Issue 2 2013

RT Round Table

volume XIII issue II December 2013

volume XX, issue X

What’s Hot on TV RIGHT NOW p. 6

MORE COMICS!

BEST FRIENDS! p. 15 roundtable.sacredsf.org roundtable.sacredsf.org

Stuart Hall High School | Schools of the Sacred Heart, San Francisco | Volume XIII, Issue II | December 2013

the round table

roundtable.sacredsf.org

a forum for students

Table of Contents School News

Janet Erskine Stuart..........................................4 Getty Villa...........................................................5 Sophomores and Face to Faith..........................7 ePack and 1-to-1 Program.................................10 Xa and His 3D Printer......................................13 Newspaper!.....................................................15 Eye to Eye.........................................................15

Sports

Getting to Know Coach Johnson......................11

Special Features

Norwegian Slow TV Fad....................................3 The Best Shows Right Now (And Returning).....6 Top 5 Rap/R&B Albums of 2013......................8 Why I Love Thanksgiving.................................12 Would You Like a Review? ..............................14

Front cover photo by John Cannell ‘16 Back cover photos by Ray O’Connor, Lori Saltveit, Nidia Pasache, John Cannell, Lucas Chan, and Evan Brill

Staff and Publication Information Editor Lucas Chan Copy Editors Austin Woo Connor Abbott

Layout and Website Editor Brandon Seltenrich

Staff Evan Brill Stephen Everest Zack Hammer Will Paulsen Matthew Jung

stuart hall high school

Faculty Moderator Lori Saltveit

Corrections the round table goes to great lengths to ensure that all material is accurate, timely, and factual. However, errors sometimes occur. If you notice a factual mistake, please send an e-mail to lori.saltveit@sacredsf.org with “Reader Discovers Error!” in the subject line.

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Online content: Please visit the online round table at: http://roundtable.sacredsf.org/

the round table | Founded 2005 by Nick Dietz, Corey Linehan, Tom Pardini, Joey Plonsker, Ms. Sarah Slonaker

editors’ corner

What defines winter? Is it the smell of pine trees and plastic decorations around the city? The bright multicolored lights found on storefronts? The sound of people singing both parts of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” while walking into Starbucks for some peppermint hot chocolate? The feeling is something intangible and hard to describe.

However, we have tried our best to capture the essence of fall/winter in this edition of the round table with another set of fun and interesting reads. This calendar year is coming to an end, but we look forward to another fresh start in the coming weeks.

I’m proud of the great progress our staff has made to write quality articles for our paper. Each reporter is passionate about what he does and each brings a unique perspective to our publication.

We look forward to the new year and a fresh start for everyone. In the meantime, from all of us at the round table, we hope you enjoy our little paper. Happy Holidays.

T

Warm Regards, Lucas Chan

PS: We have more comics this time!

special features

Norwegian Slow TV Fad The fast growing slow movement.

Photo by Zack Hammer || round table

Would you watch an 8-hour broadcast of a train ride on national television? If you live in Norway, you can! In 2008, a broadcast of a bullet train traveling from Bergen to Oslo in honor of the train tracks’ 100th anniversary had record viewers, with over a million people tuning in to watch a train speed down a snowy train track. This created various spinoffs, which included two more train broadcasts in the year of 2010 alone, all of which had increasingly

good ratings each time. The following, and critically acclaimed, 5-day broadcast of a cruiseship had more than half of Norway’s population viewing it as some point during the broadcast. This started the movement known as “Slow TV” in Norway.

However, it didn’t stop there.

The countdown for the new premiere of “A day in the life of a snail,” which begins on November 1st for all of you grabbing for your calendars, is the most anticipated program of the movement yet. This will cover, you guessed it, the day in the life of a snail. Other upcoming programs include a commentated 8-hour closeup of a burning fire, intertwined with segments of woodcutting.

