The Patriot October 2013, Issue 1, Vol 49.

the

Patriot

10.31.13 Issue 1, Volume 49 www.jcpatriot.com

MEDIA on the MIND 60 percent of students use social media for an hour or more every day.

To understand the effects of this ongoing use, The Patriot has devoted an issue to social media and technology.

Index

News 2

for the latest, follow

The Patriot online

The JC Patriot

@JCPatriot

JCPatriot

Lifestyles 4

A&E 7

In-Depth 8

Opinion 11

Sports 14

Get informed about how social media popularity changes over time.

Find out the physical, psychological, and social effects of technology.

Join the debate on whether social media is a beneficial learning tool or not.

News 2

In-depth 8

Opinion 11

news 2

thepatriot October 2013

NEWS updates New History Club created this year Kathy Deaver Sports Editor

Illustration by Brynly Wilson and Madison Meyer

Social media has progressed over the years from Myspace and Facebook to Twitter and Instagram in both popularity and use. While 83.5 percent of students have a Facebook, only 12 percent of students use it the more than any other social media site.

Social sites’ popularity shifts Madison Meyer In-depth Editor Sophomore Joe Kyburz, better known as Joe from Twitter, checks his Twitter account as often as he can, both on his phone and laptop. He scrolls through his feed skimming hundreds of tweets, replying to his friends and only retweeting those which are worthy. Sometimes he checks his follower count, in order to keep his follower to following ratio high. Though he has accounts on other social media sites, Twitter is his territory.

While students may have accounts on multiple sites, their focus is not on all of them. As new sites become popular, older ones are visited less frequently.

Senior Quasay Multani’s favorite site is Instagram, because he said that he “can post hipster pictures.” Other students agree that Instagram is their favorite social media site, like senior Quinn Collins who enjoys looking at other people’s pictures. In fact, 38.3 percent of students, in a

survey by The Patriot on Oct. 21, prefer Instagram’s picture-heavy content to other types of social media, making it the best rated site.

Twitter also was seen to be popular among students as 68.1 percent have an account. One of the things that makes Twitter unique is its short blurbs, which are quick and to the point.

“As a Twitter veteran, I find it a seamless means of communication amongst a group of friends and an easy way to get a message across or tell a joke,” Kyburz said.

However, a student answering The Patriot survey on social media wrote, “I think having a Twitter makes you more impulsive. Also, it diminishes the vocabulary and quality of writing because you are limited to 140 characters.”

Another form of social media is Snapchat, an app for smart phones which sends time-sensitive photos between friends. 75.8 percent of students have an account, but the initial popularity

has faded. Only 6.4 percent of students ranked it as their most used account. Still, it is among the more popular forms of social media with 45 percent of students ranking it as one of their top three most visited sites, in comparison with Instagram’s 69.1 percent and Twitter’s 56.4 percent.

Junior Marc Griffin said that Tumblr was the least popular social media site at JC, but mentioned that this could be because it is not often talked about in school. On the survey, it received a vote as one of the three most used sites 33 percent of the time.

While 83.5 percent of students have a Facebook, most agree that Facebook is not popular among high school students anymore.

Multani surmises that this is because Facebook is seen as “outof-date” and also because the older generations, including parents, use it.

Kyburz was amused by the recent #WhyILeftFacebook trending on Twitter. He agrees that now that many older people are on Facebook, teenagers like it

less. Only 12 percent of students ranked Facebook as their most used form of social media.

Pinterest, a form of blogging that allows the users to save pictures, ideas, and recipes, was also shown to be less popular than other sites. Only 47.3 percent of students have accounts, the lowest percentage. In fact, just 2.1 percent of students ranked it as their most used site in the survey.

The least used site was said to be Vine, a site where six second videos are posted. None of the surveyed students ranked it as the most used form of social media and only 19.1 percent ranked it as one of their top three.

There are a handful of students and teachers who avoid all forms of social media.

Math teacher Sean Connolly prefers not to use any social media. “I would rather pick up the phone and call [my friends and family] or see them,” he said.

One answer to the survey simply stated that, “[social media]’s your choice. You can always remove yourself from it.”

Facebook policy enables public posting for teens Angela DeCarlo Copy Editor Starting Oct. 16, Facebook changed its policy for users between the ages of 13-17 year old users that enables a post to be viewed publicly.

According to a press release from the Facebook Newsroom, a previous account setting mandated that only Facebook friends or friends of friends could see posts. This could only be changed through the account’s settings.

Now, teens can make a post public from the status bar. “[The change] could allow teens to get harrassed,” junior Annalee Gabler said.

When a teen makes a post public, Facebook displays two warnings to confirm that the user knows the post is a public post.

“I’m personally not going to use it, but I’m sure there are people out there who will,” freshman William Molali said.

In addition to making public posts, teens are now able to allow other users to follow their feed without a friend request.

“These changes are designed to improve the experience for teens on Facebook,” the press release said.

According to the press release, they are also looking at ways to improve the way teens message and connect with people.

Bowman’s Butcher Shop caters to individuals and families looking to fill their freezer with the highest quality beef, pork, & chicken at an affordable price.

410-914-5607 3452 Churchville Rd. Aberdeen, MD 21001 info@bowmansbutchershop.com

According to Ben Franklin, “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

Thus, the new History Club kicks off in November “to engage students and community members for a greater appreciation of the study of history and the application of it,” according to moderator Jake Hollin.

The club was founded this year by junior Justin Hawkins to counterbalance the STEM program and “show this school’s ability in the liberal arts.” History is his favorite school subject.

“There wasn’t one. I wanted one. I founded it,” Hawkins said.

The club will meet once or twice a month, hosting guest speakers and taking trips. A Ben Franklin reenactor will speak at a meeting on Nov. 14.

JC greets 210 incoming students Cole Alban Online Chief Horses gallop through the oval, soft music plays in the courtyard, and smiling faces open the doors to visitors. The JC Open House is in full swing.

Open House is where prospective families could come tour the campus and learn more about JC. There were several events going on throughout the day including rehearsals shown for the upcoming production “Godspell.”

“It’s just really important to have a good experience at Open House. Word of mouth travels quickly,” Director of Enrollment Edward Maynard said. According to Maynard, about 210 students attended Open House. “I thought the number of students is in line with what it has been in the past few years.”

Spirit Club sparks new interest Lauren Glase Photo courtesy Facebook Press Release

Facebook’s new policy allows teens to change the privacy setting to public directly from the status bar. This change was put into effect Oct. 16.

Dean of Students Brian Powell doesn’t agree with this change.

“We’re trying to teach the student body that whether it’s private or not, what you post is open and public. It’s dangerous if you think what you post is only viewed by your network,” Powell said.

“Colleges and jobs check the internet presence of potential applicants and things that are posted have as much of an influence as the interview does,” Powell said.

According to Powell, “It’s a problem your generation has to deal with.”

We provide hair care, skin care, nail care, and body treatment services!

Closed Sunday and Monday Tuesday - Friday 9:00am to 7:00pm Saturday 9:00am to 4:00pm

www.visagesalonandspa.com

News Editor We’ve got spirit, yes we do.

We’ve got spirit, but what is new?

Spirit Club is under new leadership with moderator and music teacher Marc Bolden and is being run by junior co-presidents Abbey Levee and Noelle Correll.

“It’s very student run,” Bolden said.

According to Bolden, interest in the club has gone up because students have been taking initiative and spreading their goals and thoughts about school spirit.

“Our goal is to get all the grades to have school spirit,” Correll said.

According to Bolden, the primary focus of the club is attendance by students at JC sporting events. “We want to increase attendance at all games – not just football and basketball.”

3 news

New dorms opened up for use

thepatriot October 2013

Male students from three different continents now live on campus in refurbished dormitories

Photo by Sydney Setree

Cole Alban Online Chief For the 2013-2014 school year, the upper level of St. Joseph’s Hall, the former convent building, has been transformed into dormitories for 13 male international students and their two supervisors.

According to Coordinator of International Student Programs Sandi Seiler, the dorms first became an idea when international students began asking about oncampus housing.

“Around year one or two [of the international student pro-

Kimble said living in the JC dorms is slightly different from his old boarding school, The Phelps School.

“It’s a little bit different. At Phelps I was not living in dorms but here I am living in dorms,” Kimble said. “The neatest thing is the energy. Students are always coming back with stories to share.”

“Each student has their own private room. I’m not aware of any other boarding school or even college dormitory where each student has a private room,” the second supervisor of the dorms Brother Steve Strausbaugh said.

“We have a very spacious lounge with a nice flat screen television. The first floor is basically offices for advancement and public relations. On the weekends, we use the conference room for meals.”

Sophomore Ben Flomo is an international student from Liberia. Last year he attended Brookhouse School, a boarding school in Kenya.

According to Flomo, “the rooms are okay but there is too much noise. My boarding school before, everything was better except the rooms. There we had to share rooms.”

gram] I noticed a pattern of some students asking if we were a boarding school. I got calls and emails from students, especially in Asia, asking about on-campus housing,” Seiler said.

According to Seiler, on-campus housing makes it easier to have international students.

“It can be difficult to find 50 host families. It is a big decision for a family to take on an international student for a year. Instead of everyone having a host family, some [international] students just want on-campus housing,” she said. “Some students feel at the mercy of someone having a

license. They get here and they want to be involved.”

According to Seiler, living on campus eliminates the transportation issue.

According to dorm supervisor Michael Kimble, the students have a general schedule they follow each day.

They get up at 6:30 a.m. to walk to school at 7:15 a.m.

