September 2012 Issue

tjTODAY

THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 6560 Braddock Rd., Alexandria, VA 22312

SEPT. 4, 2012

photo courtesy of Evan Glazer photos by Kara Purtell

Glazer says ‘I do’

Principal Evan Glazer and his wife, Jen Glazer, walk down the aisle at their wedding on Aug. 4 in Sterling Heights, MI. Inset: The Glazers share a kiss after their vows. They will be celebrating their marriage with faculty and staff on Sept. 8 at Lake Accotink Park in Springfield.

Admissions process a work in progress

by Tahmina Achekzai News Editor The Fairfax County School Board has scheduled a work session for Sept. 24 to further discuss the admissions process and possibly take a vote on changes to be made to it. The session is a follow up to the July 19 work session focusing on the same issue.

The July 19 meeting was open to the public, drawing a crowd consisting of over 200 stakeholders concerned with potential changes previously discussed in educational circles and in the media.

The admissions process has been receiving negative attention because of what was perceived as an academic decline and the lack of diversity at Jefferson.

Admissions Director Tanisha Holland and Asst. Superintendent for the Department of Professional Learning and Accountability Terri Breeden started the session off with a presentation on the evolving process.

“My office will continue to ensure that the admissions process is fair and equitable to all students and has expanded outreach efforts,” Holland said.

Holland explained the changes that had been made to the original admissions process, which she said were put into place as a result of suggestions from stakeholders and the Blue Ribbon Commission for Educational Excellence.

Breeden walked the board through some

P2

Seniors create social learning site

simulations that her office had conducted to explore ways they could increase diversity at Jefferson. She presented five models – the old system, admission by zip code and cluster, alternate weightings to different parts of the application and a lottery – but none of the models resulted in significant impact.

“Until we increase the diversity of the pool with more children who receive free or reduced lunch, more students from different schools, and those types of things, no matter what simulation we run, it will not yield anything more than probably what you’ve seen on our slides tonight,” she said.

While Holland and Breeden focused on the diversity issue, the board emphasized another point in its discussion: getting the right students into the school.

“There’s so much remediation going on at this school when there really shouldn’t be. Our students should be prepared when they get there,” Mason District representative Sandy Evans said.

The school board asked the Admissions Office to research different weighting models to predict success at Jefferson, aside from the five simulations conducted already. The board asked them to focus on factors like math and science grade point averages rather than simulating a lottery.

At the Sept. 24 work session, the Admissions Office will be presenting more data on the math admissions test, including

P3

Fall sports get off to a positive start

the range of scores for applicants and finalists. Admissions is expected to be researching the use of different admissions tests, and reviewing the access and support students have from their middle schools.

With more data and research, the school board hopes to be able to make a decision on how to modify the weighting of different components of the application. Many of the board members were not convinced that the current weighting gave an objective view of the applicants.

“Sixty-five percent of the weight of the students getting in is not based on math or not based on science,” Springfield District representative Elizabeth Schultz said, referring to the large weighting on teacher recommendations, essays and the Student Information Sheet. “It’s based on what they write, which is a liberal arts approach.”

Throughout the meeting, Holland emphasized the importance of the Student Information Sheet, which she said is used in place of a face-to-face interview to capture the students’ passion and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

However, with roughly 15 percent of the class of 2015 in remediation and a nearly 100 percent increase in the number of juniors taking AB over BC Calculus, the board members were not so quick to accept this explanation. continued on p. 2

P4-5

School prepares for renovation

Fall sports P3

VOLUME 28, ISSUE 1

Eighth period changes in effect

by Jenny Chen News Editor Students returning to school on Sept. 4 will find a number of changes to the eighth period system. Most immediately visible is the renovation location for the eighth period office, moved into Room 134.

The anchor day block, formerly restricted to academic activities, can now be spent on any club or activity because students weren’t taking advantage of academic activities.

“The freedom allows students to pursue a leadership opportunity that they may not have had time for with the academic restriction,” junior Rachel Iwicki said.

