The Patriot December 2014, Issue 2, Vol 50.

12.18.14

Issue 2

Volume 50

www.jcpatriot.com

@JCPatriot

@JCPatriot

Index

News 2

Lifestyles 4

A&E 7

In-Depth 8

The JC Patriot

The JC Patriot

Opinion 11

Caffeine

JCPatriot

JCPatriot

Sports 14

SHOCKS the system How does caffeine affect sleep habits?

The Patriot investigates sleep patterns and body clock as well as the pros and cons of caffeine.

Lifestyles 4, Opinion 11 Become an expert on the new scheduling changes that will be implemented during the 2015-16 school year.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year? Students share their most atrocious holiday experiences with The Patriot.

The Patriot investigates the differences between creative and analytical minds and how these differences affect the classroom.

News 3

Lifestyles 6

In-Depth 8

NEWS

December 2014

Advisories wrap up year with giving

2

Angela DeCarlo Stories Chief With the Thanksgiving Food Drive, the Adopt-a-Family, and Adopt-a-Senior programs, advisories are working together to support the less fortunate this holiday season. With the adoption programs, advisories sponsor a person in need and give them gifts during the holidays.

“We’re part of a community where everyone supports each other,” social studies teacher Jacob Hollin said.

Hollin wants to help bring the school together as a community, something that he believes is facilitated by service.

“I want the culture around here to be about serving others, joy, [and having] high energy,” Hollin said. “[It’s] just about making it a better school.”

Hollin’s advisory also participates in service-related activities outside of the holiday season.

They have gone to the Sharing Table soup kitchen in Edgewood and will go again around Easter.

“It’s just about doing fun things,” Hollin said.

English teacher Christine Zurkowski thinks that the motivation to give comes from the students themselves.

Can drive provides full pantry Mitch Hopkins News Editor

Photo by Mitch Hopkins

Juniors Erin Welsh and Tim Yantz, sophomore Iain Olsen and freshman Drew Forthman (left to right) wrap presents for the Adopt-a-Family program in religion teacher Joseph Gallen’s advisory. Gallen’s advisory gave clothes, toys, and food to their adopted family. “[We] need students to motivate [each other] and rally for [giving],” Zurkowski said. “Seniors [should] take that role.”

According to second year math teacher Sean Connolly the entire community does a great job of doing service oriented activities.

“Being a perfectionist, [I think that one] can always do more,” Connolly said. “But the spirit that

I’ve seen is phenomenal.”

Connolly’s advisory participated in the Thanksgiving Food Drive and also partnered with STEM Coordinator Jessica Limmer’s advisory for the Adopt-aSenior Program.

According to religion teacher Joseph Gallen, this year is the best year his advisory has had in terms of community service.

“The level of participation is really good in terms of generosity,” Gallen said.

Sophomore Iain Olsen, a member of Gallen’s advisory, is proud of the service his advisory has done for the family they adopted.

“It just makes you feel really happy that we’re helping people out to have a happy Christmas,” Olsen said.

Colored polos could leave uniform Mitch Hopkins News Editor According to Vice Principal of Student Affairs and technology Brian Powell, the spring dress code could consist of simply black and white polos, compared to a variety of colored polos students wear that currently roam the halls.

“We want to have either black or white [polos], or have black, white, and gold. We want to have a plan,” Powell said.

According to Powell, the reason for this switch is due to “unauthorized polos” that have entered the dress code. “[I get a lot of emails] whenever we have days where groups are wearing different polos and [the faculty] say ‘is this an authorized

polo?’ I really want to remove that question from the faculty and the administration,” Powell said.

Junior Faith Ensor, a member of the National Art Honor Society, thinks this is somewhat unfair. “It’s upsetting because we were given free reign to wear [our Fine Arts polos] whenever we wanted at first, and now, out of nowhere, are getting that privilege taken away, but us art kids will live,” Ensor said.

Gold, black and gold mixed, green and grey striped polos are currently worn by some students, along with gold polos from Band.

According to Powell, these are not allowed.

“Originally, the intent for the [team] jackets and the polos was to say ‘I have a game today’ or ‘I have a meet today,’” Powell said.

“That’s why we allowed them in the first place. It’s just gotten far beyond its original intent.”

The gold lacrosse polos would also be affected by this change.

“I think that the black and white lacrosse polos are not only more comfortable than the regular polos, but they look nicer,” junior lacrosse player Michael Imbierowicz said. “I don’t have a gold polo, nor would I want to wear one, [since] it looks weird with the dress code. If they tell me I can’t wear them during non-game days, I’m going to do it anyway because [I have worn them] for the past two years.”

“We haven’t finalized the plan yet so we’re still discussing what to do,” Powell said. “What we want to do is move towards more uniformity.”

91%

of students think that other students should have the option of different polos

70%

of students only own a standard black or white polo

The Patriot conducted a survey via Surveymonkey on Dec. 11, 2014. 100 students responded.

This year’s Thanksgiving Food Drive yielded 7,242 cans to donate to Manna House and the St. Francis de Salles Food Pantry.

That is 376 more cans than last year.

For their sophomore retreat, a number of sophomores helped to stock the pantries. “It was great to see that all of our hard work for the canned food drive went toward a good cause and helped real people in need,” sophomore Beth Sapatowicz said.

According to Coordinator of Service Learning Susan Strawbridge, the St. Francis Food Pantry had to turn people away because of lack of food the week before the sophomore’s retreat.

After the sophomores stocked the pantry, it was full.

“It was fantastic. It is recordbreaking. The way that we stocked the food pantries was amazing,” Strawbridge said.

The advisories of Fine Arts teachers Bruno Baran and Lisa Collins brought in the most cans, with a total of 782 donations. These two advisories won a Chick-fil-A breakfast for bringing in the most cans.

“The goal for next year is 7,500 cans,” Strawbridge said. “I’d like to see us do that. People need to remember that people are hungry throughout the year.”

Trellis uses JC library Sydney Kirwan In-Depth Editor Since the start of the school year, Trellis, a business helping those with autism, has been coming to JC after school every weekday until 6:00 p.m. Although Trellis comes to JC, no JC students are involved in the program.

Trellis helps those with autism from ages 10 to 21. It specializes in helping develop social skills and working with others.

According to the Trellis website, they use “fun, interactive and structured group activities to promote the expansion of play and leisure skills. This may include art, music, dance, cooking and social skills groups.”

Trellis’ after school program meets at three different locations, including the Trellis Learning Center in Sparks, the Linwood Center in Ellicott City, and JC. It will continue to be held every weekday until the end of the school year.

“Trellis has helped my brother, Caleb, very much so. It helps him learn social skills and how to cooperate with other people,” Micah Austin, a tech for Trellis, said.

3

NEWS

y f i d o m

December 2014

Administrators

schedule

The Patriot looks into the new schedule that will be implemented for the 2015-2016 school year Photo by Alex Rasmussen

Caroline Cooney and Hailey Ishak Reporters Students will be faced with changes regarding the schedule for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year. It will switch from being a five-day cycle to an eightday cycle with each class meeting six out of eight days.

These changes were announced

by Vice Principal of Academics Gary Scholl and Vice Principal of Student Affairs and Technology Brian Powell to the National Honor Society and Student Affairs Council on Nov. 17.

All classes will now be 55 minutes long, and as a result, all class periods end on a 5 or 0 to make it easier to remember class dismissal times. This also creates a five-minute mod change, instead of the four-minute one we have now.

Each day will consist of eight blocks, one for the 30-minute lunch time and seven for classes.

With the addition of the eighth block, this will get rid of conflicts that involve STEM and band.

Since the current schedule only has seven blocks, it creates

a conflict between fitting both STEM and band into the normal school day.

There is also a conflict in scheduling some AP classes that only have one section.

For those who do not participate in STEM or band, the extra eighth block will be a normal free mod that lasts 55 minutes.

