FYI:

Dulaney High School Timonium, Maryland May 16, 2013Volume 53, Issue 7

# TO KNOW

# TO KNOW

INDEX

2-3 news4-5 opinion6-7 senior map8-9 profiles10-11 sports 12-16 features

Our mission:to enlighten and to entertain

See even more content on our website:http://my.hsj.org/griffin

Find us on Edline under clubs.

senior promMay 24

7 - 11 p.m.Martin’s West

nhs senior breakfast

May 176.45 a.m.

Satellite Cafeteria

grad galaMay 24 - 25

11:30 p.m. - 3:30 a.m.Tiger Arena,

Towson University

102the number of students who

earned straight A’s third quarter

14the ranking of the Envirothon team at the last

competition. For more, see page 2

see page 11

CERTIFIED

see page 3

see page 12

memorial dayMay 27

Schools closed

CATCHING UP

12 SEASONS

the griffin

Should algebra be a graduation requirement?malik peacock, copy editor

Algebra |’aljəbrə| (noun): the part of mathematics in which letters and other general sym-

bols are used to represent numbers and quantities in formulae and equations. Despite the Oxford Dictionary def-inition above, many students con-sider algebra the reason both their social lives and their grade point averages have steadily gone down the drain. Current country graduation re-quirements require students to pass both Algebra I and Algebra II to re-ceive their diplomas. But should it be necessary for all

students to take algebra in high school? “Of course it’s essential,” said sta-tistics and algebra teacher Victoria Bracken. “In general, everyday liv-ing, monetary expenses, paying tax-es, getting a mortgage – that’s lots of decision making.” With an increasing cultural focus on youth finding their passions in-stead of determining their future economic endeavors, algebra is sometimes seen as a setback. “It’s only useful in such a small number of careers that it should be optional,” sophomore Jimmy Han-mer said. “I don’t think I’ve ever

used algebra outside of math class.” By the end of their freshman year, 64.1 percent of students here pass their Algebra HSA exams, versus the 94.1 percent of last year’s seniors who passed by the end of grade 12. In the U.S., 25 percent of ninth graders end up failing to graduate high school. Educators have pointed to algebra as one of the chief reasons for this statistic. A study cited by Andrew Hacker in his New York Times op-ed “Is Algebra Necessary?” has expressed that of those who choose the college path, only 58 percent receive bach-elor’s degrees.

The main reason? Freshman math-ematics. Counselor Emanda Lenet sug-gested that, because students have diverse learning styles, some might master skills rapidly, while others fall behind if a concept isn’t taught repeatedly. Junior Morgan Sadarananda’s re-sponse mirrored a common reason for confusion with algebra. “Algebra helps with problem solv-ing throughout your whole life,” Sa-darananda said. “But people don’t review over the summer. And teach-ers just assume we remember it all.”

see algebra, page 2

graduationMay 307 p.m.

Tiger Arena,Towson University

Rehearsal on May 29

sophomore retreat

May 28

Senior glyph higginS said he struggled to conquer the algebra HSA.image by kalie paranzino, jake hambor & becca king

42%liberal arts

39%S.T.E.M.

14%undecided

2% pre-med,pre-law

3% double major

Survey highlights student majors, colleges and moreSTaTS aT a glaNCe:• Did cost factor into your final college decision? Yes: 53 percent No: 47 percent• Was this college your top choice? Yes: 52 percent No: 48 percent• Rate your level of optimism High: 41 percent Low: 1 percent• Did you apply early decision (binding)? Yes: 17 percent No: 83 percent

The pen-and-paper survey was conducted in all senior English classes. For where graduating seniors are headed, see map, pages 8-9.

5

4

3

2

1

On a scale from 1-5, how well are youprepared for college?

19%

28%

25%

17%

11%

may 16, 2013 2 news the griffin

NEWS LINE

The Design Club raised about $1,300 at their annual Fashion Show, organizers said. The April 26 event raised funds for the House of Ruth. Besides the eight designers and 13 models, the show included performances by the D-Rockas, and juniors Hannah Harlan and Sara Sprinkel.

The school’s chess team won first place at the county tournament at Cockeysville Middle School April 27. Sophomore Steven Zhang won a first place trophy in individual competitions; sophomore Rex Ledesma placed second. The team’s victory came with help from freshman Sai Alur, sophomore Michelle Ko and junior Steven Han.

The Envirothon team placed 14th in an annual Enviro-thon competition on April 19 at the Oregon Ridge Na-ture Center. A total of 29 teams competed in aquatic, forestry, soil, wildlife and range land challenges.

Girls doubles players Claire Gracie, a sophomore, and Casey Lim, a senior, won gold medals at the county tennis championship May 9. Sophomores Helen Sun and Andrew Abell as well as junior Handong Park each earned bronze medals for singles. Boys doubles play-ers Connor Handzo, a se-nior, and Saum Toolab took fourth place.

Some 230 runners partici-pated in the “All Out 4 All In” Lionheart 5K Race May 5. At press time, organizers were still counting the mon-ey raised, assistant principal John Billingslea said, adding that the event was a tremen-dous success. The race, held in the school’s neighbor-hood, raised money for the American Cancer Society and updates to the school’s fitness lab.

Sophomore Veena Sivara-man, having won fall and winter rounds of competi-tion, is set to compete in the third round of Star Singer USA Junior, an Indian sing-ing competition. Sivaraman, ranked third for this round, will travel to New Jersey June 8 and will perform a slow, classical piece as well as an upbeat rhythmic one. She placed second in a semi-round in January to earn her spot in this next round.

CHESS CLUB

TENNIS PLAYERS WIN

ENVIROTHON

SINGER ADVANCES

5K RUN

Juniors Fareeha Syed and A.J. Hall took top honors in the Towson Deli North Restaurant’s photography contest this month. Syed’s color photography won the most votes in the completion, which has patrons vote for their favorites. Hall won for black and white photography.

PHOTO WINNERS

FASHION SHOW

Find us on Edline under clubs.

ALGEBRA, continued from page 1

Trigonometry teacher Paul Le-roy tackled the dilemma between not reviewing algebra concepts and its af-fect on performance, espec¬¬ially at the opening of the academ-ic year and on stan-dardized assessments. “If I can go out and shoot ninety percent of my free throws, that’s really great. But if I then stop for six months, I doubt I can go back

and shoot ninety percent like that,” Leroy said. “Mathematics is some-thing where if you don’t constantly

practice and reinforce it, you lose it.” Sophomore Charles Thompson, like many who feel that students’ failure to learn algebra is because of their own resistance rather than teachers’ incompe-tence, said his teachers prepared him well for

higher-level math classes.

“I’m personally horrible at math, but I think they have done a good job,” Thompson said. “It’s more your responsibility than theirs.” But certain students say the problem lies within mathematics itself. Some added that, while a basic un-derstanding on math is necessary, there is little point in advanc-ing beyond that. According to a study by Northeastern University sociolo-gist Michael Handel, fewer than 25 percent of American employees use math beyond basic fractions and percentages. Only 19 percent reported using ba-

sic algebra; 9 percent reported using advanced algebra. Senior Glyph Higgins contended that the most relevant math con-

cepts he’d learned so far was simple addi-tion and subtraction in fourth grade. “When will I need to find the tangent of any-thing?” Higgins said. Higgins disclosed that his performance on the algebra HSA was less than stellar, said he be-

lieves his score did not reflect upon his knowledge of alge-bra. Instead, it showed his contempt for standardized assessments. “After the second section, I just guessed,” Higgins said.

Should algebra be a graduation requirement?

malik peacock, copy editor

“I’ve succumbed to the symptoms because I’ve realized there’s no point in trying to get straight A’s at this point.”

Senior Shadi Akhavan’s attitude is far from unique. Accepted to the University of Maryland at College Park in early February, she began to ex-hibit signs of senioritis. Although seemingly benign, the ailment can be deadly. Guidance counselor John Komosa said it takes a lot, but an underperforming senior can have their college acceptance revoked. He has seen it happen on rare occasions. More common, of course, are senior behaviors that don’t endanger college admission. National Honor Society sponsor Kathy Roeder said seniori-tis most commonly manifests itself in counting down the number of days until school is over and

skipping class. Roeder also said that many seniors think they can get away with not turning in their NHS point forms on time. “They think I won’t come after them, but I will” she said. She recalled that just this spring, a se-nior came to her admitting that they had earned 0 points despite an imminent deadline. The student signed up her mother for the annual NHS blood drive, but that was only worth point toward a re-quired five. While some scoff at senioritis, the problem is widespread enough to be addressed in an article in the New York Times. The piece suggested that ending high school after junior year would work, since senior year is often filled with electives. Ko-mosa disagreed even though he said that most ju-niors are probably academically ready for college. “There’s so much more to it than being academi-

cally ready. You have to be ready socially and emotionally,” he said. So what’s the remedy? Senior Minwei Cao, a Merit Scholar accepted to Williams College, said that sometimes when stricken, she reminds herself to stay focused now to be competitive in the years to come. “I tell myself I can’t be the best at everything,”Cao said, adding that she gave up some leadership po-sitions in order to focus more on school work this year. Perhaps the best route is to prevent senioritis all together. AP European History teacher John Wag-ner suggested routine rigor to help students meet the challenge they’ve signed up for. “There’s no senioritis in room 111,” Wagner said.

Coping with, if not curing, the dreaded disease senioritis

jenny ingliss, opinion editor

Ron Thomas was rejected three times by NASA’s astronaut program.

But his story, which physics students heard in an April 24 assembly, illustrates a path to hard-won success. Thomas’s fascination with space began in 1969. He saw the televised lunar landings in kindergarten, and was imme-diately hooked. Thomas was less than an A student, he said. “In middle school I was a B student, with a couple C’s,” he said. So in high school, he devot-ed large chunks of his time to studying. All the while, he was painfully aware that other stu-dents understood the material instantly, and didn’t need to study at all. His hard work began to pay

off. By junior year he was earn-ing A’s. He went on to achieve a four-year degree in materials engineering at Cornell Uni-versity, and later his doctorate degree. Despite NASA’s extreme selectivity, Thomas was opti-mistic the first time he applied. After all, he’d poured so much effort into his schoolwork. Space was his ultimate dream. NASA never replied. But Thomas wasn’t crushed. Quite the opposite: he became more determined than ever to make it in. He learned the other appli-cants had flying and diving licenses; these weren’t strictly “required,” but applicants without them didn’t make it far. So he became proficient at diving, flying and university teaching, all to extend his cre-

dentials. He was rejected again. Thom-as quit his job, moved to Hous-ton, and recieved an engineer-ing position at NASA. But his application for the as-tronaut program was rejected yet again. The fourth time he applied, he was finally accepted. He remembers that he “screamed for ten minutes” when he put down the phone. After four years of training and medical exams, Thomas went on his first of four space flights. Aboard the shuttle he per-formed experiments, lived on freeze-dried food, and spent hours in awe of the spectacular view of the planet below. “If you forget everything I say today,” he said, “the one thing I want you to get from all this is to work hard. Do your best.”

