The Stampede
The official student newspaper of Bishop McNamara High School | since 1964 | www.stampedenews.org | February 14, 2013
And the Winner is... Barack Obama Jeremie Davis ‘14 Danielle Gibson ‘13 Amanda Wilson ‘13 Staff Writers
The winner of the 2012 Presidential Election was Mr. Barack Obama, who won the race against Governor Mitt Romney. Obama earned 332 electoral votes which beat out Mitt Romney’s 206. Barack Obama ran with vice presidential candidate Joseph Biden, Jr. Obama and the Democratic Party won with a popular vote of 65,899,625 over the Republican Party’s popular vote of 60,928,981.
Map showing origin of possible students. (Megan Ardovini ‘13/STAMPEDE)
Presidential Candidate
Audiences cheer at the mentioning at Obama’s name. (Carolyn Conte ‘14/STAMPEDE)
What Was the 2013 Inauguration like? A Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience Carolyn Conte ‘14 Copy Chief
President Obama’s second inauguration was a seemingly successful (meaning no obvious slip-ups) adventure. Given to accept his second term, Obama primarily highlighted how “we the people” must approach issues such as women’s rights, gay rights, and health care together. The majority of what stood out among visitors about the experience was the setting. Arriving in D.C. the morning of a presidential inauguration can be disorienting. There are large masses of people walking north, and large masses of people walking south. If you are to ask someone, “Is this crowd headed for the parade or the capitol?” half the time you will get an “I dunno” response. Once decided upon which way leads to the actual inauguration, one will notice key elements that distinguished this mob from one hunting for Frankenstein. Sewers echoed the cheers Obama’s soon-to-be audience, while the sounds coming from one’s immediate neighbors quite differed. “I wanna beat the -- out of these people, bro!” or the more calm, “Yahhhhhh. We came up from Georgia last week,” or random nibbles of conversations such as, “Oh please. This isn’t cold! Remember that ghost [snow] storm in Massachusetts?” The next obstacle for a visitor to this event would be the SuperNew-York-Metro-Moment, which I have appropriately named after one person (apparently from New
York) yelled to her buddy, “Come on, Jules, we know how to do this. Thank you, New York metro.” This brief period of about 5 minutes occurred when the crowd that was headed toward the capitol turned a tight curb and decided to snuggle up like arctic penguins, only tighter. If the reader is claustrophobic, the author recommends they avoid these events in the future. After one has escaped the swarm, the scene was one of lost-and-found families; mothers waving to sons and husbands shouting to wives. Finally, guests arrived at their designated location; a scene similar to the annual ball drop. Except, instead of “2013” glasses, almost 800,000 citizens sported mini USA flags. An announcer was inaudibly listing the speakers, and every time he said a name the crowd screamed even louder. “This is my first [inauguration]; I think it’s [the atmosphere] awesome. I’ve been taking in the sights.” Lina Brown said. A Mr. Helmut Walter, who had been to the last inauguration, said, “it was more exciting for this guy, but it’s less stressful because we’re used to the routine.” But for others, this was a very new experience. “It’s really exciting. I think he [Obama] will be a good president. I’m a democrat so, you know, I want to support the party.” Douglas Pugh, a freshman in high school at Gaithersburg said. By the time Obama actually arrived, the crowd actually seemed less pumped. The president kissed his daughter’s cheeks, which
provoked ‘awwws’ and a comments like, “Sasha and Malia got new coats!”. Obama then waved to the crowd and greeted distinguished guests. Chairman Charles E. Schumer opened the ceremony with, “Welcome to the capitol and the celebration of our country’s great democracy.” Next, a Mrs. Evers gave a prayer-like speech, “We come at this time to ask blessedness upon our leaders”, during which a little girl dropped her iPad and froze as if the secret service would attack her if she reached for it. After Biden took his oath without a word to the audience, James Taylor sang the Anthem. One particular stand-byer shouted, “That’s my dog! Only reason I’m here! Ruff Ruff!”, and when the song ended, “Alright let’s get out of here.” Others were also more excited for the performers than Obama. Angela, a California native who traveled to DC just for the inauguration, said, “It’s nice...you know...speeches. I’m just waiting for Beyonce.” Once Obama took his oath, cannons went off and he began his speech with fairly neutral rhetoric about how, “We affirm the promise of our democracy...“What makes us an exception- what makes us America- is our allegiance to [the Constitution]”. He recited the preamble and stated, “They gave to us a republic [founding fathers],” and stressed the need for immediate unity. “We must do these things together as one nation”, he said. A little boy drew Obama’s name in the sand while Obama foreshadowed the modern issues