“You will have a comparable amount of unscheduled time,” Scholl said.

Lunch will take place during the fourth block since it will be longer than the others. Half of the school will be off to eat lunch for the first 30 minutes and then the second half will come into the cafeteria and eat.

Whoever isn’t eating will be in class. “This could cause trouble, but we trust our students to be mature,” Scholl said.

There is also a 10-minute break between the last two periods of the day. This will extend the school day to 2:50 p.m.

According to Powell, this comes from the idea that students should have no more than two classes without a break. The 10-minute break offers students a chance to “recharge,” Powell said.

Patriot Answers

While junior Nicolette Ficca doesn’t mind the eight-day rotation of classes, she still isn’t sold on the idea of the schedule change.

“I like how the schedule is now, and I don’t want my classes to be longer daily and I don’t like the day going to 2:50,” Ficca said.

Two out of the eight days will be a Professional Development Day and a Community Day. The Professional Development Day allows for a 45-minute class prep time where teachers are given the opportunity to catch up on any backed up work or plan lessons.

On this day, students won’t have to be in class until 8:30 a.m.

This provides flexibility to clubs that want to meet in the morning instead of after school, which could cause conflict.

Community Day is designed for assemblies, Mass, and ceremonies. On this day, there is a designated time frame set into the schedule where school wide events can occur. Classes will now be shorter and will only last for 45 minutes.

After examining the current schedule, Scholl and the rest of the committee decided they needed to create a schedule

which would give students time for lunch to eat and also to relax.

A rotating schedule, free mods, and no more than two classes without a 10 minute break are other inclusions that Scholl and the committee felt were necessary.

Before next year comes around, a calendar will be published with the designated letter day planned for each school day. This will be set in stone and won’t change whether snow days occur or not.

“Honestly, I don’t really have any feelings one way or the other. If its a scenario that clearly benefits the students, then I think the change is needed and warranted,” SAC Moderator Rodney Johnson said.

“We may learn something that none of us like. But we’re not going back to the modular schedule,” Scholl said.

“They will have to experiment with the schedule,” Brannan said.

“But in the long run, I think it will be better for everyone.”

“There are definitely some good aspects to [the new schedule],” junior class President Joe Kyburz said. “It definitely has the potential to improve my senior year and others as well.”

Schedule Faceoff School day will end at

2:50

Students spent

309

minutes on average each day in class using the current schedule Students will spend

278

minutes on average each day in class using the new schedule Students have

30

minutes of additional free time each day (on avg.) *based on a seven-class course load with no AP classes

What do you think of the new schedule?

Freshman Josh Pattisall

Sophomore William Molali

Junior Olivia Stepanian

Senior Jen Linsenmeyer

“I like that you can’t have that much time that is just straight class time.”

“I don’t think it is going to work at all. It won’t even take a quarter for them to realize how terrible it is.”

“I think it’ll be more productive for students and teachers because 55-minute classes allow for more interaction.”

“I think that a new change would be good. We don’t really know what is going to come from it, but you never know what could happen.”

Faculty Mathew Blair

“I think it’s great. There has been a lot of research done and a lot of different models that were proposed and this definitely seems like it’s going to work.”

LIFESTYLES by Billy Jump

healthy YOU Do yourself a favor, go to sleep How often do you find yourself postponing the golden hour that you lay your head down on your pillow and fall asleep because you have too much homework?

Once a week? Every night? If you rarely get even close to eight hours of sleep a night, you may be in more trouble than you think.

Sleeping is an essential part of living a healthy lifestyle, especially for teenagers, and you should make time for it in your day. Homework and after school activities should be planned so that you can give yourself more time to sleep, at least 7-8 hours.

Even when your responsibilities pile up and you feel like you can’t breathe, going to bed can take away a significant amount of stress.

A lack of mental awareness isn’t the only sign of sleep deprivation. A slower metabolism, forgetfulness, weight gain, and impaired judgment are some short-term effects of lack of sleep.

However, chronic sleep deprivation can cause long-lasting problems. Heart disease, heart attacks, heart failure, a predisposition to strokes, and even diabetes can all result from lack of sleep.

The solution to this problem is not gulping down energy drink after energy drink, but rather making changes in your schedule to accommodate more sleep. One important thing to do is to set a specific bedtime. This trains your body to expect sleep at a certain time each night and gets your body on track.

Also, napping in the late afternoon after school can disturb your sleeping schedule and keep you up late.

But what do you do when it’s midnight and you still have tons of homework? There are times when postponing your bedtime is necessary, but it should not become a habit.

If you find yourself getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night, which I’d say the majority of teenagers do, then you have to either work at being better at managing your time or take something out of your schedule.

And let’s be honest, you know that you’re going to be on Twitter instead of finishing your English homework, so instead of procrastinating and then finally scrapping your homework altogether, be kind to yourself and get some sleep.

December 2014

4

Ti k- T k g es y ur b dy l k Everyone runs on an internal “body clock,” called the circadian rhythm, according to the National Sleep Foundation. This internal time cycle is explored and broken down into periods of the day.

Mitch Hopkins News Editor Sometimes you wake up extremely tired, while other times you just can’t fall asleep. That post lunch slump kicks in and you feel like you’ve been kicked out. What does it all mean?

This natural rhythm is known as the circadian rhythm, and it explains why at certain times of the day you feel very tired or very awake. The circadian rhythm can be changed, and this is why some people can sleep through the entire morning, while others can’t make it past 10 p.m.

The body clock is controled by a group of cells in the brain known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus. These cells gather information from light and darkness, and they tell your body how it should be feeling.

Dawn

12:00-3:00 a.m.

At this time, the body is generally deep in sleep. Levels of attention are at their lowest, and the body is waiting for dimmed lights and a comfortable place to lie down. That just makes you yawn, doesn’t it?

3:00-6:00 a.m.

The body is still asleep, but melatonin (the chemical that causes sleepiness) levels are decreasing. At this time, your body temperature is generally lower than it will be at any other point in the day. The body is rejuvenating itself. This is your beauty sleep.

Morning 6:00-9:00 a.m.

This is the best time for you to wake up. Around this time, the body has stopped producing melatonin and is getting ready for the day. It is best to use bright lights to wake yourself up faster.

9:00-12:00 p.m.

Your mind should be at or near its peak alertness at this time. If not, you probably are not getting enough sleep or you don’t have a good diet. However, a snooze period is coming up in the body clock.

Afternoon

12:00-3:00 p.m.

Because you have probably just eaten lunch, the body is ready for a siesta. A large amount of digestion is occurring in your body and it wants to take a nap. Your attention span is shorter land your alertness is low.

3:00-6:00 p.m.

Your body is back on an upswing.

This is the best time of day to exercise because your internal temperature is at its peak. Your heart and lungs are ready to go, and your blood is pumping faster through your veins.

Night 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Your body is dipping back down after its peak.

As a healthy bedtime approaches, you should avoid a larger meal because sleeping on a full stomach leads to the food consumed turning into fat, due to the lack of exercise past this point.

9:00-12:00 a.m.

11 10 10 99 8

2 1 2 1 11

7

This is the best time to go to sleep because the body has started to produce melatonin again. Now your body is becoming drowsy. Avoiding technology and picking up a good book to read can calm your senses. Additonally, the internal temperature is dropping, so in order to feel rested and refreshed in the morning it is time to hit the hay.

6

5

LIFESTYLES

December 2014

TEST YOURSELF

SAT

vs 3 hours, 25 min.

(30 min. writing)

3 hours, 45 min.

4 sections: English, Math, Reading, Science

10 sections: 3 Critical Reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing, 1 Experimental Essay is mandatory and occurs first

Essay is optional and occurs at the end

¼ of point off for each wrong answer

No penalty for wrong answers

Includes generate-your-ownanswer math questions, but math material is more concept-based

Contains only multiple choice math questions, but math material includes triogonmetry

Which is better for your personality?