Astronaut talks goals with physics students

REtIREd AStRoNAut Don Thomas chats with junior physics student Arman Bailey at the motivational as-sembly. photo by jen siegel

ben merenbloom, staff writer

Last summer, incoming sophomores were assigned two 500-page books to read and mark up with Post-It notes before fall.

There was to be another follow-up assignment when they returned to school. While some classes worked with the books in class, answering questions and writing essays, others only discussed the books for one period. There was neither written work nor any reason to annotate. Besides consistency among summer read-ing assignments, students are asking for more books to choose from. “The books should be more relatable,” sopho-more Danielle Zarachowics said. “Update the list of books you can choose from,” freshman Anthony Fowlkes suggested. “We should read whatever books we want, but have limitations on how long it has to be, so no one picks ridiculously small picture books,” sophomore Noah Trapp said. Other students ask that the assignment, not the books changed. “We should have the option of what to do with it,” sophomore Anna Johnson said. “If there was an option to do some type of

group project or any other option beside all of the clichéd essays, then it would make things a lot easier for me,” senior Bryce Harrison said. “Teachers should provide guidelines on what they want us to annotate or pay attention to,” junior Kevin Halliday said. “The teachers should give us extra credit if we choose to do it, and if we don’t, it shouldn’t be counted against us,” junior Johnny Dufrane said. Claire Hollander said in her New York Times article “Some Books Are More Equal Than Oth-ers,” that students learn more when reading interesting nonfiction about current, real-world events. “Students who have immersed themselves in real-world problems become excited by current events and history as well as literature,” Hol-lander said in the article. “Children need to con-front some hard truths this summer that will make it easier for them to want to learn about the world.” Junior Regina Ledesma agrees.“If it’s current nonfiction about issues like the war in Iraq or the LGBT community, then it’s pertinent,” Ledesma said.

Sophomore Michel McClelland disagrees. He said that non-fiction is inferior to fiction for the purpose of summer reading because, while it enhances the reader’s knowledge, it doesn’t promote discussion the way fiction does. Junior Clyde Crawford suggested revamping the assignment to “summer watching” - stu-dents would go see a movie over the summer and then write a review of the movie instead of writing books.

Students suggest reading revamp

SuMMER REAdING selections for GT and AP English classes include selections from American and world authors. photo by alex wright

may 16, 20133 news the griffin

Find us on Edline under clubs.

Elections for SGO Officers and Class Coun-cil Officers are scheduled for May 20 to 24 via Edline. Students will be able to view can-didates’ speeches before casting their ballots on the site. Below is a list of the candidates and the position they are running for.

SGO OfficersPresident: junior Lily Klein or junior Mark Moody

Class of 2014 OfficersRecording Secretary: Emily Sweigart or Ethan GriffinHistorian: Tionne Barmer or Ivy Gao

Class of 2015 OfficersPresident: Morgan La Rocca or Andrew Abell or Emma SiuVice President: Sarah Hampton or Laura HillardCorresponding Secretary: Kira Stiers or Ashley ForthuberHistorian: Kalie Paranzino or Grace Landefeld or Lyra Morina

Class of 2016 OfficersPresident: Nilaani Kayamboo or Kristin Meek or Sumin WooVice President: Whitney Vong or Jessica Bishai or Sanjana NeerumallaTreasurer: Will Paranzino or Angela Zhang

Librarian stashes arsenal to combat dress code violations

THIS WEEK ONthe really good showOn Episode 18 of the school podcast, the Re-ally Good Show, history teacher John Wagner discusses the origin of his love for history and the importance of history. The following are short excerpts from the interview:

Q: When did you take an interest in his-tory?A: I can tell you exactly. I was four years old and I went out to dinner with my parents and grandparents and at dinner, we had a placemat that had pictures of all the presidents on it. And I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen in my life. I still have the placemat by the way – the exact one.

Q: Why do you teach?A: There’s a lot different reasons. I like

working with kids. I get to talk about history everyday with really smart kids. What could be better? It honestly is a [dream job]...I didn’t go to college with the plan to be a history teacher; it just kinda happened.

Q: Why is history important?A: A country that doesn’t know its his-tory – people that don’t know their coun-try’s history – is like a person that doesn’t have a memory. You imagine how you would be able to function (or not func-tion) if you didn’t have a memory. So the history of the United States is sort of the collective memory of the country. You get an understanding of why things are the way they are [and] how things got to be the way they are.

To listen to the full interview, visit:http://thereallygoodshow.comFollow The Really Good Show on Twitter:@dulaneypodcast

Election candidate ballot

christine mckinnie, staff writer

A spot check finds school superin-tendent Dallas Dance’s plan to eliminate the requirement that each

school keep a certified librarian on staff has few, if any, fans here. “How could you ever find someone who would agree with that?” career education teacher Cate Carter said when hearing of the plan in early May. English teacher Dirk Frey agrees that cer-tified librarian Chris Senft is an invaluable help to his students completing literary re-search projects – so much, in fact, that when asked to relate a specific time she’d helped him out he couldn’t pick just one. “How about a time when she hasn’t helped?” Frey said. Several students researching a 1920s proj-ect for Meekah Hopkins’ Honors 11 Eng-lish class this spring said they appreciated Senft’s expertise as well. Junior Christian Garret said in addition to Senft’s presenta-tion on where and how to find electronic resources, the books she pulled from the library’s shelves saved him time. Sophomore Christian Franklin expressed a similar sentiment.

“Without her I wouldn’t know how to use a library,” he said, recalling a time earlier this year when an English project stymied him and Senft pulled an encyclopedia con-taining exactly the information he needed. Similarly, social studies teacher Kendra Swam said she has found Senft’s help in-valuable with research projects over the years. When she devised a new project for her abnormal psychology class this month, Swam said she quickly collaborated with Senft, whose knowledge of the 17,000 vol-umes produced a specific set of effective titles. The project has students apply psy-chological terms to fictional characters and to the subjects of nonfiction books. “She used key words for a search and then, based on her knowledge of the collec-tion here and in the Baltimore County Pub-lic Library, chose books that appealed to teen readers,” Swam said of Senft’s efforts. Senft and Swam also collaborated on pur-chasing some new titles for the project. Sen-ft will track which were the most and least popular titles, she said, so that the book list can be improved upon next year. Projects like these are common in the lib-

eral arts classes, Senft said, adding that 97 classes booked the library between April 8 and April 30. She said she enjoys the activ-ity and feedback she gets from students. The highest praise she received lately came from a junior who frequents the li-brary, a girl who routinely asks for reading

recommendations. “You’re the most user friendly librarian I’ve ever had,” Senft recalled the student saying.

Staff writers Isabel Griffith and Nick Bond con-tributed to this report.

Some differ with superintendent on required librarian staffing

JuNIOrS Chetali Deshpande, Bailey Bosley, Barbara Bafford, M.E. Cook, Andruw Szyczawinski and Kurtis Ewers conduct research for their Honors Physics class earlier this spring. photo by alex wright

VarSITy baSKETball coach Jessica Szymanski congratulates senior Sarah Dorl on being named the first female from the school to win a McCormick Unsung Hero Award following a May 6 ceremony. Dorl, a player on both the basketball team and a varsity lacrosse team, received a $36,000 scholarship with the award.

photo from richard reed

Athlete honored with sports award

erin briggs, staff writer

It’s that time of the year again; the weather gets warmer and student clothing gets

shorter and lower, a problem the administration fights every year. Former assistant principal Elizabeth Stanley created a system (continued by librarian Chris Senft) to help curb the amount of skin shown around the school. Whenever a teacher thinks that a student’s attire doesn’t fit the dress code, they’re to send the student to the library

to get a T-shirt to change into or to wear over their clothes. “I have had this system going for five years,” Senft said. Senft has about 150 T-shirts, most of which are faculty member donations or extra senior barbecue shirts. The shirts range in sizes from small to extra large, and are used for both genders. Last year Senft recalled at least 30 students were sent to her to receive T-shirts, but this year she has received only one. “I find it hard to believe that

everyone is wearing appropriate clothing,” Senft said, with a smile. Girls are typically sent to Senft for T-shirts when they wear tops that are too low or too short. Senft mentioned the worst dress code violation that she’s seen—a girl wearing a strapless, short top that showed a good portion of her abdomen. Reactions to the shirts are varied. Senft recalls girls in tears. Some are angered because their parents allow the wardrobe. Others claim that they didn’t

know the dress code rules and shrug it off. Sophomore Christin Cohee says that when she was reported for wearing a spaghetti strap dress, she “put a T-shirt on, then took it off next period.” Senft recalls one girl who had a meltdown because the T-shirts were all ugly and didn’t match her outfit. As for male dress code violators, it’s simple, Senft said—if they’re wearing a tank top, they get a T-shirt.

DONaTED T-SHIrTS, used as cover-ups by students whose clothing is deemed inappropriate, fill box-es in the library office. photo by alex goldberg

may 16, 20134 opinion the griffin

Find us on Edline under clubs.

ben merenbloom, staff writer

Whadja get? Whadja get? As if. No one cares about interim

reports anymore. They’re outdated wastes of paper. No, not outdated be-cause they’re paper, though it is quite quaint, but because by the time interims are handed out, grades have changed considerably. Sometimes so consid-erably that they’ve changed an entire let-ter grade. The pa-per may as well be left on the tree, the interim’s so useless. Rather than showing me outdat-ed grades, let me breathe a little more oxygen. Save the teachers time, the county money and my mom ink in her pen. The homeroom teacher who’s supposed to collect the slips with parent signatures just throws them away. So why does my mom waste her pen on the signature?

Besides, my parents already know my grades. It’s no shock to them, much less to me. I check Edline at least twice every day, sometimes even three or four times in a day if a major test grade is due to appear. So who, precisely, is the interim supposed to be informing?

My parents and I are the only ones who

read it, a n d

it’s no news to

us. I know my

favorite part of getting our inter-

ims: playing with it. It’s fantastic to use to trick people

into thinking I’m ripping it. I hold it horizontally, put my hands together holding it in the middle, and start a tearing motion, all the while put-ting my mouth up to it and making a ripping sound.