he wants to tackle, “Our journey is not complete until our wives, mothers and sisters can earn an equal living. Our journey is not complete until our gay citizens are treated equal.” When Obama concludes his delivery, about a fourth of the crowd departs. One of the first to do such was a person waving an italian flag, clad in Cleveland Browns attire, who was debating how long a president should hold office. The rest of the ceremony was less exciting, besides Beyonce’s performance. Many of those who had been on their way out made dramatic 180 degree turns when the announcer informed the capitol that she was now going to sing. The crowd was still revved up over Obama’s talk though. Tricia, a local from DC commented that, ““What I could hear I enjoyed [of Obama’s speech]. Some of it echoed”, but that, “I don’t know if I’ll do it again,” she said. “Obama’s intro and conclusion really tied in well.” “[ W hen he mentioned] Climate change stuck out to me. He’s already making a lot of promises, so climate change surprised me,” said Angela, the visitor from California. What visitors took out from the experience varied completely on why they came in the first place. An American inauguration can be a great place to meet random people, spend a day out, or get inspired about the next 4 years.
Barack Hussein Obama
Willard Mitt Romney
Running Mate
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Paul Davis Ryan
Political Party Affiliation
Democrat Republican Total Number Popular Votes
65.9 million
60.9 million
Percentage Popular Votes
51.02%
47.1%
Electoral Vote
332
206
This election’s ‘battleground’ states were Indiana and North Carolina. Governor Romney won Indiana with a popular vote of 1,412,620 and a 54.3% percentage while President Obama won North Carolina with a popular vote of 1,905,528 and a percentage of 50.8%. Both of their popular votes showed how their outcome could have gone either way
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february 14, 2013 | The Stampede
Letters to the stampede
Election 2012
Students in the Contemporary American Politics course wrote personal responses to the 2012 US Presidential election. Here are three letters selected by teachers of the course and editorial staff of The Stampede.
A Troubled Generation Ana Rogero ‘13
Letter To the Stampede
Four years ago around this time was the 2008 presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain. I was a naive 8th grader who was easily influenced by my parents and peers, so naturally I gravitated towards their candidate, Mr. Obama. I still had a lot to learn about politics, campaigns, and the issues of our country. Luckily, I’ve become a lot more politically aware in the last four years, so during the 2012
presidential election between President Obama and Governor Romney, I was able to pick a side of my own. Although I am still a supporter of President Obama, the election did expose one thing for me that I had not realized before: how truly ignorant my peers are. Social networks during revealed the massive amount of ignorance that lingers in my generation. Not only were some of my peers totally politically unaware, but they were oblivious to how their own government is even run. Frankly, I was appalled by some of the tweets and instagram pictures I saw, bashing both Mitt Romney and President Obama. It was heartbreaking to see the ignorance spread like wildfire and quickly become hatred towards each candidate and
their supporters. Worse were the arguments when one would say “you’re only voting for Obama because he’s black”, or “you’re voting for Romney because, you can’t stand to see a black man in office”. It was comments like this that really made me cringe, because it shows how the racial intolerance during previous years of slavery and segregation still linger and corrupt the youth. This election I strived to learn and understand the policies of each candidate even if I did not necessarily agree with them. Being both hispanic, white, and black, I don’t get hung up on racial biases. Unlike my peers and many adults, I realize that basing candidate choice solely on race is closed minded and fuels the ignorance fire. This election was not a black or white
thing but rather an American thing. We are all Americans. We are all humans.We are all directly affected by each other. Just watching the numbers in the election you could see that it was not limited to blacks or whites. A large number of voters were Hispanic and other ethnic minorities. I wish my peers could understand that President Obama is not only making history that’s important to African Americans. He is paving the way for further change and history to be made in the white house. His presidency is proof that the world is changing and that people’s views are changing. I just hope my generation can be apart of that change. But, you know what they say; ignorance is bliss.
