FALL 2018
Winner of the Masthead competition Willow! Black Team! Runners-Up
Katherine Smith White Team
Gretchen Hammel Red Team
IB LEARNER PROFILE
CROSSCOUNTRY
THE TRUTH ABOUT MUSIC
Have you wondered what the IB Learn profile is? Inside this edition, you will find out what it is as well as concrete ways in which a student may engage in its values.
Read about Todd Smith's perspective of cross country and the surprising application it may have in your life.
Learn about oscillations, how they relate to music, and why you can hear announcements in our page system with Geoffrey.
The IB Learner Profile THE HEART OF THE IB PROGRAM
By Zachary Lee
The IB Learner Profile describes the fundamental
essay about the philosophy of existentialism in Albert
qualities that every IB student should strive to
Camus' The Stranger. Not only will the student be
develop during their two years in the program and
able to continue being a thinker and inquirer, but he
beyond. Although there is no specific class whose
will also have to practice being a well-versed
goal is to instill in learners these values, it is the
communicator as he writes his essay, making sure
ensemble of all the IB experiences that contributes
that his ideas and points are clearly expressed.
to this profile. After Deb's class ends, the student will head to this Together, the core, TOK, the EE, and CAS make up the IB experience and each play a role in fostering the qualities found in the Learner Profile. For example, a student in an IB Biology class with Scott Worland will run experiments in order to explore knowledge learnt in the classroom through a more hands-on approach. Not only does this practice consolidate the material previously taught, but it will also encourage the student to be a thinker and inquirer. Indeed, he will have to challenge what her has learnt by running an experiment, analyzing the
Theory of Knowledge class, taught by Hakan or Kelly. During this period, he will be discussing the ethics of the trolley problem and will share his opinions on it. In sharing his views, and listening to those of his classmates, he is likely to develop a greater sense of open-mindedness as he realizes the different perspectives that his classmates have on this issue. After gaining a better sense of the ethics involved in this problem, he may also slowly become more principled, having reflected on fairness and justice in this real life situation.
data, and making a conclusion based on scientific evidence that he found himself.
I hope this short snapshot of an IB student's typical day will inform you of how the this program has the
The next period, this same student might be in Deb MacDonald's classroom, taking IB HL English Literature, where his class is tasked with writing an
potential to develop in its participants the qualities present in the Learner Profile.
Fall Fun
THE TRUTH ABOUT MUSIC Written by Geoffrey Gee
Today’s column is about a certain concept that forms the basis of my understanding of music creation. You will find it at the heart of musical rhythm as well as musical melody. You will also find it at the heart of any good performance (one that’s “in the groove”). In fact you will find it at the heart of human locomotion, and (we might as well go all the way), at the heart of all movement in our world. It is simple oscillation. What goes up must come down. First you breathe in; then you breathe out. If you want to step on a bug (please don’t do that!), you have to lift your leg first! When I give you a down beat, I must first provide an up beat. Oscillating patterns are everywhere. Now think about the rate of oscillation. How long does it take? In the case of breathing, an adult rate is 12-18 breaths per minute. For the bug squishing (not that we do that), maybe it’s half a second to lift the foot and half a second to put it down. These are relatively slow oscillations. When they get fast, say higher than 1/20th of a second, up to 1/20,000th of a second, we perceive the oscillation as a pitched tone. Each cycle per second is known as one Hertz. 440 Hz corresponds to the middle A on a keyboard and happens to be the pitch that our Intercom system at LTS plays before an announcement. When you make a page through our system, a computer chip in the phone produces a square wave oscillation of 440 cycles per second between one voltage and another voltage. This voltage is carried through a coil of wire placed near a magnet and attached to some speaker paper, which forces the speaker to move back and forth at 440 cycles per second. This causes the air molecules next to the speaker to compress and expand (see breathe above) at 440 cycles per second. Each air molecule pushes the one next to it, and soon your ear drum is moving in and out at 440 Hz! At that point, your brain perceives that telltale “A” pitch, and you get up and leave the classroom for the next class! Next time: Ratios in music.
