Long-term couples talk relationships, endearing moments, romantic quandaries p. C5
Section C
James Hubert Blake High School
February 14, 2014
Popular English teacher connects strongly to student body Mr. Kelley’s charismatic, carefree personality enthralls students, classes x by Jenna Ramirez English teacher Michael Kelley stands in front of his students, dressed in slacks and a tie, teaching teenagers lessons ranging from grammar and syntax to how to approach girls at a college party. With a reputation for both high expectations and unrelenting humor, Mr. Kelley has made himself a name in the Blake hallways. Says Mr. Kelley, “I go out of my way to embarrass myself because I want the kids to know that I’m a real person and can laugh at myself.” Mr. Kelley teaches Advanced Placement English Language along with his film studies and speech, as well as debate elective courses. In the past, Mr. Kelley has also taught freshmen and senior English courses. His experience with various grade levels has helped his teaching style. “I think by having multiple grade levels, you get an idea of where the kids need to go,” he says. A funny disposition and laid-back nature has been a major attraction for many students to his classes. Mr. Kelley is known for elaborate storytelling when work is done and never fails to share his life with his students. Says freshman Diamond Edmonds, “He’s a great teacher. He’s one of the best English teachers I’ve had because he’s a good person to talk to.” An actor at heart, Mr. Kelley has taught vari-
ous theater classes, including ones at Blake. His stage experience has translated into a relaxed demeanor in the classroom. Says Mr. Kelley, “My experience with being
I go out of my way to embarrass myself because I want the kids to know that I’m a real person and can laugh at myself. Mr. Kelley
in front of people constantly from my old job definitely helps me not feel nervous in front of kids and improvise
if necessary.” Mr. Kelley is an avid fan of opening up to his students. “It helps to foster a more trusting relationship between the students and myself. It lets them know that I’m a human being,” adds Mr. Kelley. “I try to ‘keep it real’ as they say.” For his students, Mr. Kelley’s calmness and open-door attitude has also contributed to academic success. “He’s really good at relating to the students and I think that’s important for an English teacher to be able to do,” says junior Sydney Steel. “I’ve had him over the years so he’s made up a lot of my high school experience.” An isolated attitude has never fared well in Mr. Kelley’s classrooms. “I used to [be more open] when I had twelfth graders because they were going to graduate. I would tell them when I was going on a date,” says Mr. Kelley, “They were all privy to the trials and tribulations as I found my wife.” However, recent fatherhood has changed his teaching style. “Seeing my child has reminded me that all of my students are somebody’s child and I would always want [my son] to be treated with respect and be given the best chance at success and happiness that he can get,” says Mr. Kelley. “[Fatherhood] kind of drove home that that’s the way for me to act.”
Extensive work commutes for staff members present daily challenge
Teachers make best of long round trips by managing time, relaxing
by Logan Dreher x & Courtney Hutchinson Most Blake students only have to worry about the long line of traffic at the student entrance of the school, but for some teachers, the morning commute is a daily struggle. Crossing three jurisdictions, social studies teacher Chris Danis used to face many challenges getting to work every morning from Arlington, Virginia. His commute needed a lot of planning, as one of the primary roads he took switches directions during rush hour. “I would leave really early,” he says. “I need to have the time in the morning but also the roads that I would take… the Rockcreek parkway switches directions during rush hour.” Mr. Danis says, “The choices were limited. I had a potential school in Fairfax County and then schools here in Montgomery.” He goes on to add that in his opinion, the least important criteria is the length of the commute. He adds, “The commute is just what I have to do.” Recently, however, Mr. Danis moved to Silver Spring, cutting down his drive time extensively. Although his drive is shorter, he says he gets up just as early to arrive at Blake at the same time. “I need that hour to help prepare for the day,” he says. “ “I like being the first in [school] because of the amount of work I can get done in the morning,” says Mr. Danis. “I still get up wicked early, it just takes less time to get in which means I’m here even earlier.”
Regardless of the distance Mr. Danis is traveling, he still feels like Blake is exceptionally far. “We’re out here in the middle of nowhere,” he says. “[Something] else that would lead you to understand, of all things is AP Human Geography. Like, why do suburbs grow the way they do?” English teacher resource Christine Di Monte empathizes with his plight, as her commute from New Market, Maryland is almost an hour on a good day. She was prompted to work at Blake despite the 30 mile distance as it was a promotion from her previous jobs at Damascus and Clarksburg High School. However, Mrs. Di Monte says she make the most of the drive by listening to NPR, and audio books. “Most of the time I really enjoy the hour because I have an hour to think about what I want to do,” she says. ”I have two little kids so it is a nice time to transition from one life to the other.” The only regret Mrs. Di Monte has about the distance is her inability to be involved in extracurricular activities. “I did a lot of stuff at Damascus and Clarksburg,” she says. “I miss the extracurricular… that’s where [the distance] does get in the way.” Ultimately, Mrs. Di Monte does not believe her distance from Blake affects her life at the school. “I don’t think I have to live in Silver Spring to understand my students. I have to take time to know my students regardless of where I’m from,” she adds.
Social studies teacher Chris Danis used to commute to Blake every day from Arlington, VA, facing rush hour traffic and other time sensitive obstacles. --Photo by Dennis Chan
....I really enjoy the hour because I have an hour to think about what I want to do.
Ms. Di Monte
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The Blake Beat
February 14, 2014
Seniors avoid debt, cash in on full scholarship opportunity Phimphanchanh, Hamson shine in diverse crowd, win prestigious award by Ariel Gomez
x & Elana Harris
Seniors Victor Phimphanchanh and Bethany Hamson proudly display their POSSE scholarship schools, Grinnell College and Sewanee University of the South. --Photo by Sami Wright
Psychology enthusiasts take newly-acquired knowledge to next level, design creative experiments x by Yodit Denu Students seen walking around the school with rather large looking goggles on their faces, or standing up on desks in the middle of the class singing are not crazy, they are just participating in an experiment for their psychology projects. Students who take Advanced Placement psychology have the opportunity to reflect on what they have studied throughout the quarter by completing a required Student Initiated Assignment (SIA). Says psychology teacher Stephanie Staub, “[The SIA] is a chance for [students] to take something we have studied during the quarter and do something that they enjoy and are skilled at with it.” Mrs. Staub adds, “Some students will simply learn a little bit of additional information about a topic, while others will use the opportunity to do a capstone project or do in-depth research on something that truly interests them.” Mrs. Staub noticed that since Blake High School is an arts and humanities school, students tend to incorporate art into their psychology projects. She says, “[Students] illustrate a psychological concept in a painting or write a poem that weaves together multiple things we studied.” Senior Emma Friedman wrote a poem about social thinking and influence. She created a poem using real life
concepts. Some of the topics in the poem included attribution theory, chameleon effect, and group think. Senior Rebecca Hill also completed her SIA, and is currently completing her capstone on lucid dreaming and how it may reveal the subconscious. Dreams have always interested Hill. “Lucid dreaming intrigues me because you can virtually do anything,” says Hill, “without any of the consequences and it can provide insight into a person’s subconscious.” Hill has already made progress with the project. She has now compiled research on dream studies and lucid dreaming, and she has also begun to plan out the actual experiment where she tries to have a lucid dream herself. Hill’s goal is to gain control of her dreams and gain a second awareness of herself. Says Hill, “A person can literally speak to their subconscious and gain a second awareness of themselves.” There have been setbacks with Hill’s assignment such as lack of time to spend working, but she says that this semester will be less hectic and she will be able to devote more time to her capstone project, with a positive attitude. “I get to sleep and my parents can’t wake me up because I’m doing homework,” Hill says. Mrs. Staub hopes to get students more involved in the AP psychology course. “[It] is so easy because psychological concepts are all around us,” she adds.
[The SIA] is a chance for [students] to take something we have studied...and do something they enjoy...with it. Mrs. Staub
Seniors Bethany Hamson and Victor Phimphachanh were announced as the Posse Scholars January 8 by the Posse Foundation after months of interviews and anticipation. Founded in 1989, the Posse Foundation chooses students who have shown great leadership skills and special talents. The goal is to create multi-cultural teams or “posses” that stick together and support each other as they begin their journey into college. The scholarship partners with many colleges and universities and provides full tuition for each student chosen. In order to be a candidate for the Posse Scholarship, a counselor or teacher must recommend you. Every year the Blake counselors select ten seniors to be candidates for the scholarship. The selection process consists of three rounds. The first round contains all the candidates nominated at the Discovery Building. “The first interview brought a huge group together to see how you interact with others [and] how you did in dynamic small group activities,” says Phimphachanh. “They also look at the ability to not only converse, but also show your leadership characteristics in group discussion.” Every candidate had a number on their back and were observed by the officials. The second round occurs if the student receives an email asking them
to come back in for an interview. During the interview the student brings in transcripts and awards demonstrating their leadership abilities and skills. After much deliberation, the group is then cut to around twenty people for each school. The third round is similar to the first, as students have group discussions and meet with school alumni. Says Hamson, “The last round is really intimidating. It’s narrowed from the original pool of 1600 from DC to twenty. It’s a very humbling experience.” Hamson’s school of choice was Sewanee, the University of the South in Tennessee, because of the programs geared toward her majors in biology and Spanish with Pre-Med. “It’s a good place to do biological research,” says Hamson. “It’s all over the campus.” Phimphachan will be travelling to Iowa to Grinnell College to pursue his career in dentistry. “I chose Grinnell because it provided me with my artistic outlet as well as the freedom and open-mindedness I wanted in a college,” says Phimphachan. “It’s academic rigor and high standards allow me to push myself.” Hamson and Phimphachanh discovered that they had been selected the day after the third round when they received a call from the foundation. “I didn’t want to be crazily happy on the outside, but inside I was extremely pleased with myself because I made it to the end of whole process, and got accepted,” adds Phimphachanh.
The Blake Beat
February 14, 2014
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Breaking Bronwyn: junior shares her overseas adventure After moving to Africa, Evans passes on international experiences
x by Bronwyn Evans Hello, Blake High School, and welcome to the first ever edition of Breaking Bronwyn: Zimbabwe Edition! In case you were unaware, after living in the United States my whole life, I recently moved overseas to Harare, Zimbabwe, in Southern Africa in the middle of my junior year at Blake. My dad recently got a job with World Vision, a non-profit organization which works to provide relief and development around the world. The program my dad runs is located in Harare, Zimbabwe and is funded by the US government. His program focuses on food security, water and sanitation, nutrition for mothers and children, and agricultural production and marketing. Zimbabwe was previously a British colony known as Southern Rhodesia, so the main language spoken here is English. However, there are lots of smaller, local languages that many Zimbabweans speak. The two major tribal languages are Shona, mostly spoken in Harare and around two-thirds of the country, and Ndebele, spoken mostly in the city, Bulawayo. Zimbabwe has used the US dollar since 2009, after inflation caused the economy to collapse. I live in the capital city, Harare, which is a very sleepy city. Everything closes on Sundays, and everyone’s electricity and Internet only works a portion of the time. Thankfully, my house is on a main street and right across from the Power Station, so we usually have power. I can’t say the same about our Internet connection, though. I go to an international school about ten minutes from my house called Harare International School (HIS). HIS is a really small school, with only about 450 students in elementary, middle, and high school, combined. It offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) program to all students, a very rigorous program that requires each student to take three Higher Level classes, which are probably a little more difficult than AP classes. Since there are no school buses, students drive, get driven, bike, or walk to school. The only bussing system provided is by the embassies for the kids of ambassadors and staff. Driving here is so weird! The steering wheels are on the right side of the car and everyone drives on the left side of the road! Here are some interesting facts about Zimbabwe: For one, Zimbabweans call traffic lights “robots.” Also, the legal drinking age here is 18. There’s a TV show here called “ZimPunk’D,” a Zimbabwean version of Ashton Kutcher’s show, “Punk’D.” Since Zimbabwe is in the southern hemisphere, it’s summer here, so the temperature is about 70-85 degrees every day. That’s it for the first edition of Breaking Bronwyn: Zimbabwe Edition. If you’d like to learn more about this fascinating country, just google “Zimbabwe!”
