The Patriot December 2015, Issue 2, Vol 51

THE 12.10.15

Issue 2

Volume 51

Every day, social media lures students into wasting time and making poor decisions while seeming to be a positive addition to their lives. Can you resist its...

Community 4 In-Focus 8 Perspectives 13

www.jcpatriot.com

2 NEWS

December 2015

The U.S. has conducted almost

150 air strikes against ISIS

35,000 miles of land in Iraq and Syria

65 ISIS controls almost

countries

have joined the U.S.led coalition against ISIS

The CIA estimated that ISIS has

31,500 fighters,

including 2,000 recruited from the West Information courtesy of the Huffington Post and CNN

International community responds to ISIS Grace Mottley News Editor In wake of the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that killed 129 people, France and many other countries have tightened national security measures and have joined the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS. After the Paris attacks, President Francois Hollande promised to keep the citizens of France safe.

In an effort to fulfill Hollande’s promise, the French Parliament declared a state of emergency.

According to the Huffington Post, the state of emergency gives the French police more power to carry out searches and

arrests. Also, it allows the government to stop the movement of specific people and bans public demonstrations and protests. The government may also impose curfews and shutdown public places.

Hollande also announced that France would do everything it could to eradicate ISIS. “Terrorism will not destroy France, because France will destroy it,” Hollande said.

France and Russia are the most recent additions to the coalition of 65 countries, along with other major world powers such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

The coalition trains and funds Kurdish troops, who are fight-

ing ISIS in Syria and in Iraq.

It’s also providing financial assistance to the Iraqi government in its attempts to fight ISIS, yet no U.S. ground troops have been deployed. U.S. President Barack Obama has announced that no troops will be deployed in efforts against ISIS. The coalition has five main goals: to provide military support to those on the ground fighting ISIS, to prevent more foreign fighters from joining ISIS, to stop ISIS’s ability to finance, to aid humanitarian operations in the region, and finally, to expose ISIS’s true nature.

The majority of the coalition’s

efforts are conducted through airraids. As of Nov. 7, the U.S. has conducted almost 150 airstrikes, about 80 percent of all the airstrikes conducted against ISIS. Many countries have also donated weapons and artillery to the Kurdish fighters. Germany alone has donated enough weaponry to supply 4,000 Kurdish fighters.

According to CNN, countries, like Turkey, have prevented thousands of foreign fighters from joining ISIS through deportation or denying entry into the country.

Other countries like Australia have passed legislation which allows them to forbid travel to certain countries, cancel pass-

ports, and increase surveillance of citizens in efforts to prevent their citizens from joining ISIS. Many countries have provided financial assistance to humanitarian efforts in the region. For example, Saudi Arabia donated $500 million to U.N. humanitarian efforts, and Turkey has donated $1.9 million worth of supplies to the U.N. as well.

With the assistance of the coalition, Secretary of State John Kerry and President Obama are confident that the U.S. will be able to defeat ISIS. “Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy [ISIS],” Obama said.

In an international effort to fight ISIS, more than 65 countries have joined the U.S.-led coalition. Each country that is a member of the coalition is shown in blue.

#ISIS In an attempt to attract foreign fighters and American teens, ISIS has taken to social media. The majority of their efforts are concentrate on Twitter. They use Twitter and other social media outlets to post threats, propaganda encouraging people to join their ranks, and even videos showing executions and beheadings.

46,000

10% off

ISIS controlled Twitter accounts from September 2014 - December 2014

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Enjoy 10% off your meal with this coupon at register.

Pro-ISIS Twitter accounts are suspended each year Information from the New York Times and Brokkings Institute

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NEWS 3

December 2015

Photo courtesy Sandi Seiler

International Student Program Supervisor Sandi Seiler and Director of Guidance Larry Hensley traveled to China in October to help coordinate the opening of JC’s satellite school in Shenzhen, China. During the trip, Seiler gave a presentation about JC to a group of students in Nanjing and also taught an English class to this class of 48 students.

JC plans satellite school in China Caroline Cooney In-Focus Editor Eight thousand miles away and a whole new language.

Director of Guidance Larry Hensley and International Student Program Supervisor Sandi Seiler traveled to China from Oct. 5 through Oct. 31 to coordinate the opening of JC’s new satellite school.

In the fall of 2016, the JC curriculum will be available to students in China through this satellite school, called The John Carroll School of Shenzhen. For the first year, the school will only accept 20 students, but the intention is to accept more students in subsequent years.

“Within an existing high school[in China], there would be the John Carroll School also, where they would essentially take the JC curriculum.

It would give those students a legup in terms of applying to American colleges and universities,” President Richard O’Hara said.

The original plan was to have the school open this fall, but due to lack of enrollment, the opening was delayed another year. An organization called Knowledge Link helps find

the Chinese students who are interested in the program, hires the teachers, and hires the academic dean with approval of the administration.

In addition to this, a representative from JC would be sent every year.

According to Hensley, the satellite school resembled JC in a “spooky but very cool” manner.

“Within an existing high school [in China], there would be the John Carroll School.”

President Richard O’Hara

“They had our setup, they had pictures of our activities, they had our mascot, they had the flag, they had the Patriot sign, they had all of our emblems. It was The John Carroll School. It was crazy,” Hensley said.

Not only did Hensley and Seiler visit the satellite school, but they also met with multiple students in China and Korea who are interested in the International Student Program. This program provides stu-

dents from around the world with the opportunity to go to school at JC’s U.S. campus. Their goal is to have approximately 10 percent of the student body made up of international students.

“I look for students that are academically driven, students that want to do really well here, that want to go into college,” Seiler said. “I look for students that have been involved in the past, either in sports or in music or art or other extracurricular activities, and students that are really eager to get involved also here in our community.”

According to O’Hara, the goal is to have a series of campuses in other countries besides China. In order to make a satellite school happen, it requires finding another school that is interested in creating a partnership and going through the government with the correct paperwork.

“I loved it [the trip], and I would do it again in a minute because it was a wonderful growth opportunity for me personally and professionally. I have a better understanding, appreciation, and will work harder for international students than I have ever had,” Hensley said.

FAST FACTS The school will open in the fall of

2016

8,090

miles away from JC

4 COMMUNITY

SNAP out of it

December 2015

Why the popular Snapchat app’s new terms and privacy policy could make users re-think the pictures they snap and send

Pia Scotto Community Editor On Oct. 28, Snapchat updated its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, leaving users thinking twice about the fine print before they check the “I agree” box.

What’s shocking to most is that Snapchat offers these new terms that go against the actual purpose of Snapchat: a way to send photos and videos to friends that will quickly delete after a number of seconds.

They were changed for three main reasons: to discuss in-app purchases, to make it easier to find others on the app, and to rewrite the policies in the way people actually talk.”

“I didn’t even know about the new terms until now. I do not like them at all, they’re so scary!” senior Mary Kate Gerety said. Gerety is one of many shocked and concerned Snapchat users.

Another concerned user is sophomore Bella Brooke. “I have heard of the new terms and they really concern me. I definitely think [Snapchat] is going too far and has no respect for privacy. I already know of people who have deleted the app and I am definitely going to limit my usage,” Brooke said.

The Privacy Policy also states

that they may gain information from outside the app, if allowed.

Many people put in their phone number to find friends through their contacts, and by doing so, expose their number and all numbers of those in their contact book. Not only the numbers, but all things they have listed. So if someone has more than just the number listed, such as adresses, Snapchat has access to that information as well.

“I already know of people who have deleted the app, and I am definitely going to limit my usage.”

Sophomore Bella Brooke

On Nov. 1, Snapchat sent a small letter addressing the controversies and the confusion from the policies. They started by saying, “First off, we want to be crystal clear: The Snaps and Chats you send your friends remain as private today as they were before the update.”

They also state, “The important point is that Snapchat is not— and never has been—stockpiling your private Snaps or Chats. And

because we continue to delete them from our servers as soon as they’re read, we could not—and do not—share them with advertisers or business partners.”

They state they are not using their license in any other way, even though they legally could.

Which raises the question, what if one day they decided to do so?

They are legally allowed to, so why wouldn’t they?

This doesn’t bother senior Taylor Sommer. “I think people need to understand that Snapchat is a social network, just like Facebook and Twitter. Nothing you post is ever private, even if it appears so. They don’t bother me,” Sommer said.

