faith Formation at St. Margret’s Church before retiring in 2010.

“Each new beginning presented its own special moments, with new people and new challenges and new opportunities,” Gatto said.

No matter what position he had in the school system, Gatto knew his calling was to be a teacher “in order to pass on the

Dick Gatto

love of learning.”

His passion for his students and learning showed when he directed Saint Clare School’s first annual Broadway Review, "Broadway on Brendan."

Gatto encouraged his students by contacting multiple celebrities and asking for photographs and notes that could be used as incentives.

“Sandra Bullock actually contacted me directly to say good luck, and apologized that she wouldn't be able to attend. That was quite exciting, and it really got the kids in the show even more pumped,” Gatto said.

For Gatto, strong relationships with students have always been the basis for learning.

“I definitely remember most of my students. I always made it a point as principal to know my kids and their families,” Gatto

said.

Over a 39 year span, Gatto has taught people such as Mitch Rozanski, who became the Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, as well as students who grew up to become physicians, international attorneys and even actors. But every student is special to him, especially the ones at JC. “I can honestly say, too, that the students I have been working with here at John Carroll have been great. I feel very fortunate to have been able to work with my kids this year,” Gatto said.

While having a passion for learning and strong relationships with students, Gatto believes that a good teacher is one that cares about his students.

Senior Matt Ridge, who is a student of Gatto, said, “He’s very open to us and he’s very easy to connect with.”

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lifestyle

Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

5

StumbleUpon gains student interest Multimedia Editor

Photo by Joey Hoff

Religion teacher Katie Wood works with two of her advisees. She will be leaving this year to return to her home in Rhode Island.

Wood to return to her roots Cara Reilly

Copy Editor Home is where the heart is, and home is where religion and history teacher Katie Wood is returning.

Born and raised in Rhode Island, Wood ventured away from her hometown after college to find independence.

She came to JC through Operation TEACH, which offers college graduates the opportunity to get their master’s degree in teaching while getting teaching experience.

“I attended college only an hour away from where I grew up in Rhode Island, so when I graduated I decided that I needed to find out what it means to truly live on my own,” Wood said.

Operation TEACH gave her a chance to stand on her own two feet while providing a practical and affordable way to get a head start in her career. Wood became interested in JC while she took classes at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland to obtain her Master of Arts in Teaching, which she will receive this May. “Getting to know the students, faculty, administration, and staff has been the best part of my job at JC,” Wood said. Her favorite memory from her two years at JC was her recent attendance at this year’s senior retreat where she had the opportunity to reconnect with students she taught last year.

Wood will most likely be applying to teach at private schools back in Rhode Island, but she is also considering being a one-onone tutor for high school students.

Her decision to return to her home state was finalized mainly because of her desire to be closer to her family.

“Almost all of my family lives in Rhode Island, and being so far away from them for two years has been extremely difficult,” Wood said.

However, she will be leaving behind the family she has found in JC over the past two years after having coached JV women’s field hockey and having taught multiple history and religion classes.

“I will definitely miss the students at JC the most, especially those I have had the privilege to get to know in the classroom and on the hockey field,” Wood said.

Look around in class at the screens of your peers. How many people are “stumbling”?

StumbleUpon is a free Internet site that has recently boomed at JC – and for good reason. It allows users to “stumble,” or discover random Internet sites, photos, or videos that correspond with their chosen interests. These interests can range from quantum mechanics to photography to fashion, and everything in between.

The best thing about StumbleUpon is that it allows users to come across things that interest them online that they would have probably never found in the first place.

Sophomore Olivia DiFonso describes the site as being “possibly more addicting than Facebook.”

What grabs users’ attention is that it harnesses the vastness of the web and customizes it for easy access. Unlike a search engine, StumbleUpon shows users specific sites or information based on their personal interests or hobbies after the user selects them in a menu.

Creative food blogs, small fashion retailers and Trivial Pursuit-esque knowledge websites are at the users’ fingertips.

StumbleUpon allows them to continue personalizing the experience by giving a

thumbs up to things that they like, which are then added to their favorites, and giving a thumbs down to things that they do not wish to see again.

Even some teachers have shown interest in the site. English teacher Christine Zurkowski uses StumbleUpon in her free time and even for classroom material.

“I look for art, food and fashion,” Zurkowski said. “I also find interesting things that I share with the students if I find things under art or literature. Sometimes I’ll find useful videos to share, too.”

StumbleUpon conveniently features a favorites page so that all users can save their favorite sites to revisit them later. The sites available to StumbleUpon are also continuously updated due to the frequent updates.

With a growing fan base at JC, students can be seen “stumbling” during class or during free mods. But many students are still unaware of StumbleUpon and the opportunities it can present.

“I’ve never heard of StumbleUpon,” freshman Taylor Gerber said. But others see it as a staple in their everyday routine.

Described by an anonymous senior as “the only way to get through class,” StumbleUpon has come to have quite an impact on JC life.

“It helps pass the time really easily,” senior Zach Frink said.

Additional reporting by Taylor Schafer.

Why do you Stumble?

“I really love it, especially for comedy. You just type in comedy in your interests and you’ll laugh.”

-Kevin Davies ‘14

StumbleUpon has over

10 million

registered users.

#2

The site ranks globally for most trafficked social media website.

Since 2009, StumbleUpon has had an

118%

increase in active users.

In April, StumbleUpon surpassed

1 billion

stumbles per month.

25

“It’s time consuming, but it’s great when you get bored.

When there’s nothing else to do, you stumble.”

-Andrew Brown ‘11

pages

Rachel Dinsmore

are stumbled upon per user in a typical day.

Source: www.blueglass.com

“It’s fun because it gives you a lot of different categories and you can find a lot of interesting things.”

- Elisa Rehak ‘12

Health : Proper fuel key for athletes Alert Leah Polakoff Reporter Senior Brett Prochazka walked into Taco Bell two hours before his football game and devoured a burrito and a crunch wrap supreme.

As he sprinted down the field to the sound of the first buzzer that night, Prochazka felt the gooey cheese, crunchy taco shell, and an entire pound of ground beef working through his system.

He hadn’t imagined the spicy Mexican food he had eaten earlier could make him feel so sick and affect his performance.

Prochazka chose the wrong type of fuel before his game, a mistake he won’t make again. Athletes need to eat foods that produce long lasting energy, according to nutritionist Angela Romano.

Additionally, athletes need to consume food to energize their bodies within reasonable time periods before and after their workout. Romano recommends eating 30 minutes to an hour before a workout and within the hour after your training.

“The timing of your pre-workout snacks depends on each athlete. Some need more time to di-

gest then others, and some need eat right before a game are simple a snack very close to practice or carbohydrates. a game for optimal performance.

“Simple carbohydrates are a This is something that athletes simple sugar that gets absorbed should practice to see how their quickly in the body. This is quick body will react,” Romano said. energy and if it is not used it can be After his unpleasant Taco Bell stored as fat,” Romano said. experience, Prochazka has been Senior Kyle Miele, who particimore careful with the food he eats. pates in football, rugby, and wres“I eat something light about an tling, eats a lot of brown rice, an hour before the game example of a comto keep me fueled,” “The timing of preplex carbohydrate.

Prochazka said. “If “If I don’t eat a workout snacks deyou’re hungry durlot I get tired and pends on each athlete. ing a game it affects light-headed,” he This is something that said. your performance.”

Foods that will athletes should pracRomano said provide athletes with tice to see how their an active teenager sustained energy are body will react.” should eat five mini carbohydrates. Ac- Angela Romano meals a day, with a cording to the Decalorie intake rangpartment of Health and Human ing from 1500 to 2800 a day deServices, carbohydrates are the pending on the body type and the body’s main source of energy. intensity of training.

Romano suggests eating oatCombinations of proteins, meal, brown rice, and whole complex carbohydrates, good grains. Whole grains are catego- fats, fruits, and vegetables are all rized as complex carbohydrates. staples in a healthy diet, with no This means they store the energy supplements needed. in the body and allow it to be “If supplements are not used absorbed slowly. These are best correctly or for the right reasons when eaten the night before a big they can cost an athlete speed, engame. The best carbohydrates to durance and strength,” Romano

said.

