The Blake Beat
C7
November 14, 2008
New ITSS walks Hall, takes good look at Blake’s computers x by Amelia Holgash Move over, big computer whiz on campus. No, seriously, move over. There’s a new Information Technology Systems Specialist in town. Say hello to the brand-new ITSS, Mr. Timothy Hall, whose first day was November 3. Mr. Hall received a warm welcome from the staff and students when he arrived. “I really like [Blake],” he says. “The staff is friendly and the students are really cool.” Mr. Hall worked as an ITSS for four elementary schools before coming to Blake. The job required
Technology specialist finds school easy on his eye, says, “See you later,” to commute him to drive from one school to another throughout the day. Says Mr. Hall, “[With] gas prices being what they were, I needed a change.” He now has a much easier commute. For his new job, “The wallet says yes,” he says. In the past, Mr. Hall has also been an ITSS at Montgomery Blair and Sherwood high schools, as well as an auto technician for ten years. While at Blair, he recruited and worked with interns who he
still keeps in touch with. One of his ex-interns became an ITSS for Montgomery County Public Schools. He adds, “I appreciate my interns a lot, and I hope to take on interns at Blake.” One of the first things that most people notice about Mr. Hall is his left eye. He became blind in that eye at age 13 when a rock was thrown at it. “Whenever I meet someone,” he says, “one of their first questions is ‘What happened to your eye?’ I
Sophomores Kevin Lee and Nicholas Tax show off their favorite breakdancing freezes, while practicing with their crew, Vurci, outside the auditorium at lunch.
have no qualms about it, though.” During his spare time, Mr. Hall enjoys fishing, playing his guitar, bicycling, working on cars, building his own computers, and spending time with his rescue cats. “My cats are like my kids,” he says. He is also interested in network security, and he takes classes and reads books to learn more about it. Mr. Hall is very passionate about non-profit organizations. When he came to Blake for his
interview, his hair was long and reached the middle of his back. He has since cut it, and he plans to donate his strands to Locks of Love. Mr. Hall is a member of the National Park Conservation Association, which tries to keep parks in existence. “It has been an eye-opening experience,” he says. “Pun intended.” Don’t worry, Mr. Hall doesn’t plan on leaving Blake any time soon. “Unlike most Systems Specialists, I hate changing jobs,” he says. “I hope to stay at Blake for a couple of years.” Looks like the new ITSS will stick around for a while.
The ‘70s break dancing phenomenon has been revived much in part to MTV’s show America’s Best Dance Crew. --photos by Ben Martin
B-boys of Vurci Crew twist bodies, spin heads during lunchtime x by Hayley Steffen No longer are the tricks and kicks confined to America’s Next Best Dance Crew. So move over, MTV; Blake’s own group is looking to pop, lock and drop its way to the top. Senior Julian St. James, juniors Anthony Donnay-Wood and Max Pomulie, and sophomores Nicholas Tax, Kevin Lee and Edwin Hong have started a break dancing crew that meets every day at lunch to dance. Their crew is named Vurci Crew, an abbreviation of diversity. The crew came up with the name, says Tax, “because [of] all the diversity of not only race but skills
within our group.” The up and coming crew is mainly beginners, with most participants only having a few months of experience. At the moment, competitions are out of the question for the crew members, who are simply trying to improve their skills. Says Tax, “Our skills are not as good as they could be, but possibly in the future we will have the opportunity to compete.” Members of the crew recently became interested in break dancing because of sheer boredom. Lee was at a friend’s house one night when they decided to try some “freezes,” a common break dancing move. “Ever since then, I’ve been hooked,”
says Lee. Break dancing is intriguingly challenging for the crew. It requires a lot of physical endurance and mental capacity to get past some of the scarier stunts. The hardest thing about break dancing, Lee says, “is getting past the anxiety for some of the more daring moves.” He adds, “If you hold back or hesitate too much, chances are you’re going to fail…and it’s going to hurt.” The most difficult part of break dancing for Tax is, “when you can’t do something and someone else can.” Another tricky aspect of this revived pop culture sport is increasing physical aptitude in
order to be able to pull off the stunts. Just like any other sport, the only way to master the skills is through practice. Schoolwork and other activities prevent the crew members from practicing as much as they may like, but they also use other techniques in order to improve. “Videotaping yourself or using a mirror helps a lot,” says Lee. Although break dancing can be a struggle, it is very rewarding for the crew members. Says Lee, “My favorite part about break dancing is when I look back and see how much I’ve progressed,” adds Lee. “Getting a move down for the first time gives you a crazy adrenaline rush.”
Seniors do triple duty, juggling college applications, friends, jobs
Conrad, Santini opt to pick up extra burden in exchange for big bucks
x by Kylie Horn
Ideally, senior year is expected to be a time of coasting through school and spending all your time out with friends. However, for seniors Christine Conrad and Christi Santini, this ideal remains in their dreams. Conrad and Santini have both taken on the responsibility of two jobs on top of the stress of school work and college applications. Says Conrad, “I do not really work that much so I really appreciate having two jobs.”Conrad works at Mama Lucia’s every Thursday night and baby-sits regularly during the weekends. Santini unfortunately does not get the leisure of working three nights a week. She struggles with an internship
three days a week, and as soon as she finishes her work there, heads off to Ledo’s Pizza and works until 11pm Monday through Thursday every week. On Fridays, she works a grueling 8 hour shift. Then on Saturdays, she works at the Amish Market from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Adds Santini, “Having two jobs is a blessing because with the way the economy is today, any work is good.” While Santini had to go out and seek work, Conrad was fortunate enough to have four older sisters who babysat. When they went away to college, the jobs were handed down to her. “I just kind of fell into it,” says Conrad. Both of their social lives have been affected from working so much. “Having two jobs has absolutely destroyed my social life,” says Santini, “I have almost no time
to myself let alone my friends, family, and boyfriend.” Although Conrad also spends a lot of time working, she believes that her job has enhanced her social life. She adds, “Mama Lucia’s has helped me meet new people.” While they disagree on the affects of their social lives, both can agree that financially two jobs is more of a blessing than a burden. “I like being independent and not having to rely on my parents for the things that I want,” says Conrad. Santini also gains independence by being able to pay her monthly expenses while also saving up for a new car. Adds Conrad, “I think that [having two jobs] has definitely helped me with my time and money management,” a skill achieved by both that will serve them for the rest of their lives.