EXCELLENT

YOUR ATTENTION SPAN IS...

DATA AND CHARTS...

QUITE SHORT

NEW PLACES...

MAKE YOU CRINGE

DON’T MATTER

MAKE YOU SMILE

SCARE YOU ON POINT

YOUR GUESSING SKILLS ARE...

YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS ARE...

AVERAGE GREAT

TERRIBLE

ACT

You are a science and math person who has diffculty narrowing dow and can handle managing large chunks of time.

LIMITED

POOR

YOUR VOCABULARY IS...

COLLEGE-LEVEL

EITHER

SAT

You would fare well with either test. To know which works best for you, just try both.

You are an English and vocabbased person who prefers comfortable places and does better with small segments of time.

by Claire Grunewald

challenge Challenge

ACCEPTED accepted

Amateur experiences Black Friday With my stomach full of turkey and a wallet filled with money ready to be spent, I set out on the craziest, almost two-day experience, of the year in consumerAmerica: Black Friday.

I always hear stories on the news the morning after Black Friday about crazy shoppers who go to ridiculous lengths for a Tickle Me Elmo or a 55-inch flat screen.

I have tried my best to avoid the madness in the past, but this year I decided to challenge myself to brave the madness and participate in this ridiculous phenomenon.

Around 9 p.m. on Thursday night I head out, ready for anything. I decide to start at Target.

The parking lot is so crowded that for once the corral of shopping carts is empty.

It’s still pretty early in the night, but the store is jam-packed.

The employees walk around, with their walkie-talkies on their hips, in groups of four, ready for action. Shopping carts with televisions line the aisles so shoppers can make an easy grab-and-go.

I meet up with junior Katie Sullivan to scour the store together for good deals. I was surprised by the calm atmosphere of Target, and decided to venture elsewhere.

I want to experience the “crazy” Black Friday’s from the news.

Sullivan and I meet up with junior Faith Ensor in Macy’s at the Harford Mall. When leaving Macy’s, we pass the long line of eager shoppers outside Victoria’s Secret, plus the two bouncers at the entrance to control the craziness.

I was disappointed. Nothing exciting happened, my legs got tired, the mobs of people made me anxious, I ate too much, and I wanted to go home. Why people would spend all night out in herds of shoppers instead of being with their families perplexes me.

That day I realized something: I hate Black Friday. I didn’t even make it to midnight before I quit and went home. The deals were nothing spectacular, I didn’t see any fights, and the crowds were just too big. Luckily, I was able to make up for this letdown by spending all the money I saved that night on Cyber Monday.

I probably won’t go again. I’d much rather spend my Thanksgiving night lying on the couch, polishing off my plate of pie, drinking a hot cup of coffee, and going to bed early.

LIFESTYLES

December 2014

6

’Tis the season for Christmas cookies tear family apart Morgan Taylor Copy Editor Christmas Eve at the Hunter household is full of sugar and chocolate smells wafting throughout the house.

Senior Ashley Hunter is a big advocate of Christmas spirit. Her whole family annually gets together to bake cookies.

Freshman year, Hunter, being a cookie-fanatic, made a batch solely for herself. With beady eyes, she set them aside.

Unfortunately, Hunter’s dad Tim did not know about the reserved cookies. Discovering the coveted cookies, Tim went to

town and ate the cookies without hesitation.

Obviously, Hunter was upset and began to yell at her dad.

Furious, Hunter scrunched her face and lifted a flailing finger to defend her stolen cookies. Then things got heated. In retaliation, Hunter “tried to throw a crock pot at [her] father.”

“My dad and I didn’t really talk for the rest of the night,” Ashley said.

Although it slightly dampened Christmas Eve, her family made up and everything turned out all right.

Mischevious pet causes cat-astrophe Mitch Hopkins News Editor Sweetpea the cat spoiled Christmas for junior Rob Flynn and his family when she tipped the happy holiday into quite the catastrophe.

“When I was in the fourth grade we set up this huge Christmas tree with a lot of ornaments,” Flynn said. “I don’t know why, but near the top we had an ornament that had catnip in it.

At the same time, we had a cat named Sweetpea.”

Dog digs into Christmas goodies

After a while, Flynn heard a commotion in the family room.

“When I came downstairs, the tree was over on its side, and there were ornaments and water everywhere,” Flynn said.

Sweetpea had climbed into the tree to get the catnip and ended up tipping the whole tree over, breaking half of the ornaments.

The misfortune did not stop there. After the Flynns had set up their Christmas tree for the second time, the tree fell over again and crushed the other half of the ornaments. However, this time it was not Sweetpea’s fault.

“It wasn’t the best of Christmases,” Flynn said.

D’oh Christmas tree, D’oh Christmas tree

Morgan Taylor

Nicole Arrison

Copy Editor

Video Editor

Christmas is a wonderful time for crazy things to happen, and senior Nicky Clauter had a true Christmas Catastrophe.

When she was 10 years old, she was sitting upstairs waiting for Santa Claus to come. Clauter entertained herself by counting the hours until morning. Enthused, she realized there were only 10 more hours until presents.

Weirdly, she heard rustling downstairs and feet moving. Suspecting Santa Claus, she became excited and knew she had to go to bed.

Waking up the next day, she ran down the steps. She saw presents and paper strewn around her living room.

Confused, Clauter called for her parents in fright.

Then, she saw her dog trot away, full of guilt. Clauter knew the culprit.

“My dog got downstairs, and he unwrapped most of the presents,” she said. “Unfortunately, I had to have Christmas morning without wrapped gifts.”

Last Christmas, they gave her a tree, but the very next week, she had to throw it away.

During Christmas of 2013 senior Samantha Wieczynski and her family drove an hour away to get their Christmas tree.

After taking it home, setting it up, decorating it with lights and ornaments, and having it for a week, Wieczynski’s tree completely died.

After shaking and touching the tree to see if any more needles would fall, Wieczynski realized the whole tree was dead.

“I touched the tree and it was like a torrential downpour of pine needles. My tree was completely bare except for the lights and ornaments,” she said.

Wieczynski and her family had to drive another hour to return their dead, bare tree to exchange it for a new one.

“Our new tree was too big so we had to trim it. Then we had to set the whole thing up again,” she said.

Right after the incident happened, Wieczynski was worried that she would end up having a needle-less tree.

“I was so mad [when the tree died],” Wieczynski said. “I thought I was going to have a real life Charlie Brown Christmas with a tree without any needles.”

Illustration by Billy Jump

7

A&E

December 2014

STARBUCKS for

1. Redefining Starbucks

Dummies

by Lauren Glase

2. Deciphering the board

Starbucks

Macchiato - Make a yacht go?

iREVIEW

Cappucino - Cap and chinos?

Pillow improves sleep, despite Frappucino - Flap the queen goes? not reaching the bed 3. Breaking it down Pillow: the app that’s so easy, Americano - A merry gonzo?

4. Learning to love the lingo

Tall

Grande

Venti

Trenta

Latte

Cappucino

Macchiato

Mocha

Amount of Sleep Needed: 8 hrs

6 hrs

4 hrs

What is sleep?

Alumnus Spotlight

Stephen Douglas “When Angelina Jolie heard I was the grandson of Clarence Douglas, she was 100 percent set that I would play the part.

Stephen Douglas, class of ’06

Stephen Douglas, class of ’06, (second from the left) poses with members of the cast of “Unbroken.” “Unbroken” premieres on Christmas Day. The film is the story of Louis Zamperini, who was taken prisoner in World War II. In the film, Douglas plays his grandfather, Clarence Douglas. During his time at JC, Douglas was involved in the school plays and was also fascinated by work behind the camera.

For the full story on Stephen’s experience, see the full story at jcpatriot. com.

Photo courtesy Stephen Douglas

”

Class:

’06

Movie:

Unbroken

Role:

Clarence Douglas

you could use it in your sleep. In fact, the only way to use it is to sleep.