Like supplements, sports drinks and protein shakes should also be consumed with caution. These drinks are often loaded with sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

“I would suggest staying away from the sports drinks that are loaded with high fructose corn syrup. They now make sports drinks that have less sugar and focus more on the purpose of rehydration of electrolytes and fluids,” Romano said.

Sports drinks can be beneficial in replacing electrolytes lost during a long, sweaty workout. The Department of Health and Human Services said that water is the most important nutrient for active people.

An athlete needs to drink 64 ounces to one gallon of water a day, according to Romano. More water should be consumed during the warmer months.

Romano believes that with the right tools and the right nutrition, an athlete will succeed.

“In my opinion the right training program and the right nutrition program can make you faster and stronger,” she said.

6

thepatriot

lifestyle

Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

On March 23, Spanish tea cher Danica Attanasio, English teacher Ni ck Attanasio, librarian Anne Baker, English teacher Mark Ionescu, and Guidance Coun selor Larry Hensley along with 29 other JC stu dents and parents departed for Shannon, Ire land. Beginning in Killarney, the group tra veled south around the Ring of Kerry, then to Blarney, Cashel, Ireland & Scotland and Dublin. After stayin g in Dublin for two March 23 - April 3 nights, the group took a fer ry to Wales, then north to the Lake District of England. The group spent the final six Places visited: days touring Scotland, beginning in Edinb Ire land, Scotland, urgh for two days, the Highlands for two da ys, and ending in Wales, and Englan d Glasgow. Highlights included Muckross House, Blarney Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Edinburgh Castl e.

Left: (From left to right) Retired French teacher Martha Harris, sophpmore Claire Zurkowski, senior Andrew Russell, senior Kirby Browning, and French teacher Regina Ferry stand in front of a statue at the Museum D’Orsay in Paris.

Right: Senior Kirby Browning (right) and sophomore Claire Zurkowski (left) pose in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Photos courtesy of Claire Zurkowski

On March 20, Fr ench teacher Reg ina Ferry, retired Fren ch teacher Mar th a Har ris, and 19 st udents who take French departed from Philadelphi a for Paris, Fran ce. The group stayed in Paris for three days, visiting the Eiffel To wer, Montmar te and Notre Dame. On March French Exchange 24, the JC st uden ts ar rived in Arras, meeti ng up with thei r exchange March 20 - April 8 st udents and fu lly immersing themselves in French cult ur e. For the next tw o weeks, Best food: the group st udie d at BaudimontSt.-Charles Croque Madame Lycee, the high school the French host st udents attend. Oth a ham and er highlights of the trip incheese grilled cluded visiting Lille, Touquet, sandwich topped Amien and Brussels, Belgium . with a fried egg

Photo courtesy of Mark Ionescu

Above: The group gathers outside the Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland.

Around the World in

days By: Taylor Schafer

“The Patriot” follows students and teachers as they travel to Europe and Asia over Spring Break Spanish teac her Jane Mic hael and Eng lish teacher Christine Zu rk owski arrive in Switzerlan d d on March 2 5 along with st udents. T 14 he 10-day tr ip began in rich, and th Z u en st udents headed south Lucerne for to two days befo re crossing th Italian borde e r to Verona.

The group th spent two nig en hts at Lake G arda while e ploring Ven x- Italy & Switzerland ice before m o ving south Florence for March 24-Ap to two days. T ril 3 he group sp the final thre ent e days of th e trip in Ro exploring th me, Favorite la e ancient c ndmark: ity and see hotspots suc ing h as Vatican M t.

City, the Co Pilatus seum, and th lose Sistine Ch a m a ountain p e l. Other trip highlights in cluded Mt. P in L u ilatus, St. Ma cerne, Square, Assis rk’s i, and St. Pete Switzerland r’s Basilica.

Photos courtesy of Grace Kim

Above: The group joins for a photo at Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland.

Right: The Vatican, located in Rome, was a hotspot of the trip. The group toured both Vatican City and inside the buildings on the property.

Right: Seniors Mike Schott (left), Susan Lubejko (right), and junior Elisa Rehak (center) pose in front of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

Left: The Great Wall of China was the most anticipated hotspot of the trip.

Photos courtesy of Susan Lubejko

ey Koh and six W en F r he ac te Chinese ed for Chinese depart ke ta ho w ts en eist ud d ar rived in B an 26 ch ar M China on six st u. Koh and the 27 ch ar M on jing for three days, ty ci e th ed or City, dents expl the Forbidden ke li ts po ts ho ple seeing a, and the Tem in h C of l China al W hut the Great so ed ad he en group th ril 2 w of Heaven. The arch 26 - Ap M s, where they sa ay d o tw r fo n entic east to Xi’a riors and an auth ar W ta ot C ra er nal the T ight: spending the fi re fo l hours in fl be ta ow o sh T d re u Kung Fu to ey 31.5 nghai. There, th er th O two days in Sha . ow an acrobat sh the city and saw site of ip included the tr e th of s ht g li nhigh mpics and Tiana ly O er m m su the 2008 men Square.

thepatriot

arts & entertainment

Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

7

Senior Projects showcase the arts DeVoe earns standing ovation producing “Oz” Taylor Schafer Lifestyle Editor

Photo by Jenny Hottle

Basta hosts second annual Film Festival Jenny Hottle

Online Chief It is five minutes until show time, and senior Brooke Basta is scurrying around the dim auditorium, setting up the microphones, organizing DVDs and practicing her speech because the second annual John Carroll Film Festival is about to begin.

Basta chose to make the film festival her senior project because “I have a passion for film. I just love movies,” Basta said “Just thinking how hard I worked on the film festival and knowing that the people who came mainly came to support me helped to calm my nerves,” As a child, Basta and her older brother, Henry Basta, class of ’07, made movies with their parents’ camera. “I have been an actress, camerawoman, lighting person, and even animator,” Basta said.

The siblings have worked together on films “for a number of years,” according to Basta.

“I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of my sister Brooke.

I’ve seen how hard she had to work to organize the film festival, and in the end, as an audience member, it was certainly an entertaining time,” Henry said.

Last year, Basta made an animation for her brother’s band, The Sharpened Crayon’s, song, “Super Fresh Love.” She entered it into several film festivals and won “almost all of them.”

Part of the reason why Basta ran the film festival was “to give people the feeling of being proud of what they made,” she said.

“I was happy that all of the work thah Brooke put into [the film festival] worked out so well. I don’t think people understand how complicated it is,” TV Production teacher and Basta’s senior project mentor Bob Schick said.

In the end, “[the film festival] all came off very well.” he said.

Although animation and filmmaking are just hobbies for Basta, she would like to turn them into a career.

“Honestly, I love doing animation. Maybe in the future I could work for Pixar—that would be great,” Basta said.

Even from the very back row of the jam-packed auditorium, I felt the magic of the childhood classic, “Wizard of Oz,” brought to life onstage in an incredible senior project and show, directed by senior Conor DeVoe. The free admission production was held in the JC auditorium on April 15 and 16 and filled the auditorium for both performances.

People were even turned away from the event.

The lead performers, senior Liz Johnson (Dorothy), senior Matt Ridge (Scarecrow), junior Scott Novak (Tin Man), sophomore Thomas Gardner (Lion), junior Stephanie Meadowcroft (Glinda the Good Witch), and senior Ashley Markley (Wicked Witch of the West), all delighted the audience as they effortlessly followed the yellow brick road to portray the classic story with perfection.

The production opened with Dorothy running home with Toto to tell Auntie Em (Meadowcroft)

about the threats from the evil Ms. Gultch (Markley).

The scene ended with a beautiful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” when Dorothy runs away to see Professor Marvel (senior David Scharfe). The scene added a bit of humor to the show right before the real adventure began.

As Dorothy runs home to find Auntie Em, the famous tornado comes. Dorothy is sent to Munchkinland, and if the audience wasn’t already captivated, Glinda the Good Witch gracefully glides onto stage. Everyone from ages four to 64 in the crowd excitedly gasped and gazed at the glitter and presence of Glinda.

Soon, Dorothy is on her way to meet her three new friends Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. Though all the characters had great stage presence and strong voices, Gardner, who played the Lion, stole the show with his spot-on mannerisms and humor. And when the four characters linked arms to sing “Off to See the Wizard,” I was blown away.