Oh, How I Want To Be In That Number Kimberly Weaver ‘14
Letter to The Stampede
Quick, name a candidate who ran for President of the United States during the 2012 election! If you are like most Americans, you think of Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. Now, think of a less prominent 2012 candidate. A little bit trickier? Does the name Jill Stein ring any bells? Virgil Goode? Rocky Anderson? How about Gary Johnson? What do these four people all have in common, besides their seeming anonymity in our country’s political system? Oh, that’s right... they’re all third party candidates. One of my earliest memories of politics was relatively early in life. In the 2000 Gore
vs. Bush election, I voted for President in preschool. My teacher had us stick papers in buckets to cast a vote. I distinctly remember voting for the donkey, just because elephants were my cousin’s favorite animal. I imagine my classmates voted with similar reasons. Later I learned the elephant and donkey stood for things called political parties, and that there were two: Republican and Democrat. When our third grade class hosted Presidential ballot casting, I switched to Republican because everyone else went Democrat, and I wanted to be different. Somewhere between watching the eighth graders debate as Obama and McCain in 2008 and taking a contemporary politics course to study the Obama vs. Romney election in 2012, I realized that I didn’t fit into the party box. I was drawn to the idea of being an independent. But I was still stuck, especially as November 2012 drew closer, realizing that I could not fully rally behind either of the prominent candidates.
That’s when I took a quiz online, designed to help people find which candidate most fit their views. Coming in at the top of my list with 81% agreement was a man named Gary Johnson. Initially confused at this name, I immediately looked into it. I learned that he, former New Mexico Governor, was the Libertarian candidate in 48 states and, lo and behold, I agreed with his platform far more than either of the major party candidates. Finding Gary Johnson not only led me to discovering my Presidential candidate; it revealed the world of third party voting to me. I discovered Jill Stein from the Green Party, Virgil Goode from the Constitution Party, and Rocky Anderson from the Justice Party. These were parties I had no idea even existed! I started watching third party debates via the Internet, absorbing everything I could about this idea of being “transpartisan,” (acknowledging the importance and incorporating the
viewpoints and ideas of constituents outside of simply Democrat and Republican, but all of America). In the end, Gary Johnson earned 1% of the popular vote. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but he’s the most successful Libertarian in history. His website now proudly declares, “you ARE the 1%.” Libertarians largely accomplished what they set out to do; make their voices heard. If this election season taught me nothing else, it showed me options. I do not have to be molded into bipartisan boxes. Even if third parties turn out not to trend in the future -- though some analysts and statisticians believe they may be -- they certainly seem to be my future. I truly wish I could have been 18 for this election to truly be a part of that 1%, and hope that next time, when I will be able to vote, I can help raise that number even higher.
