The Vedette - May 2011

TheVedette

Volume 114, Issue #6

“I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

-Voltaire

“It’s the Final Countdown” -Joey Tempest

In This Issue...

Dancevision IU Honors Osama Bin Laden Senior Reflections Spring Sports College list STUDENT VOICE OF THE CULVER ACADEMIES FOR OVER A CENTURY

May 2011

a note from your

editors ‘Sup Culver,

The summer is finally upon us! I know we’re all thinking, or quite possibly shouting at the top of our lungs, “free at last”. But is it also possible that we’re thinking, “Oh my god, where’s the time gone?”

Culver students have a serious case of double think; we say we can’t wait to leave, but we all know we’ll be among those alumni who come back for their one year anniversary. We’ve learned so much this year: how to stay up doing homework until four a.m., how to appreciate every spare minute we get to ourselves, how to survive the freezing tundra armed with nothing but Culver uniforms, etc. But, hopefully, it’s also taught us how to lead a meaningful life.

This issue’s theme is “the final countdown”. This is obviously in reference to the TEN DAYS we have left here. Seniors are leaving us for good; they get to have a life again. Juniors will be the leaders of the school, as they scramble to finish their college applications with the threat of DC with Corky looming over them if they fail. Sophomores will cease to be nameless entities, but instead take on more rigorous classes, leadership positions, and standardized tests. And the baby freshmen will watch from the sides as other students pass through Logansport Gate at Matriculation.

Finally, as the year comes to a close we wish to thank this year’s Editors-in-Chief, Laura and Clancy and our awesome advisor, Mrs. Battersby. You’ve done such a great job, and we love you this <---------------------------------------------------------------------------------->much.

Peace, Molly,Kevin. and Jake

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the Vedette s t a f f, M A Y :

Editors-in-Chief: Laura Freymiller and Clancy Tripp Upcoming Editors-in-Chief: Molly Walker, Kevin Kim, and Jake Kang Editor in Training: Anna-Christina Betekhtin Layout: Laura Freymiller, Yen-Yen Gao, Jake Kang, Kevin Kim, Molly Walker Writers: Jordan Berger, Anna-Christina Betekhtin, Carina Conti, Nicholas Devura, Josh Drake, Elaina Engelhard, Laura Freymiller, Jake Kang, Kevin Kim, Eli Lavender, Kirstyn Petras, Jake RallsFeldman, Janet Sananixay, Alan Simonini, Clancy Tripp, Molly Walker, John Van Duyn Editors: Laura Freymiller, Yen-Yen Gao, Kevin Kim, Molly Walker Photographers: Elaina Engelhard, Laura Freymiller, Kevin Kim, Emily Rich, Janet Sananixay, Molly Walker

about us:

The Vedette is the student-run newspaper of the Culver Academies which seeks to provide a campuswide forum for discussion.

The goal of The Vedette is to facilitate open and honest discussions between students, faculty, and administration, and to inform its readers of campus, local, and world news. We are open to letters, ideas for articles, photos, cartoons, and other contributions; if you have contructive criticism, please contact us. Campus papers are only as good as their contributors and we know you have something to say.

Opinions expressed in The Vedette do not reflect the opinions of The Vedette staff, and their publication does not in any way imply an endorsement of these opinions by this magazine.

Vol. 114 Issue #6

News

May 2011

Keep Calm, Harry is Still Single

On April 29th, two billion people in more than 180 countries were expected to see reports, photos, and footage of the royal wedding, which was covered by more than 8,500 journalists in London alone (not including poor me, of course, who was stuck in Culver to investigate from afar…very afar). Despite these outrageous figures, I still managed to locate a few Culver students stuck in the dark the day before the celebration, asking questions like “What Royal Wedding,” and “Who’s Kate Middleton?” Clearly, these were among the last humans to discover the news: Prince William is officially taken.

As enthralled as I was with the fairytale of commoner becoming royalty, I personally found it difficult to escape being incessantly notified of it. According to Facebook, 2.8 million users in the U.K. and America alone posted statuses about the royal wedding in the 24 hours before the service began, and Twitter reports 237 relevant tweets every second directly prior to the wedding. 237 is also most likely the number of devoted Culver students who woke up at 6:00 a.m. to watch the live footage of the marriage. Although not consumed enough to join these early risers, I did do enough research to discover that the British Monarchy has its own official Facebook page, and

Osama bin Laden Terrorist. Mass murderer. Leader of arguably the world’s most popular terrorist group. All these things describe the former Al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden.

On May 1, 2011 a team of US Navy SEALS shot and killed bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan finally giving some sort of closure to the families of people killed in the worst terror attack in United States history. But although it would be simple to write off this man as a monster, we must ask ourselves who was the human being behind these acts of extremism?

Bin Laden was born into a wealthy family, his father owned a construction company, he was brought up in what appeared to be a compassionate family. He attended AlThager Model School as a child and later even attended King Abdulaziz University where he earned a degree in civil engineering or public administration depending on

Vol. 114 Issue #6

Photo taken from blog.mecards.com they invite you to publicly share your experiences of Will and Kate’s wedding day.

Unsurprisingly, I’m still web-surfing my way into pictures from the wedding. By far my favorite, however, are the images comparing the wedding to the Cinderella movie, pairing Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice with the Ugly Stepsisters and Will and Kate –naturally- with Cinderella and Prince Charming.

-Carina Conti ‘12

Photo taken from www. september11news. com your source. Bin Laden was described as a hard working, mild mannered, soft spoken individual who, once he started talking and opening up, turned out to be quite intelligent.

He enjoyed watching soccer and Arsenal F.C. was his favorite team. By all accounts, he was an average guy, one of the neighbors who could enjoy a Sunday afternoon chat about politics, sports, etc.

Then bin Laden left college in 1979 to join Abdullah Azzam in Pakistan to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. This is where he started to stray off into radicalism. In 1988 Al Qaeda had been officially formed and was already plotting terrorist attacks worldwide. The official requirements to join Al Qaeda that bin Laden helped write were "Listening ability,

good manners, obedience, and making a pledge to follow one's superiors.” As soon as Al Qaeda was formed, bin Laden had already organized some terrorist attacks. The first terrorist attack bin Laden and Al Qaeda had organized was the bombing of New York City skyscrapers, however, that plot was foiled. The first successful attack bin Laden arranged was the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. This marked the start of Osama bin Laden’s war on the west which has spanned 21 years of foiled and occasionally successful terrorist attacks.

Osama bin Laden’s war on the west ended May 1, 2011 when he was shot by a team of Navy SEALS. While this by no means ends the “War on Terror”, it has ended the reign of one of the most prominent figures of terrorism. Although no one can say for certain where the road to radicalism began, it is clear that Osama bin Laden will be remembered as a man responsible for the deaths of thousands. We can only hope that moderation and peace will be the new tools towards reconciliation.

-Nick Devura ‘13

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May 2011

NEWS

The GOP Primaries Election Day may be eighteen months away but the race for the Presidency is already well under way. President Barack Obama is fighting for his reelection while an eager group of Republican hopefuls struggle amongst themselves for a chance to wrest control of the land’s highest office from the present Commander in Chief.

These hopefuls represent the best of what the Republican Party has to offer and include former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and the seasoned Texas congressman Dr. Ron Paul. Other likely GOP candidates range from the veteran Tea Partier Sarah Palin, to the current governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels.

Of all the Republican candidates Newt Gingrich comes off as the least likeable. A renowned mudslinger nicknamed Mr. Nasty Pants, Mr. Gingrich has a reputation for holding biased, bigoted opinions without any hold over his scathing tongue. Now that he’s running for nomination, opponents will have ample opportunity to take a few cheap shots of their own and his love life might be one of their prime targets. Although Mr. Gingrich campaigns for traditional family values he has a reputation built upon his love affairs and this speaks volumes about his character. Mr. Gingrich is currently married to his third wife having ended his previous two relationships when both women were gravely ill. His first wife was even his former high school geometry teacher whom he once declared after their divorce was not “young enough or pretty enough to be the President’s wife.” While Mr. Gingrich certainly is no Romeo, he is not a respectable politician either. As Speaker of the House in 1997, he was reprimanded for providing information he knew to be inaccurate to a congressional committee and was fined $300,000 for the offense. He is the only Speaker in House history to be reprimanded for an ethics violation and with a reputation as soiled as his, Newt Gingrich faces a near vertical climb before him on his road to the White House. Frankly, I would consider his political campaign successful if he can manage to escape politics with his life.