Stickies, activities that teachers require students to attend, are now offered not just on Mondays, but on Wednesday B blocks as well.

“We felt that if we were taking away a mandatory academic period, a good trade off for that would be to add more supports for the students who really need it by allowing teachers to offer stickies,” Eighth Period Coordinator Allison Agee said.

Students will be notified of eighth period absences via the e-mail addresses they list on Intranet. Those who have three or more absences during first semester or five or more during second semester will be required to attend Lost & Found Club. Those in Lost & Found Club multiple times are required to attend Saturday School.

“We had so many students for whom Lost and Found was not a consequence,” Agee said. “Saturday School is another way to motivate students.”

Students depart while more enter

by YouNa An News Editor Jefferson was repeatedly in the news at the end of the last school year for the largerthan-usual number of students in academic jeopardy. Although most of these students managed to bring their grades up, others were not as fortunate.

“Ultimately, we don’t want to set them up for even more declining grades and difficulty with college admissions,” Glazer said. “A new school environment would give students a better academic standing within their class and courses with manageable expectations to turn their academic performance around.”

At the end of the 2011-2012 school year, 10 students were asked to leave because their GPA was lower than 3.0. This is an increase from five students the year before.

“It’s the largest number so far, but not significantly different from previous years,” Principal Evan Glazer said. “We’re talking about less than one percent of the student population.”

In addition, 24 students left Jefferson on their own accord. Junior Patricia Gallegos left during her sophomore year to study abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland.

“I am hoping that two years at a foreign boarding school on top of two years at TJ will help me when I apply for colleges soon.”

Glazer pointed out that this year’s enrollment is the highest ever, with 1,974 students enrolled as of Aug. 14.

P8

Students reflect on One Book essays

2

news

september 4, 2012

NEWSMAKERS

Chuwait soars like a birdie

‘Hallway’ launches Sept. 4

Ahn volunteers for Amigos

photo by Sandy Cho

photo courtesy of Allison Chou

photo courtesy of Amy Ahn

The News Freshman Nathan Chuwait takes a practice swing at a golf tournament held on Aug. 29 at Army Navy Country Club in Fairfax. Chuwait tied with sophomore Julie Luo with the second lowest score of 39.

Backstory A new addition to Jefferson’s golf team, Chuwait started out a promising high school golf career by coming in first place at the Atomic Invitational at Twin Lakes on Aug. 8-9.

“Nathan is that rare athlete that comes along to a high school coach every 10 or 15 years or so. He is nationally ranked in his age group,” Coach John Myers said. “He not only has the talent, but the determination to succeed.”

Chuwait started playing golf at the age of three and has won many prestigious tournaments. His two proudest wins are the Atomic Invitational and the Scott Robertson Memorial Tournament last May, which included professional golfers.

In addition to the two tournaments, Chuwait kept himself busy over the summer competing in American Junior Golf Association tournaments and Virginia State Golf Association Junior Match Play.

This year is the first time Chuwait has played on a team. He finds the experience fun “because not only are you playing for yourself, but you are playing for your team as well.”

“With a winning personality, he is fitting in perfectly on our team which is dominated by seniors,” Myers said.

- YouNa An

The News Seniors Allison Chou, Darren Bolduc, Sean McElrath, Cyrus Malekpour, Michael Chan and Dennis Lysenko are the core team behind Hallway.

Backstory Already backed by investors, Hallway (www.hallway.co) is a site that makes peer-topeer learning more accessible by combining social networking with e-learning.

“Currently, students set up Facebook groups for classes and communicate through those,” Chou said.

“However, students have no way of getting help from people outside their small groups, saving or organizing the notes that are shared, or searching for notes when they need help with a particular subject.”

Hallway launches on Sept. 4 for Jefferson students and those who are invited. Previously, it had only been available to beta testers.

The site is also expanding its audience to a limited number of other high schools.