Though at face value the movement may seem ridiculous, it has a much deeper impact than simply a relaxing broadcast of next

by Evan Brill ‘15

to nothing. The slow tediousness of the programs are supposed to accentuate how hectic our everyday lives are, and how people fail to appreciate the smaller things in life. It is also meant to bring the Norwegian community together, as the attention-unintensive broadcasts allow more time for social interaction during the viewing.

By all means, take a few minutes to slow down. You don’t need to watch the pace of a snail to do so. Read a book or go on a walk and have a look around.

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school news

Janet Erskine Stuart

by Austin Woo ‘15

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Photo by Lori Saltveit || round table

On October 21st at 11 am, Convent High School, Convent Elementary, Stuart Hall for Boys, and Stuart Hall High School, which comprise the four schools of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco, assembled in the Herbert Center on the Broadway Campus for Janet Erskine Stuart’s day of celebration. The event was broadcasted worldwide and could be viewed online. “The other schools were able to watch from their own location and felt participatory. They didn’t feel that they were just watching San Francisco do their own thing,” says Sergio Vasquez, the host of the celebration. Many Sacred Heart schools from Canada and South America watched and participated in the event.

The celebration began with the SHHS sophomores

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surrounding the gym with Tibetan prayer flags that were made by North American Sacred Heart Schools. “A lot of the sophomores like AJ, Preston, and Harry held the flags,” said Michael Kastner, a sophomore who also carried the flag, “I wasn’t too nervous being in front of the school and I thought it was fun being part of the celebration.” Afterwards, a video was shown with Tony Farrell, Head of Stuart Hall High school; Jaime Dominguez, head of Stuart Hall for Boys; and Dr. Ann Marie Krejcarek, president of the four schools, talking about Janet’s influence on the Schools of the Sacred Heart. The four schools then sang “Spirit Seeking Light and Beauty.” The song was followed by another video produced by students from Stuart Hall for Boys commemorating Janet Erskine Stuart’s accomplishments. Afterwards, the

Tibetan prayer flags were placed into a wicker basket and blessed

by Swami Vedananda, head of the Vedanta Society; Sukayna Belsare, from the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center; Sr. Anne Watcher, Headmistress of Sacred Heart of Halifax; as well as Michael Pappas, the executive of Director of the Interfaith Coalition of San Francisco.

In celebrating her death, the four schools acknowledged Janet and her accomplishments.

“One of things that I wanted to do was use technology. Janet Erskine Stuart was an innovator, a forward thinker. I felt that using technology was a great way of honoring her legacy,” says Sergio Vasquez, “In her day, she used technology to connect with others.

What better way to celebrate her than by using the internet?” At the end of the day, the fours schools bonded with each other and also connected with other schools around the nation and worldwide through celebrating Janet Erskine Stuart and her accomplishments.

school news

Getty Villa

by Zack Hammer ‘16

Latin trip down to Southern California.

Photo by Lori Saltveit || round table

Latin is a dead language and there’s no point in teaching it, right? Mr. Roos believes otherwise.

Stuart Hall’s Latin program has no shortage of eager students wanting to learn Latin and learn about the people who spoke it.

With great trips, like the one to the Getty Villa, students can hardly turn down a chance to learn this beautiful, old language. The Latin trip is the highlight of the year for many students because they not only get to go visit one of the biggest collections of art from the ancient world, but get to visit Disneyland, as well.

The Getty Villa, which receives over 400,000 visitors per year, is home to over 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities.

J. Paul Getty built the museum as a replica of a Herculium Villa, that was buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Construction began in 1954 and was opened in 1974. Following Getty’s death, the museum inherited over $6.6 million and thus began planning for a new campus known as the Getty Campus.

The Latin trip began as the students piled onto a luxury

charter bus, excited for the journey ahead. Eight hours and a few bathroom stops later, the two buses stopped for dinner at Olive Garden. Once dinner was finished, the group of students went to the Holiday Inn and retired to their rooms. Sleep was short, as the restless students were excited for their trip to the Getty Villa. After breakfast, the students piled back onto the bus destined for the villa. Mr. Roos did not hesitate to enlighten the students about the history of each piece, which made learning about the art even more fun and engaging. For example, he taught the students about “Herms,” which was a square statue topped with the god Hermes. Hermes was the god of boundaries and these herms were often used to mark property boundaries. After exploring the villa for a while, Mr. Roos gave the students some worksheets that allowed the students to explore some of the pieces in more depth.

