The Laconian: December 2016 (Damien HS)

The Laconian DAMIEN HIGH SCHOOL

Serving the Damien Community for 49 Years

Knowledge is Power - Damien Debate

Vol. XLIX

CHARLES BAGGARLY Staff Writer

The debate program at Damien High School is very well known for developing champions since 1960. There have been many significant accomplishments in the history of the school’s debate program, including five state championships and countless victories at National Invitational Tournaments. In 2015, Austin Stroud and Justin Cajanding won second place at the National Tournament.

Reid Ehrlich-Quin and Sean Hernandez won first place at the National Debate Tour-

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nament in 2009. Due to this victory, Reid and Sean were given the Unger Cup, which is awarded to the best Policy Debate team in the nation.

Led by Mr. Ballingall and Mr. Peters, the Damien Debate Squad continues to flourish to the present day.

Many of Damien’s students do not know what debate actually is. Debate is not just yelling at your opponent in an unprofessional manner. In a debate, you must be calm, persuasive, unbiased, and focused. There are two types of debates: Policy and Public Forum.

In Policy debate, there is

one team that is for the resolution, the affirmative, and one team that is against the resolution, the negative.

There are two members to each team. The affirmative team presents a plan on how to implement the resolution in society. The negative team usually provides a counterplan with the goal of eliminating any chance of the resolution getting put into action. There are eight total speeches in a policy debate.

Each debater gets one eight minute constructive speech and one 4-minute rebuttal speech. After each constructive speech, there is a three-

While the Activity Center renovation has been completed, students are eagerly awaiting the completion of this beautiful new area in front of the 200 Building.

Funding for the project commenced over a year ago.

The funding goal was quickly satiated, and student knowledge of the project increased with time. For the latter half of last school year and all of the summer, the materials necessary for construction were sitting unused in the Junior parking lot. Then, on a Friday morning at the month-

ly all-school liturgy, Doctor Hemenway announced the start of construction. The construction crew broke ground on Monday, September 12th.

This architectural improvement not only beautifies Damien’s campus, but it is also an added convenience for students. The administration of Damien High School seems to be focused on the implementation and updating of technology on campus; the new charging stations will fit directly into their plans.

Students will be able to use their Chromebooks to work

December 2016

minute period of cross examination. During this period, the speaker will be ques-

Damien’s Got You Covered: New Covered Lunch Area Construction Underway

JOE CECCARELLI Staff Writer

For months, students and faculty alike have anticipated the addition of the modernized lunch area and bus stop, complete with electrical outlets and a canopy to keep away the harsh elements.

Construction commenced in the midst of a period of refurbishment on Damien’s campus. Over the summer, the pool was retrofitted with brand new concrete, and the Activity Center overhaul began around the same time.

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DOCTOR STRANGE: MOVIE ARTIST OF THE ISSUE: DRAKE PAGE 2

on homework after school without worrying about the untimely demise of the battery. Also, the covering above the lunch area will shield students from the biting winter weather that occasionally plagues Southern California, making it especially convenient for students waiting to be picked up on a rainy day.

Additional benefits include shade from the sun and a lighted place to wait for rides after games. Lastly, as a natural gathering space for events, the new lunch area could serve as a desirable location for house meetings, Open House sign-in, and hospitality at the basketball tournament.

This refurbished bus stop will be a step forward for Damien’s campus and used by students for years to come.

Students are looking forward to this future upgrade, as they are patiently awaiting a place to sit other than the makeshift bus stop set up during construction. Although construction has yet to finish, the new lunch area’s aesthetic is already offering a stark contrast to the lunch area of yesteryear. One thing is certain; the campus is improving and will continue to be enhanced.

FALL SPORTS UPDATE MLB POSTSEASON RECAP PAGE 3

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tioned about their plan, policy, and evidence. Throughout the debate, the competitors will have ten minutes of preparation time to use for their convenience. The judge will choose a winner of the debate based on what team convinced them that their policy was more efficient.

The current policy resolution for this year states: “The United States federal government should substantially increase its diplomatic and/or economic engagement with the People’s Republic of China.”

Public forum is a completely different style of debate. Instead of the teams being referred to as the Affirmative or Negative, they are the Pro and the Con. In public forum, the Affirmative does not necessarily go first.

There is a coin toss before the debate. The winner gets to choose whether they go first or last. The speeches are shorter than policy debate.

