SPEED READ NEWS IN BRIEF
FROM THE STAMPEDE
THE FINE Arts department is presenting the annual Christmas Festival. African Dance, Show Choir, Art classes, and more will showcase their hard work to visiting spectators. DAPL PIPELINE Protest does prevail. Protesters gain key victory in the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline drill over the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. “GET WOKE” McNamara is trying to “Get Woke” by fighting from succumbing to racial divisions within our school community. Administration and The Black Cultural Alliance are working hand-in-hand in debunking miscommunications between race relations. Forums like the “Town Hall” meetings and more are held to hold conversations between students and faculty to better our community. AFRICAN AMERICAN Museum Field Trip. Ms.Kirby’s AP Photography, Ms. Keller’s AfricanAmerican Studies, and Mrs. Clark’s U.S. Civil and Human Rights classes are taking a field trip to the new African American History Museum Dec. 14th. WORD OF The Year. The Oxford English Dictionary made the word of the year for 2016 “post-truth.” How will we as students make a difference in a world of post-truth? How will we be the future that restores the meaning of truth. TRACK TEAM. McNamara track members Jalyn Hill, Taylor Grimes, Jaylin Cox, Kevin Byrd, Jeremiah McCain, Gabrielle Rose, Xavier Williams, and Ellion Trotman place first in the nation in their events during the first weekend for December.
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STUDENTS are enrolled in advanced placement classes. FINE ARTS Achievement. Seniors Alanna Imes and Imani Bey made the 2017 Maryland All State Ensemble. Imani Bey was named one of the top Bass Clarinet players in the Senior All State Band. Alana was named first chair viola of the Senior All State Orchestra. Congratulations to Imani and Alanna.
Stampede
OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF BISHOP MCNAMARA HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 1964 — DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE
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www.stampedenews.org @stampedenews
Big Mac is Back
School year starts with significant changes to daily routines By Wesley Bowers ‘17 Editor-in-Chief Bishop McNamara High School is back in action opening its doors on September 1st to start the 2016-2017 school year. With the new year, comes new changes that will significantly affect McNamara’s community. There are new additions that will and have already affected the daily routine of the McNamara student. Changes include new start and end times, extended period between classes, new class courses, and a new look for the 2nd semester. Dr. Robert Van der Waag, principal of Bishop McNamara High school said, “This proved to be a very productive summer. Mcnamara will see a lot of changes in the right direction.” With the productive summer the renovation of Mount Calvary classrooms was amongst said changes. “ I would like to thank Mr. Keithline and the Facility team and also Jim Dillon for all the technology work,” said Van der Waag. The new school day starts at 8:15am and ends at 3:05pm. Victoria Patterson class of ‘17 said, “8:15 is a good change. Being late won’t be a frequent problem like last year.”
While many appreciate the new school start time some do not favor the new change due to the 15 minute shift from last year. Some students had other opinions, such as senior Melayna Harley who said, “I don’t like the 8:15 start time [because] it pushes back the school end time.” Van der Waag said, “the new start time comprehensively made an impact. The arrival time is less hectic and there’s less build up in the parking lot. Also with Mt. Calvary as a drop off spot, it helps distribute the traffic flow.” In addition to the time change, students now have 10 minutes between classes, which is a four minute increase from years prior. Many students say the 10 minutes is very helpful. The halls are not as crowded, and the pressure to run through the halls is not as high, giving an opportunity to have civil hallways and decreased tardiness to class. However, some interviewees said that 10 minutes is too much because their bodies are acclimated to getting to class in five minutes. Now there is a wait when they arrive with the popular comment, “it will take sometime to adjust.” There was a lot of time spent on the
new ideas of how to accommodate the students and teachers to have a better smooth running school year. According to Van der Waag, the 10 minute period between classes was put in action because with the addition of Mt. Calvary students would have to go farther, also it was used to decrease stress levels in the halls rushing from one class to another. He said, “The teachers who may teach back to back classes have prep time, a time to decompress and prepare for their next class.” Another significant change from last year is the hour delay every Thursday that served as meeting time for administration and teachers is no longer in the McNamara schedule. “I miss the hour delay,” said Patterson and Brandon Myrthil ‘17. Van der Waag said the second semester the lunches will be held in the fine arts building. The cafeteria is being totally renovated and modernized being equipped with new seating areas, food stations, lounging areas, and makerspaces for extra classrooms. This design will complete the Andy Mona ‘82 Student Center which will open its doors in the fall of 2017.