I know first-hand, that being a high school student and getting a good night’s sleep aren’t two things that go together. So I made it part of my nightly routine to activate Pillow: Smart Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock before going to bed.

The free app keeps track of your sleep cycle each night, lets you know the quality of your sleep, and allows you to figure out what to do in order to get the best sleep.

The app works through the night. You set your alarm on Pillow, set it to track your sleep cycle, plug in your iPhone to charge, and sleep. The app picks up on the sounds and movements that you make while you sleep and detects whether you’re experiencing light, deep, or REM sleep – that is, sleep during which your heart rate increases and you experience more movement.

Here’s the problem: my iPhone charger is under four feet long, making it impossible for my phone to be on my mattress where my sleeping movements and sounds will be best detected.

Every morning upon waking up you can select your mood, typically grumpy for me. Over time, Pillow will determine what amount of sleep you need in order to be in optimal morning mood.

Additionally, Pillow is able to give recommendations for your best possible time to wake up for you to feel refreshed and ready to go take on the day.

Pillow has three nap alarms.

According to Pillow, power naps are best for boosting alertness and energy. Recovery naps enhance memory and focus. Finally, full cycle naps are ideal for restoration and relaxation.

For those determined to improve sleeping habits, the app could be helpful in keeping track of your routine and the free download is probably worth it.

For those extremely determined, you can get the premium app for $4.99. The premium app offers personalized advice on sleep and more detailed sleep statistics.

All I was able to take away from the app was something that I already knew: I’m not a morning person.

IN-DEPTH

December 2014

8

DO OUR MINDS

By In-Depth Editors Billy Jump and Sydney Kirwan

The differences between analytical and creative thought depend more on one’s perception of reality, not which part of the brain they use more Senior Susan Kim finishes her AP Calculus homework, checking every step to make sure she did not forget anything. She then moves on to her AP Physics homework, studying projectile motion and centripetal force in preparation for her mid-term. According to Kim, most students view her as just a math and science kid because she excels at critical thinking and analysis.

However, the perception that Kim is only a math student is just as wrong as the idea that a person’s mind is limited to only one type of thought.

“I like art and music,” Kim said. “People think that I’m only a math person, but I’m actually very interested in visual arts, music, and dance.”

Although multifaceted students like Kim appreciate the qualities of all subjects, there are often qualities that students who excel in certain subjects share. According to the right-brain left-brain dominance theory, language arts, visual arts, and music relate more to the right side of the brain.

Mathematics and science relate more to the left side of the brain.

Math and science students often have “a natural curiosity of the world,” physics teacher Patricia Thoma said. “Science students are generally very strong in math, but they like to know how the world works. Biologists want to decipher DNA. Physicists want to get to the moon and the stars.”

This same sentiment is shared by mathematics teacher George Appleby. “[Math and science students] have an interest in mathematics. There is a definitive answer and they like that,” Appleby said. “Ultimately, they have a motivation to do well in math. They are driven students.”

However, in theory, the right-brain left-brain dominance theory would limit students’ ability to be multifaceted and excel in various subject areas.

“I don’t believe in the theory,” Kim said. “I don’t think that students are only good at one subject.”

However, students perceive reality differently, and according to art teacher Bruno Baran, this makes all the difference. “I definitely believe that we artists perceive the world differently,” Baran said. “I constantly hammer my students on that idea. We are the ones who stop the car to look

at something beautiful on the road.”

Research by Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York suggests that those who are talented in art are able to override visual misperceptions of size, shape, and color, to which Baran agrees entirely.

Thought that was traditionally attributed to the right-side of the brain — creativity, emotion, art — is most prevalent among the humanities subjects. The visual perception that artists often pick up on is similar to the auditory perception that is necessary for students who excel in foreign language.

“I think that if students have a musical ear, then they can hear the sound of the language and reproduce it,” Spanish teacher Deirdre Magner said.

“Some students cannot hear the rhythm of the language and reproduce it, and it makes sense to them.”

As an international student from South Korea, Kim feels that English has always been a barrier, so excelling in math and science is simpler, but this is not what she feels accurately defines her. “I do not want to limit my interest to just math and science, I want to be great at English and other things,” she said. “I play the guitar and I even danced at one of the pep rallies.”

Regardless of the subject, however, the work ethic of the student dictates how well they will perform in the class.

“I teach students who have an outstanding ability to do math, but [sometimes] they just do not put in the work,” Appleby said. “Students need to do their homework and want to learn. They can’t slack off and expect to do well. When I find a student who works hard, [he or she] is truly a privilege to teach.”

Practice makes perfect. Just like a brain can be trained to view the world as Picasso or Andy Warhol did, working hard in a subject can develop the skills necessary for success.

How do our minds thin

Since the dawn of academia, the di minds has always been clear. For ev stein, for every Newton a Beethoven. megaminds different?

Traditionally, psychologists split the right and the left — and attribute hemisphere. According to the right who are more creative and emotiona analytical thinkers and excel in the m This theory is based on the latera ing to North Shore Pediatric Therap to provide an evidence-based for pe complex and ongoing process by whi over the functioning of specific beha In other words, certain functions brain. According to NSPT, the right the position of objects in space, und

9

IN-DEPTH

December 2014

nk?

ivide between creative and analytical very Picasso there has been an Ein. But what is it that makes mankind’s

the brain into two hemispheres — ed different areas of thought to each brain versus left brain theory, those al are “right-brained.” Those who are maths and sciences are “left-brained.” alization of brain function. Accordpy (NSPT), a foundation that works ediatric research, lateralization is “a ich differing regions of the brain take aviors and cognitive skills.” are located only on one side of the t side relates to functions that judge derstand body position, put pieces of

47%

of students believe that math students are valued the most

Which subject do you fall into?

Music & Arts Math & Science

24%

42%

Language

34%

Math & Science 66%

Language 20%

Music Arts

6% 8%

The Patriot conducted a survey via Surveymonkey on Dec. 9, 2014. 109 students responded. information together to make a larger image, and motor control of the left side of the body.

The left side relates to functions including the understanding of language, memory for written language, and motor control of the right side of the body.

Although the brain does have a degree of lateralization, there is no scientific data to prove that this lateralization dictates one’s personality.

The way a person develops skills in various academic subjects relates to their perception of reality. For example, the brain of someone who excels in the visual arts perceives reality differently than someone who excels in the maths and sciences. In the grand scheme of what makes one student more oriented towards a subject, the devil’s in the details.

However, the brain is not limited by the right-brain left-brain dominance theory, so someone who does not tend to excel in the visual arts can work to overcome their misperceptions. “While some may be predisposed to be better at perceptual accuracy and visual memory than others, there is no doubt that practice is an important component,” University of College London psychologist Rebecca Chamberlain said in the December issue of Pyschology of Aesthetcis.

Ultimately, minds work differently, and one’s perception of reality is what dictates their ability to excel in certain academic fields. Every mind thinks and works differently. From painting the Mona Lisa to measuring the centripetal motion of a star, great minds do not think alike.

Who is valued by JC? Students who do not share Kim’s multifaceted learning style often express frustration about their inability to succeed in the classroom.

Which type of students are valued the most by JC? “I’m sick of feeling worthless at this school because I’m not the best at math or science,” a responder to The Patriot survey said. “I can play music better than most people in this school, yet it doesn’t matter as much as it should.”

However, according to a survey sent out by The Patriot on Dec. 9 via surveymonkey.com, 74 percent of students believe that JC offers the same amount or more classes in various academic subjects in comparison to other schools.

According to the survey, 47 percent of students believe that math students are valued the most by JC, from the number of courses offered to them to how smart they are perceived by the student body. Conversely, 41 percent of students believe that visual arts students are the least valued.

“I wish we had more opportunities. My dream course is [a combination of] religion and art [so] the students to understand what they are really looking at,” Baran said.