“We’re giving 10 students at around 50 high schools around the country access and giving those students invites to send to their friends,” McElrath said.

Social networking elements such as tagged notes, voting and scores based on user contributions make Hallway more than just an educational site.

“We see Hallway revolutionizing the way students learn and connect,” Chou said. “Our global market has 520 million potential Hallway users, and we want them on our site.”

- Jenny Chen

The News Senior Amy Ahn walks to class with a local child in the Dominican Republic, where she spent part of her summer with Amigos de las Americas.

Backstory Instead of enjoying the luxuries of room service and air conditioning, Ahn chose to spend her days without electricity and end them with ice cold baths.

Ahn spent six weeks in the Dominican Republic, where she worked with two other volunteers. Every day, she spent two hours teaching children about volunteering, leadership, health and the environment.

Senior Lucy Bullen also participated in the Amigos program, though she volunteered in Paraguay.

For Amigos, every volunteer group takes on a “community-based initiative,” a major service project that they focus on throughout their time there. For her project, Ahn worked with the Club de Madres. There, she helped mothers make blankets and curtains to sell at fundraisers.

When she wasn’t participating in service activities, Ahn also had time to immerse herself in the language and culture. She learned how to cook a typical Dominican dish, mangu, and how to dance bachata and meringue.

“There really is a huge sense of community. As soon as people wake up, they open their doors, and they stay open for the rest of the day. People from all over the community would come to my host family’s home,” Ahn said.

“I couldn’t imagine people doing that here.”

- Tahmina Achekzai

tjTODAY Editorial Board Editor-in-chief Mallika Patkar

Managing Editor Thrisha Potluri

News Editors Tahmina Achekzai YouNa An Jenny Chen

Sports Editors Sandy Cho Shayna Hume Jennifer Walter

Spread Editor Sunny Kim

Features Editors

Amy Ahn Michael Chao Arya Dahal Yena Seo Alexis Williams Lindsay Williams

Staff Reporter Ellen Kan

School board restarts admissions discussion continued from p.1 “I think we may be talking about passion too much and downplaying ability, talent and achievement,” Evans said.

The group recognized they were facing a complex issue.

Though they could not pinpoint one reason or solution for the problem, they explored a number of issues.

One problem that the board discussed briefly was the level of difficulty of the math test. Algebra 2 teacher Carol Rychlik analyzed the test with some of her colleagues.

Despite the requirement that all applicants be enrolled in Algebra 1 or higher by eighth grade, Rychlik found that the questions went no higher than sixth grade math.

“It really surprised me when I had a student that didn’t even know how to do a square root,” she said. “And this is a student that went through Algebra 1 Honors, Geometry Honors, and sits in my Algebra 2 class and can’t do square roots, and could not pass the majority of my tests.”

But with all the test prep classes available, making the test more difficult may not be the answer.

Some board members were also worried that the applicants may be getting professional and parental help for additional parts of the application, like the Student Information Sheet.

“As long as you have a test in place, whether it’s our existing test or any other test, the stakes are so high to get into TJ that I would argue that families will do whatever it takes to get their children ready for the admissions process,” Holland said.

The issue, they realized, was that just because the students were ready for the admissions process, it didn’t mean they were ready for the workload at Jefferson.

“Prospective TJ applicants should be preparing more for the TJ academic experience than focusing on select aspects of the admissions process,” Holland said.

In addition, the Fairfax County NAACP and Coalition of Silence, an advocacy group, filed a 17-page civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education on July 23.

Tina Hone, a former school board member, is the founder and director of Coalition of Silence.

The complaint has not been issued against Jefferson, but FCPS overall. In an attempt to bring more attention to the diversity issue, the groups alleged that blacks, Hispanics and students with disabilities are at a disadvantage when applying to Jefferson.

They attribute this to the underrepresentation of the minorities at gifted schools and the admissions process at Jefferson, citing the Student Information Sheet as an example of an imbalanced playing field. The Student Information Sheet, the complaint says, asks for extracurricular activities, which students from underprivileged families may not have the time or resources for.

