Issue 8 Octagon 2015-16

Page 1

theOctagon

Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sacramento, CA Permit No. 1668

Sacramento Country Day School

VOL. XXXIX, NO. 8

2636 Latham Drive, Sacramento

May 31, 2016

POI: Student groups choose new leaders, plan to win awards By Jack Christian Reporter

Above left: Breakthrough students participate in a quiz bowl to test the knowledge they’ve acquired through classes. Bottom left: Senior America Lopez teaches her seventh-grade English literature class. Right: Students enter Breakthrough every morning through a human tunnel as their teachers chant “G-O-O-D-M-O-R-N-I-N-G.” (Photos used by permission of Adolfo Mercado)

Board cuts Breakthrough funds

Entering class will be half as many pupils as last year’s By Manson Tung

program’s inception, but in the last decade the gap has grown much larger. “The Board has to balance a lot of different financial priorihis summer’s incoming class at Breakthrough Sacra- ties, between tuition increases, faculty salaries, academic fundmento will be the smallest ever: 18 students, only half ing, and arts and athletic budgets,” Taber said. “We have to look at the school’s budget and expenses as a as many as last year. whole.” The smaller number of students is a reAccording to Taber, during the sult of a decision by the Finance Committee of the “We have to look at the Board of Trustees to reduce the support the school school’s budget and expenses last 22 years, Country Day and the school community have givgives from $150,000 to $75,000. en $2.1 million to Breakthrough According to Kelley Taber, president of the Board as a whole.” —Kelley Taber, president of in direct cash support, not inof Trustees, the school has less money for Breakin-kind donations (such through because of the school’s projected falling stuthe Board of Trustees cluding as air conditioning and use of the dent enrollment next year. facilities). Headmaster Stephen Repsher said the move was On the other hand, other programs such as Breakthrough a necessary step in maintaining the long-term viability of the Oakland and Summerbridge Hong Kong are funded, either enprogram. “We believe in the Breakthrough program and mission,” tirely or in majority, by local public-school districts or outside sources, respectively. Repsher said. The average Breakthrough budget gap has been $147,000 a “But we need to work together to get (Breakthrough) to a point where it’s financially self-sustaining, which was one of the year for the last three years, according to Taber. Furthermore, the school gives roughly $170,000 worth of in-kind non-moneoriginal goals of the program.” According to Taber, the school has funded any difference between the cost of the program and outside funding since the See Breakthrough, page 6

Editor-in-Chief

T

The Medallion, Octagon and Student Council have chosen their new leaders for 2016-17. The Medallion picked two editors-in-chief: junior Shriya Nadgauda and sophomore Nina Dym. “The editors we selected for next year were chosen based on equal parts leadership, drive and talent,” adviser Mollie Hawkins said. “We believed they had the best levels of experience in their specialties, being design and business management.” “Next year we are going to be changing the structure of the yearbook,” Nadgauda said. “Our main goal is to try and cover a wider variety of events, as well as getting better pictures.” The print editors-in-chief of the Octagon will be juniors Adam Dean and Marigot Fackenthal. “Marigot is both an excellent writer and designer,” Octagon adviser Patricia Fels said. “She’s a questioner and doesn’t always agree with me, which is what I like. “Adam’s worked hard with the editors-in-chief and shown his potential for leadership.” Dean has many hopes for next year. “Obviously, our main goal for the print is to win a Pacemaker award (the highest award from the National Scholastic Press Association),” Dean said. Fackenthal said she has big plans to redo the layout of the issues, improving their design. The online editor-in-chief will be sophomore Sonja Hansen. “Sonja did a really good job as business manager this year,” Fels said. “My main focus will be on expanding the online’s media outlets,” Hansen said. “That means more videos, pictures and maybe even some podcasts,” Juniors Quin LaComb and Mac Scott will be responsible for expanding multimedia and technology. Student Council chose junior Avi Bhullar as president and junior Alexa Mathisen as vice president. “They always go above and beyond; Student Council is their top priority,” adviser Patricia Jacobsen said. Bhullar wants to improve Council events. “I definitely want to improve the Freshman/Senior Movie Night because it can sometimes be boring and scary for the freshmen,” Bhullar said. “I also want to reintroduce Olympics Day, HighSchool Movie Night, and many other fun fundraisers.” The Glass Knife literary magazine positions will be announced next year.

Lack of senior math options leaves advanced juniors high and dry By Annya Dahmani

course her senior year. “But then I transferred to Country Day and everything got messed up with my math Six juniors were expecting a change to the scheduling,” she said. curriculum when signing up for their 2016-17 Fackenthal said that she wants to take course selection. another math course because it would look strange if there They wanted an “If I don’t take math for a were no math on her transcript additional math course after finish- whole year, then it’ll be hard during her senior year. “Also, if I don’t take math for ing AP Calculus to catch up with everyone a whole year, then it’ll be hard to BC, the highest levonce I’m in college.” catch up with everyone once I’m el course offered at —Marigot Fackenthal, junior in college,” she said. Country Day. So Marigot FackHer solution is take linear enthal, Quin Laalgebra, in an online course ofComb, Mac Scott, Arvind Krishnan, Shriya fered by Indiana University. Nadgauda and Zane Jakobs were all disapFackenthal is the only junior who is defipointed when this course wasn’t created. nitely taking a math course online. Fackenthal wants to be an engineer, so not Nadgauda is taking her advanced math taking a math class in her senior year will be a course either at a community college near her serious problem, she said. house or online. Fackenthal transferred from Mira Loma “It would be a lot easier if it were at school High School, where she was on the “normal” because then I (wouldn’t) have to work around math track. She would have taken an IB math (the school’s) schedule,” Nadgauda said.

Social Media Editor

Juniors Quin LaComb, Shriya Nadgauda, Zane Jakobs and Arvind Krishnan are four of six juniors who will complete AP Calculus BC, the highest math course offered at Country Day, this year. (Photo by Kevin Huang)

“Also, I would know that it’s going to be on my transcript.” Courses not taken at the school are not included on the Country Day transcript. Like Fackenthal, Nadgauda wants to pur-

sue mathematics in college. LaComb is taking AP Physics C as an alternative to a math course. See Math, page 6


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