Sadly, the students couldn’t stay at the villa all day, and before they knew it, they had to leave.

The trip ended with a visit to Disneyland, which was a highlight for many of the students. Both Disneyland and the Getty Villa act

as enriching experiences for the students. The villa serves to enrich the students with history, while Disneyland serves to promote the social growth of the students. Pair the two together, and the result is one of the greatest trips that Stuart Hall has to offer. Mr. Roos plans to continue to offer this trip in the future, and other Latin students are encouraged to go.

Students have always had a blast, and it is almost certain that future trips will be just as great.

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special features

The Best Shows Right Now (And Returning) How to ruin your life in one season (or eight).

Photo by Austin Woo|| round table

Fall: my favorite time of the year. But I’m not interested in what most people associate with autumn.

Instead of sipping some pumpkin spice latte or stepping on a crunchy leaf on the sidewalk, I spend my fall season(s) preparing for a fresh new batch of TV shows as well as the return of some of my favorites. Here are just a few of some of the most notable returns and specials coming in the fall.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special

To a 900 year old Time Lord, 50 years does not seem like much; but to fans of the BBC series, it feels like an eternity. This November, one of the longest running TV series celebrates 50 years of time traveling adventures with a movie special on November 23rd, which marks the return of fan favorite creatures, aliens, and even past cast members.

Most of the episodes from the newer seasons and all of the older original episodes can be found online or even on Netflix. The devoted fanbase has already sold out all theater showings of the special in downtown San Francisco, so many can see the wide appeal of the Doctor’s return.

Masters of Sex

No, this is not what it sounds like. Well... kinda. The showtime drama is more than its edgy name and it follows the true lives and the round table | page 6

works of Dr. William Masters and Dr. Virginia Johnson, as the two study provocative topics at Washington University in St. Louis during the dawn of modern scientific research in the 1950s.

The intricate relationships between these two and their friends and family drive most of the story forward, as well as their struggle to find out more about smut topics in a time that shunned discussion of sex or even the study of it. It has a planned 12 episode series and each episode is roughly an hour long and is filled with great writing from a mostly female staff.

Sherlock

Spoiler Alert: Sherlock is not “dead.” Last season’s intense battle between Sherlock and his arch nemesis, Moriarty, was one of the highlights of all of BBC’s programming, which left a desire for more mystery solving from the tongue-in-cheek duo of John Watson and Sherlock Holmes.

Although originally planned to return in November, BBC felt that it should not compete with its other cult show Doctor Who and its 50th anniversary, but Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are definitely coming back for another three episode season Don’t worry! Each episode is about an hour and a half long.

Community

#Sixseasonsandamovie. That’s all I have to say. In his own words, creator Dan Harmon is coming back “like a phoenix rising from the ashes of unemployment” to head the little known and cult TV comedy with a myriad of guest stars and returning favorites. Despite losing Chevy Chase and Donald Glover for the entire season, who is only

by Luke Chan ‘14

going to be on five of the thirteen planned episodes, guest stars will include Firefly’s Nathan Fillion, artist Ben Folds, Star Trek’s Levar Burton, Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz, Breaking Bad’s Jonathan Banks, and even returning Greendale Community College faculty and Daily Show correspondent, John Oliver. With its numerous pop culture references including a Doctor Who spoof as Inspector Spacetime, and meta humor, Community, its return may be one of the most anticipated upcoming returns.

Online: Bravest Warriors

Although not a full TV series, each of these five minute episodes features the wacky animated show from Adventure Time’s Pendleton Ward. This show draws millions of views on Youtube because of its whimsical stories alongside the cuteness of the lovable character Catbug. Season 2 just premiered with a much bigger budget and has already generated a lot of buzz for the rest of the season.