- WRITTEN WORK Poems and other written work by the student body
The knight in the bubble wrap armor He guards it all Standing there, protecting my heart Allowing me to digest unwanted butterflies Stopping the rain And shining the sun The unbelievably inescapable dreams come And he fades The light following him out the door But I know it will return As will he When I wake he will be there Guarding the existence of me For he protects it all The glass window poetry And numbing emotion It never stops It is, in a way, as the fireflies burn But I am strong With his support I am unfaltering Unbreakable I could push a pull door with success The footfalls of the past Will never catch up For he is there Keeping me safe My protector In bubble wrap armor
Bubble Wrap KnightGretchen Hammell
For a nice tropical vacation stop by support services wing ... it's a balmy 84 degrees!
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it now! The bathrooms are fixed!
Can you say behavioral Congrats to both varsity conditioning? soccer teams on making the semi-finals! Why even bother talking on the loudspeaker? After the bell everyone Who lives in all the holes just gets up and leaves. in the bathrooms?
E-CLUBS We want to share the different E-clubs and their activities so that students can explore other clubs in later semesters. Here is a sample of the many clubs offered. A Cappella Club is a group of students who enjoy their shared loved of music and singing. This quarter, A Cappella Club worked to learn the state song, “These Green Mountains.� A Cappella Club aims to serve the community through school performances and caroling. The Math Club, at LTS aims to introduce students to interesting and fun mathematics not usually taught in classes. They also prepare for and participate in various competitions such as the American Mathematics Competition and the Vermont Prize High School Examination in Mathematics. The Environmental Club tries to educate students, faculty, and staff about the importance of environmental stewardship in the LTS community and beyond. They deliver educational presentations and skits on recycling, composting, and other topics. They also coordinate events to promote environmental sustainability. The Outing Club seeks to get kids moving and outdoors. This quarter, the club planned the Kingdom Trails trip, which offered students an opportunity for mountain biking. As the second quarter approaches, the Outing Club is excited to provide students with even more fun outdoor centered activities. The Yoga and Wellness Club offers students a chance to exercise and create a balanced mindset for themselves. This quarter, it has been focused on promoting healthy choices to their members. As the year moves forward, they are hoping to bring in a speaker to help more students learn about the benefits of wellness. Safety Club is a group of student advocates who look to promote tangible solutions to the issue of school shootings. In the last quarter, Safety Club has sought to provide students with reliable information on the issue of gun violence, via a bulletin board near the eighth grade cubbies. In the next quarter, Safety Club aims to improve local gun regulation. Lacrosse Club is dedicated to providing students with the opportunity to learn Lacrosse. Over the last quarter, it has sought to teach members the basic rules, and skills of Lacrosse. In the next quarter, Lacrosse Club hopes to move to teaching members some complexer elements of Lacrosse.
What is Cross-country at LTS? By Todd S. “It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.” - George Sheehan
Cross Country can be defined as an individual-team sport. True, you are competing with your running mates to score as minimal points as possible. The points are denoted by one’s finishing place and the lowest five scoring running’s points are totaled, thus creating your team score. Each athlete can best support the team by running stronger than before and not giving in to the aches and pains, nor the voice inside your head repeating “it’s all right to slow down”.
Each runner is focusing his energy in order to improve upon a measurable metric; time. One’s goal is to create a new personal record by revisiting the course, competing and throughout pushing one’s self further than before. Each subsequent year the other competitors change, thus the only control you truly have is within yourself and against the little voice telling you “it’s okay to take a break”. Lastly, the art of running can remain with you for a lifetime. There are plenty of stressors in this world, but strapping on a pair of running shoes and “pounding pavement” has numerous advantageous side-effects. Perhaps you would like to participate in a benefit race, a Tough-Mudder or even a Spartan race. Running Cross Country will certainly prepare you for competing against the most challenging competitor you will meet in life, yourself.