A large, balancing rock formation in Zimbabwe. --Photo provided by Bronwyn Evans
Senior Tanner Williams finds rhythm with future plans to produce music by Zach Kushner & x Maryam Outlaw
Senior Tanner Williams, aspiring music producer. --Photo by Dennis Chan
Emerging senior artist Tanner Williams has found an intense passion for making music, and now he plans to pursue a career in notes, melodies, and letting the beat drop. Though Williams continuously enjoyed music throughout his childhood, he became truly invested in his artistic talents four years ago after suffering a disabling soccer injury. “I was immobile so I just had to sit at my desk and do something,” says Williams. “That’s when I discovered how to produce music. I have been teaching myself how to ever since.” When making his own songs, Williams converges various technological sounds to create Electronic Dance Music (EDM) assortments. Says Williams, “I use a lot of bass and heavy kick drums in combination with happy-ish melodies and hard hitting synths. Think a mixture between Justice, Kill the Noise, deadmau5, and Dannic.” Valuing music as a strong form of expression, Williams finds that producing his own electronic beats has allowed him to convey his inner thoughts. Says Williams, “What was initially intriguing was that I could create something similar to what I heard on the radio.” He adds, “I find that creating music allows me
to put my feelings and emotions into a song.” While many of Williams’ creations are classified as EDM, he finds his own musical tastes to be an eclectic assortment. “I used to be a Top 40 guy until my sister showed me the band ‘The Mars Volta.’ I was skeptical at first, but then I realized that not everything is Pitbull and Justin Bieber,” says Williams. As far as his aspirations go, Williams’ goal is simple when composing a new musical track for entertainment. Says Williams, “I like when my music makes people dance, so whenever I sit down to produce, I always keep that in mind.” Williams draws inspiration from Skrillex both musically and economically. “I love how he just created his own genre and blew up,” he says. “Each show he plays, he takes the profit and puts it right back into the next show. He does what he does for the fans and that’s what I want to do.” Looking forward to pursuing a career in music production, Williams hopes to attend the Berklee college of Music in Boston as his top choice. He says, “I’m looking to become better at producing through collaboration with my peers who also are into producing music.” To keep up with Williams, check out his work on his soundcloud account at www.soundcloud. com/tannerwilliamsmusic.
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The Bla
February 14, 2014
Staff members offer student body lasting love advice, warn teens of moving too fast Teachers explain road to relationship success in light of holiday, mention importance of budding romance by Alyssia Graves x & Tabi Orock Hello young lovers and singletons, today is Valentine’s Day and whether you are single or “cuffed,” your favorite teachers have some advice for you to get your love life right. For starters, English teacher Amy Branson gives us her philosophy on dating in high school. She says, “Desiring relationships [and] desiring connection is good and normal. The only problem I see is when the relationship becomes the most important thing in life.” Mrs. Branson warns that while it is natural for kids to start dating in high school, it is not okay for love to overshadow, in her words, “the things that need to grow and develop in you as
a person.” Speaking as a teacher who has seen many young couples throughout her career, Mrs. Branson says, “Keep your pants on. In ten years (or even six months) you’ll look back on that girl or boy that you were so enamored by and say, ‘what the heck was I thinking?’” English teacher Deena Barlev offers a different perspective. She sees dating as a form of research. She says, “[We need to research] what we like and what we don’t like so we know something about ourselves when we enter adulthood.” However, she warns that students should stick to what is appropriate for their age. “As I walk through the halls of Blake High School, sometimes I see
kids doing private things in a very public place,” says Mrs. Barlev. “Be a couple within healthy boundaries of your age and [the school].” Math teacher Michael Krawczel advises students to take relationships slow. Mr. Krawczel says, “My advice is not to be real serious.” He adds, “I’m old fashioned. I think people in high school should go out as groups more than just one on one.” Biology teacher Nasrin Saikh voices her concerns on students’ inability to balance their academics with love. She says, “I really hate it when students allow their romantic life to affect their school life.” Speaking of romance interfering with school, Ms. Saikh adds, “There are stairwells that I do not want
to take.” English teacher Omari Daniel likens the act of kids dating in high school to a schoolyard game. “You guys do too much of this merry-go-round dating,” says Dr. Daniel. “You keep options and spare tires and all of this other stuff. What is the point in all of it if you have five people or five girlfriends?” Dr. Daniel warns that being in multiple relationships can be harmful. He says, “It’s a dangerous game that you guys are playing and that is how all of these STDs are getting tossed around like candy.” In order to have a real relationship, Dr. Daniel advises students to know the person you are dating. “It takes time and trust,” he says. “You can’t love someone you don’t know.”
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English teacher Amy Branson gives one of her beloved frogs a kiss while offering students love advice. --Photo by Sami Wright
day I alr him we ta mak
ake Beat
February 14, 2014
iors Renee Treacy and Curtis Dey (left) and sophomore Abby Hines and senior Greg Bell (right) pose together romantically. --Photos by Sami Wright
igh school sweethearts share most romantic success stories
teady couples defy odds, discuss relationship woos, necessities
y Kate Campbell & Jenna Ramirez
For many high school students, Valen’s Day is an annual reminder of our lonely, petually-single existence, but to a certain, lucky mographic, this holiday brings joy and warmth cold season. So, with bitter feelings aside, it is time to icate this day to some of the couples that have y honored the phrase ‘going steady.’ Take for mple sophomores Onesty Peoples and Elie oula. They believe taking a chance and talking our crush often ends well. “When he moved next to me on the first of English class I was so nervous because ready had a crush on him and I did not want to change seats,” says Peoples. “After then alked every day in the hallways.” February 19 kes five months since the couple started dating. Junior Curtis Dey knows that his current
girlfriend of ten months, junior Renee Treacy, is a keeper. “When I first asked her to my girlfriend, she said, ‘I thought this was already established,’” says Dey, “and for my birthday she gave me one of the best presents I have ever received.” However, for many of these students, balancing school, sports, and working has proven to be a challenge and put a strain in their relationships. “I can’t really see him on weekdays because I have practice,” says Treacy. “We only really see each other on the weekend.” Seniors Kristina McKenna and Kevin Wright have run into the same problem in their almost year-long relationship. “It’s incredibly hard to balance time when in a relationship,” says Wright. “I work nights so it’s really difficult to find time to be together.” In addition to busy schedules, the daunting presence of college and a life outside of high school has threatened many relationships before they have even started. Says Wright, “We’re okay
with the distance once we graduate. What we’re more worried about if we’ll change as people.” Sophomore Abby Hines first began dating her senior boyfriend Greg Bell after meeting him at track practice. “[Our relationship] is pretty casual...one day we went on a long run and eventually we started spending lunch together,” says Hines. The two have been dating for over eight months. With successful relationships under their belts, some of these students offer the rest of us some promising opportunities and worthy advice. Junior Max O’ Grady, who has been in a year-long relationship with junior Chloe Wehling, adds, “You must be friends first. Otherwise, the beginning is awkward and you don’t have much to talk about.” For juniors Treacy and Dey, the bond that keeps their long-term relationship steady lies in their shared sense of humor. “Being able to laugh at yourself is definitely a key to a good relationship,” says Treacy.
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The Blake Beat
February 14, 2014
Staff members reminisce over collegiate athletic careers Involvement in college sports helped teachers hone skills, pay for school
Math teacher Julie Thackston (left) swam and physical education teacher Scott Gilreath (right) played soccer for the University of Maryland. --Photos by John Kos and Sami Wright
by Shak Magona x & Darien Waters Many teachers still recall their varsity years, reminiscing about their days as high-level college athletes eager to compete, improve themselves, and highlight their skills before they became teachers. Lacrosse and field hockey coach and physical education teacher Patrick Howley has been playing lacrosse nearly all his life and believes sports are a natural outlet for his energy. “I was really competitive and
I found sports as something I was pretty good at,” says Mr. Howley. Mr. Howley continued to play Division I lacrosse in college but began to feel the stress of balancing both college education and sports. “From 6 am to barely making it to dinner, [lacrosse] really took over,” says Mr. Howley. Deciding to leave lacrosse, he went on to run both indoor and outdoor track for Radford University. Sports helped Mr. Howley physically and educationally, offering him an opportunity to get
ahead. “Lacrosse helped [me] get myself into college,” Mr. Howley adds. “I used lacrosse as another way to expand my college search.” Inspired by her sister, math teacher Julie Thackston began her athletic career in high school and pursued her dreams in college. “In high school I did swimming and soccer and then I went on to swim at the University of Maryland,” says Ms.Thackston. Unable to handle both sports, Ms. Thackston decided to stick with swimming over soccer.
Physical education teacher Scott Gilreath started to play soccer when he was five years old. He then continued on to play for the University of Maryland, College Park’s Division I team. “Without soccer I’m not sure I would have gotten into the University of Maryland,” he says.“I’m very grateful for it.” Former lacrosse player and current tennis coach Michael Krawczel enjoyed his time on the field but does not wish he could go back to playing. “Yes, it was fun, but life moves on,” says Mr. Krawczel. He is,
I used lacrosse as another way to expand my college search.
however, thankful for the life experiences college sports have taught him. Boys varsity soccer coach and Gym teacher David Edlow, a former Rider University Division I goalkeeper, remembers his time playing Division I athletics. “It was a good environment, plus I got to continue playing while going to school.” He also notes the difference between high school and college sports. “College requires a much higher work ethic... you’re always putting work in,” Mr. Edlow adds.
Mr. Howley
Substitute teacher leaves mark on students with raw humor, wisdom
x by Elana Harris
Many know substitute teacher Stanley Hyman as the man with the white hair, famous for slamming textbooks, but few are aware of his past history and current contributions. Before working at Blake Mr. Hyman worked as an economic statistician at the US Census Bureau for 35 years. His job consisted of processing economic data every five years. He also was a branch chief for the County Business Patterns where he and his colleagues published annual data on the economic activity for every county in the United States. Now, in his retirement, he is a high school substitute teacher that many students have come to know. For ten years, Mr. Hyman has subbed for teachers in various subjects including biology, math-
ematics, matter and energy, technology, and even Spanish. Says Mr. Hyman, “I hope that the teachers I sub for realize that I have the tools and principles necessary to support them when they are out of the classroom.” Through working at Blake, Mr. Hyman has had many valuable experi-
me hope of a better America,” he adds. When in the midst of a rowdy class it is a tradition for Mr. Hyman to take a textbook and slam it on a table to silence the room and gain attention. “I shouldn’t have to succumb to yelling to gain the attention of students,” he adds. Outside of the classroom he has
I want to give back something to these young adults today who will be leaders of tomorrow. Mr. Hyman
ences. He had the opportunity to meet students he considers to be inspiring and wonderful. “I have come across a large number of great young adults who will be the leaders of tomorrow, which gives
also given his time to the community. In the past Mr. Hyman was the junior varsity girls’ soccer coach and junior varsity girls’ softball coach. He has helped develop the skills of many aspiring
young female athletes to better prepare them for the competitive varsity soccer and softball teams. Says senior Alexis Hughes, “He was a really good coach and I feel like a better soccer player because of him.” As a substitute teacher, Mr. Hyman is very passionate about the education that students receive. “Success in the world today is based solely on education and what you make of it,” adds Mr. Hyman. “Taking advantage of the learning process or as the case in too many students not taking full advantage to better themselves is a major concern of mine.” He hopes to help students reach their full potential and be the best people they can be. “I want to give back something to these young adults today who will be leaders of tomorrow,” says Mr. Hyman.
Self-paced, self-taught science class garners attention from students AP Physics sparks excitement for flexible curriculum, college atmosphere xby Logan Dreher & Courtney Hutchinson Unlike most classes at Blake, Advanced Placement Physics, taught by science teacher Eric Damboise, is a selfpaced class that allows students to go through the material at their own speed. “At first students are a little unsure about the selfpaced structure because they probably haven’t had anything like it before,” says Mr. Damboise. “But it doesn’t take long for them to realize the many benefits of this structure.” One of these benefits is that students can work on different priorities like college essays or homework for other classes without any consequences. Mr. Damboise says the self-paced class also allows each student to be more relaxed about the speed at which they work. “There isn’t this pressure to ‘keep up’ with everyone else; students can work at a pace that suits them without feeling a ton of stress,” he adds.