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Where Newt Gingrich may represent the more sinister nature of politics, Ron Paul is a man of the people. He is honest and forthright in his beliefs and he votes based upon what he feels is right. This at times incurs resentment from both the Democratic and Republican parties. He reverently reads the Constitution like a Baptist minister would the Bible, and is a devout supporter for states’ rights and a smaller federal government. He does however break from party dogma in his resistance to the War in Iraq, a war he condemned from its onset. Despite these differences he is still the most likely contender to win the republican nomination because he is the candidate who can likely draw the most independent votes. The only thing that may scare those voters away lies in the form of several newsletters Dr. Paul allegedly wrote in the early 90’s. These letters are riddled with multiple racist remarks and gay slurs. The authorship of these letters is still in question and if they do not reach the public limelight and Dr. Paul’s may still remain the no. 1 Republican contender.

Picture found at pulse. ncpolicywatch.org Dr. Ron Paul may be able to garner the most independent votes but no one can rile a crowd into a fanatic fervor better than the Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin. Yet despite her fanatical support from the extreme right she hasn’t actually officially announced her bid for the Presidency probably because she lacks enough support to actually win the election. As numerous as her fans are, the self professed hockey mom has a crass critic to match each of her die-hard fans and her charged rhetoric’s simply do not sway the independent voter base she needs to court to win election next November. According to a Bloomberg News Poll 60% of likely voters viewed her unfavorably. The fad of Sarah Palin has long since died out and I believe Sarah Palin has realized that. She’s more content being a million dollar political celebrity than she would being President.

Heck, it pays better too. According to ABC News, “Sarah Palin has raked in more than $12 million since resigning as governor of Alaska in July 2009.” So no matter how much her fans plead, Sarah Palin sees the cash value of her commentary from the sidelines and that is where she’s going to stay in 2012.

Sarah Palin is arguably the most widely recognized Republican in the nation and if given the choice between Palin and Indian governor Mitch Daniels most Americans would reply Mitch who? Mitch Daniels may not be the most prominent Republican in the party but he’s certainly one of the more successful. As America’s national debt skyrockets to new heights Americans are looking for a leader to take charge and end the ceaseless spending. Mitch Daniels could be that man. According to CNN news, “While many states scramble to close the widening gap between revenue and spending, Indiana has managed to get its budget deficit under control.” Of course fixing the economic woes of Indiana and the fiscal catastrophes of an entire nation are two entirely different matters but Governor Daniels may be the dark horse who can do it. All he has to do is keep his feet out of controversy and be silent in his position. President Obama will have to defend his stances and policies at every turn of the road Governor Daniel’s programs, on the other hand, have already been proven to work. If he sits back, chills, and doesn’t tick off the crucial independent voters he could have an excellent shot at becoming the nation’s 45th President.

There you have it, a brief summary of the GOP political hopefuls. Although I highly doubt Newt Gingrich or Sarah Palin will ever sit in the Oval Office, Ron Paul may have a decent shot at garnering the Republican nomination next year. He can court the independent voters better than the former two and he has more fame than Governor Mitch Daniels, although I wouldn’t count the Indiana Governor out just yet. Three years ago a relatively unknown Illinois senator named Barack Obama made history proving that it doesn’t take notoriety to bring change. It just takes hope and shear unbridled determination. The question is, does Mitch Daniels have that determination?

-Eli Lavender ‘12

Vol. 114 Issue #6

May 2011

NEWS

The Libyan Revolution As revolution swept through the sweltering desert sands of North Africa and the Middle East this winter, America saw regime after regime crumble as the tidal wave of liberty swept away totalitarian governments in every country except one. After months of ruthless fighting, Libya still remains the only bastion of despotic rule in the region. Colonel Muammar el-Quaddafi’s vicious suppression of the Libyan rebellion has killed not only the poorly organized rebels, but innocent civilians as well. Therefore, NATO peace keeping forces sought to aid the rebel forces and end the conflict but despite powerful airstrikes from a combined coalition of British, French, Italian and American forces, Col. Quaddafi still maintains a brutal stranglehold on his country and the bloody civil war drags on with no end in sight.

Under such circumstances do Americans really want to stay involved in the Libyan Civil War? This question has even more relevance when we consider time is running out on U.S. intervention.

Soon Congress will have to vote to extend our stay. Should they?

Picture from parade.com Those arguing for intervention believe the U.S. should intervene based on three principles. Firstly, they plead that basic human rights have been violated by Col. Quadaffi’s massacre of innocent civilians. They argue it is the duty of the United States to stand by liberty loving people everywhere and support their fight against tyranny. Secondly interventionists argue that by allowing Quaddafi to flaunt his disregard for the United States he shows the entire Middle East that American military intervention is merely an empty threat. This they argue is detrimental to U.S, Middle Eastern relations. Thirdly, interventionists argue that U.S. supported dictators in Egypt and Tunisia have recently fallen from grace and U.S. support for these dictators tarnishes the reputation of the U.S. in those regions. Therefore to clear the reputation of the United States, in-

Vol. 114 Issue #6

Picture found at nationmaster.com tervention in Libya must occur.

Those opposed to U.S. intervention believe the U.S. should not intervene in the Libyan conflict because the United States has yet to decidedly conclude the conflict in Afghanistan that has now dragged on for over 10 years. U.S. intervention in conflicts abroad continuously scars the reputation of the United States and conflicts such as the one in Libya are rarely encouraged by the American public or other foreign nations. If that’s not reason enough to sit this one out non-interventionists focus on the American federal debt which grows ever larger each year.

It’s expensive for the United States to simply launch missiles at Libya like it has for the past two months. According to the Washington Examiner, “On the first day of strikes alone, U.S.led forces launched 112 long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, which cost about $1 million to $1.5 million apiece." Thus it is best to sit this conflict out for political as well as economic reasons.

Ultimately Libya is a catch 22 situation for American foreign policy. American intervention normally ends badly on the world stage as it did in Vietnam, Lebanon, Somalia, and Iraq. Yet lack of intervention garnered equally poor attention for the U.S. in both the Darfur and Rwandan genocides. Ultimately with time running out for President Obama’s peace keeping force, the final decision will rest with Congress and only Congress can decide which wrong course of action is the right mistake to make.

-Eli Lavender ‘12

“Do Americans really want to stay involved in the Libyan Civil War?” 5

Features LCA

The Leadership Committee for Africa is an organization for CGA students on campus. We work with and donate to two organizations. One organization is the Amani Children’s Foundation, developed in America by Jane Stevens and dedicated to supporting New Life Homes in Kenya.

LCA members receive secondhand beads, called Kusuri beads, and craft our own jewelry, similar to that made by Kenyan women at New Life Homes. We sell this jewelry throughout the year, and plan to sell at this upcoming parent’s weekend. Through fundraising both during school and this past summer at the Culver Farmer’s Market, we have raised 7,000 dollars. Each $1,000 supports one baby through its first year of life!

Our second organization, Christel House in South Africa, is a school for students in kindergarten through 12th grade; LCA has visited a total of three times. The kids come from impoverished areas, but materialistic limitations don’t limit their brilliance or their enthusiasm for life. We have built a lasting relationship by bringing what Culver has taught us through its ideals and leadership system to the students and school system. A total of ten students from Christel House schools around the world, including South Africa, Mexico, Indianapolis, and India have attended Culver Summer Camps. Speaking for myself and other girls who have been on the mission trip, we still keep in contact with our friends at Christel House in South Africa.

While over the years, LCA has raised a total of 25,000 dollars as a nonprofit organization run by CGA students, we have recently contributed our time and stories to the seventh grade students at the Culver Community Middle School.

On Friday, March 5th, five group leaders who were experts in aspects about South Africa gave presentations. Carson Canonie did a presentation on Cape Town and our work with Christel House. Kim Asenbeck and Carina Conti did an interactive presentation on the animals of Africa. Anna Haldewang showed a video and shared her experiences in Kenya. Emily Ford and I presented and quizzed students on the history of South Africa, including Nelson Mandela and the apartheid. Dineo Mmutla did a lesson on languages of South Africa. Emily Rich, Bri Trappe, Patience Durbin, Jacque McCloskey, and Kelly Lee were guides assigned to one class and took them between the different presentations. The students learned about the relationships LCA has built with Christel House, South Africa and New Life Homes . However, this is only the beginning. As Carson Canonie said, “We look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with the Culver Community Schools.”

We hope that through actions like these more communities of young people will be able to discover their potential and the potential of LCA. -Mary McKinnis ‘13

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May 2011

Alumni and Parents Weekends When in Culver do the flowers start to bloom? Well spring in general, but specifically (and miraculously) they all seem to appear in full bloom and at the same time. Parent and Alumni weekend. These events mark some of the most hectic times at Culver, even for the most experienced time management Culver students. From Honor Organizations to extracurricular performance of any type, remarkably many students end up not seeing their parents except for segments of the weekend.