There are many things that Snapchat offers such as the “snap” of a photo or video, My Story, Live Stories and Discover channels, filters, Lenses, and geotags that put a creative way to say location on your photos, which is also available for JC. Snapchat is one of the more popular social networks out there and is still growing. But could the release of controversial policies overpower the paradise in Snapchat-landia and affect the number of users? Many celebrities have already deleted their accounts.

Who’s next?

Snapchat Snapshot: Just how big is Snapchat?

Usership climbed to

100+ million

400+ million

in 2015.

Snapchat stories are made daily.

Viewing all photos shared on Snapchat in the past hour would take you

10 years.

Amount of photos shared on Snapchat are more than Instagram and Facebook.

Snapchat is worth an estimated

$19 Billion.

20,000+ photos are shared every second on Snapchat.

Information from Business Insider

Snapchat launched in 2011.

NE W

TERMS

“You grant S n a p ch a t a worldwide, sublicensab perpetual, ro le, and tran yalt y-free, sferable lice display, rep nse to host, roduce, mo store, use, dif y, adapt, derivative w edit, publish orks from, p , create ublicly perfo syndicate, p rm, broadca romote, exh st, distribute ib it in any form , and public , ly display th and in any a at content n d all media (now known or distributi or later dev on methods eloped).”

TRANSL AT ION: Snapcha seconds but, t deletes you legally they c r snaps afte r a n um b e r o an do whate send, like sh f ver they wan aring things t with what yo with business might find yo u partners. Be ur selfie to b careful, you e the face o f the next Sn a p c h a t a d.

“You also g rant Snapc ha t unrestricte d, worldwid and our business part e, perpetua ners the name, liken l right es s channels (n , and voice in any and and license to use yo ur ow k n ow n all media a or later dev Live Story eloped) in c nd distribution or other cro onnection w wd-s post, send, ith any or appear in ourced content you c reate, uplo .” ad, TRANSL ATIO N : Snapchat also right to you: yo states they h ur body, nam ave the e and voice. S in the backgro o, even if you’ und of someo re ne else’s video they have the making noise legal right to , use that for th eir benefit.

High School app scandal previews future problems Snapchat makes its view clear in the Privacy Policy when it states, “In many cases the messages sent through our services are automatically deleted from our servers once we detect that they have been viewed or have expired.”

Snapchat says “many cases” to indicate it is your responsibility and they have no control about what happens to things that you send on the app, like when other people screenshot your photo, especially when using My Story, Replay, and Live. It goes on to say, “Don’t send messages that you wouldn’t want someone to save or share.”

That is one reason why social networks are feared: the sharing of photos, especially ones you do not want many to see. A great example of this would be the Colorado High School sex scandal, involving a photo vault app, which led to felony investigation.

According to CNN, “Investigators have at least three phones, including one with several hundred images on it,” Cañon City Police Chief Paul D. Schultz said.

According to Colorado High School superintendent George Welsh, “Students used a photo vault app that hides the nude photos by appearing to be a calculator or media player. When you go

into it and you hold a certain button long enough, a prompt for password comes up. Once you enter that password, then any messages that have been sent from photo vault to photo vault start coming up.”

Welsh compared that app to Snapchat because you could choose whether something stayed on the screen. The students involved got in a lot of trouble because of their actions and the age differences. Charges could level to be a Class 3 felony, and some had to register as sex offenders.

Snapchat makes one rule very clear, “Keep it legal. Don’t use Snapchat for any illegal shenanigans and if you’re under 18 or are Snapping with someone who might be: keep your clothes on!”

With Snapchat’s Replays, something like the events in Colorado could likely happen. Replays originally replayed a snap once but now allows you to replay three snaps for the price of $0.99.

As Snapchat puts it, “A Replay is like a compliment! So why stop at just one?”

Although it could be a compliment, it could also be an open door into more opportunities to save and share photos that are meant for only one person. Additional apps, such as the vault app mentioned, only make this problem more common.

COMMUNITY 5

December 2015

PEACEFUL Students turn to yoga to de-stress and improve POSITIONS their health after a long day of sports and school

Erin McCloskey Copy Editor As you walk through the hallway, on an ordinary Friday, something odd grabs your attention.

You glance over and see a classroom full of students in a lunge position, arms stretched out, with a focused look in their eyes.

Do not be alarmed, it’s just English teacher Christine Zurkowski’s class doing the yoga maneuver known as the warrior position. This is what Zurkowski calls, “Free your mind Fridays.”

Zurkowski has her students perform yoga to help with creativity and nerves. “I really didn’t think that the students would like it that much. When I got surveyed, many of their comments were that they really enjoyed being exposed to a little bit of yoga and it did help them,” Zurkowski said.

High school students encounter stress and pressure on a daily basis. Whether it’s aching muscles from sports or late nights

“I’m less stressed out and I feel accomplished after yoga classes.”

Sophomore Paige Alban

spent studying for tests, students stay busy throughout the year.

Students work to maintain their grades, excel in sports, and keep up with their friends and social life. The question is: do students allow the time to take a minute and breathe?

Yoga provides an option for de-stressing that is beneficial for both mental and physical health.

According to Gaiam, a corporation that provides yoga essentials and videos, “Yoga can change your physical and mental capacity quickly, while preparing the mind and body for long-term health.”

According to Yoga Journal, there are countless advantages to regularly participating in yoga.

Mentally, yoga makes you happier, helps you focus, gives you peace of mind, and boosts selfesteem. Physically, yoga improves flexibility, builds muscle strength, perfects posture, and increases blood flow.

For many of these reasons, students make the decision to participate in the practicing of yoga. “[I do yoga] to loosen up my muscles and increase flexibility too. If I had a stressful day, it really helps me to relax and calm down,” junior Alexa Martinez said.

Yoga also offers many variations in practice and style.

Hatha yoga is a common form of yoga

self.

Sophomore Paige Alban practices hatha yoga at The Bel Air Athletic Club. “I’m less stressed out and I feel accomplished after yoga classes,” Alban said.

For those who are more advanced, vinyasa yoga is a practice of yoga that is a step up in difficulty from hatha yoga. It is quicker paced and focuses more on the fitness aspects of yoga.

According to Hellawella, a website devoted to giving advice on a healthier lifestyle, “The poses are linked together in a series of movements that are synchronized with the breath.”

Bikram yoga is another popular form of yoga commonly referred to as “hot yoga.”

This style is practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees. A series of 26 poses are performed under hot conditions to help increase flexibility and prevent injuries.

Junior Taiylor Kriss practices bikram yoga at Yoga Centric in Bel Air, Maryland, two times a week. According to Kriss, “[Bikram yoga has] helped my movement and previous injuries I’ve

for be- ginners. It focuses on breathing, holding your pose, and quieting your mind. These techniques are the basic building blocks of yoga it-

Senior Faith Ensor participates in a heated vinyasa class at Razz Yoga on a Saturday morning. Ensor does yoga as often as once a week to help her relax.

Photo by Claire Grunewald

had, and it’s a stress reliever.”

Behind every successful yoga class, there is a teacher. Heather Rasmussen is a yoga instructor and the owner of Razz Yoga in Phoenix, Maryland. Rasmussen, the mother of junior Zack Rasmussen and senior Alex Rasmussen, opened her studio with the intention of allowing people to explore yoga in an environment they feel comfertable in.

“It was my intention to provide a space for others to ‘come as you are’ and explore yoga in a warm, welcoming environment, without needing to drive too far from home,” Rasmussen said.

Because of its benefits, yoga is utilized by the varsity women’s lacrosse team. Coach Abigail Swift had the team do yoga last year for team bonding. The team usually takes a yoga class when they have multiple games in a row.

According to Swift, the activity helped the team perform better. “[When I was] in college, my team did it, I do it now. It is a good thing for athletes, and it benefits them a lot,” Swift said.

“I encourage others to try it because of the sense of peace and well-being yoga brings. Yoga is accessible to everybody. If you can breathe, you can do yoga,” Rasmussen said.

6 COMMUNITY

December 2015

Keep it Real

Kelly Foulk

Diets don’t measure Azanae Barrow and Nick Miller Community Editor and Entertainment Editor

You decide it’s time for a change in life: you run three miles a day.

You come home looking for something nutritious to eat so you head to the pantry and open a jar of baby food. You continue to eat a variety of baby food 14 times a day and maybe one “adult” meal for dinner. In this diet, you continually eat baby food for the next month until you have reached your desired weight.