Six-Hundred Five Years Later: Where’s My Freedom Ethan L. Gaskin ‘13
Letter to the stampede
I don’t like black people. If you didn’t vote for Obama, you don’t like black people. I didn’t vote for Obama, therefore I do not like black people. But this becomes more than simply a dislike. I did not support our first black president in his first term and neither did I this time around in the second election of the century. This is the second time I have gone against Black Jesus. I must be racist, the worst crime a man, or rather a human being, can commit. On November 4, 2008, Barack Hussein Obama II was elected to serve in the White House as the President of the Unites States. This was a wonderfully momentous event in the great span of world history. People
all over the world were ecstatic over the election of the first black president of the world’s greatest superpower. For many of those in the black community, this meant far more than that. This was the elevation of the black man above all else. This was the fulfillment of the prophecy. A surrogate messiah, Barack Obama, has come to lead us back into Egypt! This is the day the black community had so long prayed and hoped for and it had finally come. “Although it seems heaven-sent, we ain’t ready to have a black president.” For the first time, Tupac was actually wrong. Once upon a time, in a little old colony named Jamestown, a large boat carrying supplies and livestock from an exotic, faraway land came ashore. This boat contained the tools necessary to build a nation, a nation destined to be the greatest nation. The beasts of the Motherland originally brought over on this boat would tirelessly work for the next four-hundred years to establish a country where the concept that we now label “The American Dream”, could
be achieved. For four-hundred years they were forced to do these things and in turn mutilate themselves. After four-hundred years, however, they continued to do it, but by choice. I am an African-American male and not too long ago, I was worth an estimated 340 U.S. Dollars. Now I’m worth one vote. Everything I believe in and hold to be true was tested over this past election year. It is only by God’s grace that I can stand today as a living testament to the power, truth, and grace of His Word. I was able to standfast, and mark a new chapter in my testimony. As a result of my following my religious beliefs this presidential election cycle, I was led to support Mitt Romney. My religious beliefs were not the only reason but they are always the first and foremost. My other reasons were more tangible. Edward R. Murrows once said, “A nation of sheep will soon have a government of wolves.” Sheep can be classified as a sort of livestock. We are all sheep but only some of us follow
our shepherd. The rest are led astray to be devoured by the wolves, the very wolves we put into power. I was once worth 340 U.S.D., but in reality, I still am. Three-hundred forty U.S.D. is also the average price of a Planned Parenthood abortion, as if we were foil characters out of Toni Morrison’s Beloved. I guess that’s how much a vote must cost, too. I don’t want to be just a vote, though. I don’t want to be part of the community that is only recognized as a vote because everyone already knows who that group will vote for and the most prominent reason why. I don’t want to be one who acts only on the sense of sight. If voting against a man because of his race is racist, shouldn’t the opposite, voting for a man because of his race, be also? If all I am to you is one additional number in guaranteed statistic on a demographic polling chart, then we are still only three-fifths.
The Stampede | february 14, 2013
News
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UMBC President Hrabowski Speaks at McNamara Dr. Freeman Hrabowski speaks to students and faculty about his life and hard work Jeremie Davis ‘14 Amanda Wilson ‘13
Staff Writer & News Editor
What work can one never finish? An autobiography. Hard work is something that a person must put in if they want to achieve success in their life. It’s that person’s job to write their own life story. This is just what UMBC President Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III came to talk to the students of Bishop McNamara about. Visiting McNamara’s community, Dr. Hrabowski talked to the students about his life, being a hard worker, and how what they do now impacts their future. Called together on January 17, the student body as well as the faculty and staff of Bishop McNamara assembled in the main gym to hear Dr. Hrabowski speak. According to Assistant Principal Mr. Victor Shin, Dr. Hrabowski was invited here to speak to the school community about his part in the Civil Rights Movement and the importance of higher education. “Originally,” according to Mr. Shin, “[Dr. Hrabowski speaking was] organized through Mr. Hunt for the NHS induction ceremony, but there was a conflict. We also wanted to give [him] a bigger audience.” As students walked into the gym, they were not really sure what Dr. Hrabowski was going to discuss. “I was curious about what he was going to talk about, being the President of UMBC, because of the wide
UMBC President Dr. Freeman Hrabowki (Source: UMBC)
“You’re a good community. But you can be better.” — Dr. Freeman Hrabowski
array of topics he could talk about,” Simone Thomas ‘13 said. “You’re a great community,” Dr. Hrabowski told the audience of faculty, staff, and students in the final moments of his speech. “But you can be better.” What did he mean by this? Some people were confused, others lingered on the last word “better.” From this, students took out a positive message of what Dr. Hrabowski was saying, “No matter how good you are, you can always be better,” Cheresse Ray ‘13 said. Before speaking, Dr. Hrabowski was introduced by Sierra Armstrong ‘14 who presented the audience with background information about his life. Beginning his speech, Hrabowski went more into detail about his life as well as discussing his involvement with the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr., and the church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. After hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak at his church as a child, Hrabowski was inspired to be more involved with the Civil Rights Movements. As a young child of 12, Hrabowski was involved in one of the marches for civil rights. Before being allowed to participate he had to receive permission from his apprehensive parents who were scared for his safety after hearing what had happened to other children. After receiving permission, he joined a march with other children from his church. While on the march, he was spit on by the Commissioner
of Public Safety at the time, Bull Connor. After this, Hrabowski and the other children who participated in the march were arrested and put into jail for five days. After being jailed as a young child, Dr. Hrabowski was impacted by another experience: the Birmingham Church Bombing of 1963. Dr. Hrabowski had an emotional tie with the four girls that were killed; it was his sister church that was bombed. Dr. Hrabowski spoke about a ring that one of the girls’ fathers had given her that morning. They found the ring in the girl’s hand, lying on the ground by itself. While Dr. Hrabowski was telling the audience about this event, the atmosphere in the gymnasium went from shocked to even more shocked. “[It was] very emotional,” Aryn Sydnor ‘13 said. Dr. Hrabowski emphasized math and science, while touching on the value of reading and the arts. “[He] saw the interconnection between math and science and the humanities,” Jonathan Hightower ‘13 said. While Dr. Hrabowski’s speech talked a lot about math and science, the overall message was clear: what you do now impacts the future. Ending his speech with a popular saying, he had the students repeat it three times so that they would remember it in the future. “Thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits, habits become character, character becomes your destiny.”
