McNamara by the Numbers
700 Applicants averaged per year
270
Average number of drinks in a vending machine
140
Calories per 16 BMac fries
8
Average shoe size of McNamara students
100
% Graduation rate
50 50+ 42
Years existing
Clubs
% of students do their homework with distractions
20
Athletic Programs
9 2.18 Bands
Number of siblings average McNamara student has
SPEED READ News in Brief
from The Stampede A blood drive will come to McNamara April 2, a Wednesday with schedule block Gold B. Sign ups need to bring their license or parent’s permission. A local play inspired by authentic events of workers exposed to radium poisoning in 1926, the comedy/ drama Radium Girls was presented by Bishop McNamara. The show opened Friday, March 14. Russian lawmakers finalized the annexation of Crimea a day after the European Union and United States declared sanctions, which are punishments such as banned travel and communication, upon selected individuals in Russian power. Meanwhile, Ukraine has signed a trade pact with the European Union, which had previously been the cause that Ukrainian President Yanukovych was ousted, as he chose relations with Russia instead of this pact. Dance to Life will show performances of Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary, Tap, Hip-Hop, Afro Jazz, and Jazz dance. There will also be featured work from guest choreographers and even original dances by students in the Honors Dance Program. The show will open Friday March 28 at 7:00, and will also be presented on the following Saturday. Good news for those who listen to loud music and make themselves deaf: a recent study proved that supporting cells in the ear can turn into hair cells in newborn mice. This could potentially lead to new ways to stimulate cell replacement for people whose hearing is damaged from ear-hair loss. Alfred Bannister ‘14 broke the Maryland state record in wrestling with his 250th win on Saturday, January 25. His achievement was celebrated with the school at his next home-match victory, Tuesday January 26. McNamara was voted in the Gazette-Star into Prince George’s “Best of.” The 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi, Russia, ended February 23. CBS News’ Mark Phillips called these the most controversial, unlikely, and expensive Olympics. The events allowed Russia to present improvements, but controversies about officials pocketing event funding money, corrupt judging in figure skating, and their antigay law marked coverage abroad. Sankofa will present “Maafa” opening Thursday April 10th, and closing on Sunday April 13th. The public may purchase tickets at bmhs.org.
Stampede
official student newspaper | Bishop McNamara High School | since 1964 | march 27, 2014
The
www.stampedenews.org @stampedenews
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Opinion p. 2 | Academics p. 3 | Health p. 4 Photos p. 5 | School p. 6 | Student Life p. 7 Extra: Homework Poll p. 8
McNamara Seeks Reaccreditation School Reviewed by Visiting Team from Middle States Carolyn Conte ‘14 Editor in Chief Bishop McNamara has chosen to participate in the Middle States’ accred itat ion process through February 18 -21. The Middle States Association Commision on Elementary and Secondary Schools is a non-profit organization that accredits schools. It does not rank or compare, but it decides whether a school fulfills its stated goals and mission. The group of five volunteer visitors observed and evaluated the school, sitting in on classes, and interviewing students. Chairman Brother Patrick explained, “We observe the school and submit a report the Middle States Association, and make our document, and then Middle States extends the school’s accreditation.” After just a couple of days of viewing the school, he and the visiting members agreed that “It’s been a very welcoming and hospitable place, very articulate students -- vibrant students! -- and also the administration and faculty, they were
Vice Principal Ms. Mindi Imes-Duclos works diligently to accomplish the goals Middle States Accreditation Committee will evaluate for soon (Carolyn Conte ‘14 / Stampede). very enthusiastic.” McNamara has been approved each time it has participated in the accreditation previously, and it is expected to pass again this year. Besides deciding whether McNamara lives up to its mission statement, they will review “If we’ve addressed anything raised by the survey last year, or have any plans of action,” explained Vice Principal Ms. Mindi Imes de Duclos. Regarding the mission statement, the
school has asked students to be able to have it memorized to repeat off hand, in light of the upcoming event. The group is non-profit and peer-based, so it is not related to the Archdiocese of Washington or the state or local governments. The visitors were members of the regional Middle States, who evaluate schools in the MidAtlantic. Their parent agency, MSA- CES S, states on its website that “Historically, MSA-
CESS has operated in the mid-Atlantic region (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia); with its cooperative partners, it has expanded its scope to include schools and institutions seeking accreditation throughout the United States. The Commissions also award accreditation to member institutions in more than 85 countries around the world.” This large organization adds important legitimacy to the school. Mr. Victor Shin, Associate Principal and Dean of Programs, explained that it takes multiple steps. “First we do a self-study, which we completed last year. Now the validation team comes in.” The accreditation is redone every eight years, so this is just a check-up. However, if something were amiss, “Our school would have to have some serious overhauls.” The school will receive the evaluation results at the end of the week during which the visit occurs.
Busy with Homework, More
Recent Stampede poll shows how students affected by homework Caylie Martucci ‘14 Photo Editor A recent poll by The S t a mp e d e r ep or te d that McNamara students spend more time on homework than the average US student. According to National Center For Education Statistics, the average American student spends about six and a half hours a week on homework. In comparison, McNamara students who took the poll reported an average of at least ten hours per week on homework. The poll revels student at McNamara range from spending between ten to fifteen hours a week. This may not seem like a
lot, but you also have to take into consideration the amount of time they spend on extracurricular activities. Many students take part in four or more activities a week and dedicate much of their time to these activities. Students more often than not stay up very late up at night completing homework assignments. Some students think that they don’t have enough time to work on their assignments and activities and still get adequate amount of sleep at night. Others feel that they have the time, but a lot of it is just “busy” work to boost their grade, rather than it CONTINUED ON 8
ACTIVITIES PER WEEK 10%
25% 19%
None 1 2 3 4 or more
18% 28% In a poll of over 200 students, The Stampede found that a quarter of the study body participates in four or more activities per week. (Caylie Martucci ‘14/STAMPEDE).