Hollywood’s “baby food diet” is one of many fad diets that have become a common way of losing weight.

According to University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Science, a fad diet is “A diet that promises quick weight loss through what is usually an unhealthy and unbalanced diet.”

Fad diets are targeted at people who want to lose weight quickly without exercise.

The rules to the fad diets vary from strict to relaxed in terms of how many times a day you eat

UP

the specific food. What links all fad diets together is that the user generally loses a large amount of weight due to starvation.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Agriculture, the average adult male needs anywhere from 2,000-2,400 calories a day or higher depending on

“Fad diets don’t work. You need to make a slow gradual change that you can sustain.”

Anonymous survey response

how active he is.

The average adult female needs anywhere from 1,800-2,000 calories a day, also depending on how active she is. With fad diets such as the cabbage soup diet, which contains a diet of only cabbages, you only get about 800 calories a day.

800 calories a day without sources of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits and the

Senior chooses Fad diets are a way to get in to eat like a shape without exercising, but are caveman they the healthiest way to go?

Do you ever start eating and

right amount of sugar can result in your body shutting itself down into starvation mode, in order to get the necessary requirements.

In fact, Positive Med, a website on all aspects of the body and celebrity body types in the public eye, said that, “fad diets can backfire on your metabolism, causing your body to think it is entering famine and is forced to slow down your metabolism.”

Muscle tissue speeds up metabolism, so doing things to promote muscle growth such as consuming the appropriate amount of protein and lifting weights can help with healthier weight loss.

Nowadays, social media has created high expectations for how men and women are expected to look.

Magazines have altered the way people look in order to have consumers buy the magazine.

This has negatively impacted the way that people look at themselves and can result in other health issues.

The idea that skinny is healthy and fat is unhealthy has everyone looking for the newest diet that will give them the tiny figure that is photoshopped that you see on

Are these really diets?

The Cookie Diet

Source from Hello Giggles

Who doesn’t love cookies?

Now, we can eat them and lose weight. You would eat six cookies throught the day, providing you with an initial 500 calories that would add onto your regular dinner. Your dinner has a limit of 300 calories.

With 800 calories a day, some say it works, but it can leave some feeling angry all the time and a bit loco: the real cookie monster.

Photo by Grace Mottley

most magazine covers.

In some instances the diets and unhealthy lifestyle has been encouraged in today’s lifestyle.

According to the Brown University’s Health promotion, “Encouragement to focus on body appearance is at an all-time high in this culture.”

According to a survey conducted by The Patriot, one responder feels that, “Fad diets don’t work, you need to make a slow gradual change that you can sustain.”

There isn’t a miracle plan to get a 24-inch waist without actually exercising and getting all of the nutrients your body needs. Some of these diets result in nausea and even death from starvation and malnutrition.

Fad diets have also been known to trigger eating disorders.

According to Eating Disorders Coalition, 40-60 percent of high school girls diet, and dieting is a huge risk factor for triggering eating disorders.

Your body is a temple, and you should take care of it. If you want to lose weight, lose it the oldfashioned way. It may take a little longer, but you’ll feel better in the long run.

A closer look at some of the craziest diets people have tried

The Blood Type Diet

The Bloodtype Diet is based entirely on the idea that the food you eat will react chemically with your blood type. For example, people who have type O blood can eat meat, vegetables and fruits, but are not allowed to have dairy products or bread. However, doctors and researchers have found no correlation between whether the food you eat and the blood type you have actually leads to weight loss.

Source from Health

The Leading CrossFit Affiliate in Harford County since 2012

info@crossfiteverlasting.com

www.crossfiteverlasting.com

227 Gateway Dr, Ste E, Bel Air, Maryland 21014

+1 410-838-1410

eating and then eventually look to notice that the entire bag is gone?

I do.

This weekend, I ate an entire bag of carrots in a half hour. Yep, carrots. I am an avid carrot eater.

I especially like to eat them while hopping around hiding Easter eggs for little children.

Just kidding.

Anyway, carrots are just one of the things I eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Since I was a child I’ve always eaten unusually healthy. At the grocery store, when my brothers begged for a king-sized bag of M&M’s, I would ask for a kiwi. Last December, I decided to take my healthy eating to another level, so I began to model my eating style after the Paleo Diet.

People on the Paleo Diet pride themselves on being “modernday cavemen.” In other words, they don’t eat anything that a caveman wouldn’t eat. In addition to ruling out McDonald’s, IHOP, and Chipotle, paleo dieters rule out entire food groups. Meat, vegetables, nuts and fruits are the only food groups that a paleo dieter will eat.

After reading nerdfitness, a website that promotes healthy living and the Paleo Diet, I decided to gradually limit my dairy, sugar and wheat intake, in addition to limiting all varieties of processed foods. I cut out processed foods from my diet entirely. By summer, I was following the Paleo Diet 96.78 percent of the time.

This was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I would never go back to how I ate before. By cutting these food groups out of my life, I realized that they were holding me back in cross country.

In my senior year, I dropped over three minutes from my 5K time and earned a permanent spot on the varsity team.

The only difference from my junior year were my eating habits. I did not practice any longer or any harder, I merely stopped eating most of the junk I ate previously.

After adjusting to my new eating habits, I rarely ever wanted to eat unhealthy foods. If someone offers me a cookie, I’m not even tempted to say yes because I honestly don’t want it. I love the energy and happiness I get by eating Paleo-style,and I wouldn’t want to give that up for one bite of deliciousness.

ENTERTAINMENT 7 A look at local restaurants to see The Next where you should stop on your next Bite lunch break

December 2015

lunch Break

1

Sunny Day Cafe Claire Grunewald Print Chief

Photo by Joe Kyburz

The Sunny Day Cafe is located on Main Street in Bel Air. is open every day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., except Mondays. The Sunny Day Cafe has an inviting atmosphere to every customer.

The warm, homey atmosphere of the Sunny Day Cafe welcomes every customer that enters its doors. The place is usually packed on the weekends or when it is nice out and people have the option to sit at tables outside of the restaurant in the open air.

This restaurant is the perfect place to go to for breakfast or lunch. Its menu offers a wide variety of options from breakfast platters and crepes to Greek specialities, paninis, and salads.

Service is efficient and friendly no matter how busy it is, and the food always comes out in a timely manner and is beautifully put together.

I got a turkey club panini with red peppers, swiss cheese, bacon, and onions on ciabatta bread. It was amazing! To top it all off, prices are reasonable.

The Sunny Day Cafe is located on Main Street in Bel Air and is open every day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. except Mondays. If you’re looking for a place to go for lunch to brighten your day, Sunny Day Cafe couldn’t be a better fit.

2 Fox and Fern Cafe Adriana Guidi Entertainment Editor If you are in the mood for an amazing place for lunch or coffee, look no further. The Fox and Fern Cafe has all of your favorite lunch and coffee essentials.

Between the variety of breakfast favorites, salads, sandwiches, pastries, and coffee, this cafe has something to please everyone.

The cafe has a chill vibe to it, and it is decorated very warmly with wooden tables and orange and green walls. The service is amazing: they bring out your

food to you in a timely manner and the employees are friendly.

I tried the steel-cut oatmeal. It was the perfect consistency. You were also able to customize it however you wanted with many choices for toppings. The cafe tends to lean on the pricier side, but it is nothing unreasonable.

Fox and Fern Cafe is located on Rock Spring Road in Forest Hill and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you are looking for an awesome place to chill out, the Fox and Fern is the place to go.

Photo by Adriana Guidi

Fox and Fern Cafe is on Rock Spring Road in Forest Hill. The cafe has a chill vibe to it, and it is decorated warmly with wooden tables and orange and green walls.

Vagabond Sandwich Company Claire Grunewald Print Chief

Photo by Joe Kyburz

The Vagabond Sandwhich Company is located on Thomas Street in Bel Air. It offers a wide variety of salads, burgers, and sandwiches.

Walking into a quiet, diner-like restaurant, your eyes are drawn the unique, amusing decorations covering every inch of the place.

The Vagabond Sandwich Company has a casual yet fun atmosphere that wakes you up and calms you down at the same time.

The menu was long and varied, ranging from a normal grilled cheese sandwich to a PB&J and bacon burger. I bought the Baja

3

Chicken Tortilla Wrap with avocado, bacon, lettuce, and ranch, and I loved every bite of it. Nothing on the menu is over $11, and you get your money’s worth.