Graduation
The senior class take a creative route on their shed design By Jaylen Strong ‘17 Staff Writer The senior class of 2017 has chosen to start early on their rocket powered journey to their dreams. Rockets are not made with brakes or mirrors, they are made to blast off and never worry about the past behind them. They are powered to reach their destination, and make an impact on where they are going. They are doing so with the senior shed (*located right near the football field on campus) and homecoming theme of the Kanye West Graduation album. Seniors have taken inspiration from the colorful album art depiction of the cartoon [Kanye] bear being shot out of a rocket into a colorful sunset. Illustrated on the shed are four bears. The first bear is dressed in Hawaiian garments
to represenht their freshman theme of Lilo and Stitch. Second is a bear dressed in Chinese garments for their sophomore year theme of Chinatown. Third is the bear as a clown to represent their junior year haunted circus theme, and fourth is the graduation bear draped in robe and cap and gown with a rocket attached to his back while shooting for the stars. On the side of the shed in white bold font says “2k17 Made It Look Yeezy,” a play on words on how the senior class will make this their own. The shed is a creative depiction of the culmination of all four years and the fast approaching future. Some seniors shared their positive sentiments of the shed, homecoming and the upcoming year. Senior Davona Johnson said, “I love the shed, it’s different and creative. 2017 is strivCONTINUED ON 2
Jaylen Strong ‘17/STAMPEDE
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THE STAMPEDE • DECEMBER 2016
Features
Senior Elected Youth Mayor of DC
Davona Johnson ‘17 collaborates with city mayor, advocates for local youth
OPINION
Girl Power
By Jabari Ferrell ‘17 Staff Writer
By Kendyl Peoples ‘20 Staff Writer
One of our very own students, Davona Johnson, strived for and now holds the position of the Youth Mayor of Washington, DC. Davona Johnson is a senior here at Bishop McNamara in our graduating Class of 2017. She is involved in many different clubs and activities. She hopes to soon obtain a career in African American Studies. Davona is involved in the Youth Government of the District of the Columbia and she has been part of the program since 2015. The duties of being Youth Mayor of the District of Columbia are to represent the youth of Washington DC. She reaches out to them by doing community services projects and activities around the city, asking them what their concerns are and making an initiative to take action. In order to make things work, Davona has developed a schedule to keep her on task. “I first do all of my school work because education is key,” she said. “And everything else then follows.” She prioritizes and gets things done promptly, and with all her hard work behind it, it is organized and informational. She has meetings every Monday and Tuesday as the youth mayor of DC and very seldom throughout the rest of the week. The only other days that she holds meetings are on the days where she has to speak on behalf of the youth of Washington, DC in front of higher authorities. Davona has a plan in action to get kids in Washington, DC to achieve great success like herself. She works hand and hand with mayor Muriel
ome say being a girl is hard or complicated. Girls go through a lot of struggles in this society. Women get discriminated against. We also get paid less, no matter what occupation we have. In this day and age, women get criticized on what we decide to wear. As a girl, you may be underestimated. All girls are beautiful, but some cannot see how beautiful they are because of the media. Media today shows that there is a specific body type that girls should fit to be beautiful. The media is putting off the idea that if you do not fit the world’s image, they are not good enough. According to Dove’s Self Esteem Project, “studies prove that media can have a negative impact on self image. TV, movies, magazines and the internet all bombard teens with images and pressures about what their bodies should look like. The problem is, their version is not realistic. These images are airbrushed versions of models who weigh 23% less than the average woman.” Girls believe that what they see, is how they should look to be pretty. BMHS counselor, Ashley Mickey says, “If girls really understood their worth, they wouldn’t have low self esteem.” Beauty starts from the inside. Senior Charity Williams stated, “a girl can be beautiful on the outside, but her attitude is what makes her beautiful.” Beauty is not all about looks. As long as you’re a confident in your own skin, you are beautiful. Sometimes girls or women aren’t appreciated or respected enough as they should be. Women bring humans into the world. Women go through so many struggles and some continue to stand strong. Women are powerful. They aren’t meant for just cooking or cleaning. Continuing to underestimate women, will make them even stronger because they want to prove that they deserve respect. “Sometimes girls can put off a confusing vibe,” Mrs. Mickey stated. Ayanna McCarley, freshman, says, “people are so quick to label something as confusing because they don’t understand it.” A girl can say a boy is confusing because they do not completely understand them. Some girls/ women have a tendency to act a certain way, but feel another. Not only females have a habit of that, but boys too. For example, some people may say that they are “ok”, but really there is something that upsetting them. As a woman, you should know your worth. Do not let anyone tell you how you should look or act. How you look and act now, is who you are. Be confident in yourself and love yourself. You are beautiful, no matter how you’re shaped, how you act, what you wear or what you like. Be who you are and learn to love who you are because what you are, is beautiful.