However, in comparison to other schools, most students feel that JC offers the same amount of classes that they can excel in. According to The Patriot survey, 41 percent of students feel that JC offers the same amount of classes as other schools in the area, while 33 percent feel that JC offers more classes than schools in the area. “[JC] has a good variety of classes that it offers to students,” junior Alex Nyce said. “But it’s definitley different for math. They have a lot of different levels in math.”

Although each subject has different opportunites, some students feel left behind. “They need to offer more advanced college level math classes, such as the ones that are after AP Calculus BC,” one student who responded to The Patriot survey. “There are certain requirements that you have to meet sometimes depending on the class you want to take which isn’t fair.”

Soon-to-be quantum theorists and the next international pop-sensations are working hard to succeed. The great minds at JC do not think alike, but when measuring the value of one mind against another, the devil’s in the details.

A&E

December 2014

10

Country vs.Heavy Metal

Don’t ‘meddle’ with country Kristen Isoldi A&E Editor Country music does not just consist of songs about drinking, trucks, and living on a farm like most people think. It’s a genre with songs full of heart and emotion that speaks to real-life experiences.

One of my favorite bands, Rascal Flatts, is a great example of how country music artists use song to express their emotions. In their song “Stand,” they sing powerful lyrics that inspire listeners to never give up.

Gary LeVox, the lead singer of Rascal Flatts, has amazing vocals and his lyrics are always inspiring.

“Bless the Broken Road” starts with a beautiful piano introduction. The amazing piano playing continues throughout the song accompanied by LeVox’s beautiful voice.

Carrie Underwood is the perfect example of the classic country music sound. Underwood’s voice has a powerful tone that allows her hit a range of notes that few other singers can match. Additionally, her new song “Something in the Water” is about how she was cleansed by God. Religion is a recurring theme in country music. Underwood also sings “Jesus Take the Wheel,” in which her lovely voice narrates the story of a girl who is driving to her parents’ house when her car slides on ice. As her life flashes before her eyes, the girl prays to Jesus to put her personal life back on track.

George Strait’s song “I Saw God Today” is another example of religion in country music. This song is a moving piece with beautiful lyrics that tells the story of a man seeing his child for the first time. The slow song progresses from seeing another couple outside the hospital to a flower in the sidewalk to his baby girl, and it makes the listener feel connected to the man and feel for him.

Country music is a genre where artists can also express their opinions and call out crap. In the song “A Girl in a Country Song” by Maddie and Tae, the two artists criticize how girls are sometimes portrayed as one-dimensional.

Maddie and Tae’s song blames men for how they treat girls.

Luke Bryan, another iconic artist, shows the fun and rowdy side of country music. His album “Crash my Party” is full of songs with upbeat tempos and a fun feel

to them. They are great songs for summertime or just hanging out with your friends.

“That’s my Kind of Night,” a single of off Bryan’s album, is a song shows the partying side of country music.

Country music is wellknown for ballads about hanging out and partying with friends at a bar.

“Thats my Kind of Night” is about a guy and his idea of the perfect and fun night. “That’s my Kind of Night” is the perfect example of this kind of country music.

My favorite part about country music is the patriotic feeling some of the songs have. Every genre has a few songs written about America, but country music has more than any other.

When you listen to “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” by Toby Keith, your heart is instantly filled with pride for America. It makes you feel “Proud to Be an American” (another country song by artist Lee Greenwood), and instantly makes you feel connected to everyone else in the country, as though we are all one soul.

In “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue,” the beat starts off slow with Toby Keith singing about American soldiers and how they have stood up for our freedom. It then goes on to talk about how America will stand up and fight against anyone who tries to mess with its people and its freedom.

“Fly Over States” by Jason Aldean is another example of American pride. It is a slow song about a man who is on a plane over the United States. He dwells on his love for the middle states and how great it is to live there even though they are not the most popular states. The song is a tribute to America’s diversity and her heartland.

Country music is an inspiring genre. The emotional songs and lyrics show heart and passion.

There are country songs about living on a farm and riding on a tractor, but there also songs about America, religion, society, love, heartbreak, and fun with friends Country is a genre with heart.

Metal makes merry mayhem Justin Hawkins Opinion Editor Metal is one of the most exhilarating and exciting music genres in existence. It gives you energy with its rich darkness and fury.

The genre features some of the most exciting guitar riffs and solos ever conceived.

Metal speaks to the misunderstood and the rejects of society.

What makes metal great is its emotion. It is raw and genuine. It doesn’t apologize, and it doesn’t care that people can’t stand the loud noise it makes. It is the screams of those who are not heard themselves.

The modern band that got me into this genre was the masked metal group known as Slipknot. They are headlined by Corey Taylor, who is personally my favorite vocalist of all time. He is a musical genius who writes most of their music. He has an unbelievable range.

He can scream his lyrics, but then he can still maintain an amazing voice for a more vocal-centered songs.

For a more mellow Slipknot experience you can listen to songs like “Snuff,” a slow song featuring Taylor’s vocals.

For a slightly more aggressive and fast experience you should check out “Duality” or “Before I Forget.” They won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance with the latter.

There are many sub-genres in the metal family. My favorite is known as thrash metal. Thrash, as it is commonly called, is characterized by its overall fast tempo and aggression. It is heavily influenced by punk, and songs usually have to do with social issues.

The most famous bands in this sub-genre are called The Big Four. The Big Four consists of one of my favorite bands of all time, Metallica.

Metallica is one of the greatest bands of all time. The website IGN named their album, Master of Puppets, the greatest metal album of all time. This album features great songs such as “Master of Puppets.” It is an over eight minute epic featuring two legendary guitar solos and allusions to governmental control and lies.

They also wrote one of the

most iconic metal songs of all time, “Enter Sandman.” It is a good song if you are just getting into metal. Metal might be too much for some listeners at first, but “Enter Sandman” has mass appeal. It was Yankees closer Mariano Rivera’s entrance song and one of the most commercially successful by the band. Although some hardcore metal fans accuse the band of selling out with this song, I personally think it was excellent. It helped me get into metal.

There are various levels of insanity to metal music. They range from ultra-violent Grindcore to the God-loving Christian Metal.

Some lyrics are mind-bogglingly violent and disgusting that not even I can listen to the songs. But, not everything is screamo. There are things for the more moderate rock fan. Bands from the ‘80s are especially more mellow than some of the bands today.

Metal often gets confused as being just screamo. It is true that there are metal songs in which people simply scream the whole time, but to dismiss metal just because of that is a folly. Metal is so much more than that. It features technically advanced guitar, bass, and drum work. There are many songs where lyrics are featured front and center in amazing and spectacular beauty.

One of the most commercially successful modern metal acts is Avenged Sevenfold (A7X). They showcase a great range from aggressive songs like “Nightmare” to more dramatic and slower songs like “Dear God.” They also happen to be one of my favorite metal bands. A7X is a great band for those who want to get a taste for metal because they aren’t too heavy with some of their more recent releases. But their earlier work is much darker and more aggressive with songs like “God Hates Us.” The passion of Metal fans is unmatched. I am not a concert going, but I would love to go to a metal concert. They are simply insane.

Metal is an amazing genre of music because it is full of rage and aggression, yet it also highlights social ills. It appeals to the misunderstood and the hurt. I personally just love to hear that heavy guitar sound and those epic solos.

As the legendary Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider always says, “If it’s not metal, it’s crap.”

11

OPINION

December 2014

Photo by Nick Miller

patriot debate:

Caffeine... provides

energy Claire Grunewald Lifestyles Editor Mornings can be hectic and dreadful, and after late-night studying or Netflix, what’s wrong with having a cup of coffee or tea to get you through the day?

An average high school student’s life is full of late-night cramming, faraway sporting events, and play rehearsals that last until 10:00 p.m. There is a safe, easy solution to be more alert, improve concentration, and boost one’s energy: caffeine.