The Department of Education will now determine if the case deserves to be opened for investigation. According to Principal Evan Glazer, the process could take years to complete.

Until then, the school board is working with the Jefferson community to modify the admissions process. Some of the changes, specifically regarding the weightings, may be implemented for the Class of 2017.

Though Glazer acknowledges that some students may not be ready for the challenges at Jefferson because of their math background or motivation, he believes they have potential to be good students.

“I firmly believe that any student who walks through the doors of Thomas Jefferson can do incredible work,” he said, “if they’re pushed to their limits and are challenged in a way that they can excel.”

sports

september 4, 2012

Over the summer, the football team spent up to four hours a day training in the weight room and on the field. It paid off. The team has already won its first two scrimmages.

“Pre-season is as intense as you make it yourself. We did well in the scrimmages, and now it’s mostly individual things,” senior Sean Waterton said.

The practice sessions are what the team calls “two-a-days,” in which there are two practices from 7:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. with a short break in-between.

However, despite the winning record, the team focuses, as it always has, on improving the players.

“Our season is not about who we are playing, it is about us,” Coach Ken Kincaid said.

— Sandy Cho

Senior Patrick O’Connor rushes the ball against Edison during a varsity scrimmage.

Senior Christina Shincovich serves during a varsity scrimmage with Falls Church.

Unlike many other fall sports, field hockey is well under way, with two scrimmages, a tournament and their first match of the high school season under their belt and a record of two wins, two ties and three losses.

“We do a lot of running, strength and basic conditioning exercises in the pre-season because we don’t have any time for it in the actual season,” senior Kleo Greenwood said.

Despite the three losses at their tournament, the team won their first official game 6-0 against Wakefield.

“Our biggest goal is to trust ourselves and to trust each other,” Coach Amanda Kelly said. “We’re working on better conditioning and the basics for the upcoming season.”

— Shayna Hume

Fall sports teams get off to a productive start The volleyball season started off strong with three wins for the team.

The volleyball team, which began meeting as early as July 2, is looking forward to a competitive fall season.

“Pre-season training included summer open gyms and workouts where the girls were introduced to weight-training and conditioning,” Coach Helen Smith said.

During their practices, the team spends a lot of time simulating game situations to prepare for their actual matches.

“We practice every day that we don’t have games,” senior co-captain Christina Shincovich said. “The team is really good this year, and the girls are a lot of fun to play with.”

— Shayna Hume

3

Senior co-captain Karen Clark takes control of the ball during the first game of the ‘Under the Lights’ tournament against West Springfield High School.

Sophomore Katya Plotnitskaya stretches during a dance team training session.

The dance team kicked off preseason training in early August to begin practicing techniques and learning new choreography for the season.

“We’re focusing on competitions and hoping to place first at one we enter this year,” Coach Melissa Weber said.

Training this year included a twoday dance camp on July 21 and 22, at the end of which seniors Stephanie Levin and Sekar Novika and sophomore Katya Plotnitskaya were selected as AllAmerican dancers.

“I feel excited about the upcoming season because we have a lot of new girls on the team,” senior co-captain Katrina McTigue said. “I think that as a team, we have a lot more potential than previous years.”

— Sandy Cho

Photos by Sandy Cho and Shayna Hume

SAT Prep Exclusively for High-Achievers It’s no surprise that Honors Test Prep is the SAT prep program of choice for TJ students.

703-237-2665

Visit honorstestprep.com to review our complete ’12-’13 course schedule and learn about our SAT Course, SAT Essay Workshop, and PSAT/SAT Course.

s a t @ h o n o r s t e s t p r e p. c o m

“My son and daughter both took the Honors Test Prep course and both scored 2380 on the test. They reported that they were given individual feedback and error analysis in addition to applicable practice problems. It is obvious that Mr. Berk keeps up to date with the most recent changes in the test and is invested in the students’ achievement. I was glad to find a course tailored to high achieving students.”