Senior Maia Gadsden agrees that she enjoys the class, although she understands the difficulty of the course. “You have to guide yourself through a lot of the concepts and it expands so much more on what’s learned in honors physics,” says Gadsden. Despite the daunting nature of a self-paced class, Gadsden believes the material is more difficult because it requires analytical thinking. “Normally self-paced seems scary, but we do get a lot of help from Mr. Damboise,” she adds. As for the upperclassmen taking this class, Mr. Damboise feels it is a great way to test the waters for what college would be like before diving in headfirst. “In college, students are expected to take on a lot more responsibility for their education,” he says. “I think my class prepares students for the added responsibilities they will have in college.” Although the class is an AP course and has the spirit of a college classroom, Mr. Damboise believes it also blends
the advantages of a high school. “[The class] still gives [students] lots of individual attention that they probably won’t see in a typical college lecture hall,” he says. The subject will open up to more students in future years, as Blake is introducing AP Physics 1, which does not require calculus like the current physics class. Freshmen that had high levels of success in middle school may take the class, as well as upperclassmen that want to take physics. “Now [upperclassmen] will have an AP class to go to that isn’t as rigorous as AP Physics C,” says Mr. Damboise. “This is also good for upperclassmen who aren’t taking calculus since AP Physics 1 isn’t calculus based.” Mr. Damboise enjoys his class so much that he finds himself wishing for more time with his students. He believes he grows as a teacher when he gets to know them better because he is faster in understanding what a student needs. “This type of class is so wonderful to teach,” he adds.
The Blake Beat
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February 14, 2014
Newly-discovered musicans produce fresh, original tracks
Passionate Blake artists share beginnings, inspirations, aspirations
xby Alyssia Graves & Elana Harris Everyone knows that music cannot be created without a beat. For several Blake students, giving a song its soul is more than just a hobby, it has become their passion. Senior Dionte Stinson discovered his talent of making music at a young age. “I knew I wanted to start producing music when I was in the fourth grade,” says Stinson. “I would hear people play stuff and think that if I wrote all the music it would sound better, so I started writing little songs,” adds Stinson. Stinson created his first beat during his freshmen year of high school. After that, he knew that beat-making was what he wanted to do. “When I made my first beat I knew this field was for me,” says Stinson. “I haven’t stopped grinding since.” Stinson’s family members are who inspired him to make music. “My godfather... has been in the music industry for 23 years and
counting,” says Stinson. “He has been mentoring me these past few years.” His cousin who has a music career has encouraged him to start his own. “My cousin [also] started out rapping and producing and now has his own label,” adds Stinson. Junior Ezana Assefa gets ideas for his music by listening to others. “The things I hear, like really cool sounds or samples... [It] makes me want to make something [music],” says Assefa. He creates a variety of beats, and does not limit himself to one genre or mold. “I don’t have a set style. I start with a sample or a melody, and I adjust to what sounds good,” adds Assefa. Assefa shares and promotes his music by using social networks. “I have a soundcloud on which I post all my beats, and I also post some on YouTube,” says Assefa. “If I like the beat I make I’ll [also] share it on Facebook.”
Junior Zachary V. Johnson discovered he wanted to produce music when he was in middle school. “I realized how much I enjoyed producing when I found myself sitting for hours doing research on old producers,” says Johnson. Johnson has been able to create beats within the comfort of his own room. “I use two different programs to make my beats: Fruity Loops 9 and Pro Logic X (ten),” says Johnson. He also uses a simple M-Audio midi keyboard to actually create his beats from the programs. Johnson doesn’t normally work with other people to produce music. “I usually just keep to myself with my beats,” says Johnson. However, he is willing to share his talents with others who are as passionate as he is. Many of his fans ask him questions about the music he makes.“I’m available to help anybody who wants tips and tricks with producing, but I take music seriously.” Johnson adds.
I don’t have a set style. I start with a sample or a melody, and I adjust to what sounds good. Dionte Stinson
Mr. D’Anna’s former students break into entertainment industry
x by Shak Magona Theatre teacher Michel D’Anna has been teaching for 47 years and has taught more than 6,000 students, some of which have gone on to acting and producing, none of which have forgotten about their friend and former teacher. Mr. D’Anna has taught many students and over the years, a couple of students went on to make names for themselves on Broadway, in Hollywood, and in theatre. Mr. D’Anna however, just likes being remembered. Mr. D’Anna
says, “They think back to people who have mentored them in life and it’s great to be remembered like that.” ABC’s Nashville star Chris Carmack was an old student of D’Anna’s and has been in New York and Hollywood for ten years. Mr. Carmack has made appearances with stars such as Alec Baldwin and Sylvester Stallone. “It’s nice just to be able to shake hands with them,” Mr. D’Anna adds. D’Anna taught former student Larry Kay 40 years ago who later became a producer. Mr. Kay has produced Green
Day’s American Idiot and is now producing The Velocity of Autumn. Mr. Kay has worked as a producer in France before making his American debut. Tony award-winning Michael Mayer, famous for directing Spring Awakening has also been taught by Mr. D’Anna. Mr. D’Anna enjoys seeing his former students reach new heights and hopes to see many more reach their potential. “It’s always good to see your students achieve great things,” he says. Previous students such as Mr. Carmack and Mr. Kay have not forgotten about Mr.
D’Anna and invite him to the many events they attend. “I like staying in touch with them and going to nifty events with them, too,” says Mr. D’Anna. This has in turn introduced him to many stars including Rosie O’Donnell, Daniel Radcliffe, the musicians of Green Day, and more. D’Anna believes that most stars are very slow to trust when it comes to new people. Hearing back from students after years instills a positive feeling within Mr. D’Anna. “They want me to know about what’s going on with their lives,” he says. “They want to
include me in their lives and I think that’s the best thing about a student-teacher relationship.” The close relationship between Mr. D’Anna and his students is deeply rooted. D’Anna says, “The really great thing is that they’re like family.” His students are very appreciative of their former teacher and want to make sure he feels at home. Mr. D’Anna hopes to continue to be invited to many events of his former students. “I like being included in the simple things in life,” he says. “They don’t have to be a Broadway star to include me in things.”
C8 To Melinde Kim: Happy Valentine’s Day! -----------------------------Best part of paste up is ordering Burger King -----------------------------^^ and other food ;D -----------------------------Llama or Duck? -----------------------------Bad Sassy! -----------------------------DARIEN, CLAIM ME!!! -----------------------------Come to Cheeburger in Olney on the 17th of February! -----------------------------SACAGAWEA! -----------------------------Sometimes I wake up screaming. I like it. -----------------------------Woah, singing valentines sold out!! -----------------------------Adam Beuttler for Mr. Blake 2014! -----------------------------Zachy K for Mr. Blake! -----------------------------Yodit, will you be my valentine? -----------------------------I love Sami Wright -----------------------------I love Keenan Lo -----------------------------Or do I? -----------------------------I do like rice. --Joey A. -----------------------------Do you believe in it? -----------------------------Logan Dechter has three eyes -----------------------------We might die from the medication but we sure killed all the pain. -----------------------------Jordan McLean doesn’t even go here. -----------------------------Why? Because everybody loves Jordan. -----------------------------Keenan Lo is made of SALT -----------------------------Panera needs to deliver! -----------------------------Greg loves Mahdi. Don’t get jealous that Mahdi loves Tanner though. -----------------------------I have these chicken n_ggetts, now all I need is u. -----------------------------The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand, we listen to reply. -----------------------------Amanda King has owl eyes -----------------------------Hoot hoot -----------------------------The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender. -----------------------------Happy Valentine’s Day everyone, hope your day is full of love and hearts -----------------------------Everyone read Quirky Facts and Life Hacks ...Please...Please -----------------------------leah’s cats are part of a cult -----------------------------I like you :) -----------------------------I like you too :) -----------------------------Waka waka do! It’s Juan Fisher! -----------------------------Adam Beuttler for Mr. Blake 2014! -----------------------------Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all! -----------------------------Thao and Hamson Beth; Prom? -----------------------------WHERE’S MY CHAPSTICK? -----------------------------^My strange addiction. -----------------------------Ride by Somo is life. -----------------------------Zachy K for Mr. Blake! -----------------------------Say something, I’m giving up on you. -----------------------------#StopFlappyBird2014 ------------------------------
February 14, 2014
UnClassifieds See any BEAT staffer to buy your Unclassified in our next issue. 70¢ for the first ten words, 5¢ for each additional word CAMPAIGN SUCCESSFUL -----------------------------Is this real life? -----------------------------Sometimes I wake up screaming. I like it. -----------------------------where does Shak go during 4th period? -----------------------------RIP Flappy Bird -----------------------------Dearest Sophia, you are the country to my city. Love, your oreo bae <3 -----------------------------TREK TO SHREK! -----------------------------Rude Puppy! -----------------------------Thao will you be my valentine plz? Love Y -----------------------------We are all little birds trying to find our place in this big bird world. -----------------------------Will you go out tonight? -----------------------------Probably not...but...maybe. -----------------------------I’m kinda tired, but I kinda want to go out. -----------------------------Me too! -----------------------------Well, text me if you do. -----------------------------K, but I probably won’t... -----------------------------.....But I might. -----------------------------Darien Waters is my valentine -----------------------------Yodit, will you be my valentine? Love, T -----------------------------Fourth wave Ska! -----------------------------Darien Waters eats unfrosted poptarts -----------------------------Where do you even get unfrosted poptarts?? -----------------------------Oh no she didn’t! -----------------------------Waiting for college letters is nervewracking. -----------------------------Nana nana -----------------------------Nana nana ----------------------------Nana nana -----------------------------Nana nana -----------------------------BATMAN!! -----------------------------AARON TVEIT IS LIFE <3 -----------------------------Zachy K for Mr. Blake! -----------------------------“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.” -Diane Duane -----------------------------Happy Valentine’s Day to my husband Xavier <3 S -----------------------------Pokemon is life -----------------------------Alan? Alan? -----------------------------K8 4 Prez? :) -----------------------------Shianne Richardson likes to drink her own urine. -----------------------------^^ ohh.... -----------------------------Journalism is Elana’s Valentine. ------------------------------
Olympics > Superbowl -----------------------------I am NOT a Simon. -----------------------------I prefer to admire from afar... ;) -----------------------------Logan Dechter = Chobani Bear -----------------------------Maryam Outlaw is bae -----------------------------Shak Magona is a journalist. -----------------------------Ride by SoMo is life -----------------------------I keep bleedin’ love -----------------------------No really, call 911 -----------------------------If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. -----------------------------I’m so happy :)))) -----------------------------HA HA! Madest thou look -----------------------------Who needs a valentine when you have a dog? -----------------------------#StopKony2012 -----------------------------Juniors, you survived your research paper! -----------------------------When is the electives fair? -----------------------------HOOYAH NAVY -----------------------------I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. -----------------------------Ms. Branson is the bomb.com -----------------------------Michief managed. -----------------------------Ann Cirincione is absolutely beautiful... and crazy. ----------------------------Lol at all of you who might have to deal with extended school days #suckit #2014 -----------------------------If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends. -----------------------------If Darien Waters was a dwarf, he’d be Grumpy. -----------------------------^He is a saint -----------------------------BECAUSE HE’S NERVOUS -----------------------------Nape -----------------------------I could eat Chipotle every day for the rest of my life -----------------------------You smell like revolution. *whispers* I like revolution. -----------------------------A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer. -----------------------------Diggersby tho? -----------------------------Croutons hurt sometimes -----------------------------Amanda King is now hip to the struggle. -----------------------------WHEN IS GRACELAND COMING BACK? -----------------------------Love is an open door -----------------------------It’s too bad I have no one to love today -----------------------------Hunter Balog is the love of my life ------------------------------