Alumni weekend is a bombardment of CMA grad’s recollecting how much harder things were and what sort of torture methods were approved for the Plebes of their time. However it’s not all bad, both weekends mark a great time to see classmates of past years and, of course, for the new students to show off their new school in an extravagant way.

And the food gets remarkably better before both weekends which every single Culver student appreciates. Overall each weekend is more of an opportunity for the alumni and parents to breathe new life into the Culver ecosystem. So, hey, I’ll keep busy for a few extra hours each weekend and enjoy some time with my parents and alumni, and, needless to say, the really blue water outside of Eppley.

-Jake Ralls Feldman ‘12

A Poem: Pneumo- etc.

Unpronounceable this disease may be. When you catch it, your lungs feel as if they will burst from thee. You already feel sick with all its symptoms alone. But trying to pronounce it will only make you groan.

It starts with a headache and begins with a moan and then midway, you just have to pick up the phone. For fear you might die within seconds, you call your doctor whose name (by chance) is Beckonds. You explain to him your symptoms. Along with the nausea that comes. He makes a diagnosis and says that you have Pneumono-ultra-micro-scopic-silicovolcano-coniosis. You pause over the phone at this mouthful of a diagnosis. Your lungs are going haywire and everything seems to be a mess.

“How could you possibly make this guess? That I most likely have Pneumono-ultra-micro-scopic-silico-volcano-coniosis?” “Tell me, tell me please,” you say as you cough and you gasp and you wheeze. How could you figure this out, how on earth? Was it my eye color, height, weight, or girth? The doctor says “No my dear Dan”.....you pause and you say, “My name is not Dan it is actually Fred; perhaps this disease is for someone else instead. Doc, I think you have the wrong man, because, kind sir, my name is not Dan. The doctor says “perhaps” in a voice rather bold and continues with, “If that’s the case then, most likely you just have a cold.”

-Josh Drake ‘14

Vol. 114 Issue #6

May 2011

F EAT U R E S

Hi, My Name Is

Remember?

Whenever I was asked to introduce myself and give a fun fact I always responded “Hi, My name is Clancy Tripp and I watch log-cutting championships on TV” I look back and realize it’s a wonder I ever made friends here. I was a tiny blonde 5’2 kid from South Bend Indiana who had not yet heard the term “grinding” applied to dancing. I’ve made my bed a thousand times, checked my name off on millions of attendance rosters, and chanted oaths about honor and screamed lyrics about how much old memories thrill me, but it’s just now hitting me what it means to be a Culver grad.

Three months from now I will be two thousand miles away in California, and I imagine someone will ask me to introduce myself and share a fun fact. Now there are almost too many things to say. Hi, my name is Clancy Tripp and I once got Disciplinary Confinement for excessive tickling during study hours. Or perhaps, Hi my name is Clancy and one Saturday at my school the sponsored entertainment was a demonstration on lace” or “there were more guns at my school than snow days.” How do I sum up four years of my life in a few sentences? I’ll try. Mr. Oberwetter made me banana bread, Dr. Erwin made me brownies, and Mrs. Battersby made me learn more about European History than I could stomach. My teachers are my parents away from home.

The four year seniors in Atrium once conducted an elaborate fish funeral complete with black clothing and tears, once dropped me on an electrical circuit in a misguided attempt at cheerleading, and still continue to remind me of all the mistakes I made freshman year. The crew team repeatedly throws me in the lake to watch me drown and take pictures. My friends are my sisters and brothers away from home. We’ve all noticed that the flowers always seem to sprout on Parents Weekend and none of the pictures in the brochures they send out to prospective students seem to capture the misery that is winter here in Indiana and despite it all, Culver is my home.

So if you asked me now, I’d say “Hi my name is Clancy Tripp and I’d give anything not to leave you all behind.” The days are ticking down, the senior privileges are increasing, and it’s warm enough outside for me to remember why I suffered through what seemed like four years of snow. Senior dinner dance has passed, AP’s are over, there are announcements in dorm meetings about “Summer Leave Forms” and packing bags, and I’m wondering, do we really look as old, intelligent, and experienced as the seniors looked to us when we were new? Wasn’t it yesterday that Band burnt down or Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Foley were snapping pictures of us on our terrified first days of info lit? As the days get warmer and grad draws nearer I may still by 5’2 and awkward, but four years later I know I belong here. To the teachers, staff, underclassmen, buildings, infraction forms, bagel bar, centipedes that creep into my room, and fellow seniors I say thank you.

Thank you for giving me a home, a family, and the best four years I could have asked for. And thank you for giving me a fun fact.

Hi, my name is Clancy Tripp and I’m thrilled to be a Culver grad.

Do you remember the day we first met? It was raining like crazy. You squashed a bug on my forehead. You choked on chocolate. It was at speech. It was at quintet practice. We had just watched “Whale Rider”. Remember? I do. I loved you even then.

Remember back when classes started at 7:50 and CQ started at 7:30? Walking back to the dorm after CQ was like navigating a minefield of couples. Remember what the Dining Hall used to look like? There were trays and cups that never failed to fall at the most inopportune moment. They were made of glass back then.

Do you remember the first time you stepped on campus? Do you remember the first person you met at registration? The first time you stepped into your new room? I do.

Everything has changed now and yet it’s all the same. The people around me have shifted and turned, and suddenly I’m taller, I’m older, I’m... graduating.

Remember the first time that hit you? Hey, I’m leaving. I’m leaving. I do.

Remember the dance parties? The walks to town? The pictures? The practices? The endless meetings? The meals and mail trips and conversations. The talking and talking and talking. And the silence.

Remember the first time you cried? The first time something went wrong, a friendship cracked. I can’t count the number of times I’ve cried over that... and classes... and the future... and, well, nothing at all. I can’t count the number of people who comforted me without needing to be asked.

I also remember the times I’ve laughed. That night when we just couldn’t stop laughing... for three hours. Ms. Nelson thought we were crazy, and we probably were. I remember the stupid jokes told at late hours that never failed to bring a smile. Hey, you’re funny.

Remember the awkward moments? The misspoken statement.

The poor timing. That time you tied me up and left me in the lounge? Yeah, I still remember that too.

I remember the first snow fall and the first spring. I remember the sound of the cannon echoing off the sky. I remember the good times and the bad times. I remember that this too is just another stage in the journey of life.

I remember you all, my friends, mentors, teachers, acquaintances. I have so many excuses as to why I haven’t spoken to you before: shyness, a busy schedule, poor timing. I want to tell you now. I want you to be happy and fulfilled. I want you to have a beautiful future. You are amazing and interesting and worthwhile.

I should have told you sooner.

Remember when you walked through the arch (or gate)? I don’t. Not yet. But in a few days I will. Before I go I want to say good-bye and thank you. You have made my time here memorable. Hopefully you too will remember me, remember that I will always be here for you if you need me.

- Clancy Tripp ‘11

-Laura Freymiller ‘11

See you on the other side.

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May 2011

Same Old Story, Same Old Twists

We’ve all heard the story, naive little new high schooler comes to the scary campus, immediately becomes lost in the corn field, is slightly (or very) intimidated by their new teachers and the upperclassman.

My story is a bit different. I came to Culver tiny, nerdy, confident, and sure I was going to conquer my new school as an incoming sophomore. I had lived in corn fields my whole life, and was ready to be a part of a school that would praise my desire to do and become more, versus my public school, which criticized the desire for success. I signed up for far too many clubs at the Activities Fair, quickly became engulfed in the theater program, bonded with girls in my dorm, ice skated, tried to juggle intramurals, danced, met amazing people, and came through my first year mostly unscathed.

Yet, as I struggled through junior and senior year, I became more and more resentful of what I had chosen. Would the result be worth the struggle, the immature people who loved coming up with the next great rumor, mountains upon mountains of homework, theater rehearsals that deprived me of weekend nights, and friends that

drifted away? I missed my home, my old friends, my old life, the truly naïve little fourteen year old girl I had left behind in my search for a better future. I couldn’t decide if I had actually made the right decision.

It wasn’t until I went back home during Christmas break of my senior year that I could really appreciate what Culver had given me. By that point, I knew where I was going to college, and upon visiting my old high school, realized how much I had changed. It was one of those moments where I truly felt happy. I knew I had made the right choice two and a half years previously.