Each competitor’s first speech is four minutes and their response speech is two minutes. After the second and fourth speeches, there is a three-minute crossfire, when specific competitors are questioned about their policy and plan. After the sixth speech, there is a grand crossfire.

During the grand crossfire, all participants are allowed to ask and answer questions for three minutes. The debaters are only allowed two minutes of prep time throughout this debate. The judge will vote for the team that convinced

SPORTS MEDICINE: UNSUNG HEROES OF THE FIELD PAGE 4-5

Fall Finale Issue

them that their policy is better for society. The resolution for public forum changes every two months. The last resolution states: “In United States public K-12 schools, the probable cause standard ought to apply to searches of students.”

For debate, the competitive year began in September.

They have already made 2 trips to Dallas and one to Chicago. In October, in a very competitive and prestigious tournament held at the St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas, McFadden and Peltekci finished in 2nd place, out of 90 teams from across the country. They also finished in the top 8 at the Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) HS tournament, and in the top 16 out of almost 200 teams at The Glenbrooks Tournament, held in the Chicago suburbs.

As a result of this competitive success, McFadden/Peltekci have already qualified for the Tournament of Champions, held at the University of Kentucky in April. The next tournament will be at the Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, January 7-9.

The Damien Debate team will also travel to Las Vegas, Birmingham, Stanford, and Berkeley. “Debate has allowed me to travel, expand my mind, and enrich my high school experience, and I would highly recommend that Freshman explore any interest in this activity,” said Andrew Herbelin, a member of the Varsity squad. Mr. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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Entertainment

Doctor Strange Mystifies and Excites!

DANIEL FEIBUSH Senior Staff Writer

THE

LACONIAN STAFFBOX

Senior Staff Writers Anthony Gex Daniel Feibush

Staff Writers Adrian Najera Charles Baggarly Fernando Sanchez IV Gianni Lupo Jacob Turner Joseph Ceccarelli Justin Lazo Moderator Christopher Arbizu

The Damien Laconian is published by Damien High School.

Its mailing address is: Damien High School, 2280 Damien Ave., La Verne CA 91750 (909) 596-1946, Ext 264 The executive board invites all members of the Damien Community to submit manuscripts for consideration. All ‘Letters to the Editor’ must be signed. The opinions expressed in review and editorial pieces are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Damien High School or the newspaper staff.

Damien High School

Fans of superhero movies have been met this year with films yielding mixed reactions.

Captain America: Civil War was well-received, while Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice seemed to fall short of the pre-release hype. Now, a new superhero film has been released: Doctor Strange, the fourteenth installment in the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe, and one of the most exciting installments yet.

The brilliant neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is thrown into a state of emotional chaos after suffering a car accident, which results in the loss of his hands’ functionality.

When modern medicine fails, Strange skeptically travels to Nepal in a desperate attempt to be healed spiritually. Upon his arrival, he finds more than he bargained for.

Strange finds himself under the tutelage of the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), and learns to recover from his injuries by means of sorcery, becoming a Master of the Mystic Arts. But, as the rogue sorcerer Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) plots to bring the earth under the control of an ominous force, Strange must forget everything he knows of the natural world and find the will to face this mystifying threat.

At first, I was not anticipating much from this film since the character Doctor Strange seemed to be one of the more obscure characters in Marvel’s cast of heroes.

However, I had forgotten that this was the same studio which made the Guardians of the Galaxy (an ensemble of characters practically unknown prior to their own movie) recognizable to Marvel fans and casual moviegoers alike. With that being said, this may be one of the most exciting Marvel films I have seen both visually and storywise.

As can be expected from a film involving magic, there is an abundance of unique imagery in this movie, from the distinct environments to the characters displaying their abilities. The audience is shown a variety of parallel worlds, from the so-called Mirror Dimension (which presents visuals with the same mind-bending effect of Inception), to the alien-looking Dark Dimension.

What made the fight scenes exciting was the characters’ ability to manipulate the world around them to their own advantage. Some scenes showed characters shifting and twisting whole environments

to their will, creating some very impressive cinematography and action sequences. My only complaint about the visuals is that it is explained to Strange by the Ancient One that sorcerers are capable of drawing energy from other worlds and using it in multiple ways, such as teleportation and weapons creation. After hearing this, I expected characters to generate a variety of weapons in combat, but disappointingly, the film limits Strange mostly to shields and a sort of rope formed from light.

Nonetheless, the visuals for fight scenes were fantastic.