The second act picked back up with the same charm as Dorothy and company head to the Emerald City. The rest of the story, including the scenes in Emerald City, the Wicked Witch’s castle, and back

Photo by Kristin Marzullo

Seniors Liz Johnson and Matt Ridge on stage during a rehearsal of senior Conor Devoe’s production of Wizard of Oz. Devoe directed the play as a part of his senior project. home in Kansas, were exceptionally good.

Even some of the parts I remembered from the movie that I thought would be hard to portray were done perfectly. All the special effects used, like the sparks thrown by the Wicked Witch of the West to scare the Scarecrow, the “water” thrown on the Wicked Witch to melt her, the fog machines used for dramatic effect, and the snow, which dropped from the ceiling to wake up Dorothy and company from the Wicked Witch’s poisoned poppies, were clever and really added to the show.

Every detail, from the impressive costumes of each character and the perfectly choreographed

numbers to having a real Toto and colorful set props, was created by DeVoe. But, through the mesmerizing performance, the small detail that made a huge difference for me was the voices of the characters. When I closed my eyes, I could have sworn the 1939 film was playing.

Those that stood out to me in particularly were Glinda the Good Witch (Meadowcroft), the Wicked Witch of the West (Markley), and the Lion (Gardner).

The show and DeVoe rightfully earned a standing ovation. I don’t think that I was the only one who went home after after the production to scrounge up the VHS and watch the movie.

8

in-depth

thepatriot Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

StudentSplash

in-depth

How do you feel about the consequences of using plastic water bottles?

Brynly Wilson, ’14

Misha Ferhmann, ’12

Ashley Markley, ’11

“I find that it causes a lot of pollution and that it harms animals.”

“They’re pretty bad. They’re horrendous and detrimental to the environment. It’s scary.”

“I’m all about recycling and saving the enviroment, and I wish everyone used aluminum bottles.”

Julia Earnshaw Layout Editor According to a recent survey by “The Patriot,” JC students use approximately 252 plastic bottles each day. That equals over 212,000 plastic bottles used per school year.

People drink bottled water out of convenience or to capitalize on the benefits of natural spring water. The use of plastic water bottles is affecting the earth and the drinkers.

“I find it alarming, and it needs change because it can affect me and others,” freshman Mitchell Russell said.

According to the FDA, in 2009 almost 50 percent of all bottled water came from municipal tap water supplies.

In 2004, the English newspaper The Guardian reported that Dasani water was taken from the tap despite their advertising of pure water. Inside the Dasani bottle, illegal levels of bromate were found, but did not present health risks to the public.

Although it did not pose health risks, David Drury, one of the prin-

Purifying the truth about bottled, tap, and every drop in between

thepatriot Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

ciple inspectors of the DWI (Drinking Water Inspectorate) in England, said in an interview with The Guardian that it was, “a pretty nasty carcinogen.” Along with other inspectors at the DWI, Drury regulates public drinking water.

Dasani isn’t the only bottled water brand that has a tarnished reputation due to false advertising.

According to FoodandWaterWatch. org, “independent testing of bottled water conducted by the Environmental Working Group in 2008 found that 10 popular brands of bottled water, purchased from grocery stores and other retailers in nine states and the District of Columbia, contained 38 chemical pollutants, with an average of eight contaminants in each brand.”

The University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory conducted a testing analysis on 10 major brands of bottled water. The analysis of the water revealed a large range of pollutants, fertilizer residue, chemicals and other possibly harmful impurities.

The University of Missouri conducted market-based style

The average JC student uses 291 plastic water bottles per school year. In that same time, the school community uses about 212,840 bottles, requiring 5,277 gallons of oil to produce the plastic and costing $318,834 more than tap water.

testing. One bottled water brand increased 78 percent of breast cancer cells compared to the control sample.

The bottled water brand started with 1,200 breast cancer cells and multiplied to 32,000 in four days, indicating that the contaminants in the bottled water sample stimulated the accelerated division of cancer cells.

“Though this result is considered a modest effect relative to the potency of some other industrial chemicals in spurring breast cancer cell growth, the sheer volume of bottled water people consume elevates the health significance of the finding,” the Environmental Working Group said.

According to FDA’s regulations, bottled water does not have to be any safer than tap water. Bottled water companies that use public water systems may use the same testing instead of their own independent testing.

The standards that the FDA applies to bottled water can make it easy for contaminants, chemicals, and pollution to be present. EWG’s

study has shown that bottled water can contain mixtures of industrial chemicals and pollution never tested for safety and may be no cleaner than tap water. Despite the possible contamination, senior Mike Schott isn’t too worried about the health risk. “I don’t care, I’m going to die before it matters,” Schott said.

According to the EWG, only three companies in 2010 provided the public with the same level of information as tap water, such as where it was taken from, how it was treated, and what the test results from the lab said.

Unlike tap water, bottled water doesn’t test for E Coli, provide a source where the water is taken from, or provide quality reports.

The plastic in bottled water can also contribute to health risks.

“There are different types of plastic [used to make plastic water bottles].

Some of the different numbers on the bottom of the bottles [that represent chemicals] have been proven to leach into the water after being reused so many times and being exposed to extreme heat,” Biology teacher Megan Deroba said.

What type of water bottle do you use?

While the plastic found in plastic bottles can be a health risk, Sheena Patel doesn’t see anything wrong with it. “It doesn’t matter to me.

I don’t care because I have been drinking it for years and nothing has happened to me yet,” Patel said.

From an economic standpoint, the cost of bottled water is 10 dollars a gallon, whereas tap water costs less than a penny per gallon, according to OnlineEducation. net. Production of bottled water requires three times the amount of water to produce the bottles as it does to fill it.

Also, 17 million barrels of oil are used to produce water bottles yearly, which is enough oil to fuel one million cars for a year, according to OnlineEducation.net.

Of the 8.6 billion gallons of bottled water consumed annually, only one in five water bottles are recycled. The rest can remain in waste dumps for over one thousand years.

“They’re found all over the over the world. On some of the survivor TV shows, they say that you’ll always find [water bottles] no matter where you are,” Deroba said.

How many bottles do you use daily?

9

Stream Line From spring to factory, water goes through specific procedures before the public can purchase it FDA-approved bottled water comes from natural springs or treated municipal supplies

Water is then taken to a production facility to be injected with minerals such as calcium and fluoride

The water is bottled, filled, and capped according to set FDA standards

Once bottled water is produced and approved by the FDA, it is distributed and safe for families to drink All information obtained from the International Bottled Water Association

Data is based on JC student surveys and average bottled water costs.

225 JC students were polled on April 14,2011. The graphs contain a 3% margin of error.

10 arts & entertainment

quick

FLICKS:

Insidious Elizabeth Tauber and Hilary Weidner A&E Editors We knew “Insidious” was about a boy possessed by demons and that it was going to be scary.

We did not know, however that we were going to be covering our faces and worrying about our

hearts stopping when we gasped.

Although “Insidious” was only rated PG-13, we thought, judging by the terror of the film, that it was rated R. It definitely makes our list as one of the scariest movies we have ever seen.

“Insidious” is about a teacher, Josh (Patrick Wilson), his wife Renai (Rose Byrne), and their three

Source Code Eva Bialobrzeski In-Depth Editor Waking up in another person’s body on a train about to explode obviously creates a perfect setting for a suspense/action thriller.

“Source Code’s” fluidity and “Inceptionlike,” mind-bending plot sends the 94 minute suspense thriller to the forefront of a new line of complex action movies.

It places just ahead of “The Adjustment Bureau,” but a step behind “Limitless.”

“Source Code,” directed by Duncan Jones, begins with glossy, picturesque frames of Chicago offering the audience the perfect beginning for the movie’s abrupt start.

Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) unknowingly wakes up on a commuter train before a terrorist bomb explosion that elliptically continues until the final scenes.

While actors, such as Matt Damon, could have easily played Stevens, Gyllenhaal’s acting was perfect. His youthful edge made the character’s emotions shine through the movie’s multiple explosions.

Stevens and Christina Warren’s (Michelle Monaghan) supposed love failed to shine through the movie.

thepatriot Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

‘The Patriot’ reviews three of April’s most anticipated movies

children, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), Foster (Andrew Astor), and their baby daughter. When their son Dalton falls from a ladder and hits his head, he doesn’t wake up the next morning.

After spending three months in a coma in the hospital, he is able to come home, but is still in a coma.