These last few months have not been, by any means, perfect. I could ramble on and on about what activities I participated in, all the struggles I had, trudging through APs, and trying to keep my last few days with my friends precious. But why would I? These are not stories you would care about, nothing you would want to read. My only remaining words would be to everyone else who believes they will not be at all sentimental when the arch or gate approaches. I didn’t believe I would be ei-

ther. I told myself I would not be sad to go when the time came. The fact of the matter is; you will come to love this place. It may take you until you are already through the arch, but Culver will leave a lasting impact on you. It will change you in ways you do not yet know, it will be a time you can look back on and smile. You will probably not remember the leadership position you really wanted but didn’t get. You will more than likely remember the times you laughed with your friends, the late nights, the time spent by the lake, the times you should have been working but did something fun instead. It doesn’t matter if you failed an inspection; it doesn’t matter if you don’t get an A on one paper. Investment in people will give you far better memories.

As much as I have had my frustrations with Culver, I cannot deny that I love it, and I am grateful that it made me the person I am today. You may not love it until you are about to leave, but do not take what this place gives you for granted. You will appreciate it sooner or later.

-Kirstyn Petras ‘11

About the Authors

Clancy Tripp“Hi, My Name Is”

Laura Freymiller“Remember?”

Clancy is a four year senior in Atri- Laura is a four year senior from um dorm. Hailing from South Bend, Linden. She grew up in Nappanee, Indiana she will be switching it up Indiana, but recently moved to by attending Claremont-McKenna Culver. She will be attending CarColleges in the fall of 2011. leton College in the fall.

Kirstyn Petras“Same Old Story, Same Old Twist”

Kirstyn is a three year senior from Linden dorm. She comes from Warren, Illinois. Kirstyn will be attending Edinburgh University in Scotland.

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Vol. 114 Issue #6

May 2011

F EAT U R E S

Wolverine at the Office: A Short Story Sweat drips from Wolverine’s brow.

His muscles tense. A low unearthly growl begins from deep within his very soul.

The familiar pain comes as his adamantium claws extend from his right knuckle -- Schtkk! His nostrils flare. His senses are hyper-aware of everything around him. He hears a fly die on the window sill to his right. He smells Bob pass gas two cubicles down, one cubicle to the left. Marcie is wearing that fancy perfume again, the kind that smells like Chiquita Bananas.

Tim is downstairs having one of his frequent nose bleeds. Sally must have partied last night because her breath reeks of alcohol. But wait, I digress. Claws are extended, muscles are tensed and senses are aware. Life slows as all focus turns to this one monumental task and…twing, he gives a yell like some Norse God, as one Adamantium claw quickly flicks a staple from the sheath of his papers that he was preparing to copy. He gingerly licks one of his Adamantium claws as they slide back into place.

His eyes roll back as he yells “BRING ME MY COFFEE!” As usual everyone ignores him. He crouches as he leaps like some rabid animal, almost like a Wolverine. He jumps across two cubicles and his left boot grazes Joe’s right temple as he somersaults by. A strange twist of his torso and one flip later finds Wolverine balanced on one hand in front of the coffee machine. He thinks to himself, “Kid, I still got it”. With deft dexterity he chooses a double shot French Vanilla Cappuccino with his left pinky toe.

While still on one hand, Schtkk, adamantium claws extend from the other and he thinks to himself (Why do my adamantium claws make a Schtkk sound? Why don’t my claws make a Schwinzzg sound?

Spider-man has a Thwip sound and Superman has a Swoosh sound why can’t I have something other than a Schtkk sound. But wait, I digress—and I thirst.) His already extended claws quickly puncture a small non-dairy creamer held in between his left big toe and his left middle toe. Unbelievably, the cream finds its mark in the cup of his Double Shot French Vanilla Cappuccino held snuggly by his right foot. A small

drop spills and lands on his right earlobe “Son of a $@#!”, he screams as his soul is morally deprived by the fact that he made a mistake by letting a drop of such a wondrous substance depart from its styrofoam vessel. Luckily, his regenerative powers are still intact and his earlobe dermis repairs itself almost instantaneously.

Just then, Philip walks by, “Hey Logan”.

Wolverine replies, “’Sup Phil”. Phillip says, “When you’re done playing, the boss needs to see you, it doesn’t sound good.”

With a gentle flick he tosses the coffee cup into the air, pushes off his hand, Schtkk retracts his adamantium claws in his other

Wolverine: a highly skilled fighter, but not likely to be Employee of the Month any time soon.

Picture from: http://s374.photobucket. com/albums/oo187/Wade_Ashton_10 /?action=view&current=wolverine1. jpg&newest=1 hand, flips himself upright, snatches the cup out of mid-air and slowly strides to the bosses office just completing a sick maneuver that would even make Dare Devil jealous. As soon as he enters the bosses office, the boss says, “Logan…have a seat. First of all this is a decision not a discussion. You’re fired. There are gashes

throughout every wall in the office, Joe is filing a suit for the six times you’ve kicked him in the head while you somersaulted to the coffee machines. Logan, I have documentation of our conversation in which I told you to walk to the coffee machine.

Yet time and again you have ignored me.

Also you keep saying ‘Schttk’ every time you extend your adamantium claws. It is extremely annoying – they don’t make a sound when they come out, everyone in the office knows this, but you are still making that ‘Schttk’ sound with your mouth, even after several counseling sessions.

You have destroyed two coffee machines, numerous important documents that need to be copied because you refuse to use a staple remover like any normal person would. Why you ever thought pin the tail on the Wolverine would be fun at the last office party, still escapes me, whether you have regenerative powers or not. You are not a good worker. One person cannot even pass gas in the same building without a disgusted nostril flare coming from you.

The bottom line is your mere presence crushes morale. Marcie does not smell like Chiquita Bananas contrary to your warped belief. Your peers hate you, our customers fear you and we have had to pay more in damages, law suits and construction than we pay you. I never thought it would be so difficult to be the assistant copier boy for Jay Jonah Jameson. So clear out your desk and get out…And Logan, please walk and keep your “Schtkk” to yourself…”

Muscles tense and adamantium claws slowly extend, Schttk, the claws skewer a red, white and blue freezy-pop and it flies unerringly to its target. Two quarters are quickly placed on the side of the Ice Cream Truck (Yeah Kid, I still got it). Circus music plays as Wolverine drives the truck away into the distance.

- Josh Drake ‘14

Reminder: we love to print creative writing submissions and photography!

Vol. 114 Issue #6

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Opinions Advice to the Class of 2011 from Real

May 2011

Live Culver Adults

We asked for advice, words of wisdom, and witticisms from teachers and staff to the class of 2011. This is what they want you to know: My students recently listened to an NPR podcast describing the power of a hello.

As the class of 2011 moves through life, never forget about those who remain in Culver who impacted your development in some way. A simple email, letter, or phone call to that faculty or staff member can be quite special. Godspeed, - Mr. Kelley My WORD of wisdom . . . BALANCE - Mrs. Foley “The readiness is all.” – Shakespeare - Dr. Erwin You will go through life proving yourself each and every day….remember… nothing….but nothing ever beats hard work…..and it will be hard…..but if you are doing something you love…it will never seem like work… Also….never miss the opportunity to learn something new…..you will never know how much power you possess from learning a new skill…no matter how menial…. such as…..plumbing….carpentry….. landscaping….sewing….. you get the idea….

- Corky Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living. ---John Dewey -Mrs. Schriefer The Info. Lit. teacher in me says – Works Cited! Works Cited! Works Cited!

The mom in me says – Call your family every Sunday evening.

Enjoy your last few weeks.

- Mrs. Browne

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When you come to the fork in the road, always take the left path!

- Mr. Horvath A brief candle; both ends burning An endless mile; a bus wheel turning A friend to share the lonesome times A handshake and a sip of wine So say it loud and let it ring We are all a part of everything The future, present and the past Fly on proud bird You're free at last.---Charlie Daniels written en route to the funeral of Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

- Mrs. Schriefer Do at least one load of laundry each week; it is amazing how fast you run out of clean underwear!

- Cali Girard Question everything, especially what your priest, rabbi, or minister tells you.

- Mr. Frick "Your frontal lobes are almost there!

WTC!! or WTGS if you want to play it safe. (E-mail or take a class with Ms. Blessman for more information.)"

- Ms. Blessman Go out and make a difference in the world.

- Mr. Haase Be kind – be good - be safe - you are not invincible. Find a task, job or profession to benefit those around you and be passionate about it.

- Michael Chastain Words of advice: Never forget to say “please” and “thank you;” laughter is always the best medicine; and always wait one hour to go swimming after you eat.

- Mr. Strati

To-Do List 1. Care about others more than you care about yourself.

2. Smile.

3. Find a soul-mate; take care of that individual, let that person take care of you.

4. Don't fear or foolishly embrace change but simply respect and understand it.

5. Get enough sleep.

6. Find a passion and pursue it. Repeat as necessary.

7. Treat yourself to a good meal...often.

-Mr. Pretzer Always remember, when you come to a "fork in the road" there is a third option... leave the road and blaze a new path.