The film’s amazing soundtrack also does much to enhance the viewing experience. It is composed by Michael Giacchino, whose work includes the soundtracks for the recent Star Trek trilogy and a number of Disney films.

As in his many other works, Giacchino contributes music which fits the movie, matching a scene’s mood whether it is a more light-hearted moment or a more serious, dramatic event.

I felt very invested in the story in large part because of the main characters’ extensive

JAKE TURNER Staff Writer

In today’s pop culture, it’s hard to say that Drake hasn’t made an impact on music. He is currently one of the most successful and popular artists among many different audiences, but where did he come from? How did he become the star he is today?

Aubrey Drake Graham, or better known as Drake, is a Toronto-born rapper/hip-hop artist, producer, and actor. He actually begun his career in the early 2000s playing the role of Jimmy Brooks in the hit TV teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation. While acting, Drake began to write songs on his downtime, which ultimately helped him launch his music career. In 2007, he left the television series after releasing his first

Vol. XLIX • Issue 2 • Page 2

development. Cumberbatch gives an amazing performance as Doctor Strange, primarily because of the depth of life and emotion he brings to the role.

The audience feels his frustration and anguish as he becomes more and more desperate for a solution to the loss of the use of his hands.

Doctor Strange is an imperfect hero, as opposed to the typical unwavering paragon one might expect

from this sort of movie.

Strange is introduced as an arrogant and cynical man of science, but as the movie progresses, he comes to understand that there is far more to the world than he thinks. He is a character with flaws, and I do not think I have seen this character element portrayed more strongly in than in this latest Marvel entry.

Originally, I thought that Doctor Strange was only an

obligatory addition to the MCU before the studio began filming the Infinity War movies. Apparently, that is not the case. A great cast, fantastic music and visuals, and an amazingly written story make this film a strong finish for superhero movies of 2016. I highly recommend seeing Doctor Strange. Even if you are not a huge superhero fan, you may be pleasantly surprised.

official mixtape titled Room for Improvement. Following the mixtape, Drake recorded two more independent projects, Comeback Season and So Far Gone, before signing to Lil Wayne’s record label, Young Money Entertainment, in June of 2009.

A year later, Drake released his first ever studio album Thank Me Later, which topped the charts at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. His debut album became certified platinum, the first of many for the worldwide superstar. The following year, Drake’s sophomore album, Take Care (2011), granted him his first Grammy for Best Rap album. The album featured many artists such as The Weeknd, Lil Wayne, Andre 3000, Rihanna, and more. It has sold more than two million copies and is cer-

tified quadruple platinum.

His other album sales for Nothing Was The Same (2013) and Views (2016) have accumulated to over three million combined copies sold, along with many awards that followed their releases.

In November of 2014, news had begun to spread as DeMar DeRozan, shooting guard for the Toronto Raptors, said that Drake would be releasing a mixtape in early 2015. Soon after on February 13, 2015 Drake released If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. It featured songs such as “Know Yourself” and “Energy” and later became one of the hottest releases of 2015, being nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammy’s.

Following the release of Views earlier this year, Drake announced that he would be going on tour with Future, calling it the “Summer Sixteen Tour.” The 60 show, four month long, tour across the United States began on July 20th in Austin, Texas, lasting until early October, and most venues sold out within 72 hours. Produced by Apple Music, every show started out with Drake’s hit single “Summer Sixteen,” and also played songs from

every one of Drake and Future’s albums, including their collaboration mixtape titled What A Time To Be Alive (2015). Recently, Drake also announced that following the Summer Sixteen tour, he will be going on a tour across the globe in 2017, performing in cities such as Amsterdam, London, and Paris.

Back in 2012, Drake and his longtime friends Oliver El-Khatib and Noah “40” Shebib founded their own record label, October’s Very Own Sound. Many of the featured artists on the label include PARTYNEXTDOOR, Majid Jordan, dvsn, Roy Woods, OB O’Brien, and Drake himself. Since its inception, OVO Sound has had many different accomplishments, such as the OVO Festival, an annual music festival hosted by Drake, featuring artists like Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nas, and more. The label also established its very own clothing line, OVO Clothing. It began in 2011 and since then, the brand has released new OVO t-shirts, jackets, hoodies, and hats every year, even products associated with Air Jordan. In 2015, a year after their

Artist of the Issue:

Drake

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Sports

< < < < Fall Sports Update > > > >

Vol. XLIX • Issue 2 • Page 3

JAKE TURNER Staff Writer

With the end of the fall season rapidly sports approaching, the Damien Spartans athletic teams are off to an amazing start this school year. Football, Water Polo, and Cross Country all had great seasons, and Ice Hockey intends to finish strong as well. Here are some updates from each of these teams:

Damien Football had one of its best seasons in a long while. Over their first five games, the Spartans went 4-1, beating Chino, Glendora, Claremont, and Monrovia.