More poll results on page 8
2
The Stampede • march 27, 2014
Opinion
High School is Not About Some Plaque
Focus on Recognition Overlooks What Education Tries to Teach Students Tom Page ‘14 Op-Ed
I
n the passageway between the Main Building and Holy Cross Hall there sits a couple of plaques and trophies. They have titles such as “Man of the Year” or “WCAC Champions.” Some of them are faded while others have the glow of being the most recent name added. Two numbers sit beside each
Don’t Can the Mac
Do staged photographs capture what’s great about McNamara? Clarissa Corey-Bey ‘14 Op-Ed
E
very few months or so, there’s a shiny new edition of some publication from McNamara lying on my counter top. My parents flick through it, reading quotes from the articles, pointing out faces of students that they know, but they don’t see the “canned” McNamara that I see. “Who sits and watches a game in full uniform with blazer?”, “Do you even play violin?” and the classic, “On a scale of one to ten, how happy did you actually feel right there?” are some of the questions I ask myself as I look through the pages. The last edition of the semi-
the
Stampede
Bishop McNamara High School 6800 Marlboro Pike Forestville, MD 20747 (301) 735-8401 | www.bmhs.org
stampedenews.org Twitter @stampedenews
of these inscriptions. While every student receives their name on paper in late May at the Basilica, only a few receive it in bronze. While the shimmer of bronze is appealing to the eye, this is not the point of education. Instead of making an award at the end the ultimate goal, students should focus on what their education is trying to teach them. Yes, recognizing students who have gone over-and-above at the end of the year is important.
However, there are 200 or so others who are just as deserving of recognition for their achievements but are left unrecognized, often because of small differences. High school is a time for the well-rounded individual to grow. Students should try to use this time to figure out who they are and what they enjoy doing. This process involves the whole spectrum of failures and successes. Sometimes a test grade comes back as a 12 percent, and in other moments a teacher points out an individual for acing an assignment. Students should not let the low or high moments define their view of education. All of these experiences let the person grow and better understand how to deal with all of the possible situations that life throws at people. Life is one of the most chaotic forces out there and and having a The plaques that hang good attitude towards it is between the Main Building vital. and Holy Cross Hall feature The important thing to the awards Man of the Year take from the four years and Woman of the Year. They during high school is not are updated each May when whether a person is remembered by one thing, but for another person is awarded. how he or she has taken (Tom Page ‘14/Stampede) advantage of that time.
What’s with all the Hype?
The pressure our peers and family members place on us makes the college process even more stressful Madison Hunt ‘14 Op-Ed
C
ollege is an unavoidable topic for seniors awaiting graduation. “Where are you going? Have you figured it all out yet? Have you gotten your acceptance letter yet?” As if we don’t have enough pressure on our plate already, these questions are persistently thrown at seniors to keeping them on edge. Seniors can feel like the college process is a necessity to getting out of high school, but there is a limit to how much stress a teenager can undergo. According to the American Psychological Association, “nearly half of all teens — 45 percent — said they were stressed by school pressures.” There is already the struggle of getting an application in on time and then patiently waiting for the college’s decision. After a year of this being the biggest thing on seniors’ minds, we find ourselves wondering when or if it will stop. Seniors never seem to catch a break when it comes to college. It’s always the main conversation or topic being discussed in and out of school. We can’t talk about anything else besides
college. The importance of higher education can be bloated when students are constantly asked, “Where did you apply? Have you heard back yet? Where are you going?” These conversations create an expectation of being accepted into college, and more stress when you don’t. There are many options after high school, such as work that aren’t considered. College should not be everything. There are social justice causes to address, social lives to enjoy, and academics to maintain. When seniors can’t avoid the topic of ‘college’, they may find themselves overwhelmed. Here are some things I would like to talk about rather than the same old thing: “What about the people who are dying everyday or the car crash on 495, and do we have a test tomorrow?” When the conversations about college have waned, there are still other reminders. It can be painful to walk down the hallway and see five acceptance letters, when you may not have any. This idea to show off your acceptance letters is a great, but it may come at the cost of another senior’s feelings. There aren’t words to describe how I felt, before I received acceptance letters, when the person next to me had a locker half full with letters and mine was still blank. I had people ask me, “Why is her’s so full, and yours so empty?” I think every senior would be relieved to just stop thinking about college for once.
“There are social justice causes to address, social lives to enjoy, and academics to maintain.”
annual report didn’t make it entirely apparent that sitting on the steps of the Alumni Building isn’t an everyday “thing” that people just do. I also need it to be clear that MORE THAN SEVEN students actually go here. Mostly I ask myself why is this necessary? Mr. Robert Feasley, Director of Communications, pointed out that quality control is a huge factor when printing large cover photos and staging photographs is the most effective way to address the issue. In an email, he said that “as part of advancement we do not try to advance the names of [individual students].” Rather, he said, the goal is “to raise awareness of Bishop McNamara in the general community” and distinguish the school by showing how Bishop McNamara “is a diverse school in which students can achieve...through sports, music, academics, or a combination of all.” This school is 100% diverse. So many students are always at school doing things that are interesting, and highlighting the uniqueness of this community. I believe that the greatest ad-
vertisement for our community is the story of each and every student here, doing incredible things in this community and beyond! Some of my favorite photographs of this school are the ones when no one is looking at the camera, but fully immersed in their experience. Photos that capture the joy shared at the sign of peace at mass or the tangible energy of the pep rally, even the simple pride on a graduate’s face as they cross the stage as a student for the last time. Maybe create a collage of photos for the cover if no single photos are of a quality to create a suitable cover. Maybe find other objects that capture the McNamara essence for and use smaller live-time pictures throughout the pages. We have to find better ways to capture what our community is truly about because posed pictures of students poorly capture the spirit and the vibrancy of our community. Because if you want to show someone the real McNamara, canned Mac simply won’t do.