Once he comes home, strange

The movie presented the general idea that modern technology can and will soon be able to dictate the world’s peace.

In “Source Code,” Gyllenhaal’s character is sent back in time to relive the last eight minutes of a man’s life before the train’s explosion. His obvious duty is to find the bomber and stop him.

After being sent back multiple times, his character decides that the program of Source Code should allow him to save the lives of all the “real” people on the train.

However, the makers of the program tell him it’s impossible.

After Stevens pleads with Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), she makes the ultimate decision to allow him to go back one last time.

To no one’s surprise, everyone survives.

As the thriller ends, it leaves a few questions for the audience to answer.

Has Hollywood finally realized that explosions are not enough anymore?

Well, they must have because while “Source Code” was not perfect, it absolutely contained way more substance than just explosions.

I recommend you pay the 10 dollars and give it a chance.

things happen. And that is when the horror begins.

Throughout the beginning of the movie the family lived in the creepiest house that we have ever seen. We definitely would not live there, especially since books continually fall off shelves. There’s red flag number one.

Renai is an aspiring musician who wanted to move into this house because she thought it would inspire her as a songwriter. However, the only time we ever see her playing the piano is for about two minutes until she hears strange voices whispering in her daughter’s room through the baby monitor and then hears a loud demonic scream. Red flag number two.

Josh feels the creepiness in the house as well and never wants to come home from work, which leaves Renai to fend for both herself and her children.

However, it is not until an actual demon tries to grab her from her bed that she decides it is a good time to leave the house. Red flag number three.

After the family moves to a new

Arthur

Maggie Cassidy Managing Editor

On the way to see Russell Brand’s new movie “Arthur,” I thought to myself, “how could a movie with Russell Brand playing a drunken billionaire man-child and Helen Mirren playing his maternal nanny not be a hilarious, gutbusting film?” But I was sadly mistaken. Instead of seeing a gloriously comedic film, I saw a mediocre attempt.

In “Arthur,” Brand plays Arthur Bach, an ever-inebriated man who spends his family’s fortune on the most frivolous things he finds in his playground of Manhattan. He is looked after by his nanny Hobson, played

by Mirren, who always has Arthur’s best interests at heart.

The film’s sole conflict is that Arthurs distant mother wants him to marry into a loveless relationship with snobby, uptight, and controlling Susan Johnson, played by Jennifer Garner, so that Arthur to become a tame and functioning member of society.

However, while Arthur is being pressured into the marriage, he is slowly falling for New York tour guide Naomi (Greta Gerwig).

The problem? If Arthur chooses not to

house once again, they discover that it was not the house that was haunted, but their family and their son, Dalton. They call in the professionals, or “ghostbusters,” who provide much needed comic relief.

The professionals, along with Josh’s mother, help the two troubled parents as they try to get their son back and stop the terrors.

The horror scenes and suspense in this movie were incredible.

There was barely any blood in “Insidious,” and the ghost/demon imagery really did not get heavy until the end. Where most movies are full of suspense, “Insidious” is full of outright horror.

Wilson and Byrne did a great job in their roles as parents. Although the children did not play a significant roles in the movie, they also did a great job when they were on screen.

If you are not a fan of scary movies, or do not handle scary movies very well, then do not go to see this movie (in theaters).

Rent it. If you love to be scared out of your seat, then “Insidious” is a must see.

marry Susan, then he is cut off from his billions and forced to become a working member of society.

While the plot of the film was slightly comical with interspersed with one-liners coming from Brand, the characters both made and broke the film. Brand’s portrayal of Arthur was humorous enough for someone to enjoy the movie, but if it was anyone else playing Arthur, the movie would have fallen apart.

Brand’s pronounced British accent, his wildly eccentric hair, and his stand-up comedy background allows for his character to be funny.

Garner’s character, Susan, was one of the oddest ones I have ever watched. I’m not used to seeing Garner play a cutthroat socialite while trying to be a comedian at the same time. I also felt that Garner was too old to play this role with Brand as her immature counterpart.

After seeing “Arthur,” I came to two conclusions. Number one, Brand is hilarious, and number two, he was the only funny part about “Arthur.”

The movie will be playing for several more weeks, but I suggest you wait to put “Arthur” in your queue.

thepatriot

opinion

Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

JC experience offers lasting memories Ryan Lina Reporter It’s hard to believe that I am writing my last column. It’s true what they say time flies when you’re having fun.The truth is that I actually kind of liked this place and that is hard for me to say.

As much as I had my share of problems with certain members of the administration, honestly that’s not what I am going to remember.

I’m not going to remember getting numerous detentions from Mr. Perry or spending time getting chewed out in the hallway by Mr. Vierheller for not buttoning my top button.

Instead, I’m going to remember wasting my off mods playing wiffleball and almost beating Curley’s football team under the lights.

But with all kidding aside, as much as I say that I hated JC, I loved it. This truly is an environment where people are free to express themselves. I mean, an idiot like me got his own column in the newspaper. I got to drive my editors insane for an entire year!

I probably could not do that in any other school. Most other schools would look at my immature jokes and never take me seriously.

Instead, the teachers at JC embraced my jokes and let me expand on them. If I went to another school, I definitely wouldn’t be a columnist for the newspaper. I’m sure that almost every student has a story where they got to do something at JC that he or she definitely could not do at another school.

Don’t get me wrong, JC has flaws, but come on, so does the entire United States. But even with these flaws, would you really want to go anywhere else?

Some of you may think JC is an awful school, but would you rather go somewhere like Curley or Mercy? So what am I getting at here? All I want to say is you should treasure every single moment at JC. It is pointless to waste your time complaining about how bad this school is, though I confess it can be an easy habit to fall into. Try to make the most of every moment, and I promise you that you will enjoy your time at JC. I know that I did.

: ED

STAFF

World According to Lina

On any given Saturday around 2 p.m., give or take a few hours, you can log onto Facebook and almost guarantee that a set of pictures containing red-faced friends, suspicious looking cups and horribly Photoshopped soda bottles will pop up on your news feed.

According to “The Aegis” and Joseph Ryan of the Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy, underage drinking is much more prevalent in Harford County than in the rest of the state. Walking through the halls and overhearing conversations about who almost died because they were so out of it seems to support this statement.

Sure, Harford County’s night life isn’t what you might call “bumpin’,” but it’s not so bad that you need to be unconscious to bear it. Being bored is a result of lacking creativity. We might not have a designated place to publicly hang out past 10 p.m. on a Saturday, but there’s plenty to do that doesn’t involve alcohol.

Kids take up drinking because it’s convenient. Stealing your parent’s alcohol and hanging out in the basement doesn’t take as much effort as planning something like a movie night or a scav-

11

Staff finds more to Harford County than teen drinking

enger hunt might.

It might seem “mature” or “empowering” to go out to parties because of the initial popularity, but there’s nothing empowering about the embarrassment, shame or danger of the results from a hard night. Socially, there’s nothing that makes you lose popularity quicker than a night when you can’t keep up with the crowd, and for the inexperienced party-goer, it could happen in an hour.

The idea of partying is so dan-

gerous in nature because teenagers are too stubborn to be educated on drinking, yet they know very little about the actual alcohol they are consuming. Unless parents are willing to face the truth and tell their kids about drinking, kids likely will go out and research it themselves. Few kids enter the party scene knowing what their tolerance level is, leading to parties being huge experiments.

It’s unfortunate that Americans have taken the concept of consum-

ing alcohol and have spiraled out of control with it. Telling your friends how little you remember about the night before is not worth risking major life opportunities.

Making your profile picture on Facebook a picture of you holding a beer can in one hand and a peace sign in the other will not make you look cool.

The recent scandal in Harford County pertaining to underage drinking occurred when the Bel Air Police busted a party that was advertised on Facebook as “The Laughing Duck.” The party was set up for underage teens to drink in a social atmosphere. The police gave three citations to those of age serving the alcohol and gave everyone at the party a breathalyzer test.

The police’s taking charge and not tolerating underage drinking demonstrate an attitude that society should embrace. The idea that teenage partying has become commonly accepted by adults has gone too far, and teens are out of control.

If they are given something worthwhile and entertaining to do, teens wouldn’t have to turn to the bottle on a weekend in order to have a good time.

