The Patriot - March 2012, Issue 4, Vol 47

Golf team tees off Golf team prepares to swing into a new spring season Sports 15

E-readers begin to replace books

E-readers provide technological alternatives to books In-Depth 8-9

The John Carroll School 703 E Churchville Rd Bel Air, MD 21014 Volume 47, Issue 4 March 2012

Photo courtesy of Stewart Walker

(Left) The old convent building behind the student parking lot is going to be converted into dormitories for international students who will attend JC. The renovations are going to be completed by mid-August 2012.

(Below) These are the preliminary sketches for the renovations. The main changes include adding a sprinkler system to get the building up to fire code. The sketches are not final.

Dorms to be provided for international students Martha Schick Managing Editor Dormitories will be available to house international students starting in the 20122013 school year.

The dorms will be built in the former convent and will be home to about 16 international students, according to President Richard O’Hara.

“We are planning to renovate the former convent to serve as a residence hall for international students because we have received such a tremendous amount of interest from international recruiting efforts, especially from China,” O’Hara said.

According to O’Hara, the dorms will allow for enrollment of more international students and will not affect non-international students.

“We had so much interest that we wanted to take advantage of. We knew that we could not find as many host families as there is demand. Roughly, we would have 16 students living in the hall, and we’re hoping at least a handful of families would also offer to host in their home,” O’Hara said.

According to Principal Madelyn Ball, because the dorm will be one floor of the building, it will be an all-male dorm.

There will also be an adult advisor living with them. This person may or may not be a faculty member.

“We have to have somebody who’s going to live there all the time, but then there also has to be someone who can relieve them if they need to go somewhere or do something,” Ball said.

The cost of living in the dorms will be included in tuition for the international students. “The international students come with a certain amount of money for room and board, so it would go to us or, if they were staying with a host family, it would go to the host family,” Ball said.

According to O’Hara, renovations will start late in the current school year and mostly take place during the summer. The dorms should be ready by mid-August 2012, which is when students will start moving in. They will live there throughout the duration of the school year and return home in June 2013.

“The main renovation would be, in order to get up to fire code, we’d have to put a

Photo courtesy of Stewart Walker

sprinkler system in the building,” O’Hara said.

Other renovations include changing conference rooms into dorms, places for advisors to live, dining rooms, lounges, or libraries. The plans are not finalized.

Other than that, “reconfiguration of restrooms and dorm spaces” would be the only things to change to make the building livable, according to O’Hara.

According to O’Hara, the dance studio and administrative offices on the first floor would remain where they are, as the dorms will be on the second floor.

“I think it is a fantastic opportunity for the school to have kids living here on campus. It makes us really unique,” Ball said.

Patriot Parent Association will no longer fund After-Prom Grace Kim Online Chief Starting with next year’s incoming freshmen, Prom fundraising will no longer be reserved for just senior year.

“We have suggested that the individual classes, starting with freshmen and continuing through seniors, need to take a larger part in funding this event. Fundraisers need to be organized throughout the four years so that enough money can be set aside to pay for a large portion of the event,” Patriot Parent Association (PPA) President Mark Lazoff said.

Currently, the PPA helps the senior class fundraise for Prom, primarily in regards to the After-Prom event.

According to Principal Madelyn Ball, the fundraising plan for the incoming freshman class is to set aside a certain amount of money every year to get ahead of fundraising for Prom come senior year.

“In three years, it would be nice if every

class came into their senior year already with three or four thousand dollars in the pot. Then you [the students] can still have your fundraisers in your senior year to also get it [the price of Prom tickets] down, but it is getting more and more and more expensive everywhere for Prom,” Ball said.

“The more they [the incoming freshman] do now, the less it will cost [them] when they’re seniors,” Ball said.

“Each class should have a plan … If you want to raise that amount of money to put towards your Prom and put some money towards going to Hershey Park, that’s fine,” Ball said. The freshman class trip to Hershey Park is the main expenditure of the class.

Tying in with the new fundraising plan for incoming freshman is the fact that the PPA will no longer be heavily funding the After-Prom event as they have for previous senior classes.

“Unfortunately, I cannot answer how

much money will be allocated for the Prom next year or how any revenue collected by the PPA will be distributed. This will be up to my successor and their executive committee. A budget is formed and voted on within the first two meetings of the school year and then carried out,” Lazoff said.

“The PPA has funded almost the entire After-Prom in years past, which was over 30 percent of our budget. Since the closing of the ESPN Zone, we have been scrambling the past two years to find a venue that would accommodate the needs of the senior class as well as being a fiscally responsible option for the PPA,” Lazoff said.

Despite the financial changes, Lazoff assures that no harmful changes will be made in regards to the actual After-Prom event.

“I want to emphasize that, no matter what happens with the future funding, the safety of the student is our number-one priority. This is the purpose of this event [After-Prom],” Lazoff said.

Photo by Brianna Glase

Guidance counselor Carrie Siemsen teaches students in Junior Guidance how to search for colleges. Next year, Siemsen will be the sole college counselor.

Guidance creates single college counselor position Maggie Cassidy Print Chief The Guidance Department will be reorganizing for the 2012-2013 school year, appointing one college counselor and having three remain personal counselors.

Guidance counselors Carol HeflinShupe, Larry Hensley, and Kathy Barnes will handle student scheduling and personal issues, while Carrie Siemsen will become the full-time college counselor handling college affairs such as applications, athletic signings, and scholarships. According to Siemsen, the one shared college-related task will be writing letters of recommendation from the Guidance Department, like in past years.

“The college counselor will be responsible for almost all things college-related.

I will meet with each junior individually and teach the junior guidance lessons,” Siemsen said. According to Siemsen, all of the current students she counsels will be divided amongst the remaining counselors.

To increase interest in JC was anotherreason for establishing the college counselor, according to Principal Madelyn Ball.

“It’s hard for me to market us as a college prep school without a designated college counselor, because the other schools have so many,” Ball said.

“I know that Ms. Ball would like one of my goals to be to expand students’ options a bit, whether that means regionally, competitively, or academically,” Siemsen said.

Another addition is the College Center, located in the library work room. There, students will look through college material and meet with college representatives.

“I really believe, now that I’ve started, that the program can improve with one person focusing solely on college counseling,” Siemsen said.

However, some of the junior class worries about the amount of work on Siemsen’s plate. “I think she’s going to be overwhelmed. We have like 160 people in our class. I think it’s just too much work for one person,” junior Elliot Weinberg said.

INDEX NEWS..........2 LIFESTYLE.....4 A&E............7

IN-DEPTH...... 8 OPINION.......11 SPORTS........14

2

NEWS

Robotics team finishes up season at state championships Adam Kuester

JC

INSIDER

News Editor

Robotics team 4506 finished 31st out of 32 teams at the Maryland For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Tech Challenge (FTC) Championship on Saturday, Feb. 25.

The other JC Robotics team, team 4621, withdrew from the tournament, as only two members could attend.

Members of team 4506 included junior Andy Beain and sophomores Jon Kolson and Austin Schap. The team scored zero qualifying points, or points received for winning a match. They scored 157 ranking points, or points gained during the match.

Despite the loss, Robotics moderator Rebecca JansingKaestner feels positively about the season. “I think it’s been an extremely successful year. Good leadership by the Beains, good teamwork to build our bots, and at two years in, we’re at states,” Jansing-Kaestner said.

The competition was played out on a 12 feet by 12 feet diamond-shaped field, which included two home zones comprised of a platform and a ramp and two protected zones where teams could stack their crates without having them toppled over by their opponents.

The objective is to place racquetballs into crates and stack the crates using the robots. Other

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

New classes planned for 20122013 school year

Photo by Adam Kuester

Robotics team 4506 members (from left to right) junior Andy Beain, sophomore Austin Schap, and sophomore Jon Kolson concentrate on making their robot put racquetballs into crates to aid their alliance members. The team finished 31st out of 32 teams and hopes to come back bigger and better next year. ways to earn points include lifting crates and pushing bowling balls into certain areas of the field.

Two alliances of two teams each compete in matches consisting of an autonomous period and a driver-controlled period.

“The idea is that you see what strengths your alliance will have.

One match you may be allied with one group, then the next match they may be on the other side,” team mentor Margaret Beain said.

According to Renee Spangler, a team 4506 alliance member in the last match, “[Team 4506] is

very professional on the field.”

In general, the team was satisfied with their performance. “It was a very successful season, it just ended abruptly. We came very far for our first year [as a team], ” Schap said.

“I think our strength is the ability to design. We have some really good designs, but our limitation is tools and equipment. Other teams have professionally done metalwork. We’ve had a generous donor, but have done no fundraising. In the future, I’d like to see the team take ownership of

fundraising and other managerial things,” Jansing-Kaestner said.

“Our greatest strength is that we work well together and there are only a few of us. Our greatest weakness is that we’re not always together,” Kolson said.

Reflecting on the season, Andy acknowledges the areas that need improvement. “Managing time is probably what we should have done better,” Andy said.

Jansing-Kaestner is looking toward success next year. “In the future years, we’ll be even better,” Jansing-Kaestner said.

Four new courses are being introduced for the 2012-2013 school year.

According to Math Department Chair Susan Gradishar, Math Analysis is a continuation of Trigonometry and an introduction to Calculus. “Now students don’t have to take Calculus to get experience with it,” Gradishar said.

According to Gradishar, the aim of reinstating Statistics is to expand it into AP Statistics in the future. “It’s an important course in college, regardless of what field a student goes into,” Gradishar said.

According to Science Department Chair Rebecca JansingKaestner, students in the new Robotics course will be able to learn a combination of programming and the physics involved in robotics. “I hope [students] gain an appreciation for robotics, mostly the programming. There’s a high demand for programmers out there,” Jansing-Kaestner said.

The Introduction to Architecture course “coincides with the [Computer-Aided Design], which links art with STEM. People don’t realize how important art is in science,” according to Fine Arts Department Chair Bruno Baran.

Practicing architect Lisa Collins will teach this course. “I want to expose the students to the field of architecture and the diversity it has to offer. Whether they forge ahead into careers as architects, or move in other directions, I hope that they leave with a better appreciation for the built environment in which they live,” Collins said.