Gail Gardiner, parent of TJ student, Class of 2010

september 4, 2012

spread

5

4

spread

september 4, 2012

spread

september 4, 2012

Operation Renovation

As evidence of renovation starts to pop up around the school building, students and staff discuss how the changes are affecting them

“

PHASE 1

Phase 1 of the renovation includes the front wing of the building. What is now the library, cafeteria and the millennium courtyard will be replaced by the new research wing.

We’ve known the renovation was coming. We’re equipped for accessing resources electronically, and we’ve added an enormous collection of eBooks.

”

–Librarian Margaret Carpenter

NOTICE THE CURRENT LIBRARY WILL BE CLOSED FROM THANKSGIVING BREAK TO WINTER BREAK TO RELOCATE TO THE TEMPORARY LIBRARY UPSTAIRS.

Counterclockwise from top right: The eighth period office was moved to Room 134; all the computers were moved out of the lab and replaced with desks and chairs; the chemistry hood was decorated with artificial flowers.

Current building

Part of Room 147 closed off to be used as an electrical utility closet

“

Before, when we had meetings in the eighth period office, it was really crammed so we’ll have room to spread things out.

”

graphics by Sunny Kim and Mallika Patkar CAD drawings courtesy of Ballou Justice Upton Architects photos and reporting by Tahmina Achekzai, Michael Chao, Jenny Chen, Sandy Cho, Sunny Kim and Mallika Patkar

“

”

–Senior Rohan Krishnan

Walls on Rooms 237, 124, 147, 202/203 exposed

NOV. 22

JAN. 1 Cafeteria will be moved into a covered tent where T23-25 are currently located.

”

–Head Librarian Anne Applin

Library will be moved to Rooms 238-242 Right to left: A chunk of Woodwell’s room was boxed out for use as an electrical utility closet; a hole had to be drilled to make the pencil sharpener accessible.

CAD drawings of the new labs model the finished product.

Doors added to Room 121WK and Rooms 109/110

Rooms 238-242 will be moved into two trailer quads

The Global Learning Center will be much larger than the current library, with more meeting spaces, computers and room for students to come, work and create.

It’s not fair for our class to be missing the senior lounge because the previous senior classes had the ability to use it for the whole year.

Some spaces in the building will be inaccessible in order to prepare for construction.

Eighth period office moved to Room 134

–Eighth Period Coordinator Allison Agee

“

The Big Move

BY SEPT. 4

The temporary library will be moved to the math hallway where Rooms 238-242 are currently located. Even though the temporary library will be much smaller than the current one, the brand new library, which will be called the Global Learning Center after the renovation, will be twice as big as the current library.

Because of the proximity of the different labs to each other and added common rooms, the new research wing will be able to facilitate inter-lab projects.

5

“

“ ”

People go to the library to study all the time during lunch. They won’t have the same sort of place to go.

–Junior Stephanie Bao

College and Career Center will be moved to Room 243 Room 121 will be moved to Room 130

It’s like we’re living on a boat.

The space is small, and we’ll have to be organized.

”

–Geosystems Teacher John Woodwell

Room 124 will be moved to Room 122

6

features

september 4, 2012

New faculty faces in the fall New teachers discuss what they hope to bring to the Jefferson community Michael Piccione Design and Technology “I hope to help students gain an understanding and love for technology.“

Cindy Powell Part-time Library Clerical Assistant

“I hope to make things easier and less stressful for faculty and students in the library.”

Ria Galanos Foundations of Computer Science, AP Computer Science “Enthusiasm, passion and spirit.

Students should be prepared to destroy the stereotypes of the computing field, knock them down, throw them out.”

Jerry Berry Precalculus “I think the things that are essential are working together, helping each other, and fostering growth for both students and staff.“

Jill Burdick-Zupancic English 10 and 11 “I want to bring an appreciation, and hopefully passion, for all types of art.”