Carolyn Conte, editor-in-chief Brieanna Bowman, design editor Caleb Forssell, web editor Caylie Martucci, photo editor Bradley Credit, page editor Jeremie Davis, page editor Maia Ennis, page editor Jessica Ricks, page editor Thomas Page, copy editor Mr. Charles Shryock IV, teacher
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.
“nearly half of all teens — 45 percent said they were stressed by school pressures.”
Email the Staff: stampedenews@bmhs.org. Email the Faculty Moderator: charles.shryock@bmhs.org.
3
The Stampede • March 27, 2014
Academics Break Time Is Over Students Are Not the Only How does a long break affect a stuOnes with Homework dent’s return to the classroom? Brad Credit ‘15 Editor All good things must come to an end. These words never seem to ring more true than when speaking of the conclusion of a break from school. For many students, the returning grind of school is not well welcomed. “Sometimes I don’t want to come back but I know I have to,” said Kevin Fuller ‘17 of his attitude upon returning from break. For some of the student population, returning to the classroom after a long break involves more than just a lack of desire to do homework. Some students experience forgetfulness, finding themselves troubled with remembering lessons taught before departing for a twelve day break such as Christmas vacation. “Christmas break, I forget a lot,” said Justin McNeil ‘15 of the memory loss after such a long break, indicating that many, if not most, of the McNamara student population suffers from some sort of lapse in memory. Prior to a long break, such as the two week winter hiatus midway through the school year, it is not uncommon for teachers to mention wanting to cram in extra tests and quizzes before the break so students do not forget all of the material learned. This often results in an incredibly stressful time period for both student and teacher, as the increase in workloads and the need to prepare for things such as midterms.
However, much of the need to wedge extra assignments prior to a break is as a direct result of where the class is in consideration of the teacher’s course schedule. “[Work before a break] is dependant upon where I am at the year… teachers are never at the same place at the same time,” social studies teacher Mr. Geoffrey Molchan said about the teacher’s agenda. “But normally for long breaks I have to insure that students sort of keep up with their work so they don’t get comfortable,” he said. Teachers, therefore, often give tests and quizzes in before a long break because they recognize a student’s vulnerability to something of a “long break amnesia.” There have been a few conducted studies, such as a 1996 meta-analysis by Cooper, Nye, Charlton, Lyndsay, and Greathouse, that have affirmed that over the three months of summer break, students are susceptible to forgetting a substantial amount of information obtained over the previous school year, an occurrence dubbed as “summer learning loss.” This forgetfulness should not be solely associated with summer vacation, as while there may not be as much memory loss over the course of approximately two weeks in comparison to as many months, it is still clear to note that students will forget some of what they learned unless presented with a small assignment that prevents such forgetfulness.
Teachers have a workload that is comparable to students Thomas Leonard ‘15 Staff Writer A recent poll conducted by the Stampede determined that 72 percent of McNamara students spend two to four hours a night working on homework. However, students are not the only ones who have to spend their valuable time at home doing work. Teachers also have to sacrifice their free time in order to complete work for school. When history teacher Mr. Geoffrey Molchan was asked how much time he spent on homework, he responded , “ Too much.” He then went on to say that he usually has to do at least one hour of grading papers per night. However, there are times during the school year when the level of work he has to do causes him to be, “Really stressed out.” This is not an uncommon problem for many students who can become very burdened by the amount of work they have to do. One student who experiences the pressure provided by homework is Jordan Wilson ‘15. She says that homework causes her to be, “Extremely stressed out.” She even has to go as far as to skip lacrosse practice and pep band in order to complete work. Another member of the McNamara community who has to do multiple hours of
work for school every night is English teacher Mr. Ryan Meczkowski. On average, he states that he has to do two or three hours per night, which is close to the average amount of hours that a student spends working on homework. This is one of the many factors that makes a career in teaching more difficult than many other careers. For most people, their work days end when their office or business closes. However, teachers often stay at school long after the final bell helping students
o’clock. Teachers also have to refrain from enjoying themselves in order to complete schoolwork. Some of the activities that teachers would rather be doing included exercising, reading, watching movies, or simply doing nothing. In this respect, teachers are very similar to students in the fact that they have to resist doing their favorite activities because they have work to do. In some respects, teachers have to do more work than students. Most students have time to relax on the weekends, but when Mr. Molchan was asked how much time he has to relax, he responded by saying, “During the school year, I do not have time for personal enjoyment unless it’s a holiday.” This is one small example of the stress that teachers have to endure in their career. This level of stress and the cumulative amount of time spent working makes teaching one of the most difficult careers. Although some students often feel anger at teachers because they feel like they receive an excessive amount of work, they can take some consolation in the fact that the teacher who gave them the work often has to do more work than they do in order to help that student learn.
“Extremely stressed out.” Jordan Wilson ‘15 with problems or moderating clubs. Then, when they finally get home, they often have to spend hours grading assignments. Another major complaint of students is that homework prevents them from participating in their various leisure activities and hobbies. This work weighs especially heavy on students who have to participate in extracurricular or athletic activities. One such student is Justin McNeil ‘15 who says that he usually gets home around eight or nine o’clock at night. He says that when he gets home, his routine is, “Eat, shower, homework, sleep... that’s it.” Even with this lack of recreational time, he still goes to sleep at twelve or one
Tierra Jolly Joins Faculty, Replacing Holloman Jordan Wells ‘15 Staff Writer As most of the school has realized by now, beloved social studies teacher and resident DJ Mr. Darrell Holloman has moved to Micronesia. What most people have yet to realize is who the new teacher that took over his classes is. Ms.Tierra Jolly ‘00 is the teacher who picked up where Mr. Holloman left off. In replacing such a popular teacher, Ms. Jolly said she feels pressure. She admits that there has been tension between her and the students, but Mr. Holloman her friend since they went here has been a great resource via Skype. Despite this tension, she feels her students in her three freshman government classes and three junior US history classes are “handling it like
troopers” and “rising to the occasion.” She realizes that she comes into these classes halfway through the year with a completely different teaching style, and is trying to work with them to transition smoothly. Ms. Jolly is currently working on her PhD in civil rights in DC. Before working here, Ms. Jolly taught two years at a high school in New Orleans and one year at a middle school in DC, but she always felt a “tugging at [her] heart” to teach at McNamara. Coming from teaching at public school, the transition to private education has been “so weird… I taught at schools that had huge problems with violence and illiteracy.” At McNamara though, the students are made to feel safe, smart, and valuable. She appreciates how there are no fights, the technology
works, students have books, theft isn’t a constant worry, and kids pray and say “thank you.” As far as her working with her former teachers, Ms. Jolly said it is weird, and the weirdest part is teaching their children, as well as those of her former classmates. Also, she said that some of her favorite teachers, like Mr. Matthew Goyette and Mrs. Saideh Khalili, are now her favorite co-workers. She also cites former McNamara staff members Mr. Vincent Herman and Mr. Alfred Odierno as favorites, and her goal is to be a teacher like them. Ms. Jolly loves her job. She believes the students are “so fortunate to go to a school like McNamara” and regrets that not everyone has that opportunity. She hopes to teach here for a long time, saying she loves the culture
Ms. Tierra Jolly ‘00 answers a question about a recent test in her 8th pd. government class. (Jordan Wells ‘15/ Stampede) at McNamara. She says her time at McNamara has been a positive experience, and “[as
a teacher here] you’re allowed to change kids’ lives.”
