Senior Sadia Bangura optimistic about future after Sierra Leone hardships, p.

C1

Volume 13 Number 3 James Hubert Blake HS Silver Spring MD http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/blakehs December 17, 2010

Senior wins scholarship for I [never

overcoming family hardship
Mugge beats the odds after mother
suffers unexpected brain aneurism
xby Somala Diby
Most seniors are at a transitional stage in their
lives. They try to determine who they are, what their
aspirations are and where their passions lie. However,
for senior Nick Mugge, this transitional period was sty-
mied when he woke up one morning to find his mother
lying unconscious on her
He later discov-
had suffered a ruptured
rism and a stroke that
felt] like
it was a
burden
...the
the unforeseen nature
of his mom’s condition,
toughest
Mugge was able to bounce
back from the trauma he
thing
faced to help her.
His resilience was
would
bedroom floor.
awarded November 9,
when he was recognized
probably
ered that she
brain aneu-
as a Children’s Defense
Fund (CDF) Beat the Odds
be giving
rendered her
completely
scholarship recipient. As a
finalist, Mugge, along with
up my
incapacitat-
ed. De-
four other high school se-
niors who have surmount-
social life
spite ed immense adversity, will
receive $10,000 every year Senior Nick Mugge beat the pictured with girlfriend,
for her.
throughout college. The odds, enjoying time with his senior Jamie Tran. --photos Nick Mugge
scholarship also provides mother (bottom left). Mugge by Aron Crews
recipients with a laptop
computer - a cherry on top to the significant fi- As her condition improved, she was moved from the
nancial support they will receive for college. ICU into the hospital. She was able to move and speak
“[Winning the award] felt awesome,” says but required the aid of a tracheostomy and a gastric
Mugge. “I feel like I really deserved it.” feeding tube to eat and breathe. The aneurism and
June 2, 2008, Mugge’s mother was stroke were unforeseen because she had never endured
admitted to Montgomery General Hospital any prior serious health risks. Adds Mugge, “She was
in Olney shortly after Mugge discovered probably the healthiest person in my family. Everyone...
her unconscious. At the hospital, a brain would get sick except her.”
scan revealed a large aneurism in her head. Despite the somewhat overwhelming flash-flood
She was immediately flown to Washington of his mother’s condition, Mugge was prepared to take
Hospital Center in Washington DC, where, care of her. On a typical school day, he goes to school
after more tests, a stroke on her brain stem while his mother sleeps. In the morning and early
was discovered. She then underwent a six- afternoon, his grandfather arrives at his house to feed
hour surgery in which the stroke, along her to give her medicine. Once Mugge gets home, he
with a piece of her skull, was removed. feeds her, empties her commode chair and adminis-
Mugge’s grandmother, who knew he ters her medicine, which consists of four to five pills
had final exams that day, drove him back to that prevent seizures, and stabilize her heart rate and
school from Montgomery General Hospital blood pressure. “I got used to it....it was something I
to allow him to complete his exams. After had to do,” says Mugge. “I [never felt] like it was a
school, he joined family at Washington burden.”
Hospital Center to support his mother, who At the end of his work day at the NASA Head-
was stable but on life support. quarters in Washington D.C., Mugge’s father comes
A few days later, she sustained home to help him take care of her. The responsibility
another surgery where her aneurism was is especially hard on him on Fridays and Saturdays
clogged in order to prevent it from burst- because his father works at his mother’s shop until
ing. Mugge did not see her opened eye midnight. “The toughest thing would probably be giv-
again until she awoke in the Intensive Care ing up my social life for her,” says Mugge.
Unit (ICU) from a two-month long coma. Continued on A2