- Mr. Danti On behalf of all the students, and especially the seniors, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the teachers and the staff for all they do for us. Whether it’s giving us D‘s when we deserve them, advice even when we don’t solicit it, or offering their guidance throughout the years, we owe it all to you. Thank you for kind words, tasty treats, endearing nicknames, late review sessions, whip-cracking, and pop quiz providing from the class of 2011.

- Clancy Tripp ‘11

Thank you to everyone, from the class of 2011!

Vol. 114 Issue #6

May 2011

OPINIONS

Rising Above

The day the Twin Towers fell, the city as we knew it ended. There was a different feeling in the air after that day; for even though we never sleep, we do remember- we New Yorkers. I grew up in the shadow of the pink particulates that mixed with the soot in the air that night. And so Osama bin Laden’s death must be a joy, a release and a triumph over the mastermind who shattered the innocence of an uninnocent city. But this third-grader, who looked down the straight-arrow avenue and saw the smoke in one direction and the most perfect September sky in the other, does not rejoice. I am quite frankly disgusted that this nation is happy that a man, any man, no matter what his crimes against humanity, is dead. Bin Laden was a religious extremist and psychotic killer whose ideology destroyed the lives of too many people. We should be glad he is no longer able to harm humankind, but we should not rejoice. A moment of silent reflection, of renewed prayer and condolences for the victims’ families, of renewed gratitude for those who died saving others, and renewed efforts to ensure that any ideology does not sink to such levels of desperation as terrorism, is more in keeping with the forgiveness, the pain, and ultimately, the healing, such a moment marks.

As a child whose faith and knowledge thus far in humanity were shattered that blue September day, I have not moved on nor forgotten. But I have learned something like acceptance, and I have learned that education and tolerance are the only tools against desperation and violence.

We Americans like to pretend that we know what the future has in store for us, but as mere pawns in a game we cannot begin to understand, we must mark this event with renewed vows for tolerance, understanding, and ultimately, forgiveness, so that we do not sink to depths we know not how to rise from.

-Anna-Christina Betekhtin ‘13

With the end of the year just around the corner some students are pondering the question, is it worth it? Is my time at Culver being well spent, has it been beneficial? As I head into my senior year I definitively feel that a Culver experience is an opportunity that cannot be passed up.

However I do not believe this solely for the traditional reasons that most secondary educations offer. (Although the teachings methods, available resources and College Advising are all great assets available at Culver.) It’s the lessons that

Advice for Seniors from a Junior Dear Class of 2011, The time is approaching, the day that seemed so far away when you first walked through Logansport gate a thousand or hundreds of days ago. You are graduating in less than two weeks!

I cannot assume how thrilling that must feel (because I’m not a senior…yet), but I do know something for sure: STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!!

For the past three years I have been at this place called Culver, I have observed many cases of misfortune and often extreme absurdity. There is so little time left until you pass the Iron Gate and hear Mr. Buxton say, “Dismissed!” And yet, it just seems that some people cannot appreciate the value of patience in their last month at school; in these cases students lose everything they have gained through their four years of Culver career due to a single impatient misstep.

If you have successfully completed Ethics class in your junior year, you must be able to remember the Honor Council activity in which each of you pretended to be an Honor Rep, Head of School, Dean of Girls or parent of the accused cadet. Despite lengthy discussions among the honor council and the long process of turning in the final recommendation of corrective action, the lesson is simple: you cannot repeat the past.

I do not personally know every single person in Class of 2011, but I do know this; we came to this place driven by the common goal of becoming a better individual and a member of the Culver Legion upon graduating from Culver. Packing stuff and heading home a week before the graduation is not a part of that goal, smiling and taking pictures with teachers and friends on June 5th is.

Sincerely, - Jake Kang ’12

Is It Worth It? I learned outside of the classroom that are going to really stick with me. For example, learning how to take calculated risks, try new things, meet new people, and sit at a table for lunch where no one is speaking English. Learning to accept failures and handle success, how to live with other people, make best friends with kids from all over the world, and, of course, how to fold clothes properly.

Learn how to get dirty, how to clean up, and then get dirty again. This is barely scratching the surface.

As a new sophomore last year I was

hoping to get a lot out of my culver experience, and the most important lesson that I’ve learned not just about Culver, but about any environment that you are placed in, is that it’s exactly what you make it. Though most (if not all) seniors at this point are sprinting toward the gate, if you ask, most of them will say that four years flew by. And since most of us don’t have four years left... make the most of the time you have left and take from Culver exactly what you want.

-Jake Ralls-Feldman ‘12

Vol. 114 Issue #6

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OPINIONS

Is our leadership system perfect?

According to Dean Weaser the Culver leadership program is “not perfect, but I think we have a good record of results of helping young women grow and providing them experiences to practice leadership and we have good feedback from young women who have graduated. What our system really relies on is input, collaboration, and consensus. It’s going to be about how are we going to do this? Why is it right for you to be doing this? And how can we do it better together? There is a hierarchy, but it’s not as rigid and the military structure. It works because the senior prefect elected by all the leaders which gives all leaders an opportunity to determine who is best to represent them.

There is opportunity for sharing and relationships.”

And yet, as with any system of governance, there are questions, questions that sometimes seem to go unanswered. At times communication between students and their adult advisors can be difficult if not impossible. Input, collaboration, and consensus are not always present, because students are nervous about speaking their minds in a public arena. Some girls interviewed for this article refused to comment unless given anonymity hinting that CGA members feel their ideas will get them in trouble. They fear reactions from adult counselors or supervisors that might cost leadership positions or incur other negative retaliations. A system that does not generate open communication is a difficult system in which to collaborate.

To be fair, sometimes we as CGA offer more complaints than constructive criticism; yet if students are afraid to speak freely we lose ideas which could be utilized to improve the system. The question is: how can we have a more open system? What can we do to improve student to adult communication? This lack of communication leads to misunderstanding.

One example of this misunderstanding is seen in the role of Senior Prefect. One senior said “I like how the highest position is the Senior Prefect and we get to vote for that. None of that gets construed

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May 2011

CGA Leadership so that the favorite student of the faculty gets picked. It’s what we want. That is one thing I appreciate.” CGA chooses each rotation which leader will hold the highest position. But often students feel this isn’t enough. They also want their representative to wield actual power, to effect substantial and lasting change to the system she inherits. Another senior shows this feeling of impotence. “Most of the time it’s the administration telling you what to do, and there’s a point where you have no say in anything. It can get frustrating because you have to follow through with something that you really don’t want to do but you still have to lead it even if it’s not your idea. You aren’t behind it at all.”

CGA leaders want to feel that they can change the system and implement their own ideas. This can be difficult to balance with the plans of the supervising adults. In the case of conflicts between these plans it is usually the adult who wins out. In some cases, leaders don’t even feel they have the opportunity to suggest plans since most positions come complete with an agenda.

Henrietta Conrad seems to agree with this statement; in a separate interview she said that, “It should be the sophomore’s in charge because we aren’t really leading anything. We are just doing secretary work. We are forced into the leadership.”

Hannah Bouline, however, believed that “It’s [the leadership system] not effective in getting what we want done on campus but I feel it is really effective in teaching girls about leadership.” This shows the clear misunderstanding between the generations: to the adults the leadership system is a system to learn about leadership while the students actually want to effect change using the leadership system.

Perhaps this contributes to the feeling that we can’t openly discuss the system. Being forced to carry out plans that our not our own can lead to resentment and a fear or refusal to speak.

The goal of this article is not to trash the Culver Leadership System; it is to make adults and supervisors of CGA aware of how some of the girls feel.

Many would argue the other side, that the

system functions well and that we have simply misunderstood its purpose. No matter the opinion, we want to be heard.

Almost all the girls agreed that sometimes it feels that our ideas for changing the system, though taken into consideration, are not often implemented. If this is a student centered campus, it might be good to encourage more conversation between adults and students to see what each side wants or needs to implement.

Sometimes even if ideas are heard they become altered beyond recognition. It can be hard to work in a system that doesn’t seem to work with you. As Henrietta says, “They say, ‘Your leaders decided to have this meeting and they’re going to put on skits for you’. When really it wasn’t optional. They tell us we’re going to have a meeting and ask, ‘So what are you going to do?’ I feel Student Life just uses the leaders as an excuse for making changes”.

In addition it is difficult to say that senior leadership is optional when senior privileges are not extended to any except those involved in leadership.

There is more than one issue that the girls see in our leadership system but none of them can be resolved if the conversation is not started somewhere. It is clear though that we need to foster a community of open communication. If over half the people interviewed for this article would only give their opinion after being promised anonymity, it is clear that something is amiss. We need to learn to balance the goals of the adults with the ideas of the students so that Dean Weaser’s goal of “input, collaboration, and consensus” will become a reality. If we can come together as a united front and listen to each opinion, we can change how the system works for the better. We can make leadership less political and more voluntary for our leaders. We can make this a system which supports everyone involved. We can, to quote a rather famous document, “form a more perfect union”.