By Brianna Glase

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Say goodbye to the 47-yearold restrooms in the lobby, and say hello to the soon to be freshly renovated ones.

According to President Richard O’Hara, the restrooms in the main lobby, original to the construction of JC, will be refurbished, and a new community gathering area will be created in the adjacent hallway.

The renovation it will occur over the upcoming summer before the 2012-2013 school year.

“The main lobby restrooms are targeted because the project is something that we’re able to do now, given the funding. Although it’s not the top priority in the master facilities plan, it’s something everybody sees and utilizes. The rest rooms haven’t been upgraded in 47 years. It’s time,” O’Hara said.

According to O’Hara, a major donor will help fund the renovation. At this time, the name of the donor is unavailable.

By Maggie Cassidy

3

NEWS

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

Cinderella Tea enchants little princesses Brianna Glase

Managing Editor Grade schooler Morgan Lewis had a magical birthday on March 3 at the Cinderella Tea fundraiser, following the Theater Department’s performance of “Cinderella.” At the tea, children took pictures and got autographs from the cast of “Cinderella.”

“My favorite part was getting autographs from the fairy godmother, stepmother, and stepsisters,” Lewis said.

“It was funny, because some of the kids wanted a hug, but then some of them came up to me asking why [the stepsisters] were so mean to Cinderella,” sophomore Erin Huffer, stepsister Joy, said.

The tea was the idea of director of “Cinderella” Laura Lang. She sought help from the Patriot Parent Association (PPA) to orchestrate the tea.

To make the fairytale experience more realistic, Lang asked for the cast to help. “It was like Disney, get your pictures taken with the characters,” Lang said.

At the tea, senior Stephanie Meadowcroft, Cinderella, and senior Chris O’Neill, Prince Christopher, stood for pictures and autographs.

“I thought it’d be a perfect opportunity for all the little girls to meet the characters,” Meadowcroft said.

“I thought it was really cute how the kids were so excited to get their picture with us,” O’Neill said.

In December, the PPA hosted a similar fundraising event before the performance of “White Christmas.” All of the tickets to that event were sold, “so we knew that this kind of thing worked,” Lang said.

The Cinderella Tea upped the ante, selling all 250 tickets and raising $1200. “[The tea] was sold out probably a week before the event,” Lang said. According to Lang, about $500 of the profits will go directly towards the Theater Department.

Members of the faculty took

Photo by Brianna Glase

Junior Thomas Gardner, in character as Lionel from “Cinderella,” poses with girls dressed up like princesses. Children who attended the Cinderella Tea could take pictures with and get autographs from any of the cast members. advantage of the Cinderella Tea to spend time with family and friends while the kids had fun.

Guidance counselor Carrie Siemsen brought 14 of her friends to the tea. “I thought it was a lovely idea, I love how all

the characters went around and talked to the little girls,” she said.

Secretary Susan Strawbridge attended the tea with her niece, grandniece, two grandnephews, mother, father, aunt, and cousins.

“The characters are great, they’re

still in character. The kids will remember this for a long time,” she said.

“The joy brought to the kids, you can’t measure that... I was thrilled with the results,” Lang said.

Gay marriage bill signed in Maryland

Photo courtesy of Paul Lazor

This sign will be placed around the school near recycling bins stating what can and cannot be recycled. The Recycling Club hopes that this will streamline efforts to be more environmentally friendly.

Lazor attempts environmental facelift Kailey Tracy

Copy Editor Water bottles, napkins, paper bags, and other garbage fills the cafeteria trash can to the brim.

Adding another piece of waste would push the pile over the edge.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, the average American throws away over 1,130 pounds of trash each year. Moderator of the Recycling Club Paul Lazor aims to reduce this number with a green initiative honing in on recycling.

After achieving Green School status in 2007, JC hoped to reapply again this spring for the title, but has not maintained Green School stipulations. Green School status recognizes schools that make an effort to reduce their environmental footprints “Each year, we were supposed to make certain [Green School] changes, documenting each one.

It would be impossible to apply [this year] because we haven’t made that many changes since four years ago,” Lazor said.

According to Principal Madelyn Ball, the school has resources to make changes. “The school is in good shape for [Green School status], it just lost momentum over the last few years,” she said.

Students’ lack of knowledge

regarding what can and can’t be thrown into recycling bins plays a role in the Green School status stagnation, according to Director of Facilities Stewart Walker.

In an effort to encourage and inform students about recycling, 30-45 recycling bins will be placed around the campus. They will be accompanied by signs stating what can be put in the bins, according to Lazor.

The Recycling Club will hold an assembly on Wednesday, April 25, to present the new single stream recycling program. “We have everything that we need to get this done, it’s just a matter of organizing it and educating the school community about it,” Lazor said.

“By going green, the club can educate students and faculty on how to properly recycle and teach them why it’s important,” junior Recycling Club member Morgan Jones said.

“If all students work together and recycle, it can make a really big difference. I want to be one of the people that makes a difference,” freshman club member Nicole Arrison said.

After the assembly, Lazor will be on the prowl, handing out Wawa gift cards to those who can state what goes in the bins.

News Editor Governor Martin O’Malley signed the gay marriage bill into law on Thursday, March 1, at 5 p.m. in the state capital, making Maryland the eighth state to allow same-sex marriage.

“We are one Maryland, and all of us at the end of the day want the same thing for our children.

We want them to live in loving, caring, committed homes that are protected equally under the law,” O’Malley said, addressing the crowd at the signing ceremony.

Social studies teacher Robert Schick supports the bill. “I’m a big fan of the Declaration of Independence. I like the part about everyone being guaranteed the right to pursue happiness. I think the tide of public opinion is turning and people realize that everyone is entitled to their civil rights,” Schick said.

Sophomore Kaley Martin echoes these sentiments. “I’m for the bill because I believe that marriage should be for everyone,” Martin said.

Religion teacher Rachel Harkins, however, opposes the bill.

“I am against the bill because I believe marriage is defined between one man and one woman.

This bill seeks to redefine that traditional definition,” Harkins said.

“

I’m a big fan of the Declaration of Independence. I like the part about everyone being guaranteed the right to pursue happiness.

- Robert Schick

“

Adam Kuester

Harkins explains that the bill merited discussion in her class. “I had one class where I had a student ask me about my views the day after the Senate passed the bill. I actually passed on two articles to the student to help explain what I believe,” Harkins said.

Same-sex marriages will not be legally performed in Maryland

until January 2013, and supporters expect another battle this fall.

Opponents are searching for the 55,000 signatures needed to place an anti-gay marriage referendum on the November ballot. If a referendum is placed on the ballot, Maryland voters decide the fate of gay marriage in Maryland.

“I think it will be put up for referendum at the next election,” Harkins said.

Senior Alex Burdeshaw is hopeful about the future of the bill. “I hope it’ll stay. I think it is a step in the right direction towards equal rights for everyone,” Burdeshaw said.

Schick sees the bill as part of a historical trend of the United States gradually accepting change. “I’m old enough to remember when it was a crime for a black person to marry a white person. I knew many people that would have fought tooth and nail to keep black people from marrying white people. Now the President of the United States is a product of a mixed marriage,” Schick said.

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4

LIFESTYLES

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

Senior soars with new pilot’s license Sarah Kearby Lifestyles Editor Senior James Mews flies up, up, and away as he attempts to get his pilot’s license.

Mews decided to get his pilot’s license because of his family background.

“Many of my family members have been pilots, including my dad, and I drove by the airport one day and thought, why not try?

I’ve always wanted to fly,” Mews said.

Mews knew he had a lot of work ahead of him. A pilot’s license requires 40 hours total of flight time, which includes 10 hours of solo flight locally, five hours of dual cross country, five hours solo cross country, 10 take offs and landings at a controlled airport, and 10 take offs and landings during the night.

“Then also 10 hours of ground school. After the class, I have to pass the written test, and once all that’s finished I have to pass my check ride,” Mews said.

Mews also faced “the chal-

Photo courtesy James Mews

Senior James Mews shakes hands with his flight insturctor, Allen Kash, after landing his first solo flight in a Cessna 172. Mews has started the process to get his pilot’s license. lenge of earning the trust of a new instructor,” when his original instructor took a new job with the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, D.C. Mews decided it was worth it.

“By far the best part of flying is the feeling. In the air when I am in full control of the plane I feel a sensation of peace. There isn’t any traffic or any other plane within miles. It’s an extremely

calm feeling,” Mews said.

Most of the time flying is relaxing, except when things don’t go exactly as planned.

On Mews’ first solo cross country flight, a nasty weather report

made things tricky. He had to turn around due to an approaching storm.

“When I finally landed, the cloud level was almost down to 1400 feet [1500 feet below the limit his instructor had set] and visibility was getting bad. When I got out of the plane and talked to the instructor, he said that 20 minutes after I left the storms started to come through,” Mews said.

Mews flies a Cessna 172 out of Harford Air, the airfield associated with the Churchville airport.

He has to plan times to fly with the instructor, which are typically scheduled to last about two hours.

Cross country flights are scheduled for four hours. For a dual flight, when a student flies with an instructor, the student has to schedule time with an instructor as well.

“Once I get my license, I am hoping to go to Embry Riddle, an aeronautical and aviation college, and there I am hoping to get my commercial license and maybe become a pilot for an airline,” Mews said.

Editor becomes certified Maryland boater Sarah Kearby Lifestyles Editor Instead of taking the easy way out and getting my boating certification online, I took an eight hour class and learned how to boat safely and properly.

Even though eight hours was a long time to be in the classroom, I learned a lot. Being an extremely inexperienced boater, with only previous experience steering a canoe or paddling in a kayak, the class really opened my eyes to the rules of the water.

First I learned the basics, such as right being the starboard side of the boat and left being the port side. I also learned that personal watercraft such a Jet Skis or ski doos are considered inboard vessels less than 16 feet in length by the Coast Guard.

It is also important that you always let someone reliable on land

know when and where you are boating.