Naviance program. Naviance is a college preparatory website that helped to give me a head start on what colleges fit me best based on a list of careers it generated that fit me well.

The intention of the course is good and the information is valuable for students who know absolutely nothing about where or how to start their college search and application process.

However, for students like me who have already started research on their own, it’s a different story.

The same can be said about students who don’t care and don’t want to be there.

The new optional summer course that students can pay to take is something that students should really start considering.

This year is the second year that

Siemsen and Sutton will be doing this.

It will function like a year’s worth of Junior Guidance and much more, because students are walked through the whole college search and application process, complete their own applications and essays, and consequently are saved from loads of work when senior year rolls around.

This new course could pave ways to modifying the school year’s Junior Guidance course if the summer class is expanded to more than just the 20-25 spaces that they have open for students.

Juniors who don’t need to take the course should not have to take it, and this could be determined through a meeting with guidance counselors, students, and their parents.

Juniors who just will be a disruption to the class should opt not to take Junior Guidance as well, which would help save everyone from wasting their time.

I hear my peers complain about Junior Guidance a lot, but there are some students who probably do like getting a heads-up on what’s to come senior year.

This is definitely impeded when there are students who are bitter about being forced to sit in those seats and get talked at about college for a good hour or so.

All of these problems can be eliminated if the guidance department puts more emphasis on students participating in the optional summer course (which has received a lot of praise) and if the required course during the school year is made optional as well.

“Junior Guidance helped a little, but most of the stuff we already knew. It was cool to see a real college application, though.”

-Elisa Rehak, class of ‘12

“I don’t like [Junior Guidance]. I think it‘s a waste of time.”

-Max Decker, class of ‘12

Cartoon by Brooke Basta

Summer course benefits juniors Grace Kim Managing Editor It’s mod two on Monday, and I’m heading to my Junior Guidance class. Before I get into the issues I want to address, I want to get one thing straight.

My intention isn’t to hurt feelings or point fingers.

But Junior Guidance pales in comparison to the introduction of a new class being offered by guidance counselor Carrie Siemsen and english teacher Eric Sutton from August 8-19.

During Junior Guidance, we learn about things that are certainly valuable to consider during the college search process.

My class also had the privilege of being the first to narrow down college choices through the new

studentRESPONSE

“[Junior Guidance] didn’t help “The summer program was acme out.” tually really good. I did it last year, -Dan Froehlich, class of ‘11 and I prefer it to class.”

-Patrick St. Clair, class of ‘11

12 opinion

thepatriot Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

At Wit’s End

Lowering the Drinking Age THE PRO

Harford County offers more than boredom Allison Siegel Print Chief For most seniors, next fall will mean leaving Harford County, and for a majority, the countdown to leaving Harford County will end in an exasperated sigh of “thank God.” High schoolers seem to hate living in Bel Air, Harford County, and the surrounding suburban areas for their lack of “uniqueness,” “edge,” or “entertainment.” The complaints come in on the weekends when there’s nowhere promoting something wildly different to do — a club to hit up, a concert to go to, or a two story mall to wander.

I’m sorry if people need to have some corporate monster entertain them, but for me, Harford County seems to be more than fine.

No matter what time of year it is, Harford County seems to fulfill its duties by presenting us with timely weather and scenery. It’s true that when it comes to entertainment, Harford County may not be in the forefront of your mind.

The outdated bowling alley and the run-of-the-mill movie theaters aren’t anything to shout about.

But I honestly can’t remember the last time I relied on one of those those places to have a good time.

Harford County has so many things to do if you’re willing to go out and be a little creative. I’ve spent afternoons in Rocks State Park, days on Deer Creek tubing to the Susquehanna, and nights going out to small family owned restaurants. When all else fails, going back to a friend’s house isn’t going to be much different in Harford County than it will be any other place.

Being close to many other exciting areas is also a benefit since living here, we’re within a couple of hours of DC, Philadelphia, Ocean City, and Deep Creek. Baltimore City, only 45 minutes away for most people in the county, offers everything from Broadway quality shows to the National Aquarium.

However, living in Harford County means that going to any one of these places seems like a treat and not just the hum-drum of life if one lived there.

So, as the seniors count down to when they can finally leave, I hope they really do find somewhere better to be. I don’t think that after their first year at school, Harford County will seem like the ball and chain that the drama queens make it out to be.

Lowering the drinking age could cause less problems

- by Ryan Lina

At the age of 18, a person is allowed smoke cigarettes, go to college, live by themself and join the military. In fact, you are legally considered an adult.

However, drinking alcohol seems to be too much of a responsibility for an 18 year old.

Most of the time, I feel that the set drinking age of 21 years old, as opposed to European countries where the drinking ages range from 16-18 years old, hinders what it is designed to do. The reason that the drinking age is set so high is to prevent underage drinking.

This is so ineffective that it’s scary.

Obviously, the government thinks that if alcohol is hard to come by, then most teens won’t drink it. But the government is dreaming if they believe that teenagers say, “I can’t buy alcohol, so let’s go play Scrabble!” Unfortunately, underage drinking usually does lead to teenagers making poor choices. Often times, the reason behind this is because in the United States, alcohol equals partying away from their parents. However, if it was legal to drink, parents could influence the experimentation with alcohol and change the

meaning of alcohol to their child while their kid is still living under their protection.

In addition, alcohol paired with driving a vehicle has become a substantial issue amongst American teenagers.

When kids are driving drunk, it’s usually because they are returning home from their friend’s house. But, if the teenager was coming home from a bar, it would be a different story. In most bars, they won’t let you drive home if you are intoxicated.

Even if the kids are still drinking at their friend’s house, they would be able to call their parents for a ride home. I don’t drink, but if I did, I know I couldn’t call my parents and say, “Mom I’m pretty much drunk right now, can you take me home?” If it was perfectly legal for me to drink, that phone call home would be no problem.

There would be significantly fewer drunk drivers who are under the age of 21.

In many other countries, the drinking age is even lower then 18. Why do we have such a high drinking age? Do we think that the American people have a higher moral standing when it comes to alcohol consumption that other countries?

The truth that there is really no valid reason for the drinking age to be so high and it seems to hurt more than it helps. The drinking age was 18 in the 80’s when our parents were growing up. Did our parents turn out so bad?

THE CON

Lowering the drinking age would increase accessibility

- by Lindsay Powell

Underage drinking is running rampant throughout the country and Harford County is far froman exception. More and more kids are getting their hands on alcohol when they are incapable of handling its effects. If the drinking age would be lowered, the problems would get worse and be even more harmful to society.

Underage drinking is a serious problem. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that in 2009, 42 percent of high school students had drank at least some alcohol within 30 days of taking the survey. Additionally, Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse revealed that 40.6 percent of ninth graders reported current use of alcohol. This means that kids as young as 14 have access to alcohol.

For 14-year-old kids to obtain alcohol, they must get it from someone who is able to purchase it. Since they do not attend school with people who are of that age, this makes it more difficult for them to get alcohol.

If the drinking age were to be lowered to 18, the already troubling problem of underage drink-

ing would only intensify. With many high school students turning 18 during their senior year, kids as young as 14 could then have easy access to alcohol.

This problem could then easily extend from high school to middle school. Kids in sixth grade could find themselves having an easier time of gaining access to alcohol too.

This chain of association is what has spread alcohol through the underage population.

Many 18-year-olds already have easy access to alcohol and lowering the drinking age would only make alcohol more convenient.

Alcohol Alert found that 31percent of car accidents in Maryland in 2008 were alcohol related.

Alcohol leads to reckless decisions which many older individuals have trouble handling, much less those under the age of 21 who are still learning and developing.

Young people tend to be more prone to over consuming alcohol as it is a new experience which also breaks the rules. By the time an individual reaches 21, they harbor a greater potential for safe consumption of alcohol that does not put them at risk for serious harm.

It would be ridiculous to think that lowering the drinking age would benefit society in any way.

The drinking age should remain 21, not to prevent underage drinking, but to prevent this problem from worsening and even more heavily polluting society.

Advisory leaves positive, lasting mark Joey Hoff Editor in Chief

Eight months ago, the word “advisory” made me cringe. I liked my homeroom—the shenanigans, the desk I had for three years, and the clash of personalities. I couldn’t imagine anything else.

Yet, as senior year draws to a close, being part of the first year of the advisory program has become a favorite aspect of my high school experience.