Vagabond Sandwich Company is located on Thomas Street in Bel Air and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays. If you’re looking for a carefree, work-friendly environment, Vagabond Sandwich Company is the perfect place to relax in the middle of the day.

For the latest, follow The Patriot online at jcpatriot.com.

@JCPatriot

JCPatriot

The JC Patriot

Pia Scotto

The food market or the wait market?

Last year, my family and I went to Baltimore to see the Christmas lights on 34th street. After, we found a new restaurant: The Food Market. Although it was busy, they soon found us a table. We had great food with great service.

This year, we went to see the lights again and afterwards were hoping to dine at the same place.

Boy, were we wrong. We knew there would be a lot of people, so we wanted to make a reservation, which was not an available option on Opentable, so we figured we would just have to be lucky.

We stopped by before looking at the lights, and they told us the next table would be ready in an hour and a half. We took it, thinking we could spend time looking at the lights and shopping in the boutiques.

Two hours later, waiting on the tiny sofa shoved in the corner behind the bar, a table cleared.

The arrogant hostess informed us that we couldn't sit there because another party who wasn't there yet reserved it, even though they didn’t take reservations, and two other tables were about to be cleared.

When we pointed this out to the hostess, she rudely denied the table, but she offered another 20 minute wait if we wanted the other table, which was about to clear.

When we told her we already waited two hours and were going to leave if not given the table, she gave us an “OK” and a shoulder shrug.

We had never experienced such rude service or such a long wait before at a restaurant. Two hours for one table with young kids who were complaining and hungry, but not one hostess cared. On our way out, there wasn’t even one apology given for the inconvenience.

We ended up eating at the Woodberry Kitchen, a restaurant which was also packed, but still found a table for us within 20 minutes, and even apologized for the “long wait,” which was quite refreshing.

Within those 20 minutes, my mom wrote an enraged review of our treatment at The Food Market and rated it one star. Only ten minutes after she posted it on their Facebook page and Yelp, the owner called her on her cell phone to apologize and offered a free meal next time we came in.

I don’t know if we’d ever go back to the Food Market, but if we do I hope we get seated as quickly as they read their reviews.

8 IN-FOCUS

December 2015

SocialMe d

The mask of social media From likes on Instagram pictures to retweets on Twitter, social media has risen in fame and captured the attention of billions all over the world. It’s a beneficial way to share moments and memories with family and friends around the globe.

“Since I move a lot, I’m able to keep in contact with so many people really easily,” senior transfer Lauren Karbler said.

The question is: are these moments representative of the life they actually live or one that they wished they lived?

Social media sites and apps allow students to choose an impressive visual and comprehensive filter for their lives, making the boring exceptional and the unappealing alluring.

They give themselves an image of the person they want to be: someone who is fun, creative, witty, spontaneous, beautiful, and intriguing. But, is this for the best?

“I think it affects people negatively because people always are looking for likes and try too hard to feel accepted,” junior Sydney Shupe said.

In a survey conducted by The Patriot, 65.99 percent of respondents said that their social media accounts reflect what their life is actually like.

Interestingly enough, when other people jealous of what you’re asked how they feel other people’s doing when really you’re wasting a social media accounts reflect what moment with them by taking picthey are actually like, 64.19 per- tures the whole time,” Reilley said. cent of people said that it makes Many student’s responses others’ lives seem cooler and better proved Reilley’s point true because than they actually are. it seems that they are tuned into soThis virtual renovation can be cial media constantly, accomplished in millions no matter what of miniscule ways. You they are doing.

Instead of picking can compose a funny “I’m on it tweet pondering on literally all up your phone to it for an hour bethe time check Instagram or fore posting it to like 24/7. seem witty.

If I’m not Twitter before bed, You can edit sleeping try watching TV or smiles to or dead, reading a book erase then I’m on the [social mestains dia],” junior Olivia from the cups of coffee you Lang said. drank to get through the day. You The addiction to social media can post pictures hugging dozens has turned people away from being of friends when in reality, you’re active users of the outlets. “I don’t not even close to them. like social media because people “If you go somespend too much time trying to where with a friend, capture moments inall you do the stead of living whole time is try in them to get a good picture so you can post it and make

and embracing their surroundings,” Reilley said.

Popular opinion online seems to concur with how students view social media as well. “The 27 flawless ‘night out’ pictures are more important than the night itself. If a girl purchases a new dress, it’s more likely for a new Facebook profile photo than an actually party,” Miranda Athanasiou said in her article on Elite Daily.

If we are too busy spending all of our time creating this virtual mask for ourselves, we would miss out on the opportunity to have real life experiences embracing our surroundings and having face-to-face interactions with those around us.

According to the Huffington Post, “We’re living in a world where hours spent on Facebook in the U.S. went up 700 percent between 2008 and 2009. Where 30 percent of people in the U.S. used social media in 2008, and 72 percent do today.” The mask that hides the true identity of people is becoming more of the norm as time goes on.

St othe acc live

m

It’

The Patriot con in November 2 Illustrations by Katie Sullivan

IN-FOCUS 9

December 2015

dia

Uncovering the truth about the different “me’s” that are created on social media profiles and the effects false representations have on users

By Caroline Cooney, Katie Sullivan, and Lilly Stannard Negatives of social media

Students who said other people’s social media accounts make their lives seem cooler or better

64.19 %

tudents who said eir own social media counts make their es seem cooler or better

21.09%

It’s a complete misrepresentation of their actual lives

18.24%

’s exactly how their lives actually are

10.81%

It makes their lives look sad/worse

1.35%

nducted a survey via Surveymonkey 2015. 152 students responded.

According to SocialMediaToday, the number of current active users on social media is over 2.206 billion and that number has risen by 176 million users in the past year alone.

There is a wide range of social media outlets that give their users the benefits that satisfy their needs: VSCO, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram supply a community to those who are interested in sharing only pictures, whereas Twitter and Facebook are a source of communication with old and new friends.

Social media can be a beneficial way to communicate with people who you have not seen in awhile.

However, it is also a way for people to bully others online and make them feel bad about themselves.

“I like that I can immediately find out what’s going on in the world because I don’t watch the news, so it’s much easier to just go to what’s trending on Twitter and find out what’s happening around me,” sophomore Chris Cerra said.

Although social media can be used as a way of communication, there are negative effects that coincide with it. “It can have a negative

influence or a positive influence, it’s all about how you use it,” senior Conrad Gagnon said.

In an interview with CBS DC, Lemoyne College professor of psychology Krystine Batcho believes children are becoming addicted to social media before they can learn how to have

Follow accounts that post natural pictures and have a positive message faceto-face conversations. This creates the misconception that it is okay to hide behind the screens of phones and computers.

According to an organization called Enough is Enough, whose goal is to make the Internet saf-

er, 95 percent of teenagers have witnessed cyberbullying and have ignored it, whereas 35 percent have been cruel to others online.

People can be pressured by others into acting a certain way online or even assisting in bullying. According to Anti-Bullying Pro, 83 percent of people who have been bullied say that bullying has a negative impact on their self-esteem.

“I hate how much pressure there is to feel like you have a responsibility to prove that you’re constantly doing something cool or good,” an anonymous student responded to the survey.

“I wish people in this day and age would just live their lives instead of constantly documenting that they’re doing something.”

This cyberbullying, along with peer pressure, can damage a person’s mental health and cause them to become depressed and develop harmful habits such as starving themselves or self-harm.

Pictures that are posted online create a false image in people’s heads of what the ideal look is. “[Social media] affects self-esteem also because everyone is looking at everyone else’s pictures, and they’re so edited and filtered that it’s not even a reality anymore, and people do things to make it look like their lives are greater than they really are,” Reilley said Thinspiration is a trend on social media that glorifies being thin in an unhealthy manner.

According to Eating Disorder Hope, this trend includes hashtags, such as #eatingdisorders, #size0, and #ana, that contain “images of emaciated women, detailed instructions on how to binge and purge, or graphic information about severe weight loss.” This trend triggers eating disorders in people, which can cause more difficulties later in life.

New social outlets are being created and it’s up to the users on how they wish to allow themselves to be affected by it.

“I find that social media takes up a lot of time and some people get too wrapped up in it and care about likes and followers too much when at the end of the day, it’s just a picture and it doesn’t really matter,” Cerra said.