After mastering the basics, I began learning more important things such as who has the rightof-way in the water, which is definitely more complicated than driving. It depends on which direction all the boats are going, but it’s something I probably would have never mastered from a couple questions on an online quiz.

You also learn a lot about the navigation lights you are required to have onboard the ship at night, such as red and green sidelights and an all-round white light.

These lights need to be understood if you are boating at night because you have to know how to travel around the other boats on the waterway.

I also learned how to tightly tie up a boat, not just twisting a rope around the cleat or metal fitting found on the dock.

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I found out how to find a life vest that fit me just right. These things could never have been discovered through a computer screen.

The bonus of having an instructor with previous experience in the Coast Guard and lots of firsthand knowledge of being a boater himself was absolutely invaluable. We heard numerous stories throughout the class from mistakes he had seen on the water and lots of little tips that would not have been found in a book or online course.

My instructor’s stories about his adventures on the water made me dream of my own future endeavors.

Until I finally get a boat of my own, I’ll just paddle around the waterways with my waterproof certification card and be fully educated about the rules of the water.

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Photo courtesy Sarah Kearby

Senior Sarah Kearby ties a boat to the dock. Kearby recently became a certified Maryland boater for her senior project.

If you’re interested in becoming a certified boater in Maryland, here are some tips: aIf you are under the age of 16, you cannot operate a personal watercraft. aThere are three ways to become certified: Online, in a classroom, and an Equivalency Exam. aOnline, you can study at your own pace and take the exam. If you pass, you can print out a temporary certificate that is valid for 30 days and receive your Maryland Basic Boating Safety Education Certificate. aTo receive your certificate by going to a class, you must attend a minimum of eight hours of class.

Courses are offered at Edgewood Public Library. aIf you don’t have any time to take the course, you can take the Equivalency Exam. You will receive the textbook used in class and, after studying, you can contact a testing site to schedule a date to take the test. aNo matter how you become certified, you must receive a grade of 80 percent on the exam or higher to pass. aYou can take these classes for under $30.

LIFESTYLES

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

5

JC begins taping Holocaust speakers for future seniors

Photo courtesy of Megan Battaglia

Senior Sara Turks spends time with Holocaust speaker Morris Rosen.

Seniors served as guides for the speakers during the Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Grace Kim Online Chief When the Holocaust speaker guides gathered in the Brown Room prior to the speakers’ arrival, Creative Writing teacher and Senior Project Coordinator Louise Geczy shared some disappointing news. Two of the speakers had called in sick and were no longer able to come in.

The Holocaust speaker assembly is arranged to teach seniors

about the most infamous genocide of the 20th century. Each year, Holocaust survivors come to share their experiences. Due to the aging speakers and the uncertainty of their return every year, Geczy arranged to tape speakers.

“I think there is a greater sense of urgency than in the past. Not only is their age a factor, but some have health issues. . . In the past, we have always had good intentions about taping but not followed through on the process. I

did not want to have this happen this year,” Geczy said.

“I completely agreed with [Geczy] that it’s important to document these speakers. I also thought it would be a good exercise for television production students to shoot documentary type footage of these speakers. We’re [Geczy and Schick] still discussing what to do with the over 13 hours of footage,” Schick said.

The two seniors who filmed the speakers were seniors Lauren Cook and Misha Fehrmann.

“I filmed the Holocaust speakers because I felt like I owed it to them to carry on their legacy,” Cook said.

“I enjoyed filming the speakers because it provided me an opportunity to help them share their stories and experiences. The personal accounts are the best way for people to truly understand the severity of the events that occurred and can help put a face to the victims of the Holocaust,” Fehrmann said.

Geczy took over the program because of her experience with a program she instituted at Perry

Hall High School.

“There is no material I have ever taught that has had more of a lasting impact on students than the Holocaust. I think that the life lessons that it contains, the glimpse it provides into a world altering historical event, and the gifts that it can provide to each of us, are unparalleled,” Geczy said.

“I attended my first teacher workshop sponsored by the Baltimore Jewish Council [BJC] because I taught ‘Night’ in my gifted and talented sophomore English classes. I heard my first survivor story and something in the program, the historical event, and the people struck a chord deep within me and I knew that this was something I would pursue for the rest of my life,” Geczy said.

Though she wasn’t sure how to get survivors to come originally, she found the BJC. “When I found out the BJC would help me arrange for a survivor to speak to my students, I took advantage of that. Since then, I have attended many workshops and now teach others at

The John Carroll Holocaust Project Seniors take first trip to the Holocaust Museum Spring 1993

Rising seniors are required to read Night for Summer Reading

Summer 1998

Spring 1998

Junior history courses incorporate the Holocaust

them,” Geczy said.

Geczy contacts the Director of Holocaust Education at the BJC, Jeanette Parmigiani, to reach the survivors and have them speak.

“The arrangements for their visits to any school or organization are then handled through the specific school [or] organization.

I am currently working with her on a program at Cecil Community College [on] their first ever on Holocaust education that a survivor and I will present later this month,” Geczy said.

As for the future of the program, Geczy does not have all of the answers yet. “. . .Certainly playing tapes of their stories will be better than simply having to talk about their stories, but I think this poses a huge dilemma for everyone involved in Holocaust education.

“The reality is that this is the end of an era and nothing we do will ever be quite the same. . . the importance of the subject matter does not lessen, even if the survivors are gone. In fact, it becomes more important when firsthand testimony is gone,” Geczy said.

Geczy begins taping Holocaust speakers for future students

Spring 2012

Fall 2001

Geczy comes to JC and incorporates Holocaust speakers and field trip to Arlington Cemetery

Senior reflects on family struggles during Holocaust Megan Foard Multimedia Editor Many people can trace their ancestry to someone famous like George Washington or royalty in other countries. My story is different.

My family lost many lives and other families were destroyed in the worst genocide in history: the Holocaust. Recently, JC took the senior class to the Holocaust Museum. It is an extremely depressing museum, but my family will always be remembered there.

Before I tell my own story, I have to tell my grandmother’s story.

My grandmother Shelly comes from Romania. She had a fine childhood. She tells me stories about participating in gymnastics and attending law school.

Her brother was studying to be a doctor. Her parents owned a dry goods shop in Yassi, and they were happy. Then, the Holocaust happened.

As I walked through the Holocaust Museum, I saw the story of my grandmother’s life during WWII. I saw photographs of

people being lined up, shot, and dumped into a ditch. These are things she actually had to live through. After seeing those images, I question the morality of humankind, but if my grandmother can still see good in people, so can I. Her survivor story starts around 11 a.m. on the day when her life would be changed forever. Inside of her house that morning, she heard a lot of noise coming from outside.

Her brother was home with her, and they went outside to see what was going on. Soldiers forced her and her brother apart, lining the women and children of the village on one side of the street and the men on the other side.

The men, including her brother and uncle, were taken on the cattle cars. My grandmother and her mother were let go. This was an example of a pogrom, an organized killing of a minority, in Romania.

According to my grandmother, if you tried to run, you were shot.

If you tried to go see someone on the other side of the street, you were shot. Many women and

children were shot, killed, and dumped in a trench that they had helped dig.

There is a small section in the museum that is dedicated to the pogroms. A small section, because in all honesty, programs were not remotely as bad as the concentration camps, the crematoriums, or the death marches where millions lost their lives.

Her brother was never heard from again. We have yet to learn if he died on the cattle car, was shot along the way, was gassed to death, or was one of the millions who spent their last seconds in the crematorium.

In the Holocaust Museum, there is a section where people can look for lost relatives to see what happened to them. I have been there twice and have yet to find his name.

I have family spread across the world from Romania to Israel. I have never met them and I probably never will. My family history was lost the minute Hitler decided to erase my family off the face of the planet.

I, however, am the lucky one.

My grandmother was spared and

Photo courtesy of the Holocaust Memorial Museum

Romanian soldiers arrest a group of Jews during the Iasi pogrom, one of the most violent pogroms in history. Foard’s grandmother’s brother and uncle were victims of a pogrom during the Holocaust. my family is still alive, compared job as a soldier and his horror at to the other families that were the sight of concentration camps. completely destroyed.

It had never hit me how awful it During the Holocaust Remem- actually was during those times brance Day, I got to talk to many until I heard his story. others whose families are similar JC prides itself in educating to mine, but the most important their students to be well-rounded. speaker was Sol Goldstein, a This is one of the many traditions liberator. It was a side that I had that I love. never heard before.

It is important to me that JC I lived growing up with my keeps alive the memory of those family’s survivor story, but I lost because of the Holocaust and never heard the side of a libera- reminds students how terrible it tor. Goldstein talked about his was for so many families.

6

LIFESTYLES

Lent

Students and teachers share their attitude towards Lent and their Lenten traditions.

I gave up french fries, but I am also doing random acts of kindness and praying for two randomly selected friends daily.

Campus Minister Patti Murphy-Dohn

I gave up junk food. You just feel better when you eat healthy.

Junior Claire Zurkowski

I’m giving up caring [about] what people think about me.

Freshman Emma Kleinberg

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

Healthy You!

BY STEPHANIE MEADOWCROFT

I tried to give up fast food, but I failed. I still eat it less, just not completely given up.

Senior Matthew Zoltoski

To me, Lent is a time of self-renewal and spirtual development.

Sophomore Travis Nelson

I gave up Facebook and Twitter because they were distracting and I couldn’t do my homework.

Freshman Allen Bryant

Drinking water revitalizes body Water, water, everywhere but not a drop to drink. Seems to be that way in society today, where every beverage is flooded with calories and caffeine, defeating the cleansing purpose of pure water.

While sweetened beverages may taste better and be easier to drink in large amounts, water is the most beneficial liquid to the body.

Because water makes up 60 percent of body weight, it is important to drink a sufficient amount of water to keep the body performing at its best.

The benefits of drinking water are multifaceted. Truestar Health, a personal profiling total health program with a team of doctors and nutritionists, lists seven reasons why drinking water is important. The most general benefit of water is that it helps with overall body function.

Water helps flush out any toxins in the body, which eases the workload of the kidneys and liver.

Diseases and infections are also prevented with the intake of adequate fluids.