Senior year started with a teacher I had never met and students I had never spoken to in a classroom I had never been in. I was furious.

It felt uncomfortable and a bit like freshman year.

Advisory took time, and for some, it’s still taking time.

My advisory group is a pretty mismatched group of kids, and that’s the best part.

Because we’re all so different, each morning brings something new. Whether a sophomore girl is worried about friends, a junior is fretting over Mr. Hughes’s Environmental assignment, or a group of seniors are excited about college, we all have something to

Photo by Joey Hoff

Junior Christie MacDonald shows off her juggling skills to seniors Liz Johnson and Austin Kozel in Spanish teacher Jane Michael’s advisory. Fun activities like this have helped to strengthen the school community. learn from each other. Advisory is previous class-based homerooms, our final year. an opportunity to ask, to experi- it feels like there is a stronger Last year, I was in a bubble of ence, and to meet. connection between the different junior year. Now, it seems that Even as a senior, I’ve had a grade levels. there’s a world beyond that math unique chance to meet a variety of In my advisory, upperclassmen test mod two and junior ring acnew people who I probably would recommend courses for under- tivities. have never had the chance to if it classmen and reminisce about exI feel more involved without weren’t for advisory. periences with past teachers, while doing anything because advisory While there isn’t quite the same underclassmen help to keep us has actually created a sense of sense of rivalry that I felt with the grounded amid the excitement of community—cheesy, but true.

thepatriot

opinion

Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

After prom event predicted to be positive Kristen Marzullo Photo Chief Prom. A word that means more to seniors than most things in their high school careers. It has to be perfect, right?

Right. Now that the after prom party is being held at Port Discovery, it can be just that.

After hearing that the ESPN Zone had closed down, the senior moderators had to quickly find a new after prom venue. However, many seniors moaned and groaned when they heard that Port Discovery would be the new location.

Why? A large part of the senior class feels that we are too old for Port Discovery. When have we ever become too old for fun? The senior class has experienced worse things thrown at them throughout the years, and they’ve always made the best of it.

For example, think of Spirit Week. The administration took away our class color day. The en-

tire senior class joined together and turned clash day into a clashing class color day.

Additionally, before we even left for retreat, we heard negative talk from teachers and students alike about how we would ruin the experience for each other. We surprised everyone and earned ourselves a reputation as one of the most respectful classes to ever go on senior retreat.

What’s stopping the seniors from making the best out of after prom? From Port Discovery’s website, anyone can tell that the museum is geared toward kids having fun. There is a tree house that climbs three stories called Kid Works. It allows students to explore each level of the museum to other cool exhibits.

For the jocks, there is an indoor soccer field where you and your friends can make teams and battle each other in games of soccer. For the more art-oriented students, there’s an exhibit called Studio Workshop. This exhibit allows

Copy Editor Disaster strikes. What does America do? We send money and provisions, and media covers the event in minutes. Yet, the coverage seems to stop as quickly as it began.

After a few months, all concern ceases to exist and America never hears, speaks or talks of said disaster again. Unless, of course, a celebrity donates an insanely large sum of money and cares about the cause.

Take for example the earthquake in Haiti. This natural disaster occurred 14 months ago on Jan. 12, 2010. What knowledge do Americans seem to have in regards to the relief effort? Nothing, which gives the impression that Haiti is not experiencing suffering or hardship due to the earthquake, and that statement could not be any more invalid.

I thought I’d look into just this topic since our news sources don’t speak much about it. According to “Time Magazine,” 1.5 million Haitians are still homeless and

only five percent of the 22 million cubic yards of heavy debris from the earthquake has been removed.

In the article, one Haitian said, “For us, every morning when we wake up and see this, it’s still Jan 12, 2010.”

Without looking this information up, I would have never known just how bad Haiti still has it. Haitians continue to suffer but no one knows about it. No one knows that America has given $100 million so far to Haiti but they have promised to give $1.15 billion. According

Section Chief: Allison Walczyk Print Chief: Allison Siegel Online Chief: Jenny Hottle Copy Chief: Kirby Browning Photo and Design Chief: Kristin Marzullo students to capture their perceptions of the world with paint and other forms of art.

If all that excitement gets the best of you, you can take a break in The Oasis, a quiet room equipped with pillows so that students can relax, play games, solve puzzles, and just hang out with friends.

Cartoon by Brooke Basta

I am more than excited for prom and Port Discovery. Those seniors who aren’t excited should keep in mind that they can have just as much fun if they make the best of the experience and go in with an open mind. This is the last dance we will have with one another, so we should make it our best one yet.

to Time Magazine, the U.K. has given $33 million and they are the only country to come close to what America has given. It’s great that America has given so much, but it should be advertised and promoted more.

Japan is another example. When I first looked on Google, I typed in “what did America do for the Japan earthquake?” I found three stories about how we tried to cancel American flights to Japan and how we tried to find our citizens in Japan. I understand that the gov-

ernment has to look out for its people, but why wasn’t there at least one story about our efforts for the Japanese people?

I have one great problem with hearing about the Japan situation on the news. I don’t believe we would be hearing about the situation in Japan had the amount of nuclear radiation not increased and posed a risk to America. America needs to report about these disasters beyond the initial shock. Let’s face it, people are still suffering and Americans need to know.

Reporter A mother is someone who takes your temperature when your throat hurts and brown bags your lunch every day before school. But for me, my mother is so much more than that. We finish each other’s sentences and give the old saying “shop ‘til you drop” a whole new meaning.

So many teenagers are annoyed by their parents. When I hear my friends complain, “I hate my mom!” or “My dad is so unfair!”

I always respond with a puzzled look. I’ve never understood why they feel this way.

For my mom and I, it is the exact

Managing Editors: Maggie Cassidy Grace Kim Business Manager: Ellen Barker Section Editors: Eva Bialobrzeski Collin Hoofnagle Stephanie Laird Imani Love Taylor Schafer Ashley Snyder Elizabeth Tauber Hilary Weidner Copy Editors: Gabbrielle Joseph Cara Reilly Photo and Design: Taylor Hooper Ashley Moxley Ryan Selvy Layout Editors: Nico Cvach Julia Earnshaw Sarah Kearby Multimedia Editors: Megan Battaglia Rachel Dinsmore Caroline Spath

Cartoon by Christy Kim

Teens should give parents more credit Leah Polakoff

The Patriot

The John Carroll School 703 Churchville Road Bel Air, MD 21014 Volume 46, Issue 6, April 2011

Editor in Chief: Joey Hoff

US disaster relief awareness fails to last Gabbrielle Joseph

13

opposite. Our bond has strengthened over the course of my life, and certain events have brought us closer than anyone could have ever imagined.

Sure, the rules they make keep us from driving too late or meeting new people online. But, they are only keeping our best interests in mind. Keep in mind that this is their job.

What so many teenagers don’t realize is how cool our parents can actually be. On some Saturday nights, I actually prefer to hang out with my mom instead of my friends.

She gives better advice than any girl I’ve ever met, and knows how to find the best sales at the mall.

And if you think about it, the music from when they were our age (way back then) isn’t actually that bad. Not only did my mom teach me table manners, but she also taught me how to head bang to Metallica and AC/DC. Because our parents have been teenagers already, they know the ins and outs of high school, relationships, and college life.

But it’s not just the awesome advice our parents can give, it’s the reassuring fact that they will always be there for us.

My mother will always drop what she is working on without hesitation to sit and talk to me.

Listening to her voice and feeling her embrace can instantly lift my

mood, despite what horrible things may have happened earlier.

For all of you that think you won’t need your parents as you get older, think again.

These are the people who have supported us and loved us for our entire lives. When our worlds come crashing down, they are the ones waiting to catch us. Besides, who else is going to help us pay off college loans?

Don’t follow the trend and ignore your parents. They care about you more than you will ever know.

Their nerdy tendencies may be annoying and embarrassing at times, but it’s something we have to deal with. After all, they put up with us every day.

Reporters: Hayley Boyle Amanda Graziano Meg Kirchner Ryan Lina Leah Polakoff Lindsay Powell Brian Reid Henry Shepard Cartoonists: Brooke Basta Lauren Friedly Christy Kim Moderators: Mark Ionescu Nick Attanasio The Patriot is a publication of The John Carroll School.