-Elaina Engelhard ‘13

Vol. 114 Issue #6

Sports

M a y 2 0 11

JV Lacrosse

Culver JV lax is a team the Culver community should be proud of. An in-state record of 6-2 proves that this season was a strong one. With myself as starting tendie, fearless leader Andrew Gleitz, our top scorer, at attack, and Nathan Ralls-Feldman as face-off middie, the team was intimidating and to put it modestly “pretty sick”. “JV lacrosse is the embodiment of Culver’s ideology and what CMA stands for” says John Harm.

Johnny McConville led the team to victory last Saturday with one of the sickest bar-ins in Culver lacrosse history. Middies Nick Curtin, Nick Bachewicz, Caleb Brooks, Nick Danesi, Michael Bunn, Jay Wehrle, Liam McGing, Robert Thomas, Austin Daugherty, Gus Schinderle, and Phil Kreuser also helped to set up plays and snipe raw ched. Defensive powerhouses Connor Marrs, Cam Benn, David Dilts, Dom Meloni, Caleb Jadrich, Frank Slykas, Adam Stathakis, Shaun Schneider, and the best lsm around Austin Sheldon helped protect the cage from the fierce laxers of Indiana. Attack members Tucker DeYoung, Evan Nichols, Justin Sitjar, Jack Griffith, Nathan Browne, William Brewer, and Alec Raich all put in effort towards the win.

Coach John Gavlick believes “We had a very good-spirited bunch of lax players who appreciated their roles and made significant contributions. It was certainly a fast, yet successful season.” The other coaches were Coach Keith Krizman and Coach Andy Roth.

The season was not only fun but also successful. We did some great things against teams twice our size and skill level. For example, against Bishop Luers, Culver dressed only those who don’t usually dress and we won 4-1. The season was exciting and the road trips were fun. Jack Griffith says “the team was the craziest, funniest, loyalist group of kids I’ve ever played with”.

2011 JV lax was great and we’re all sad it’s over. Come out and support us next year!

-Alan Simonini ‘14

The CGA tennis team has finally done the impossible. The number of players has managed to surpass the carrying capacity of our brand-spanking-new tennis complex. Yet through a combination of team meals, cook outs, and occasional tennis practices the team has stayed close and stayed strong- I admit I’ve never have as much fun as when I’m returning to Culver on a victorious bus belting out the words to Bruno Mars’s “The Lazy Song” and mangling a British accent.

In addition to our newsworthy record number of tennis players, and

CMA Varsity Lacrosse

The CMA Varsity Lacrosse team has had quite a successful season so far; Culver is ranked first in the state. So far the season has included 18 wins and 2 losses, both in and out of state.

The team started their season on the east coast,uccessfully beating Severn School and Episcopal High School. Another big out of state win included their battle against the Hill Academy, where the Eagles pulled through in the last minute of the game.

This year’s team has been led by captains Colton Armitage, Josh Berger, Cameron Dabir, and Bud Graham. At Senior Night Colton Armitage, Josh Berger, Cameron Dabir, and JP Balchan were all honored during Parent’s Weekend. That same weekend the lacrosse team also had a fundraiser where they sold baked goods, sandwiches, chicken, and drinks. This fundraiser has become an annual event for CMA Lacrosse.

The final tournament was held in Detroit Michigan, where they went head to head with two of the hardest teams in the Midwest.

The tournament took place on Saturday and Sunday of Alumni weekend.

The CMA Lacrosse team had many adults involved assisting them along the way for their successful season. The team was coached by Jon Posner, John Yeager, Alex Mies, and Peter Trau.

Dan Cowell, and Ryan Faught were the two team trainers. Mark Sayer videotaped the majority of the games.

Congrats to CMA Lacrosse for their successful season!

-Jordan Berger ‘13

CGA Tennis

despite numerous injuries and countless last minute changes to the lineup, the season has thus far proven to be our best in years. Upon much reflection after winning our CGA invitational, head coach, Al Loehr, had this to say: “we came out of this looking pretty good.” Thought provoking motivational addresses aside, the CGA varsity team won sectionals and is dying for the chance to take on the winner of the Penn Sectional Champs on May 24th.

-Molly Walker ‘12

Photo from the Culver Daily Bulletin

Vol. 114 Issue #6

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May 2011

SPORTS

CMA Rugby Facts about the CMA rugby team: •More than half of the CMA rugby team has never played rugby before •At the beginning of the season the CMA rugby team’s passing skills were rudimentary at best •CMA rugby team had only one returning senior player The 2010-2011CMA rugby team was a young team, lacking experience. However, its members’ desire to play was unbelievable. Players came to practice with smiles, ready to work hard because they wanted to- not because they were forced to.

People are shocked to hear that the Culver Rugby team won its conference. However, the team did just that, and later played against Penn, the roughest team it plays, for the state championship title.

May 14th, 2011was the day that Culver had its first ever state game on its home field - Fleet Air Field. Players were at the field two hours before the game began, warming up. The referee blew the whistle, the ball was out. And the game was on.

The final score was 15 PENN – 12 CULVER. Culver was so close to its first Rugby State Championship title. This year, with more than half of the team being new to the sport, CMA rugby was able to win conference and had a great state game on its home field.

Most of CMA rugby players are underclassmen. Next year, they will train harder. They will be stronger, faster, and ready to win state. If anyone wishes to be a part of making history and a strong brotherhood they should come out and play. Rugby is an amazing sport and anyone can be a varsity starter as long as they are willing to put in some effort. It was an amazing session for CMA rugby, and I, personally, cannot wait for next session. Go Eagles– “Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead” -Kevin Kim ‘12

Photo from Culver Rugby Facebook page.

Taken by Mr. Phil Blessman

The Elusive QuizBeats It is a full moon; the pale white beams shine through my window and bathe my room with a ghostly glow. I roll out of bed, for I know it is time. I push my desk and it flips over, revealing a secret compartment in my wall. Within the dark chamber lies my weapon of choice, the only tool that will help me survive in Atlanta. I grab its handle with my sweaty palms and bellow, “BUZZER ASSASSINS! ASSSSEEEEEEMMMMMBBBBBLEEEEE!” I believe I have been asked more questions about quiz bowl by my friends than I have in the actual game. How do you study? Is it hard? How long is a match? Do you have practices? Well, now is the time to address those questions. There are certain questions in quiz bowl that come up quite frequently. For example, John Steinbeck gets tossed up (asked about) quite a lot. The question would go something like this: “This author of Tortilla Flat and Cannery Row also wrote a story about two enterprising farm hands, one who likes to touch soft things.” At this point or earlier, one of us would hit the red button on our buzzers and say the correct answer for ten points.

If a question is answered very early on, fifteen points are awarded.

The team with the most points at the end of twenty questions is the winner.

Quiz bowl can be very challenging, especially if my example question above was read and one had no idea who John Steinbeck even was. The problem is that pep-talks and energy drinks don’t make you perform better in quiz bowl; either you know it or you don’t. The length of the matches varies quite a bit. If a question is answered correctly, three bonus questions are read after it specifically for the team that answered. If neither team answers the question correctly, no bonuses are read. So the time spent playing depends on how many questions are answered.

Last but not least, yes, we do have practices. During the regular winter season, we have them from 4:15 to 5:30 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But with Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia approaching quickly, we practice every weekday except Friday during the spring season, from 6:45 to 7:45. We have been studying rigorously and playing mock games at practice, so we can pick up some of those questions that come up often, such as Steinbeck. In a nutshell, this is how quiz bowl works. If you found this article interesting and you want to join, contact Mr. Blessman, Mr. McLeod or Ms. Coyle-Sherck!

-John Van Duyn ‘14

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Vol. 114 Issue #6

May 2011

Keeping Track of Track’s Success Though it wasn’t included in Mr. Buxton’s congratulatory video dedicated to the winter sports teams, the Track and Field team surely deserves to be recognized for their great success so far this season.

Aside from Waverly Neer’s famous national championship and record breaking result, the team as a whole has had some outstanding achievements. On Valentine’s Day, when everyone was busy exchanging chocolates among friends and spending time with their significant others, athletes of the Track and Field team officially began practicing as a team, since then they have been getting in shape for the entire duration of their season.

Because all members of the team committed themselves to practices and drills, they have been quite successful. On March 10th, Culver the Track and Field team went to Purdue University to compete in the Hoosier State Relays Trials. In every event the

Academies participated in, they qualified for finals. Also in an outdoor meet against North Judson High School, CMA athletes outperformed those of NJHS, scoring total of 75 points as opposed to NorthJudson’s 39.