4
The Stampede • March 27, 2014
Health
Coffee: More than Forever, it’s 5eva In Praise of Inside Effects of Coffee on Its Fans and Addicts Jeremie Davis ‘14 Editor “Where would we be? Without thee O’ Coffee?” Well, for one thing, we would not be standing in line waiting for our Mocha Frappuccino because we had stayed up all night procrastinating into the wee hours of the morning. We certainly would be pimpled-out from drinking Pepsi and Mountain Dew all the time, and that’s not going to be pretty on picture day. But we don’t have to worry about all those first world
problems, because we do have coffee -- and lots of it. According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Americans as a whole consume 300 milligrams of coffee per day. As you can guess, with this significant amount of consumption, America is the leading consumer of coffee in the world. I’m pretty sure you’re probably wondering now, “When did we get introduced to this addicting drink?” Some people think it all began with the legend of Kaldi (a goat), who was given a drink with berries and started noticing that it kept him alert during Prayer. Fast-forward a few years, and coffee didn’t become popular until 1773 in the New World after the Boston Tea Party, where it’s been “grinding ” happiness in a cup ever since then. For example, some people
believe that George Washington was the first person to invent instant coffee, while he was staying in Guatemala. Even though we love and adore coffee, and probably would worship the ground it walks on, we have to talk about all the pros and cons (Source: Wikipedia) that come with this “Cup of Joe”. by the New York Times went Studies done at Seoul Na- further on to study that if one tional University show that drinks coffee before working even just the quick smell of out, it increases their athletic coffee can cause someone to performance. Should we should feel less stressed (I myself can inform our athletic trainers attest to that). Studies done about this new method?
Now on to the cons of coffee: it can also be our biggest enemy when it comes to *cue scary music*... our weight. An article on Livestrong.com shows that when one consumes too much coffee it can increase coristol levels and cause an increase of weight around your waist. It also revealed that too much coffee can also cause Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. According to News.Yahoo.com, coffee has been shown to slow down development of the brain in the teen years, because it’s preventing sleep at an age when sleep is important. America altogether has a love hate relationship with coffee. We love to drink it, but hate the negative that comes from it. “Coffee, O’ Coffee! How we will always need thee.”
Ruby Woo, Rebel, Heroine, Diva What Makes MAC Lipsticks so Popular? Amber Smith ’15 Staff Writer Candy Yum Yum, Instigator, and Viva Glam. What makes these MAC brand lipsticks much more coveted than other major brands such as Covergirl or Maybelline? What about MAC products makes it so desirable to young teenagers today? There’s always that popular color that is new and exciting at the heat of the moment. A lot of people can instantly recognize this color on someone’s lips. This month
Vibrant Mac colors (fashionandhappify.info) its this color, last month it was that color. MAC brand lipsticks
prides itself on premiering brand new lipstick colors every month which is one of reasons why its so sought out by many people. MAC sells hundreds of lipsticks and each one has an exciting, creative name of its own. The notorious black oval shaped container that each lipstick is sold in is easily one of the most recognizable among women today. This widespread trend is not only prevalent outside of McNamara but inside of the school, too. The young ladies at BMHS have started a trend in wearing dif-
Pressure to be Committed
Social media pressuring individuals to be in a relationship Yemi Endale ‘15 Staff Writer A recent trending topic on Twitter, #thiscouldbeusbutyouplayin, in addition to the time period referred to as “Cuffing Season” illustrates the recent pressure among teens to be in a relationship. Recently on Twitter people have been posting funny pictures or pictures of their favorite couples under hashtags such as #thiscouldbeusbutyouplayin and #relationshipgoals. “Cuffing Season” is a time period where teens are encouraged by their peers to seek relationships, mainly to occupy the seasons of winter and fall. “I understand why some just want to have fun during summer and not be tied up in a relationship, but I don’t think it makes sense to wait for a season to decide your mature enough for a relation-
ship,” said Simone Murphy ‘15. One of the key things we are taught in life is how to form relationships with others and the necessary social skills we need to maintain and keep these relationships healthy. Relationships can affect the mental and physical health as well as play a key part in one’s stress level. Trends within social media should not be able to dictate such significant aspects of life. Fawning over pictures and long text messages between online and celebrity couples has become an increasingly popular pastime.This influences teens to seek relationships purely to take cute pictures that will get a lot of attention online, or to be someone’s choice for “women crush wednesday” or “man crush monday.” Being someone’s WCW or MCM means the individual chosen is
admired by another in some way. “People are always Tweeting about how they’re never anyone’s WCW or MCM and how they’re #teamforeveralone. It messes with people’s self-esteem” says Fatima Jackson ‘15. The pressure to get “cuffed” influences teens to get involved in relationships for the wrong reasons which lead them to be caught in unhealthy situations. The pressure to be chosen as someone’s WCW or MCM influences teens to stress over their appearance and the attention they receive from their peers. The ultimate solution to such pressure is too simply look at the positive things, cherish time, and realize that our day where we find our “Bae” (boy/girlfriend) [define] will come.