At around 6:30 p.m. after sports practice and club meetings, they have dinner in the cafeteria, and then they have study hall from around 7:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m., and then return to their rooms at around 10 p.m.

the talents of students within good taste for all of the JC community to enjoy. For the past two years, the Variety Show has been canceled but is returning this fall.

According to senior class Member at Large Emily Cassidy, “Seniors are pumped for the return of the show.”

Planning for the Variety Show falls under the jurisdiction of senior class officers Emily Cassidy, Karly Horn, and Cole Alban.

The officers meet at 7:20 a.m. on Wednesday, working together in promoting general show awareness and making sure information about the show is available to seniors on both physical and elec-

tronic media. They also work on scheduling important events in relation to the show and keeping the show on schedule, on track, and in good taste.

“The two meetings with everyone involved and our weekly meetings have been very productive,” Cassidy said.

“I feel like we have a really hard working group of people behind it who want to have a great, successful Variety Show,” Cassidy said. “We are ahead of the game at this point and I’m excited to Photo by Hope Kelly see the talent brought at Seniors (from left to right) Margaret McGuirk, Matt Wagner, Kirsten the tryouts.”

Kyburz, and April Moscati pay attention to the senior leaders at the Schick also could not Variety Show meeting. The show will be Nov. 26 and 27. be happier with the way things are running so far. be a part of this and, as a result, be, and we are determined to “Right now we are in the pro- the ideas for the skits and the mu- make this show the best we poscess of getting people exciting sical numbers are abundant and sibly can,” Schap said. and involved but we are way original.

As for changes in the show, acahead of schedule,” he said.

“We have a very creative group cording to Schap, “there has been According to Schap, the Va- of people who are really putting no huge change. It is still the seriety Show has received a lot of lots of effort in this,” Schick said. nior class coming together to propositive feedback, and that feed“We know from past shows duce a show of talent and humor back continues to grow. He loves that the more seniors that get in- about JC within good taste for all how people are really excited to volved, the better the show will the JC community to enjoy.”

Variety Show makes comeback Hanna LeBuhn Lifestyles Editor “We really thought the seniors deserved another chance,” Variety Show moderator Bob Schick said.

The dates, Nov. 26 and 27, are set for the return of the Senior Variety Show. According to SAC Vice President Austin Schap, planning for the show is both well under way and well counseled.

“All the important dates and times for show-related events have been decided, we are right on schedule for meeting our required milestones,” Schap said.

The Variety Show is a senior class production which shows

lifestyles 4

thepatriot October 2013

Bucket List

By Hanna LeBuhn

‘Ghosting’ provides lighthearted scare for neighbors Have you ever wanted to... “ghost” someone?

As weird as this may sound, “ghosting” is like ding-dongditch, but with a little Halloween flare. You fill a bucket with some festive treats, leave the bucket on the door, ring the doorbell, and run as fast as you can.

This year, I decided to ghost my new neighbors. I have always wanted to try this Halloween tradition and decided this year was the perfect opportunity.

Ghosting begins by filling a bucket with an assortment of Halloween goodies. This year, I picked up lots of candy, a pumpkin shaped pillow, orange Halloween glasses, a coloring booklet for kids, and other Halloween knick-knacks.

There are a few rules to ghosting. Make sure it’s dark outside and, whatever you do, don't get caught. Inside the bucket, you must place a piece of paper explaining what has happened. This paper should have a Halloween poem on it that explains to the victim that they have just been “ghosted.” The ghosting poem is a little Halloween rhyme that can be found online.

As I approached my neighbor’s house, I tiptoed to their front door and, of course, stepped on the loudest branches in the yard. Once I got close enough, I dropped the bucket on the front door, rang the doorbell, and sprinted as fast as I could. I ran behind the closest tree and made sure I was completely out of sight.

My neighbors opened the door and looked stunned before they even noticed the basket on the step. They picked it up cautiously and muttered a few words I could not hear. Once I saw them read the poem, I heard them laugh out loud.

After ensuring that my ghosting mission had been accomplished and the coast was clear, I headed back home with a big smile on my face.

Ghosting is a great way to have a little harmless Halloween fun.

As long as you don’t get caught, your neighbor will never know who the culprit was. Filling the bucket is lots of fun, but seeing the reaction when the neighbors open their door is priceless.

An additional ghosting rule is that it does not have to be exclusively your neighbor whom you ghost. You can ghost anyone who lives near you.

This could be your friends or maybe even your teacher. All you have to do is pick a house, grab a bucket, and run as fast as you can.

Students face their fears as they venture through the legendary Jericho Bridge, the spooky experience that leaves them completley shaken up Caitlin Wolfarth and Emily Cassidy Lifestyles Editor and News Editor With my younger sister sophomore Cara Wolfarth, News Editor Emily Cassidy, and three cups of Sweet Frog in tow, I set out on our journey around 8 p.m. We were cruising care free with the windows down, a cool night breeze blowing into my car, not really thinking about what we were about to do… until we got there.

An eerie chill came over us as we neared the 48 year old, rickety bridge on the cool October night. As my headlights peered into the inside of Harford County’s infamous Jericho Bridge, we turned to one another with the same expression on both of our faces seeming to say, “Why did we decide to do this?”

When Cassidy, my sister and I agreed to take on the challenge of going across Jericho Bridge in the dark, we didn't realize what we were getting ourselves into.

We learned of this challenge through the book "Weird Maryland," which is a book about

Try these on for size Toga

Photo by Lauren Glase

Photo by Caitlin Wolfarth

strange legends in Maryland. We thought it would be a fun adventure that we could one day tell our children in hopes of making us sound cool, but it was nothing like that. As the sun started to set, we realized we were not as brave as we thought.

The bridge was built in 1865 and is said to still have characters from that time period wandering the bridge late at night. According to “Weird Maryland,” during the late 1800’s early 1900’s, around the time of the Civil War, the bridge was used to hang people. It is also says that ghosts from the Civil War still keep watch. Local legend says that when you drive through late at night, you can see bodies hanging from the rafters in your rear view mirror.

Thoughts of what might lay ahead in the bridge bounced around in my head. I was sure all sorts of paranormal, half dead creatures were lurking in the dark shadows of the bridge, ready to pounce on a car full of vulnerable, teenage girls. We slowed to a stop about ten feet away from the entrance. After all of us were done exclaiming, “I don’t want to do this

TOGA! TOGA! TOGA! Not only is this costume really easy to make in a day, it also uses materials you will already have at home.

Take a sheet, any color, any size, and just fold it in half, or if you want to make it longer, there is no need to fold it. Next wrap it across your body and have a little extra “flap” part.

Take the flap part and bring it over whichever shoulder it is closest to and you can either tuck it in. Then, stitch it real quick, or do what I did and put a couple of safety pins in it and it will hold up all night.

anymore,” and “I’m so scared,” it was time to head in.

We started out slow, but then floored it once we were all the way inside. The sound of the rickety old bridge was grotesquely loud under the tires. Our screams rang in our ears. It wasn't until we emerged from the bridge that I realized my eyes had been closed the entire time while driving.

Although shaken up, we all agreed that we were OK. Then we realized, we didn't know how to get back home without going over the bridge again.

This time, with a little more confidence, we braced ourselves for round two of our adventure. This time, we got half way through the bridge before closing our eyes and flooring it.

Although we never saw anything scary at all, the experience was enough for us. Perhaps if we had gone in the middle of the night, turned off all our lights and engine, and waited, we would have seen something supernatural. But let’s be real here, we just aren't cut out for ghost hunting.

Need a Halloween costume but have no time? The Patriot provides three fun and creative costumes that are easy to make.

Pick any of these three costumes, and you’re sure to stand out in the crowd.

Gum on the bottom of a shoe Get together anything pink.

If you don’t have any pink clothing or if you’re missing some key pieces of clothing, try Target, Jo-Ann Fabric, Kohl’s, or Walmart.

After getting together all your pink clothing, make sure to get accessories and body paint.

Then find a shoe. A clean shoe would be preferable, since you’re sticking it to your head.

To get the shoe to stick on your head, glue or tape the shoe to a headband or ribbon.

Dirty Laundry

Photo by Hanna Lebuhn

Dirty laundry is a super easy and creative idea if you’ve waited until the last minute to find a costume. Here are a few simple steps to follow: Dress yourself in all black or in any solid color. Grab some safety pins and some dirty laundry. Of course, the laundry doesn’t have to be dirty. Socks usually work the best, so grab whatever you have and start pinning. This costume is comfortable and requires little effort. To top it all off, carry an empty laundry detergent bottle around with you.

Photo by Sydney Setree

Reporting by: Emily Cassidy, Hanna LeBuhn, and Sydney Setree

5 lifestyles

thepatriot October 2013

y t i t n e IdStolen

Healthy You

By Caitlin Wolfarth

Logging off social media provides time for activities

Sports Editor Kathy Deaver shares her firsthand experience with online identity theft Kathy Deaver Sports Editor On the morning of Sept. 19, I was secure in my identity. By the end of the day, I had reason to question that security.

On the way out of the library after an off mod, a friend from middle school stopped me in the doorway. “Do you have an Instagram?” he said.

This friend and I went to middle school together, but we haven’t spoken in our time at JC beyond greetings in the hallways once or twice. His question took me by surprise.

“No,” I said.

He proceeded to tell me that I did indeed have an Instagram, created by someone else using a picture from my Facebook page.

The page seems to have been made by two other middle school classmates who tried to use me and my identity to gain access to my friend’s pictures, as he had blocked them from his Instagram.