But to everybody’s bewilderment, I didn’t actually rip it at all. So I can do over and over and over again. I also enjoy giving my desk a paper cut. It’s more amusing than you’d think to take the side of the interim and slice

it across the edge of the desk. Sure, it’s a bit bully-ish, but it’s a desk. Give it a paper cut if you want. If you’re the doodling type, as I’m not, it’s a better use of the interim to turn it over and draw a pretty picture of the sun with newly blos-

somed tulips in May and large tree with a gray squirrel scooting up the

trunk. One of my personal favorites for it is folding it up, neatly of course, into as many tiny rectangles as I can. I al-ways seem to forget the most number of times I can fold it on itself, and believe

me, there is a limit. And for those weirdos out there who like to dry the oil from your drip-

ping-with-oil pizza, take your interim, turn it

over so you don’t get the ink on the pizza, and dry your pizza with the paper. Why waste a perfectly good napkin?

The Griffin welcomes story ideas, commentaries and letters to the editor. These may be brought to room 115, placed in Maria Hiaasen’s mailbox in the office or emailed to dulaneygriffin@bcps.org. All submissions are subject to editing and must be signed. The Griffin Editorial Board makes all final decisions regarding content.

Interested in advertising in The Griffin or purchasing any photos seen in this issue? Use the same contact information.

The free school-day administered SAT had good intentions. It was a great opportunity for juniors who haven’t taken the SAT yet to have a free first

time shot, and was a momentuous opportunity for any-one who wouldn’t be able to afford the test normally. But the attempt was far from perfect. The first thing that should be changed is the placement of the test takers. Since all juniors were sitting for the exam on the first floor, they were periodically disrupted by all the noise from the students changing classes up-stairs. Yes, the administration did switch off the bells, but the noise of chairs dragging across the floor couldn’t be muted. Another problem that should be changed is the time frame. Teachers were so intent on concluding the test and resuming the normal schedule that some robbed the students of their much needed breaks throughout the exam. Instead of going from homeroom to the testing rooms, students should receive information on their exam room the day prior, so they can go straight there the morn-ing of the test so that they may begin filling in the little bubbles at 7:45 a.m. The timing of the test was less than ideal. With Ad-vanced Placement exams and finals right around the corner, students were already scrambling to review ma-terial for those classes. This gave students yet another test to study for. Besides issues of timing, there was the simple fact tat not every junior who took the April 17 SAT should have. Some students already earned their desired SAT scores, so it was a waste. Others had no interest in ever taking the SAT, so it was another waste of money. The test should be optional. That way, you only get the people that really want or need to take a free SAT, so it won’t be a waste of money for the county, and a waste of time for teachers, proctors and students.

Weigh in on the issue. Tweet the editors @DulaneyGrif-fin with hashtag #juniorSATs.

eDitoRiAL:

County should eye improving free SAT

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FoLLoW us on tWitteR:@dulaneygriffin

coRRection to ApRiL eDition:

In “Foreign students share global experiences,” (page 12) sophomore Confidence Nwanguma’s name was misspelled. We regret the error.

sarah graves, contributing writer

There are 60 beads in a box. Three-tenths of them are green, one-sixth are blue, and two-fifteenths are red. If the remaining beads are yellow, how many yellow

beads are there? Most students who come across a problem like this throw their hands up in frustra-tion. A basic understanding of algebra is the key to solv-ing it. We need algebra to be prepared to solve complex problems, but some educators are debating whether to obliterate algebra as a requirement for high school gradu-ation. I couldn’t disagree more. Algebra should remain a re-quirement for high school graduation because it develops problem solving and science mastery skills. When moving from basic math to algebra, skills progress from being purely computational to becoming logical and conceptual, according to a 2008 education week article. Paying debts, managing loans, owning businesses. Every one of us will face these situations at some point. You’ll need algebra to help identify and solve these prob-lems as efficiently as possible. It doesn’t matter whether you want to be an English teacher, a soccer player or an en-

gineer. Algebra will help you throughout your life and ca-reer by providing you with crucial problem solving skills. Imagine yourself ten years into the future. Are you a housewife? Are you graduating from medical school? If you imagined a career in one of the sciences, you need to understand how important algebra is for your future.Most need at least the basics of algebra to solve problems with multiple quantities. Biology, chemistry, physics? Each of these sciences are just a few on the huge list of classes we all need to take to graduate high school, and each of these classes will be impossible to understand until you have at least learned the basics of algebra. Too many people hold a grudge against algebra because they don’t understand it. In several cases, students fail the class and have to repeat it several times to get their high

school diploma. A July blog post by Daniel Willingham notes that this hotly debated so-lution to raise the grad-uation rate—removing

the requirement for algebra—ignores students’ motivation and whether teachers are doing their work correctly. Instead of removing algebra as a graduation requirement, schools should be looking into ways to make learning alge-bra a better experience. Smaller classes might help. Same with making algebra seem relevent. We need to help motivate those around us and give them any advice we can. State Impact Florida reported in 2012 that we should also work to find better teaching methods, which can help those who are failing, or those who just don’t have a firm grasp on the subject. Once we all realize how valuable algebra is for our future, we will be able to promote learning it versus shutting it away.

Requiring higher math for grads = wise investment

op-ARt: katie walters

In the age of Edline, interims become obsolete

op-ARt: katie walters

Seniors tan while underclassmen burn up in class

MoRe opinions onLine: Staff writers rank youth forums and the new 5K run among the best changes this year. They rate larger class sizes among the worst. See our website for more.

Loosen up on seniors

I’ve spent the last 13 years slaving away in this school system. I deserve a little wiggle room. I need to experience the joy of anticipating that I am finally getting out this dictatorship. One double digit number (posted on the board to count down the days left in the school year) will not change the work environment. If anything, it will make students put all the more effort and grit into their lives. Be happy that I’m embracing my final 10 days here (as of May 6). Looking back on my experience the last few weeks, I have realized how overbearing the rules are. I’m happy to say, “So long, you stringent rules!”

— Claire Reider, senior

LetteRs to the eDitoR

news editors Becca King, Mattie Gibbonsfeatures editors Jessica Hung, Thea Zurekopinion editors Jenny Ingliss, Katie Walterssports editors Drew Van Wagner, Joe Pezzullachief technician Leander Bechtolddeputy technicians Rashid Taleb, Alex Boellnerphotography editors Emily Park, Jen Siegelonline coordinators Lily Klein, Beth Vita, Alicia Wintoncopy editors Malik Peacock, Isabel Griffith, Meghan Reinhardt, Nick Bond

Dulaney High School255 E. Padonia Rd. Timonium, Maryland(410) 887-7633co-editors Aysha Khan, Anna Jensen deputy editor Ali Kochesfahanibusiness managers Yejin Yoon, Kyra Twohyadviser Maria HiaasenThe Griffin’s mission is to enlighten and entertain.

may 16, 20135 opinion the griffin

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Don’t release your name, email and test scores 1. to schools through the College Board. If you’re serious about the college applications process, visit the websites of school you’re interested in, fill out their questionnaires and sign up for their individual mailing lists. Otherwise, you’ll be getting regular updates from East Bejeesus University and Nowhere-Ville College. Extracurricular activities are great to pump up 2. your resume. But don’t overdo it. Rarely will an admissions counselor ever take seriously the Chief Court Jester of the Renaissance History Re-enactment Club or the Sous Chef of the Easy-Bake-Oven Professionals Alliance. Same goes for applicants who boasts participation in over 30 different clubs and activities. Admissions counselors smell B.S. the way dogs smell fear. If you’ve taken the SAT 2.15 x 103. 345 times and you’re still unhappy, try something new. I’m a big believer in the ACT—sure, the ACT includes trig functions, but it won’t trick you the way the SAT does (i.e. “If Christine has three apples and Jonathan has ten buckets of Greek yogurt, what is the speed of Michael’s BMW if he accelerates over a senior lot speed bump on the third Sunday of June?”). I especially recommend the test for students who prefer chemistry equations to Aeschylus readings.Send your test scores to schools you’re 4. interested in. Admissions offices won’t toss out your scores if they don’t recognize your name. They’ll start a file on you and continue to collect more materials. Don’t blow off your Advanced Placement 5. classes. Those little AP exam scores you receive in the mail could slash thousands of dollars off your tuition. You’ll regret not trying your best.Yo, athletes!6. The recruitment process begins sophomore year (and earlier if you’re looking for a Division I experience). Start emailing coaches right this second. Set up face-to-face meetings. Attend showcase tournaments or clinics and get seen. Whenever you meet a coach, bring a copy of your transcript, your most recent report card and your resume. Start touring early.7. Tour before you apply. Why would you ever want to waste money sending in an application to a school you heard is “halfway decent” if it’s located in the world’s largest sinkhole and riddled with hazardous nuclear waste? Touring helps narrow down your college list. And hey, if you really like a school’s campus and environment, you can go back and spend a night there or two. And on that note, don’t apply to 34,586 8. schools. The magic range is about four to eight if you’re applying regular decision. And don’t apply solely to Harvard, Yale and Cambridge, either. Mix in reach schools and safety schools and you’ve got a recipe for success. Set up an interview when you visit campus. 9. Not only are you killing two birds and saving gas money, but you also appear proactive and serious about the school. Remember what you wore to your junior interview? Same deal. Guys—nice shirt, tie and khakis. Girls—formal blouse and skirt or pants or nice dress. Avoid misusing big words and the phrase “YOLO.” And be sure to silence your cell so it doesn’t blare “Thrift Shop” as you’re bragging about your Youth & Government achievements.Don’t throw early decision out of the equation 10. from the get-go. Yes, making a binding decision to attend a school is extremely difficult. But your chances of acceptance are much higher, particularly if you’re applying as a Division III athlete. And if things get really bleak and your financial aid package sucks, you can negotiate a way out of an E.D. acceptance.