ferent shades of lipsticks with their uniforms to add a pop of color and portray their individuality. Not all these colors are made by MAC, but most of their colors have become popular among Mcnamara students. “The high quality of MAC lasts longer on your lips than other brands and they come out with new colors every month,” said Jordan Bobo ’16. Kennedy Howard ‘14 said, “Celebrities wear it, specifically one of my favorite celebs Taylor Swift who made me
DIY Nails for Spring Easy, cute nail designs perfect for Springtime
Jeanelle Foster ‘15 Staff Writer
Feathery Design Step 1: Paint two coats of bright nail polish on your nails. Step 2: Using a thin stripe nail brush, paint a thin line of black polish. Step 3: Use the same thin brush to add thin stripes along the line to imitate a feathery pattern
want to get that same MAC red lipstick that she wears daily.” Bijon Lane ‘14 simply answered in two words, “The hype.” Some popular colors that are loved by Jaidlin Hill ’14 and probably many others at Mcnamara are Ruby Woo, Rebel, Media, and Diva. Whether it’s the popularity, quality, or “brand name hype”, that makes MAC brand lipsticks so popular amongst some individuals, nonetheless it’s viable to all walks of life including celebrities, students, and adult women.
Floral Print Step 1: Paint two coats of black nail polish onto your nails. Step 2: Use a light pink color and lightly paint three circular dots onto your nails. Step 3: Use a thin stripe brush to paint tiny red or purple circles within the dot, then use the same brush to paint green lines to imitate the leaves.
Glitter Gradient Step 1: Paint your nails with two coats of your favorite polish shade. Step 2: Using glitter nail polish, concentrate the most glitter at the tip of your nails while dragging the excess glitter slowly down the rest of your nail. Step 3: Finish the look off by painting a thin layer of shimmer onto your nails to emphasize the gradience.
5
The Stampede • March 27, 2014
Culture Heads up!
ZOOM
LEFT
The object of the game is to give the person with the phone placed in front of their forehead (Xzavier Rowell-Brown ‘16) clues so that they can guess the word on the screen. Jeremy Diehlmann ‘15, Jesse Springfield ‘15, and Daisean Foster ‘15 use sounds, movement, and similar words to help Xzavier guess the movie title displayed.
on McNamara
Photojournalism featuring life at BMHS Job Fair
BELOW Ms. Rosemary Pezzuto helps students apply for jobs at the job fair on Wednesday, March 12 2014 (Carolyn Conte ‘14/ Stampede).
Players holding the phone (Jeremy Deihlmann ‘15) tilt the phone up when they guess correctly before the time runs out. You can also tilt the phone down to skip a slide. There is no limit to how many people can play, Jesse Springfield ‘15, Xzavier Rowell-brown ‘16, and Robert Feather ‘15 had many students come up and join them during their game. This game has 4.5 stars in the app store and has appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’ show on television. (Maia Ennis ‘14/Stampede)
Cool artsy caption thing
ABOVE Jordan Malone ‘15 watches as Breanna Raymond ‘15 destroys a mandala, a Buddhist form of art, that she created in theology class. (Breana Ross ‘15/Staff Writer)
Drugs Be Gone!
More and more states are legalizing marijuana Kayla Preston ‘17 Op-Ed
C
oming soon to Maryland, after its introduction in Colorado, California, and Washington, marijuana will be sold like alcohol
is now, in convenient sizes for a set price at locations such as liquor stores, according to CNN. Marijuana legalized in these states is to be used for medicinal and recreational purposes, but is this a good idea? Marijuana should not be legalized fully in Maryland, nor made easily accessible. The drug’s use is limited in Maryland due to the possibility that it may be used for other purposes than than it was legalized for. I am against marijuana because this drug can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle which leads to unhealthy people and eventually leads to an unhealthy society. Even though I support improvements in our medical world, this drug
Radium Girls on the Line
ABOVE Rachel Leader ‘15, Kara Gavin ‘16, and Jordan Wells ‘15 as Radium Girls during dress rehearsal of the play (Jessica Ricks ‘14/The Stampede)
is highly dangerous and this change may increase addiction to the medicine (and drug) itself. Marijuana is dangerous. Like columnist David Brooks of The New York Times (“Weed: Been There, Done That,” 2 Jan. 2014) wrote, I am convinced that marijuana is “addictive in about one in six teenagers; that smoking and driving is a good way to get yourself killed; that young people who smoke go on to suffer I.Q. loss and perform worse on other cognitive tests.” Brooks’ opinion and many others believe in the possibility of good from marijuana but also the risks it may cause. Marijuana is a gateway drug to others more addicting than itself
such as cocaine and heroine. Making it available for medicinal purposes increases the likelihood to be used recreationally.This is the fear of those states who have yet to legalize the drug. Although it can and will be used for medicines, it will most likely be used for pleasure and could lead to dangerous situations. Marijuana’s use can benefit the world in many ways, but these ways are overlooked by the dangers it can also cause. It is best not to legalize marijuana because the chances are that while it will be used for medicinal purposes it could also put lives in danger in more ways than are imaginable.