10 ENTERTAINMENT

Variety in your life

December 2015

Continuing the tradition of the Senior Variety Show, the class of ’16 made approximately $6,600 for their Prom Tuesday, Nov. 23, and Wednesday, Nov. 24, seniors from the class of 2016 took the stage in their annual class fundraiser, the Variety Show. According to Senior Class President Joe Kyburz, the Variety Show is “a conglomeration of dancing, music, and comedy that brings together the senior class and helps mitigate the cost of Prom tickets.” The show this year raised a total of $6,600 for the senior class, all of which will be going towards Prom expenses. Overall, the show was a success. “I think the Variety Show went very well. We raised a lot of money for our class and had a lot of fun while doing it,” Kyburz said.

(Above) Avery van der Steur performs “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals. He was accompanied by Gavin Ding on the organ and Preston Thompson on the drums. (Right) Casey Smial performs an Irish dance routine wearing hard shoes. She performed two routines during the show, one soft shoe and the other hard shoe.

(Bottom Left) Nicolette Ficca, Lilly Stannard, and Morgan Johnson (left to right) perform a selfchoreographed dance to “Jumpman” by Drake that combined hip-hop and ballet. (Left Middle) Matt Dees potrays presidential candidate Donald Trump in a skit where he decides to build a wall around the turf field and fire all the female teachers. (Above) Kishan Patel, Will Bolton, Nick Moscati, and Adam Mrowiec (left to right) perform “Jingle Bell Rock” which was originally performed in “Mean Girls.”

Photos by Caroline Cooney

December 2015

Patriot Debate:

PERSPECTIVES 11

Graded religion class

Graded religion class provides appropriately emphasizes on an important part of the curriculum Daniel Robinson Copy Editor Religion class. To some, it’s just another 55-minute block on a schedule, but for others it’s an environment for them to connect with their spiritual side. Some students find it very hard, others find it to be a breeze. Nevertheless, religion is a class, and a class comes with a grade determined by: homework, participation, classwork, and test scores. Religion is not something that should be graded based on whether or not you showed up and understood what the teacher said.

JC is a Catholic school. If you were to Google “The John Carroll School,” and read the description from Wikipedia on the right hand side, you’d see that it says, “The John Carroll School, established in 1964, is a private, independent, college-preparatory, co-educational Catholic school for grades 9–12.” If we’re a Catholic school, shouldn’t we take pride in teaching religion?

That means that we shouldn’t make religion classes pass/fail just so the students have an easier time. That’s what we do for gym classes. So, if that was the case, then we might as well change our school description to:“John Carroll is a private, independent, college-preparatory, co-educational school that has gym classes.”

Honestly, I think religion class should be easy for most students, or at least it should be a review.

I think it’s safe to say that most kids here went to a Catholic or some other sort of religious school, whether that was St. Margaret’s, St. James, Trinity Lutheran, Mountain Christian School, or another private religiously affiliated school. Some that attended public schools went through CCD and Confirmation, so learning about original sin and the sacraments should be nothing new.

Even for people who have never had any type of previous religious education, religion classes at JC seem to be repetitive. I’m not saying this is a bad thing, but I can’t tell you how many quizzes, tests, and exams I’ve taken where I’ve had to match the definitions of “magisterium” and “dogma.” Junior year has been the first year, so far, where I’ve learned new material. I’ll be honest, before this year, I didn’t know all the sacraments.

When it comes down to it, religion isn’t difficult. If it became a pass/ fail class, students would view it as a joke. They wouldn’t try at all because they’d be aware that if they show up for 55 minutes that they’ll get a “P” on their report card. Religion is too important to stick a “pass/fail” tag on it. Some people don’t realize how important religion actually is. Just think about the recent attacks on Paris. Religion promotes morals, and if no one has morals no one will understand why these things happen.

As a Catholic school we need to take pride in our religion. Religion is a requirement for all four years for a reason: it’s important. Students need to be somewhat spiritually trained, and whether or not they care, or take that knowledge with them, religion is still important to have learned. Religion classes are not on the same level as gym classes and therefore they should not be pass/fail classes.

Patriot Answers

VS

Illustration by Yena Kim

Religion is not an academic subject and should not be taught as a graded subject Joe Kyburz Copy Editor Religion should be the center of a Catholic school. However, religion class should not be the sole academic focus. Students should be able to use religion class as a refuge.

Religion class should not affect GPA or class rank. It should not take time away from core academia, therefore it should be a pass or fail course.

While Catholic education is undoubtedly the backbone of our school’s, and the Archdiocese’s missions as educators, no subsection states the need for religious education through rigorous religion classes.

“At The John Carroll School, guided by the spirit of America’s first Catholic Archbishop and early patriot, we cultivate in each student a love of learning, a respect for self, and a sensitivity to others,” is the beginning of JC’s mission statement. This could be better achieved if class focused more on learning, not drilling monotonous definitions of religious terms.

The love for learning that JC should imbue in its students should stem from the environment of the classroom and school, as a whole. The school should realize that we are a Catholic school because of the welcoming environment and focus on a global perspective that helps to develop students intellectually, socially, and spiritually.

JC can achieve its goal of “instilling Catholic values through a challenging college preparatory program,” by actually preparing students for college and focusing on the academics that will be

prevalent throughout their continued education.

About half of the students have had prior religious education, which puts the other half of students at a disadvantage. Additionally, the inconsistent grading practices from teacher to teacher puts students with teachers that have harsher grading practices at a disadvantage.

Ivy league schools use pass/fail classes to allow students to take courses and learn to learn, not for a grade. When these colleges look at a transcript, they will examine the core courses that you’ve taken. With religion as a graded class, JC is falsifying students’ GPAs and causing additional work for admissions personal.

Catholic school should provide religious education through more than just classes. The Catholic focus should be in all academics. Unnecessary competition and emphasis on grades in a religion class is detrimental to the mission of the school.

Forcing students to memorize Catholic vocab and history and not placing emphasis on the values undercuts the mission of the Catholic Church. Religion classes should be pass or fail so students can focus on the foundations for academics and life that are so necessary for the future, not Church history.

The religious curriculum should not only be throughout all academic classes, but also be specifically fostered in a religious class that provides a welcoming discussion environment that enables Catholic views on realworld applications of religion or religious values.

By making religion classes pass fail, teachers have more flexibility in their approaches to imbuing Catholic values, and in the end, you either pass or fail at using Catholic values, so why should our education ignore that?

Should religion class be pass/fail?

Wyatt Moran

McKenna Rukowicz

C.J. Beteta

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Wilfred Ikejiofor

Senior

“No, you have tests and other “Yes, because some people have “Yes, because I’ve never taken reli- “Yes, because I don’t think things. If you pass or fail it affects more background knowledge than gion class before and it’s a required it’s fair to compare us to other your GPA.” others.” class.” schools because they don’t have religion class.”

Gray Switalski

Faculty

“It depends on how it is taught.”

12 PERSPECTIVES

December 2015

Bolton’s Bias Will Bolton

After Prom runs long and falls short

illustration by Joe Kyburz

Islam deserves understanding Across the nation, Muslims suffer ignorance and predjudice from those who unfairly blame them for the acts of terrorists Freshman Sehrish Shaukat walks through the security checkpoint in the airport wearing her hijab. As she gets checked and xrayed for the second time, people stare and give her glares. A security officer pats her down one final time, “just to be sure,” and lets her pass through.

According to Shaukat, this is an everyday experience for her.

Because she wears the hijab, it makes her an easy target for verbal attacks in grocery stores and other public places. “People tell my mom and me to go back to our country, [and] that we don’t belong [here] all the time,” Shaukat said. “I remember one time a guy walked over to me and asked me if my parents were part of ISIS.” Unfortunately, Shaukat’s experience is not rare. Across the country, Muslims, as well as Sikhs and other Middle Easterners, are targeted out of ignorance because of the ghastly things committed by extremists in the name of Allah. The important thing to consider when contemplating these atrocities is that not all Muslims view their religion similarly.