While there is no way to prove through

Instagram itself that these other boys created the fake account, they began harassing my friend via text messages saying “got you” and asking about things on his account.

That night, my friend blocked the account.

It was deleted by the time he told me about it the following day. I searched for it that night and found the link to the account that showed the name, username, and profile picture, but clicking it only led to an error message. A week later, I couldn’t even find that.

Ironically, my first reaction to this news was appreciation that these boys thought I was friends with everyone. Their choosing me as a vehicle for harassing my friend was a backhanded compliment. However, I grew angrier and angrier as the day went on.

What if nobody had told me? Few people would have known about it in the first place, and they could have easily thought that the account was deleted and no harm was done.

After a week or so, the deleted account wasn’t visible by a simple search. But what’s

Illustartion by Madison Meyer

to stop those same people who stole a picture from my Facebook and made a fake Instagram account from making another account and posting rude, compromising, or incriminating things on it? Where do they draw the line?

Worst of all, I have no way to conclusively prove that it was them. My friend has records of the texts the boys harassed him with, but without an admission on the part of the guilty party, I cannot prove anything. I can’t even prove that it wasn’t my account to begin with.

What if I go for a job interview one day, the boss pulls up my social media sites, and instagram shows up with a bunch of pictures of people drinking underage? There is no way the interviewer will believe me if I say, “I’ve never seen that before! It’s not mine.”

I am now much more aware of the availability of anything that I post online.

Also, I know how important it is to tell people if they do something out of character or strange online.

Teacher Spotlight:

Help Desk Coordinator Joe Vitucci Lauren Glase News Editor

Photo courtesy of Joe Vitucci

Help Desk Coordinator Joe Vitucci stands in his ready pose for aikido. Its philosophy is “one cut one mind.”

Watching his two sons become masters of the art of aikido was simple enough for Help Desk Coordinator Joe Vitucci. Being asked to take part in the Japanese martial art was a different story.

“I’m kind of an old man. I can’t do that,” Vitucci said. After seven years though, he was practicing the art with a black belt.

According to Vitucci, aikido is a martial art, but not a fighting style. Rather, it is a movement in reaction to another action.

“Nothing happens until someone moves,” he said. It is a form of defense.

According to Vitucci, the movement is what initiates the “physicality of it” which is what Vitucci enjoys the most. “The best part is not throwing people, but being thrown,” he said. “It’s fun.”

“My favorite maneuver is doing a move with the least amount of effort with the attacker not knowing what happened,” he said. Quick moves like these leave the opponent confused and dazed, according to

Vitucci.

Vitucci does not only like aikido for its physicality, but for the mental preparation it has given him.

“It teaches you to be calm in stressful situations,” he said. As for the physical aspect, Vitucci is reassured in “knowing it’s there and not having to use it.”

“My greatest achievement was when my two sons got their black belts, not when I got mine,” Vitucci said.

Vitucci also began to study the art of kenjutsu. Kenjutsu is the Japanese art of the sword. Vitucci practiced this art using a bokken, a wooden sword.

Vitucci has been practicing aikido for ten years and kenjutsu for five, but was forced to stop after a back injury. “I would like to go back, providing the doctors allow me to,” he said. Until then, Vitucci will be working on his second hobby: refurbishing old audio equipment.

“The best part about [aikido] is that this is an art you can make your own,” Vitucci said. “Everyone has their own specific style.”

We teenagers are the generation of social media. Whether it’s Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Vine, kids these days are constantly on their phones getting instant information about what’s going on, who’s going where, and what that kid you barely know had for lunch on Tuesday.

Although social media can be a great way of keeping up with friends and staying connected, it seems to have become more and more of a problem. Looking at a small screen every five seconds while lounging around is just not good for you. Social media is becoming a lifestyle, and I have some tips to solve it.

Instead of constantly checking the latest happenings every second, here are some other things you can try: Read a book. Trust me, stories in books are way more exciting than what people have to say on Twitter, unless you love reading some boy’s tweet asking “what’s happening tonight?” or some girl saying she just wants to “watch a movie and cuddle.”

Take a bath. Students, especially seniors, are stressed.

Grades, college applications, and sports can really take a toll on a person’s mental health. It’s important to take a break every once in a while. What’s more relaxing that sitting in a hot tub? NOTHING. Take a walk. I hear girls constantly complaining about how they “need to lose weight,” or “oh my gosh I should really start working out.” Why don’t you start with walking? Not only is it good for you physically, it helps relieve stress. Take advantage of the beautiful, fall weather!

Call a friend. Even though this isn’t face to face interaction, it’s better than talking through text.

This way you get to hear the tone of the other person’s voice, and it’s not so fake. Better yet, go for a visit and get facial expression too. I can’t tell you how many times someone has tweeted me telling me we “need to hangout” and then we never hangout.

Go shopping. Retail therapy works wonders. Just don’t spend too much…

So there you have it folks, tons of ideas to keep you distracted from the lure of social media.

Why stress out about the latest Twitter fight or worry because “she posted an Instagram picture with her, but not with me.”

Instead, spend time with family and friends and try some of the things I suggested above. I can guarantee you will all be much happier. You won’t have back problems 50 years from now, as a result of being constantly hunched over your devices.

lifestyles 6

thepatriot October 2013

What’s

behind the

dorm’s doors?

The Patriot takes an inside look at St. Joseph’s Hall, the new home for 13 international students Top right: St. Joseph’s Hall is where the dorms are held.

The dorm system, new to JC this year, is currently housing 13 international students and two dorm supervisors.

Left: Each room for the dorm residents is eqipped with a sink, bed, desk, and dresser. Students have to be in their rooms by 10 p.m. on school nights and lights out is at 10:30 p.m.

Photo by Caitlin Wolfarth

Photo by Caitlin Wolfarth

Photo by Caitlin Wolfarth

Above: In St. Joseph’s Hall, there is only one refrigerator in the dorm kitchen, and students are supposed to put name tags on all their food. Electric appliances are not allowed in the individual dorm rooms.

Left: Resident supervisor Brother Steve Strausbaugh records the name of students on the white board. Residents must inform supervisors of where they are going at all times.

Photo by Caitlin Wolfarth

For more insight on a day in the life of a dorm resident, go to jcpatriot.com.

7 A&E

quick

Picks: Get lost in fun

thepatriot October 2013

The Patriot staff reviews the best places to help you and your family get into the fall spirit

at Beachmont Beachmont Christian Camp 6433 Mount Vista Rd, Kingsville, MD (410) 592-3648

Rating

With more than just pumpkins, Beachmont offers delightful treats and outshines other fall destinations Reviewd by: Sydney Setree The Beachmont corn maze was complicated enough but not overly frustrating.

It was the perfect length, six acres long. Not so long that I was dying for a bathroom, but also not so short that I was thinking where the heck is the rest of the maze.

The maze is based off Baltimore’s two home teams, the Ravens and the Orioles.

In the maze, visitors are taken

through a journey of Baltimore teams including their great moments and recent victories.

Do well on the maze, and you may even get into The Hall of Fame, which commemorates corn maze winners.

Not only does Beachmont have a corn maze, but also other activities like a rubber duck race, a baseball throw, a corn bag toss, a hayride, and much more.

Photo by Sydney Setree

For younger kids, Beachmont also offers a much shorter straw bale maze.

Also, every Friday and Saturday night from 6:30-10 p.m., there are flashlight nights and bonfires where you can go through the maze in the dark.

Beachmont also has a variety of pumpkins for sale along with

food and drinks.

The hot apple cider was delicious and provided warmth from the cold weather. Other items on the menu are hot dogs, pretzels, s’mores, etc.

Drinks include water, hot chocolate, soda, and Gatorade.

Don’t worry about money. Just bring your allowance or scrounge

up some loose change from your couch cushions.

For adults ages 12 and up, the admission fee is ten dollars. Kids from ages three to 11 have an entry fee of eight dollars. Kids two and under are admitted for free.

Additionally, anyone wearing any Ravens or Orioles attire gets a dollar off their entry fee.

Photo by Hanna LeBuhn

Photo by Karly Horn

Weber’s offers fun fall festivites Brad’s showcases traditional fall corn maze, pumpkin picking Weber’s Cider Mill Farm

2526 Proctor Ln, Parkville, MD (410) 668-4488 weberscidermillfarm.com

Rating Weber’s Cider Mill Farm has great potential for an exciting day out with all of the family and activities for all ages Reviewed by: Karly Horn It’s officially fall and Weber’s Farm in Parkville, MD has everything you could possibly ask of the

season. From a pumpkin selection, to hayrides, to corn mazes, you can’t go wrong with a visit.

My first stop was the gift shop and bakery. Among my favorite options were fudge, ice cream, homemade pastries of all sorts, and fresh pressed apple cider. Weber’s grows its own pumpkins and apples, so picking up a pumpkin pie or an apple cider doughnut is a must.

The gift shop is home to cute novelties like pillows and ornaments, making it the perfect spot for holiday shopping. I was able to pick out some fun Christmas statues and ornaments for my family.

Then, I made my way over to the pumpkin section of the farm. Though you do not have the ability to pick your own pumpkins straight from the patch, the

selection of pumpkins is vast. I would suggest this option of pumpkin picking for convenience, and especially for families whose children want to pick out their own pumpkins, but couldn’t necessarily carry them through a field.

I visited during a “Fall Family Fun” day, so for six dollars for an adult and seven for children, I was able to visit the “Boo Barn,” a haunted house for kids, take a hayride, go down a hill slide, and play in the corn maze. Other activities include an animal farm, gem mining, pedal tractors, and rubber duck races.