6
The Stampede • March 27, 2014
School
Musicians Test Talent, Perseverance, Confidence Auditions for WAMTC Honor Band Held Jessica Ricks ‘14 Editor The pressure was on as 30 McNamara students brought all of their talent and took on the honor of auditioning for the Washington Archdiocese Music Teacher’s Council. The WAMTC is an organization that includes Catholic high schools of the Archdiocese of Washington, including Bishop McNamara, DeMatha, Elizabeth Seton, St. VIncent Pallotti, Good Counsel, St. John’s, St. Mary’s Ryken, Archbishop Carroll, and Holy Cross Academy. Music teachers from WAMTC schools send students
who excel in their music to the audition. Students nominated by Mr. Anthony Conto, director of fine arts and band and orchestra teacher, received audition music around Thanksgiving to give them several months to prepare for the audition. They practiced and prepared their music on their own. On January 11th, prospective musicians went to DeMatha High School where auditions were held. They auditioned in front of judges of other schools in the archdiocese. According to Mr. Conto, they were judged “based on their on their knowledge of scales, the pieces of music they were given, and sight-reading.” McNamara students have auditioned for the WAMTC and gained entrance every year.
COMIC by Caleb Forssell ‘14
Mr. Conto’s 6th period class (Jessica Ricks ‘14/ Stampede)that Middle States Accreditation Committee will evaluate soon (Carolyn Conte ‘14 / Stampede). This year 20 McNamara students made it into the audition; the second largest amount of students participating out of all of the schools that entered. Among them was Megan Taylor ‘14 who plays the French horn. Being there made her feel nervous at first, but making it was a fantastic feeling. She said she felt “pretty happy. I’ve never been in a full orchestra outside of school.”
Ekan Gilpin ‘14’s experience was made even more nerve wracking because she ended up having to start sooner than she thought. “I tried not to be nervous,” she said. “I was confident for the most part.” Once making it into the group, they begin rehearsal for a concert which will include all of the best from each of the high schools that sent students to audition. There are three re-
hearsals with the full orchestra the last of which is on March 1 and is also the day of the concert. It will take place at 7 pm at Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. They showed that when you put out hard work and are confident in what you do, good results often come out of it.
On Top of the World
How Fox-Boyd Climbed Mount Kilimanjaro Breana Ross ‘15 Staff Writer
Changes in School Vending Machines
McNamara removes popular items from vending machines Mia Barnes ‘16 Staff Writer Vending machines in the cafeteria and the Fine Arts Center have been removed of all items deemed unhealthy snacks, such as sodas, candy, and chips. The vending machines have been restocked with healthier snacks, such as Low Fat Soy Crisps, Blue Chips, which are literally blue chips, and Propel Zero, which is an enhanced water. A popular drink among
athletes, which has been recently added to the vending machines, is Muscle Milk, which claims to develop muscles and help gain strength. Cartier Wilkins ‘16 said he drinks Muscle Milk “for football, to gain muscle.” Students have tried the new drinks and snacks offered, and developed their opinions. Bobbi Johnson ‘16 said she enjoys the new Sobe Green Tea, an energizer drink, since “after staying up late trying to do homework, I need an extra burst of energy to get me through my day.” Blair Braswell ‘15 and Breanna Raymond ‘15 tried the new Mrs. May’s CranBlueberry Crunch, a little squared snack that includes nuts and berries. They both enjoyed it and ate it frequently, although after February 4, 2014 the snack was not available in the vending machine anymore. Many students elaborated that while the snacks were healthier, they did not look appealing. Some were not willing to try the new products and want the old snacks back.
The date was July 20, 2012. The wind was whipping, the air was brisk, and his body was worn. However, none of that seemed to matter to Mr. Michael Fox-Boyd because he had reached his goal: the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. Mr. Fox-Boyd, Mathematics Department Co-chair, Co-Head Varsity Swimming Coach, and It’s Academic! Coach climbed 19,341 feet to the summit of Mount Kiliman- Mr. Michael Fox-Boyd reaches the top of Mount jaro in Tanzania. His urge to Kilimanjaro. (Courtesy Mr. Fox-Boyd) do something adventurous began back in January. “In January of 2012 I had ever does anything.” He and the coldest I’ve ever been in an epiphany. I was overcome his five colleagues decided to my life,” he said. When he with this spirit that it was time climb the mountain together. reached the top of the mounto branch out,” Fox-Boyd said. “I knew them for two weeks, tain, the struggle to get there His idea of “branching out” then we climbed,” he said. “If no longer seemed to matter. entailed a trip to Tanzania you climb a mountain with “When I got to the top, there to partake in an organization someone you get close real was this moment of clarity and that works with orphanages. quick.” perspective that changed me Despite the language barrier, Although the journey to forever,” he said. Fox-Boyd Fox-Boyd was able to provide the summit was filled with was able to enjoy the view aid to an orphanage in the scenery, it was anything but for over four hours before it town of Arusha. He planned easy. “Kilimanjaro is interest- was time to start the two-day lessons, graded papers, and ing for a number of reasons. journey back down the mountaught the children to read and It is a free standing mountain tain – a grand total of six days write while also serving as a with an incredibly unique round trip. playmate for them at recess. series of ecosystems,” he said. Although conquering the The children definitely ap- Fox-Boyd’s four day excursion climb up Mount Kilimanjaro preciated Fox-Boyd’s efforts. consisted of four completely is a huge feat, Fox-Boyd has “One day we brought balloons different landscapes including plans to climb even bigger and you would’ve thought they rainforests, tundra, lava fields, mountains. “I’m not done,” he won the lottery,” he said. and rocks. By the fourth night, said. He plans to climb Mount While he was making a dif- Fox-Boyd and his group had McKinley in the summer of ference in the lives of the chil- reached base camp. 2015. With many more moundren, he decided to do someFrom there, they began the tains to conquer, Fox-Boyd thing for himself. “I decided eight hour trek to the summit feels on top of the world. to climb Mount Kilimanjaro of the mountain. because it was there,” said Fox“It was 10 degrees and the Boyd. “It’s the reason anyone wind was whipping. I was
7
The Stampede • March 27, 2014
Student Life Emma Raphael holds up her red ticket after a successful audition for “The Voice.” (Courtesy Emma Raphael ‘17)
Freshman May Have ‘The Voice’ Angelita Pollard ‘15 (far right) poses with her company dancers of XPDC after a recent competition in February 2014. (Courtesy Angelita Pollard)
Student Entrepreneur Forms Dance Company