Charter Oak handed them their only loss of the preseason in a highly anticipated Week 4 matchup. After Monrovia, the team had a bye week, which gave them time to prepare for their first league game against defending Baseline League Champions, Chino Hills. The Spartans conquered that week as they defeated the Huskies 27-12. The Spartans later went on to finish 2-3 in league, following their heartbreaking loss to Etiwanda in Week 10. Also, your Spartans managed to accomplish something that no football team at Damien has been able to do these last few years they made it into the CIF playoffs. Unfortunately, their playoff berth was brought to an end as they lost their first CIF matchup against Downey High School 55-27. Although their season was cut short, Damien Football has had an amazing season this year.

In recent years, Water Polo has been nothing short of successful here at Damien.

After winning league last year and making it to the semifinals in the Division 2 playoffs, their goal this season was to win the Baseline League Championship once again and beat rivaling Los Osos. Furthermore, Damien

December 2016

High. Good luck on the rest of your season boys!

Damien High School should look back on the fall season with pride, reflecting on all the accomplishments that were achieved by our

Water Polo encountered a new challenge this season as the program was placed in Division 1, being the only team at Damien to have that distinction. In all the tournaments the team played in throughout the season, they placed in the top 8 in each one of them. When league approached, they were faced with a home game against Los Osos. In a tight and intense match, they unfortunately lost. However, it pre-

pared them for their second game against them. They proved their readiness and

determination to win when they beat the Grizzlies by 8 goals. Water Polo went on to win all of the rest of their league games, which made them back-to-back league champions. As they moved onto the CIF playoffs, they were faced with a matchup against top ranked Huntington Beach High School. Unfortunately, the team lost to HB, which eliminated them from further playoff contention and ended their season at a record of 19-12.

While another Damien team’s season was cut short, the Varsity Water Polo team should definitely be proud of all of their accomplishments.

Cross Country also had a very long, but successful season. With their training

outstanding Spartan athletes.

So on behalf on The Laconian and the rest Damien, we would like to say congratulations to all the fall sports teams and good luck to you in the future.

MLB Postseason Recap

GIANNI LUPO Staff Writer

beginning in the summer, Damien Cross Country worked very hard to prepare for each meet. Each runner from all four grade levels set their own personal goals to motivate them throughout each race. Seniors Ryan Tessier, Matt Juarez, and James Bernal really pushed each other and the rest of the team to accomplish their goals. Unfortunately, as the

season progressed, many injuries and other illnesses plagued Damien’s finest runners. However, in light of these setbacks, Junior Joshua

Alvarez stepped up and finished first for Damien Cross Country at Mt. Sac and League Finals. Overall, each member of the team, from the freshmen to the seniors, had a very successful season.

For Damien Ice Hockey, the team had a great start following last year’s triumphant season. They currently stand at a 5-4-1 record, sitting in 4th place out of 9 teams. The most highly anticipated game this season was their match against the powerhouse school and undefeated St. John Bosco, who averages 7 goals a game. In a very exciting outing by our Spartans, they unfortunately fell to the Bosco Braves. However, they will meet again in the future for playoffs and your Spartans fully intend to come out victorious in their next matchup. Most recently, Damien Ice Hockey played in a tournament over Thanksgiving break. They beat all the teams they played by 2 or more goals, ultimately finishing 3-1, losing to Beckman High School in the semifinals. While Ice Hockey still continues their season until January, they plan to make it to finals and bring a championship back home to Damien

At the beginning of the 2016 MLB postseason, there were 10 teams. Those ten teams were the Boston Red Sox (93-69), the Cleveland Indians (94-67), the Texas Rangers (95-67), the Toronto Blue Jays (8973), the Baltimore Orioles (89-73), the Chicago Cubs (103-58), the Washington Nationals (95-67), the Los Angeles Dodgers (91-71), the New York Mets (87-75), and the San Francisco Giants (87-75).

For those of you who do not know, there are two leagues in the MLB - the American League and the National League. There are three divisions in each league as well. The first place team in each division with the highest record moves onto the playoffs.