Even though finals are coming up and seniors are preoccupied with submitting their college applications, I believe most need a little time to enjoy the best of what their TV has to offer. The upcoming season marks the return and premiere of many great shows, but don’t lose track of the school year!

school news

Sophomores and Face to Faith

by Brandon Seltenrich ‘16

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Faith from a different perspective. ar

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them?

Kieran: Yeah, I talked to a girl from Italy and we talked about normal stuff; where we’re from and that kind of thing.

Will: I talked to one girl from India. She asked me about my sister, Indira. She found out that was my sister’s name in my profile information. I told her my mom named her after Indira Gandhi, and she thought that was very inspirational particularly due to her country’s history.

Photo by Lori Saltveit || round table

In the beginning of October, all of the sophomores in Mr. Vasquez’s Sacred Texts class were introduced to a program started by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation called Face to Faith. In addition to offering students the opportunity to videoconference with one another, Face to Faith has a website in which students from all around the world can connect with each other through blog posts, comments, and messaging. It is designed with a Facebook-type layout that appeals to students and it offers many ways people can share their insight on faith with other students.

We started off our experience by reading blogs about identity and respect by students from schools in Kosovo, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates.

Comments could be as simple as “I agree with you,” showing support to the values of students in different cultures. We then wrote our own blogs about how people could have dialogue about

faith, and had students from their schools share their thoughts with us. Blog posts consisted of faith, inspiration and influences in our lives.

William Rodriguez ‘16 and Kieran Nishio ’16 gave some feedback about their experiences in the Face to Faith program.

Did you see anything in the blogs written that really stuck out to you?

Kieran: Yeah, there were a few that were about respecting women, and I know in other countries it could be hard for women to be respected so it really stuck out to me that people were talking about this.

Will: Sort of, some of the stuff was pretty interesting. It was really most about respecting people, and people’s views on things. It was pretty cool, some things I didn’t agree with, some things I did. Overall it was pretty good.

Did you instant message any people on Face to Faith? If so, what did you discuss with

How do you think the Face to Faith experience has helped you?

Kieran: I really like that we got to connect with other people in the world. It was cool to talk to other people about what is important to them and how they are different and also share things in common with us?

Will: It didn’t really make much of a difference for me, because I already didn’t have weird thoughts about people around the world, I already thought like they thought and we have a lot of similar interests so it wasn’t anything new. But it was a pretty cool experience to be able to talk to a bunch of different people?

Face to Faith has been a great experience for students, giving them the chance to better understand cultures around the world and to interact with students of other faiths. I think it goes for all sophomores when I say that we would like to continue this program in the future and more activities in the years to come.

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special features

Top 5 Hip-Hop/R&B Albums of 2013 Take the online poll to voice your own thoughts!

by Stephen Everest ‘15

Disclaimer: This article is subjective. Everyone will have his/ her own opinion, which is what makes creating this list so much fun. One person might hate Yeezus, while I love it. The ranking below is my own personal opinion. Let me know what your’s opinion is!

Warning: The lyrics in these albums may be explicit and/or offensive to listeners. Please keep this in mind if you decide to take a listen.

1. Yeezus-Kanye West

Three years after the maximalist masterpiece, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, an angry Kanye West returned to the rap scene with his new solo album, egotistically titled Yeezus. Featuring no lead single and with the only promotion being a video projected on the sides of 66 famous buildings around the world, this album definitely did things differently from the start. When the music was released, it was not surprising that it sounded unlike anything heard this year. As dark and twisted as you can make an album, West crafted a minimalist album full of trap music, self-loathing, and egotism, including a song titled, “I Am A God.” Another song, “On Sight,” features a sample with the lyrics, “He’ll give us what we need.

It may not be what we want.” This sample, sung by a children’s choir, was originally in a song titled, “He’ll Give Us What We Really Need” by the Holy Name of Mary Choral Family and sung about Jesus. This album is as polarizing as anything released since the original, The Marshall Mathers LP, and opinions are split between the album being revolutionary or a creative mess. In my opinion, it is the former and

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Photo by Stephen Everest || round table

that is why it comes in at #1 on my Top 5.