Surviving college apps: My top ten tips

anna jensen, co-editor

sleepdepraved

Holding phones hostage burdens parentsali kochesfahani, deputy editor

It’s freshman year, I’m in art class and I’m petrified as my Blackberry starts playing the song “Come on

Get Higher” by Matt Nathanson. Then I realized: I set an alarm on my phone to wake up each morning over winter break. With today’s technology, my Blackberry alarm rings even when the phone’s turned off. Of course I didn’t remember to turn off the alarm when I got back to school. My teacher didn’t hesitate to snatch it, despite my desperate pleading. The worst part was my mom, who was more frustrated driving to school just to sign out my phone than she was with me actually breaking the rules. I don’t understand it. Never have, never will. Why do teachers have to re-port students’ cell phones if they catch them using them without permission? No matter how many times adminis-trators enforce the no cell phone policy, students aren’t going to obey. So why punish the parents? Forcing parents to pick up their kid’s

cell phone isn’t right. It’s way too much

of a hassle for both the parents and the student. Not every parent can leave work in the middle of the afternoon to drive to school, and not all students can afford to go without a cell phone for days at

a time. My friend relies on his phone nearly every day, so when it was taken away, he was desperate to get it back. His par-ents don’t have the opportunity to get his phone during after school hours, and he can’t drive yet, so he asks his friends for a ride home. But he can’t do that without his cell phone. I understand he shouldn’t have been on his phone during class knowing the consequences, but still. Why can’t the teacher take the phone and keep it for the duration of class? I can see how teachers can get annoyed with students fiddling with phones dur-ing class, but if this is such a problem, then why not give those students zeros for the day? Or just hold their phones for that class? There are plenty of alter-natives to this issue than to get parents involved. Should the problem persist with a certain student, give them higher con-sequences. Detention and zeros on class work are options.

OP-ART: kaeli o’connor

Automated essay grading makes debut

jenny ingliss, opinion editor

Santa visits you tonight and asks you to pick between a pet hamster, a box of Cheezits, and a program that writes perfect English essays. Which do you choose?

(Let’s assume you’re not starving on a desert island some-where. Fried hamster, anyone?) The obvious answer is the English essay-writer. It’s automated, foolproof, and will save you truckloads of time. It’s no wonder some college professors are considering their own version of this magical program. (Listen up; this part is for real.) Instead of writing the essays, it grades the essays. You know when your teacher collects the scantrons, walks across the hall and has everyone’s score five minutes later? It’s not crazy to think that in a few years, she’ll come back with your essay grades as well. So while you’re scrupulously assembling a 1,000 word cri-tique, your English teacher can hop on a plane to the Baha-mas and run them through a machine when she gets back. Just like Scantrons. She doesn’t need to bother knowing what her students learned, or how much effort it took them. She can focus on the important stuff: plane ticket, sunscreen, travel brochure… The grading software is a dream come true for “BS-ers” and evil geniuses alike. Let’s take the hypothetical George. When George is asked to

write about the literary elements Thoreau uses to convey his attitude towards nature, George writes about the discovery of Indian cucumbers in 1,000 B.C. And guess what? The program gives George an A+. George has pulled some serious BS-ing (cucumbers are not literary elements), and also shown evil genius (he has beaten the pro-gram by sticking in a few key words). George: 1, English teacher: 0. Well, maybe she gets quarter of a point, because she’s hav-ing such a darn good time in the Bahamas. (On a semi-related note, would these machines give points for effort? Hmm.) Humor aside, students have expressed worry about the possibility of automated essay-grading. “It sounds like it would not grade as effectively,” junior Alex Vecchioni pointed out. Creative thinking would recieve the same score as essays that stay “within the box.” Senior Brian Albert says he’s wary of the program, citing concern with the fact that the loopholes have already been found in a program isn’t widely used to begin with. Automated grading is a joke. Even if feedback is instant, that feedback could be seriously, hilariously flawed. It’s also a huge temptation for aspiring BS-ers out there. But most importantly, it removes a fundamental compo-nent from the learning process: the teacher.

christine mckinnie, staff writer

Quicker than a flash of lightning, and voila – you have a perfectly graded test or homework or essay or anything else,

ready to be given back to you. I mean, we live in the 22nd century, so why shouldn’t we have magical robots grading our papers so that we can get them back in time to review for our next ginormous test that is going to determine whether we get in to Stanford or Clown College? Yes, there is the theory that the mechanical grade device thingy will give you a bad grade, but think of writing es-says as a game. A game of give and take, writing the perfect words on a piece of paper to hand in – whether it helps or harms our educations is up to us, not the machine. We’re the ones actually moving the pieces on the game board; the machine’s just the cute little Monopoly dog marking our progress.

It’s funny though, the nerve of some teachers, thinking that they should be able to do anything other than grade papers

and do school related things. We forget that teachers are (sometimes lazy) humans,

too. Maybe we can give them a day off every once in a while and let them run some of our essays and pa-pers through that handy software program. The students I asked about this idea all think that I’m crazy, that they want their teachers to look at

their papers. Or they think that if we give artificial intelligence too much power, robots will take over the world. But look at the things that artificial intelligence has done. Surgeons are able

to operate with immense precision. Cars are made with crash safe technology to prevent people from getting killed or maimed when they crash. Artificial intelligence can be immensely help

ful, if we use it to our advantage. And giving quicker, automated feedback to students—is an excellent

way to use it. The next time you walk out your door and use Siri on your smartphone, just think of what greatness we could be doing with technology besides broadcasting social media and communication.

OP-ART:kaeli o’connor

Technological advancements can give teachers a day off

Yes, you really do need a teacher’s expertise for essay grading

Essay grading software has arrived on college campuses. The New York Times reports that it will be offered

to colleges for free as of this spring. Creators told the Times the software will free profes-sors from the ball and chain of grading papers and provide students with instant feedback, but should such software ever be employed here? English teachers gave mixed reviews. Meekah Hopkins said computers may not be

able to detect the nuances expressed in artful human writing. Debbie Hamilton expressed a similar sentiment: “When elite colleges and their writing professors as well as well-known writers try it and endorse it, I’ll be a believer.” Among social studies teachers, Kathleen Skelton said automated essay grading says something about what we value. “With machine grading we value progress, sci-

ence, efficiency and (maybe conformity and mediocrity) because it is more important to get the right answer than to have individ-ual processes that develop thinking.” Phil Bressler conceded that saving teachers’ time makes sense but added that computerized grading might cause teachers to lose touch with students.As for student views, see the articles below.

may 16, 2013 6 senior map the griffin

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bowie stateMatthews-Bey, Khalyn

ccbcAckerman, CristineAguilar, AdreanaAguilo, EarlAlbert, BrianAlbornoz, MelinaBarnes, Malik*Bassler, AveryBozel, AlexandraBrown, Molly Burger, Collin Callas, Jesse Chambers, SamChun, Sara Cooper, Josh Cruz, Adrian Csipo, Maura Davis, Cassie Davis, ChloeDuschel, BrittneyEdwards, Monika Egerton, Margaret Flemmer, MikeGunther, PaulHall, KendraHall, Matthew Harlan, JoyHayes, Torell*Hokmobadi, SavalanHong, AndrewKo, YeonghaLeBlanc, StephenLemus, EldenLewis, MonellMayer, ShawnMedrano, Ivette Mitchell, MerrandaMorales, Fernando*Nachodsky, Ashley*Nuckolls, Michael

Oliver, HenryPappas, AlexParis, FabricioParrish, Michael*Patel, DipalibenPeddicord, CoreyRomero, Karen*Sadjedy, IraSchwensen, SavannahSlavin, MeredithSmith, AlondraSnow, NatalieThomas, Aaron Tolbert, Sydney Vealey, RobynWareheim, Brooke

fortis inst.Hairston, Taylor

frostburg stateBowman, Kashaud*Brown, Daniel*Harvard, ShateiraHaviland, KristenTrawinski, Reily*

goucher collegeValdez, Julian*Williams, Jordan*Woodson, Hannah*

harforD ccMakris, Eleni

hooD collegeGomez, Victoria

johns hopkinsDordai, Jonathan*Maraj, Sasha

Zhang, Harry

loyolaAnderson, JulieDave, ShivamJasion, AlexManning, Cooper

mcDanielSuzy Banister*Pete Benzinger

morgan stateGaylord, ImanWhite, Krystle

mount st. mary’sEwers, Kris*Higgins, GlyphParshley, AllieSafari, Mona

notre DamePrugh, Hannah

salisburyBoren, JuliaBoyer, AndrewBuchko, NoelleDeise, StephanieDiaz, AlexElliott, AllieGranzier, KateGuelzow, LaurenHill, CarolineHillman, Sam Jaeger, Caroline Kerr, JeffKim, Han* Link, KrissyMeredith, CharlotteParks, DavidRabalais, LoganRatcliff, Sasha MaryRolfes, MelissaRoughan, KevinSchaub, Eric

Schech, Andrea Scott, RaequwonSharun, StewSpiva, Alex Thamir, HasanWalsh, IzzyWalsky, LarryWilliams, Jeremy Yin, Rodger

sojourner-DouglassToller, Walter

stevensonElrick, MissyHector, Nathan Jacobs, Jazz*Machua, WambuiNguru, JuneSimkins, RyanSmith, EssenceWoods, Amy

st. mary’s collegeAndrews, Caitlin*Christensen, BrynnScanlan, Gavan*

towsonAtkinson, AlexBailey, Jamarr Bowling, WilliamBoyer, AndrewBriscoe, KathyCapobianco, NicholasDeise, BrittanyDeise, Ryan Donald, Bobby*Duckett, LaurenGray, TylerHameed, UsjidHoffman, PatrickJafari, AliKernan, JackieKirchner, ChristineKochesfahani, AlisonKuhr, LindseyMantova, Rita

McBean, LenaMejia, AlexsaMiller, SamMurphy, KellyMuth, PerryPillas, AndrewPuglia, EllieReider, ClaireSacca, KarsonScrivnor, Jackie Thaw, MayTierney, JuliaVlk, AlexandraWatson, ChrisWitt, EmilyWong, LaurenYi, Jin Ju Zavorothy, Travis

u of baltimoreHarlee, MeghanJohnson, CiaraJohnson-Clay, Jessica Mackie, Patrick

umbcBae, TrentBorhani, ShayonBuck, RichardCoard, Thomas Dotterweich, JackEngel, TommyEwart, Kristyn Freas, Daniel Gillespie, GraceGillum, Michael Ishak, Miraie Kihara, MarvinKumar, SanjayNeevumalla, SumanthPark, SamRoberts, John Ruan, Yi QihgSehdev, PrabjitStreb, JeremyVedati, SaiWah, Erin

umD: college parkAkhavan, ShadiAnsari, SoophiaAssefa, ZoscalesBowers, Kyle Carey, Andrew Carroll, StephanieChan, AngieChen, AmyCheng, Andrew Chung, JustinCooper, Courtney Debuski, PatrickDuckett, MeganEmerick, Joshua Fauntleroy, Gary Fletcher, William Han, JayHandzo, ConnorIslam, Tash*Jang, Sun Jeong, JasmineJia, KevinKhan, AyshaKim, JennyKoirala, Swati Lim, CaseyLim, HeetaekLiu, Alex*Mo, Robert Nanasi, MattNandakumar, Arrabi Ojo, Olufemi Rose, BeebeRoth, JamieRuth, Hanna Shin, Delia Snyder, Rachel Wall, JenniferWelsh, GabrielleYi, Tina

umesJohnson, Amalia

washington collegeGauss, Hollianne

*: student was recruited for varsity athletics

1-4 SeniorS

5-10 SeniorS

11-24 SeniorS

25 + SeniorS

maryland

Seniors reveal post-grad plans

may 16, 2013 7 senior map the griffin

Find us on Edline under clubs.