The Blake Beat Emily George is the cutest. -----------------------------I love Tanner Williams -----------------------------CVS’s candy shelf, be my valentine -----------------------------Squad or nah? -----------------------------Yo the new $100 bill is sexy -----------------------------Adam Beuttler for Mr. Blake 2014! -----------------------------Nape -----------------------------SOHCAHTOA! -----------------------------IT IS LOVE! -----------------------------Trek & Shrek -----------------------------Zachy K for Mr. Blake! -----------------------------Adam Beuttler for Mr. Blake 2014! -----------------------------Have you ever seen a peeled lemon? It’s SO WEIRD. -----------------------------Robert Klemko is a badass -----------------------------Happy Valentine’s day, everyone. Hope your day is full of love and hemorrages. -----------------------------Thao and Bethanny, Hamson Beth; Prom? -----------------------------Where’s the chill Keenan? -----------------------------^^I’m soo hip. -----------------------------My pear opened in my backpack -----------------------------Ah will cut him, oh yes ah will. -----------------------------Totes mah gotes, it’s cray cray adorbs. -----------------------------Can we make junioritis a thing? -----------------------------No. No it can’t. -----------------------------Mrs. Paul Briggs -----------------------------110 days until graduation seniors! -----------------------------JOHNNY + MIKE FOREVER <3 -----------------------------When I shower, I don’t use a towel, I use a $100 bill #realtalk -----------------------------WHY ISNT YAHOO WORKING -----------------------------Boy you got my heart beat running away -----------------------------Ann Cirincione looks like Maryam’s shirt. -----------------------------Keenan Lo is OC -----------------------------I want you more than Leonardo DiCaprio wants an Oscar. -----------------------------Adam Beuttler for Mr. Blake 2014! -----------------------------How bout them Broncos? -----------------------------It’s jake from state farm -----------------------------Thao will you be my valentine plz? Love Y -----------------------------Logan Dechter has no chill -----------------------------Maryam’s laugh cracks me up. -----------------------------Zachy K for Mr. Blake! -----------------------------Who run the world? -----------------------------BOIS -----------------------------Amanda King has hilarious laughter -----------------------------Zach Kushner is a cheesehead -----------------------------Vote for him ^ -----------------------------#YesWeCan -----------------------------#ImSexyAndYouKnowIt -----------------------------Zachy K for Mr. Blake! -----------------------------I’ll unleash Warren you ;) ------------------------------
Boys’ varsity basketball team ends regular season, begins hopeful playoff run p. D4
Section D
James Hubert Blake High School
February 14, 2014
Swim team’s hard work earns second place in Divisionals
Handful of athletes moves towards Regional Metro Championships
Junior Nikos Kofus comes up for air as he practices his butterfly at a swim meet; both swim teams ended their seasons with a winning record. --Photo by John Kos
x by Emma Friedman With winning seasons, both girls and boys on Blake’s swim team rejoice in the victory of second in the division, with 36 participants competing in Divisionals and a select few moving onto Regionals. “This season was a major success,” says swim coach Ryan Burnsky. The boys finished with a 4-1 record, only losing to Damascus by three points. This was the first time in four years that the girls won Blake’s division. Numerous swimmers competed in the Metropolitan Swim-
ming and Diving Championships last weekend. Many swimmers made it to finals that night. Matt Kenney swam 200 and 500 free in the finals and Sarah Levendusky swam in the 200 and 500 individual medley free. Mr. Burnsky feels great camaraderie with the team. “I love coaching at Blake,” says Mr. Burnsky. “There is a strong sense of “team” on this years’ team…when someone got [their] personal best [it was] a great moment.” Junior captain Hunter Freeman also enjoys the Blake Swim team. “I like swimming because it
is a great way to stay active during the winter and everyone on the team becomes family,” says Freeman. Senior swimmer Daphne O’Grady appreciates the social aspects of swimming. “I enjoy [seeing] my classmates excel at nonacademic activities,” says O’Grady. “I most enjoyed the holiday pasta parties at Ann’s house…they were so fun!” Adds senior Torie Broer, “The pasta parties and the laser tagging made the team a lot of fun.” Senior Holly Tripp reminisces about her time on the team. “Looking back, the team was a
really good experience for me…to be welcomed in freshman year was a good feeling,” says Tripp. Mr. Burnsky strives to reinforce principles for his players. “When you truly think you can, you will…Swimming and diving is 80% physical and 20% mental,” says Mr. Burnsky. “Confidence is another aspect of swimming that cannot be undervalued.” After four years on the swim team, O’Grady will take away team sportsmanship. Says O’Grady, “I like the end of the year banquet where we all get paper plates [and] the team gathers to cheer on and
watch diving.” The team has been a great experience for Broer. “I like the sense of community…You are part of a huge team, where everyone plays a part,” says Broer. “You have an entire team behind you .” Freeman attributes success in part to his coaches. He says, “Coach Burnsky and Coach Thackston really make the practices fun and help you improve your swimming…I hope to see another great season like this previous one.” Adds Tripp, “I learned that when Coach Burnsky says he’ll bring us breakfast, it’s a lie.”
Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics bring viewers around world to standstill
Spectators attempt to look past political tension to enjoy sporting events
x by Jenna Ramirez Caught in the excitement of yet another Olympic Games and political firestorm, the 2014 Sochi Olympics have been the talk of the world since their commencement on February 7. The 2014 games, the 22nd of their kind, are set in Sochi, Russia. While the climate and facilities are touted as a great choice, political uproar in Russia has taken away from the validity of the games for many spectators. During the opening ceremony last Friday night, International Olympic Committee Head Thomas Bach surprised much of the world by making anti-discriminatory comments, explaining that, “Yes, yes, it is possible, even as competitors, to live together under one roof in harmony, with tolerance and without any form of discrimination for whatever reason.”
Aside from the laundry list of issues in Sochi right now, Blake students and other spectators have looked past the political battle ground and focused on the actual games. This year’s Olympics welcomes the first team event in figure skating, in addition to four other events. Hosting country Russia won gold for the rookie team event, with Canada winning silver and the United States winning bronze. Many US Olympians have been favored to bring home gold, including figure skating partners Meryl Davis and Charlie White for ice dancing. Says sophomore Delmar Kaiser, “I’m excited for snowboarding. I’m rooting for Shaun White.” White, a two-time gold medalist, is expected to win gold for the US in the snowboarding half pipe event. The uniqueness of many winter Olympic sports has been a major attraction for the general public. Sophomore Zach Battou cites the rarity of many winter sports for his
viewership. “I like to watch the bobsledding because it’s interesting,” says Battou, “It’s an unusual sport you don’t see often.” Male bobsledding garnered much attention prior to the games after Jamaican hopefuls raised $120,000 dollars to attend the games through online support. With the games taking place in Russia, many fans are anxious to see the Russian and American hockey teams face off after the memorable 1980 defeat of the then favored USSR team. Says sophomore Michael Jenner, “I love the hockey so I can’t wait to watch the US hockey team play. All the teams are really competitive this year.” After a week of events, the United States has six medals. Gold medalists for the United States include female snowboarder Jamie Anderson for women’s slope style and snowboarder Sage Kotsenburg in men’s slope style. *The United States’ medal count may have changed since this article went to press February 12.
I love the hockey so I can’t wait to watch the US hockey team play.
Sophomore Michael Jenner
D2
The Blake Beat
February 14, 2014
Winter sports winding up, preperation for Spring blooming
Players start beefing up skills before beginning of upcoming season x by Shak Magona Many spring athletes share their excitement and anticipation for the New Year as the winter season draws to a close and they prepare for a fresh start in upcoming games. With spring slowly coming, many students’ athletes are both anxious and excited to begin their new season. Outdoor track runner senior Sam White, is confident in his team’s ability and is looking forward to a positive season. “We’re going to be the best in the county this year,” says White. The team has gone through physical and team training during their off season in hopes of running their way to glory. “We want to have a major outdoor season,” says White. He adds, “We’re working every day. There’s no days off.” Changes in coaching have affected the team in various ways, and senior
outdoor track runner Brie Cudjoe has intensively every day in order to be in cited that there is a shortage of sprint- top condition when the season starts. Seers. However, the general spirit for the nior lacrosse and ice hockey player Jake upcoming season for Cudjoe along with Mehallick says, “Everyday I’ve been her fellow teamates is optimistic. “This hitting the wall and running miles. We’ve year, our coach is all about getting us to had to get prepared mentally and get meets and getting bonds going.” us to win,” says Senior volCudjoe. leyball player Lacrosse Kyung Bae becoach Patrick lieves that even Howley believes without last that with the talyear’s graduatent this year, the ing, they will still division title is be able to push definitely within forward and win. reach. Mr. Howley Bae explains that says, “I really think the loss of the that this year will seniors “won’t Senior Kyung Bae be one of the first phase them as times we will be in much because the mix to go for a division title.” they are still strong and they’re more Players have also been training convinced than ever to win.” He adds,
We’re going to play hard for our seniors and play even harder to make Blake proud.
“We’re going to play hard for our seniors and play even harder to make Blake proud as Blake Boys’ Volleyball team.” Boys’ tennis has a new challenge to face this season after being put in the second division roster for the first time. Senior tennis player Victor Phimphachanh says, “All these schools have private coaches so were up against people who train every day.” He adds, “We just need to give it our all.” Senior baseball player Matt Russell is looking forward to a positive year for the team. Russell knows that practice and training will lead the team to victory. Along with the remainder of his teammates, Russell hopes to prove to the remainder of the Blake community that boys’ baseball is a team to be reckoned with. Spring sports start March 1. He says, “If we continue to work hard every day the sky’s the limit on how well we can get.”
Ice hockey skates swiftly to redemption in season-concluding victory Seniors end career with icy blowout; double opposing team’s score x by Jordan McLean Ice hockey closed out its season Friday night with a record of 4-7, and despite these losses, the team remains confident in their future improvement. With many returning players, the team looks to next winter as an opportunity to achieve a winning record. Says junior Kenny Wong, “Each year we get better as a team and people get more confident with the game.” Wong, who also plays for the Montgomery ice hockey team, has had 15 points this season consisting of 11 goals and four assists. Blake started the season off with two wins against combined teams, one team consisting of students from Northwest, Poolesville, Seneca Valley and Quince Orchard, and another team of Damascus, Clarksburg and Gaithersburg. A set of 10-7 and 7-4 wins set the season off right. Says senior Kevin Wright, “Our team works really well together, it’s just a shame we don’t have more time to practice together.” The team then suffered a three game losing streak to Magruder and Rockville’s combined team, Blair, and the DC Stars. The Bengals then pulled out a 9-2 win over the combined team they beat earlier in their season in the first game. Goals were scored by five different players, as well as assists from seven different players including the only girl on the team, senior Julia Bell. Bell has had eight points this season, consisting of two goals and six assists. She has played Blake hockey for the past four years and has acquired a total of 13 points. Says Bell, “Hockey has been a huge part of my time at Blake and I’m really going to miss it.” She adds, “The team always really enjoys playing the season together whether we win or lose.” Friday night was the Bengals’ final game and senior night. The ice rink was full of screaming fans for both teams when the Bengals took on a combined team of Quince Orchard, Seneca Valley, Northwest, and Poolesville. The team pulled out a win of 13-6 with goals by four different players. Since it is a community team and there is no school ice rink, students from multiple schools in the area can play with the Bengals. Senior night took place before the game, and honored seniors from Blake, Springbrook, Paint Branch, and Sandy Spring Friends school. The Blake coed community ice hockey team is an independent Senior Jake Mehallick keeps his eyes on the prize in a competitive hockey game.--Photo by Sami Wright organization. It is not affiliated with the Blake Athletic Department.