Student Artwork Propaganda Prints By Hakan's Design Class
Political Columns 2018 Midterm Elections It’s been a hectic two years since Trump and the Republicans took control of the white house. Many will say it was for the better, and many will disagree. But this Tuesday, Americans have the opportunity to alter who’s in power, to make their voices heard… The early voting for the 2018 midterms had one of the largest voter turnouts in history, many of them newly registered, young citizens. Many things will be affecting their vote including gun rights, abortion and healthcare. This year's elections have certainly been unique. Here in Vermont, Christine Hallquist is running against Republican Phil Scott, for governor. Hallquist is the first ever transgender person running for any major political office, a huge leap for the LGBTQ+ community. Another crazy race is in Texas, where incumbent Ted Cruz is trying to defend his Senate seat against Beto O’Rourke. It’s been a very negative campaign on both ends, consisting of TV ads, social media post and rallies. Tuesday will either show us that Texas is still a conservative stronghold or that a blue wave could be on the horizon in one of America’s most conservative states. Let’s take a look at Florida, where one of, if not the biggest gubernatorial election is taking place. Andrew Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee is running against Ron DeSantis for governor. DeSantis is the representative for Florida’s 6th district. It’s been a very heated race, with Gillum calling DeSantis a racist and DeSantis calling Tallahassee, where Gillum is mayor, “one of the most corrupt cities in the country”. America will definitely be watching these two face off on Tuesday. America is almost as divided now as it was at the brink of the Civil War. It doesn’t look like the parties are planning any ceasefire either and Tuesday will just stir the pot.
November 3rd 2018
By Tucker Haynes
I don’t believe that there is any clear winner that came out of Tuesday’s elections; both parties had significant victories and defeats. The Democrats won back the house and the Republicans gained even more seats in the senate. Nevertheless, America as a whole had a historic victory, the largest voter turnout in American history. The American people showed that even though America becomes more and more like an oligarchy, that they will still make their voices heard, no matter the circumstances. The gubernatorial elections in Georgia and Florida are both going into runoff. These are two of the elections I reported on last Saturday, the Georgia race is between democrat Stacey Abrams and republican, Brian Kemp, and the Florida race is between Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis. Here in Vermont, democrat Christine Hallquist lost her gubernatorial race to Republican incumbent Phil Scott. Still, If you go by the percentage of blue voters, Vermont still remains the country’s most liberal state. Perhaps the most publicized election was for the Texas senate seat. Democrat Beto O’Rourke ran against republican incumbent Ted Cruz. It was a very close race, but many people expected O’Rourke to pull it off. Although this didn’t happen, this race will have a lasting effect on Texas, perhaps a blue wave could really be on the horizon. O’Rourke has recently hinted at a possible run for president in 2020. His ideas didn’t work in Texas but that doesn’t mean they won’t work in America as a whole. In many ways Tuesday was relieving, the largest voter turnout in American history took place, Americans are finally starting to get out and vote, although America is still suffering from major faults in our voting system. For example voter suppression drives away thousands of voters every year and billionaires are still able to influence and even buy elections. Across the globe, America is known to be a country wheere the citizens have a voice. Ee have to start following through with that idea.
November 8th 2018
By Tucker Haynes
Democratic nominee Christine Hallquist ran against
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE, CHRISTINE HALLQUIST
Republican Governor Phil Scott in the 2018 election. Hallquist’s campaign was largely influenced by a desire for change. In an interview with Vermont Public Radio (VPR), she remarked, “If you want things to stay [the] way they are, you’re going to vote for Phil Scott.” Some of the key differences between the candidates were drawn along this line of change. Hallquist supported raising the minimum wage from $10.50 an hour to $15 dollars an hour, and legalizing cannabis, though her campaign primarily focused on the issue of internet access. She outlined a plan to increase internet access and efficiency in Vermont, a move that she claims will bring jobs to Vermont. Her opponent Phil Scott ran on an economic
By Isa Blankenbaker
platform, sharing with VPR that he was mostly focused on making Vermont more affordable. Hallquist also gained some national attention during the campaign, as the first openly transgender gubernotorial candidate. However, in an opinion piece to the Independent her campaign manager, Cameron Russell, said they tried to steer the focus away from her gender identity and towards the issues.