Only a minority of the 1.73 billion Muslims in the world are dangerous extremists. Despite

The Patriot Volume 51, Issue 2, December 2015

Print Chief Claire Grunewald Online Chief Kishan Patel Social Media Manager Alex Rasmussen News Editors Kelly Foulk Grace Mottley

this, all Muslims are labeled as Holy Quran: 2, 208 reads “O dangerous because the average You who believe! Enter absoMuslim does not make the head- lutely into peace. Do not follow lines, only the terrorists do. in the footsteps of satan. He is an This creates a false face for the outright enemy to you.” This pasIslamic religion as a whole. “Ter- sage is almost identical in meanrorists are taking our religion to ing to Psalm 85: 8, “I will listen a whole new level which really to what God the LORD will say; isn’t what it’s about,” sophomore he promises peace to his people, Natasha Multani said. Multani, his saints-- but let them not return a practicing Muslim, is a person to folly.” In fact, they are so simiwho may be labeled as dangerous lar that if shown the first, many or violent because Christians could she is grouped to- One of the mistake it for an gether with the actual biblical extremists that solutions to the passage. The impeople are used to hatred and bigotry portance of these seeing in media. readings cannot Although both towards Muslims be overstated. The Multani and the religions are so extremists read the is education similar that it is Quran and follow absurd for the disafter the prophet Muhammad, the trust between them to continue. way the religion is actually pracMuslims tend to be the most ticed differs immensely. “They common victims of terror attacks. [the terrorists] think they’re doing From 2004-2008, almost 85 perit in the name of God, but that’s cent of the victims of Al-Qaeda’s not the case because in our reli- attacks were Muslims, according gion, God never said to kill inno- to the Islamic Civil Society of cent people,” Multani said.

America. Also, after 9/11, almost In fact, the Quran is similar to 80 percent of Muslims reported the Bible in that it contains pas- to have experienced violence and sages advocating for peace as abuse as a result of racism. well as passages which seem barThese Muslims were not a part baric in modern times. of terror attacks, and their role in

Community Editors Azanae Barrow Pia Scotto

Perspectives Editor Will Bolton

Artists Yena Kim Caroline Barwick

Entertainment Editors Nick Miller Adriana Guidi

Sports Editors Mike Moxley Grant Sharretts

Multimedia Editors Mitch Hopkins Katherine Grimm Kevin Blandeburgo

In-Focus Editors Lilly Stannard Katy Sullivan Caroline Cooney

Copy Editors Joe Kyburz Daniel Robinson Erin McCloskey

Moderators Mark Ionescu Nick Attanasio

any terrorist plot is the same as Christians and Buddhists: innocent bystanders or victims. Moderate Muslims are the same as any other moderate American, and they do not support the actions of extremists.

One of the solutions to the hatred and bigotry towards Muslims in America is education. People need to be taught about Islam so that they can understand it. Ignorance has always bred fear and hatred towards other groups of people that , and the true is same now just as it has been throughout history.

Although problems deeply rooted in society cannot be fixed in a day, the community can do its part. In an effort to educate the students, the administration could bring back the World Religions class. This class devoted time to all 12 major religions and encouraged students to be open minded and inclusive to people of all races, creeds, and religions.

Even just a community block dedicated to understanding Islam would go a long way in shaping a society built around love and acceptance. That is the power of education: to mold a better society and JC should do its part.

The John Carroll School 703 Churchville Road Bel Air, MD 21014 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 686 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.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

If I may, I am going to make a JC addition to that saying: the road to hell (and car accidents) is paved with good intentions. My alteration comes as a result of After Prom party rules.

After the actual dance part of Prom, the Parent Association coordinates a mandatory After Prom for the seniors and their dates.

This year they will be going to Dave and Busters until 4 a.m., which means the students will not return to JC until 5 a.m.

The problem is that high schoolers often drink after prom.

In an effort to ensure this trend does not reach JC, the Parent Association is sure to keep students chaperoned on prom night until 4 a.m. when they return to JC and are allowed to drive home. The thinking is that students who are up until 4 a.m. are likely to be too tired to go to someone’s house and have an after party of a different kind.

This is actually sound logic, until you realize that if students are too tired to party, they are also probably too tired to drive.

Driving while drowsy is scientifically proven to be as dangerous as driving while under the influence of alcohol. According to the Henry Ford Health System Sleep Disorder System, a department dedicated to researching sleep disorders, four hours of sleep loss can be equivalent to drinking a six-pack, and a whole night of sleep loss is equivalent to driving with a BAC of .19.

A .19 BAC is more than twice the legal limit to drive, and drowsy driving translates to 72,000 crashes, 44,000 injuries, and 800 deaths in 2013 alone, according to the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

I am not suggesting that the Parent Association is involved in some plot to harm students. I think it is fair to chalk this problem up to a good intention which has not lived up to its expectation.

The good news is that there is an easy remedy. Make the dance shorter and spend less time at Dave and Busters so the students get home at a reasonable time.

The Parent Association’s for kids driving home at 4 a.m. is not only unfair, but downright dangerous. This system needs some serious corrections because if JC does not deal with this, a road may end up paved with car parts.

PERSPECTIVES 13

December 2015

Social media spawns harmful self-obsession

The all-about-me mentality social media is creating is detrimental to the development of personality.

Coup de Grace Grace Mottley

Mitch Hopkins Multimedia Editor Many people now live for social media. Instead of trying to live in the real world, they live for phone screens and the approval of others on sites such as: Twitter, VSCO, Facebook, and Instagram.

Social media can be seen as a window into someone’s life.

From it, you can see who they hang out with the most, where they recently went, their likes and interests, and even what they just ate for dinner, but when did social media start to become people’s entire life?

The first problem with modern social media is the amount that people are on it. Social media by itself is not bad. Having an addiction to it is bad. Judging by the numbers it can be said that a lot of people do have an addiction.

People are constantly taking pictures and posting them online.

According to Buzzfeed, 208,300 photos are uploaded to Facebook and 278,000 tweets are sent every minute.

As a society, we have become obsessed with capturing moments through pictures and writing.

From this obsession, monumental events are being missed first hand because we’d rather see them through a phone screen while taking pictures, or tell others what is about to happen instead of just waiting until after the event.

Recently on Twitter, a moving image of an old woman watching the Pope surfaced. The image was not moving because of the way she looked at the pope, it was because she was the only one without a phone screen blocking her face to get a picture of the event.

“Take this for insta” “Do it for the vine”

“Make sure you retweet my quote”

“I’ll put that on my story”

Photo illustration by Caroline Barwick

Simply taking all of these pic- online. What people do is being tures is not enough. Filters are influenced by social media. The added, edits have to be made, phrases “Do it for the Vine,” or things have to be cropped out “Let me take a video of it,” have an immediate rebefore something action and causes can be posted. a lot of people to Why is this? Isn’t In no way am I act different than sharing the expe- saying that taking if the lense was not rience enough? in front of them.

According to a pictures or going People act as if poll conducted on social media is they are braver and

by The Patriot on tougher when they Nov. 30, the an- bad, but when it know they are beswer is no. Seven- becomes your life ing videotaped, ty-two percent of which can lead to students said that it is. seriously dangerthey need more ous situations. than 50 likes to That is a prime example of feel confident with their posts on social media changing the way Instagram.

This need for people liking people act. Although this pheour things leads to a second ma- nomenon can be seriously harmjor problem of false personalities ful to people who it motivates to

Report Card:

act foolishly, some idiot doing a stupid stunt is not all that serious in the grand scheme of things. It is, however, a prime example of the huge influence social media can have on the way people act, which can create serious problems.

Social media makes people obsessively compare themselves to impossible standards online. It also allows people to say or post things about people they wouldn’t say or do in person. This is seen often when the stories of people committing suicide due to online harassment surface on the news.

I’m not saying that social media is all bad. I use social media sites frequently myself. But when it stops being an update on your life and starts being your whole life, the line needs to be drawn.

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

By Entertainment Editor Nick Miller

Community block falls short

Cafeteria hours are inconsistent

At the beginning of the year, the community block was something I was looking forward to. It sounded like the school was going to make an effort to engage students and do something fun and new each week. I was wrong.

Every cycle it seems like administration is just trying to find a way to waste time, and when no one has any ideas, we just have another Mass. No one looked at clubs for an hour, and no one could take the Drug and Alcohol assembly seriously because the speaker’s data was just clearly wrong.

The only reason the community block didn’t get an F is because of Dr. Baker’s amazing speech at the Thanksgiving Prayer Service. At this stage of the game, I would rather sit in class for another hour than have the community block. At least by sitting in class I feel like my time is spent productively.

Last year, the cafeteria was open consistently all day, but this year, it seems like the cafeteria closes every once in a while for 15 minutes.