Caffeine is one of the most widely used stimulants, providing a sense of elation and satisfaction by increasing the brain’s production of dopamine, the “happy” neurotransmitter. This little “lift” helps people worldwide, who perhaps aren’t exactly “morning people,” start their days on a happy note.

Not only does caffeine allow millions of people to kick-start their mornings and get them through the afternoon lull, but it also improves physical performance.

According to ASAP Science, consuming caffeine before exercising can improve stamina and muscular endurance. Since caffeine also stimulates adrenaline production, it increases heart rate and helps open airways.

For students, caffeine help get them through exams or the dreadfully long process of studying for them. Besides keeping people awake and alert, caffeine actually increases intellectual activity in the mind when fatigued or bored, according to the Pacific Northwest Foundation.

Too much caffeine can make people jittery, anxious, and, depening on time of intake, experience slight insomnia. However, none of these side effects are harmful, permanent, or unmanageable. Also, this can be avoided if people understand how much caffeine their bodies can tolerate.

Those opposed to caffeine usage believe that caffeine is an addictive substance. According to the Pacific Northwest Foundation, while some users claim to experience headaches and fatigue when they try to cut back, almost none exhibit the dependent compulsiveness that is characteristic of dependency on drugs of abuse.

Since caffeine is a drug, it does chemically alter the brain. However, so do other drugs such as ADHD medicine, OCD medicine, and antidepressants. Although these drugs change the chemical makeup of the brain, that does not make them “bad.” They are just like other medicines.

Caffeine also has long-term health benefits. According to livestrong.com, the International Food Information Council Foundation reported that caffeine may be reduce the risk of diabetes, liver disease, Parkinson’s disease, and colorectal cancer.

Because it is an antioxidant, caffeine also improves immune function.

Let’s not forget all the wonderful auromatic benefits of caffeine: the sweet smell of tea, the bolstering aroma of coffee, and the refreshing taste of soda in the summer.

Plus, where would many great relationships be without that first coffee date?

With all these health benefits, and no substantial long-term health risks, why not indulge in this wonderful luxury? Caffeine is a useful tool in the lives of students that allows them to be more productive, helps them get through stressful early mornings, and puts them in a better mood, something anyone could benefit from.

Patriot Answers Freshman Alayna Meekins

Sophomore Nick Hinke

“No, I think it’s [unhealthy], and there are other ways to get energy.”

“In some aspects, yes, it makes you more alert, but also too much of it isn’t good.”

creates

insomnia Will Bolton Opinion Editor With the highly-publicized hype over alcohol and drug education, you may be surprised to learn that high school students regularly abuse one drug almost every day, and no one says anything about it.

That drug? Caffeine.

About 83 percent of adults in the U.S. drink coffee every day according to USA Today. That is an overwhelming majority in a country where it’s rare for 83 percent of people to have anything in common.

Despite coffee’s popularity, it is not the only way to consume caffeine. Energy drinks, tea, and soda can also provide a chemical-induced shot of energy.

But how healthy are all these coffee, tea, and energy drinks?

The answer is perfectly healthy if consumed in moderation. “Consumed in moderation” is the key phrase there, and it is clear from the data that most people do not consume caffeine in moderation.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the average five-ounce cup of coffee has about 105 milligrams of caffeine and roughly 400 milligrams of caffeine is a healthy daily amount, which means that fewer than four cups of coffee a day is fine. Unfortunately, portions are often way too big. Energy drinks can have as much as 242 milligrams of caffeine in one serving according to webmd.com.

This is the crux of the problem. Because the healthy amount of caffeine for adolescents is a fourth than that of adults,

high school students who drink one energy drink or two average-sized cups of coffee are already consuming more caffeine than is healthy for them.

Caffeine is an addictive drug which can cause physical dependence. People who develop physical dependence and then take a break from caffeine can experience withdrawal symptom, such as headaches, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, depressed mood, and difficulty concentrating, according to webmd.com.

In my experience, it is not uncommon to find students who drink as much as 40 ounces of coffee in a day, which is twice the recommended amount for full grown adults. Junior Brooke Vogel knows firsthand what too much caffeine can do. She drank too much coffee while trying to stay up until 3 a.m. and experienced some worrying side effects.

“I was trying to hold my laptop but could not because my hands were shaking,” Vogel said.

The addictive nature and potential detrimental health effects caused from withdrawal are not the only issues with caffeine. It is often used by students to cover up more serious issues. Long term sleep deprivation is associated with high blood pressure, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, obesity, and psychiatric problems, including depression and other mood disorders.

Even if it doesn’t give you a stroke, sleep deprivation still results in decreased alertness and memory impairment, which are both pretty important for success in high school.

Lack of sleep is miserable, and you cannot get anything done, but caffeine does not solve the problem. It may mask these symptoms by making you feel energized, but in the long run the lack of sleep will come back to haunt you.

Is caffeine a healthy way to get school work done?

Junior Nadia Green

“If we dont have caffeine, we won’t be able to work substantially during the day.”

Senior Rebecca Williams

“Schools shouldn’t get [students] up so early that they need to use caffeine to be awake and keep themselves alert for the entire day.”

Faculty Jonathan Gibbons

“Coffee is a natural source of antioxidants. [Also,] caffeine has been shown to have good effects when used in moderation.”

OPINION

December 2014

New schedule changes will increase quality of life as long as minor issues are resolved

by Will Bolton

Bolton’s BIAS Ferguson protesters waste time I have a comment to make to all the people peacefully protesting and complaining about the failure of a grand jury to indict police officer Darren Wilson.

Thank you for being peaceful, but you are wrong.

There is nothing to protest against anymore because the courts have had their say and the result was not close. Grand juries give the prosecution the best chance for an indictment. The panel of jurors listens to only the prosecutor’s case. They only see the prosecutor’s evidence, and they only hear the witnesses for the prosecution’s testimony, without cross examination.

If a case does not have enough damning evidence to get past a grand jury, it would never have resulted in a guilty finding anyway. The reason Wilson was not indicted was that it was clear there was no case and, at this point, there still is not.

The indictment you so fervently call for, at this point, would be counterproductive to your cause.

If it were to be tried at this point, the prosecution would lose the case as well as any hope of bringing Wilson to justice.

Because of the Fifth Amendment, if a case is brought to trial without proper evidence, it’s over. After the defendant is found not guilty, no amount of further evidence can be brought against him or her on the same charge.

I will not say that I understand how angry you are or what you have experienced because I do not. I realize that this is a protest centered on a race issue and you are protesting the disenfranchised nature of many African American communities, but this is not the case to form your rallying cry.

A race conversation clearly needs to take place on the national scale, but trying to use this case as the catalyst for that conversation undermines your credibility because this man cannot be found guilty with the current evidence.

I would also encourage you not to convict him in the court of public opinion too soon. A reason our system works is because everyone is innocent until proven guilty. The legal system worked, so stop protesting and complaining. Wait for the federal investigation to finish.

And then, if enough evidence is discovered, the case can be taken before a grand jury again.

That’s how the system works, and it works for everyone.

12

The Patriot Staff The administration has announced a new schedule for the 2015-2016 school year. While there are definite benefits to the proposed changes, there are still kinks in the plan that must be resolved before next fall. [See page 3 for full details on the changes being made.]

One of the key reasons for the schedule change is to allow an eighth class so that the STEM students can achieve their graduation requirements. This goal will definitely be achieved by this new schedule. As an added bonus, if a student does not take an eighth class, that period will turn into a free mod.

The eight-day rotation, which is replacing the current five-day schedule, is a huge improvement.

When winter hits, if snow happens to fall on the same day of the week for several straight weeks, certain classes won’t fall behind.

Each day will be set at the beginning of the year in a calendar. Students can say goodbye to shortened classes because of strange schedules for assmeblies.