The views and opinions expressed in The Patriot are not necessarily the views of the Board or Administration of The John Carroll School.

The editorial staff invites and greatly appreciates comments from readers on any issue.

Please email us at editor@jcpatriot.com or visit our website: www.jcpatriot.com

14 sports

thepatriot Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

Three students hope to make the cut at USA Fencing National Championships

en

Sophomore Morgan Jones (right) lunges at junior James Mews during a fencing demonstration.

The demonstration was one part of a pep rally showcase on students who participate in sports outside of JC.

e d r ga Photo by Conrad Sullivan

Megan Battaglia Multimedia Editor Épées are clashing, an opponent is struck, and a point is gained.

No, this is not medieval sword fighting, it’s fencing. This sport usually goes unnoticed. However, a few JC students do take part in it.

Freshman Erika Lipford, sophomore Morgan Jones, and junior James Mews all participate on the fencing team at the Maryland Fencing Club.

But when school ends, fencing doesn’t.

This summer, Lipford, Jones, and Mews will be fencing at nationals in Reno, Ne-

vada. To prepare, they attend practice about three times a week with additional practice outside of the studio.

Because fencing is an individual sport and victory is not based upon the team’s scores combined, individual skills and techniques are especially important.

Fencing tournaments are formatted so that the players are selected for each match based on their ranking.

Players are then placed into a pool where they fence to five touches or partake in three minute bouts with other fencers depending on the size of the competition.

After all of the bouts are finished, players are placed in a direct elimination bracket and

fence 15 touches or go nine minutes with a durance, and strength of football or soccer, one minute break in between. If the player because you are continuously moving on loses their direct elimination, then they are the strip,” Lipford said. out of the competition.

Several years ago, JC had a fencing team.

“The structure of fencing All three students agree that may seem complicated at “It requires the deep if the fencing program was first, but is easy to adjust to,” thinking of chess to re-introduced to JC, they Lipford said. would be more than happy to predict and counter What most fencers enjoy join and help others learn the the moves of your opsport of fencing. “I definitely about the sport is that fencing ponent...” is both a physical and mental would love to have a fencing -Morgan Jones club at John Carroll. It would sport.

“Fencing has become part be a great opportunity for of my life over the years. It requires the deep practice and for other students to experience thinking of chess, to predict and counter the it as well. A lot of kids at JC do not realize moves of your opponent, and the speed, en- what fencing is all about,” Jones said.

Badminton team stays positive despite forfeits Brian Reid Reporter

Photo by Kristin Marzullo

Junior Clare Puopolo throws the ball to teammate junior Katie O’Brien. The softball team had to overcome the obstacle of having the pitcher’s mound moved, which forced the team to be on their defensive game.

Softball team adjusts to playbook change Caroline Spath Multimedia Editor Even with 10 juniors and only two seniors on the women’s varsity softball team, the team members are optimistic that they will have a successful yet challenging season.

Head varsity softball coach Sherry Hudson doesn’t think that having only two seniors will affect the team’s season. “The seniors are definitely the leaders but most of the juniors have been on varsity since freshman year so they have experience,” Hudson said.

“Most of the juniors are able to step up and be leaders, when they need to be, since some of them have been on the team since their freshman year and are comfortable taking charge,” senior Danielle Ryan said.

“I don’t think that having so many juniors and so few seniors

hurts the team because it just means the juniors have to step up too. It makes the team stronger when a bunch of people from all different classes can step up,” senior Becca Miles said.

The softball team is in the IAAM ‘B’ Conference, and according to Hudson, their biggest competition is Seton Keough on Apr. 27, Mount de Sales on Apr. 20, and Spalding on May 4.

“We’re in the toughest division with a lot of talented teams so every game is going to challenge us in a different way,” junior Clare Puopolo said. “We are also a skilled team ourselves, so if we limit our errors and string together some good hits, we’ll have a successful season.”

Hudson believes that the biggest challenge the team will face during the season is the fact that the pitcher’s mound has been moved back three feet from last

year. According to Hudson, “the team needs to be on their defensive game” because the hitters now have an advantage.

Puopolo, who has been playing softball for 12 years, is the main pitcher for the team and will be affected by the pitcher’s mound change in location. “It’s mostly an advantage to the hitter. Batters will have more time to see the ball. As a pitcher, speed is affected and the release point needs to be adjusted,” Puopolo said.

“I think that this year will be a good year because we have a lot of talent on the team. If we can all pull that talent together and use it then we can compete with anyone,” Miles said.

If you’re coming to watch a game, you should see “a team that goes out and plays hard every game,” Hudson said.

Additional reporting by Sarah Kearby.

Defeat defined the beginning of this year’s badminton season, as school trips, absences and student commitments forced the team to forfeit 11 out of 63 matches due to missing players.

However, the badminton team maintains a 4-6 record. According to head coach Tess Gauthier, the team could have won more games if they hadn’t been forced to forfeit so many matches.

There are no substitutions in badminton, so if the player is not there, the match is automatically forfeited.

Despite the issues with forfeiting matches, senior Haley Lynch still has a positive outlook for the team. Lynch is the number one singles player for the varsity team. “I think the team is doing great this year,” Lynch said. “Mrs. Gauthier did a good job of figuring out who works well for the doubles teams and helping singles players improve,” she said.

Lynch said that the underclassmen are among the most improved on the team. “There are a lot of underclassmen on the team this

year, and they are all doing really well,” Lynch said. “You can already tell that they have improved so much.”

In her first year of playing badminton, freshman Marina Comits, a doubles player on the JV team, is constantly improving with Gauthier’s help.

Gauthier says the team is at the level she wants them to be. “We are right in the middle [of the standings],” Gauthier said. “We haven’t been able to get matches against the teams that are at the top because we haven’t had a full group there,” she said.

Having the full team present and ready to play is going to be especially important in the playoffs.

According to Gauthier, individual victories determine the overall winner of the tournament, as each individual victory will gain the team points. The better the individual players do, the better the team will do.

Lynch has high hopes for the conference tournament. “I think with a little more practice, we could do well in the championships,” Lynch said. “The more we play, the closer we come to beating the schools that are the best.”

thepatriot

sports

Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

Baseball progresses toward playoffs Taylor Hooper Photo Editor This year’s men’s varsity baseball team is keeping their eyes locked on the prize with a record of eight wins and two losses.

The key to this record is the strength of some heavy homerun hitters such as seniors KJ Hockaday and Brendan Butler. Both Hockaday and Butler signed National Letters of Intent to play baseball in college next year.

Hockaday will be at the University of Maryland at College Park and Butler will be attending Towson University.

Hockaday is currently four homeruns away from breaking current Yankee Mark Texciera’s homerun record and 11 homeruns away from setting the state record as well.

Varsity head coach Joe Stetka is focused on discipline and teamwork during the season.

“Our team has really come to-

gether through good coaching and great senior leadership,” junior second baseman TJ Centi said.

“Everyone on the team definitely shows that they want to be there and you can see that on the field,” senior pitcher and outfielder Tyler Boyd said.

The Patriots dominated the field on Friday April 1 against Calvert Hall, finishing the game with a victory of 20-9. The other big wins were against Patterson Mill (12-1), Aberdeen (14-0), Fallston (17-3), and Souderton (15-7).

So far, the team’s biggest battle took place on Monday April 4 against Gilman when the Patriots fought against Gilman’s heavy lineup.

“It was an intense game and left you waiting to see what would happen next,” sophomore and fan Rachael Boyd said.

It eventually led to a tie in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Patriots ended with a win of 9-8.

“This year we have the most

Photo by Kristin Marzullo

Junior Dino Profili steps up to the plate in hopes of assisting the team to score a run. The baseball currently holds a 8-2 record for the season. potential we’ve ever had to win I believe. The only team that can beat us is us. If we play to the best of our potential, no one can stop us. It’s just up to us to make it happen,” senior pitcher and catcher Ryan Kirby said.

Playoffs are on Friday May 13

and the team is optimistic that they have what it takes to make it there.

“Our team is playing great and we are working very hard. If we keep playing as we are we have a good chance of making the playoffs,” junior pitcher and first basemen Dino Profili said.

Patriot of the Month highlights student athletes who deserve recognition for their contributions in their chosen sports. They are selected by the Sports Editors.