It’s completely random, and students enter the cafeteria not knowing whether they’ll be able to buy food or not. And since the schedule change has made chorus end later, the cafeteria hasn’t adjusted to close later: it’s still been closing at 3:30.

If people in chorus want food after class, they have to buy it before class starts and pray it doesn’t get cold before 3:45. Spoiler alert: it does. The cafeteria needs to be more consistent with its hours.

It’s bad enough that we can’t hydrate from the water fountains, now we have to starve too. With buffalo chicken wraps priced at $4.50 a piece, you’d think the cafeteria has a good amount of funds to account for students.

Decorations brighten JC Every day seems so much brighter since the flags were hung in the hall between the cafeteria and the courtyard.

It was a great idea: it brightens up the bland colors of the hallways while celebrating the heritages of our students. And, as Christmas approaches, the door decorating contest is going to bring the holiday spirit once again to JC. Nothing says Christmas to me like Mr. Hensley’s face taped to the door of his office, surrounded by Christmas lights, like last year.

Spending eight or more hours a day at school becomes a lot easier when the students are allowed to decorate and make it our own.

Every day the hallways become a little more exciting to walk through as more lights and decorations are hung up, and every day the holiday music coming from the music wing brightens up my mornings significantly.

Civil rights movement still matters Dec. 1 marked the 60th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat. On the same day, protesters marched in the streets of Chicago, objecting to the actions of a white police officer who shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times in the back.

The civil rights movement still matters, and everyone has a role in bringing about the dream that activists like Rosa Parks and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for.

Their work wasn’t for nothing. Times have changed, and the rights movement has succeeded in many areas, including ending segregation and ensuring voting rights for African-Americans. Today’s movement may look different than it did 60 years ago, but has the same goal: equality for all.

However, the movement today deals with the same core issues as it did 60 years ago. Systemized racism and injustice still exist.

According to Time Magazine, a young African-American man is 21 times more likely to be shot and killed by a police officer than a young white man. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, an African-American man born in 2001 has a 32 percent chance of going to jail in his lifetime, while his white counterpart has only a six percent chance.

Sometimes we turn a blind eye to discrimination because it’s easier to ignore it. But if we want to live in a more just world, I suggest doing something.

If Rosa Parks hadn’t battled against injustice, we wouldn’t live in the same America we do today. If no one stands up today to fight discrimination and injustice, who knows what kind of place the world will be in 60 years?

If you want to help, go to www.

NAACP.org, for example, and see what you can do. Sign a petition.

Donate a few dollars. Or if you’re looking for a simpler way to help, speak up against discrimination.

But whenever a movement like “Black Lives Matter” or a group of concerned citizens stands up against systemized racism, they are continuing the work of the movement, and they are continuing to fight for equal rights.

So, if you think of the civil rights movement in history, look at the events occurring around the U.S. 60 years after the start of the movement, the fight for equal rights is going strong, and the civil rights movement still matters.

14 SPORTS

Swim team splashes into new season

December 2015

Azanae Barrow Community Editor

Sophomore Amelia Bothwell looks down at the waves of water beneath her and scans her opponents, looking for the real competition.

Not an ounce of uneasiness can be found in her body. Bothwell has been preparing for moments like this since she was three years old.

Bothwell is one of the newest additions to the women’s swim team. The swim season for both men and women started on Nov. 14. According to the returning senior swimmers, new swimmers have already brought a variety of talent to the season.

“Key people to look for this year are [senior] Julia Dukes, sophomore Amelia Bothwell and [sophomore] Carly Cobo. Cobo is going to be a good swimmer, among the new swimmers,” senior swimmer Holly Driver said.

Last year, the swimming record for the women’s team was 0-4, and the record for the men’s team was 3-6.

Returning for her last season is Julia Dukes, whose name was mentioned as someone who is bound to be successful this season. “I did okay last year, and I’ve been swimming for awhile.

Last year, we did pretty well. We competed in the A Conference which is hard to compete against people who’ve been swimming

Women’s basketball season starts with success Mike Moxley Sports Editor

Photo by Mitch Hopkins

Senior Julia Dukes comes up for breath while performing the butterfly stroke during swim practice. According to her teammates, Dukes is one of the teams’ strongest swimmers and led the women’s team last season. for a while,” Dukes said.

“This year has been really good, and I would say [the team] is more hard working. I would say it progressively gets better every year,” senior Adam Mrowiec said. Mrowiec has been swimming since his sophomore year and said Driver will be a key swimmer in this upcoming season.

Driver also named senior Rob Flynn as a key swimmer, who is returning to the block for his final season. “[Swimming] helps you

stay in shape, I’ve been doing crossfit to help me train for swimming,” Flynn said.

“The Patriots enter the 2015-16 with the strongest boys team in years. As well the women’s team is hoping to move up in the ranks of the toughest swimming conference in the state,” head coach Larry Dukes said.

Compared to other sports, like football or soccer, the swim team hardly receives recognition and support from fellow students.

“No one from school comes

to see us because the meets start right after school and it’s hard to get there,” sophomore Maddie Fraji said. According to Fraji, the lack of support for the team is due to the distance of the meets. JC doesn’t have a pool or own a facility that students can have easy access to.

Julia Dukes doesn’t mind the lack of support. “It’s understandable we don’t have many fans but that’s not how the sport goes. We are a big team, so we support each other,” she said.

Indoor soccer seeks championship

Photo by Grant Sharretts

Senior defenseman Kristen Isoldi dribbles the ball past a St. Paul’s defender in an indoor soccer game on Dec. 2, that ended in a 8-0 win for the Patriots. The team hopes to repeat their success and make it to the championship.

Joe Kyburz Copy Editor A run to the IAAM A Conference championship game, only leading to an unfortunate loss to Garrison Forrest, senior defenseman Kristen Isoldi stood in disappointment.

This year, she expects better for her team. “Our expectation is to win the championship and try to let in as few goals as possible,” Isoldi said.While there weren’t any graduating seniors from the indoor soccer team last year, the young team built on their skill and gained players, embracing new talent.

“We have basically the same men, so I think we will be just as team as last year with the help good as last year, probably even better. The freshfrom some freshmen have great men,” junior censkill and add a lot ter back Gabby Centi said. of talent to our With the team team,” Isoldi said. that was so close Indoor soccer is to winning the very much differchampionship ent from outdoor last year still insoccer according to the players. tact, the players “Indoor soccer will embrace the is a fun type of three freshmen Junior center back Gabby Centi soccer and everythat were added one gets to play to their 10-person because we rotate around a lot team: Erin Scannell, Madelyn unlike in outdoor,” Isoldi said.

Cumpston, and Alysa Ross.

Still, practices are just as seri“We gained a few great fresh-

“I am confident we will make it to the championship this year and win it.”

ous as those of outdoor soccer.

“Coach Howe runs practices with the same attitude as outdoor, but she has more of a focus on smallsided play, since the field is smaller.

We work hard at practice everyday so that we can finally win the championship we’ve been so close to,” Centi said.

The indoor soccer team practices at Maryland Sports Arena each weekday and competes on Mondays and Wednesdays in Du Burns Arena in Baltimore from late November to February.

If the team qualifies, the season will culminate in the championship game, scheduled for 1 p.m. in Du Burns Arena on Feb. 6, 2016.

The two teams that will eventually compete in the championship game have not yet claimed their spots.

Howe has high expectations for the season, due to their championship run last season.

“With consistent impact players, like Kristen Isoldi, Gabby Centi, and Abby Hormes mixed in with current scoring leaders Stephanie Imbierowicz, Erin Scannell and Caroline Barwick, the team is ready to dominate the league,” Howe said.

With wins over NDP, Roland Park, and St. Paul’s the indoor soccer team leads a 3-0 record into the 2015-2016, 10-game season. “I am confident we will make it to the championship this year and win it,” Centi said.

The varsity women’s basketball team has started the season with a record of 3-0, as of Dec. 4.

As a young team, consisting of six sophomores and one freshman, the team has to rely on the upperclassmen for leadership and guidance. “We are young this year, with seven players being underclassmen, but the two captains sophomore Savannah [Simmons] and senior Mikenzhie [Smith] are going to have to be leaders and carry the other players,” head coach Craig Simmons said.

“I want to be a good leader and help build chemistry with teammates,” senior guard MikenzhieSmith said.

According to Craig Simmons, “A player this season who has improved is sophomore guard Cassidy Kupchinskas. She has stepped up her game from last year.”