Student athletes devote energy to single sport year-round Outside organizations keep Bengals dedicated to passions, games
x by Levko Karmazyn & Jenna Ramirez Academics and other activities do not limit the passion of a handful of Blake students who find themselves playing the sports they love, not just during their respective seasons, but year round for other organizations. These students dedicate long hours annually to club teams for various sports. They battle both cold weather and extreme heat for their passion. They deal with the stress of having less time to do the large amounts of schoolwork they are assigned nightly. Junior Olivia English, who plays softball outside of school, has practice every day after school. Says English, “Usually I practice every day for about an hour or more.” Many of these students continue to play their favorite sport outside of school in hopes of seeing a career or college scholarship with their talent. The lure
of being a collegiate or professional athlete is inspiration for many. Adds English, “I’ve been attending college showcases and go to college camps to meet with coaches.” Junior Frankie Hedgepeth, who plays for a lacrosse club in Rockville called Performance, says he plays simply to keep busy year around. “I’m not really into any other sport,” says Hedgepeth, “[Lacrosse] gives me something to do.” Although Hedgepeth does not see a lacrosse career in his collegiate future, he still spends the 5-6 hours a week during the summer and 3-4 hours a week during the school year playing solely because he loves it. However, some of these passionate players cite family reasons for their dedication. Family can be a large influence on these students, as to some, playing a sport is a commitment for the entire family. For junior Sergio
Gomez, his father’s passion led him to play at the level of commitment he is currently. Says Gomez, “My dad played for the national team in Bolivia.” These athletes spend hours on end on the field, in the pool, or in the weight room. “I play 3-4 hours every day,” says Gomez, who started on the Blake Varsity team that went to the state championship in the fall. Few student athletes have the time to commit hours after school, but Gomez’s passion for soccer is relentless. He adds, “I stay athletic but also try to have fun.” For some of these committed student athletes, staying on track in both academics and athletics has proven to be a challenge. “Playing year round is hard because you have to stop doing homework at night to go to practice and then you come home late and still have to finish your homework,” says English. “It just takes a lot of time.”
The Blake Beat
D3
February 14, 2014
Poms pirouette their way to top, defend prized division title Competition season culminates in victory for a second year in a row x by Ariel Gomez After ending last year’s season with an undefeated record, the Blake Poms danced to defend their title as Division I County Champs Saturday, February 1 at Richard Montgomery High School. In what was considered one of the most competitive matches against schools like Magruder, Sherwood, and Rockville, the Lady Bengals came out on top. They placed first as a team and junior captain Lauren Gil placed first as captain. “We were all nervous,” says junior Stacy Shin. “All our hard work from the past five to six months comes down to this one moment.” Stepping off the dance floor after performing fifth, the Blake Poms knew the Division Championship was in their reach. Says Shin, “We worked for it, we knew we wanted it. We performed our hearts out.” She adds, “We honestly danced the best we’ve ever done.” The Poms agree that results like this don’t happen overnight. The Poms work hard all season long to prepare for competition. “To prepare, we motivate each other [and] we practice our hardest to be competition ready,” says junior Jenna Galeano. Other than their daily practice, the Poms perform at other venues to prepare for the actual competition day. “We practiced our butts off in between competitions,” says junior Renee Treacy. “Performing at basketball games and at the University of Maryland [College Park] helped
Junior Jenna Galeano performs with division-winning Poms squad. --Photo by Dennis Chan
us get ready for crowds.” Even though the Poms practice every day, they still feel nerves during competitions. To prepare for the pressure, the Poms go through a pre-game ritual. “We do a lot of relaxation skills and stretches before we go on,” says Gil. “We just try to stay calm.” The Blake Poms commenced their competition season back on January 11 at the Damascus High School Hornets Poms Invitational where they first got to showcase their new routines. They finished as the first place team at the invitational, with Gil performed a winning captain’s routine. The Poms second competition of the season, the Jaguar Invitational at Northwest High School, proved to be more of a challenge. Gil again came out on top, once again placing first as captain and continuing her undefeated streak for the season. However, the team ended up in second place after a fierce battle and a close score. Adds junior Tenay Graham, “We tied, but when it came to the tie breaker, we got second place by one point.” However, the results of this invitational served as a catalyst to push the Poms to work harder. “Although second isn’t entirely a bad place, we were pushing for more,” says Shin. “We worked hard and vigorously the following two weeks so Blake would be at the top again.”
Lady Bengals continue fighting in hopes to advance further in playoffs
Despite loss, team stays resilent, motivated to work harder for more wins by Zach Kushner x & Darien Waters The ballin’ Lady Bengals girls’ basketball teams have fought long and hard to combine for over a dozen wins so far this season and have aspirations for the varsity team to go deep into the playoffs. Varsity’s two losses to the Kennedy Lady Cavaliers do not phase coach Patti Gilmore. She says, “Overall we’ve had a nice season.” The girls still have time to improve their record before playoffs with a few games remaining in the regular season,
including tonight when they travel to face Northwood. Against the Sherwood Lady Warriors the team pulled out a 47-42 win. “[The] first half… our defense wasn’t so good,” adds coach Gilmore. “Then we made some adjustments, picked it up, talked about it and it was much better the second half.” Halfway through the season, the Lady Bengals suffered a five game losing streak to Kennedy, Paint Branch, Blair, Magruder, and B-CC. They overcame that sore streak with a 4838 home win over rival Spring-
brook lady Blue Devils. Junior Bailey Boyd says, “Throughout the season our teamwork has improved as well as our resiliency.” Junior shooting guard Keri Walker notes that the reason for their five-game skid was that they had not yet faced a real challenge. ‘We started off with a bunch of the easier teams,” says Walker, “so when we got to the harder ones, we just weren’t ready.” Boyd, Walker, and the rest of the team are determined to finish the season off with a bang, and possibly add some revenge to the mix. Says Boyd, “As the season progresses, I am looking
forward to playing teams that we have lost to because I know when we play them again there will be a different outcome.” Coach Gilmore knows that this different outcome is very possible due to her very talented squad. “They are very unselfish... and they are very athletic which means they are good in the open court and our press is very effective,” she says. While she admits opposing teams’ playmakers have been a problem, she says she has some of her own. “Asha Henley’s a fabulous leader, Citiana Negatu has really become a big scorer,”
coach Gilmore adds. The Lady Bengals are hopeful that Negatu, Henley, and others will step up their game so they can build some momentum as playoffs draw closer. On the Junior Varsity side, the girls finished with a record just below .500, with some tough results that could have gone either way. Sophomore guard Tayllor Afram thinks that with a little more focus, the season could have turned out differently. “We could have been a little more consistent with our playing, but overall we’ve had some good games,” Afram adds.
Varsity girls’ cross country invited to compete in Golden Coast 5K race
Down Under Sports hosts international meet in Brisbane, Australia
x by Ariel Gomez After already making history this year as the first girls’ cross country team to ever qualify for States, seven team members have been invited to participate in an international track meet sponsored by Down Under Sports, held in Brisbane, Australia. The seven varsity runners that were invited to represent the United States in the competition are sophomores Catherine Oberfield, Holyna Nhean, Riani Carr, Abby Hines, and Onesty Peoples, and juniors Martha Sam and Lily Prokop. The runners invited received their invitations to participate at the event this past December. “I felt honored that I was chosen out of so many runners,” says Carr. “Our team has worked really hard this past season and we are very deserving.” The week-long event will be taking place this summer during July.
Prokop feels similarly about the opportunity. “It’s a huge honor to have someone from Blake running at this caliber of an event,” she adds. Acknowledging the pressure that comes along with the opportunity, Carr adds, “Since they say I’m representing the United States and Maryland, I feel a lot of pressure to perform well.” Hines feels a different type of pressure. “This race is at a whole different level,” she says. “Even though it’s the same distance as a high school race, we are racing against the top runners in the world, and that’s very intimidating.” However, the event costs $4,000 and many of the girls are considering declining the opportunity because of this high price. “I think all of us like the idea of going; it would be a great experience,” says Hines. “But it feels like I’m paying thousands of dollars to lose.” The invitees even have an option to travel to
Hawaii for a few days if they choose to. However this would be added on to the already high price. “We don’t run in Hawaii, it’s just an option to have more fun,” says Prokop. If any of the invited girls decide to go, they will be racing the same distance they usually do for a high school meet. Nhean says, “The racing highlight of the Down Under Sports cross country trip is to complete in the gold coast 5K challenge.” Carr and Prokop look at the chance to race in Australia as a good learning experience. “I hope to learn that I am capable of representing America and to appreciate the beauty of Australia and really improve myself for the upcoming season,” says Carr. Prokop also hopes to grow as a person if she decides to run. “I hope to learn more about teamwork and the correlation between a strong team both physically and emotionally,” adds Prokop.
Our team has worked really hard this past season and we are very deserving.
Sophomore Riani Carr
D4
The Blake Beat
February 14, 2014
Senior Demonte Ojinnaka (left) dribbles down the court and junior Nathan Bonsu (right) goes in for a shot during the Springbrook game. --Photo by Dennis Chan
Basketball shoots for redemption, looks to playoff run
Boys overcome injuries, lineup changes to fight for post-season spot by Marie Anne Louis-Charles is a main focus for the Bengals. Adds Nganga, “We need to be x& Jordan McLean our best for the playoff season.” With a winning record of This winter, the Bengals 10-7, the boys’ basketball team have played a total of 18 games, remains cautiously optimistic facing some teams more than when looking forward to facing once. Many of their games have tough competition in the rapidly gone back and forth, with losses approaching playoff season. by only a few points. The team is The team is looking to make ready for redemption, and is hopchanges in their play to prepare ing to make it far into the playoffs. for upcoming teams. Says junior The Bengals have faced Jamal Nganga, “We are a really some challenges this season with strong team when we work as a multiple injuries. Says six year unit.” Practicing harder and work- head coach and math teacher ing with each other on the court Marcus Wiggins, “This is a season
where we had several injuries and several setbacks that have caused us not to have continual growth.” The multiple injuries have affected the team throughout this season especially in recent games. Says junior Jordan Browne, “Against BCC we didn’t have our top three scorers but we were able to come together and still get the win.” A key factor for the team’s unity is Mr. Wiggins. Adds Browne, “He has been helping us with every adversity we’ve had.” A recent loss to Spring-
brook has made the team even hungrier for wins. After a close loss early in the season of 62-57 to the Blue Devils, the Bengals had an even greater loss to them later in the season of 77-40. Friday February 7, the Bengals defeated Paint Branch 66-37. The boys are ready to become the best team they can be in their upcoming games. They feel the pressure, but they believe it can only help bring the squad a competitive edge to each game they play. Says sophomore Jack Tempchin, “We just need to stay
focused and come out ready to win.” Though the team has been struggling from injuries, Mr. Wiggins sees great improvement among his players as they challenge themselves and develop new skills. “It’s been a learning process for everyone on the team,” Mr. Wiggins adds. “A lot of people have been asked to do things that they haven’t had to do in the past... It’s been a struggle but it’s been a good struggle.” The Bengals play at Northwood today at 5:15pm.
Track accelerates towards recordbreaking times, stellar performances New coaches prepare for spring season, runners develop team ethic x by Zach Kushner Whether you are a sprinter, distance runner, or long jumper, dedication, discipline, and perseverance are all key to becoming a successful and thriving athlete on the track and field team. Though this season has not been what head coach Brandon Tynes had hoped for, the team still made the best with what they had. “It seems as though since the beginning of the [season] the team’s mindset has changed about track,” says Mr. Tynes. “The team has been much more disciplined, they have become students of the sport, and they seem to care a lot more about how they do in track meets,” he adds. Besides the team missing both meets and practices due to unforeseen circumstances, this season the track team got two new coaches, Mr. Tynes and Chris Grindley, who joined veteran coach Abner Wyatt. “It’s been a big change this indoor season with two new coaches, but they’re doing great because we’re in the best shape we’ve been in years and we’re breaking records left and right,” says senior Brie Cudjoe. The track has been dominated by the lady Bengals this season as they have broken the school records in the 4x200m relay and 4x400m relay. Junior Martha Sam has broken the school records in the 55m and 300m dash, and senior Elizabeth Adesanya gave a stellar performance at Virginia Polytechnic Institute that put her just two
hundredths of a second off the school record in the 500m dash. “With Regionals, States, and Nationals still to come, the ladies have been very vocal about them breaking more records before the season is over,” says Mr. Tynes. Building team chemistry helps the athletes to push each other to practice harder and perform better at meets. “Since none of the coaches go to Blake, it takes time for them to get here... This leaves the runners with 50 minutes of free time,” says senior Greg Bell. He adds, “Instead of just wandering the school or being antisocial the team gathers in a spot before practice and talks and makes jokes and just has a good time being in each other’s company.” After the State and National Championship meets, it will become outdoor season which is something runners and coaches alike are looking forward to. Bell says, “A bigger track and natural air normally drops everyone’s times. The relays should get more interesting too as we get new people who were doing other sports during the winter season.” Mr. Tynes will keep his same intensity going into the outdoor season to try to extend on the accomplishments that the team has already surpassed. “I can honestly say that the team has made so many drastic improvements,” says Mr. Tynes. “I do not have too many things that I need to change,” he adds.