What’s with all the voting signs?
Opinion
McNamara Yard Barraged by Election Propaganda During Elections Carolyn Conte ‘14
T
Copy Chief
hose who voted at McNamara on November 6, 2012 would have found it impossible to cross the jungle of oppressive political signs that was our school’s backyard. According to the National Association of Secretaries of State, “Maryland law prohibits electioneering within 100 feet of the entrance or exit to a polling place on Election Day.” If this law was not broken, it certainly pushed the envelope. It was generous enough that our school volunteered to be a polling location. However, I was unaware that the school offered to sacrifice their lawn for about a bajillion political signs, almost all of which declaring the same aggressive messages. Perhaps this was a secret groundhog mission to deter signs of the contrary position from intruding on their front doors, except that our school grounds don’t have groundhogs. This
The Stampede
Political signs cluttered many lawns all over the country during the election cycle. Some students noticed that McNamara’s lawn was worse than this one in New Orleans. (Wikipedia Commons)
Production Editors
Megan Ardovini ‘13, Managing Editor Carolyn Conte ‘14, Copy Editor Brieanna Bowman ‘16, Design Editor
Section Editors
Carolyn Conte ‘14, Opinion-Editorial Jerica Deck ‘13, Features Andrew Feather ‘13, Sports Amanda Wilson ‘13, News
To Reach Us
was in no way the school’s fault; I know because many of them were demanding voters to pass Question 6 -- which BMHS with its Catholic allegiance would discourage. It would be quite unnerving for someone to disobey the signs, which nearly screamed at constituents to comply with their demands. If that was what “100 feet of the entrance or exit” looked like, then I think the limit should be expanded. Vinita Singla of The Huffington Post noted that in New York, buttons and T-Shirts are included in their law against ‘political campaign paraphernalia’ near polling places, but called the law “obscure” and “seldom-enforced”. Now, asking a voter to take off their Obama T-Shirt or McCain hat is ridiculous and pointless, but I don’t see why we can’t tone down the abrasive posters that come out of polling place lawn’s like the razors of a porcupine. If one would like to express their plea for a bill’s passing, I should ask that they present it clearly, basically
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februarY 14, 2013 | The Stampede
Sports
Introducing Keith Goganious
Former NFL Linebacker and college coach announced as the new head of football program Andrew Feather ‘13 Sports Editor
After reviewing nearly fifty applications and interviewing eight candidates, the administration of Bishop McNamara has hired Keith Goganious in an attempt to change the direction of the Mustangs’ football team. “We are just thrilled to have Keith [Goganious] on as our new coach,” McNamara Athletic Director Anthony Johnson ’88 said when announcing the decision. “We recognize the experience and the true talent that coach Goganious brings to our program and we are just ecstatic to have him here.” “I’m excited about the opportunity,” said Goganious, a five-year NFL veteran who was drafted out of Penn State University and played linebacker with the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens. “[This job] was a good fit for me personally, and I feel that I can help return McNamara football to its former glory.”