Many of the activities were geared towards children, making it the perfect family outing for families with small children, not to mention a great stop for pumpkins and fresh food for all ages.

Brad’s Produce 550 Ashburg Rd, Churchville, MD (410) 734-4769 ­bradsproduce.­com

Rating Brad’s boasts laidback and enjoyable activities in a local setting Reviewed by: Hanna LeBuhn Stopping by Brad’s Produce is the perfect way to spend a fall afternoon.

Brad’s has everything

from hayrides to a pickyour-own pumpkin patch, a corn maze, a kids’ straw maze, apples along with apple cider, hundreds of mums, straw bales, cornstalks, and gourds. They offer a huge variety of pumpkins if you’re not up for picking your own.

The corn maze is a fun, yet mildly challenging maze, to do with family and friends. The maze costs six dollars and is challenging enough to be fun, but easy enough to figure your way out. It was the perfect size, too, keeping you entertained while making sure you wouldn’t get terribly lost. Clues are provided along the way which are helpful, especially for younger kids.

After the maze, Brad’s

has delicious apple cider along with an assortment of goodies located inside the store. Along with the produce, the friendly staff added to the atmosphere. Once the maze has been conquered and the apple cider has been enjoyed, pumpkin picking is the next fun activity Brad’s has to offer.

The hayride brings you right back to your childhood days and takes you to the patch where you pick your own personal pumpkin. Once you find the perfect one, the hayride can take you right back to home base.

Brad’s produce is seasonally decorated with gourds, hay bales, and an array of fresh foods. It is an ideal destination for all ages and a must see this fall.

in-depth 8

thepatriot October 2013

Get Updated on the Effects of Technology

By Nicole Arrison and Madison Meyer

With the rise in popularity of technology and smart phones, students spend more time on social media sites and less on academics Inbox (37)

Notes

Physical Effects Senior Alex Gromacki sits with her laptop at night, trying to work on her homework, but her eyes are too tired to focus. “When I’m on my laptop for long periods of time, my eyes start to get tired and it’s hard to stay concentrated,” Gromacki said.

This happens with other students as well, including junior Danielle Goe. “My eyes always hurt really badly when I’m on my laptop. After I’m done using it, I have to wear my glasses,” she said.

According to the article “Overworked Eyes: Will Your Computer Make You Go Blind” by Robert Joyce, the strain on the eye from computer use comes from several sources. The first is a constant working distance typical of computer users. Two sets of muscles work in the eye to see the screen clearly. One set focuses the eyes onto the same point, the other set actually flexes up the lens in each eye to properly focus light rays from the computer to the retina. As with any muscle in the body, continuous flexing can create repetitive stress problems, which can cause a person’s eyes to hurt.

According to the article “How Technology Impacts Physical and Emotional Health” by Paula Ebben, people focus intently on the computer screen, and they forget to blink. This can lead to dry eyes, which causes the irritation.

Besides the pain in the eyes from technology, there can also be pain in the ears. Senior Mitchell Russell deals with this. “After listening to music for too long, my ears start to ache,” Russell said.

Ebben also states that ear buds don’t block out background noise, so people tend to turn the volume up louder. Over time, that can cause hearing loss or tinnitus, which is a loud ringing in the ear.

Besides ear aches and eye irritation, there are other physical effects from technology. According to the survey of 105 JC students conducted by The Patriot on Oct. 17, 45.5 percent of students get headaches when using technology too much. 2.3 percent of students experience shaking.

For some students like Russell, it is harder to read a screen than a book. “I’d much rather read a real book instead of something from my Kindle, or something off of my laptop,” he said.

For other students like junior Oladokun Ekundayo, reading from a laptop is much easier. “On a screen, I have the ability to enlarge text when needed,” she said.

Although there are physical effects from technology, Joyce says the best way to avoid these is to limit the amount of time you use technology.

Psychological Effects “Without technology, I would not live,” Russell said. “I would definitely say I’m addicted to technology. There’s never a time when I’m not using technology, and I use it all day.”

According to the JC survey, 60.4 percent of students use technology for more than an hour a day. Some students are dependent on technology, including Russell.

“It’s hard to go without technology for long periods of time. I try to go without it and I try to read books or occupy myself in some other way, but I end up switching back over to using my laptop or listening to music,” he said.

Besides Russell, Gromacki uses technology a lot as well. “Unfortunately, I do feel like I’m addicted to technology. It distracts me and makes me procrastinate,” she said. “I try not to use it during school, but I end up using it anyway.”

Psychology teacher Dr. Paul Lazor believes that technology can be addictive.

“There’s a controversy over whether or not you can in fact become addicted to technology. It’s not an addiction like drugs or alcohol, but there definitely is an addiction,” he said.

Unlike Russell and Gromacki, Ekundayo does not get distracted by technology as much. “Technology does not distract me. Everything has been and can be done without technology,” she said.

The light from the screens of most electronic devices can make it hard to sleep.

According to the article “Perspective: Casting light on sleep deficiency”

by Charles A. Czeisler, the electric light found in technology keeps people awake.

The waking energy of the body is driven by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain, and the SCN provides us with a “second wind” that keeps us going. Light exposure after sunset signals “daytime” to the SCN, which postpones the “second wind.” As a result, people still use technology at midnight, and their bodies are unaware that it is the middle of the night.

Technology separates us from the 24-hourday, driving us to go to sleep later.

Lazor explains that anytime a person’s body is ready for sleep, the brain slows down and melatonin is released. The light in technological devices counteracts this process and keeps people awake longer than normal.

At times, technology stresses Russell out. “Sometimes, the constant new updates are difficult to keep up with, and it’s an overall headache,” he said. “It also shortens my attention span. It makes me oblivious to how much homework I actually have to do.”

Although technology can stress some students out, it also helps other students, including Ekundayo. “It is a lot easier to organize things, like having a document to keep track of everything as opposed to multiple pieces of paper that are subject to being misplaced or skewered,” she said.

59.1% of students have felt 63.6% of students have anxiety because of content on lower self-esteem because of social media online posts In an online survey of the student body on Oct. 17, The Patriot received 105 responses. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 4%.

9 in-depth

3

thepatriot October 2013

in 4

5 in

students spend one hour or more a day using technology

5

students with iPhones have updated to iOS 7

jcpatriot.com The JC Patriot

@JCPatriot

Do you think technology creates a fast-paced lifestyle? Is it hard to keep up with things because of technology?

Alex Kaufman

@SophomoreKaufman

Yes, it is taking over people’s lives. Society is becoming dependent on it.

Nina Profilli

@SeniorProfilli

Yes, because everyone is constantly trying to catch up with the latest news.

Amanda Nastalski @JuniorNastalski Yes, and I think it’s a positive thing because it helps with finding current events. It keeps people on top of things and ready for new things.

Max Butschky @SophomoreButschky

It’s easier to keep up with things, which is good for the younger generation. It is harder for the older generation because they didn’t have as much technology as we do now.

Hana Patrick @FreshmanPatrick

Yes, you don’t have to go anywhere to figure things out. They’re all right there.

Social Effects Freshman religion teacher Dave Huber updated the software on his iPhone to iOS 7 immediately after the program was open to public download. He did this on his iPhone 5, which was shipped to him a couple of weeks after it was released. He is already planning to buy the iPhone 6 when it comes out.

He believes that technology can be beneficial if approached in a moderate manner. “If you are in the mindset that you always have to have the new thing, it could be problematic. If you get sucked into the fast-paced lifestyle, it’s a hard thing to stick with, and it could affect you negatively,” he said.

84.6 percent of the students responding to the survey have a smartphone and 71.1 percent have iPhones. 83.5 percent of the iPhone users who answered the survey have updated to iOS 7.

With instant updates and multiple devices with which to stay connected, people are living a more “fast-paced” lifestyle than their parent’s generation.

In the survey, one student said, “it pressures me because I feel like I have to constantly update things to keep up with popularity.”

While there is no direct data to support this, “people expect instantaneous gratification,” Dr. Lazor said. With wireless updates that happen in mere seconds, people are becoming more “impatient”

and “irritable,” according to Lazor.

According to Gromacki, sometimes the instantaneous diffusion of news on technology can be a good thing. She can find out about world and local news faster, especially on Twitter. She explained that after the girl’s varsity soccer game victory against McDonough, she found out about it within minutes of the game.

Without technology she would not have learned about it until the next day when she talked to her friends.

However, technology, can cut down on face-to-face interactions. Gromacki has noticed that some of her girlfriends can comfortably text guys, but when they see them in person, they are awkward and have trouble making conversations.

“I think people say things on the web that they wouldn’t be able to express in real life without consequences. For example, a kid might say something they don’t like about someone in authority, like a parent or teacher, on the web that they couldn’t say to that person,” Ekundayo said.

Ekundayo thinks that while technology does lessen the ability to communicate face-to-face, it can be used in a way that does not affect a person’s social health. She sees technology as a way to stay organized and believes that “with technology, you can discover anything.”

42.9% of students think 29.5% of students reported social media does not cause that they have been bullied on a fast paced lifestyle at all social media

A&E 10

thepatriot October 2013

Movie of the Month

By Karly Horn

‘Captain Phillips’ floats your boat

Photo by Kaley Martin

Senior Lindsey McCumber belts out the ending notes to her song “Bless the Lord” during Open House on Oct. 12. “Godspell” opens on Nov. 15, and tickets can be purchased on the JC website.