alabamau of alabamaSchaefer, KellySchevker, Ashley

arizonaarizona stateBraddy, AmiraFord, Tim

californiacal state: long beachNewell, Allison

san Diego stateDorl, Sarah*

santa barbara city Sottak, Madeleine

uc: berkeleyGetzenberg, Alaina

connecticutyaleTang, Lisa Ann

delawareu of DelawareBechtold, Leander*Cuddington, ClaytonMajor, NaomiWicks, Andrew

u of wilmingtonStarr, Jessica*

floridajacksonvilleWassel, Rachel

u of floriDaKennelly, Allison

u of miamiEvans, Will

georgiageorgia techMyers, Lucas

illinoisart inst. of chicagoButta, Corinne

columbia collegeClare, Will

uchicagoHoke, Erol

kansaskansas stateWarsaw, Kris

massachusettsbentleyZhang, Kassy

boston uMeegan, Caroline*Winton, Alicia

harvarDFeng, Yilin

mitKudryashev, Julia

suffolkVita, Beth

williamsCao, Minwei

winthropBundick, Lauren*

wheaton Evans, Sam

michigancentral michiganNanjokas, David

ferris stateWhite, Jake

minnesotaumn: twin citiesLee, Joyce

mississippiu of mississippiHarman, LindseySchmelz, J.P.Turlington, Rebecca

missourimizzouMoore, Alex

washington u, st. louisGreene, Ben

new hampshireDartmouthBai, Patricia

u of new hampshireHill, Jessica

new jerseyocean countyMcCardell, Tavon*

princetonGao, Helen

new yorkbinghamtonKim, Tim

cornellFordyce, Dan*Sun, Tiffany

culinary inst. of americaYoon, Yejin

hunter Ahn, Jamie

iona Draddy, Lara

nyuChang, Ian

paceRobinson, Zena

parsons school of DesignPark, Emily SoHee

syracuseO’Connor, Kaeli*

north carolinaappalachian stateEdington, EmilyKolakowski, Emily

DukeByatnal, Kushal

east carolinaAgandi, LorreenTewksbury, Mackenzie

elonO’Brien, Olivia*

high pointDrinkwater, Nicole

lenoir-rhyneSwanson, Kelsie*

nc stateMayhew, Laura

unc: wilmingtonHawkins, Maya

wake forestGibbons, Mattie

ohiobowling green stateMota, Ashley

ohio stateLo Russo, Michael

ohioSinn, Naomi

u of mount unionMarrow, Nia*

oregonu of oregonKatzen, Becca*

pennsylvaniaalleghenyHoofring, Kirsten

arcaDiaTurlington, Jill

art inst. of philaDelphiaShields, Gracie

bucknellKim, JaeminKing, Christine

DuquesneMcCormack, Henry

DickinsonPicka, Robert*

elizabethtownAnderson, Jon

gettysburgDeros, JuliaEbright, Alex

harrisburgMuregi, Samuel

muhlenbergRusso, Payton

penn stateSmall, TayvonSo, JulianThommen, ChrisWalls, AmberWei, Josh

swarthmoreJensen, Anna*

u artsLing, Dee Dee

u sciencesHan, Sang HunMoon, SandraVuong, Krystal*

west chesterLaRonde-King, Naomi

yorkGarner, Isaiah*Schroeder, SarahShedid, Omnia

rhode islandr.i. school of DesignHong, AmyOrmita, C.J.

south carolinaclemsonMathey, Robbie

coastal carolinaApicella, Anthony

erskine Park, Brian

limestone Legaluppi, Gina*

u of south carolinaBerman, TateDiggs, LexieFordyce, Liz

tennesseebelmontGraves, Sheila

sewaneeMorgen-Westrick, Trevor*

vanDerbilt Rafferty, Matt

texasricePappas, Steven

vermontu of vermont

Batton, Maggie*Kern, Lena

virginiahamptonDixon, JoshuanGraham, MichaelGraves, Alexis*

james maDisonHall, Shelby

marymountTinkham, Natalie*

mary washingtonDorman, Seth

roanoke Surbeck, Ben

shenanDoahSanders, Tilghman*

virginia techErickson, MadiHovis, MatthewKilmer, Nicholas

washington & leeWood, Corinne*

william & maryOlsen, Amanda

washington, d.c.americanSmiley, Elle

catholicAn, Christine*

george washingtonGeorge, Angela

howarDSilas, ShakaraPorter, Jaelin*

west virginiawvuChandler, DanielleMagnotta, CarlyMiller, CameronPlatt, J. DeeRoys, TimSacca, Gia Thomas, John

internationalnat. inst. of Design (inDia)Dani, Rujul

western ontario (canaDa)Snow, Cameron

armed forcesair forceNjau, Michael

armyMaclin, Greg

marine corpsMarkievich, BrettIsom, EricRittler, EmmetSuk, Alex

navyWang, ChenWilson, Durrell

volunteeringamericorpsRikhi, Anchal

workingChellis, Christopher Christina, JoshDavis, ChrisDent, MalikSedano, OliviaScrivnor, Zack

travelingCheung, TiffanyDorman, DanEvans, Sonya

may 16, 2013 8 features the griffin

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may 16, 2013 9 features the griffin

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Teachers, administrators and counselors suggested these 13 seniors as most likely to succeed based on

their varied talents.

1) Eagle Scout and closet-singer-songwrit-er LUCAS MYERS is a peer tutor and has run track all four years here. photo by jen siegel2) A Girl Scout for ten years, SASHA MARAJ plans to use her love for medicine and com-munity service to travel the world helping others as a doctor. photo by jen siegel3) As vice president of La Voz, D.J. ARBA-LAEZ mentors club members to ensure they are comfortable, as he lives in a primarily Spanish-speaking household himself. pho-to by alex wright4) YILIN FENG was recognized on the Honor Board of America, is tied for the highest GPA in the senior class, and will attend Harvard in the fall. photo by meghan reinhardt5) When JULIA KUDRYASHEV moved here as a sophomore, she immediately joined the robotics team. She’ll continue honing her skills at MIT next fall. photo from kudryashev 6) From helping teachers grade papers to taking out stitches at her internship, ALEX VLK has accumulated 1,132 hours of com-munity service. photo by alex goldberg7) Described by friends as a human calcu-lator and “the equ-asian,” math club presi-dent JAY HAN hopes to use his math talent in sports. photo by meghan reinhardt8) A 12 season athlete, BRITTANY DEISE is president of student government, a repre-sentative of the handbook committee and member of the Superintendent Advisory Board. photo by jen siegel9) Involved in WR1, Giving It Back, Spec-trum, SADD and Live On Five and man-ager of five sports teams, SHAKARA SILAS is the face of spirit here. photo by jen siegel10) Half-Indonesian and half-Italian model SONYA EVANS plans to move to Indonesia af-ter graduating. photo from evans11) Classmates say the poised master of re-call and budding executive EROL HOKE pos-sesses a Midas-esque “touch of success.” photo by meghan reinhardt12) Photographer and artist C.J. ORMITA has been featured as a finalist in the Towson Deli Competition, The Great Frame Up and the Towson Showcase. art by ormita13) After riding the bench his freshman year on JV, JORDAN WILLIAMS spent the next summer on the basketball court. He’s be-come a crucial leader on the varsity team. photo by jen siegel

To read each senior’s full profile,see our website.

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may 16, 201310 sports the griffin

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lily klein & isabel griffith, staff writers

Her athletes de-scribe cross country and

track assistant coach Julie Kramer as “bub-bly” and “passionate.” The grad student ran 12 seasons here un-der head coach Chad Boyle and continued her running career for 12 more seasons at Messiah College. She’s

now finishing up her third year and ninth season of coaching. Kramer was inspired to begin her coaching career to find value in her life, she said. Kramer has devel-oped her coaching philosophy through-out her time as an ath-lete and as a coach. “Running is more than just fast times and gold medals. Running

teaches you so much about life,” she said. “You have to be disci-plined, committed and self-motivated.” Senior and team cap-tain Dan Fordyce says Kramer is supportive, caring, and experi-enced. He says he sometimes jokingly asks himself when running, “What would Julie do?” Kramer’s most mem-

orable moments as a runner include mak-ing it onto the Girl’s Varsity Cross Country team during her senior year. being part of the second place team in the 2005 Cross Coun-try State Champion-ship Meet, and finally fulfilling her dream of being part of the Top 7 Varsity team. Senior and runner Beebe Rose comments that Kramer’s experi-ence being coached by Boyle helps her under-stand the traditions of the team. Kramer is “fun-lov-ing but structured,” Rose added. As a coach, Kramer remembers promi-nently Personal Re-cord Day’s. At the end of each season, PR day shows the progress of each athlete in a com-fortable, exciting envi-ronment. Kramer notes the importance of these days because non-var-

sity members receive fewer opportunities to race so it gives her an opportunity to see the team’s improvement. Kramer says she loves to see her ath-letes’ faces when they clock a new PR. Kramer is current-ly studying School Counseling at Loyola University. Her life ambition is to “be a good example or role model to kids I coach or students in my school. I hope I make an impact on some of them and show them what it’s like to have a person who supports them.” Rose agrees that Kramer’s studies help the team dynamic because she takes the time to listen to athletes who may be struggling. “As a bud-ding young coach she will one day by full of experience and knowl-edge,” Rose said.

You’ve probably seen him roll by in his light green Gator, flying by the baseball field or rounding the track on the lacrosse field.