Election Inauguration timed with MLK Day
In addition to playing in the NFL, Goganious has coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels. He was an assistant on North Point High School’s football team for three years and has since been a member of Hampton University’s coaching staff. “I have climbed the coaching ladder as an assistant at North Point, and then as an assistant, defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Hampton,” Goganious said. “This job is another step in the right direction for where I want to go in my career. A big part of the job for me was the position as an assistant athletic director. I eventually want to go into the management side of sports after I finish my master’s in sports management, so this was a great fit.” In order to get the football program rolling again, Goganious knows that there needs to be a big effort to recruit the area’s best grassroot players. “We have got to push for kids to come here for visits, see the school, see the
Keith Goganious addresses the football team at his anouncement ceremony. (Andrew Feather ‘13/ STAMPEDE) program and see what clubs and activities there are here,” Goganious said. “We will be hosting camps, coaching clinics, and other things to get players and coaches around the school and show them what McNamara has to offer.” Although the team has six
Michelle Obama dons Jason Wu again, but this time with bangs
Staff Writer
Emily Magruder ‘13 Photo Editor
What did students and teachers think of the coincidence that this year’s presidential inauguration fell on Martin Luther King Junior Day?
“It’s a beautiful thing. I think it’s a bit of a coincidence.” -Dylan Williams ‘13
“I think it’s a coincidence, but it’s a good coincidence, because of how our current president relates to Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.” -Gabrielle Miles ‘14 “I think it gives us a chance to reflect on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, with the f irst African American president being inaugurated for the second time.” -Government and Politics teacher Mr. Michael Pozniak
going to make us work hard, but it will make us better in the end.” In his closing comments of Coach Goganious’s announcement Johnson said, “As we move forward and work on building and rebuilding the program, we are certainly in good hands.”
Commentary & Opinion Obama Family Style Watch
Caylie Martucci ‘14
“Seeing that President Barack Obama asks people to be part of service, and that Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of service, I think it is fitting.” -Government and Politics Teacher Ms. Laura Keller
A.M. workouts three days a week, many of the players are excited about the choice. Quarterback Ramar Williams ‘16 said, “I like him. He obviously knows what he’s doing coaching-wise, and he knows what you have to do to play in college and the NFL. He is
Michelle Obama wore a ruby red Jason Wu gown to celebrate her husband’s re-election at the Inaugural Ball, January 21, 2013 in Washington, D.C. (Source: Whitehouse.gov)
In the chill of January, most people do not think about fashion. However, when you are the family of one of our generation’s most historic people, your life becomes a public runway. The Obamas never disappoint the American public with their outfits, and this year’s inauguration was no exception. Michelle Obama wore a Thom Brown blue and black houndstooth sleek and modern coat. Her dress was also designed by Thom Brown. Her striking black rhinestone belt and tall suede and leather boots were furnished by J. Crew. Taking fashion cues from her mother, the oldest daughter Sasha wore a dark violet coat from
Comic by Caleb Forssell ‘14
J. Crew. She accessorized the coat with turquoise gloves and a plum circle scarf. Malia wore a saturated periwinkle coat with a light purple scarf tucked into her collar and matching gloves. As the sun went down, the real fashion fun began at the Inaugural Ball. In contrast to the romantic, white, floral appliqued, oneshoulder Jason Wu gown worn at the 2009 Inauguration, the First Lady wore a ruby red, halter gown with a dramatic open back also by designer Jason Wu. Her accessories remained simple with a collection of crystal and silver bracelets. However, the real accessory to note was the First Lady’s new “Birthday Bangs”. For her 49th birthday, Michelle
decided to make a dramatic change to her appearance by getting long, straight bangs. President Obama seemed pleased with the change telling the Global Post “I love her bangs... She looks good. She always looks good.” Sean Sweeny ‘13, a member of McNamara’s fashion club, likes Michelle’s new look. “I think they [the bangs] make her look young,” Sean said. As the inauguration glitz and glam is starting to wind down it seems as Michelle’s fashion followers would be disappointed that it’s all over. Fortunately America has four more years of the Obama family wardrobe to anticipate.