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Davona Johnson ‘17 at right serves as Youth Mayor of Washington D.C. (Courtesy Davona Johnson) Bowser and together they set out to make DC stronger than what it already is today. Her plan is to make changes in the city through not only education, but also more after school programs. Davona would like for education to be equal through every part of the District of Columbia including some students from Bishop McNamara. She feels that it does not matter if the school is private or public, education still should remain equal. Her hope is to bring back the arts into the schools and let them be once again recognized so that children can express themselves differently, and give the youth an exposure to these necessities of expressing themselves
and becoming successful. She also would like to do more outreach in the communities between students and law enforcement. Davona said, “Trust needs to bring back into the communities because at the end of the day all we have is each other.” Davona is a strong, devoted young woman who cares a lot about her city and the people around her community. She has committed to this position and she will do her best to fulfill her duties. Davona says that everything will be done through her strength in God.
Graduation CONTINUED FROM 1
ing and thriving to be on the top.” It truly feels as though this theme is really one that is aimed at the idea of being on top and ascending over trials, tribulations, and doubts. Taylor Marshall said
“I like the transition of the four bears that represent our past and current themes and what better theme to pick for this year than Graduation.” Ashton Reid simply adds, “It’s L’17 (lit).” The senior class seems adamant and ready to be
on top and to be the embodiment of a rocket that can push pass anything to get to where it wants to be. Dreams are as big as you make them and 2017 is trying to make their dreams colossal and achieve them in an even larger way.
Jaylen Strong ‘17/STAMPEDE
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THE STAMPEDE • DECEMBER 2016
Features
College Readiness Noah Whitaker ‘18 Staff Writer Junior year is a tough time for high schoolers. The workload gets grueling, curriculum is getting harder, more papers are on the horizon, and the college application process is looming. There are many questions and fears that need to be addressed so that the juniors have some sense of comfortability heading into their senior year. Getting into college is a big goal at McNamara. But what is the process into getting college? Maceo Campbell, a future D1 college baseball athlete, said that last school year he tried to do the best he could. He must have done something right because he had 7 or 8 offers. He said the counselor and his baseball coach helped him with his college decision. He made his decision based on the atmosphere on the campus, baseball program, and how outstanding the university was when he had visited. Campbell said he had felt comfortable when he was on campus. Campbell knew that the McNamara grading system was hard. “I wanted to get my GPA up some but I felt comfortable. Heading into your senior year you want to be comfortable with a good GPA.”
What specifically stuck with me was hearing what students in Mr. Gloster’s period 4 US History class heard. After your junior year your GPA freezes, said Mr. Gloster. That means you have to stay on your toes with the schoolwork. You want to have a decent GPA heading in your senior year so that colleges will not look away if the GPA isn’t up to standards. What happens if you want to have some extra money in your pocket to pay for college? Scholarships and grants can help you pay for college. You can apply for them by going on the different college’s websites and going on different scholarship websites. Many students in the junior class haven’t talked to their counselor yet but they should concerning this issue. Cameron Boyce said when he talks to the college counselors he will ask how long does it take to pay off my student loans?. Nobody wants to be paying thousands student loans back for college. Many people in the world are paying back college’s money they borrowed. So that’s when scholarships and financial aid comes to help. It is necessarily easier for an athlete because the athletic department offers a lot of scholarships depending on what sport you play. College visits are an impor-
tant part to the college admissions process. Huan Elwood said she has already visited some colleges. She is already looking at different colleges and visiting schools out of state. College visits help you get a better understanding of a college, meet the admissions people, get a feel of the atmosphere at the campus, and those factors can help your decision into choosing if the college is a right fit for you or not. Boyce explained [he] plans on taking college visits over spring and summer break. He has been to college fairs though. College fairs offer you a chance to meet one on one with college admissions people. Both are recommended to get closer and understand whichever college you want to attend. There are fairs in our region that are offered. They usually happen on a school night. They provide a great opportunity for families to learn more about given schools without needing to spend money and time on travel, but they are also a way for students to show demonstrated interest in the various schools. A lot of juniors might be afraid of the next step...college. But if you were to talk to your counselors you could get a better understanding of what to do.