‘Godspell’s’ individuality challenges cast members Kathy Deaver Sports Editor Senior Lindsey McCumber’s brow furrows as she finds herself confused about the most recent parable in “Godspell,” this year’s fall musical. Fortunately for McCumber, she is able to seek the help of director Larry Hensley.

“This isn’t a typical show, it can be pretty tricky to understand.

Our job as actors is to make the somewhat confusing script understandable to the audience. I sometimes just need someone to help me,” McCumber said with a laugh.

“It’s a series of parables put to song, put to dance,” producer Laura Lang said. “It’s not ‘Beauty and the Beast.’”

One unique aspect of “Godspell” is the set design. The show has only one setting, which is up to the director. For this production, it is a JC classroom. “[The show] emphasizes props and story as opposed to set design,” Lang said. Props are used to act out the parables, which have a modern twist, as the production

is the 2012 Broadway revival version, not the original 1972 version.

“All the music is jazzed up,” Hensley said. Hensley has seen “Godspell” multiple times and performed in it once himself.

“Godspell” keeps everyone onstage for the whole show. The actors must keep up with what is happening at every moment, according to junior Scott Walczyk, a lead.

“There is no set in the script,” Walczyk said. “It’s harder because you can’t memorize your lines in blocks.” Walczyk plays the role of “Nick” from the 2012 revival. However during the show, all characters, except Jesus and Judas, are simply called by the cast members’ names.

“I needed an energetic, diverse group [of actors] because the character is you, you are yourself,” Hensley said.

Junior Brady Fritz plays the role of Jesus. “It’s fun. I enjoy the Jesus jokes,” Fritz said. He memorizes his lines page by page, reading the script from the beginning to the most recent page

he’s learned.

The role of Judas is played by freshman Zach Miller. “What’s unique about Judas is that in the first act you can see that he and Jesus are good friends. In the second act, he goes and betrays Jesus, so I think Judas is a very dynamic character,” Miller said.

“I told the cast, ‘This is like AP Drama,’” Hensley said. “It forces cast members to be creative.”

Lang is positive about the progress and dedication of the cast. “The kids never fail to surprise us. They are just amazing,” Lang said. She expects the show to be “fabulous.”

According to Lang, the plot is not as clear as in previous productions, which will make it harder to sell tickets.

Another possible difficulty for ticket sales is the religious aspect of “Godspell.”

“We don’t want people to stay away because they think they’re going to be preached to. We don’t want people to think it’s only a religious experience,” Lang said.

Part of the benefit of staging the show in a JC religion class-

Confections with Cassidy With it being Halloween today, and with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought it would be lovely if I made a delightful fall cookie. These cookies not only give you the warm, fuzzy feeling of fall, but also make your entire kitchen smell delicious.

Directions In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, and all ten packs of apple cider mix until fluffy for

By Emily Cassidy

about three minutes.

Beat eggs, one at a time, and add with the vanilla to the butter mixture. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper, not waxed paper.

Begin by rolling about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough into a ball. I found that a little more dough is better than less, as the caramel will seep out the sides during baking. Then, flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand.

Press the caramel into the center of your dough. Place two inches apart on parchmentcovered cookie sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges.

Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment paper off the tray. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment paper.

When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist them off the parchment paper and allow to finish cooling upside down.

room is the ability to reference school happenings and tap into the audience’s common experience. “I included as many ‘John Carrollisms’ as I could,” Hensley said. Other modern references include Borat and Donald Trump.

“In general, the audience can be anybody,” Hensley said. “However, I have told the cast that we’re targeting middle and high school students. We want to be on their level.”

The music and dancing for “Godspell” is varied and upbeat. “‘Godspell’ is the kind of show that can be done anywhere. It can morph into anything,” Hensley said.

“Every number is fun,” Hensley said. “[For] every song, you can have a different style, and you can do anything.”

“It’s very colorful. It’s always changing, always moving,” Lang said.

President Richard O’Hara is looking forward to seeing the production. “I saw the rehearsals during Open House, and I can’t wait.

It looks like yet another amazing show.”

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies 1 cup softened butter 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 7.4 oz. box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 14 oz. bag Kraft Caramels

“Captain Phillips” was a mixture of a thriller, a heart wrenching drama, and an eye-opening commentary on strife in other countries due to globalization.

The story is centered around a commanding officer from Alabama, Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks), who is the Captain of an unarmed cargo ship that is passing through the Somali Basin.

Having been warned that pirate activity was frequenting the area, Phillips takes all precautions to protect his crew. However, the ship is not able to hold off the approaching crew of pirates led by a Somalian pirate named Muse (Barkhad Abdi).

Phillips is eventually taken hostage after a series of tumultuous events. Hanks portrays the character with the perfect amount of emotion, making the character seem like a hero, while also seeming real and relatable.

The fact that the movie is based on a true story only emphasizes the cultural significance of its message. It has become known, however, that the movie was not all fact. According to the New York Post, crew members say that the real Captain Phillips was arrogant and not the hero he has been portrayed to be, ignoring the warnings of piracy and taking unnecessary risks.

Nevertheless, the message about the adverse conditions that these people face was strengthened by the presence of a hero.

The Somali people are frequently forced into piracy by powerful groups of criminals.

A parallel between life in America and life in Somalia that really spoke to me was the opportunities, or lack thereof, presented to young people in the modern world. In an opening scene, Phillips expresses concern for his teenage son, that it is much harder to find jobs than it used to be. Later, when Phillips is pleading with Muse, he claims that there must be another way for the pirates to live. Muse simply says, “Maybe in America.” However, there is no other way of life in Somalia.

The actor who plays Muse, Barkhad Abdi, lived in war-ridden Somalia as a child. He was working as a chauffeur in Minneapolis when he saw the casting call, according to the Los Angeles Times. Abdi’s haunting portrayal of the desperate Somalian was able to match the performance of his seasoned counterpart Tom Hanks.

Action-packed and tensionfilled, “Captain Phillips” will leave you emotional about the characters and the problem. No matter what your movie interests are, I would recommend the film for all audiences.

11 opinion

thepatriot October 2013

Do students benefit Lol noooo. I’ve been procrastinating on Facebook instead of doing my work.

Have you seen my tweet about my our history assignment? I really need help.

from social media?

PRO Social media increase student reponsibility Lauren Fabiszak A&E Editor Times are changing, and teens can’t learn everything they need to know by reading out of textbooks anymore. Our whole world revolves around technology. JC should really consider using more social media in the classroom and changing its overall stance on social media.

What’s clever about using social media in the classroom is that students won’t feel like they are doing schoolwork. Teachers want to have their students engaged in what they are trying to teach, so using these sites can deceive students by associating social media, which is fun, with learning.

As for me, I know if I’m interested in something, I will put a lot of effort into it. On the other

hand, if it seemed like a chore to me, I would only do the assignment to get it over with, not to do a quality job.

Using social media to learn will help get students in touch with how the world is learning and become successful as a result.

By typing, making charts/graphs, and creating presentations online, students are preparing for college.

We need to know the fundamentals of targeting information to a specific market. Granted, not all students will be mature enough to use social media sites for learning. That is up to each individual.

Social media tools would teach us responsibility and self-control.

It would be unfair to dismiss the idea of integrating technology

into our schoolwork for those that want it because a few people don’t take it seriously.

Additionally, students become more accountable through the use of the site Edmodo. Since teachers use this site to post assignments and projects, it encourages student organization and is easy to use. However, Edmodo needs to be used by every teacher to be effective.

The use of social media would be nothing but beneficial to the JC community. It would prepare students for the future by instilling in them values of responsibility and self control.

Photo by Billy Jump

Senior Jessie Clingerman presents a report by using Twitter. Students can utilize social media to enhance assignments.

CON Social media stimulate student distraction Angela DeCarlo Copy Editor

Photo by Hanna LeBuhn

Social media sites can encourage students to procrastinate on their work which often causes their grades to suffer.

Paul Lazor “Social media is a distraction because it takes your focus off schoolwork.

People are too concerned with others’ lives.”

Social StudiesTeacher

“Not for students who know how to manage their time.”

Senior

Carley Bynion

Mateus Macceri “I don’t think so because it has so many benefits.”

Junior

Sophomore

Nick Rosachi Freshman

“Social media is a distraction because it prevents students from doing schoolwork.”

when you weren’t supposed to?

Social media is an escape. An escape from boring lectures, difficult test material, and complicated theorems. It helps students procrastinate in their work and ultimately makes their grades suffer.

Social media is good for connecting with friends, sharing pictures or ideas, and meeting new people. It is not meant to be used in class, where the focus needs to remain on the lesson and not on the computer screen.

The technology program at JC is quickly approaching a decade of use. One would think that if social media were a positive tool in students’ learning, that we would be using it daily in school by now.

Do you think social media are a distraction to students?

Emily Navarro

Patriot Answer

It has been said that social media can help students learn.

However, if social media is so beneficial, why haven’t we used it in class? No social media whatsoever is used during the day.

Teachers are constantly handing out book work, not computer work, and some don’t even let students use their computers in class.

The truth of the matter is that teachers eliminate the use of social media in the classroom because it is not helpful. Teachers are right to do this, it is just too distracting to be an educational tool.

This distraction stems from the variety of websites and platforms that appeal to everyone’s hobbies and interests. They offer pictures of beautiful landscapes, decadent food recipes, and the ability to talk to friends or make new ones around the world. It’s easy to see why JC is addicted.

Feeding the addiction, the administration has just unblocked these sites. While this may help out those in the dorms, the new access to social media sites offers no benefit to students’ productivity during school hours.