Best Song: “New Slaves” (featuring Frank Ocean) 2. The Marshall Mathers LP2Eminem

Three years since his commercially successful but musically disappointing album Recovery, Eminem decided to make a sequel to his most successful album, The Marshall Mathers LP. His attempt to make a good followup was a success, as the album showed a more mature Eminem while still fitting thematically, with the original. The standard edition of the album features 16 songs, while the deluxe features 21, although some of the bonus songs are even better than the weaker standard songs.

After the flops with Big Sean and Jay-Z, someone needed to deliver a true rap album, and Eminem was the one to do it. Featuring flawless rapping and a perfect mix between emotional and aggressive music, the

album is a reminder that Eminem is still one of the best rappers alive.

Yes, it has some pop songs, and yes, some of the beats are questionable, but it is still easily the fourth best album from the rap legend and one of the best albums of this year.

Best Song: “Bad Guy” (Stan part 2) 3. Acid Rap-Chance the Rapper

Acid Rap was arguably the top rap project from this year and unfortunately, many hip-hop fans have never heard it. The album may not be a mainstream success, but it is genius. Taking classic Chicago sounds and blending them with his unique style, Chance the Rapper leads you on a journey throughout the album that is both relaxing and enjoyable, even when he is talking about his life’s issues. Like Danny Brown, his voice can be a little highpitched and nasally. On the album, Chance the Rapper both sings and raps with equal effectiveness. It is everything that Drake’s album should have been and more. I encourage everyone to check it out and hopefully we will be seeing Chance the Rapper continue to grow in the coming years.

special features Best Song: “Cocoa Butter Kisses”

Check out a full review of ‘Nothing Was the Same” on page 14

4. Old-Danny Brown Honorable Mentions:

Old is a fantastic album. I 6. Long.Live.A$AP-A$AP Rocky have long been a Danny Brown 7. Doris-Earl Sweatshirt fan and this album definitely met 8. My Name is My Name-Pusha T my expectations. Split into two 9. Trap Lord-A$AP Ferg sides, this album features two 10. Magna Carta Holy Graildifferent points of view and styles.

Jay-Z The first side, Old, features a more introspective Brown and an attempt to give his fans “that old Danny Brown.” It speaks more to his preby Luke Chan’14 fame life and mimics that style.

Side B, Dope Song, features a more nasally-sounding Danny Brown and features more party anthems, as he tries to deal with fame through partying. This creates an album that is a dual-threat and has something for all rap fans. At 32 years old, Danny Brown has finally reached stardom. He may be old for an upcoming rapper, but this talent has finally blown up and it is about time.

Best Song: Dope Fiend Rental (featuring Schoolboy Q)

Comic Corner

First comic strip from our editor.

5. Nothing Was the Same-Drake

While it was one of the most disappointing albums of the year, the fact that this album comes in at #5 shows you just how high the expectations were. What is frustrating about this album is that Drake somehow feels that he is a singer before a rapper, not the other way around. He raps over weak beats and the album mostly comes across as soft, especially since Drake has been so successful rapping over more classic rap beats. However, he does nail a few songs. “Hold On, We’re Going Home” is the most played song on the radio, while “Too Much” is one of the best tracks ever released by the rapper. This album could have been a classic if he put in a few more songs with “5 AM in Toronto” type rapping, but it is still a solid effort from one of rap music’s best.

Best Song: “Too Much” (featuring Sampha)

the round table | page 9

school news

ePack 1-to-1 Program

by Matt Jung ‘16

Adding more technology to our curriculum. they have helped make learning more interesting, thus improving learning. So far, the program has been a success and looks like we will continue to implement and improve the program. Mr. Farrell enthusiastically stated, “We’re excited to continue improving the program. Three years from now, there might be a new, better device than the tablet we are using now.