Savannah Simmons believes, “This season is looking really good for us as we are packed with talent. The leadership we have is terrific and will hopefully lead us to another championship.”

Women’s indoor track prepares for season Grace Mottley News Editor The women’s indoor track season has just begun, but the team already has high expectations for the season. According to head coach Robert Torres, the team usually finishes in fourth or fifth place in the IAAM. Maryvale is the team to beat this year, even though McDonogh won the conference championship last year.

“We have a really good team, we have good distance runners, junior Adria [Pirozzi] and sophomore Rosemary [Gillam] are super fast, and we have two of the best hurdlers in the league [seniors Kristen Isoldi and Holly Driver],” Torres said.

The team has a handful of runners returning this year. Some runners have been ranked in the top ten of their events in the IAAM in previous years. Junior Charlotte Haggerty, for example, was ranked seventh in the IAAM 55 meter dash runners last year.

Senior Holly Driver was also named one of the indoor track and field All Conference athletes in 2015.

“We have a chance to do really well seeing as we have a large number of strong runners,” Pirozzi said.

December 2015

All this pain, just for a game?

Brain trauma is now much more of a reality in NFL players’ lives, and it is taking a toll before, during, and after their careers

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Information from Fox Sports, fansided.com, and CNN

Athlete Spotlight

Grant Sharretts Sports Editor It’s hard to understand why athletes would jeopardize their long-term health. Knowing the risks they take each time they step out onto the field, players should know when to stop for their own well-being.

Just in 2015, many players retired early in an effort to conserve their mental health. Chris Borland, a case of early retirement, retired in March due to his concern with head trauma and how his few concussions would eventually affect him later in life. “I’m concerned that if you wait until you have symptoms, it’s already too late,” Borland told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines.”

Some players, however, seem to not be concerned at all about their past and what it will do to their future. A recent case involves current St. Louis Rams wide receiver Wes Welker. Welker has had a long history with concussions in his career. He was once diagnosed with three concussions in a ten month period.

When professionals get a concussion, the common fan would think, “Oh, he got a concussion, he’ll be back soon and be fine.”

However, the fact of the matter is that he will not be just “fine.”

Studies of common head trauma should shed light on a very important matter many fans don’t know about. Hopefully fans, and even the players, will no longer dismiss concussions as just “another injury” and realize what impacts it could have in their future.

Kevin Kangu Sport: Basketball Grade: Senior Position: Combo Guard

Accomplishments: • Won the Hoodies High School Hoops Classic in 2015 • Part of more than 50 wins in three seasons

Hometown: Hamilton, Canada

“He can score, rebound, and shut the

opponents best player down, night in and Sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley night out.”

“Kevin brings great energy and a strong

defensive presence to an inexperienced squad.”

Head Coach Tony Martin

Photo by Kishan Patel

SPORTS 15 Razz Reports Alex Rasmussen

College football is on the rise and has been fun to watch this year. The Heisman race looks interesting, and the fate of some coaches are up in the air, which will lead to an exciting couple of weeks to close the college football season.

The Heisman finalists were released on Nov. 24 and the winner will be announced on Dec. 12. The five finalists are Alabama running back Derrick Henry, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, and Florida State running back Dalvin Cook.

In my opinion, Christian McCaffrey deserves to win the Heisman trophy. He is, in fact, the most valuable player on the Stanford team, and without him, the team wouldn’t be 10-2. However, the voting almost always leans toward a quarterback, so that’s why I believe Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson will win this year’s Heisman trophy.

Alabama running back Derrick Henry is simply a beast. The 6-foot-3 inch, 240-pound running back is a dominant force in the SEC and has a total of 22 touchdowns, 1797 rushing yards on 295 carries, and has lead his team, currently ranked number two in the country, to an 11-1 record. Henry is currently leading the Heisman voting.

Watson has led the number one ranked team in the nation to a perfect record, so far. Watson has really turned it on the past two weeks tallying 850 yards of total offense in his past two games. His recent performances have helped him extremely in the eyes of voters and the sophomore quarterback is currently second in the voting.

McCaffrey is an all-purpose runner, who is the backbone of his team’s success. He recently surpassed Reggie Bush’s season record for all-purpose yards.

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and Florida State running back Dalvin Cook have both had phenomenal years. Mayfield has thrown for 3,389 yards and 35 touchdowns, which has lead the Sooners to an 11-1 record, and Cook has rushed for 1,658 yards and 18 touchdowns, which has lead his team to a 10-2 record.

However, both of these finalists don’t receive a lot of media spotlight and, in my opinion, will finish fourth and fifth in the voting.

The ending to the college football season looks to be very exciting. With many teams fighting for the final spot in the playoff, electrifying football is sure to follow.

16 SPORTS

December 2015

Sophomore Cody Copinger ties up with his opponent from Benedictine. Copinger placed first in his weight class at the Early Bird Tournament on Nov. 28.

Photo by Katherine Grimm

Grappling with inexperience

Daniel Robinson Copy Editor The referee counts to three and slaps the mat. Hunter Ritter, class of ‘15, pins his opponent in the final match of the year, winning the National Prep Wrestling Championships’ 195-pound weight class over LJ Barlowe from Haverford High School in Pennsylvania.

Ritter was one of nine wrestlers who placed in states last year. He led the team to a fifth place finish at the National Preps, which was the best finish in JC history.

The past two seasons have set the bar high. In the 2013-2014 season the team scored a 4-3 record in conference and 15-5 overall.

Last season the in-conference record

was 5-0 and was 28-4 overall. Having relatively impressive records in the past two years, the team will now have to rely on young wrestlers to maintain their success.

“I’m excited to take over [the team] in a rebuilding year,” head wrestling coach Tom Free said.

This is Free’s first year as the head coach, taking over for coach Keith Watson, who coached at JC for 13 years. Watson, during his tenure at JC, was nominated and selected for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s “Lifetime Service to Wrestling” award in 2013.

A change in coaching after a total of 13 years is a tough position for Free as a coach, but he is ready for the challenge.

“I have the benefit of building on what Coach Watson has built here over years

Photo by Katherine Grimm

Sophomore Adam Berg manuevers on top of his opponent at the first tournament of the season. The team finished third overall, with Berg personally finishing first in his weight class.

Many new wrestlers take the mat to fill the void left by last year’s graduated seniors

and years, and I am able to have the vision and direction of our team because of that.

My goal is to take us from a state powerhouse like what we were last year to eventually a national powerhouse,” Free said.

Despite an incomplete lineup to start the season, wrestlers on the team have high hopes. The team, losing many wrestlers from last season, needs the young and inexperienced wrestlers to step up and take on big roles despite not being familiar with the sport.

“I’m feeling pretty confident. We have a lot of kids this year,” sophomore varsity wrestler Luke Strappelli said.

Competing and a love for the sport is important for inexperienced wrestlers.

“You look at the kids who are experienced and try to help them meet their goals, but you also have to consider the younger, inexperienced wrestlers that are coming in and keep them learning, having fun, and improving,” Free said.

The wrestling team has near record number of total wrestlers, but the loss of seven state-placing seniors leaves half of the starting lineup for experienced wrestlers to fill.

According to Free, last year the team was able to “coach themselves, and coaching was more managing,” whereas this year they need to be taught techniques.

According to Strappelli, both coaches bring their own style to wrestling. “Coach Free is younger and has his own techniques and styles that are somewhat different from [Watson’s] views. I feel Free brings more aerobic activity, too,” Strappelli said.

The team had their first tournament, the Early Bird Tournament, on Nov. 28.

They finished third, behind Benedictine from Va. and Mount St. Joseph’s in Baltimore.

“At the Early Bird Tournament I saw a lot of high energy in the new wrestlers,

and a lot of heart when they were wrestling kids with a lot more experience,” Free said.

The team has faced minor injuries to freshman Tucker Rey and junior Eric Ashton early in the season. “I am excited to see the full lineup later on in the season when we have all our injuries out of the way,” Free said.

Results of the first tournament: Overall On Nov. 28 JC finished third overall, behind Benedictine from Virginia and Mount St. Josephs in Baltimore

Individual 1st place finishers: - Sophomore Cody Copinger - Sophomore Adam Berg - Senior Austin Ross 2nd place finishers: - Freshman Wyatt Moran - Senior Austin Smith - Senior Andy Milner 3rd place finishers: - Sophomore James Gilliam - Senior Joe Kyburz - Junior Will Molali