How many times have you seen students on social media in class when they weren’t supposed to?

Better yet, how many times have you been on social media in class

“It can be positive if you use it in the right way but people spend too much time on it.”

thepatriot October 2013

Competition would lower cafe costs

opinion 12 Rachel’s Rants

Justin Hawkins Opinion Editor I was meeting with Alexander Hamilton at the Orient on Main Street to discuss our upcoming debate. We were discussing economics and how it affected our debate topic when we started talking about the idea of competition.

“First, we must establish what competition is as it relates to business. What do you think competition is?” I said.

“Competition is where two or more businesses fight until one goes bankrupt or gets bought out.

It is really dog eat dog and is quite terrible,” Hamilton said.

“How can that be? McDonald’s and Burger King have been competing for a long time, and we still have both of them,” I said.

“One day one will win, just you wait,” Hamilton said.

While this conversation is only hypothetical, it shows some important ideas about competition and free market ideas.

Competition is healthy for the consumer and small businesses.

Competition leads to lower prices and higher quality products and services. This is accomplished when competing companies must lower their prices, increase the quality of the product, or do both to get the consumer’s business.

Companies must be free from government subsidies, which are money given to companies by the federal government. Subsidies cause the creation of monopolies, or a situation in which a single

By Rachel Amhrein

Obesity epidemic tramples world

Illustration by Madison Meyer

company controls the entirety of a market. This destroys small businesses by creating corporate giants who are able to control an entire market and rip off consumers because of lack of competition.

The JC cafeteria is a prime example of how competition works and how monopolies are dangerous. Within the cafeteria there is one company, FAME. The governing body of the school selected them to be the new food provider. Since they were new, they changed the food selection and the prices, raising the prices on most of the things I eat. So what they can do is charge whatever they want.

The only option I have is to ei-

ther pay the higher price or pack my own lunch. They know they have to keep prices low enough so that I like the food just a little more than I like the money. Of course, that is the first sign of competition at work.

Another sign of competition is that JC chose the vendor based on a competitive choice. This, however, does not take things far enough. The competition must be allowed to flourish further.

JC still creates a monopoly for at least a year. They have to keep the prices and quality of food at a certain level or they won’t get money.

Let’s take this idea farther.

Imagine for a moment that there is a second food vendor at JC, for

example, a sub shop named Subbies.

Subbies moves in and gets half the counter space within the cafeteria. They bring all their food pre-made. They start charging lower prices than FAME. Everyone starts buying food from Subbies. What is FAME’s response?

They will have to start charging lower prices. Subbies will subequently have to start charging lower prices too.

That is why competition is good in a free market, because it causes the government to interfere as little as possible. A government that tries to restrict competition is a socialist government. It causes consumers to have to pay the highest prices possible.

Report Card

The Patriot turns the tables by grading the school on today’s issues.

A

Homecoming decor dazzles

Print Chief Sydney Setree

Colored shirts brighten JC

The new uniform change is fully endorsed. They keep spirits up throughout the cold and dreary days of winter.

Instead of the boring white or yellow shirt, the new uniform change promotes individuality. Guys can now express their own styles, but still be professional.

Although guys may need to wake up earlier to prepare their outfits, they now have a wider variety of shirts to choose from.

Props to JC for brightening the school one pastel colored shirt at a time.

The Patriot

The John Carroll School 703 Churchville Road Bel Air, MD 21014 Volume49,Issue1, October 2013

Editor in Chief: Hope Kelly Print Chief: Sydney Setree Online Chief: Cole Alban

B

Forget saving your pennies for a rainy day, the money for Homecoming was well spent on casino night.

Decorative cards and streamers were hung all over. From the windows to the wall, the school radiated a Las Vegas atmosphere.

In the gym, fog machines and two massive screens that projected music videos created a dance like environment.

Best of all, Elvis was present in case any matrimonies needed an officiant.

News Editors: Emily Cassidy Lauren Glase

Opinion Editors: Justin Hawkins Kaley Martin

Multimedia Editors: Rachel Amhrein Erica Kelble

Lifestyles Editors: Hanna LeBuhn Caitlin Wolfarth

Sports Editors: Kathy Deaver Elizabeth Driver

Columnists: Amanda Spaeth

A&E Editors: Lauren Fabiszak Karly Horn In-Depth Editors: Nicole Arrison Madison Meyer

Copy Editors: Angela DeCarlo Billy Jump

Artists: Brynly Wilson Madison Meyer Moderators: Mark Ionescu Nick Attanasio

A

Pep rally promotes spirit

Of all the past pep rallies, this past one has been the most memorable.

There are always the classics. An MC. The cheerleaders. The marching band. But this year, it went above and beyond.

It was more engaging for the students, since they were able to participate. The juniors battled the teachers in a tug a war contest. Nevertheless, the highlight of the pep rally was seeing Dean of Freshmen Sean Ireton and Dean of Students Brian Powell battle it out in sumo wrestler outfits.

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 of Trustees or the Administration of The John Carroll School.

A copy of each print issue is distributed to each of the 664 students and 109 faculty members. Some of the remainder are sent out to exchanging schools with a return address. The remaining copies are shared in the Main Office, Library, Admissions Office, Office of

Institutional Advancement, given out when needed, or archived. For more information, please visit jcpatriot.com/about.

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

Please email comments or letters to editor@ jcpatriot.com or submit them through our website: www. jcpatriot.com.

America runs on Dunkin. I don’t know about you, but I know I can’t get in a good workout after eating a doughnut. Maybe that’s why America is the second most overweight country in the world according to Nationmaster.com.

Obesity is a problem in high schools across the country and can easily be fixed. According to The American Heart Association, the rate of overweight children and teenagers has tripled since 1963. If teenagers make healthy food choices and work out, they will get in shape. Why don’t they?

Teenagers flock to unhealthy fast food joints like McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s that serve greasy food because it’s cheap.

Fast food chains are convenient and taste great. When people put junk into their bodies, the result can only be to feel like junk. Like they say, you are what you eat.

People feel much more energetic, and generally happier, when they don’t eat junk food according to USNews.com.

The pressure of school, homework, athletics, and maintaining a social life also makes teenagers stress-eat, which leads to even more stress about physical appearance.

Overweight teenagers are likely to become depressed, get bullied, and are more at risk for diabetes according to TeensHealth. org. Being overweight as a teenager makes people more likely to be overweight as an adult as well.

There are healthier food options, even for stress-eaters. For example, have an apple instead of a bag of chips and eat lighter meals and grab healthy foods for snacking.

By eating healthier even half the time, teenagers can lose weight.

Exercising is another issue.

According to Livestrong.com, studies show that overweight people are intimidated by gyms and health clubs. Many overweight people feel that they are being compared to fitter, healthier people when at the gym. Negative self-esteem that stems from being overweight is causing people to stay overweight. It’s a vicious cycle.

There are many different ways to exercise and lose weight.

1. Teenagers can exercise at home by doing do sit-ups, pushups, crunches, and jumping jacks.

2. Another option is joining a sports team. There are even some teams at JC that aren’t as competitive as soccer or lacrosse.

3. There are simpler alternatives like walking a mile or two every day.

The obesity epidemic that plagues American high schools can be cured. All it takes is motivation and willpower.

13 opinion THE

PATRIOT The new dance policies amped up and electrified the PERSPECTIVE atmosphere of the Homecoming dance for students

After the announcement of the new policy that forbid inappropriate, but popular dancing styles like grinding, students began complaining that the dance wouldn’t be as fun as it was last year or in past years.

However, the new dance policy greatly improved Homecoming.

And even with a few minor setbacks, this year’s Homecoming dance was one of the best yet.

The motto of the dance was “face to face with space,” forcing students not to grind, gyrate, or dance in an overtly sexual manner. It allowed students to bond with their friends and not be pressured to dance in a particular fashion.

By applying this policy to all future dances, the administration

hopes to increase the positive experience of the dance.

Modern dance styles require a partner, often leaving some people with the feeling of being left out and unwanted.

However, the new policy changed this. It gives the opportunity to cut loose and have fun with friends, regardless of whether or not you came with or without a date.

Another great part of the dance was the water bottles that were being given out in the cafeteria.

At other dances, drinks have to be bought from the vending machine. This could be a hassle, especially for girls who rarely have a place to hold their money.

Although the beginning of the night was a tad awkward, like

most dances are, students started to warm up and bust out classic moves like “The Sprinkler,” “The Shopping Cart,” and everyone’s favorite, “The Running Man.” While DJ Storm was totally awesome and would be great for a rave, with the new rules, the music seemed a bit out of sync with the new policy. The DJ played really upbeat techno music, had great lights, but played borderline inappropriate music videos on giant screens for everyone to see.

What was annoying was the storm that DJ Storm brought into the building with him.

Several times during the dance, when the bass dropped, fog and a gust of cool air violently shot across the gym. The first time this happened, we were actually

scared as it felt like a ride at Disney World.

Another awkward aspect was the middle-aged Elvis impersonator that tried to sing the night away in the cafeteria. It was an interesting addition to say the least, with some students engaging in the performance and others finding it utterly obnoxious.

The idea of having an activity outside of the hot, sweaty gym gave students a chance to take a break. However, the King of Rock n’ Roll made students wish Elvis had left the building earlier.

In the end, Homecoming 2013 was a fun time, regardless of the doubts students had before it.

We are certainly looking forward to what’s in store for next year.