The Blake Beat
D5
February 14, 2014
Competitors grapple to gain upper hand in troubled season
Bengals wrestle to defeat opponents with undermanned varsity squad
x by Marie Anne Louis-Charles While the wrestling team’s record of 4-9 may reflect a losing season, the squad has performed well in spite of the lack of a diverse collection of weight classes. Though the team has gained additional competitors since the beginning of the season the forfeit of many weight classes have stunted the performance of the Bengals. Says sophomore Nicholas Moskov, “As a team we are not doing so well and that’s just because our numbers are really low.” Forfeits has severely impacted the record by causing the loss of close meets including the losses against Watkins Mill. “There were a lot of close games. A lot of games which were just decided on just a couple of points,” says Moskov. The exclusion of many weight classes from the team’s roster has been perceived as the main force preventing the squad from acquiring a winning season. Says junior Tyler Nine, “[The forfeits] affect our wins as a team because overall each match we wrestled we almost won.” Nine adds, “We would have won most of our matches if we took the forfeits out.” The loss of so many matches due to forfeit has caused some wrestlers to become slightly disappointed “It’s kind of sad...to lose so many [matches] by forfeit,” says Moskov. Because of large point deductions from forfeits, the team is often faced with an uphill battle. Says Moskov, “[We lose] 30 points every single match, so we are automatically down. We all have to basically win our matches to even have a chance at winning… It’s tough.” Despite enduring a challenging year, the Bengals have not let their losing season defeat them and damper their improvement in the sport. Says Moskov, “We all just try to push and move harder [and we] have gotten better in everything across the board.” Although the team holds a losing record, many members of the squad expect to advance through counties to regionals. Says Nine, “Wrestling is a pretty individual sport in the end cause the team only goes so far and then tournamenttime... That’s what really matters.” Regardless of the challenges the squad wrestles with, the Bengals are still optimistic about the remainder of the season. “I think we are going to end the season giving it our all, hopefully get another couple wins, and that’s all we can really do,” says Nine. Junior Tyler Nine runs an arm bar on an opponent from Whitman February 1. --Photo by Dennis Chan “We’re just trying our hardest.”
Boys’ basketball suffers brutal, exciting loss against rival Springbrook by Courtney Hutchinson x & Jordan McLean Varsity boys’ basketball played a challenging game against Springbrook Blue Devils January 28 and fell short of a win by 37 points making the final score 77-40. Despite the tragic loss, our boys fought hard to create momentum and win. To start off the game, Springbrook gets a two-point basket, followed by an amazing Blake three-pointer that is nothing but net. The cheerleaders offer loud Blake spirit with the crowd favorite “Hustle” cheer. A Springbrook player is fouled and rowdiness ensues. All types of phrases, some encouraging and some not, are hollered at the Blue Devils. The student section gets louder and louder as they count out the Blue Devil’s dribbles. In the middle of the free throws, sophomore Jack Tempchin is welcomed to the game with the crowd
chanting his name. As the Bengals get the rebound off the second foul shot, they are pressured by an aggressive Springbrook defense. When Springbrook recovers the ball, they are surprised as junior Jordan Browne jumps up high and blocks an attempted Blue Devil dunk, a huge play for the Bengals.
At the start of the second, a huge dunk by the Blue Devils causes fans from both sides to stare in awe, and cheers erupt from Springbrook fans. The noise is quickly silenced however with an outside threepoint shot by sophomore Dariel Medina. On the Springbrook recovery, sophomore Charles Snowden has a monster block that
Despite the tragic loss, our boys fought hard to create momentum... With 2:52 left in the first quarter, the Bengals are down by 14. Senior Brian Ferguson drives down the court with uncanny speed to get two points for the Bengals. As the first quarter draws to a close, Blake trails Springbrook by nineteen points, the score at 26-7.
sets the crowd off wild, and turns things around for the Bengals. With 5:20 left in the second, senior Demonte Ojinnaka enters the game. After a devastating injury earlier this season, he gets a warm welcome from the crowd. He makes a basket upon his first touch of the
ball to bring the Bengals to 13 points. Another Bengal block by junior Jamal Nganga and a three pointer by Ojinnaka brings the team some redemption. The halftime score stands at 44-18 and the Bengal fans cheer with enthusiasm and excitement as the two year county champion Poms enter the gym. As the third quarter starts, the Bengals continue to fight off the superb Springbrook offense. The drumline assist the cheer squad with a remix version of “Red Hot” that brings a joyous attitude to the crowd. With five minutes left in the game, senior Matt Russell heads onto the court with welcoming yells from his friends and fans. Fouls are flying as the game draws to a close. The clocks strikes zero; the Bengals are still down by 27 points. Friday, the Bengals took on rival Paint Branch for the second time and had a successful win after an earlier loss this season of 66-37.
Number of divers on swim team decreases for ‘14 season Limited students ready to take plunge, squad seeks more participants x by Darien Waters Members of the swim and dive team are scratching their heads as they attempt to figure out why the team has become increasingly devoid of divers in recent years. Both swimmers and divers alike note that there are several different factors that limit the number of divers on the team, such as the natural graduation of senior divers, the sport’s difficulty level, and the rarity of the sport itself. Senior and four-year swimmer Holly Tripp thinks the small number of divers dwindles as the years go by. “The number of divers fluctuates every year. Some years there will be two or three, some there could be five or more,” says Tripp. “It really depends on the incoming class.” Another reason that keeps the dive team’s enlist-
ment low is the sport’s difficulty. At dive meets, the maximum points are awarded to more difficult dives, some that can take years of practice to perfect. “Diving is one of those sports you have to start early to be good at,” Tripp adds. Junior and two-year diver Benjamin Haley, who recently finished his third year on the swim team, can affirm that diving is not as easy as it looks. “[Diving] is a little harder to learn,” Haley says. Haley joined the team after his older sister, a former Blake diver, convinced him to try out. He enjoys the sport and encourages others to give it a shot. “There’s no loss in trying it,” adds Haley. Haley assures those whoa are scared that it will be too much of a commitment that it is more than manageable. “It’s one practice a week, the first four dives aren’t that complicated, and you don’t have to go to the meets if you don’t have the dives,” says Haley.
Kate Murphy, a junior and three-year member of the swim team, acknowledges that a fairly small diving team is nothing new. “It seems pretty natural [that there are very few divers on the team]. It’s like that for every school… the dive team is always far smaller,” adds Murphy. The members of the dive team, though they do practice at different times and places, still remain an essential part of the overall unit. “The divers are pretty much their own group, but they’re still part of the team,” Murphy says. Another three-year diver, junior Joan Wood, says that her favorite part of diving is attempting higher level dives. “I like doing the scary dives that no one else really likes,” Wood says. She also encourages people to come and be a part of the squad. “People should just come and join the team… Just try it, and you’ll have fun,” she adds.
D6
The Blake Beat
February 14, 2014
Superbowl disappoints while Wizards finally shape up x by Zach Kushner Breaking news: the Denver Broncos football team has won the disappointment of the year award after they decided to sit out Super Bowl XLVIII. While quarterback Peyton Manning did not win the Super Bowl, he did break the record for most playoff losses with 12. That is more than the amount of points Manning’s team was able to score the entire game against the Seattle Seahawks. It was not all awful though, as Manning did break the record for most completions in a Super Bowl with 33. Even yelling Omaha was not enough to help the Broncos as they were in a hole from the first play of the game when the Seahawks scored a safety without any effort at all. The commercials for the most part were disappointing too. If you are a Broncos fan and did not at least have good food
to eat while you watched then that night most likely went down as the worst since the day Broncos got Tim Tebow. At least Tebow though has not lost more playoff games as he won. As for the NHL, the Caps while fifth in their division are only four points out of second place going into the two-week Olympic break. Captain Alex Ovechkin leads the league with 40 goals and is playing with his country Russia for the Olympics. Ovechkin’s teammates cen-
ter Nicklas Backstrom, right wing Martin Erat, and defenseman John Carlson will also be in the Olympics for their nations, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and the United States of America respectively. Center Marcus Johansson will play for Sweden as a result of an injury to Henrik Sedin. Wi t h the NHL at a pause for the Olympics, the Wizards are the only Washington team currently in action, and they are showing why they finally deserve respect. I prefer not to question
why it took so long for the Wizards to be decent but rather accept that they are playing good for once. Teeter tottering around .500 the Wizards have a legitimate chance at making a playoff run especially with how well John Wall and Bradley Beal are performing. If the season ended today the Wizards would be the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. But that is not really the biggest accomplishment seeing as how that would put them in 10 place if they were in the better Western Conference. In more local news, Olympian Katie Ledecky of Stone Ridge High School broke the American record in the 500 freestyle at the Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Swim & Dive Championship which also had Blake swimmers competing. Not that many people I know can say they touched water that a gold medalist swam in, and broke a national record in.
Junior varsity softball, lacrosse teams warmly welcome new coaches
Sebring, Larsen take over spring sport programs for upcoming season xby Emma Friedman Spring sports are in “full swing” as coach Angela Sebring and science teacher Amy Larsen take on positions as coaches for junior varsity lacrosse and softball, respectively. Both new coaches have prior connections with the sport they are coaching along with others. Mrs. Larsen played softball in college, was the assistant coach of JV softball and JV soccer as a volunteer for a few seasons, and the assistant coach for B-CC softball where she graduated high school. She will also be the head coach for JV
girls soccer. Mrs. Sebring worked at various levels with soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey. She started coaching in high school and worked with a U-10 Soccer Team at her church. She coaches JV Lacrosse in Carroll County, recreational level lacrosse, JV soccer and lacrosse in Baltimore County, varsity lacrosse in Montgomery County, and has been the JV field hockey coach at Blake since 2007. Both coaches are excited for the upcoming 2014 season. “I am most excited about working with students...to help them better understand the sport and
its connections to other sports,” says Mrs. Sebring. “I also enjoy the competition and the joy of success.” Adds Mrs. Larsen, “I love softball and I’m deeply committed to Blake so it’s a perfect fit. I’m also a strong supporter of girls’ athletics and seeing girls be fit and strong.” Previous varsity lacrosse coach Janis Maloney brought Mrs. Sebring to work defensively with the goalies last year. “I would do anything I can to help the students at Blake,” says Mrs. Sebring. “[Coaching JV lacrosse] was another opportunity to help them develop as athletes and
leaders.” Mrs. Larsen sets her standards high for incoming JV softball players. “I can work with anyone who wants to work hard. You are committing…to be your best on any given day,” says Mrs. Larsen. “Your commitment will be tested…that’s why you made [the team], to show you stand for something and can dig deep when your team needs you to.” Both coaches comment on future hopes for their teams. “I love teaching the basics, as I feel you cannot be a strong, effective player without them,” say Mrs. Larsen. “I hope the season brings a lot of growth and development.