Then, two teams are selected per league that, while not in first place, have the next highest records. These four teams are collectively referred to as the wild card teams. These teams play one another - the two National League teams play each other and the two American League teams play each other. The losers go home and the winners advance to the division series.

The AL Wild Card game this year was between the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays. The NL Wild Card game was between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets. The Blue Jays eliminated the Orioles by a score of 5-2 and the Giants eliminated the Mets by a score of 3-0. Both teams advanced to the division series.

In the division series, there is a total of four series that are best of five. The Blue Jays swept the Rangers 3-0, the Indians swept the Red Sox 3-0, the Cubs beat the Giants 3-1, and the Dodgers had a long battle with Washington, but managed to win 3-2. Those four

teams moved onto the championship series in their respective leagues. The Dodgers played the Cubs in a series best of 7, while the Indians played the Blue Jays.

After losing three games in the ALCS, the Blue Jays were staring into the eyes of elimination. They managed to pull out one game, but lost shortly thereafter, sending the Indians to the World Series. In Game 1 of the NLCS, Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Blanton gave up a grand slam to Cubs pinch hitter Miguel Montero, which resulted in the first Dodgers loss. Then, the Dodgers responded with two victories in a row. In the end though, the Cubs won the series 4-2.

The Indians took a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series. The Cubs then won three games in a row to give the franchise their first championship in over 108 years. The final game went to the 10th inning and the score was 8-7 Cubs.

Once the Cubs won the World Series, they broke the Curse of the Billy Goat.

The Billy Goat Curse started in 1945 when a local tavern owner was denied entry to game 4 of the World Series because of the foul stench of his pet goat. He prophesied, “You are going to lose this World Series and you are never going to win another World Series again.” One hundred and eight years later, the Cubs finally proved that the curse was tomfoolery.

Student Interest

Sports Medicine: Unsung Heroes of the Field

DANIEL FEIBUSH Senior Staff Writer

There are a number of groups and clubs at Damien High School, many of which take on important roles both on and off campus. The Let It Be Club volunteers to assist cancer patients. The Urban Immersion Program presents an opportunity for students to further their involvement in the community.

The Recycling Club offers students a chance to earn some service hours while at the same time improving the environment.

There is one club on campus which does not draw much attention to itself, yet it plays a vital role in the success of our athletic department and all Spartan athletes. This group is the Sports Medicine Club.

Unofficially founded in 2007, the club began as a group of students who assisted Mrs. Truax in the Athletic Training class. Two years later, it was formally established as a varsity letter club and became the Sports Medicine Club that we recognize on campus today.

Comprised of NATA certified athletic trainers Mrs. Truax and Ms. White, as well as a team of eager students, Sports

Medicine is always at the ready in case of an emergency.

But, what exactly does this involve?

According to Mrs. Truax, students joining the club must dedicate a great number of hours. “They’re with us for a long period of time,” said Mrs. Truax. “We have games that go late into the night, so there’s that challenge, as well as trying to balance schoolwork and the hours dedicated to the training room.” Aside from balancing extracurricular activities with academics, members are constantly assisting athletes who injure themselves.

Every week, students must be prepared with the skills they learn in training.

Abrasions, dislocations, and fractures are only a few examples of the injuries that members of Sports Medicine treat.

According to Andrew Carrillo, the Sports Medicine Club President, part of the challenge is seeing that everyone who is sent to the Athletic Training Room has their injury treated. “It can get very hectic, very fast, so the club members and I try our hardest to get everyone in and out.”

As can be expected, the Sports Medicine Club does a great deal to prepare for their job. Over the summer, the

Damien High School

club holds training sessions for learning skills such as spine boarding, stabilizing head and neck injuries, and reviewing the standard emergency action plan for all future athletic events. During these events, the group brings a considerable amount of gear in case an emergency should arise, including tool kits, fanny-packs, walkie-talkies, and injury ice.

Club members also maintain specific jobs at events.

As described by Andrew Carrillo, “Before every game, Ms. White assigns everyone with a specific job, such as water, tailing the athletic trainers, tailing the team doctor, or first aid. In case we need to call 911, we have further assignments, including crowd control, helping on the field, waving in the ambulance, and providing any tools necessary to handle the emergency.”