Thoughts on Partisanship and the Confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh Noel Schlageter I have recently heard the claim that our nation is almost as divided right now as it was on the eve of the Civil War. While our country is polarized, it is important to acknowledge that division has always been a part of a democratic society and political system. It ensures that the public’s interest is protected and heard by those in power. With this being said, I regret to see such polarity and politicization over moral issues. In this case, I am referring to how the Senate Judiciary Committee has handled the sexual assault allegation from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, during his Supreme Court Justice confirmation process. With him now confirmed and on the Supreme Court, it has become clear that those on the Committee prioritized the beliefs of their respective parties over their personal judgement and conscience regarding Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford’s testimonies. In my opinion, it appears that both parties accept that Kavanaugh is a vital tool in the Supreme Court for conservatives. Therefore, Republicans see it as vital to ensure Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, regardless of the allegations against him, and Democrats will take any evidence they can find to force Kavanaugh out of the picture. The allegations against Kavanaugh by Dr. Ford are very specific and graphic, and she has stated she is “one-hundred percent” sure that Kavanaugh is the man who assaulted her. Meanwhile, Kavanaugh has said, “I’m not questioning that Dr. Ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person, in some place, at some time. But I have never done this, to her (Ford), or to anyone.”
Both of their words must hold weight to every observer of the testimonies, due to the total certainty they imply. However, considering that the FBI found nothing confirming Dr. Ford’s accusation, it is understandable why many Senators and members of the public doubt the legitimacy of her claims. This being said, it must be noted that according to FBI Director Chris Wray, the investigation carried out by the Bureau on Kavanaugh was “limited in scope”. This is because the investigation was narrowed, and considered only a background check on Kavanaugh. Instead of pressing for further investigation to ensure Kavanaugh’s fitness as a Supreme Court Judge, Republicans took the minor FBI investigation and have used it to declare the man’s innocence. Republican Senator Susan Collins, in her speech announcing her vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh, stated that, “The facts presented do not mean that Professor Ford was not sexually assaulted that night or at some other time, but they do lead more to conclude that the allegations fail to meet the more likely than not standard. Therefore, I do not believe that these charges can fairly prevent Judge Kavanaugh from serving on the court.” This decision shows that Republicans are unwilling to provide a full and much more detailed investigation into the allegations made by Dr. Ford. In my opinion, this damages their credibility and they appear in favor of partisan gain over justice. On the other hand, Democrats have clouded Dr. Ford’s legitimacy, damaging the power of her claims. They have done this by grasping the more unreliable narrative of Julie Swetnick, who was, according to Fox News, “sued in 2000 by her former employer, Portland-based Webtrends, for allegedly falsifying her educational background and concocting false sexual harassment allegations.”
With this action, Democrats have shown that they are growing more desperate in what they have now made a fight against Kavanaugh instead of a fight for the truth. To conclude, my personal belief is that this situation has been overly politicized when it should simply revolve around hearing the claims of Dr. Ford and the rebuttals of Judge Kavanaugh. It should then be determined, without any political bias, if Dr. Ford’s claims are substantiated. No one guilty of what Dr. Ford has accused the Judge of should ever be allowed to serve in such a high position, and, in my opinion, still have their freedom. But, if Kavanaugh is truly innocent, he has the absolute right to be confirmed, regardless of his politics.
What do you think? Share your thoughts and opinions with Trailmix at trailmix@longtrailschool.org
DEEP DIVE CORNER Explorations into the weird and dark side of just about everything.