Drinking enough water allows for digestion and absorption to work efficiently, gives the body energy for exercise, and controls the amount of calories ingested from sweetened beverages. WebMD says that eating water-rich foods is filling because of the higher volume, and it also fulfills the body’s water requirements.

Healthy skin is able to maintain moisture when there is ample water in the body to be distributed. It allows the skin to retain its elasticity and suppleness, and also prevents dryness and detoxifying the skin.

For those who workout a lot, drinking water is especially vital to stay in the game. Water provides needed protection for joints and muscles by acting as a cushion against shock. A dehydrated body is more likely to sustain an injury, as well as experience muscle cramps and weakness.

So how much water is enough?

The truth is that it varies depending upon the person, says the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit medical care, research, and educational institute.

Most people have heard that the recommended amount of water intake is eight eight-ounce glasses of water every day. However, individuals may need to modify their fluid intake depending on how much they exercise, the dryness of their environment, and any illnesses or health issues.

Increasing up to two and a half cups of water is sufficient for normal amounts of exercise.

The easiest way to get this fulfilling amount is buying bottled water in bulk or carrying around a water bottle all day and refilling it.

A&E

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

JC girls share dresses on Facebook Eva Bialobrzeski A&E Editor When senior Kayla Stoots opened up her Facebook, she checked the Prom page to make sure no other girls had taken the dresses she was thinking about.

Both classes have created Facebook groups devoted to Ring Dance or Prom.

The objective of both groups is to ensure that no two girls come to the year’s biggest dances in the same dress.

Senior Taylor Hooper and junior Emily Clarke were the pioneers behind creating the two Facebook groups. According to Clarke, she created the group due to an alumna informing her about how well their Facebook pages worked out.

“I thought it was great idea,” Clarke said.

Some seniors have mixed feeling about the groups.

“I think that posting dresses on Facebook kind of takes away the fun of seeing everyone’s dresses on Prom night. Although it’s helpful because then no two people will have the same dress,” Stoots said.

Senior Halea Blair agrees with Stoots when it comes to the idea that the groups take away the element of surprise.

“I removed mine [my dress from the group],” Blair said.

Juniors and seniors alike look at the Facebook groups as new JC traditions.

“I think it’s helpful because you can see everyone’s dresses. They [other classes] have done it for a while,” senior Sam English said.

“You get to see what kind of dresses everyone else is wearing and it helps you get an idea of what you want to wear. I feel like it connected the girls in our grade too because you’re all helping

Shopping Tips: "I got my Ring Dance dress off of tidebuy.com. My friends had been looking at the website and I was able to find a dress that I really liked for a decent price."

Jen Kreis ‘13

“I got mine from the BCBG outlet store because I’ve had a ton of luck there and I wanted something unique and short.”

each other out with deciding what dress to wear,” junior Amy Slusher said.

Junior Emily Cashour mirrors Slusher’s thoughts.

“I thought the group was a really great idea. It helps make sure nobody accidentally gets the same dress,” Cashour said.

The groups are convenient because most girls, of both the junior and the senior class, have Facebooks and check them regularly.

“It was an awesome idea. It’s really convenient because that way there won’t be any awkwardness if two girls get the same dress, because that won’t happen,” junior Julie Kraus said.

Most of the junior girls felt the same way as Slusher and Kraus.

“It serves its purpose of making sure girls don’t get the same dresses, but it’s also a cool way to keep connected with all the junior girls.

It’s really a great way to keep everyone in the loop,” junior Sierra Ficca said.

“I got it online because it was easy. I didn’t see any dresses I liked in stores, and the people were really unhelpful.”

Girls go to great lengths to find that perfect formal dress, literally.

They drive so far as an hour and 45 minutes to get to King of Prussia Mall, over an hour to get to Christiana Mall, and 40 minutes to get to Towson Marketplace.

Gas prices are too high to waste on driving so far to a place where the perfect dress may not even be found. Instead of driving a ridiculous amount of time to find a dress, just head to a place less than five minutes from school.

Not only does Main Street in downtown Bel Air feature a few dress stores, but it is also close to home and worth a try. Walk into B. Fabulous, Tiger Lily, or The Pink Silhouette to find a dress, some accessories, a great conversation, and a JC alumna.

Right off the side of Main Street is a tiny cottage with a sign that reads “The Pink Silhouette.”

The only way to describe walking into the cottage is walking through the wardrobe into Narnia.

The entrance into the plain-faced

cottage opens to a wonderland of color that will leave anyone with a smile on their face.

The Pink Silhouette does not have formal dresses for Ring Dance or Prom, but there are plenty of dresses for girls looking for something to wear for Ring Breakfast.

Brightly colored Lilly Pulitzer dresses line the shelves of the store and adorn the mannequins placed neatly all around. The prices for the dresses range from $60 to $300.

The Pink Silhouette and B. Fabulous are both owned by JC alumna Susan Patti. Patti describes Pink Silhouette as “more branded” versus B. Fabulous which is darker, edgier, and more unique with “funky, chunky jewelry.”

B. Fabulous is also a small boutique without a huge array of formal dresses that girls consider for Prom or Ring Dance. However, there are also plenty of dresses for Ring Breakfast and the Ring Ceremony.

Tiger Lily is very feminine and has a much bigger array of for-

of JC girls prefer to buy formal dresses or formal wear in stores

94% of girls plan to spend about $195 on a prom dress, according to Seventeen magazine*

*based off a poll from 2004

“I have no idea where I am getting my Prom dress. I may be getting it online”

Hannah Griffith ‘13 Stephanie Wrabel ‘12 Lauren Foster ‘12

Main Street boutiques satisfy dance needs A&E Editor

81%

The Patriot staff investigated the biggest question of the Prom and Ring Dance season: Where are you getting your dress?

Artwork by Claire Zurkowski

Chioma Iheoma

7

Photo by Eva Bialobrzeski

Tiger Lily is just one of the many stores on Main Street that offers a variety of dresses and accersories. Also, shopping there is a great way to shop local.

mal dresses which are shipped in every two weeks, all of which are priced over $200 and are worth each penny in style.

This store is better equipped for formal dances as it features more changing rooms and even heels just for girls to try on to see the complete look. Clare Sneddon, class of ’07, works at Tiger Lily and makes sure to help out customers in their search for the perfect dress.

Tiger Lily has even kept in mind the problem of two girls

showing up to one dance with the same dress. “[We] keep track of what dresses go to what school,” Sneddon said. She admits that girls may buy the same dress from another store, but the small boutique does play a hand in limiting the problem.

For Prom and Ring Dance, avoid the headache and go to Tiger Lily to get a formal, lengthy evening gown. Ring Breakfast and Ring Ceremony dresses can easily be found in B. Fabulous as well as The Pink Silhouette.

8

IN-DEPTH

Another one

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

Bytes

the Dust

Kindle on PC

JC bridges the gap between the latest e-readers and old-fashioned books.

q Kindle for PC is available for all computers running Windows XP with Service Pack 2+, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. q Install the app for free on Amazon’s website.

12%

of Americans plan to buy an e-reader within 6 months According to the LA Times

q Register your Kindle with your Amazon account. If you don’t have an account, making one is free. q Once you download the app, there are already several books downloaded onto your Kindle for free. These include classics like “The Scarlet Letter” and “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.” q Other books can be bought and paid for through your Amazon account.

64.1%

of JC students do not have an e-reader

10.3%

of JC students own another type of ereader

21.8%

of JC students own a Nook

35.6%

of JC students own a type of Kindle

39.1%

Students chapter e-reade

of JC students own an iPad

1 in 10

Americans own e-readers According to the LA Times

All students were polled on Mar. 8 through Surveymonkey. 209 students responded to the survey. The survey has a +/- 4% accuracy rate.

92

s n

of JC students use e-readers in school

2.1%

of JC students do not use e-readers in school

Paper textbooks are expensive to buy every year and get tattered as they are passed down from student to student.

u

Textbook weight filling the backpacks of students can lead to back pain and poor posture.

u

With textbooks on e-readers or iPads, students have an alternative to paper textbooks.

u

Students can interact with captions, rotate objects, and have answers appear in a chapter review.

u

They can flip pages by sliding their finger across the page, highlight text, take notes, search for content, and find definitions at a touch of the finger.

u

With the light-weight quality of the iPad or other e-readers, all textbooks can be compiled into one unit and carried anywhere with ease.

u

McGraw-Hill, Pearson Education, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the top publishers that account for over 90 percent of K-12 content, have now created textbooks available for e-readers and iPads available in online bookstores like the iBookstore for iPad.

Books VS E-books

of JC students have an e-reader

s start a new r with 7.9% ers

u

Electronic textbooks

35.9%

9

IN-DEPTH

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

Is JC in favor of replacing novels with e-books?

Ashley Beyer

Lifestyles Editor

With new technology constantly growing and changing, it was only a matter of time before books became technologically advanced as well. JC has jumped on the bandwagon and started letting students use e-books in English classes.

Now, e-books like the Nook, Kindle, and even the iPad are taking the place of regular paperback books.

Students are able to use e-books inside of school as well as outside. In English classes, students are allowed to use the e-books when reading novels.

Freshman Emily Kern uses the Nook in Christine Zurkowski’s English class. “I have a Nook and it’s a touch screen. It makes reading easier,” Kern said.

“They’re the same to me as a book. It’s nice and small and portable. It’s something I know the student is reading. It’s a matter of personal convenience [for the student]. I don’t have a strong preference. To me, it’s a book,” Zurkowski said.

English teacher Matthew Blair echoes Zurkowski’s sentiments on e-books.

“I really don’t see their use in class as any different than using the hard copy of a book,

and they have much less potential to be a distraction than a computer,” Blair said.

According to Blair, one or two students approached him about using e-books, however, this is the first year in which he mentioned the option of using e-books in class to his students.

“I did encourage students to use them for their term paper novels because of the search features and the ease of finding quotes that support their thesis,” Blair said.

With e-readers like the Nook and Kindle users are able to utilize tools such as highlighting a passage of the text and bookmarking a particular passage.