The victory of CMA team was destined to repeat itself. At another outdoor meet against Culver Community High School, the team won with a score of 92 against Community’s 42. For CGA, at its indoor invitational, they placed the 1st out of four participating schools, with a score of 115.

These achievements were quite noteworthy, and were made possible not only by promising runners but also by dedication and devotion to the team.

The beauty of Track and Field is that it does not have to be limited to a single event; it has many events. “I think that track has an event for everyone, even if the right thing for you isn't immediately obvious. It allows

you to try things you've never even dreamt of doing before,” says Sharon Chen, a second year pole-vaulter who has been improving steadily.

Not only does the team have a great deal of devotion, but also a great deal of talent. “Our team had some amazing athletes who were physically and mentally prepared throughout the season, and their devotion to daily practices and meets, combined with fine work ethics, elevated the level of the Culver Track and Field team to much higher place,” says Steve Choi, a promising member of the team. The Track and Field season will go until the last day of school year, and with the same work ethic and abilities proven in previous results, there is no doubt that the team will finish its season strong.

– Jake Kang’12

It’s a Great Year to be an Eagle “The best and fastest way to learn a sport is to watch and imitate a champion” -Jean Claude Killy

Photos taken by Emily Rich ‘12 and Elaina Englehard ‘13

Vol. 114 Issue #6

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Arts Dancevision Spring Performance

May 2011

With an audience closely resembling that of an all-school, the eclectic collection of pieces in Dancevision’s spring performance proved to be a welcome distraction. The recital displayed choreography by Miss Jackson as well as 2011 honors candidates, Maggie Crowell, Eddie Kim, Victoria Senicki, and Riley Scott. The dancers were grateful to survive dress rehearsal and two performances, avoiding sprained ankles and the infamous Dancevision curse, save for the occasional torn ligament and the general sickness of the entire company. Although tired and sore,

Eddie Kim ‘11 performing his self-choreographed solo to earn honors in dance.

The Dancevision members take a quick photo before performing for the last time this year.

they were thrilled to have concluded the year with a jaw dropping performance that was, “The best Dancevision show yet”. A big thank you to Mrs. Duke and Mrs. Tulchinsky, and all of those who came to support us. We will miss you, seniors of 2011 (Maggie Crowell, Eddie Kim, Victoria Senicki, and Riley Scott)!!!!! From: the Dancevision under-classmen.

-Carina Conti ‘12 and Janet Sananixay ‘13

Spring Musical: Little Women As a cast member in the upcoming musical, I felt I would probably be a bit biased writing about it myself. Instead, I interviewed Carol Alban, a fellow cast member, so that if there is a bias, it’s hers, not mine.

Me: What is Little Women about?

Carol: It’s about, Jo March, her family, and her life. She is a writer, and the audience gets to watch as Jo transforms from a girl, to a young women, through life experiences.

Me: Describe your character, and your favorite character.

Carol: My Character, Mrs. Kirk, is the owner of the boarding house that Jo lives in. She's very scattered, and has lots of different thoughts. She really cares about Jo, and all the other people in the house. My

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favorite character in this show is Jo's Aunt March. Madison Tallant plays her and does a great job of making the character fun and entertaining. I also like how the relationship between Jo and Aunt March is portrayed in the show.

Me: What’s your favorite song?

Carol: My favorite song is Five Forever.

The four march sister plus their neighbor, Laurie, sing it when they make a pact to stay friends forever. It’s a great "three musketeers, all for one, and one for all!" song.

Me: Lastly why should people come see the show?

Carol: People should come see the show because it has a great mix of humor, love, and touching mother-daughter moments.

The cast is phenomenal, and our back stage

tech crew has worked countless hours on making an elaborate set that changes many times during the show. We also have the Culver orchestra playing with us, so the music is doubly awesome. It has something for everyone.

Little Woman will be showing May 28th, and June 2nd and 3rd. Come, bring friends, and enjoy a wonderful performance.

-Kirstyn Petras ‘11

Watch the Spring Musical May 28th, June 2nd or June 3rd. There are no small parts only little women.

Vol. 114 Issue #6

Travel IU Honors

Everyone knows that summer is meant for mental relaxation- it’s the brain’s imperative detox session before its inevitable return to a new, demanding school year. Summer means moseying about, connecting with friends from home (if you have any), potentially the occasional college visit, and generally doing the least amount of mental processing possible. For those who are looking forward to a restful summer of this variety, the following is going to sound exceedingly painful.

Two extra months of school. Speaking nothing but a foreign language. One hour of internet each week. Crazy?

Maybe. Yet this summer twelve certifiably insane students will be traveling abroad to do exactly that. Culver has been sending students to the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages for nearly a decade, but this year sets a new participation record. When asked, Mr. Burgess, the Culver instructor in charge of communicating with IU, had this to say: “Culver has always had a good relationship with IU Honors. This is probably due to our boarding school situation. We may not send as many students as other schools do, but our students are certainly more highly praised. They are invariably hard workers, and really get a good feel for the language by the end of the summer.”

If purging your iPod of all English music and going on a 7-week diet from facebook poses an insurmountable sacrifice, we sincerely hope you enjoy your tranquil summer days. In the meantime, we’ll be stocking up on foreign tunes and preparing to linguistically conquer Europe. Crazy? I think not.

-Carina Conti ‘12 and Molly Walker ‘12

May 2011

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Summer: What Will You Be Doing?

As the days begin to wind down it is definitely time to look ahead to summer. One of our intrepid roving reporters scoured the campus to dig up this year’s summer plans. Here is what you all had to say: “I plan to fence, play guitar, and go camping with my family” “Moving to a new house” “To swim everyday and to go to Salzburg with the choir” “Going to Australia” “I’m going to Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Disneyland.”

“Go home for a week. Come back to Culver. Then Vegas for two weeks and party hardy. After that, I will take Driver’s Ed and SAT classes because I’m dumb. I’ll also be babysitting my newborn cousin.”

“Going to nerd camp” “I am starting Driver’s Ed, getting my permit, and also horseback riding.”

“I’ll be going to Paris for ten days, and then four weeks of French immersion camp.”

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So there you have it! The summer plans for 2011. It promises to be a busy year for all. We wish you the best of luck and a safe and productive summer. For those who will be returning, we look forward to seeing you next year. For the seniors, enjoy college!

-Yen-Yen Gao ‘14

Vol. 114 Issue #6

17

Seniors-2011

May 2011

Congratulations to the Class of 2011! Only a few days left before graduation!

College List Uriel Acevedo Gomez

Oxford College/Emory University

Ioanna Ekaterina Aguilar Mendez

TBA/School in Mexico

Mitchell Allen

Georgetown University

Tieg Alward

Junior Hockey/Michigan State University

Jackson Anderson

Oklahoma City University

Coltan Armitage

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Jacob Ashcraft

United States Navy

John Balchan

English Speaking Union/Michigan

James Barnett

Junior Hockey/ St. Lawrence University

Jason Barron

Warren Wilson College

Elizabeth Becker

University of Wisconsin/ Madison

Adan Beltrones

Purdue University

Brianna Bennett

Indiana University/South Bend

Joshua Berger

Skidmore College

Peter Bin

University of Pennsylvania

Kyle Blankenship

University of Denver

Aaron Borden

University of Scranton

Katherine Bradford

Florida Southern College

Juwan Brescacin

Northern Illinois University

Henry Brewer

Michigan Tech University

Tayler Brewer

Transylvania University

Sade Browne

New York University

Alexander Burke

Indiana University

Radovan Callen

West Virginia University

Andrea Canacci

English Speaking Union/St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Jesus Castro