The key element is that it is 1-to-1, and not so much that it is about an iPad or a laptop.”

Photo by Matt Jung|| round table

This year at the Hall, we started the ePack 1-to-1 Program.

Every freshman, sophomore, and junior student received an iPad. Lucas Chan’14 said, “Even though I’m a senior and I don’t have a school issued iPad, I see students constantly working on their iPads. It allows students to do more electronic learning and such, besides just playing games. It moves the class faster.” The goals of the program are to incorporate more technology into our scholastic programs and to be more ecofriendly. Thanks to the work of Mrs. Saltveit, Ms. Wetherwax, and the roll-out team, the first several months have gone quite well, much better than expected.

“I like that we have an authentic implementation and that the iPad is not just a gimmick. I also like that teachers have reported better performance with ‘on-time’ submission of homework and that

the round table | page 10

we are saving a significant amount of paper.” Mr. Farrell said.

Incorporating new technology into our curriculum will allow us to do more interactive activities online and allow us to always have learning more available to us. Also, it has allowed us to become more eco-friendly in our classes. In Theology II class, for example, we have gone paperfree and only use Google Drive to turn in our work. When asked how he thinks the ePack program has been going, Mr. Marquette responded, “The ePack Program so far has been a great start to this part of the Educational Innovation plan. Teachers are engaged in finding interesting and appropriate applications for their disciplines.

That has been our main focus thus far. We are continuously sharing what we know with each other. For students, it’s a great tool for enhancing learning.”

After interviewing several students, I learned that the general opinion on iPads is that

school news

Getting to know Coach Johnson Meeting our new Athletic Director.

by Connor Abbott ‘14

can be challenging. There are many moving parts, such as bus schedules, field schedules, things that can potentially create unexpected problems. With that said, I am committed to be more organized and efficient. I have an open door policy and I will listen to all suggestions. I also try and communicate in a timely fashion. I have also taken some preliminary steps improving our website.

Photo by Will Paulsen || round table

After the 2012-2013 school year, Stuart Hall lost its longtime Athletic Director, John Bertken.

Although it was a sad time for the students, it allowed for the ushering in of longtime basketball coach Charlie Johnson to fill the position.

Coach Johnson has long been a large part of the basketball program, and now he’s set to be a larger part of the Stuart Hall community as well.

I was able to catch up with him and ask him some questions regarding his goals and excitement for his first year as athletic director.

What sports are you most excited for this year at Stuart Hall?

It has been a solid year thus far for The Hall athletic department.

Watching the hard work and

dedication of the cross country coaching staff and athletes this fall was awesome. The football season proved that the program continues to build on each previous year, and the players and coaches are committed to making it a success.

Coach Woodard and the wrestling program have also been fun to watch. I am also super-excited about re-starting the lacrosse program.

I have hired two younger coaches I think will have an immediate impact.

The athletic department requires a lot of organization. How do you plan on dealing with that this year?

My predecessor accomplished some amazing things. He started a new football program. He also helped secure the Treasure Island facility for practices and games. Being organized without a field on campus

You have coached basketball at Stuart Hall for a number of years now. What strategies have you learned through coaching that you think can translate into being an athletic director?

There is an old basketball coaching philosophy, Prepare To Fail, If You Fail, To Prepare. I have that saying hanging in my office. I live by this as a basketball coach and part of that is owning the basketball program. I will require all coaches in the athletic department to take ownership of their programs and be prepared. Ownership of a program is critical to a team’s ultimate success. I will make every attempt to take ownership of the athletic department.

What sports do you want to have a stronger presence in the Stuart Hall community this year?

I want all of our sports to have a stronger presence. I would love all to compete for league titles. For example, soccer is a sport that I plan to make better in the near future. I have a plan I will be implementing next year. One place I would love a stronger presence that will help all of our sports teams is school spirit. Fans provide an energy and enthusiasm that gives us a great advantage. I really hope we can have a stronger fan presence for all our sports this year.