Mike Lafferty, athletic director at Dulaney since 1998, is retiring. “It’s been a great experience. The reward of seeing so many great students and great athletes go through here is a pipedream for anybody in this position,” Lafferty said. Since 1998, there have been many county championships and deep runs in state tournaments. But for Lafferty, it’s hard to pick out one memorable game in particular. “There have been so many highlights so many things you work hard to see happen, and when it happens the reward is great. There hasn’t been any one game that had stood out more than another,” he said. Still, Lafferty remembers a few highlights. His first year (1999) the varsity volleyball team won the state championship. In 2005 the girls and boys lacrosse teams won state championships. The main project on his agenda during his tenure was improvements to the stadium, including a different layout and press box. Most updates are already underway. As for the addition of lights, Lafferty predicted it will happen in the near future. Lafferty also takes pride in running the Dulaney Hall of Fame, a fully-functioning, self-sustaining organization that funds itself and recognizes past superior athletes. After retirement, Lafferty has plans to stay busy for a couple of months before relocating to northwest Georgia. Planning to travel and pursue his hobbies along with finding a part-time job with shorter hours is on the agenda. With just weeks remaining in school, you may have a remote chance to catch Lafferty rolling by in his gator, purchased solely from, ironically, Gator-ade vending machine profits. “It’s been a good fundraiser,” he said.

12 season athletes

“There is always the challenge of limited time to do everything you want. You never have time to recuperate and reset your mind to be ready for the next sport.” Corinne Wood, one of six 12-season athletes among this year’s seniors, puts it aptly. Physical endurance isn’t all it takes to play a sport throughout every high school season. Love of sport and competition drive many to rise to the challenge. The payoff comes in more than a shelf full of trophies. “I’ve met a lot of awesome people and developed relationships with friends that I would never had if it were not for sports,” fellow 12-season athlete Brittany Deise said. “Once you find your place it’s hard to quit because if you do, you not only let yourself down but let your teammates and your coach down,” Deise said. (See photos, page 11.)

Athletic director ends term; 12-season athletes honored

drew van wagner, sports editor

from the bleachers

Senior corinne wood jumps for the ball in a varsity lacrosse game earlier this season. photo from wood

Richard Reed is easing into the ath-letic director’s position here. Trans-ferring from Franklin High School,

he coached football, baseball and basket-ball there before becoming the school’s athletic director. A Penn State grad (he played third base on the baseball team there), he sat down with Griffin copyedi-tor Meghan Reinhardt on one of his many visits here this spring.Q: What are you most excited about?A: Working with this community. I’ve been lucky enough to work partly with coach Lochte, coach Fiat, coach Syman-ski, and seeing all these wonderful things you guys do here. ,Now being a part of it is really, really amazing. There is so much tradition here, it’s fantastic.Q: What do you think will be the biggest challenge?A: Maintaining your excellence. My num-

ber one goal is to not let it fall apart. That’s tough because you guys are so successful. One of the biggest things I want to do in the future is make us more marketable. Make sure our parents are here, make sure our name is in the newspaper….It’s our time.Q: What are some changes that you would like to see while you are here?A: Coach Lafferty did a great job setting standards, and the coaches here are fan-tastic. I recruited many of them to come to Franklin, and many of them said no. So that speaks volumes of the community, and the school. I’m not going to come in here with a sledge hammer and start cut-ting things down. I have a lot to learn. But,we’re going to have some fun changes in terms of media and spirit. I’m mostly observing for now. Q: Will we get a turf field?

A: “It’s funny you say that. I went a game and every parent was like ‘So when is Du-laney getting a turf field?’ and even Coach Korrow was like ‘So when are we getting our turf field?’ And I’ve been very lucky to have to be a part of the capital projects at Franklin. So, there’s a lot of things on the table, we just gotta see how it goes.

Lafferty replacement moving in, making plans

Athletic director Mike Lafferty hands his keys to his successor, Franklin High School’s Richard Reed. photo by emily park

mattie gibbons, news editor

“He doesn’t act as a coach; he acts more as a friend

or a mentor,” senior Tilgh-man Sanders said. Players praise varsity boys lacrosse coach Kyle Fiat for his focused coaching and his ability to relate to them. Fiat says he has “very high but fair expectations” for his players. “It’s important that their actions on the field continue over to their attitude during school,” Fiat said. Fiat attributes his success to his team’s three rules: be on time to everything, be a good person and put your team first, teammates second and yourself last. “There is no substitute to hard work,” Fiat said. Growing up with parents who majored in physical edu-cation, Fiat always planned to be a coach.

He began playing lacrosse in his junior year of high school. At Utah State Univer-sity, which lacked a lacrosse program, he planned to pur-sue football. But after a neck injury, he transferred to the University of Utah and joined their club lacrosse team. During a lacrosse game, a coach recommended he transfer to Towson Universi-ty. Fiat ended up walking on the team with a scholarship as a two-year starter. After graduation, Fiat began student teaching with physi-cal education teacher Matt Lochte and assisting Jake Reed, head lacrosse coach. During this time he played for the Philadelphia Wings, a professional indoor lacrosse team, and the U.S. indoor team later that season. “I actually ended up missing the end of our season because I was in Nova Scotia playing for the national indoor cham-

pionship,” Fiat recalled. Fiat’s coaching does not end at the high school level. Two years ago, Fiat and junior var-sity coach Thomas Alderman created “Practice Like a Lion Day,” where they invite local middle school boys to partici-pate in a typical lacrosse prac-tice. Fiat explains the team’s

traditions to them, hoping to inspire them to increase their hard work and effort. “What you see is what you get. He is the same man on and off the field and he gen-uinely cares for the student athletes,” Alderman said.

croSS country And trAck ASSiStAnt coAch Julie Kramer confers with track team members in late April. photo by alex wright

Fiat’s personal story shapes his coaching

Runners commend Kramer for relatable style

Top coaches train, guide players

BoyS’ lAcroSSe coAch Kyle Fiat works with varsity lacrosse players earlier in March. photo by jen siegel

may 16, 201311 sports the griffin

Find us on Edline under clubs.

anna jensen, co-editor

It was a picture-perfect dive. Softball captain

Claire Reider, a senior, was parallel to the diamond, a foot above the ground. The second baseman knocked down a screaming line drive, scrambled for the ball and side-armed it to senior Stephanie Deise, just in time for the put out at first base. Reider cited that moment at

the Lion’s March 28 15-5 victory over Catonsville High School as her best personal moment of the season, even above her homer in the third inning. “It made me feel like a superhero. Like Batman or Superman. Like I was flying. I wanted that out more than anything at that moment,” Reider said. Reider, a four-year varsity veteran and self-described utility player, cemented her position in the infield this season with “reliability and unbridled effort,” according to teammates. Turning an airborne line drive catch into a double play against number one ranked Eastern Technical High School and diving after a scorcher down the line for a put out against Perry Hall High School haven’t hurt either. “I like having a leadership role,” Reider said. “I like being the person who can get things done.” Team members praise her work ethic and enthusiasm. “Claire motivates us and is always optimistic,” second baseman Becca King, a junior, said. She’s coachable and willing to learn, softball coach Dave Barwick said.. “She’s a mentor for younger players.” Barwick was quick to point out his favorite Reider play this year. “She drove in two runs against Bel Air early this season,” he said. “Those R.B.I.’s won the game.” “She gains more confidence every year,” assistant coach Jess Szymanski said. “She leads by example on the field. She always gets her teammates pumped to play the game.” Reider listed improving her batting average and keeping the dugout positive during tough outings as goals for her final year. Maintaining her .405 batting average and assisting the team’s 13-3 record at press time, she said, has been a challenge but a surmountable one.

isabel griffith, staff writer

Senior Jon Anderson is finishing up his twelfth

season of running cross country and track this spring. Ranked one on the team in the 800 meters and the 1600 meter run, he has accelerated into a favored position for competitions later this spring season.

Anderson enjoys writing music and hanging out with his friends in his free time.

“There is not much I do outside of running because when I’m not running, I’m running,” Anderson joked, “… all of my closest friends run.”

Throughout his four year long career, Anderson has made lifelong friends and developed himself into a more dedicated worker.

“Running has taught me commitment and has given me a more routine lifestyle,” Anderson said. He largely attributes his work ethic to running.

“Jon is very committed. I don’t remember the last time he missed practice,” coach Chad Boyle said.

After some thought, Anderson recalled a fond memory of cross country camp at Appalachian State in North Carolina, where the top 6 girls and boys gathered for a running camp.

“It was a good group of people, and it really reinforced the idea of a team,” Anderson said.

Anderson is a leader on the team, and he tries to instill his wisdom and knowledge of running to lowerclassmen. One of his main motivations as a runner has been performing to improve the team as a whole.

“I strive to be better because you can never be complacent. There are endless possibilities in this sport,” Anderson said.

Anderson has high hopes for the team this season in the County Championships at Sparrows Point High School on May 11. He will take his experience with him as he ends his high school running career, and continues on to Elizabethtown College this fall.

Runner sprints into counties

photo by alex wright

For junior varsity athletes of the month Andrew King and Julie Ciociola, visit our website.

athletes monthCheerful captain motivates

photo by alex wright

photos by alex wright

BADMINTONHelen Gao Krystal Vuong Harry Zhang

BASEBALLBobby Donald

BASKETBALLGavan Scanlan

CROSS COUNTRY/TRACKBeebe Rose

FOOTBALLTrevor Morgen-Westrick

GOLFDanielle Chandler

SOCCEROlivia O’Brien

SOFTBALLAnna JensenClaire Reider

TENNISJamie Ahn Yilin Feng Connor Handzo

VOLLEYBALLJessica Starr

WRESTLINGPat Hoffman Trevor Morgen-Westrick

Four year varsity athletes leave their paw prints

1. Kelsie Swanson - volleyball, soccer, basketball, lacrosse“I have learned how to man-age time well and plan out things a head of time because it is a really busy schedule.”2. Beebe Rose - cross country, indoor and outdoor track“Running has really taught me to do something for my-self, to show myself that I can do it. It makes me feel proud of myself, like a strong indi-vidual.”3. Jonathan Dordai - cross country, football, indoor and out-door track“From the start, I enjoyed lift-ing and working out. I hope I will be able to continue through the rest of my life.”