TRUE CRIME COMMUNITY TCC is the abbreviation used for the online community called the “true crime community”, sometimes referred to as the “true crime fandom.” The true crime community at first glance does not seem to be a relatively tame and innocent community of people. The community focuses on mass murderers, serial killers, and similar criminals. Some notable subjects of focus include Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer, Eric Harris, and Dylan Klebold, James Holmes and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. However, Tumblr user tccsdoll and active community member of the TCC describes the true crime community as “an informational [for the most part] space... it represents a space to learn about different killers/crimes as well as modus operandi, victims, timeline of events, possible reasons etc!” According to the users and community members of the TCC, a rough amount of about 80 percent of TCC members do not condone the actions of the serial killers, murderers, and criminals that they study. However, the remaining 20 percent of them do. Those people are the people that condone. That romanticize and sexualize mass murderers of all types. That attempt to justify the cruel and heartless crimes committed by those people. They are the ones that give the TCC a bad name. And here's why they do it. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold may be familiar names to some. However, to those not aware, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were two American mass murderers who killed 13 people and wounded 24 others in the mass shooting known as the Columbine High School Massacre. These two, along with many other criminals who have committed cruel and gruesome crimes such as mass murder and rape are ones often idolized and romanticized by people, most specifically a group of people in the TCC on various platforms, most notably known for their presence on Tumblr. Many tend to put these people at the forefront of the community, making them the face of a community mainly interested in the crimes committed and not the ones who committed them.
The day after the massacre, Columbine High School students gather outside to pray. (image via Time Magazine)
To most, those types of people are ones that rightfully so belong behind bars. There are some, however, who think otherwise. They sympathize with the people behind bars and condone their crimes, believing that those criminals had the chance to change - if they had the right person in their life at the time. And most times, they believe that the right person would’ve been them. They believe if they had been in the life of some criminals such as Dylan Klebold during the period before Columbine, they would’ve been able to change him into a good person, therefore stopping him from committing the Columbine Massacre along with Eric Harris. This group of people makes fan art, self-insert fanfiction, and stories along with edits, both picture and video of many different criminals. These are the ones in the TCC that receives the most scrutiny from the outside world as well as members of the TCC who do not agree with their ideologies. Yet this group of people is well aware of the scrutiny it gets from the outside world, especially the not in love with mass murderers part of the community.
DEEP DIVE CORNER
TRUE CRIME COMMUNITY
As Rachel Monroe wrote at The Awl in 2012, the country was shocked by the teenage girls who fawned over James Holmes, the Aurora, Colorado, shooter who opened fire on a screening of The Dark Knight Rises. Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsaraev is also a popular figure. However, it's the Columbine story that users seem to be most captivated by. "...the Holmies were just an offshoot of the already-existing Tumblr worlds of girls who crush, hard, on killers. Ted Bundy, Richard Ramirez, and Charles Manson all have their groupies, but the widest and most prolific group seems to be the Columbiners, who have devoted themselves to Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold."
An excerpt from Shotsofdylan's T.J./Dylan fanfiction.
That doesn't seem to be the case for some users in the TCC. Shotsofdylan, a blogger in the TCC who has written various works about Klebold and Harris (example to the right) writes this: “People who actually think we support murderers and condone their actions are f****** idiots. If you bothered to talk to most of us, we don’t condone anything bad they ever did. And most of us are intelligent, forgiving, compassionate people who learned a lot about humanity and life through the murderers we’re interested in. Don’t talk s*** about us before you get to know us. Thanks.”
What do you think?
The spiel doesn’t exactly age well when it comes to the fact Shotsofdylan speaks for the same group of people that mourned Klebold on his birthday and cheered on T.J. Lane, another school shooter when he escaped from prison. Monroe, another popular blogger in the TCC argues that there’s actually not much difference between Columbiners and Beliebers - both have intense and unattainable infatuations (in)famous people.
Share your thoughts and opinions with Trailmix at trailmix@longtrailschool.org
Perhaps what’s most disturbing about this group of people is not whom they’re crushing on, but how it’s actually not so difficult to imagine what it might be like to be one.