The 55-minute class periods also assist in this balance of class time by ensuring that students spend an equal amount of time in each class. The extra seven minutes also allow adequate time for labs.

Every eighth day of the rotation is a Professional Develop-

ment Day for teachers to have line. Even with the air conditionmeetings. Because of this, for ing, the heat of so many students one predetermined day from the in one place would be unbearable.

The administration could fix eight-day rotation, school will start at 8:30 a.m., and class will this by selling food before or after be abbreviated by five minutes the scheduled lunch mods. If stuto accommodate. This 30-minute dents do not take an eighth class, delay, though small, does allow they can eat then.

A new addition to the schedfor a little extra sleep during a ule is a 10-minute break between stressful week.

Another positive aspect of the the last two classes. The break schedule change is the elimina- is essentially a 10-minute mod change, and is tion of our supposed to alcurrent bell If the implementation low students to schedule.

Memorizing of the schedule refresh themselves and rethe wonky begins next year as charge before bell schedule has become a “trial run,” it will be the last class of the day. Howa tedious fact disastrous. ever, it extends of life for stuthe day to 2:50 dents, but the p.m. and isn’t new schedule ensures that every class ends on enough time to do anything proa 5 or a 0, which will make the ductive.

Another addition is a Commuschedule significantly easier to nity Day, where students gather memorize and follow.

By having a mod specifically for a 65-minute assembly, is andedicated to lunch, the schedule other concerning element of the will also put an end to students schedule. In an eight-day rotanot having time for lunch. Stu- tion, a Community Day will ocdents in certain classes that only cur 21 times a year.

It’s worrying to think about have one section, such as band or AP classes, sometimes don’t have what the school will do to fill up this time. With eight Masses, any mods to eat lunch.

While a longer, specified lunch three awards assemblies, and varmod sounds beautiful, it raises ious class meetings, there could questions as to how 350 students be a potential issue filling this will fit comfortably in our cafete- large time slot. This isn’t unfixria at one time. Not to mention the able, however. Extra assembly lunch lines. The majority of the time-slots could be turned into mod would be spent standing in a study hall period or a meeting

“

”

Rawli’s World: Black Friday Wednesday- 6 p.m.

Thursday- 4 p.m.

1 a.m.

2 a.m.

time for clubs.

These issues cannot go unresolved. If the implementation of the schedule begins next year as a “trial run,” it will be disastrous. A great way for the administration to get fresh ideas on the schedule is to bring in student opinions. It’s ridiculous that the changes have come so far with so little student input, especially when the schedule is being redone for the students’ benefit.

A meeting was held to hear the input of National Honor Society and Student Affairs Council members, but this occured too late in the process.

Adding students to the scheduling committee now will benefit both students and administration.

Students will finally get to help in an endeavor that greatly affects them, and the administration gets a set of fresh eyes and new ideas on the schedule.

While keeping an open mind about change in coming years is important, perfecting the schedule can’t be put off until the 20162017 school year. Next year’s change has to start in the best condition possible to allow for a smooth transition.

There is no doubt that acclimation to the new schedule will be awkward and difficult for returning students and teachers, but the transition will be a catastrophe if these flaws aren’t worked out before then. If they can be fixed, the schedule will be a great success.

Cartoon by Rawlison Zhang

Friday- 12 a.m.

8 p.m.

13

OPINION

December 2014

Participation grades impair learning Nick Miller A&E Editor The use of participation grades in classes favors extroverts over introverts, wastes class time, and causes less work to get done.

America’s culture revolves around praising extroverts and forcing introverts out of their shells. Other cultures, such as that of Japan, see introverts as respectful and extroverts as obnoxious. However, neither is reasonable because people should have their boundaries respected.

The participation grade is a manifestation of this ridiculous idea that extroverts are better than introverts. For an extrovert, it is easy to get an extra two or three percent added onto their grade just for talking in class. Introverts struggle to participate enough so that their grade doesn’t drop.

Some may say these grades help introverts to become more comfortable speaking in public, which is true. However, introverts expend energy in social situations and recharge when alone. Why force them to focus more attention to speaking up rather than on their actual work? It’s counterproductive.

Classes should be a place to discuss ideas without bias towards one personality type. If participation grades were removed entirely, the material would be

covered in much less time and without repetition of ideas. If a student has an opinion that differs from that of another student or the educator, the student should be encouraged, not forced, to bring that up in class discussion.

One explanation could be discomfort with speaking or fear that people will judge them. I don’t like speaking in classes because I’m bad at wording things on the spot and I think quietly, not aloud.

The student’s reason for not wishing to speak up doesn’t matter, that boundary should be respected and their grades shouldn’t suffer on that account.

Students should be graded on their knowledge of material, not their speaking in a brainstorming session in class.

Classes that use brainstorming don’t help students to learn as much as those that don’t. According to the book “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain, a class that uses brainstorming to discuss material is less productive for three reasons.

First: In a brainstorming session, only one person can speak at a time, which can distract ideas from developing. This isn’t solved by writing down a thought as it comes up either, because that will distract from the discussion.

Second: People fear looking silly in front of their peers. Sev-

Report Card Possible Christmas disaster averted

Rachel’s RANTS Transgender people deserve respect

eral opinions may fail to make an appearance because of this.

Third: There are people who tend to sit back and let others in the class do the work, repeating generally accepted ideas that have already been said when their turn to speak comes. This leads to a waste of class time.

Classes need to be entirely

Illustration by Erin Cadden

reconstructed. Ideas should be voiced independently after being taught by the teacher so that no one is uncomfortable and no student should be favored over another. Teachers should strive to teach each individual student in a way that benefits them. Not everyone is the same, and people shouldn’t be treated as if they are.

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

Stories by: Morgan Taylor, Copy Editor

JC serves up an A in Christmas service

Studying hard and writing less

’Tis the season for red and green, colored lights, evergreens, ornaments, gold, Jesus, Nativity scenes, and all other possible decorations. When Dec. 1 came… and then Dec. 2… and then Dec. 3 passed… I was afraid that the school would be decoration-less. Was a Christmas disaster on its way? Did the Grinch hit JC, too? With only two possible weeks of displaying Christmas decorations, delaying the decorating is a bit unreasonable.

Thankfully, as the week progressed, lights and trees started springing up in a few classrooms. Advisories began planning to decorate classroom doors for the contest of the most extravagant door. The doors, as a whole, were fantastically festive. Way to go, JC. Christmas spirit is in the air.

Between schoolwork, sports, family, friends, homework, holiday activities, and exams, advisories still pulled together to help those in need. The world isn’t all bad, Scrooge.

Together, advisories partnered up and collected dozens of gifts to give to struggling families. Whether it was donating money or buying toys for children, students worked together to bring Christmas to these families.

On Dec. 11 there was an extended advisory where some advisors got together with each other to wrap the presents. Although not all advisories adopted a family, the ones who did seemed to go above and beyond. For those who did not add to service, there is always next year so show some Christmas spirit and contribute.

With Christmas shimmering through the air, the administration gave the students an early present. The Academic Council received a proposal to adjust the current exam schedule.

The Council decided to change the schedule so that social studies and religion are together, rather than the dreaded English and social studies combination. This means that English and science are now on the same day, as opposed to the previous schedule which involved quite a bit of writing.

This reduces the amount done in one day, so hand cramps can stop plaguing the students of JC. Nevertheless, the moral of the story is that students spoke up about an issue and the administration heard.