Sophomore Kaley Martin uses her e-reader to keep track of terms for the novels she reads in her English class. “I can highlight quotes and terms that I need for whatever novel we are reading and come back to them later,” Martin said.

Other students agree. “I really like the highlighting feature the kindle has. I like it much more than a normal book,” freshman Christian Muse said.

Kern also likes the entertainment the Nook offers. “[I like that] it has apps and many features like an iPod does,” Kern said.

Despite the various features of e-books, some students find them to be a negative in-

1,150

fluence on reading.

Sophomore Sydney Setree loves reading, but sees e-readers in classrooms and for personal use as a major fault. “E-books completely take the experience [of an actual book] away from the reader. Books cannot be improved anymore than they already are,” Setree said.

“Any frequent reader would understand that books cannot be improved anymore.

The noise of the pages being flipped when a page is turned, the smell of the ink as if it were from straight out of the printer, nothing can be better than that pure bliss,” Setree said.

E-books are also seen as a distraction in the classroom to some students and should not be allowed in school..

“Since you can get apps and games on ereaders, it is much more of a distraction to the student. When they are supposed to be reading, they are playing Angry Birds or Temple Run,” junior Shannon Olsen said.

It is only a matter of time until there is talk of letting students use e-books, including the Nook, Kindle, or iPad, in place of heavy, everyday text books.

Until people stop reading and schools do not require it in the curriculum, there will always be a war between e-readers and books.

approximate number of bookstores have gone out of business in the U.S. since 2002 According to the NY Times

quick

10

A&E

Picks:

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

The Patriot staff reviews the most popular places on Main Street

The Tower

Photo by Kailey Tracy

Kailey Tracy Copy Editor Adorned in parsley pieces and strands of mozzarella cheese with luscious chunks of crab floating

throughout, the piping hot cream of crab soup seemed to be begging me to devour its contents.

The Main Street Tower offers a wide array of cuisine, from steaks and sautéed seafood to wraps and

A&E Editor For a small slice of Italy, look nowhere else other than Main Street’s very own Savona. Located in downtown Bel Air, the tiny deli offers more than just a little Italian charm.

Voted by “Best of Harford” as

best deli from 2006 to 2009, Savona offers many choices of food.

When walking in, it’s hard not to think how perfectly organized everything is.

Patrons find themselves at the most important part, the actual deli, as soon as they walk in the door. On either side of the door,

there are tables and a window counter for fellow patrons to enjoy their fresh foods. To the left of the door, there are plenty of black shelves full of wine for all of Bel Air’s wine connoisseurs to pore over. Directly to the right of the wine shelves, there are plenty shelves of pasta and Italian foods

from polenta to Nutella.

Along with party platters for formal events, Savona offers a plethora of lunch and dinner choices. Salads, wraps, paninis, meats, and cheeses are the deli’s specialties. The deli offers daily specials on Greek salad, turkey wraps, and chicken pesto paninis,

start to get tense. The healthiest way to de-stress is by taking yoga, and it should be done no other place but Peace Yoga on Main Street.

Peace Yoga is owned by Heather Gagnon, class of ’89, and is conveniently only five minutes away from JC. This makes it perfect when a quick stress release is needed after a long day.

Peace Yoga opened in January of last year after classes that Gagnon had been teaching in her home got too big. “I got the feeling that our community needed yoga,” Gagnon said.

The wide range of classes makes it easy for attendees to target their specific needs. Yoga Basics classes are held every Mon-

day, Wednesday, and Saturday for beginners. Vinyasa, intermediate classes, are also held for those that are serious about yoga.

Starting March 29 at 7 p.m., Thursday classes made specifically for athletes will be offered.

These classes “focus on places on an athlete that tend to be tight.”

They will also help athletes learn to focus “off the mat.”

“The style of yoga that we do here is more strenuous so you build strength and increase your flexibility.”

Peace Yoga offers a student discount on their “10 Class Pass” which is normally $140, but is reduced to $120. Those who aren’t sure about committing to yoga can sign up for a drop-in class for just $16 and rent a mat for $2.

The atmosphere of the facility

helps to promote serenity. Some teachers at Peace Yoga play music during their sessions. Clean hardwood floors and sparsely decorated walls help attendees to focus on themselves after a long day. Shoes, socks, and other belongings can be left in cubby holes in the main room before a class starts.

Yoga attire, drinks, and mats are sold in the facilities, but even Gagnon does not recommend everyone buying a mat. The mats sold in Peace Yoga are durable and great for doing yoga, or as Gagnon calls them, the “Cadillac of yoga mats.” These shouldn’t be bought unless patrons are serious about doing yoga, according to Gagnon.

Signing up is probably the easiest part. Customers can either

sign up online at peaceyogabelair. com, or they can come in 15 minutes before the class they want to sign up for. It’s recommended to sign up online some time beforehand due to the 20-person limit per class. Private sessions are offered for those who would rather attend a session alone or with a friend for $65.

Yoga has countless benefits such as getting in shape, bettering posture, increasing focus, and getting rid of some stress. Junior Melissa Butler appreciates yoga because it helps her stress and keeps her mind at ease. “I think it’s really good for your mind,” Butler said. Peace Yoga also offers the benefit of meeting new people in your community.

Peace Yoga is located on 122 S. Main Street, Bel Air, Maryland.

Photo by Eva Bialobrzeski

Peace Yoga Photo by Chioma Iheoma

Chioma Iheoma A&E Editor As the school year starts to get a tad more stressful with searching for colleges, taking the SATs, and studying for exams, things

the salad proved that it’s possible to shed some weight from your figure but not your wallet at $8.95.

A variety of food is not all that the Tower has to offer, however.

The restaurant and lounge features a private banquet room, a dining room, multiple sports bars, and an enclosed rooftop deck.

The Tower also caters, offers daily food specials, and provides diners with entertainment nightly.

Trivia and ladies’ night, “Tower Power Hours” showcasing a DJ each Wednesday, and a night devoted to children with Autism are just a few events that make the Tower unique. Local bands also perform at the restaurant.

Offering entertainment and a tasty meal at a price easy to come by, the Main Street Tower is no doubt an establishment that even the pickiest of eaters won’t be able to turn down.

The Main Street Tower is located on 29 South Main Street in Bel Air. all priced at $7.99.

Savona offers a wide variety of authentic Italian lunch meat, including Prosciutini, Salami, Mortadella, and Rosemary Ham. Cheeses range from $6.99 for Finlandia Swiss to $18.99 for Manchego. Different cheeses are offered every day, with new additions added to the chalkboard by the register.

I ordered the chicken pesto panini and it was absolutely to die for. The hot sandwich was delicious and went well with a chocolate nut cookie for dessert.

Other than delicious foods, Savona offers espresso and cappuccino drinks which only add to the deli’s real life Italian flair.

Along with food and beverages, Savona hosts frequent wine tastings and offers corporate bagged lunches, gift cards, and pre-made or custom ordered Italian gourmet gift baskets.

For simply delicious Italian food take a visit to Bel Air’s finest Italian deli, Savona. Savona is located on 2 North Main Street, Bel Air, Maryland, 21014.

Savona Eva Bialobrzeski

wings.

I arrived at one p.m. on a Saturday afternoon and was seated immediately into a clean booth which was accompanied by a TV. The service was quick and the

cream of crab soup was brought out within five minutes of ordering.

However, the main entrees, a crab melt and a spring mix salad, took a bit longer at 20 minutes.

Despite the wait, the service was prompt and efficient.

Blanketed in melting, gooey cheese, the crab cake, sitting atop a piece of ham, encompassed the area of toasted bread. Served with both crispy, potato-packed French fries and a pickle, the meal achieved its value at just $10.95.

Although the presentation, price, and taste were on par, the flavor of the sandwich did not have much zest. It was no doubt an appetizing sandwich, just not one that particularly sparked the taste buds.

Scattered throughout a fresh bed of greens, the pineapple, cantaloupe, and honeydew of the spring mix salad oozed with sweet flavor. Topped off with crumbled gorgonzola cheese, pine nuts, and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing,

Photo by Maggie Cassidy

Grace Kim Online Chief Colleges shouldn’t excuse poor grades in someone’s application for their race, but colleges definitely should strive to diversify their campuses.

When I went to visit one of the colleges I was thinking of applying to, I had the opportunity to do an overnight stay in the dorm of a person of Afro-Japanese descent.

She had the most fascinating family stories to tell, and she participated in traditional dance and even taught me a few moves. She is a person I’ll never forget.

If the world was completely homogenous and the college you attended had students of the same background, you’d be missing out on valuable cultural exposure. It would get boring if everyone was exactly the same.

In the end, it’s not like Caucasians and people not declaring a specific ethnicity are being absolutely robbed of their college spots. That isn’t what colleges are trying to do. Whites are the majority here in America, and colleges honestly just want to try to add a little color, because be-

ing around people from different countries or different ethnic backgrounds can teach you valuable lessons and make you a better person.

An article published in USNews discusses the topic of diversity and its importance in college education. The eight reasons outlined specifically in the article were given by Aaron Thompson, professor of sociology at Eastern Kentucky University. Thompson says: “diversity expands worldliness, enhances social development, prepares students for future career success, prepares students for work in a global society, increases [one’s] knowledge base, promotes creative thinking, enhances self-awareness, and enriches the multiple perspectives…in education.”

Look at all of the benefits of attending a diversity-rich school and compare it to any negatives you might think of. Besides being seemingly “unfair” to some in an application process, there is no loss in having friends from all over the country or even the world.

You may end up becoming friends with that Jamaican kid

Pro V.Con

Artwork by Lauren Friedly

and not all whites are rich.

For example, take a white A&E Editor teenage boy struggling with two Affirmative action isn’t as clear- alcoholic parents living in Apcut as it’s thought to be. Why? Be- palachia. The boy, with all odds cause not all minorities are poor against him, tries his best at

Eva Bialobrzeski

Student Answer Freshman

11

OPINION

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

Sophomore

The Patriot

The John Carroll School 703 Churchville Road Bel Air, MD 21014 Volume 47, Issue 4, March 2012

Print Chief: Maggie Cassidy Online Chief: Grace Kim Copy Chief: Cara Reilly Managing Editors: Emily Clarke Brianna Glase Martha Schick

Artwork by Lauren Friedly

and vacation with him next summer. You might try Spanish paella or Chinese acupuncture from your fellow multicultural roommates. You might find a new

deep respect and knowledge for other cultures.