The Sports Medicine Club sees minor injuries on a regular basis, but there are occasions in which they encounter injuries of a more serious nature. Mrs. Truax recounted an instance from a few years ago at the Fairplex Holiday Half-Marathon in which one of the runners, a former Damien Spartan, suffered cardiac arrest before

crossing the finish line. “One of my Damien students and one of my past university students, who was certified at the time, were the first ones on the scene… and the patient did stay alive.” Readers will also likely recall a more recent example of such an emergency during a home game against Monrovia. “It was actually the first time while I was in the club that we had to call for an ambulance,” Andrew Carrillo said.

Despite the fact that students and teachers alike see stressful challenges in their work, the outcomes of the Sports Medicine Club’s efforts are often rewarding. The group learns how to assist injured athletes and helps them return to their respective fields of play properly bandaged. Club members are exposed to different aspects of the medical field, preparing them in the event they decide to pursue a future career in medicine. They also receive service hours for assisting their fellow Spartans.

The Sports Medicine Club plays an important role in the success of Spartan athletes.

They should be commended for their selfless contribution to the proud reputation enjoyed by the Damien community.

Vol. XLIX • Issue 2 • Page 4

Damien Debate {CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1}

Peters, one of the Damien Debate coaches, had some thoughts to share regarding the debate squad. “It’s a lot like a sport. We prepare in the same way, and we spend more hours preparing for debates than sports teams prepare for their events. It’s the best academic activity around because you are challenged intellectually and emotionally. It is a test of how much effort you are willing to put forward.”

Through participating in debate, you can gain knowledge that you would not necessarily be able to gain through normal school. “I have learned more in debate than in a lifetime of school,” stated varsity squad member Matt McFadden. Tyler Peltekci had a lot he wanted to say to the school about debate. “Debate teaches us a number of unique portable skills that would otherwise be inaccessible to the average student, for example we have a robust understanding of different research databases and policy think tanks, which is a skill most people don’t get until college.

Additionally the ability to express thoughts in a persuasive manner even if we don’t fully agree with or understand the position, is something I find valuable and a reason why I continue to love debate as a activity, and as a game.” Some students

at Damien may think that debate is slow or boring, but the debaters totally disagree.

“After learning about the hypothetical, political, economic, and social implementations of the US federal government policy, I have learned that debate is not only an opportunity to learn, but that debate is fun”, stated Varsity squad member Sage Young.

Debate is comprised of a very intelligent group of young men. It took years of hard work to shape Damien into one of the greatest debate programs in the nation. “Damien has a long tradition of success. Mr. Ballingall is responsible for this success. Debate is crucial to our school’s identity,” stated Mr. Peters.

Mr. Ballingall, one of the most well-respected teachers in all of debate, has won many awards as a coach and has witnessed his students win many awards as well.

“Debate is a very valuable activity. The debaters are able to develop their skills by debating against the best in top level competition.

They work very long hours to prepare, and I believe they will be very successful competitively this year,” Mr. Ballingall commented.

The debaters are ready to add more to the school’s legacy during the upcoming season.

Artist of the Issue: Drake {CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2}

Toronto shop opened, OVO stores had expanded into the US, opening their first store in LA. The October’s Very Own clothing line became very popular as Drake was on tour this summer, earning large sums of money through pop up shops around the country.

Working with Apple Music, Drake and OVO Sound created “OVO Sound Radio” on Beats 1. It first aired on July 11th, 2015, and usually features music by Drake himself and other artists. However, the podcast is known for releasing new hit Drake singles. On a recent show, OVO Sound Radio Episode 32 (which aired on Sunday, October 23rd, the day before Drake’s birthday), Drake himself hosted the show and released four new songs, including a remix. He also announced that he will be releasing a new project titled More Life in December.

Outside of music, Drake is a huge sports fan, his favorite sport being basket-

ball. He has always been a huge supporter of the Toronto Raptors and was even named the Raptors’ Global Ambassador. “He just made the Raptors cool. I don’t think you can put a dollar figure on that,” said Cabbie Richards, a Canadian sports analyst. Since then, the Raptors’ organization has had one home game every season dedicated to the 6God himself, calling it “Drake Night.” The players wear OVO style uniforms and free OVO x Toronto Raptor t-shirts are given away to every fan in attendance. If you were to watch a Raptors game on TV, you’ll most likely see Drake sitting courtside decked out in his Raptors’ gear.

Thanks to Drake, music and pop culture have been forever changed. With every new single, collaboration, album, or whenever the media shines a spotlight on him, Drake continues to affect today’s society. One could only dream about what he is up to next . . .