The Patriot

News Editors Mitch Hopkins Alex Rasmussen

Opinion Editors Will Bolton Justin Hawkins

The John Carroll School 703 Churchville Road Bel Air, MD 21014

Media Chief Lauren Glase

Lifestyles Editors Claire Grunewald Eleanor Werneke

Sports Editors Eric Johnson Kishan Patel

A&E Editors Kristen Isoldi Nick Miller

Copy Editors Elizabeth Driver Morgan Taylor

In-Depth Editors Billy Jump Sydney Kirwan

Artists Erin Cadden Rawlison Zhang

Volume 50, Issue 2, December 2014

Print Chief Hanna LeBuhn Online Chief Kathy Deaver Stories Chief Angela DeCarlo

by Rachel Amrhein

Contributors Rachel Amrhein Caroline Cooney Hailey Ishak Multimedia Editors Nicole Arrison Erica Kelble Mike Moxley Tona Rimpel Moderators Mark Ionescu Nick Attanasio

The Patriot is a publication of The John Carroll School.

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

A copy of each print issue is distributed to each of the 688 students and 110 faculty and staff 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.

Transgender.

That’s not a word that most people are used to hearing. It’s a word some people go out of their way to avoid.

According to dictionary.com, transgender means “a person appearing or attempting to be a member of the opposite sex, as a transsexual or habitual crossdresser.”

I personally have to disagree with this definition. According to my transgender friend, transgender people do not “appear” or “attempt” to be members of the opposite sex. They feel that they are members of the opposite sex.

Transgender people feel like they are trapped in the wrong type of body. Imagine what it would feel like to be a girl stuck inside a boy’s body and have everyone think that you are a boy.

It may be difficult to understand that sometimes a boy wants to be a girl or a girl wants to be a boy, but it does happen. Sometimes people are not happy with the gender into which they were biologically born. They cannot be blamed for wanting a sex change or dressing as the sex that they feel like they are.

Society today discriminates against transgender people. This must change. According to TransgenderLaw.org, 2-5 percent of the population is transgender. That may not seem significant at first, but that’s 2-5 out of every one hundred people who are transgender.

Nov. 20 was Transgender Remembrance Day, a day to honor the lives of everyone who has died because of bigotry against transgender people.

This year alone there were 1,509 reported murder cases of transgender people, according to transrespect-transphobia.org. The murder rate for the average person is 6.2 out of every 100,000 people, according to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The murder rate is much higher for transgender people because of the hatred and discrimination that they face.

Too often, people are prejudiced against individuals who are different from them. Even though we may not understand what it is like to be transgender, we need to accept them. They deserve as much love and respect as any other human being for they have the same inherent dignity as anyone else.

SPORTS

14 Savannah Simmons December 2014

Athlete Spotlight by Eric Johnson

“She is a natural born

Grade: Freshman

leader, and I can tell that when she becomes an upperclassmen she will lead this team to many great successes.

Sport: Women’s basketball

Position:

SPORTS reports Ice hockey heats up rink Ice hockey is one of the most entertaining sports in the world, but it’s also incredibly overlooked unless you’re Swedish, Russian, or come from the realm of ice known as Canada.

Sure, there’s something special about college football in the SEC, but nothing compares to the anticipation built up while watching the Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby carve up the ice like a Christmas ham before he scores, placing the puck perfectly under the top crossbar.

As if I have to remind you of the last Winter Olympics, when the U.S. played Russia. St. Louis Blues wing T.J. Oshie became a hero after showing why head coach Dan Bylsma picked him as a shootout specialist.

The most remarkable aspect of America’s success against Russia is that America was portrayed as more of an underdog this year than they were in 1980, when America won the gold medal and stopped the then Soviet Union from repeating winning the gold medal for 20 years.

Even though the pride of our great country isn’t on the line in every NHL game, there’s still plenty of excitement in hockey games along with the brutal fistfights every once in a while.

I’m not talking about just a bloody nose, I expect to see some teeth on the ice. You’re going into the penalty box regardless of the outcome so you might as well make a name for yourself.

Pick a team for their mascot, pick a team for their logo, pick a team with as many last names that end in “-sky” as you want, I challenge you to pick one NHL team and follow them for two weeks.

Hockey combines the precision of a surgeon with the brute strength and aggressiveness of meathead wrestlers, so you’ll probably see some awesome highlights and hopefully a kiddie pool of spilled blood.

Don’t do it to prove anything besides the fact that you were thinking, “man, I never really cared about hockey, but now I see it’s gnarly. Maybe that Johnson kid is a prophet.”

If you’re not patient enough to watch a hockey game, at least watch some online highlights when you’re bored in class, instead of playing “Octagon.”

If I want to watch people struggle to score for 90 minutes, I’ll go to Homecoming and watch the freshmen in a corner, still terrified of the childhood terror: cooties.

Point Guard

Senior Ashley Hunter

Years of Experience:

“

I think she has progressed nicely during the years. I have coached her from age nine, so I can really track her progress through the years.

7 years

Accomplishments: Made varsity as a freshman, two-time AAU Maryland state champion

Other Sports:

Head coach Craig Simmons

Varsity soccer, center midfielder

Photo by Tona Rimpel

Freshman varsity point guard Savannah Simmons prepares to shoot a free throw in a game against Severn High School on Dec. 8. Simmons has won the state AAU championship twice for the Baltimore Stars.

”

”

“

For more on Simmons’ accomplishments and basketball career, go to jcpatriot.com.

My dad [varsity basketball head coach Craig Simmons] is the most inspirational person in my basketball career.

Freshman Savannah Simmons

”

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15

December 2014

Running

Turf fields progress despite weather

out of

Kathy Deaver Online Chief

A closer look into the lives of two-sport winter athletes and how they manage their time Photo by Kishan Patel

How to manage: 1. Don’t be

distracted by anything outside of school, like sports, work, and family

2. Do

homework in between track and swim meets and practices

3. Be smart with

time management by making a detailed schedule of your enitre day

A day in the life

of a two-sport winter athlete

Because of bad weather, the projected end date for construction of the new turf fields is now mid-January, according to Head of Facilities Stewart Walker. The fields have been under construction since Oct. 20.

“Starting a site project like this in October [runs a high] risk of getting bad weather in November and December,” Walker said.

Construction was delayed for months after the discovery of faulty sewage pipes where the fields were going to be installed.

As of Dec. 12, weather had caused over a week setback in construction schedule.

“I’m mildly disappointed because I was hoping [that the fields would be finished in time] for Christmas Eve, but it’s okay,” President Richard O’Hara said.

According to Walker, the rough grading is done, and installation of the perimeter drain is 98 percent done. The finishing grading comes next, followed by filter fabric and another drain to carry water away from the center of the field.

“Our intent is to have it done prior to the spring sports season,” Walker said.

Wrestling team practices yoga Erica Kelble Multimedia Editor Before going out on the mats to compete against other teams, the wrestling team will be practicing a new form of exercise. Once every other week, wrestlers will be doing yoga.

“There was some resistance to it at first, because they aren’t used to the calm and quiet, but once they got into it, they realized that it was good and could help them out,” varsity head wrestling coach Keith Watson said.

Senior CJ Skokowski realizes the importance and benefits of yoga.

“We are following the example of a lot of colleges and it’s helping us stretch and calm down after practice,” Skokowski said.

Colleges and other high schools have incorporated yoga into their wrestling programs because it trains flexibility and is supposed to help wrestlers recover faster after strenuous workouts and exercises.

The team is being taught by yoga instructor Nancy Clough, a parent of JC graduates. She also teaches classes for the John Carroll Academy of Performing Arts and Dance program in the St. Joseph’s Hall.

SPORTS

December 2014

16

Canadian-born phenoms get

for the next level Malik Tyne Position- Shooting guard College plansReceived offers from Barry and Towson University Years on varsity- 3 years

Four Canadian basketball seniors pursue their hopes of playing collegiate basketball

Kimbal Mackenzie Photo by Eric Johnson

Position- Combo guard College plansCommitted to Bucknell University Years on varsity- 3 years

Elijah Long Position- Point guard College plansCommitted to Florida Gulf Coast University Years on varsity- 3 years

Photo by Eric Johnson

Michael Asemota Photo by Eric Johnson

Position- Combo guard College plansReceived an offer from Binghamton University Years on varsity- 1 year Photo by Eric Johnson