Mary Susan Burnett DNA Science I , II and Biotechnology Mentorship “I’d like to bring more real life perspective to the classroom.”

Aubrie Holman Biology I

“It’s exciting to help freshmen transition from middle to high school.”

Ryan Wood Health and P.E.

“With my knowledge of personal training and strength training, I hope to enhance the overall health and well-being of the TJ community.”

Thomas Larson AP Biology and Biology I

“I feel like I have a lot to offer students and they have a lot to offer me.”

Lona Klein English 9

“I am enthusiastic about working with TJ students and thrilled to be working with student and faculty teams. ”

Mary Beth Kochman English 9 and 11 “I’m hoping to bring enthusiasm to the study of literature and a sense of community and belonging.”

Laura Locklear DNA Science I, AP Biology, Bionanotechnology, Recent Advances in Neurobiology “I love science, and going through that discovery process with people who are really into it.”

features

september 4, 2012

More new teachers ...

Hana Rhee Precalculus,

AP Calculus AB

7

Amy Nicholson Precalculus, AP Calculus BC

“I hope to open students’ eyes to seeing math in a different way by sharing my passion and how I see math.”

“Students should leave my class with better critical thinking skills, so that they can problem solve. The test of life doesn’t come with a review sheet.”

Rachael Estep

Haywon Yi World History and Geography II

Manager, Partnership Fund “I am looking forward to being able to get in touch with the public and building a healthy relationship based on TJ’s special reputation.”

“I want to bring enthusiasm and great expectations. And my shoe collection.”

Cynthia Van De Kamp French III, AP French Language and Culture “I’m hoping to bring a sense of humor. I like to laugh.”

Miruna Tecuci School-Based Technology Specialist “I hope to bring a friendly face, and I hope to help with whatever I can whenever I can.”

Monte Bourjaily AP U.S. History, AP Government

“I love history and government, and I hope to show the students what is cool about them.”

John Laffey English 10, Global Studies “I have a good sense of humor, but I take academic honesty very seriously.”

Graphics and reporting by Michael Chao, Arya Dahal, Ellen Kan, Mallika Patkar, Thrisha Potluri, Yena Seo, Jennifer Walter, Alexis Williams and Lindsay Williams

Teachers adjust to new positions and classrooms

by Arya Dahal Opinion Editor Neuroscience lab director Mark Hannum pushes the laptop cart to different corner of his new room on the front hall. Redesigning the neuroscience space to accommodate his teaching philosophy is one way of making his new classroom feel like home.

With the departure of a record number of teachers last year, a number of faculty members have taken on new teaching assignments for the upcoming year. Hannum, who originally only taught physics, is taking Paul Cammer’s place as Neuroscience lab director.

“My research background before TJ was in neuroscience,” Hannum said. “Being in the neuroscience department is an exciting opportunity to get back to actual experimentation that I did in graduate school.”

English teacher Maria Gilbert, who taught only English 11 last year, will be adding Senior Seminar to her schedule.

Although she doesn’t have experience teaching AP English Literature, Gilbert’s interest in politics and her experience teaching International Baccalaureate (IB) encouraged her to choose the new class.

“I am a little nervous, but I’m more excited, having read the books over the summer. I’m interested in the issues and

themes about politics and literature.” Gilbert said. “Knowing Senior Seminar addressed these topics appealed to me.”

Other teachers in different positions in the Humanities Department include history teacher David Zack who will be teaching the Leadership Course, history teacher Amanda Hurowitz who will be teaching Honors US/VA alongside English teacher Suzette Henry.

History teacher Scott Campbell is also one of the teachers who is teaching a new course. Unlike Gilbert, however, he has had prior experience teaching his new position. Campbell taught AP Government for five years prior to taking on AP U.S. History, which he has taught for the past few years.

“While I love teaching APUSH, I am excited to get to teach my other favorite, AP Government, as well,” Campbell said. “It’s not just about knowing facts, it is about knowing how to impact the government system and what citizenship means, both in the U.S. and globally.”