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special features

by Stephen Everest ‘15

Why I Love Thanksgiving Hint: It’s because of the food

Image designed by Duncan McDonnell and SHHS community

There’s nothing that I love more than the holidays, as we get a break from school and time to relax with family and friends.

Many people’s favorite holiday is, of course, Christmas, because of all the presents and the two week break.

However, while I love Christmas, my favorite holiday would have to be Thanksgiving, and here’s why: 1. The Food

The food at Thanksgiving is outstanding, in case you haven’t noticed. At my house, we usually have either turkey (of course) or turducken, which might be the greatest invention of all time.

Consisting of a chicken stuffed into a duck stuffed into a turkey, this heart-attack in waiting is something I look forward to all year.

Other dishes that I love at Thanksgiving are the yams my mom prepares. Most people aren’t a huge fan of yams, but if cooked using her recipe, I guarantee you will love them.

4. The Food

Oh, and did I mention the food? As is obvious from this article, I am a food addict. There’s nothing I look forward to more than a fantastic dinner, and the Thanksgiving dinner is by far the best of the year. Using this logic, Thanksgiving is the best holiday ever!

Lastly, I have been trying to convince my parents to deep-fat fry the turkey for years now, but we haven’t done it yet. If you have prepared your turkey like this, please let me know how it went and if your house is okay, as my parents don’t want our house to be engulfed in flames.

2. Eating Dinner With the Family

Something I always enjoy is eating a great meal with the family. My family and friends really enjoy it because we all revel in the spectacular array of food.

3. Thanksgiving Day Football

The best day of the year only gets better when, as you sit down with your oversized turkey and other incredible entrees, football comes on. This year’s games featured the Packers and Lions followed by the Steelers and Ravens. Two awesome games on the most awesome day of the year.

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school news

by Austin Woo ‘15

Xa and His 3D Printer

Are you telling me that I can make an action figure of myself?

Photo by Austin Woo || round table

The Stuart Hall community is comprised of many interesting individuals who bring forth something unique to the school.

Among many of the students who contribute to the community, an individual who particularly stands out is Xavier Conrad ’14, better known as Xa. At the end of the last semester, Xa brought his personal

3D printer to school. “I realized that many kids didn’t know what a 3D printer was,” said Xa, “So I thought it would be cool to bring one to school.” During Periods B and H, Xa teaches other students how to use his 3D printer.

“I’ve been teaching Alex McDonald, and a couple other kids how to use the printer,” said Xa, ”They seem to enjoy making things. ” Xa is open to teaching anyone at school how to use this interesting device.

So what is a 3D printer, exactly? A 3D printer is, essentially, a printer that creates threedimensional objects using a steady lay over of plastic. Before producing a three dimensional object, the idea must be formatted onto a computer and then simplified so that the 3D printer’s processor can “visualize” your idea and then execute it.

“People think that formatting your design is tricky, but it is quite simple. It is like messing around on Paint or Photoshop really,” says Xa. The things that you can produce with the 3D printer range from action figures all the way to camera stands, as long as the format is correct.

“Anyone who is interested in using the 3D printer should start now,” recommends Xa, “because when I graduate at the end of this year, I’m taking it home.” And so, if you are interested in making your ideas become a reality, stop on by the Art Room to try out Xa’s 3D printer!

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special features

Would You Like a Review?

Just hold on, here’s a review

by Connor Abbott ‘14 something one might hear at a wedding.

Although Nothing Was The Same might not be Grammy worthy in the sense that Take Care was, Drake has given the music industry a new sound that he can identify with. While his new-found unconventional sounds might not be as radio-popular as his singles off Take Care, he’s been able to create an album that is popular with Drake fans, and for the music industry, the album name states the truth: nothing is the same.

Image created by Connor Abbott || round table

“Started a label, the album is comin’ September, just wait on it.”

This lyric, part of Drake’s verse in the song “Versace,” amplified the music industry’s already acute hype for his album. Dropping on September 24, Nothing Was The Same is Drake’s follow up album to his highly successful and Grammywinning record, Take Care. The album, which had been building up excitement in the music industry since the release of the hit single, “Started from the Bottom,” in February, was anticipated as being one of the best albums of 2013. With an album that topped the iTunes charts in pre-orders alone, fans of the Toronto-born rapper were clearly excited for the highly anticipated album.