Instituto Tecnologico do Monterrey

Guanlin Chen Yongwoo Choi Sungwoo Choi

Stanford University Suny Binghamton Northeastern University/Pharmacy

Alexis Christlieb

George Washington University

Anjelica Collins

University of Texas/Dallas

Abigail Conkle

Ringling College of Art & Design

Henrietta Conrad

Carnegie Mellon University

Jack Crawford

University of Nebraska

Margaret Crowell

Goucher College

Cameron Dabir

Washington and Lee

Madeline Danesi

Colorado College

Jonathan Daniel

Purdue University

Lawrence Dann-Fenwick

University of Chicago

David Devries

University of San Diego

May 2011

May 2011

COLLEGE LIST

Deanna Dilts

Marian University

Andrew Dobbins

St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College

Jarrod Drake

Gordon College

Anne-Marie Dumas

Indiana University

James Duncan

Middle Tennessee State University

Quinn Edwards

Junior Hockey/College of New England

Andrew Eiler

Butler University

Max Elliott

University of Colorado/Colorado Springs

John Ellis

U.S. Military Academy/West Point

Julius Espiritu

The University of Dayton

Jose Falomir

University of Texas/Dallas

Elaina Faust

Claremont McKenna College

Alexander Feighan

Junior Hockey/Michigan State

Jiawen Feng

UCLA

Sidney Finan

Rogers Williams University

Joel Florek

Michigan Tech University

Guisepe Fournier

Hobart and William Smith

William Freeman

West Point Prep School/West Point

Laura Freymiller

Carleton College

Samantha Gao

Carnegie Mellon University

Angelina Garcia

Gap Year

Morgan Garrison

Sweet Briar College

Michael Geiger

University of Connecticut

Tenley Gillett

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Madeleine Gillingham

The University of Richmond

Mackenzie Goettle

University of Colorado/Boulder

Phillippe Goguikian

Babson College

Kord Golliher

Indiana University

Kristen Golubski

St. Louis University

Marisa Guarino

Emory University

Cricket Gullickson

Princeton University

Genevieve Gurnick

Ohio University

Javier Guitierrez

St. Edwards University

Gregorio Guitierrez-Lizaur

Universidad Ibero Americana

Anna Haldwang

Savannah College of Art & Design

Cassandra Hall

John Carroll University

Hie Min Han

Carnegie Mellon University

C. John Harm

Fairfield University

Lindsay Hastings

University of Dundee/Scotland

Alexander Haygood

Junior Hockey/Bowling Green State University

Darly Hernandez Nava

Tech de Monterray

COLLEGE LIST

Jose de Jesus Herrera

Universidad de Ibero Americana

Irene Herzig

Cornell College

Grady Hofstetter

Year in China/Gap Year

Lillian Hogan

Purdue University

Grant Holler

Junior Hockey

Anisa Holmes

Brown University/RISD

Jerald Howard

Valparaiso University

Timothy Jeffirs

University of Rochester

Erik Johnson

Arizona State University

Hyeong-Woo Kan

University of Missouri/Columbia

Nikolas Kasper

Hampden-Sydney College

Moira Kelley

John Carroll University

Eddie Kim

UCLA

Min Joo Kim

Keio University/Japan

Blakely Kinnan

Miami University

James Kinsey

U.S Military Academy/West Point

Ryan Kolden

United States Naval Academy

Luke Kucera

Junior Hockey/RIT

Manuel Lastiri

Trinity University

Pierre-Alexandre Leblanc

Concordia University

Claire Lee

Indiana University

Joonghan Lee

Purdue University

Ji Hwan Lee

Cornell University

Garrett Lee

Ball State University

R.J. Hudson Lewin

University of Alabama

Bethanni Lewis

Earlham College

Dongyue Li

University of Chicago

Sarah Lioce

Gap Year

Maddie Loney

University of Louisville

Jacob Lubben

University of Illinois

Ruini Ma

Michigan State University

Amanda Master

Valparaiso University

Winston May

Ohio University

Troy McCloskey

Indiana University

Theodora McConnell

Gap Year/TBD

Robert McKinnis

English Speaking Union/ Indiana University

Adam McMillen

Colorado State University

Dineo Mmutla

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Vanessa Morales

George Washington University

Turner Morsches

Furman University

Rebecca Nash

English Speaking Union/IU

May 2011

May 2011

COLLEGE LIST

Alvaro Nevarro

Stanford University

Waverly Neer

Columbia University

Brenna Newell

Villanova University

Thomas Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill

University of Chicago

Iris Ordones

Gap Year/TBD

Chu Chi Pai

Santa Clara University

Kevin Pajor

Gustavus-Adolphus College

Kang Jun Park

Carnegie Mellon University

Kevin Park

Miami University

Morgan Pegg

University of San Diego

Alexander Pentecost VI

Lindenwood University

Jose Peon-Zapata

Marymount College

Hannah Pepper

University of Denver

Kirstyn Petras

University of Edinburgh/ Scotland

Adriana Pettinga

Syracuse University

Kenneth Phillips

Northeastern University

Catherine Potter

George Washington University

Jamie Powell

DePauw University

Leah Reynolds

Texas Christian University

Kleyberg Reynolds

University of Texas/ Austin

Margaret Rezek

DePauw University

Mark Richmond

Pennsylvania State University

David Romero

Lawrence University

Katherine Rourke

DePauw University

Allison Rudolph

Indiana University

Colleen Ryan

Miami University

Kevin Gerardo Salazar Rodriguez

Universidad Itbromerican/Mex DF

Juan Sanchez Cazar

Universidad San Francisco de Quito

Trent Sanders

Indiana University

Alicia Schaefer

Boston University

Cristobal Schlaubitz

University of Miami

Mariah Schroeder

Purdue University

Riley Scott

University of Southern California

Jay Selby

Miami University

Victoria Senicki

Texas Christian University

Stella Serne

Savannah College of Art & Design

Marcus Shannon

US Air Force Academy

Zachary Sheldon

Ball State University

Cong Jie Shi

Harvey Mudd College

Kylee Shipley

Ashland University

Mark Siatta

Gustavus-Adolphus College

COLLEGE LIST Andrea Simon

Emory University

Jessica Simon

Emory University

Nina Simonini

University of North Carolina

Kaye Sitterley

University of Denver

Hannah Smith

St. Norbert College

Keaton Smith

Indiana University/ South Bend

Eunice Son

New York University

Paul Spano

John Carroll University

Elizabeth Staadt

University of Denver

Skyler Strycker

Indiana University

Madison Tallant

Rhodes College

Michele Tanke-Juska

Bowling Green State University

Ashley Taylor

TBD

Katherine Taylor

Miami University

Rachel Tenbrink

Ball State University

Maxwell Terhar

Junior Hockey/Miami University

Stephanie Thompson

University of Michigan

Clancy Tripp

Claremont McKenna College

Kyle Trolley

University of Notre Dame

Daniel Tuerff

Davidson College

Christian Tulungen

College of Wooster

Benjamin Tumoine Villalobos

ITESM

Nathan Turner

Indiana University

Kenzie Ungar

Lake Forest College

Jordi Urquidez

Boston University

Alexandria Van Pelt

Miami University

Douglas Van Putten

Andrews University

Fengyi Wang

Gap Year/ TBD

Alyssa Weeks

University of Michigan

Zixin Wei

Northeastern University

Austin Welch

United States Military Academy/ West Point

Harrison Wetsel

Augustana College

James Whippo

Virginia Military Institute

Jessica Wilcoxon

Southern Methodist University

Callie Wilkinson

University of Michigan

Huiwen Xiao

Boston University

Kaixi Xie

University of Chicago

Danyao Xiong

Boston University

Ashley Youn

Penn State University/Lehigh Campus

Weixiang Zhang

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Clint Zumer

Junior Hockey/ Western Illinois University

May 2011

May 2011

This Week in Numbers

187- Number of seniors who can fit into Eppley Fountain!

More than we had- Number of inches of rain necessary to call off a parade 0- Number of Culver students/faculty/staff/alumni taken up by the Rapture on Saturday 9- Number of Culver students/faculty/staff/alumni slightly disappointed by above number 2,000,000- Number of people tuned in to view the Royal Wedding... at 5:00 AM 28- Number of seniors who have already started crying about Grad 100- Percentage of seniors (at least from CMA) who will be crying at Grad 61- Class whose Golden Reunion this is. Congratulations!

10- Class whose Golden Reunion this definitely isn’t...

35- Average number of times you will hear the words “Back, back to Culver days” during Alumni Weekend 57- Number of Facebook albums entitled “Back, back to Culver days” 3- Number of people who can actually sing the entire Culver song 1- Number of people who can sing the entire song... and sound good 54- Number of students likely to pass out at the Gold Star Ceremony 187- Number of seniors no longer even attempting to do homework 5- Number of teachers who have accepted that seniors no longer do homework 105- Number of juniors suffering “early-onset senioritis” 0- Number of teachers who will put up with the juniors’ guff 117- Number of worried alums/seniors who can’t wait to get their rings back 67- Number of underclassmen still wondering what the deal is with rings 1- Ring to rule them all 1- Ring to find them 1- Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them 315- Number of people who just lost the game 239- Number of people who don’t know what just happened 11- Class that is about to leave 10- Number of days until Grad!

-Laura Freymiller ‘11 and Molly Walker ‘12

Disclaimer: This is now a factual or research- based article, but still does not in any way reflect the opinions of the Vedette staff.

This is the Vedette’s final issue of the year. Don’t worry though, we’ll be back next year! If you want to be a part of the Vedette staff look for us at the Activities Fair in the fall. Have a good summer!