4. Brittany Deise - soccer, in-door track, softball“I learned how to develop a routine and manage my time efficiently. And I like hang-ing out with my friends after school and playing the sports that I love to play.”5. Corinne Wood - volleyball, basketball, lacrosse“I’ve learned what it is like to always have something to work for and work toward.”6. Jon Anderson - cross coun-try, indoor and outdoor track“It taught me commitment, dedication, patience and the importance of communica-tion.”photos by paul glinowiecki, beebe rose, anna jensen, lily klein and alex wright

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Seniors claim 12 seasons in the Den

ThE SEASON NEVER ENDS.

may 16, 201312 features the griffin

Find us on Edline under clubs.

gina lee, staff writer

“C’est la vie. We are a mere dinghy in the ocean of life. My

current brought me here,” senior Tommaso Casolaro said. Once a student here, he moved to Salerno, Italy after his sophomore year. The biggest change he’s faced? The culture—specifically the leniency on drinking and smoking laws. He sometimes finds himself walking past teachers and students in the hallways and sees them nonchalantly conversing over a cigarette. On the weekends, his friends casually order alcoholic beverages. (Before you ask, Casolaro said he prefers

lemonade.) One thing Italian and American students share is antipathy for school. But to Casolaro,

there’s no competition. “To be honest, school life in Italy is a gippin bore-house,” Casolaro said. “You sit in the same desk all day while listening to long and monotonous lectures while you take notes.” Although in America Casolaro is a senior, in Italy, he actually has one more year of high school to go. The big question is, will he remain in Italy or return to

America for college? “I don’t know if I want to stay in Italy, but at the same time I don’t

know if I want to go back to America. I want to keep all doors open. Even the windows if necessary. I like to feel aerated,” Casolaro said.

The incredible value of education.www.ccbcmd.edu

Start College Now!It’s never too soon to start thinking about your future. The Community College of Baltimore County offers high school students the opportunity to get a jump start on their college education and career training with our Parallel Enrollment Program (PEP). Juniors and Seniors can enroll in college courses while still in high school. Talk to your parents and guidance counselors to see how you can start getting ready now.

Get Started at CCBC!Request more information and get your own customized web page at ccbcmd.edu/requestinfo

TEACHER? LAWYER? ENGINEER? NURSE?

410.821.1211 ANNAPOLIS MALL

PANDORATOWSON.COM

aysha khan, co-editor

I was born in the back of a traveling caravan, in the desert heat of Al Raeda, a small trading village just a camel-ride

from Yemen’s capital. My father, Muhammad Abdul Rahman al-Jabbar bin Omar, decided last year to rip us from the only culture we’d ever known and bring us here. It was hard to learn the Americans’ customs and language; I still struggle sometimes. Kidding. I was born in (a hospital in) Canada. I’ve never actually stepped foot outside this continent, and English is actually my first language, though my name may hint otherwise. My headscarf probably doesn’t help combat that misconception. I started wearing the Islamic headscarf—or hijab, in Arabic—when I was 9. To pre-empt the inevitable question: my father did not make me wear it. But who can blame anyone for thinking he did? When a mini-9/11 flashes across the screen every time you flip the channel,

we’re naturally bound to want to blame someone. And who better than The Muslim, the turban-clad, bearded man with nine veiled wives? (Myth, by the way. Google it.) Not that everyone falls for this. The vast majority of people are sincerely friendly. Some are casually curious, as though I’m a specimen from a traveling exhibit. A few are intimidated. But the hostility is overwhelming. During my first week of middle school, a group of tall, laughing eighth graders passed me in the hall. “Get your Muslim ass out of here,” one boy said, much to the amusement of the others.

The day after Osama bin Laden’s death was announced, I learned a new slur the hard

way: a stranger stood behind me in the crush surrounding the middle staircase and decided to amuse himself by flicking the back of my backpack repeatedly, loudly pronouncing me a “sand nigger” with each flick. When I went home, I looked the phrase up on Urban Dictionary. I wouldn’t advise you to do the same. My parents had warned me that such vitriol would be thrown at me. But by now I’ve grown a thicker skin. I’ve learned

to shrug things off. Because this time next year, I’ll be finishing up my second semester

at the University of Maryland, where you won’t be able get away with calling me “the one with the head thing” because you can’t figure out how to pronounce my name. There, a girl in a headscarf is a dime a dozen. There are herds of us drifting across the campus at any given time. I’m graduating. I’m walking out of most of your lives. I’ve grown stronger just by having met you, and I like to think you got something out it as well. While I’m hardly the first hijabi to walk these halls, I’ve somehow managed to be the first many of you have seen outside grim news reports of bombings in Pakistan. Maybe seeing me from afar wasn’t enough to change your perspectives. But I’ve at least left my mark on the class of 2013 – just take a look at the winners of the senior superlative for Best Hair. Yeah, it’s me. And, no, I didn’t take offense. I laughed harder than any of you did.

MeMoir

The girl with the headscarf reflects on her years here in her hijab

Where’s Tommaso?

SeniorS and Griffin co-editors Aysha Khan and Anna Jensen collaborate on a journalism project in early May.photo by andrew oh

Casolaro in Italyphoto by katie nanasi

Sketching gatSby. Juniors Nikki Mehta and Tyler Nash use notes on “The Great Gatsby” to pro-duce character sketches in Meekah Hopkins’ period five Honors English class on May 9.photo by katy trosch

scene dulaney

may 16, 201313 features the griffin

Find us on Edline under clubs.

Club spotlight: Problem solvers unite weekly in math club

Bio teacher named county finalist

jessica hung, features editor

Math club is hardly exclusively for “math geeks,”

as many may think. Sophomore Michelle Ko said the meets are awarding and amusing. “Sometimes you see people jumping out of their seats and shouting ‘Eureka!’ when they complete a problem,” Ko said. Club president Jay Han said the group brings math lovers together. “Math club is a place for everyone to practice problems for math competitions and for everyone to get better at math,” Han said.

Club members like Han and seniors Minwei Cao, Casey Lim, Heetaek Lim and Lisa Ann Tang demonstrated this passion when their solution in the recent Moody’s Math challenge was among the top 43. The Tuesday afternoon meetings are spent doing everything from prepping for county Math League competitions, to tutoring underclassmen for their HSAs. Students in Advanced Placement Calculus BC are offered extra credit for attending. Students can join the Math Honor Society by attending. Junior Jacob Ham said even

after three years in the club, travelling to the different competitions, meeting people and spending time with friends still enhances the motivation to do well. “There are a lot of really smart people,” Ham said. “And these competitions were special for me, since it was something I never experienced before.” But even without the dangling carrot, Ko said she would still participate. “You see people like Jay Han and Lisa Ann Tang and their dedication to the club and love of math helps them excel. I just want to try to reach that level,” Ko said.

SENIOR Jen Wall enters data into her calulator in order to complete a Math Club problem Feb. 12in room 317. photo by alex wright

dEpaRtINg StaffERS.above: Business chairman Mike Reinsel will retire after 32 years of teaching. Reinsel said he looks forward to volunteering, biking and traveling in his retirement. photo by alex wright

left: Math chairman Nancy Reigle, a 33-year educa-tion veteran, retires this year. She said she has plans to continue instructing at either Loyola University or the Community College of Baltimore County. photo by mariah chenowith

Retirees prepare for last lessons, plan for life after high school

liz fordyce, staff writer

Science teacher Marty Stranathan be-came a finalist for a county Excellence in Education award this spring. Here

are three surprising facts about him:

1. He attended high school in Thailand.

2. He once circumnavigated a class via table-top to confer with students more quickly.3. He switched from a career in bio-chem after hearing a radio ad for a masters in teaching program.

For Fordyce’s full story, see our website.

maRty StRaNathaN assists with a lab in his seventh period Honors Biology class earlier this month.

The University of Maryland graduate says he teaches so-cratically, seeking to instill both confidence and a love of learning in his students.

photo by christine mckinnie

may 16, 201314 features the griffin

Find us on Edline under clubs.

Fashionistas who made their markAmong this year’s seniors, four stand out for their ability to express themselves sartorially. Here, they share their secrets. 1. Zena Robinson said she has a mood-driven style. Her favorite sources for clothes? Local thrift shops, H&M and Forever 21.2. Lisa ann Tang calls her style whimsical thanks to its emphasis on pieces that are more eye-catching than “classically beauti-ful.” Where does she shop? “My secret fa-vorite place is eBay, but you do have to be careful on there,” she said. She also favors H&M and outlet stores.3. aLex suk’s calls his style “sassy with a hint of street.” He prefers to shop at H&M, GAP, Express and Macy’s. His style philosophy? “Look your best, because when you look good, you feel good and do good.”4. June nguRu describes her style as flam-boyant with a mix of hand-me-downs and thrift shop clothes. The look that drives hers? Japanese street fashion.photos by emily park

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ReVieW

‘Gatsby’ remake disappointsmazen knio, staff writer

About 20 minutes into “The Great Gatsby,” narrator

Nick Carraway decides to drink alcohol for the second time ever. As he takes a sip, the dubstep hit “I Can’t Stop” starts blasting, with rapper Jay-Z spitting rhymes. A montage of drunk flappers ensues, and instantly director Baz Luhrmann transforms the Jazz Age into the hip-hop age. From there the general tone is set. No jazz, relaxing strolls in the yellow car or lunch with Wolfshiem at a 1920s cafe. Instead you get catchy beats and Fergie, zooming rides in the flashy Rolls Royce and a meeting with Wolfsheim in what looks like a night club during the day. But all that’s because this isn’t a “Gatsby” movie. It’s a Baz Luhrmann “Gatsby” movie. If you couldn’t tell from the paragraphs above, this is very different from the book. It’s filled with Luhrmann’s overblown set pieces, modern instead of jazz riffs, and an array of flashy colors. That

succeeds in many ways; it also brings out the movie’s biggest flaw. The party scenes look amazing. Yet, the music feels incredibly out of place. All the chaos captured on camera compels the viewer to feel like he’s at one of Gatsby’s wild parties. And if you know anything about those parties, you know they’re a ton of fun. Every time there’s a scene at the mansion, for example, Luhrmann employs a music video feel designed to bring joy to the viewer. The problem here is that these scenes nearly obliterate the book’s themes. At Myrtle’s apartment and at Gatsby’s house, everything looks so enticing that you can’t see the unseemliness. That wasn’t Fitzgerald’s wish. He wanted to slam the materialistic, inebriated society. All Luhrmann does is make you wish you had an invitation.