Ideally, we would finish the season with every girl ready to be moved up to Varsity… [But] it depends on the work ethic of the team members.” Adds Mrs. Sebring, “I want the students to learn, to grow and improve on something, together. If we are working hard to improve our skills, we will get to the level of success that we need.” Mrs. Larsen plans to coach her girls fairly in the upcoming 2014 season. Says Mrs. Larsen, “I’ll never ask the team to do something that I can’t do myself. I’ll be running those hills right with you, girls! (And you’d better hope I’m not the first one up!).”
The Blake Beat
February 14, 2014
Second Quarter Minds in Motion Award winners
D7
Received for earning at least a 3.25 GPA while participating in a school sport GREGORY BELL (Boys’ Indoor Track) Arnold Chonai (Boys’ Indoor Track) LOGAN DECHTER (Boys’ Indoor Track) Miles Douglas (Boys’ Indoor Track) Petr Janda (Boys’ Indoor Track) Paul Kennedy (Boys’ Indoor Track) Cyrus Moore (Boys’ Indoor Track) JAMES NEWPORT (Boys’ Indoor Track) Ian Smith (Boys’ Indoor Track) Jesse Stout (Boys’ Indoor Track) Dylan Taira (Boys’ Indoor Track) Haley Gill (Boys’ JV Basketball) Michael Griffin (Boys’ JV Basketball) Alexis Schiller (Boys’ JV Basketball) Weston Sirk (Boys’ JV Basketball) Gabriel Wilson (Boys’ JV Basketball) Ariel Gomez (Boys’ Swim & Dive) Benjamin Haley (Boys’ Swim & Dive) Christopher Haley (Boys’ Swim & Dive) FRANK HEDGEPETH (Boys’ Swim & Dive) Brian Hung (Boys’ Swim & Dive) Levko Karmazyn (Boys’ Swim & Dive) Matthew Kenney (Boys’ Swim & Dive) Zachary Kushner (Boys’ Swim & Dive) Ethan Miller (Boys’ Swim & Dive) Max O’Grady (Boys’ Swim & Dive) Thomas Plihal (Boys’ Swim & Dive) Christopher Wiggins (Boys’ Swim & Dive) Demonte Ojinnaka (Boys’ Vars Basketball) Thomas Stanton (Boys’ Vars Basketball) Jack Tempchin (Boys’ Vars Basketball) Ayodele Adesanya (Girls’ Indoor Track) Malika Ali (Girls’ Indoor Track) Kate Campbell (Girls’ Indoor Track) ABIGAIL HINES (Girls’ Indoor Track) Kaela Jones (Girls’ Indoor Track) SARA KOHORST (Girls’ Indoor Track) Holyna Nhean (Girls’ Indoor Track) Chizitere Odidika (Girls’ Indoor Track) Martha Sam (Girls’ Indoor Track)
Paige Shoemaker (Girls’ Indoor Track) Bailey Boyd (Girls’ Vars Basketball) Anagabriela Vargas (Girls’ Indoor Track) Alexia Calhoun (Girls’ Vars Basketball) Tayllor Afram (Girls’ JV Basketball) MONICA HALLMARK (Girls’ Vars Basketball) Alexandra Bartley (Girls’ JV Basketball) Elana Harris (Girls’ Vars Basketball) Katherine Deosaran (Girls’ JV Basketball) Asha Henley (Girls’ Vars Basketball) Brianna Smith (Girls’ JV Basketball) Karima Holland (Girls’ Vars Basketball) NICOLE STOCK (Girls’ JV Basketball) Citiana Negatu (Girls’ Vars Basketball) Stephanie Bergmann (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Brigit Ngaleu (Girls’ Vars Basketball) MICHELLE BLOYD (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Brittany O’Gilvie (Girls’ Vars Basketball) Sarah Bridegum (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Keri Walker (Girls’ Vars Basketball) TORIE BROER (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Tariq Brooks (JV Wrestling) Sherry-Mae Canoy Weller (Girls’ Swim & Oritsetsolaye Akuya (Poms) Dive) Natalie Domaas (Poms) Riani Carr (Girls’ Swim & Dive) CHRISTINE EVANS (Poms) ANN CIRINCIONE (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Alexis Hughes (Poms) CHIARA DE PASCALIS (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Avery Potts (Poms) Annika Fellinger (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Alexandra Rundlett (Poms) Laura Franklin (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Kara Savercool (Poms) Gabriella Garcia-Ruiz (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Stacy Shin (Poms) LILLIAN HALLMARK (Girls’ Swim & Dive) SAMANTHA STUART (Poms) Bethany Hamson (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Renee Treacy (Poms) MELISSA HEWITT (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Alexandra Young (Poms) Alayna Jordan (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Alexis Carter (Vars Cheerleading) Madeline Kalen (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Danasia Graham (Vars Cheerleading) Caroline Lamb (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Alyssia Graves (Vars Cheerleading) Nicole Lertora (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Alexiana James (Vars Cheerleading) SARAH LEVENDUSKY (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Na’ila Mendonca (Vars Cheerleading) Keara Lindsay (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Tochi Nnadi (Vars Cheerleading) Jordan McLean (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Sally Tucker (Vars Cheerleading) MARY MOLLOY (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Kayla Waller-LaRue (Vars Cheerleading) Kate Murphy (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Vincent Abell (Vars Wrestling) DAPHNE O’GRADY (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Jacob Allnutt (Vars Wrestling) Rebecca Puccini (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Jason Fleischer (Vars Wrestling) Anna Schiller (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Kristina McKenna (Vars Wrestling) Ashley Sheibaniagdam (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Jeremy Nickens (Vars Wrestling) Ellenor Smethurst (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Tyler Nine (Vars Wrestling) ASHLEY STUART (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Alexander Serpas-Chavez (Vars Wrestling) Caroline Tatnall (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Sara Stanley (Vars Wrestling) Sydney Wolk (Girls’ Swim & Dive) Joshua Werfel (Vars Wrestling) JOAN WOOD (Girls’ Swim & Dive)
D8
February 14, 2014
The Blake Beat
Junior applauds tween movie for its wry humor, denounces special effects, p. A3
Section E
James Hubert Blake High School
February 14, 2014
Blake students inducted into Tri-M Music Honor society Newly accepted students bloom with excitement over awarded roses x by Kate Campbell
After a demanding process involving evaluation of an application and a solo audition, 18 academically and musically inclined students in tenth through twelfth grade were inducted into the Modern Music Masters (Tri-M) Honor Society January 24. “The process is quite rigorous,” says music teacher Jonathan Eising, one of the four teachers responsible for judging each applicant on their solo performance. “Students are eligible to apply even if they are not the top player or vocalist...it’s a focus on personal abilities and leadership.” Requirements include an overall GPA of a 3.0 or higher, an A in all music courses in which the student is enrolled, and participation in monthly meetings on the third Tuesday of every month. “This honor society was created to recognize and reward high flyers, as well as inspire students to excel at music,” says Mr. Eising. “I’m excited to see what the society has to bring me,” says sophomore Abby Hines, one of this year’s new inductees into Tri-M. “I’ve been involved in several musical organizations all my life, and acceptance definitely boosts my confidence in my music performance skills.” Hines is one among many sophomores to audition and receive an “acceptance rose” into the music honor society this year. “We have a lot of tenth graders who apply, which is really good for cementing the future of our program,” says Mr. Eising. In addition to new inductees, Tri-M undergoes elections for leadership positions each year, with officer positions including president, choral vice president, instrumental vice president, and a secretarial position which is currently held by junior Lily Prokop. “I’m interested in studying music business, so being in Tri-M has advantages,” says Prokop. “The music industry is about ‘making it or breaking it,’ and because of my involvement in Tri-M, I’ll have an understanding of cooperation and assertiveness.” According to Prokop, for the remainder of the year, Tri-M plans to “get [their] talented choir and instrumental musicians recognized around the community.” With a sufficient number of new members and strong leadership under its belt, the society is also able to direct its attention to supporting school concerts and playing around the community. In addition to being recognized at the Music Department Awards Night March 27, new inductees receive a pink tassel during their senior year to wear at graduation. “Blake is one of the largest chapters of TriM in Montgomery County,” says Eising. “With that being said, each year we continue to receive a range of applications from some of the Senior Niara Brown poses with a rose she received with her Tri-M acceptance. -- Photo by Sami Wright best and brightest.”
Advanced jazz class collaborates with National Institutes of Health x by Michelle Carter Audience members at Blake dance concerts usually know what to expect from dance teacher Danielle D’Anna’s advanced jazz class, yet many may have noticed something different about the pieces seen in the winter dance concert. In partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the class split into three groups to work on a choreography project for National Drug Facts Week (NDFW). “[We portrayed] the struggle of staying above the influence,” says junior participant Tenay Graham. At first, the participating dancers were not aware of the impact dance could have in portraying such an important message. Senior Jewel Campbell noted that it was a great way to educate others about the dangers of drugs. Says Campbell, “Some people are better visual learners.”
Before the dancers could begin choreographing, they had to become educated about drugs and their side effects. NIH Management Intern Britny Hall says, “I was able to visit Mrs. D’Anna’s class and explain more about NDFW, preview the dances, and give feedback prior to their final concert.” A project on drugs was something never done in the class before. “I wanted to do something more than the usual project. I wanted to do a project that would impact more than just my dancers,” says Mrs. D’Anna. “I decided to…guide my students to create dance as art to make a difference in someone’s life.” Not only did Mrs. D’Anna think the project was groundbreaking, but the experience seemed to stretch the dancers as well. Mrs. D’Anna says “The dance must call for organic creation and match what you are trying to express through movement and sometimes this can be
hard for young choreographers to figure out.” Adds senior participant Fatou Yatassaye, “It gave us a reality check. It’s not just a dance, it’s a story.” Many dancers in the class thought that the experience was difficult, yet fulfilling for everyone. Senior Melinda Tchokogoue says, “We had to make up who our characters were. It was hard to portray the effects. Emotion was also hard.” Overall, the dancers felt that they grew as people and became more educated. “[We all] showed that something like drugs can actually do so much more than make you feel like you’re on cloud nine for a few minutes or seconds,” says sophomore Alexandra Rundlett. “It takes away parts of your life that you could possibly never take back.” Altogether, Mrs. D’Anna’s advanced jazz class is grateful for the experience. Says Yatassaye, “We didn’t expect the effect the dance would have.”
Adept AP photography class plans to teach middle schoolers art form
x by Shak Magona Students will become the teachers later this year, instructing young eighth graders in the art of photography and giving students both the opportunity to teach, as well as a look into what educators have to deal with. The decision was made during a fine arts department meeting to let an AP photography class teach eighth graders at Briggs Chaney Middle School. AP photography teacher Amanda Jones believes that both sets of students would benefit from the experience. “I think my students will
come to appreciate the process of teaching,” says Ms. Jones. The class of eighth graders being instructed consists of approximately 40 students who take the course all year long, which not too many classes do. “The goal is to have my students develop a lesson plan that will be taught to [the] 8th grade art class,” adds Jones. The students want to make sure that won’t overwhelm the eighth grade students at Briggs Chaney. Ms. Jones herself was taught by art teacher Joanne Roarty, who will be giving her class up for a day to give Ms. Jones’
class a chance to teach. Ms. Jones hopes this experience will help attract more students to Blake. Ms. Jones says, “I think it’s a great opportunity to help future Blake students feel comfortable with choosing Blake.” When Ms. Jones heard of the idea in the meeting the first person she thought of was Ms. Roarty, who mentored her in 2003 when she was a student teacher at Rosa Parks middle school. Ms. Jones adds, “That was my first experience teaching.” She began with helping students paint ceiling tiles and is grateful for Ms. Roarty’s guidance.
Ms. Roarty will be coming to the school to show the students how to run her class so they are not overwhelmed. Ms. Jones says, “I don’t think that we’re prepared yet.” She adds, “We’re really lucky that Ms. Roarty has volunteered to come over and help prepare the students.” AP students are going to be in charge of teaching their theme and researching their topics. Ms. Jones says, “My students aren’t going to be thrown to the wolves, I’ll be there and Ms. Roarty will be too.” It is heavily encouraged that students be able to instruct
the class without help from either Ms. Jones or Ms. Roarty. “We are going to empower Blake high school students to do most of the teaching,” says Ms. Jones. She adds, “This a great opportunity.” Teaching will also be seen as a good moral lesson for the students, encouraging them to give back to the community. Ms. Jones says, “Have that feeling of what it means to give” “I love the fact that we’re being given an opportunity to work together,” says Ms. Jones. “I think it creates a unique experience for both teachers and students.”