Spirit Week surprises skeptical editor

As far as the scheduling goes, Spirit Week would definitely be more fun if we had had a full five days. I know this isn’t always possible with the schedule, but I think that the more spirit days we have, the better.

Even though I was skeptical about Spirit Week this year, it was definitely the best one I had at JC.

Sophie Centi

What would you change about Spirit Week?

Emily Owen “Everyone should be involved, and they should have more activities schoolwide during Spirit Week.”

Sophomore

Freshman

Luke Schultz

Patriot Answer

Photo by Justin Hawkins

Online Chief and senior Cole Alban dressed as Gumby for Spirit Week. He wore the costume all throughout class color day, including during lunch.

“Make it during a longer week.”

“More advertising.

I think if we had advertised the voting more, people would have picked something different.”

Senior

Before Spirit Week, I was a bit skeptical about how it would turn out. I heard various complaints about theme choices due to the short week.

With all the stress I had at the time, I was not sure how the festivities would affect my work. However, it turned out to be the best Spirit Week I ever had in my four years here at JC. Tuesday’s Couch Potato Day went a lot better than I expected. I heard people complaining that Couch Potato Day wouldn’t be any fun. To be honest, I agreed.

People were talking about possibly not even participating in Couch Potato Day and doing a Camouflage Day or America Day instead.

When Tuesday came around, everyone came together and did Couch Potato Day. I was happy that everyone dealt with it and stuck to the original theme. People ended up embracing the day by wearing footy pajamas and making the best of it by thinking creatively.

The administration then gave everyone a dress down day on Wednesday, when PSATs would be taken, for cooperating so well. Even though I wasn’t in school that day, I still thought that the administration was nice to give an extra dress down day.

Class Color Day on Thursday was my favorite day of the week. I loved the class unity

and how everyone was the most spirited on Thursday.

The seniors started the day by tailgating in the student parking lot before school. It was a lot of fun, and the seniors pitched in and brought food.

I was grateful that the administration worked with us to make it happen. I don’t know about every teacher, but my first mod teacher did not mind that I came in late.

The Powderpuff game was also a ton of fun, and it was my favorite part of the day. I felt like the competition between the seniors and juniors was friendly, and there wasn’t any real animosity between the two classes.

Black and Gold Day on Friday went well too. The Athletic Leadership Group did a great job organizing and running the pep rally.

Having all teams walk out and stand in the center of the gym was a nice touch. The class competitions were fun to watch and the sibling competition was a good idea as well.

Although there was a bit of competition between the seniors and juniors, the pep rally promoted school unity more than anything else, which was the purpose of the day.

There are some things that could be improved for Spirit Week next year. I know a good amount of people were upset about having Couch Potato Day as a theme. Sending out the Spirit Day survey earlier could help.

Students should be able to pick the three days by voting on them in a hierarchical fashion.

Tim Kutcher

Online Chief

Junior

Cole Alban

“The senior class wanted something more exciting than couch potato day.

I was okay with it though.”

thepatriot October 2013 Advice you didn’t know you wanted

By Kaley Martin

Exhausted students need wake up call Wake up JC. I’m tired of walking by your grumpy faces in the halls before first mod. Although I have the least authority in giving you advice on how to wake up, because I’m the number one antimorning person, I’ve decided to come up with some ways to get you all to wake up on the right side of the bed.

1. Before you go to sleep at night, put your phone/alarm clock/whatever you use to wake yourself up across the room from your bed. When it goes off in the morning, you’ll be forced to get up out of bed to turn it off. Boom.

You’re already up and moving.

I’d call that a good morning.

2. As soon as you wake up, check your social networks like they’re the morning paper. This is the method I use, and it works pretty well. I check my social networks in order of my least favorite site to my most favorite: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Warning: Initially, since you’re most likely looking at these on your phone, it’s going to feel like you’re looking directly at the face of the sun.

3. After checking your social networks, do some push ups, crunches, or jumping jacks. I know exercising is the last thing you want to do first thing in the morning, but it will get your energy levels up for the rest of the day and eliminate the food guilt that would usually come with chowing down on some delicious cookies from the cafeteria during lunch.

4. Set your alarm tone as your favorite song. I use “Blurred Lines” because the opening lyrics are “Everybody get up.” I like to respond by saying, “except for me!” and hitting the snooze button. Like I said, I’m not very good at getting up in the morning.

5. Think about something really good that’s going to happen to you sometime that day. That way, you’ll be excited to get up and get ready. You’ll start your day with a smile on your face.

6. If possible, get one of your parents to wake you up by scratching your back or playing with your hair. I don’t know about you, but I think that would be the best way to be woken up in the morning.

7. Keep your curtains, blinds, shades, etc. open during the night so that you wake up when the sun does.

Hopefully these tips will make my motto “Good morning is a contradiction of terms” false. I’ll see how these tips worked out for everyone by looking at your faces in the hallways tomorrow morning.

sports 14

thepatriot October 2013

Time Out

By Amanda Spaeth

Powderpuff: Rigged or fair game?

Ahh, Spirit Week. The time of the school year when JC celebrates Homecoming and one other very important event, the Powderpuff game. Powderpuff is a fun tradition where each grade can show support and wear their class color, loud and proud.

Amidst the chanting and duck calls, the game was at high intensity. There’s nothing better than a little class rivalry between the junior and senior classes.

Being in the stands with my fellow classmates was exhilarating. From a senior perspective, the entire class was pumped and thought, “Yeah, we’re going to dominate.”

The first few plays of the game made me a little nervous. Could the senior girls pull through? Of course they could, and they did.

So the real questions remains, was the Powderpuff game rigged in the seniors’ favor, or was it a fair game?

To say the game was rigged would be questionable, mainly because of the referee calls. Social studies teacher Anthony Del Puppo and social studies teacher Jake Hollin were the referees of the game and were not going to let either team off easy.

Most foul calls were made against the seniors this year.

Sounds like a fair game to me.

Some years when the score is close, there tends to be a bit of favoritism towards the senior team.

If the game was rigged, the referees would have probably made petty calls against the juniors instead.

This year, neither team was given a break to rack up points.

Both teams had awesome offenses, but senior Alyssa Lazaro took the game by storm.

It’s exciting to see female athletes and non-athletes alike come together for a good old game of Powderpuff.

I understand that it can be hard to pay attention to something that doesn’t really affect you. For the sophomore girls, this was a good chance to eye up your competition for next fall.

With a final score of 14-6, the seniors proved to be the stronger class. Of course, the juniors will always testify that the game was rigged.

To the juniors, don’t forget next year is the year where you have the chance to redeem yourselves.

The junior team played well and has incredible potential to challenge the future junior class of 2016. Next year, you have the opportunity to defend the senior title. Remember, it’s fair game to all.

Women’s cross country practices for the championship meet on Oct. 30. The team went undefeated this season with a record of 7-0.

Photo by Elizabeth Driver

Teams go for gold in championships Billy Jump Copy Editor As the fall sports season draws to an end, The Patriot looks into JC’s most competitive sports to see which teams are champions and which teams are potential championship contenders.

Women’s Varsity Cross Country The women’s varsity cross country team has proven itself to be a primary contender and possible victor for the IAAM A conference championship meet.

The team was undefeated with a perfect 7-0 record. Coach Robert Torres believes that the team’s success was due to the talent, hard work, and leadership of the captains.

“This is the deepest team of talent I think we’ve ever had in the IAAM,” Torres said.

Torres expects the girls to do well at championships. “We’re the favorites. If [the other teams] are on and we’re a little off, it might not turn out how we want.

If we stay focused though, we’ll be ready,” Torres said.

“As Coach Torres says, ‘stay focused.’ With this mindset during our workouts, we can pull out with a conference championship” captain and senior Alex Gromacki said.

The championship meet was Oct. 30 in Cockeysville, MD. When The Patriot went to press, the meet had not yet occurred, so go to jcpatriot.com’s Sports Center for the results.

Women’s Varsity Volleyball The women’s IAAM A conference volleyball is exceedingly competitive. Like any other sport in an A conference, it requires strong motivation from its players throughout the season, according to head coach Greg Cullison. The teams’ energy and devotion has earned them a record of 10-5.

“JC is currently ranked 4th place and can be a contender for the championships if we eliminate many of the unforced errors that kill momentum,” Cullison said. “Serving tough and putting

the other team on the defensive from the onset greatly improves our chances.”

“Our team has a bond that every team wants to have,” sophomore and varsity player Taylor Sommer said. According to Sommer, the players have “come a long way and are getting better and better.”

The championship game is Nov. 2 at Roland Park Country School.

Men’s Varsity Soccer The men’s varsity soccer team is fighting for its chance to play at championships. “We are right in the middle of that fight, and we have to make sure we qualify,” men’s varsity soccer coach James Fendryk said. “If we get in, we have just as good as a chance as any other team to win.”

Fendryk describes how unpredictable soccer games can be.

“The best, and sometimes worst, part of the game is that any team can win on any given day. The only way to know what will happen in the championships is to see

what happens on what day.”

The men’s varsity soccer team has an overall record of 9-9-2 and their championship game is on Nov. 11 at Stevenson University.

Women’s Varsity Soccer When the varsity women’s soccer team gave McDonogh its only loss of the season, their potential to go to championships and possibly win was greatly increased.

“Beating McDonough proved that JC is able to play a high caliber game. Having a few days off for the tournament will only benefit our team,” assistant coach Hayley Howe said.

The team has an overall record of 5-7-1, winning against Patterson Mill, Bryn Mawr, Mercy, Notre Dame Prep, and McDonough.