Freshman Experience By Zane Mosby ‘20 Staff Writer With so much information on the do’s and don’ts given to incoming freshmen, it can be hard to figure out what is most important. What should the freshmen class of 2020 to know as they begin their time at BMHS? Mr. Brian Brower, Dean of Programs said that it may seem small, but hanging out in the freshman hallway is a major thing you should not do! People are trying to navigate a congested space in a small amount of time so it is important to be respectful of others and “keep it movin.” When asked what some of the most common mistakes are that students make he said becoming over confident is a major one. “It is important to be confident of course but humility is also important,” he said. In the end he offered the most important piece of advice, “If you need help, just ask! There are plenty of resources available at the school from your teachers, to guidance department to the St. Joseph’s Center. Be sure to ask for help if you need it.” For a student’s perspective, senior Kristen Franklin, class of 2017 was interviewed. Looking back, is there one thing that you wish you had known then that you know now? She said, “the small stuff, and the drama is not important and doesn’t matter. It may seem important at the time but ultimately it is not.” She confided that she would have taken academics more seriously and offered the following advice to underclassmen: “Take a lot of pictures because the time goes by quickly!”
Mac Comes Back
Alumni return to play vital roles in the McNamara community By Jaylen Strong ‘17 Staff Writer A former police officer and a future pro-wrestler are both working alumni here at McNamara and are proving the unofficial theory that Mac indeed comes back! After four long strenuous academic years every student to graduate from McNamara was ready to dart across the stage at the Shrine. As students of McNamara this duo were both filled with anticipation to graduate from their now alma mater and workplace. Mr. Gloster ’96 and Mr. Southworth ’05 are both important members of the admissions office and they also have the pleasure to teach in the History and English department. Gloster and Southworth returned to McNamara in a similar manner. When asked how, they said, “Dr. Clark called…” So if you ever want to return to McNamara as a teacher keep your phone close and Dr. Clark or
Dr. Van der Waag’s numbers in your favorites! The two also acknowledged that a lot has changed in the school since they were students. Gloster said that there are much more students and the Holy Cross identity is more prevalent in the community. Southworth adds that the campus is definitely upgrading and the applicants are increasingly diverse with enrollments from a variety of schools. They also had the time to recollect on some of their favorite memories, the two were both stumped and reminiscent of their old memories that they had to recall. Gloster remembers, “Mr. Turner would throw our books out of the window whenever we were off task and we would have to go get them from outside.” He also talked about how his now department colleague, Mr. Williams was always a great teacher and role model. Southworth spoke of a
Mr. Jeffrey Southworth ‘05 (left) and Mr. Herman Gloster ‘96 (right) draw upon their experience as BMHS students to enhance their work in admissions. (Jaylen Strong ‘17/STAMPEDE) memory of his physics class with Mr. Green. He remembers in physics there were strong industrial magnets for experiments and how a friend of his, David Rohan had a fun experience with the magnets. Southworth said, “David was playing around with the magnets and he gets the magnets stuck in his mouth and we had to get Mr. Green to get it out. The fun times at Mac seem to be lifelong stories that will
never be forgotten because of the connection that they have to the school. Though they are currently employed here there still exist the possibility that they could have landed different careers. When asked if they were not working here where they would be the pair had surprising answers. Gloster said he would most likely still be a police officer. Southworth said that there is a possibility that he would
pursue a WWE pro-wrestling career in the future. Southworth explains his love for the sport and we come to the conclusion that his finishing move would be “Saturday Detention.” Whether they would be fighting crime or other wrestlers with insubordinate behavior, for right now they are here at their alma mater being active in the community and truly giving back to Mac.