For the full story, see our website.

oVeRaLL RaTing:

photo from http://cinemablend.com

may 16, 201315 features the griffin

Find us on Edline under clubs.

alex moore, staff writer

Not every high school musi-cian gets

the chance to write a song with All Time Low’s Jack Barakat or perform with the band Go Radio. Senior Jake White says he hopes op-portunities like these will elevate the stat-ure of his pop band, Worth Our While. Jonathan Brennan, Chandler Pierce and Tim Wilcox first au-ditioned White last year, but it took more than one try to con-vince them. “Right before they were going to cut me, one of them had to hold a speaker right up to my ear and I killed one of their songs, and then they started think-ing, ‘This guy’s got something here,’” White said. White, the band’s drummer, taught himself first to play the guitar four year ago and only taught himself the drums three years ago. White recalls per-

forming at the Recher Theatre for the first time at the band’s Dec. 30 concert. “Once I was onstage I could not tell you how many people were in the crowd, I just heard friends calling out ‘WOW’ or ‘Jake White!’ But when the adrenaline of the moment hit, I was ready to go.” The band plans to release their new al-bum, “Happy Never After,” in the spring. The band has already released three sin-gles off of the album; one, “Bittersweet,”

earned a spot on HFS 97.5 radio sta-tion for a local spot-light in December. The song climbed to the second spot on their most-viewed chart by the end of the day. Another single, “Pinch Me (I’m Dreaming),” was written in response to their quickly-gained fan base. “This all happened a lot faster than any of us ever anticipat-ed, and all of it still seems a bit surreal,” White said. The band members

say they aren’t out to sound like any-one else. But bands from the pop-punk-alternative scene like A Day to Remember and All Time Low have influenced White’s music. The work has paid dividends for the band. This past year they signed with In-ternational Creative Management, the second largest talent agency in the na-tion behind Warner Brothers. And the band hopes this will land them a record deal.

an among us: Drummer for pop-punk band poised for success

SELF-TAUGHT DRUMMER Jake White, a senior rehearses with Worth Our While bandmates earlier this year. photo from white

READING “Elsewhere,” by Gabrielle Zevin. It’s about a girl who dies and then ages backwards in this heaven-like place un-til she’s reborn on earth again. I always think about what happens when we die. I know that’s really morbid. I always like to listen to different perspectives, and this was a really weird but cool one.

EATING I like trying new things even if they look a little scary. I don’t like Ameri-can food much—it’s kind of boring. The most exotic food I tried was this scary raw sushi roll. Not the “easy cooked way” of eating sushi. I went to Green Leaf, this Japanese place in Ti-monium. It’s pretty popu-lar but kind of hidden.

WATCHING Oh my God, I love “Lost.” I watched the series once and forced my whole family to watch it, too. And now it’s a thing—we sit down and watch an episode every night together. It’s so good! It’s six seasons and it doesn’t even ramble. I suggest everyone in the school watch it. We should have a “Lost” club. Lately, I’ve been slacking on my mov-

ies. I want to see “Beautiful Creatures” and “The Host.” And I want to go to the Charles Theater some time, because they have cool movies. But the best movie I’ve seen this year was “Silver Linings Play-book.” It was really good, really brash.

FOLLOWING On Twitter, I follow Malik [Peacock]; he’s funny. He tells it like it is. I like Macklemore. He tweets about con-troversial topics. His tweets are just like his songs—he’s not afraid to have lyrics about non-conventional things, like how brand names aren’t always the best, gay rights and drugs. LISTENING If I were to pick one song that I wouldn’t hate listening to for the rest of my life, then I would have to say Mum-ford & Sons’s “Winter Winds.” I want to go to a Rihanna concert. On the radio, there’s this game show called “Smarter than Reagan” [on Mix 106.5]. I was on it two years ago. I forgot you had to be 18, so I lied and said I was old enough, but I’m a bad liar. Now I have to wait until they forget about that so I can go back on

the show and

win concert tick-ets. I’ll just use my sister’s name because she’s over eighteen.

CHANGING I am super passive. I don’t real-ly speak my mind. I always want people to be happy. But I’ve learned to suck it up and stop being afraid because…they are just people, you know? I used to be so quiet and ‘go with the flow,’ but now I’ll really speak my mind.

postSHADI AKHAVAN, a senior and student government treasurer and voted Most Likely to Brighten Your Day, plans to attend The University of Maryland, College Park to study bioengineering. Akhavan sat down with copy editor Meghan Reinhardt to talk about what she’s been up to recently.

photo by jen siegel

may 16, 201316 features the griffin

Find us on Edline under clubs

kevin jiaI plan to major in computer science at the University of Maryland, College Park.

The nerdiest thing I’ve ever done was try-ing to create a video game during spring break.

My guilty pleasure is reading manga like “Soul Eater,” and playing video games like “League of Legends.”

Lisa ann TanGI plan to major in biology or neuroscience at Yale University.

I’d have dinner with Vincent Van Gogh. I think the way he used his pain to portray joy in his painting is magical.

My biggest moment of senioritis was resort-ing to using my textbooks as pillows, but that’s been a common theme throughout high school.

National merit scholars share their goals, quirks and more

I plan to major in economics at Princeton University.

My guilty pleasure is playing badminton and reading bad books. And by that I mean not good literature.

I’d have dinner with Abraham Lincoln. There’s a huge debate over whether he was actually racist or just constrained by what was possible at the time. I think he did everything he could, but I really want to know for sure.

HeLen Gao

kusHaL byaTnaLI plan to major in physics at Duke University.

I’d have dinner with Carl Sagan. He is prob-ably the greatest poetic scientist that ever lived. I don’t even like poetry. He’s poetic in the way he describes science.

In the shower, I rap 2 Chainz, Macklemore and Eminem.

photos by jen siegel

minwei caoI plan to major in biology and economics at Williams College.

I’d have dinner with Sandra Cisneros. She’s my all-time favorite author; she’s been through so much struggle as a writer, but overcame it anyway. Her writing style in-spired a lot of my writing.

The nerdiest thing I’ve ever done was spend-ing the summer in a lab at Johns Hopkins.

GabrieLLe weLsH

I plan to major in biology and dance at the University of Maryland, College Park.

I’d have dinner with Charles Darwin. I re-ally love his theory of natural selection.

In the shower, I sing Broadway musical numbers like those from “Wicked.”

amanda oLsenI plan to major in neuroscience at the Col-lege of William and Mary.

My guilty pleasure is spending hours on end watching NCIS episodes with my mom and eating dumplings.

My biggest moment of senioritis was do-ing a re-take of a biology test we already failed. I hadn’t studied since the last test. I pretty much walked into school and was like “Alright, time to fail my test.” So I winged it and made pretty patterns with my multiple choice answers.

casey LimI plan to major in bioengineering at the Uni-versity of Maryland, College Park.

My guilty pleasure is Tumblr, blogging and watching “America’s Next Top Model.”

I’d have dinner with Aung San Suu Kyi. She’s trying to start democracy in Burma and she’s inspirational to women and peo-ple who are oppressed.

alex goldberg, staff writer

If you’ve seen Hawaiian shirts around school this season and you’re

wondering who’s wear-ing them and why—mostly, it’s the baseball team. Sophomore Andrew Sugarman said the team began wearing the shirts at a team-mate’s sugges-tion. He said the team’s aimed to have fun and be goofy. “If it’s a Hawiian shirt, it works! ...Go for the most ob-noxious one,” Sugarman ad-vised. Pick the

shirt whose colors clash the most. To complement the look, Sugarman added, you have to

“look like a bum and wear really short shorts, like khaki shorts.” Kris Ewers agreed. “The harder it clashes, the better,” Ewers said. Sugarman said the

team found some k o o k y - l o o k -

ing” shirts at G o o d w i l l . Senior Dan F o r d y c e ,

w h o w e a r s his Ha-wa i i a n

shirt as a Senior Week fashion state-ment, bought his shirt for $10 on eBay.

kevin roughan, staff writer

Following graduation every year, many seniors pack their bags and drive to Ocean City

for the annual Senior Week. After months of planning, these students finally get to settle into their dream houses, carefully selected out of many options. For some, however,

finding a house to suit their perfect week plans was more difficult than they anticipated. “We’re staying at the Carousel on 117th street because that’s one of the few places willing to rent to all 11 of us. It took quite a while to find it, like a couple weeks, after a lot of searching and asking realtors if they would rent to us,” senior Chris Thommen said. In their search, seniors faced three common problems: cost, availability and willingness to rent to students. Senior Emily Edington, who will also stay at the Carousel with seven friends, said she had the same prob-lem during her search for a spot. It took Edington’s group two or three months to land a location. “It was really difficult to find a place that actually rented to seniors, so we had to keep looking. It was also really difficult because we had to make everyone happy,” Eding-ton said. Like Edington, Thommen had

juggled issues with cost and occu-pancy. In Thommen’s condo, each person had to pay about $370. “There are so many sites out there about Ocean City rentals, and you don’t know how reliable each of them is,” Thommen said. Thommen and his friends found fewer than 20 different locations that would house a dozen people. Thommen had to contact the own-ers via email or phone to find out if they were even willing to rent. In the end, Thommen and his group were left with only two willing re-altors. While some seniors were leaders in the search for a spot on the coast-al highway, others, like senior Jake White, just put their money in their friends’ hands, hoping for the best. “Honestly, I wasn’t involved in it at all. My friends in charge just told me the price I owed and I trusted them to not mess it up,” White, who will be staying Thommen’s condo-minium, said.

Toil pays off in senior week house search

seniors Chris Thommen, Alex Ebright, Alex Moore, Ben Greene and Erol Hoke discuss housing arrangements for senior week at lunch. photo by kevin roughan

Tropical apparel aspires to entertain and unite

photo by alex goldberg

“Take Me Out,” Tom Milsom“Bright Whites,” Kishi Bashi“Anything Could Happen,” Ellie Goulding“Awkward,” San Cisco“Sun,” Two Door Cinema Club“Pompeii,” Bastille“Let’s Go,” Matt & Kim“Dig Into Wave,” Freelance Whales

-nick bond, copy editor

“King of the Beach,” Wavves“No Waves,” Fidlar“Wave of Mutilation,” Pixies“Naked Kids,” Grouplove“The Hours,” Beach House“Fast Jabroni,” Surfer Blood“Summertime Clothes,” Animal Col-lective

-mazen knio, staff writer

“Back Seat Freestyle,” Kendrick Lamar“Sail,” AWOL Nation“Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons“Wild for the Night,” A$AP Rocky“Immortal,” Kid Cudi“Paper Planes,” M.I.A.“Jammin’,” Bob Marley“Hotel California,” The Eagles“Fly Solo,” Wiz Khalifa

-zoss assefa, staff writer

Driving to Ocean City? Try these summer suggestions from staff reporters“Beat This Summer,” Brad Paisley“Cruise,” Florida Georgia Line“Rain Is a Good Thing,” Luke Bryan“Ray Ban Vision,” ATrak“C’mon,” Ke$ha“Country Girl,” Luke Bryan“Get Your Shine On,” Florida Geor-gia Line“Toes,” Zac Brown Band

-mattie gibbons, news editor