Adam Lazoff

Jenna Elliott

As he sets his grip and lines up his putt, junior Adam Lazoff gets ready to sink the ball for the winning shot.

This is an everyday occurrence for Lazoff, who is ranked number one on the varsity golf team.

Lazoff started playing golf when he was in the eighth grade and hasn’t stopped since. He was inspired by his father who took him out to play his first game.

As for team leadership, all of the golf players play a part. According to Lazoff, there are no team captains.

Golf isn’t like any other sport, according to Lazoff. “I like that it looks easy but, it may be one of the hardest games to play. It’s nice to just go out on the course and play a good game, especially when it’s nice out,” Lazoff said.

A typical day at practice for the team is at Maryland Golf and Country Club. It usually consists of going to the driving range, put-

In senior Jenna Elliott’s life, four is a popular number. She has been riding horses since age four, she has been on the JC equestrian team for four years, and she has been participating in equestrian since fourth grade.

Elliott first started riding horses at age four because of her dad.

“My dad took me to a horse farm and I started really liking horses,” Elliott said.

After that, she began to ride horses just for fun, but a couple years later went on to competitions.

Before joining JC’s equestrian team, Elliott rode horses with Tranquility Manor Farm at age nine in fourth grade.

As a freshman, she decided to ride for JC’s equestrian team. “It’s something different that a lot of people don’t do or hear about. It’s just fun,” Elliott said.

She currently competes with her horse Griffin. She has had him

Varsity Men’s Golf

Varsity Women’s Equestrian

ting green, and playing the last three holes of the course.

“The coach also points individual things out on each of us and helps us to better them,” Lazoff said.

“Games are pretty intimidating. We get to go out in groups of four, two players from JC and two from the other team. It’s nice to meet kids from other schools and compare yourself to them,” Lazoff said.

Some sports face the challenge of making cuts and keeping a small enough team, but in golf, that’s not an issue for the small golf team of six.

“I encourage people to try out for it, since we don’t seem to have many people interested. We play on some really nice courses and learn a lot about the game,” Lazoff said.

since 2005.

“I do games, jumping, eventing, fox hunting, equitation, and hunter shows,” Elliott said.

She finds that the most challenging thing that she does in equestrian is switching horses.

Even though she has memories from all four years of her career on the JC equestrian team, she has had the most fun during her senior year.

“This year was a lot of fun because we had a lot of new people who were really nice and put in a really good effort,” Elliott said.

She plans to ride in college even though she is not pursuing it. Elliott will continue equestrian for her personal enjoyment.

Hopefully in whatever she does, she will incorporate the number four, since it appears to be a good number for her.

15

Sports with Shep

Men’s athletics match women’s past successes Henry Shepard Reporter With the great start to the men’s baseball team this year, it is fair to say that the men’s sports at JC have stepped up to the successes that women’s sports have displayed in past years.

For the unknowing bystander, this does not seem like that big of a deal. But, for a long period, the women’s sports teams have been dominant.

The women’s lacrosse team’s national championship in 2008 showed the strength of our women’s athletics, but the previous gap between the two programs seems to be shrinking.

In baseball, JC topped previous MIAA favorites Calvert Hall and Gilman, who were ranked first and second in the metro at the time.

The hits of seniors Brendan Butler, who is heading to Towson, and UMD-bound KJ Hockaday have led the Patriots in the offense, with a combination of six home runs throughout the first four conference games.

Seniors Trent Shaw, committed to University of North Carolina at Asheville, and Nick Naumann, committed to Chesnut Hill University, have also chipped into the hitting, while seniors Ryan Kirby and Dave McGee lead a solid pitching staff.

On the other hand, the traditionally strong women’s lacrosse team has struggled to build chemistry following the graduation of a few of their best players. In their second game of the season, they lost to powerhouse McDonough, 2312. This loss dropped them from third in the metro down to ninth.

The team will probably rebound as it usually does, but this season has not gotten off to a great start like it normally does. Hopefully, the sports teams with success this year will continue, and the teams with bad years will make a comeback.

It is always good to see something new. The recent success of the baseball program will hopefully attract more male athletes to the school, starting a cycle of good teams comparable to the past successes of women’s atheletics.

Potential students first look at sports, so these positive changes to the men’s atheletic program could really help the school to grow.

16 sports

thepatriot Volume 46 Issue 6 April 2011

Varsity runners stay on track for winning seasons

Senior Malcolm McMillan finishes his leg of the race in a meet against St. Mary’s. The team won the meet with a score of 94-51.

fast lane Photo by Joey Hoff

Cara Reilly Copy Editor The sound of a gunshot is not familiar to most, but to sophomore Annamarie Morris, it’s the sign that tells her that the race has just begun.

The 2011 season of outdoor track and field took off with a bang as this season has had an unprecedented disruption of balance.

According to Coach Rob Torres, the women’s team is large in numbers. The men’s team has lacked numbers in recent years, but has had the talent.

“This year’s team is looking very good. After a few years being down on numbers, we have the depth to once again go for a

championship. We’ve had quality distance runners for the past four to five years, but our sprinter and field numbers are up, and we have some top quality athletes in both areas,” Torres said.

Rising stars include sophomore Austin Markley, junior Vince Perry, senior Malcolm McMillan, and senior Ronald Scott, in sprints.

Junior Denzel Varner and senior Ousseni Ouedraogo have become prominent in the field events, and juniors Andrew Ellis, Ben Pickett, and Colin Brooks have been going the extra mile in distance.

Torres has high hopes for the men’s team, expecting them to win the ‘B’ Conference Championship.

He believes that they will compete well against the ‘A’ Conference

teams in this year’s MIAA Championship.

Although the women’s team lost many of last year’s sprinters to graduation and indoor track runners to spring sports, the high numbers also bring high quality.

No distance runners were lost, leaving seniors Elizabeth Tauber and Amanda Hudak along with juniors Taylor Battaglia and Kayla Stoots. These leading runners were joined by freshman Amanda Spaeth.

Women’s sprinting outnumbers the rest as they are led by sophomores Kiana Wright, Rebecca Driver, Sam Clarke, and juniors T’Keyah Lisbon, Taylor Hooper, and Megan Battaglia. New sprinters freshman Catey Minnis and

junior Alexandra Loiodice have contributed to the team’s success, while junior Heather Kirwan is one of the best pole vaulters in the league.

Although practice is different for distance sprinters, and field athletes, the track team believes that the team is unified. “I really like how our team is a lot closer to each other and more relaxed than other sports,” Morris said.

Torres expects the women’s team to be one of the better teams in the IAAM ‘A’ Conference.

“We seem like we’ve improved some since last year, especially our guy’s team,” Morris said.

However, improvement as a team can be difficult due to obstacles like trying to get every athlete to

every practice and meet.

“We have kids going on foreign exchange trips, vacations, etc. in the middle of the season. They then miss practices or meets for this, then for making up school work after school, or for various other reasons. It’s very frustrating trying to run a quality team in these circumstances,” Torres said.

Despite these difficulties, Torres enjoys his role in helping young people achieve something.

His favorite thing about coaching is “helping a kid succeed in the sport.”

Torres believes that the unexpected size and talent in this season will surprise their opponents as they take their marks, get ready, get set, and go.

Elizabeth Tauber

Amanda Hudak

Shaun Ostrowski

Ousseni Ouedraogo

Events: 3200, 1600, 800 4x800 Years running: 6 years Biggest accomplishment: Private Schools champion, IAAM champion two years in a row Fun fact: Tauber’s strength is running hills Favorite memory: winning championships junior year

Events: 800, 1600, 4x400, 4x800 Years running: 3 years Biggest accomplishment: getting her times back after injury Fun fact: Hudak went to Spain for the first time this year Favorite memory: winning a track medal sophomore year

Events: 300 hurdles, 4x200, 200, 4x400 Years running: 3 years Biggest accomplishment: setting the 4x400 relay record Fun fact: Ostrowski loves chicken teriyaki Favorite memory: doing hurdles for the first time, having the fastest time for hurdles

Events: Shot put, discus Years running: 2 years Biggest accomplishment: throwing the shot put more than 38 feet Fun fact: Ouedraogo is scared of clowns Favorite memory: competing in his first track meet

final

LAP

Showcasing the seniors who keep the track team in the fast lane