In the Mathematics Department, Michael Auerbach will be teaching AP Calculus BC, computer science teacher Stephen Rose will teach Accelerated Computer Science, and Principal Evan Glazer will teach Algebra 2. Math teacher Carol Rychlik will teach Linear Algebra as well as Math of Finance.

Like Campbell, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) teacher

Michael Walker will be returning to a familiar position. After a three year absence from the subject, Walker is once again teaching Physics 1.

“CAD and physics are really very different, and there’s virtually no overlap between them but I enjoy them both,” Walker said. “I’ve worked just about every problem in the book for physics, but I might need to brush up on specific lessons.”

Along with Walker, geosystems teacher James Jarvis and physics teacher Duncan Forbes will also be teaching Physics 1. Design and Tech teacher Jim Jo will be teaching Alternative Energy Systems and Architectural Drawing, and physics teacher Adam Smith will now be teaching Optic Systems.

Additionally this year, former DNA science teacher Barbara Wood will teach AP Biology, Robotics lab director Chuck Dela Cuesta will be teach Advanced Microprocessing Systems, Optics lab director John Dell will teach Computer Systems, and Artificial Intelligence teacher Shane Torbert will teach Computer Science Research.

Looking forward to the school year, teachers hope to bring a fresh perspective to their new classes.

“I’d like to continue the existing lines of experimentation,” Hannum said, “but also open new avenues in neuroscience.”

8 THIS I BELIEVE tradition

september 4, 2012

Jefferson students share their thoughts on One Book essays

A DUDE’ Z IZ P E H T O T L ‘BE COO

“The essay is distinct and separate from the others. The author uses a simple premise, ‘Be cool to the pizza delivery guy,’ and uses it to demonstrate five distinct ideas: humility, forgiveness, empathy, honor and equality. Most other stories I have read take one path and explain it as opposed to branching out from one simple idea, which makes this story unique.”

— senior Bobby Huddleston

‘THE AMERICA

I BELIEVE IN’

“I liked Colin Powell’s because I think his story reminds us that despite increasing paranoia from foreign influences, we still have the ability to act as a role model for the rest of the world and we should focus on that.”

— senior Daniel Wang

‘REMEMBERING ALL THE BO YS’ “It shows that there are still good people in the world.

There are people who don’t care where you come from or what you believe in; they will treat you well because you are a human being.”

— sophomore Adrian Robertson

S TOO H THING’ A C U S O N RBECUE ‘THERE IS MUCH BA

“I really like the barbecue essay because it is so unique. I feel like anyone could relate to it. I also like it because it reminds us to realize the joys of life. ” — junior Comfort Sampong

G

‘UNLEASHIN

EATIVITY’ R C F O R E THE POW “My favorite piece from the book is the one by Bill Gates. I share his passion for learning new things and solving problems. I also believe creativity and intelligence will pave the way to a more advanced world and that people should enjoy what they do. Lastly, I think giving back to the community is a very important aspect of our lives today.”

— freshman Evelyn Mo

‘HAVE I LEARNE D AN WAS 16?YTHING SINCE ’ I “This was my favorite story because it showed how one person’s beliefs developed and changed over time and also provides a bridge between the 1950s series and the more recent essays.”

— junior William Woodruff

‘THERE IS NO JO B MOR THAN PARENTE IMPORTANT ING’ “This is my favorite because he attributes all of his life’s accomplishments to his mother. Without her dedication and tireless pursuit of a better education for her boys, Carson wouldn’t have even thought to become a neurosurgeon. I love the message that good parenting can solve the vast majority, if not all, of the world’s problems.”

— sophomore Hannah Weid

‘THE 50-PERCENT THEORY OF LIFE’ “I like how he connected the modern times to his past. He showed me that I should not stress out too much about the future. If you live in the present, you’ll look back and see everything was fine.”

— junior Tina Ju

graphics, reporting and layout by Amy Ahn