From silly to deep, people from all different backgrounds are a good thing to have at every col-

Should colleges have racial quotas or be blind to race? school. However, as anyone can imagine, his school system hardly helps him. Earning 1200 out of 2400 on the SATs, he struggles to get into a reputable university.

However, a minority student living in an upper middle class community with two lawyers as parents has everything in his favor. He has the best schools and the biggest opportunities. However, he also struggles in school and also gets a 1200 on his SATS. However, due to affirmative action, he has less of a problem getting into his dream school.

Now, before you see me as an ignorant, conservative Republican, please note that I am a liberal Democrat. I believe everyone deserves the same opportunities and most of all, I believe in equality.

But what I also believe in is hard work and a better school system. Education is key to liberating the poor and oppressed members of any society.

No one’s race should determine their job or their choice in college. Work ethic and socioeconomic backgrounds should be the primary deciding factors when

Junior

colleges write their acceptance decisions.

There are many appealing factors to affirmative action, especially for universities that want to be diverse. Exposure to multiple cultures helps one become more wholly educated about the world.

Instead of starting college by giving minorities and those of lower socioeconomic backgrounds first priority, our society should start that preferential treatment in grade school.

Everyone deserves a spectacular education. All doors should be open to everyone regardless of their race.

Not everyone is given the same opportunities, but they should be.

Society should not be unfair to a certain race at one point in time and to another race at another point in time.

At a young age, children start hearing the phrase “life isn’t fair.”

Well, if it isn’t fair, then let us make it fair.

Colleges should focus on traits we can control and forget about race. It should not be a factor in the college admissions process.

Senior

Section Editors: Ashley Beyer Eva Bialobrzeski Amanda Graziano Chioma Iheoma Sarah Kearby Adam Kuester Imani Love Stephanie Meadowcroft Scott Novak Miranda Ripken Copy Editors: Kailey Tracy Multimedia Editors: Megan Battaglia Megan Foard Taylor Hooper Ashley Moxley Cartoonist: Lauren Friedly Contributing Staff: Jenny Yang Claire Zurkowski 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.

For information regarding our mission statement, editorial policy, number of copies distributed, advertising policy, and corrections, please visit jcpatriot.com/about The editorial staff invites and greatly appreciates comments from readers on any issue.

Kiana Wright Oladokun Ekundayo Matt Cleary Shawn Pessagno “Race shouldn’t be “Colleges have to “It’s harder for a black “No matter the race, a part of the college person than a white people should have the be diverse, but it’s application.” same opportunities.” a bit unfair.” person to get a job, so racial quotas even the playing field.”

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

12

Brain Droppings

BY SCOTT NOVAK

Holocaust education presents essential life lessons Learning about the Holocaust this year stands as one of the most important parts of my education here at JC. Before, I had certainly heard about the Holocaust, but had failed to comprehend what it actually was.

If I’m honest with myself, the statistics never really moved me beyond the point of thinking “how unfortunate,” and then I continued on with my life, my thoughts far removed from such horrors.

What people really need is something to connect to. In other words, they need a story, and at JC, that is exactly what students get.

For starters, all senior English classes read “Night,” by Elie Wiesel, a harrowing autobiographical account of the Holocaust.

Even more stories are found by the senior class every year when they take their annual field trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Each object in that museum carries a tale, from the piles of shoes that belonged to prisoners in Majdanek to the cattle car that shipped prisoners to the concentration camps.

The most incredible day was when the Holocaust survivors came to share their personal stories with the senior class.

I had the opportunity to talk for hours with Sol Goldstein, who helped liberate the Buchenwald concentration camp. This man is one of the most inspirational humans I have ever met.

For much of his life, Goldstein continued to liberate oppressed people in other countries, oftentimes risking his own safety to do so.

When I asked him why he did all this, he told me that he had promised himself that after the Holocaust, whenever a Jew needed help, he would go to them.

“Someone’s got to do it,” he said.

Hearing all of these stories put faces to all the facts I had known about.

Sadly, my generation is among the last to be able to hear these stories firsthand, so continuing this JC tradition for as long as possible is especially important.

The Holocaust teaches the destructive nature of hate, which is one of the most integral lessons for a person to learn.

That lesson can’t be easily taught in a classroom setting, though. That’s why the time spent outside of class on this subject is well worth it, and is among the most valuable lessons I will take away from my education.

STAFF

OPINION

: ED

Although JC has implemented the use of laptops in the classroom, the attempts at going green should not stop here.

JC claims to be a green school, but with the amount of paper that still gets thrown in the trash every day, this status is hard to believe.

Even though there are recycling bins all around the school, countless reams of paper get thrown into the regular trash cans and dumped into landfills every day.

The new library printing policy, though it may be extremely inconvenient at times, is a great example of a way to discourage paper waste. Instead of carelessly printing out documents that will eventually be forgotten and thrown away, the new printing

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

JC needs to cut down on paper usage and warm up to technology

system ensures that students will be held responsible for picking up their paper.

Sometimes paper usage is inevitable. For example, when teachers give quizzes or tests, it is difficult to give those electronically.

Teachers can cut down on using paper this way by collecting test papers back and reusing them the next year. Even if the tests have to be changed a bit, many of the pages could still be saved and recycled for future classes.

Homework assignments and essays would be simpler to submit electronically, and this would save a ton of paper. All teachers have SharePoint sites, and all SharePoint sites have dropboxes to which students can submit their work, all without killing a

single tree.

Some teachers may not like the dropbox method in SharePoint, but there are a variety of other websites like Edmodo or Google Docs that could be used as substitutes. But although teachers have access to these resources, not all teachers use them. A substantial amount of paper is wasted as a result, casting a hazy black gloom over the green school status.

Another big waste of paper is the number of books that every student needs for school. Most, if not all, literature and textbooks are available in e-book formats.

Even if students don’t own Kindles or Nooks, they can download e-reader software onto laptops for the same purpose.

It is strange that JC hasn’t con-

verted to e-books yet. Besides being environmentally friendly, the change would be quick and costeffective.

Plus, how many pages of the textbook are used in class? Many pages of paper go to waste, left unread and unloved. There could be physical benefits to switching to e-books, too. Students would no longer have to carry home a backpack full of heavy, awkward textbooks. The administration should look into making this switch to e-books as soon as possible.

Though JC has obviously made some advancement to be more environmentally friendly, there is definitely room for improvement to validate the green claims that the school makes.

Same-sex marriage in Maryland Students and faculty react to Governer Martin O’Malley’s signing of the bill legalizing same-sex marriage in Maryland, after both the House and the Senate passed it.

Artwork by Jenny Yang

“I think that you should allow gay marriage in America because it wouldn’t really affect anyone else. It’s none of their business.”

Freshman Billy Jump

Everyone has the constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness. Who am I to tell someone who they should or should not marry?”

Junior Shannon Olsen

“I’m completely for it because I think people should get the chance to choose to be married. They’re going to live together anyway, but marriage is just a way to seal the deal.”

Sophomore Kendall Winkleman

“Heterosexuals shouldn’t be able to say that gay people can’t get married. it’s not up to them.”

Freshman Ashley Hunter

“I’m really not fully educated about what’s involved, but I really don’t think it should be allowed.

It goes against my Christian morals.”

Sophomore Kayla Bynion

“I think that’s a great thing, and I’m really happy that there’s marriage equality in Maryland,” Sophomore Matt Wagner

“I firmly believe that if two people have committed themselves to each other, then their union should be recognized by the state. I am not sure that I like the term marriage.”

Guidance counselor Carol Heflin-Shupe

“I think it’s great.

Everyone is equal now.”

Senior Monique Romain

Students anticipate new courses For the 2012-2013 school year, juniors are being offered new classes to help prepare them for their futures in college and in the work force. Students anticipate learning more about the fields of architecture and robotics. Also being offered are Math Analysis and Statistics.

To learn more about the new courses, see page 2.

Martha’s Musings

BY MARTHA SCHICK

Students should embrace Lent as spiritual enlightenment

Artwork by Jenny Yang

Intro to Architecture

Robotics

“It was perfect timing because I just found my passion for architecture this past summer.

This class should teach something about the software so that I can get creative with it, and I’m looking forward to getting a taste of what my college career will be like.”

Junior Claire Zurkowski

"It is a different class to take and something new to learn about.”

Junior Matt Ryan

“It’s going to be a fun time. I would like to be an architect, so the architecture class is a good choice.”

Junior Jake Wade

“I am taking engineering and robotics because I want to be a computer engineer. I am taking it for distinction in science, which requires five credits. I am really excited for it.”

Junior Carol Zubrowski

Guidance changes benefit students Emily Clarke

Managing Editor Applications? Check. Letters of recommendation? Check. New college counselor? Check.

Starting with the class of 2013, guidance counselor Carrie Siemsen will become the single college counselor.

The guidance department is restructuring so that there will be three personal guidance counselors, Carol Heflin-Shupe, Larry Hensley, and Kathy Barnes, and one college counselor, Siemsen.

Along with change comes criticism, but the guidance department will receive none here.

Like all new things, this program needs to be given a chance.

After learning all the information about this new system, all skepticism is erased. Siemsen’s sole job will be to handle anything to do with the college process for juniors and seniors.

Principal Madelyn Ball and President Richard O’Hara are trying to diversify the colleges that students attend. Travelling away from home is part of the college experience, and this system will make way for new opportunities.

Often, students end up going to the same schools, but this new college program is going to encourage students to look at colleges they may not have considered before. According to Siem-

13

OPINION

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

Cartoon by Jenny Yang

Artwork by Lauren Friedly

sen, her new position will allow her to explore a wider range of colleges with her students.

Siemsen will hold meetings with rising seniors and their parents in the spring or summer before senior year. Students and parents don’t always see eye to eye about college location, tuition, size, etc. These meetings will provide an opportunity for them to work out differences in

opinion with a counselor who knows a lot about college.