E2
February 14, 2014
by Emma Friedman x & Kirsten Hines
Victor Phimphachanh
Ceramics is often hidden beneath the dry, “bisked” surface of Blake’s art classes, yet senior Victor Phimphachanh has emerged as a sculptor on the pottery wheel. As an AP ceramics participant, Phimphachanh chose a concentration of large bottleneck vases. Part of the curriculum dictates he sculpt at least 12 of these ceramic pieces throughout the year. “Andy Morales used to make big vases so I kind of got started from him,” says Phimphachanh. “I like tall looking objects.” Starting his sophomore year, Phimphachanh has been enthralled with ceramics. “I get to use my hands more often [than other classes],” says Phimphachanh. “I build the dexterity in my hands.” Ceramics allows Phimphachanh a place to be creative. When he thought back to his initial impression of ceramics he
was impressed. “I thought building things was pretty cool,” says Phimphachanh. The piece Phimphachanh takes the most pride in is his first big bottleneck vase. “I spent over two hours just sculpting, and then trimming was a hassle,” says Phimphachanh. “But once it was finished I was so happy that it turned out so well.” Phimphachanh is really looking forwards to bringing his ceramic masterpieces to the world once high school ends. Art has helped him get through the toughest times. “Without [art] I would never have survived my junior year,” says Phimphachanh. After almost three years as a ceramics student, Phimphachanh has learned a lot. “[I learned] to be a little more patient with my artwork,” says Phimphachanh. “Everything involves a process.” “Art lets me create,” Phimphachanh adds. “I want people to one day know... what I’ve contributed to the world with my art.”
The Blake Beat
Untitled
Juniors reveal style crushes, send valentines to most fashionable
by Alyssia Graves x & Tabi Orock
Happy Valentine’s Day lovers, and if you’re single, happy Single Awareness Day. Throughout this day, we are going to see annoying couples sucking face in the hallway, smashed up roses on the floor, and everything colored pink and red in between. We know people are tacky on Valentine’s day with their balloons and life-sized teddy bears but, here at The Fit, we’ve chosen to go a less obnoxious route this Valentine’s Day and keep the PDA to an appropriate amount. Today, we’re gathering the courage to tell our style crushes exactly how we feel and we hope that they’ll let us raid their closets. Or at least take us shopping with them. These are two of the finest students Blake has to offer in terms of fashion. Their masterful blend of color, style and pattern into creative and stylish outfits have caught our attention and made us rubberneck a couple times just to check out their outfits. Starting with ladies first, we have junior Summer Meile. This cutie from the class of 2015 has a sense of style that’s as versatile as her ever changing hairstyles. Meile tells us that she likes all different kinds of styles and it shows in her everyday looks. Whether she’s rocking purple hair with a skater skirt and lace up wedges or blunt bangs with her signature oversized scarf, she looks adorable and we near envy her. When we spoke to her she was sweet enough to let us in on her style philosophy and secrets. Meile tell us, “don’t dress to impress anyone.” She says her fashion pet peeve is when girls wear rain [Hunter] boots when it’s not raining. We feel the same way. She says she dresses for herself but doesn’t like a guy that’s more into fashion than her.
Her favorite stores are Urban Outfitters, Forever 21 and Zara. Meile’s main fashion advice? “If you’re taking too long to find the right outfit, it’s probably a day for sweatpants,” she says. And now, the boy who’s captured our attention with his retro style and throwback color schemes, Joe Oxley. The stylish junior talked to us about his style and even gave us some advice. Growing up watching 90s shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it is no surprise that Oxley can be usually spotted in a brightly colored jacket or one crazy patterned shirt. Oxley credits his sense of style to his sisters and 90s hip hop fashion, but he’s not afraid to get a little vintage-hipster style into the mix. He prefers thrift stores but says he also frequents American Apparel and Urban Outfitters. When we asked Oxley to share a little style wisdom with us, he says for the girls, “Don’t wear yoga pants and uggs every day.” And for the guys he says, “Always wear a brown belt with brown shoes.” Guys listen up, the kid knows what he’s talking about. Because Oxley is our style crush, we just had to get nosy and ask about dating and his plans for V-day. Oxley tells us, “I like simple and nice [girls], but if a girl’s fashionable, that’s a plus.” However, don’t get your hopes up, ladies. It seems the Fresh Prince of Blake High already has someone in mind. He told us, “I can’t tell you what I’m doing for Valentine’s Day because she might be reading the paper.” Aw. Whoever she is, that’s one lucky girl. Among all the galaxy leggings, sagging pants, and Helly Hansen jumpsuits that plague our dear school, we have found our two true style crushes that making strutting these halls a little easier. Happy Valentine’s Day and stay classy, Bengals.
The Blake Beat
E3
February 14, 2014
REVIEWS FOR YOU Basic Vacation EP conventional, repetitive x by John Kos Releasing their self-titled debut EP, Basic Vacation manages to create a wellproduced easy to listen to record, but fails to distinguish themselves from any other bands in their genre. The EP starts off with the bands single “I Believe”, which is by far the catchiest song on the album. This might be due to the fact other than the bridge, the song is extremely repetitive which makes it obvious that Basic Vacation wrote their music so that people could dance to it. “Jamie” is the slowest song on the release, and the fact that it is so upbeat shows the speed that this band puts into
their music. It is a slower love song about a girl, and continues the running theme of love that continues through the rest of the EP. “It’s All Happening” contrasts the heavy base synth in “Jamie” with a light plucky guitar. This songs seems a bit like filler, and probably the most forgettable song on the EP. It seems to blur together with the upbeat dance rock sound and similar vocalization that runs across the release. You’re in my head sounds like it is straight out of the early 2000’s and brings back a bit of nostalgia. With lyrics that sound like they are straight out of a Taylor Swift song, this song joins “It’s All Happening” in the class of filler songs on this EP.
Basic Vacation finds their strongest voice on the last song, “Worlds Collide.” It still maintains the dance rock feel of the rest of their songs but does a little more to stray from the sound of their other songs. This song gradually becomes more and more powerful, offering a solid ending to this bands release. If easy to listen to, upbeat pop rock is your thing, then Basic Vacation will fit your bill just right. The EP is very well produced and is probably perfect to play on a sunny day, on a road trip with your friends or at a concert. But what this release lacks is replay value. The repetitive choruses and lyrics ware out quickly and in a way leave very little interest.
John Kos
The Awkward Moment typical, predictable chick flick x
Maryam Outlaw
by Maryam Outlaw
During Valentine’s Day weekend, young ones will have multiple softhearted movies to choose from, including the incredibly bromantic film The Awkward Moment, which stars three of today’s funniest and most promising heartthrobs. While The Awkward Moment makes for a relatively amusing time for its intended audience, the amorous comedy is yet another predictable film, soon to be forgotten by many of its viewers. Some of young Hollywood’s best such as the Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan, and Miles Teller team up to tell the story of three “twenty something” guys attempting to handle the trials and tribulations of relationships while navigating around present day
New York, in this jocular romantic comedy. To put it simply, this movie combines obvious plotlines with even more obvious character archetypes to create the ULTIMATELY obvious chick flick. While Efron plays the typical ladies’ man “incapable” of settling down, Jordan plays a heartbroken man in need of his best friends when his wife unexpectedly suggests that the two divorce. To round off the trio, Teller provides comedic relief as a spontaneous jokester romantically involved with his long-time gal pal. After all boys find themselves single, they bet each other on who can fly solo the longest, proving problematic once they all meet “the one.” Throw in some easygoing love interests and that basic speech about the little things a boy loves about his
girl, and you have yourselves a romantic comedy. The pros? All three actors have great chemistry in this film, to the point where one would infer they had known each other for years. In addition, the film’s witty banter proves youthful and fun during multiple scenes. The cons? This film oozes commonness and while I may be able to overlook the conventional characters, the storyline is painfully ordinary. The Awkward Moment may be worth your while during this heartfelt holiday because all in all, it is a cute movie, but don’t anticipate much. Viewers can expect a few laughs, some outrageous situations, and of course, Efron’s abs. But most importantly, they can expect to know EXACTLY how this clichéd flick ends.
Halftime show spot on, Mars impressive as always
Bulk of Superbowl commercials unsatisfying, boring
x
by Jacqueline Hyman
While most of Superbowl XLVIII’s commercials were nowhere near as exciting and attention-catching as they have been in previous years, the halftime show was a performance to remember. Performer Bruno Mars’ entrance rockin’ out on the drums was extremely exciting, and the moving platform was a great effect. His vocals throughout the performance were amazing, proving that his live voice may even be better than his studio recorded one. “Treasure” sounded great, and he changed up “Just the Way You Are” to make it a unique performance just for the halftime show, with beautiful added riffs at the end of the song. His dance moves only perfected
the performance, with crazy footwork and an impressive split. The band members who were dancing around while playing their instruments also added to the show. Rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers’ entrance was slightly odd, as they came out screaming and shirtless. That being said, it was nice when the dynamic and tempo of the show calmed down to reveal Mars standing singularly on the platform to sing “Just the Way You Are.” On the commercial side of things, several used “America, the Beautiful” to appeal to the patriotism of the audience. The MetLife commercial featuring Linus playing the song on the piano was adorable. What is more American than Peanuts, football, and the American flag? Coca-Cola also successfully
used the song in an ad, with it being sung in several languages to emphasize the diversity of the country. However, most commercials seemed like they were trying too hard to be extravagant, and in the process seemed boring. Squarespace and Radio Shack both showed ads that were too busy, and the headache that accompanied was not well worth watching. In addition, the amount of car commercials was simply irksome. Yes, car companies may have the most money to create lavish advertisements, but that does not mean they should take over 80% of the superbowl ads. Many of them did not even seem relevant to automobiles at all. This irrelevance seemed to be a theme of the commercials throughout the night.
Jacqueline Hyman
Vampire Academy movie found ordinary, unexciting Book-based film fails to create impression on junior x by Tabi Orock
Tabi Orock
Vampires, again. Just when you thought you were done with them, they show up at your neighborhood movie theatre like an uninvited guest. The uninvited, but surprisingly not terrible guest this time is calledVampire Academy. It’s a tale of teen bffs who fight supernatural forces and go to a boarding school for bloodsuckers because well, you know... Basically, if Mean Girls, Twilight, and Harry Potter got together, this movie would be their illegitimate child. The plot is ridiculous at best. I mean really, a half-vampire, half human girl is assigned to protect her best friend, aka Magical
Vampire Princess from evil, undead zombie vampires? I can’t even. I just can’t. But all’s not lost in Vamp Academy because the sarcastic and dry humor in the characters’ conversations make it actually watchable. It wouldn’t be fair to bring up the sarcasm in this movie without giving props to the lead actress, Zoey Deutch. Her Ellen Page impersonation is so good that I spent the first half of the movie thinking she was actually Juno. Deutch really carries the rest of the cast in terms of comedic timing and delivery. The only thing she couldn’t carry honestly, was the cheesy special-effects in the fight scenes. We all know this movie is more about the struggles of being a teen girl vampire than it is about epic battles between
dead and un-dead but, the least the special effects team could have done was try. And just when you thought it was over, there’s more. The movie is actually based on Richelle Mead’s book series called wait for it...Vampire Academy. I will shamelessly admit that I have read all the books in that series. And while the stories totally made sense to my twelve-year self , I can’t encourage a continuation of these movies in good faith. Vamp Academy is the type of movie you watch with your friends at a sleepover. but I wouldn’t recommend that anyone be reckless and pay real money to see it theatres. Just wait a few years and it’ll be playing on loop on ABC family.
E4
February 14, 2014
The Blake Beat