Angelita Pollard ‘15 brings the art of dance to her community Ashley Brown ‘16 Staff Writer Imagine if one idea, one means of communication, and a tiny leap of faith made a difference. It did for Angelita Pollard ‘15, a student at Bishop McNamara who leads a community of dancers. “My goal is to give the opportunity of dance to people who don’t have the opportunity,” she said. Near the end of her freshman year, Angelita Pollard started her own dance company named Xtra Productions Dance Company (XPDC). She communicated the thought of creating a dance company in the quickest way a teen would know how: via text message. “I sent out a text message to my friends and asked if they wanted to be a part of a dance compa ny.” She instantly picked up eleven students, three of whom were from McNamara and were interested in this big project. Her dance company was established on June 9, 2012. “I had to come up with a name, find students, find a place, create a logo, and have a positive attitude that everything was going to work out,” she said referring to the development of her company. Although a junior now, the company is still a work in progress. Since Angelita started dancing at age three, this has always been a dream of hers. To her, “Dance is a freedom of expression.” In regards to her potential of being a professional choreographer, “I think
it would be a nice job to earn side cash, because I would be getting paid for doing something I love.” XPDC offers various dance genres such as Jazz, Hip hop,Contemporary/Lyrical and tap.The group rents space from Dance Dimensions Dance Studio located in District Heights, and welcomes dancers ranging from ages three to seventeen. As of now the dance company only consists of girls, but “If given the opportunity, I would open it up to males,” she said. “The longer the company is together, the more of a sisterly bond we share,” Pollard said. As the only choreographer of the company she s t r e s s e s that they are all friends, and as a group they have come to respect her on a business level. “She [Angelita] is a very good choreographer for her age,” said Madison Brown ‘17 who just recently joined the dance company two months ago and expressed that the company is “very welcoming --- and family oriented in the studio.” Not only does Angelita perform outside of school, but she is also a student of dance here at Bishop McNamara. She is a member of McNamara’s Dance Team as well as being enrolled in Tap and Sankofa. Xtra Productions Dance Company has performed at various local events including Prince George’s County Fair, Six Flag’s, Riverdale Day, Xtreme Teens Dance Competition and many more.
“My goal is to give the opportunity of dance to people who don’t have the opportunity.”
15 year old Emma Raphael’s musical journey leads her to audition for popular show Ceandria Mars ‘15 Staff Writer At age six, Emma Raphael ‘17 signed herself up for her first major performance; her kindergarten talent show. “I sang my own very off version of Hilary Duff’s ‘Coming Clean’,” she said. When her mother found out, she was surprised, because no one in their family sang, or encouraged Emma to, but that kindergarten talent show would only be the first of many performances to come. “I’ve performed from Major League Baseball stadiums to bars, karaoke sessions at Applebees, to people’s funerals,” she said, and more recently, she’s been involved with an exciting project. On January 11, Emma attended day one of an opencall audition for the seventh season of The Voice (to air
in 2015) with about ten thousand other people between the two days. She waited seven hours, and later sang “Almost is Never Enough” by Ariana Grande. The hours of waiting proved worth her while when she and ninetynine other people were selected for a callback. “I auditioned with nine other people and I was the youngest one there.” Two days later, she drove up to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a sound studio where she signed contracts preventing her from revealing any further information. Upon her return to McNamara, Emma described her schoolmates as being “super happy and supportive” of her and her musical endeavors. “They haven’t been too thrilled that I can’t talk much, but… It’s so amazing that my family here at Mac are like my number one supporters.”
In regards to her future beyond The Voice, Emma hopes to make it big in the music business. “I’ve always wanted to be famous,” she said. “Not because of the money… but because everyone will know my name. That possibility is what I crave. I would rather be a crazy waitress in New York who goes on auditions until the day she dies than end up doing something that I hate.” She does not see her ambition as “irresponsible” as others might think. For her, it’s more than just music. It’s her “saving grace” and she believes that “music has a way of speaking to people in a way that . . . nothing in this world can. It’s a universal language capable of bringing peace in the darkest of hours.”
Creating Music Behind the Lyrics Jason James ‘14 shares his beat making hobby
me and thats really it for right now. I’m trying to find more people.
Maia Ennis ‘14 Editor
What inspired you or how did you become interested in making beats?
Jason James ‘14: Well I noticed like a whole bunch of people in this school, everybody was rapping. But everybody would just take an instrumental that’s like a really popular song off [of] the radio or something. I’d be like, “Why doesn’t anybody just make beats for them or something?” And then ya know- I started making beats and I usually listen to instrumentals and stuff without words in them so. What type of music influences your beats the most?
Mainly 70s funk or hip hop and jazz mainly nothing like on the radio though. I don’t want to sound like a hipster but, ya know. Has anyone used your beats? Do you sell them or is it just for fun?
What type of equipment do you use?
Jason James ‘14 makes beats at home from his keyboard using an application titled Fruity Loops. (Courtesy of Jason James)
Mostly it’s been something I’ve done for fun lately, but I’ve been trying to advertise my beats and stuff right now cause like mainly it’s just Tyler (friend) and I rapping over our beats. But Kosi from last year he wants to make a mixtape with
I have to use an actual computer keyboard, but what you would find in like professional beat makers, they have these things called like mini keyboards where it’s like these pads. Where basically they use those but I have to use my keyboard. I programed it to this app called Fruity Loops on my computer and basically I use a beat track with that. Do you have any advice for anyone who would like to start making beats?
If you really like making music, then it’s something for you. And it’s like, if you don’t have the money for like taking piano lessons or buying a new instrument or something, beat making is probably for you.
8
The Stampede • March 27, 2014
Extra
What Students Think about Homework Poll Homework at McNamara FROM PAGE 1
The following opinions were written by respondents to a poll conducted by The Stampede from January to February 2014. Editor Caylie Martucci ‘14 compiled the results.