Another benefit that comes with having a college counselor is the college center. The college center will be a room filled with helpful information to work on any part of the college process.

Instead of getting bits and pieces of college information from guidance counselors, the Internet, and the packets in the guidance

hallway, all the information will be in one place.

If I had one reservation, it would be that the class of 2013 will be the first class to experience this new system. No class wants to be the first class to have a new program implemented, but one class has to be the first.

Here’s to hoping for the best and putting trust in the new college counselor.

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard somebody say, “I’m giving up chocolate or sweets or soda for Lent,” I would be pretty well-off.

There’s nothing wrong with this per se, but I have to wonder if Lent is simply a replacement for New Year’s resolutions.

Lent originally was not about giving anything up. The main part of the tradition was abstaining from meat and festivities.

While many Catholics don’t eat meat on Friday, there are very few that would be able to say that they don’t go to parties or hang out with friends during Lent.

Now, I’m not a tyrant. I’m not saying that students have to become recluses during Lent. In the absence of this, students should try to avoid other temptations and instead grow closer to God. The idea of giving something up for Lent was meant to bring one closer to God through selfdenial.

While the self-denial part is still there, is giving up chocolate really strengthening your relationship with God? When people tell me what they’ve given up, it almost always seems to be bettering themselves physically or mentally, not spiritually.

That being said, I don’t see this as a huge problem on the surface.

If you can be healthier by giving up one of your vices, that’s commendable. However, if you want to stick with the true spirit of Lent, focus on God. If you still want to give something up, like soda, make that about God. Every time you are tempted to drink soda, say a prayer of thanks for the strength to resist.

Think for a moment about what Lent really means. If you vow to pray or do a good deed every time you resist the urge to drink soda, you’re making self-denial about spirituality.

Another option is adding something to your life instead of taking something out. If you don’t pray very often, try to pray at least once every day. Even if it feels unnatural at first, the routine will start to grow on you.

If you pray regularly, many Churches offer Lenten devotional books for every day of Lent.

If your Church doesn’t, there are countless devotionals online. Read one every day to help you understand Lent and its true meaning.

Making Lent about God shouldn’t be difficult. Even if you have been making it about yourself until now, just say a prayer and try to start over.

14

SPORTS

Beloved softball coach retires Imani Love & Cara Reilly

Rugby team shuts down as badminton team boots up Miranda Ripken Sports Editor

Sports and Copy Editor

Dick Lippert has been coaching women’s JV softball longer than the girls on his team have been alive. However, after 16 years, Lippert has hung his softball cap up to spend more time with his family.

Lippert and his wife took a minute to count just how large that family is, concluding with 15 grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. He began coaching at JC after seeing their ad for a softball coach in the Aegis.

“I was getting ready to retire and we had just moved here,” Lippert said. “I had always liked coaching.”

Lippert always coached JV softball at JC but, given the opportunity, he would have coached varsity.

“I enjoyed coaching JV because the girls want to learn, play, and enjoy themselves,” Lippert said. “There’s a lot more pressure when playing at the varsity level.”

The most challenging aspects of coaching for him were cutting girls from the team, as he could only carry 16 or 17.

“I think I did a good job with them if they improved and enjoyed the year,” Lippert said.

“Nothing surpassed working with the girls.”

The new addition to the softball field is religion teacher Rachel Harkins. Harkins started her softball journey in high school.

“I used to play softball for the team at Mount De Sales Academy. We were very competitive and we won the championship every year,” Harkins said.

When asked why she decided to become the JV softball coach, Harkins simply stated that she was excited to receive the opportunity to get on the field again.

She has very little coaching history, but hopes to give the girls on the team more than just some wins.

“I hope that we have a lot of fun, grow together as sisters so we have a bond, but that we learn how to play the game well, especially good sportsmanship and a strong character. I want them to be physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared for the games,” Harkins said.

Though she doesn’t know the ins and outs of the JV softball team, she has an optimistic outlook on the season and hopes to bring changes.

“I don’t really know how the softball program was run before I got here and I know I can offer a positive spirit, a love of the game, and dedication. I’m also very competitive, so I like to win.

I always believe, no matter what, sports or academics, that it’s important for people to be involved in competition because it has you challenge yourself,” Harkins said.

Harkins’ hopes and expectations are positive and with that type of attitude that she hopes to rub off, winning or losing won’t play a factor in how they carry out their season.

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

Freshman Jake Kahoe came to JC expecting to play on the rugby team this spring, but his excitement was quickly quashed with the disbanding of the team.

Rugby at JC started in 2002 by previous principal Paul Barker.

The lack of student athletes showing up for tryouts was ultimately the team’s demise this year. Instead of rugby, a men’s badminton team has been established.

“I am extremely upset about not getting to play [rugby] this year. It was one of the things I looked forward to most about coming to John Carroll in the first place . . . Rugby being cancelled enabled me to make it to all the early football work outs, but I would much rather play rugby,” Kahoe said.

Seniors who’ve had the opportunity to play rugby in past years are also disappointed. Senior Jon Galarraga, who played rugby for the first time last year, probably wouldn’t have played this year due to a hectic schedule, but he is still sad to see the sport go.

“Rugby is similar to football in that it brings players together as a family and brotherhood . . . [it’s] a great sport that instills character and leadership. I wish it would gain more recognition here in the U.S.” Galarraga said.

According to Athletic Director Larry Dukes, there were several factors that led to the rugby team’s disbanding.

“There are simply fewer boys to support several sports in the spring and rugby requires a large number to sustain itself . . . Next, the sport lost a big champion when Mr. Barker left. He was able to find boys who had not played before and convince them to give it a try,” Dukes said.

The JC rugby team’s first game was played on March 1, 2002. At Barker’s previous school, St. Edward High School in Cleveland, Barker also started a rugby program.

“We had great success and I believed we could duplicate that success at JC,” Barker said.

For a while, the team did have great success. JC players went on to play at the Division One college level. In 2007, JC won the MIAA ‘A’ Conference title and went to the National Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Barker, too, thinks that the disappearance of the rugby team is a shame.

“The rugby program has been near and dear to my heart and I am very disappointed that the program has folded,” Barker said.

For those who don’t have a spring sport to play due to the absence of the rugby team, there will be new opportunities. The

Photo courtesy of Patriot Archive

men’s badminton team is having its inaugural season this year.

“It seems every year that when badminton starts up for the girls and in gym classes, there are several males who desire to play beyond class time. We have heard that the new male international students also have experience and desire to play . . . It will be a club program at the outset,” Dukes said.

The coach of the men’s badminton team will be English teacher Eric Sutton. His experience stems from what he’s learned from coaching tennis.

“I know about racket sports, so hopefully I’ll be able to figure it out,” Sutton said.

As of right now, the men’s badminton team does not have a set schedule. Along with playing against other schools, JC may also be playing a women’s team or two, according to Sutton.

Even though this season will not see the formation of a rugby team, all is not lost for next year.

“We will attempt again next year to field a [rugby] team. I am hopeful that the numbers will be favorable to this sustainability,” Dukes said.

Senior Raphael Oduok runs up the field with the ball, during his junior year. Oduok “loved [his] experience on the rugby team,” but wasn’t interested in playing this year.

We offer batting cages and year-round athletic training!

Proud supporter of John Carroll Athletics

Facebook: Harford Sports Training Academy Twitter: @HarfordSportsMD

(410) - 420 - 8442 125 A Industry Lane Forest Hill, MD 21050

Golf tees off onto new greens Cara Reilly

Copy Editor

Photo by Megan Battaglia

Sophomore Brian Matejevich tees off at the start of the first hole.

Matejevich played golf for two years before coming to JC.

ABC’s of Golf Approach Shot: A shot intended to reach the putting green.

Backswing: Taking the club from teh ground to behind the head.

Bogey: One stroke over par.

Bunker: Hazards, usually

Last year was a difficult one for the golf team as they were placed in the challenging MIAA ‘A’ conference and won two non-conference matches but lost all eight conference matches. This year, however, the team has been moved down to the MIAA ‘B’ conference.

“We moved them to the ‘B’ conference and I think they will do well. It is a better fit for them,” Athletic Director Larry Dukes said.

The golf season began on Monday, March 5. Coached by Drew Forrester, the team consists of a small number of student athletes, most with limited previous experience.

“We have the most inexperienced team in the MIAA, with only one senior, Ethan Slusher, on the roster,” Roster said.

“I think the team with do better than last year, but we need more players to come out and join the team,” sophomore Brian Matejevich said.

Matejevich has been playing golf for four years, two of which have been during his time at JC. Junior Jon Leishman, who has been playing golf since elementary school, is

filled with sand, placed around the course to increase the difficulty of a hole.

Chip shot: Low trajectory shot, usually hit when the ball is just off the green.

Divot: A piece of turf removed by the club when swinging.

Dogleg: A piece of turf removed by the club when swinging.

Patriots Month of the

Luke Steibe Senior Luke Steibe’s eyes darted as he followed the ball back and forth down the field. The scoreboard changed with every step he took. It was the 2010 men’s varsity lacrosse MIAA ‘B’ Conference championship match, foreign territory to Steibe.

A sophomore defenseman at the time starting alongside seniors, Steibe knew right then and there that it would be “the best game of [the team’s] lives.”

Following halftime, JC “put the pressure on quick” and ultimately won against Glenelg Country School 11-4. “Winning that game was the best feeling I have ever had. I hope to win again my senior year,” Steibe said.

According to Steibe, his mom and uncle, who were “both great lacrosse players,” inspired him to play lacrosse for the past 11 years. His mom has aided him

15

SPORTS

Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012

the most in getting him to where he is today. “She taught me a lot of what I know about the game,” Steibe said.

As captain of the men’s varsity lacrosse team, Steibe says that being a leader and being part of a team is his favorite aspect of the sport.

Steibe also plays for a club team, the Harford Mavericks.

Playing for both organizations amounts to a big time commitment. “Lacrosse is a huge commitment. To play at the next level takes a ton of work and practice,” Steibe said.