The Myth of the “Trench Coat Mafia" By Isa Blankenbaker
Discussing tragedy can be difficult, down right painful at times, but the way America digests tragedy, and particularly school shootings, warrants some further examination. Anyone who has watched the news in the wake of a school shooting is probably familiar with the media trope, of a bullied teenager, perpetrating a horrendous act of violence as part of some Heathers style revenge plot. However, this story in most cases is not accurate. In 1999, two boys, committed a heinous crime, and killed 13 people at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, wounding more than 20 others. The media scrambled frantically afterward, to find an explanation for what had just happened. There were a variety of explanations at first, but over time one in particular took hold: the perpetrators of the shooting were bullied, outsiders, intent on living out a revenge fantasy. The two boys belonged to a group who called themselves the “Trench Coat Mafia” and this became a central point in the bullied outcast image the media sought to project. John Savage, a survivor of Columbine, was also a part of the Trench Coat Mafia, and in a recent interview with the New York Times he claims that the shooters never really played a large role in the group. “...[they] were not...not at all apart of the things that we did as a group...they would hang out with us but they weren’t Trench Coat Mafia at all” Savage goes on to claim that the image the media projected of the Trench Coat Mafia was misleading “...we were video game nerds...we would...sit around the table and play dungeons and dragons, which is about the least dangerous thing you could do.” A look back at Columbine from CNN backs this up, “Ten years after the massacre in Littleton, Colorado, there's still a collective memory of two Goth-obsessed loners....who went on a shooting rampage and killed 12 of their classmates and a teacher, injured 23 others and then turned their guns on themselves.” As for them having a revenge plot that was directed at specific group, that is disputed as well. The article claims they did not target any specific group, and suggests that there original plan was not to shoot the school but to bomb it. The shooters, wanted fame.
After the shooting media outlets had back to back coverage of Columbine weeks after the shooting, and it became the most watched news story of 1999. There was a kind of morbid fascination surrounding the event and people tuned into watch news coverage of it, which prompted some media outlets to become careless in their presentation of the facts. This carelessness led to misinformation, and created the image of a revenge driven teenager, who prepetrates a school shooting. The image is still around today in most media coverage and in fact is so prevalent that after Parkland an entire movement rose up in response to it. The #WalkOut was started by teenagers in the Enough movement, as a way of communicating the date and reasons for a National WalkOut. The #WalkUpNotOut was the reponse that soon followed. This well intentioned movement urged kids in schools to engage and befriend their outcasted peers instead of walking out, as to protest gun violence. Or as survivor, Isabelle Robinson, points out in her Op-ed piece to the New York Times, “[The] deeply dangerous sentiment, expressed under the #WalkUpNotOut hashtag, implies that acts of school violence can be prevented if students befriend disturbed and potentially dangerous classmates.” She goes on to descirbe a series of unpleasant interactions she had with the shooter, prior to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Like the Columbine shooters the Parkland shooter was not maligned by his classmates needlessly. The image of the bullied outcast, being the main perpetrator of school shootings is dangerous. It was started with sloopy media coverage of Columbine, and needs to end now. It does not serve to further legtimate attempts at ending these tragedies but rather hinders them by taking the blame away from the actual underlying issues that cause horrific events like Columbine and Parkland, and placing it instead on school children.
End of the Semester Notes Urinetown Urinetown is a satirical musical, that first
The musical’s commentary and
premiered in 2001, at Henry Miller’s
surreal feel were aided by the
Theatre, in New York City. Since that time
banter between Officer
Urinetown has won three Tony Awards and
Lockstock, played by Zach
gone international. Urinetown is set in a
Wildman, and Little Sally,
dreary future, where there are only a few
played by Nikolin
public restrooms left, and people have to pay
The musical itself, as satire and a
to have access to them. Public urination is
dark comedy, is very different
also outlawed, and those who can not pay are
from what Long Trail has
carted away to the mysterious Urinetown.
presented previously, and the
Aided by a corrupt government, the head of
cast this time around was much
the Urine Good Company (URC), Caldwell
smaller. However, the actors
B. Cladwell, played by Leon Bell, seeks to
adapted to the changes and
maximize profit by hiking up the fee for
delivered an intelligent
public restrooms. This comes at the expense
version of the sharp and
of the general populace, and in the wake of
surreal satire that is Urinetown.
this a worker by the name of Bobby Strong, played by Timur Langford, is inspired by Caldwell’s daughter, Hope Cladwell, played by Emma Luikart, to lead a revolt against the UGC.
By Isa Blankenbaker
ѐ Norman.