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THE STAMPEDE • DECEMBER 2016
Sports
OPINION
Cheerleading is a sport Let’s clear up some misconcpetions about this demanding, competitive team By Noah Whitaker ‘18 Staff Writer
A
(STAMPEDE FILE PHOTO)
common misconception is that cheerleading is easy, but it is in fact a very challenging
sport. BMHS cheerleader Ashley Smith explained, “We honestly train as much as the football team would.” People may not know the hard work and preparation the McNamara cheerleaders put in to make the team and also show off their school spirit. Accoding to Simone Frederick, “cheerleaders do the same type of workouts as any other sport.” Tyler Muniz added, “we work harder or just as hard as a football team or basketball team would because cheerleaders want to overcome the stereotype which is all we do is say ‘go team’ and flip.” The cheerleaders are a hardworking group that trains as hard as another sport. You may not recognize it but they recognize all the hard work they’ve been putting in since earlier this year when tryouts
were held. So before anybody says cheerleading is not a sport, that’s a false statement, cheerleading is a sport. BMHS cheerleaders described their workouts as hectic and according to Kiersten Stokes, ‘DEATH!’ They run suicides, does core exercises, a lot of cardio work and they have to run a mile in the beginning of practice. You might even think that they run for the track team as much as they run. Sierra Sweeney said, “No one really knows how hard it is to actually cheer and it takes a lot of strength, endurance, stamina, and on top of that to cheer you have to actually really want to do it. A lot of my workouts are focused on abs, flexibility, and developing muscles.” To perform at a high level you, “need a lot of stamina to do what we do on the floor,” said Tyler Muniz. All seven McNamara cheerleaders interviewed preferred competitive
cheer to high school cheer. Was it because of the hard cardio work they do majority of the week after school? Simone Frederick said she prefers competitive because it involves more traveling and you are pushed to develop better skills. Tyler Muniz likes “the traveling aspect and I feel there’s more drive in the girls doing competitive cheer.” When watching ESPN sometimes during the summer time they would participate in AAU (travel) cheerleading which is competitive. The competitive cheer looked more of you needed to have a good sense of what you are doing because of all the pyramids and throwing up in the air you had to do. Compared to high school cheer where the team is no very large and less technique is being used. Competitive cheer uses more creative routines than high school cheer. To make the cheerleading team. You need to have good back handsprings and a robust tumbling ability. Back handsprings are really important because Sierra pointed out that you must have a back handspring to make varsity. So why is tumbling important? Sweeney said, the tumbling piece is what makes the performance exciting for the audience. But the tumbling is one of the most important parts in a
A Day in Life of a BMHS Student Athlete How do athletes manage multiple demands upon their time, to excel as both athletes and students? By Ian Lynch Staff Writer A student Athlete faces many challenging factors in their typical day. Athletes must know how to prioritize.
Athletes need to make sure you have time for just about everything, but school must come first. Student athletes have long days and may have trouble with being focused in school due to lack of sleep. Student athletes have to stay up later than the average student who do not play sports to get their homework done after practice. McNamara’s baseball star Nick Washington ’17 says, “You are gonna have long days feeling tired but you have to overcome the diversity and get the work done.” Student athletes have to constantly think about
the future rather than the present. and in the day-today cycle they have to give 100% in everything they do. McNamara’s basketball star Charles Kelly says, “Every day is a new day with a new mindset of being great. You have to tell yourself that it is mind over matter giving 120% in the classroom and on the court.” Student athletes may face troubled times in the classroom from giving their all in their sport. You may come across people falling asleep, but that is merely because of the lack of rest they got from the day before.
performance. Kiersten expressed, tumbling gives a ooh & aah to the performance. So what else were the requirements or process to making the cheerleading team? Kiersten Stokes said, “you also had to have some sort of memorizations to do the cheer and dance.” Veteran Charle Robinson said, “some of the requirements were your ability to do a variety of jumps, tumbling, memorization of cheers and choreographed dances.” Lastly you need a mental edge added to make the team. Tyler Muniz pointed out, “workouts are very intense, not a lot of people are strong enough mentally or physically to do what most cheerleaders do in workouts.” That is a key factor into making the team and not being able to make the team. The McNamara cheerleaders have the full basketball season left. They have been working hard and they have high expectations. Kala Washington pointed out that she would like to go to cheer events with this team. Stokes said confidently, “this team has a lot of potential.” The cheerleaders have high expectations for themselves and the team as a whole. It is time to take notice of the great things the cheerleaders are doing.
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STAFF: Wesley Bowers (editor-in-chief ), Jabari Ferrell, Ian Lynch, Kendyl Peoples, Zane Mosby, Jaylen Strong, Noah Whitaker ___ Dr. Katie White, faculty adviser
SUBMISSIONS: We welcome your feedback and will publish letters and commentary on issues that matter to our readers. Include name and year of graduation. We reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, or deny publication on the basis of editorial standards. POLICY: The Stampede is created by students in the journalism classes of Bishop McNamara High School. Signed columns represent only the opinions of their authors, not the school or its officials. Editorials are authored through a group process. All content is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without written permission of the president/CEO of Bishop McNamara High School. DISTRIBUTION: Print issues are provided free on campus to students, faculty and staff. Back issues are available online at www.issuu.com/stampedenews. EMAIL THE STAFF: stampedenews@bmhs.org