L
et’s look at an example: say I’m a typical McNamara student in a sport, in theater, or in some other extracurricular that meets regularly. On any given day, I’ll finish practice at about 6:00 and be home by, say, 6:30. After I eat dinner, it’ll be a little after 7:00. If I have an hour of homework for each class, there’s no way I can get to bed before 11:00 even if I work incredibly efficiently and go to bed the second I finish. This typical student schedule leaves the student in bed at 11:30 at the earliest. If they wake up at 5:30 or 6:00, it’s no wonder they’re tired. What will this do? Less focus in class, more time necessary to complete homework...maybe they’re bedtime will be pushed back 12:00 or 12:30 that night. Of no fault of their own, this student is on a downward spiral. Sleep is very important; studies show that a lack of it can cause a build-up of plaque in the brain that can lead to Alzheimer’s. Teenagers need as much sleep as a newborn baby for growth and development, yet when I go to bed at midnight I feel that it’s a luxury that I get six whole hours of sleep. This isn’t right. Just yesterday, one girl I know was the envy of everyone because she managed to get eight and a half hours of sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 9 1/4. I can personally testify that sleep harms my ability to participate at school. I put all my energy into trying to stay awake, doing everything from drinking water to pinching myself to keep from falling asleep. Spending 90 minutes this way is unbearable. Even staying awake in class I cannot comprehend the lesson. My handwriting is messy and when I look back at my notes to study I have difficulty figuring out what my tired hand was trying to write. I can’t focus on the teacher and, even as I’m awake, my mind starts to dream. If it hurts us in the classroom, why do we still have so much homework? The point of homework is either to test whether a student can independently apply the lesson of the day or to prepare a student for the lesson of the next class. Large amounts of homework don’t benefit either goal: testing a student’s comprehension should take no more than a few minutes and there is no point in long preparation for the next class if it causes students to be too tired to follow the lecture. What about “practice makes perfect”? Theoretically, long homework assignments cement a lesson in a student’s brain. In reality, they prevent students from getting the sleep that actually allows the brain to mull over a topic and truly comprehend it. They leave less study time for reviewing previous lessons. This loss of both long term recollection of a topic and time to go back to review prevents the brain from mapping a cohesive Big Picture of a course beyond one class to the next. God help us with
midterms and finals. High school should be enjoyable. I actually love to learn, so I should love homework. Why don’t I? It’s because a lot of the homework I do does not actually advance my learning. I understand its purpose of review or of foreshadowing the next lesson, but this could easily be accomplished in no more than 30 minutes per class. Less homework would allow me more time to enrich my own education. Throughout the entire freshman year, I did not read a single book for fun. My sophomore year is shaping up to be exactly the same. I used to always carry a book with me to read; now I have no time. I can only visit the library over the summer. It’s actually really depressing. Less homework would allow for more study time, more sleep, and maybe some extra time to read a book or pursue another hobby. As it is now, school is a 24-hour job and trying to fit in extracurricular activities to achieve a true Holy Cross education only cuts deeper into the minimal sleep I receive. It’s obvious that I feel very strongly that homework actually hurts education. How can this be helped? I’m not suggesting that homework be totally eradicated. I simply desire that it’s recognized as what it is--a way to check comprehension and prepare for a lesson--and limited in such a way that it achieves its goal and yet is balanced with a realistic student schedule. I vote that homework be limited to no more than thirty minutes a night. —J ‘16
actually helping them be prepared for class. The poll demonstrates that student have a lot to balance between their homework and their extracurricular activities. One obstacle to timely homework completion can be sports, clubs, and the like. For McNamara, on average, students spend two hours
weekly on extracurricular activities, with four hours weekly being the second most common answer. Some students blame increased anxiety on too much homework, while others say they are fine with the amount, and their stress is due to activities or procrastination. The issue of how much homework students get is an on-going debate.
TIME ON HOMEWORK – PER NIGHT 18%
10%
1 hour 2-3 hours 3-4 hours
38% 34%
TIME ON EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES – PER WEEK 10%
34%
0-1 hours
21%
I
wouldn’t mind doing my homework, but I think all the teachers need to collaborate and make a schedule so we’re not overwhelmed at the same time. There are times when I have only two homework assignments a week, and there are other times when everyone decides to pile assignments on top of each other. I just need some sort of balance. — N ‘14
I T
did not realize how sincere sleep was until I began attending McNamara. I have never slept less in my life before. — M ‘17
hings seem really uneven- gold days I might have only a little bit of homework, but maroon nights I have a million things to do. A better balance (moderate amount each night) would be better. —J ‘16
T
eachers push us to join in extra curricular activities but they forget about all the things McNamara students do outside of school when assigning homework. Most of McNamara’s students are stressed out due to all the homework teachers pile on forgetting we have other classes. Its hard to get a lot of work done if we don’t get home until after 6. — T ‘15
4 or more hours
1-2 hours 2-3 hours 3-4 hours 4 or more hours a week
10% 25% Results are from a poll of 257 students conducted electronically in January and February 2014. Respondents included students from all four grades, 22% freshmen, 25% sophomores, 25% juniors, and 28% seniors. (Caylie Martucci ‘14/STAMPEDE)
T
he amount of homework is less but it requires more time and thought so it balances out. Some teachers give my class homework and don’t explain it and don’t really answer our question when we go over it, while other teachers give us homework that carries out the lesson and prepares us for next class. I feel very comfortable with the amount of homework I have. —K ‘17
W
e have to wake up at extremely early hours in the morning to make it to school on time. Then sit through over 90 minute classes where teach-
ers cram in as much information as they can. Then we are told to join extracurricular activities because they look good on college applications. By the time I get home, eat dinner, and start my homework, I am up on average until 2am trying to finish it. Then I have to do the same thing everyday for the rest of the week. And the teachers wonder why I am so tired and don’t participate in class. We don’t catch a break until the weekends, which is not even a real break because we have to do the homework that was assigned over the weekend and start studying for the week full of tests and quizzes. —K ‘16