In November 2011, Steibe signed a National Letter of Intent with Saint Leo University, a Division II school. Steibe characterizes this accomplishment as his biggest achievement in lacrosse.

“Playing lacrosse at the college level is what I always have worked towards and it has paid off,” Steibe said.

As far as his outlook for the 2012 season, Steibe says there’s a chance of bringing the championship back to JC. “Our team looks great this year. We have a great group of guys who want to win and players who will step up this year and take key roles on the team,” Steibe said.

hopeful for the season and the new members on the team.

“The differences [between this year and last year] are that, on this year’s team, we have a new assistant coach, Mr. Del Puppo, and new members. Not just freshmen but sophomores, juniors, and seniors that wanted to try the sport,” Leishman said. “I hope that we can continue to be competitive and stay consistent playing all year.”

Forrester has a high opinion of his team, both on and off of the field. “John Carroll golfers are respectful of the game and their opponents and will continue to be good ambassadors for the school while they are competing this spring,” Forrester said.

In preparation for the season, team members have been lifting weights in the weight room at school until practice began at the Maryland Golf and Country Club in Bel Air. The first scrimmage will take place on Monday, March 19 versus Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the first regular season match will be on Wednesday, March 28 versus Gilman.

Additional reporting by Megan Battaglia.

Downswing: Swinging a club from the top of the swing to the point of impact.

Drive: To hit the ball with maxiumum force from the tee box.

Drop: To drop the ball on the course to put it back in play after it has been declared unplayable or lost.

Eagle: Two strokes under par.

Fade: The slight turning of the ball from left to right.

Follow-through: The continuation of the swing after the ball has been hit.

Fore: Expression used to warn those in danger of being hit by the ball. sportspectator.com

Patriots of the Month highlights athletes who deserve recognition for contributions in their chosen sports.

They are selected by the Sports Editors

Rebecca Driver Participating in indoor and outdoor track and field since freshman year, junior Rebecca Driver has broken season records and repeatedly set new personal bests.

During the indoor track season this year, Driver was the highest point collector on the women’s team, and the second highest out of both the men’s and women’s teams.

She also placed second in the high jump in the IAAM ‘A’ championship meet, jumping five feet.

“High jump is my favorite event. I like how track is a team sport, but there is also focus on individual accomplishments,” Driver said.

In outdoor track, Driver and others hold records in two group events. In 2010, Driver was a part of the shuttle hurdle team that ran 1:17.5 minutes. The other runners in the event were seniors T’Keyah Libson, Megan Batta-

glia and former student Rachel Maley.

Driver, as well as her teammates juniors Sam Clarke and Shannon Vinton, also set the record of 13’2” in the high jump relay last season.

“I like all the jumping events, and high jump and hurdles are the ones that I do best in,” Driver said.

“High jump is also a small group of people, so you get to know people from other teams really well.”

Because Driver can participates in a variety of events during a track and field meet, coach Rob Torres must choose which events she is to run.

“Becca is one of the most versatile athletes, easily, on the track team. She can do pretty much any event, except maybe shot put and discus,” Torres said.

“The challenge is choosing which four events for her to participate in. It’s a good problem to have because she can fill in for any event. The problem comes in when we have to sacrifice one event of hers for another.”

Even though she is only a junior, Driver has high hopes of continuing her sport at the college level.

Halftime with

Ranni

BY MIRANDA RIPKEN After an extremely successful season for winter sports, just a few weeks was all the time some multi-sport athletes had until their spring seasons began. Spring is in air and spring sports tryouts have begun. After all the excitement of the winter season, spring teams have a lot to live up to.

Badminton, one of the seven spring sport teams, is not commonly talked about, aside from the year that the team members walked around with “Smash that Shuttlecock” written on the back of their team t-shirts. Last season they finished eighth out of 10 teams, but will hopefully have a better finish this year.

Men’s varsity baseball had their first home scrimmage against Patterson Mill on March 12 at 4:00 p.m. In the ‘A’ Conference, the baseball team finished third behind Spalding and Calvert Hall.

New head coach Gary Steve Teter looks forward to the challenge of creating a powerful program in a difficult league.

The men’s golf team unfortunately landed dead last in the ‘A’ Conference last season. The quality of programs in the MIAA, according to golf coach Drew Forrester, is extremely high. After moving to the ‘B’ Conference for this season, the team has high hopes for improvement.

JC finished third in the ‘B’ Conference for men’s lacrosse last season. Coached by Keith Hinder, the team’s greatest challenge will be Friends School, which went undefeated in the season. The Patriots’ defense helped them earn their third-place spot with only 89 goals scored against them, second to Friends’ 77.

Women’s varsity lacrosse finished up their tryouts, and added three new freshmen: Caroline Sdanowich, Kara Klages, and Grace Richards. Led by collegecommitted seniors Erica Bodt, Leah Pace, and Carlee Ries, the women will have to take on the previously undefeated McDonogh in order to take a shot at the ‘A’ Conference title.

The women’s varsity softball team is adjusting to a new coach this season. Aiming to improve their previous 2-6 season record, the team will have to take on the ‘A’ Conference powerhouse, Seton Keough, along with the conference champion, Spalding.

Coming out of a “defeated” season of 0-10, the men’s tennis team will be struggling to make ends meet in the ‘A’ Conference.

Right off the bat, JC will face Spalding, the previous winner of the ‘B’ Conference title, on March 29.

The men’s and women’s track and field teams unusually have all home meets this year. Adopting athletes from other sports, such as juniors Amy Slusher and Mackenzie Bailey, the participants hope to build a stronger team to defeat eight-time champion McDonogh, JC’s self-proclaimed rival.

With Social Studies teacher slash, SAC moderator slash, assistant soccer coach, people would think Rodney Johnson wouldn’t take on another task, but he has, leading the men’s tennis team this year. Finally making the drop down to the MIAA B, conference, the team has high hopes of doing better this year.

“It’s nice to be in the B conference. Ever since Timmy Lozinak graduated, we had no right to be with those A conference teams.” Senior Henry Shepard said.

But in spite of that there have been some additions to the team that could help them compete against the other competition.

According to senior Henry Shepard, a few of the seniors are stepping up to take the leadership role. Including Shepard, there are seniors Chris Scopelleti, Danny Biel, and Alex Snyder.

Their first match takes place March 29 at JC versus Archbishop Spalding.

Te n n i s

The baseball team swings into the season this year with new coach Gary Steve Teter replacing Joe Stetka.

The boys have started practicing and have their first conference game on Wednesday, March 14 against Boys Latin.

Last year, the boys ranked third in MIAA ‘A’ Conference with a record of 12-4. The team can expect tough games against Archbishop Spalding, who was last year’s second place team, on Friday, March 30 and against Calvert Hall, who was last year’s first place team, on Tuesday, April 10. The team will surely be reeling from the loss of KJ Hockaday, class of ’11, and Trent Shaw, class of ’11, this season. Some promising players this year, however, are seniors TJ Centi, Avery Callan, and Denzel Varner. Come out and support the Patriots this season.

For information about the softball team, check out the softball column on page 14.

Baseball

Making it to the quarterfinals and semi-finals last season, the women’s and men’s varsity lacrosse teams have high hopes for this year.

With the women’s season starting on March 12 versus Bel Air High School, they have been balancing a lot at practice. “Work ethic, decision making, team chemistry to name a few high on our list,” women’s varsity lacrosse coach Krystin Porcella said.

Even with a tough season ahead, Porcella is confident in her team. “We have some very talented players who do a great job of balancing when to take the situation upon themselves and when to encourage other players,” Porcella said.

The players to watch are senior midfielder Erica Bodt, senior defender Leah Pace, junior attackers Mackenzie Reese and Caroline Haggerty, sophomore midfielders Alyssa Lazaro and Meredith Haggerty, and freshman midfielder Caroline Sdanowich.

The men’s season starts on March 13 versus Patterson Mill High School. “As always, we have high aspirations every year.

Our goal is to win the MIAA ‘B’ Conference championship,” men’s varsity lacrosse assistant coach Matthew Blair said.

The team is working hard in practice “on individual skills and team concepts.

Everything we do is meant to stimulate a game experience and/or situation,” Blair said.

The team is “one big happy family, led by Coach Hinder and Coach Blair,” Blair said.

“I would hesitate to identify any individual players. All phases must come together in order for us to be successful.”

Lacrosse

SPORTS

With a subpar season behind them, the women’s varsity badminton team is ready to smash into a new season.

Last year, the women’s varsity team had a record of 4-9, but senior Emily Kegan hopes to change that this season.

“My goal for the team is to do better overall. We have never won a championship. I want us to practice harder,” Kegan said.

Head coach Tess Gauthier has goals for the team as well.

“Everyone on the team sets a personal goal for the season. The goal is for everybody to improve upon their skills and to increase their overall wins for the season,” Gauthier said.

According to Gauthier, there will be 11 players on varsity and about 17 on JV. The first game is scheduled for Thursday, March 15 at Garrison Forest School.

Badminton

The Patriot previews the top players and toughest rivalries of this new season.

Spring Into Sports

The runners are off and have their sights set on the championships.

According to women’s and men’s varsity track coach Robert Torres, a multitude of girls joined the team this year “who could make an impact.” Torres appears confident that, with practice, the women have a chance at the championships.

“We have talent in every event, but we still need to get better in everything if we have any chance to win the conference,” Torres said.

“I think we’ll do as we always. We’ll do well,” junior Rebecca Driver said. Women standouts include juniors Kiana Wright and Emma Minnis, sophomore Amanda Spaeth, and senior Heather Kirwan.

Despite losing key sprinters on the men’s side due to graduation last year, the team is optimistic for the season ahead. “If we can fill in the holes we lost to graduation, we have a good chance of repeating as champions,” Torres said. Men standouts include freshman Drew Cook, juniors Austin Markley and David Knaide, and senior Tom Hancock.

With “seasoned competitors” and a “great group” of upperclassmen to “lead the team,” both Monaghan and Torres are confident that both the men and women will have successful seasons.

Tr a ck

16 Volume 47 Issue 4 March 2012