Take Care was criticized for winning a Rap Grammy with an album that many thought was more of an R&B album than a Rap album. Songs like “Marvin’s Room” and “Take Care” were closer to Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange, the

album that won R&B album of the year, than Rick Ross’ God Forgives, I Don’t, which was nominated along with Take Care. So as Drake announced Nothing Was The Same, some were in fact expecting some of the same.

Despite speculation, Drake’s album was quite the opposite of his previous R&B style. With “Started from the Bottom” dropping in February, we got a sneak peak into a very different sounding Drake.

With an almost Kanye West sound to them, tracks like “Worst Behavior,” “Tuscan Leather,”and “All Me” changed many hip-hop fanatics’ view on the Canadian artist, as he displayed his ability to make harder hip-hop music as well as the love songs he was known for. Although fans who liked Drake for his R&B sound were not left disappointed either. Songs like “Too Much” and “Connect” were able to combine the emotions found in previous songs with his new style, while “Hold On, We’re Going Home” completely detracted from the sound of the rest of the album, sounding like

the round table | page 14

school news

Newspaper!

by Stephen Everest ‘15

Have an opinion? Let others hear it!

dressing comic Lucas Chan, the newspaper continues to improve every year.

Writing in this elective is relaxing and mostly without distractions, although Connor Abbott tends to liven up any situation he is present in. The Photo by John Cannell ‘16 || round table writing process is simple: put on some headphones and start Have opinions that you want writing. Sometimes our articles to share? Dream of becoming a include interviews and sometimes journalist one day? Join the round they include graphics (see Lucas table and write whatever your Chan’s “Preppy Clothes” article from heart desires! Contrary to popular last year). However, a few things are belief, this elective is neither boring always the same: quality writing and nor incredibly hard. Featuring entertaining topics. stud writers Connor Abbott and

The moderator of the round Will Paulsen, and led by a preppy

table, Mrs. Lori Saltveit, keeps everyone on task and makes sure that we are using our freedom wisely. This is also the job of the editors, who are usually veteran writers on the staff. However, this year we have also seen a vast amount of quality writing from first-year writers, which is a very positive sign for years to come. Some first-year writers include Evan Brill and Brandon Seltenrich, who have both already written interesting articles early on in their newspaper careers. For example, did you catch Brandon’s preview of MMLP 2? If not, then you should!

So, how can you become a part of this special group? Just talk to Mrs. Saltveit in the computer lab! This experience is both unique and worthwhile, and has even led to some of our writers moving on to become newspaper writers in college.

By joining, you will not only improve as a writer, but also have a blast!

school news

Eye to Eye

by Will Paulsen ‘15

One-on-One mentoring

Photo by George Wisniewski || round table

Eye to Eye is the only national mentoring organization that pairs kids with learning differences and ADHD. Elementary school kids are paired with a college or high school mentor, who have been similarly

labeled with a learning differences.

This organization uses an art based curriculum that helps find new ways of learning and builds selfesteem for the younger kids. Eye to Eye was created by a group of Brown University students who had learning differences or ADHD. They began by sitting down with a group of similarly label students from a elementary school and figured out the best way to mentor them.

After many years of this group working out of an apartment, it finally became an organised and full fledged non-profit organization. Eye to Eye is considered one of the top free mentoring groups in the United States. One of our own students,

George Wisniewski, ‘15 started a new chapter at Stuart Hall.

On Wednesdays on the Broadway campus, Stuart Hall High School and Convent High School Eye to Eye leaders host elementary school students. During this meeting they do art activities to build self-esteem. George has been having a great experience mentoring these kids: “It is very nice to help the children and build their selfconfidence. The kids really enjoy the art projects that we do and it’s a lot of fun.”

the round table | page 15

Fall Highlights

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