“The varsity squad can clearly differentiate between the appropriate time for hard work and the time to enjoy each other and the game,” Howe said.

The championship game is on Nov. 2 at Anne Arundel Community College.

Athlete Spotlight:

Kristen Kohles

Stats Grade: Senior

Featured Sport: Women’s cross country team

Position: First varsity runner

Accomplishments: Broke record of 19 minutes at Knights Invite on Sept. 13

Years played: 2 years To read more about Kristen Kohles, go to jcpatriot.com.

“Kristen is the perfect

culmination of talent, dedication, hard work, and leadership.

Head Coach Robert Torres

”

“She’s always working hard in practices and always has a positive outlook. She has a great sense of humor and is a great attribute to the team.

Sophomore Holly Driver

”

Photo courtesy Mike Monaghan

Senior Kristen Kohles ran in the Barnhart meet on Sept. 28. Kohles’ fastest time for the year was 18:59 and her slowest was 21:30 in a 5K race.

15 sports

thepatriot October 2013

SPORTS updates

Later practices benefit athletes Kathy Deaver

Photo by Karly Horn

JV and varsity volleyball players face off. In a Patriot survey, 47.6 percent of students agree that varsity teams get more attention than JV teams.

Varsity sports take priority over JV The Patriot explores the differences between JV and varsity teams in terms of attention, importance, coaching, and practices to see if these distinctions makes teams more divided or more unified

Hope Kelly Editor-in-Chief “I wouldn’t say [coaches] like the varsity team better, but they rely on them more, and all the JV kids, they look up to the varsity kids for what they want to become,” sophomore Mitchell Hopkins, a cross country runner, said.

In a survey by The Patriot on Oct. 17, 85 percent of students

agreed that varsity teams are seen as more important than JV teams, while only 61.9 percent agreed that varsity sports teams actually are more important.

“The students pay more attention to varsity,” senior Jordan Martin said. 47.6 percent of students agreed in the survey that varsity teams unfairly get more attention than JV teams.

Martin finds both teams equally important because JV “can get you ready for varsity” by providing opportunity to meet people and improve skills.

For freshman Grace Mottley, varsity is supposed to be more important.

“People who are better get more attention, and those who aren’t have to work harder to get attention,” Mottley said.

Senior Zane Van Pelt runs cross country as well as indoor and outdoor track. According to him, one special aspect of cross country is that JV and varsity practice together. “[It] may also be unique to the small team, but we joke around with each other all the time,” Van Pelt said.

In the past, Van Pelt played lacrosse for JC. According to him, “JV was mostly a unit and varsity was a different unit.”

“On a social, who-plays-what level, nobody judges based on what level you play, at least not in a negative way,” Van Pelt said.

Not all students agree, however. One student response said that “JC sports are extremely political and make people feel left out and judged.” Another student from

the survey reported that “JV players are treated poorly and looked at less than what we are.”

Coaches affect sports practices through their personalities and the environments they create.

67.6 percent of students disagree with the statement that coaches do not care about JV teams, and 73.1 percent disagree that you do not have to focus or play as hard on JV teams.

However, 56.2 percent of other students agree that varsity teams have more challenging and intensive practices than JV teams.

One student who responded to the survey said, “From my personal experience, the difference between JV and Varsity soccer is crazy. Varsity had intense practices and a very structured set-up while JV was basically a joke.”

COACH Spotlight:

Kari Patchak Stats Graduated: JC class of 2007

Featured Sport: Cheerleading

Accomplishments: Cheered for Perry Hall Rec, JC for all four years, and Baltimore Blast

Years coaching: 1 1/2 years To read more about Kari Patchak, go to jcpatriot.com.

“ She works us hard and takes time to help us practice. We are going to have an awesome season.

”

“She is a great coach,

Lifestyles Editor A new year, a new set of fins.

Men’s swimming coach Larry Dukes is excited about this upcoming season. “We seem to have a lot more interest than we’ve ever had in the past,” Dukes said.

Last year, there were seven boys on the team, but this year Dukes hopes to have eight or nine.

“This year is all about building technique and really finding out our strengths as a team. It’s important for new swimmers to learn the fundamentals and see where they can go from there,” Dukes said.

Dukes’ goal is to grow as a team, and “to have a great season filled with fun, as well as an opportunity to learn and grow.”

Opinion Editor

Photo by Emily Cassidy

Cheerleading coach Kari Patchak, class of ’07, claps for the JV girls during a football game on Oct. 24. Patchak was a cheerleader for four years at JC.

410.420.2500 First class free

223 Brierhill Drive, Bel Air 15 N. Main Street, Bel Air, MD 21014

Hanna LeBuhn

Justin Hawkins

and she does her job really well. She has really helped me define who I am as a cheerleader and as a person.

”

Male swimmers take their mark

Football plays three games at home

Freshman Bella Huffman

Junior Taylor Fitzgerald

Sports Editor Sports practices this year cannot start until 3:30 p.m. This change allows students to participate in clubs, start homework, socialize with friends, eat and hydrate for practice, and talk to their teachers, according to Athletic Director Larry Dukes.

Previously, practices could start as early as coaches wanted.

According to Dukes, most coaches now start practice at 3:45 p.m., so athletes change at 3:30 p.m.

The change seems to have been beneficial for athletes.

“The ineligibility [numbers] for the first quarter have been the lowest they’ve been in a long, long time. They are half of what they were last year,” Dukes said.

10$/ class student rate

Varsity football played only three Friday night home games under the lights: Oct. 4, Oct. 18, and Nov. 1. “[Because of scheduling] we buy [the lights], so they will be the least expensive,” Athletic Director Larry Dukes said. Since most home games come at the end of the season, JC only bought the lights for the last three games.

“When you think of high school football, you think of being under the lights,” junior linebacker Nolan Clawson said. He said that he is more motivated to play when under the lights.

However, not all football players agree. “It really doesn’t matter to me. I just love football,” senior running back Paul Lorick said.

Next year’s schedule will determine which games have lights.

“We may have more next year, we may have less,” Dukes said.

sports 16

thepatriot October 2013

Unsung Heroes:

The Patriot shines a spotlight on the unrecognized athletes who are often overlooked

Clark Grube Men’s Varsity Soccer Cole Alban Online Chief Senior centerback Clark Grube is a player who, according to Coach James Fendryk, may not be the most recognized player on the team, but is still important due to his “relentless” defense and his reliability.

Grube has been playing soccer for about eight years. “I like how pretty much anybody can win and it’s hard to master,” Grube said.

As a centerback, Grube likes “seeing how excited other players get when they get a chance to score and I stop them.”

According to Fendryk, “he is a

worker. He took last year off, but I’m happy he decided to come out again. He is absolutely relentless and super athletic. For the most part this year he has been in the back line 80 minutes of the game.”

“He is a great addition to the team.

He is hard working, quick, big, and hard to get around. He does not get beat often. He is always positive. He can take the pressure off a lot of situations too,” senior goalkeeper Brendan Hutton said.

Junior goalkeeper Marc Griffin agreed, “He is a great guy. He is so funny and is definitely enthusiastic. He can bring us up if the team is having a bad day.”

Senior varsity centerback Clark Grube races to stop the ball in a game against Mount Saint Joseph High School on Oct. 23. JC varsity men’s soccer won 1-0.

Photo by Cole Alban

Briana Lockhart Women’s Varsity Volleyball Cole Alban Online Chief Senior setter Briana Lockhart is a vital part of the varsity volleyball team, according to Coach Greg Cullison.

“Briana is unquestionably the leader of our team. As our setter, she controls the pace of the match,” Cullison said.

“I started playing volleyball in fourth grade for my elementary school.

I have played for school and for club teams. I have played every position, but I am the setter for the JC team,” Lockhart said.

Lockhart believes the team is doing great this year. “We are doing much

Senior varsity setter Briana Lockhart prepares to serve the ball against Redeemer Classical Christian School. JC won 3-0 at the Oct. 21 game.

better than we anticipated, and we are all having a good time winning,” Lockhart said. She has been on varsity for four years.

Senior teammate Sarah Pattisall said, “She is amazing. She’s a really great leader. She is great at unifying everyone, and I do not know what we would do without her.”

According to Coach Meghan McConville, “she is always positive. She is a very smart player and definitely a leader. She is always there to pick others up, and she has a great attitude. She is integral to the team and is a leader in her attitude and her playing.”

Photo by Elizabeth Driver

Adria Pirozzi Women’s Varsity Cross Country Elizabeth Driver Sports Editor Freshman runner Adria Pirozzi is “a huge contributer to the team” and could very well “be one of the best runners” in JC history according to Coach Rob Torres, though “it’s too early to tell.”

Senior runner Emma Imbierowicz agreed with Torres saying, “she’s very beneficial to our team. [Adria] is in our top seven and she helped us to make first in our conference.”

She has been running since fifth grade, though started serious training in eighth greade, and plans on continuing it.

“Cross country is a very rewarding

sport. It may not feel like that at the time, but at the end, it’s worth it and you’ll realize it,” Pirozzi said.

According to JV runner junior Erin Cadden, Adria “is a very good team [member], very cooperative, and works very hard.”

According to varsity runner sophomore Eleanor Marindin, “she always works hard and is determined. Everyone underestimates her because of her size, being short, and she proves them wrong.”

Pirozzi said that “the team is really nice and welcoming to me” and her favorite part about the sport is “[running] in new places and [to] see all the cool stuff.”

Freshman varsity runner Adria Pirozzi runs in the Barnhart invitational. The women’s cross country record is 7-0 this season.

Photo courtesy Mike Monaghan