Staff notices negative trend in homework habits, test preparation

by Delilah Gates
x & Blaire Hoffman
Teachers worry about grades as
students succumb to a recent trend of poor
study habits marked by neglecting to pre-
pare for assessments and rushing to do last
night’s homework.
Faculty have especially noticed a
decline in students’ willingness to put forth
effort to get a good grade. Math teacher
Jared Fribush says, “I think that preparation
for assessments – quizzes in particular – has
been on the decline for years.” He attributes
the drop in studying to the new Montgomery
County Public Schools (MCPS) reassess-
ment policy which allows students to retake
tests/quizzes when they do not perform well
the first time. Mr. Fribush adds, “The risk
of not studying is very low.”
Other teachers believe the trend
derives from students spending more time
with their friends and getting too caught up
in technology. Photography teacher Sara
Hartenstine says, “In my classes, they prefer
to stay after school than give up their lunch
time with their friends.”
Science teacher Elaine Power
has her own theory to explain the trend in
students which she calls “fall fatigue.” She
believes students get overwhelmed with
all their responsibilities outside of school
(work, friends and sports), so that they don’t
have any energy left for their school work.
“Doing less schoolwork to get a ‘break’
from the pressure then leads to more pres-
sure,” says Mrs. Power, “which leads in turn
to yet a stronger urge to get a ‘break’ from
the pressure, and the cycle spirals down.”
Says junior Dontava Lodenquai,
“Most of the time I don’t study because
of lazi- ness or just
because I don’t feel like the test is hard
enough for me to study.” The last time
Lodenquai admits to seriously studying was
in ninth grade, but he realizes the impor-
tance of studying. “If I did study, I would
probably have less free time but surely my
grades would go up,” says Londenquai.
“I’m pretty sure I will study more in college,
especially with the bigger work load.”
In light of the raised concerns, some
teachers like Mrs. Power have tried to com-
bat the trend by implementing a “no new
homework” reprieve for students to help
them get back on track.

IN THIS ISSUE Pep Rally excites HBCUs give se-

Hair weaves gaining students for winter niors great oppor-
popularity, page C7 sports, page A4 tunities, page A2
Freshman David Cao immigrates from China to pursue his interest in the arts, p. E1
A2 December 17, 2010 The Blake Beat
HBCU fair offers
senior admissions
African American students
receive information about
attending universities
x by Kemi Olowoofayoku
Students will have the opportunity to explore and gain
new information regarding colleges at the annual Historically
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) 101 at Montgomery
Blair High School’s auditorium this Monday from 6:30pm
to 8:30pm.
The fair is targeted towards high school seniors with the
intent of attending one of the 105 HBCUs in the nation. Most
colleges were established after the Civil War in an attempt to
create safe havens for African Americans wishing to further
their education. To this day, that tradition is still upheld.
HBCU 101 includes a panel discussion from former
and current college students targeted to inform prospective
students of HBCU life. “I’m really looking forward to talk-
ing to people who currently attend HBCUs,” says senior
Christyna Falden. “I want to know what it’s like from a real
person, not just a college brochure.”
The event also prepares students for future on-the-
spot admissions which have become a popular trend among
HBCUs in the past five years. Students will have the oppor-
tunity to put their practice to work February 1 when Lincoln
University visits Blake High School for its first on-the-spot
admission.
The first accredited HBCU, Lincoln University lo-
cated in Chester County, Pennsylvania is among the top
HBCUs. “On-the-spot admissions are a great opportunity
for students,” says senior Chelsea Nnadi. “They give you a
chance to get into college right then and there! There’s a lot
less pressure.”
Although the visit is mainly to admit students, presenta-
tions are offered for parents and students grades 9-12 at 6pm.
Interviews for seniors begin 6:30pm and are expected to be
completed by 8pm. A minimum GPA of 2.5, SAT score of
850 or ACT of 18 is expected for admission. To be considered
for scholarships a minimum of 3.0 and SAT of 900 or ACT Seniors Alexis Thweatt and Georgette Bondon make more about potential college opportunites at HBCUs
of 19 is required. a stop in Blake’s Career Center during lunch to learn around the country. -- photo by Aron Crews

Counseling department to train juniors to utilize college, career website

Naviance-Family Connection helps students, parents plan for future
by Tara McIntyre
x & Leah Patterson
Naviance/Family Connec-
tion training for juniors will take
place Tuesday and Wednesday
during World History classes to
help students understand how to
use this resource for the college
admissions process.
During the training, students
will receive an access code for
themselves and their parents. The
goal is to assist students with this
website, so students and parents
can use it in college planning.
Says college and career coordina-
tor Katherine Moore, “Once we
introduce juniors to the program,
they are eager to return on their
own.”
The training will take place
earlier on in the year, in hopes that
it will encourage students to make
college visits later in the year.
“You can check your progress
easily,” says senior Git-Yee Chu.
Since Naviance/Family Connec-
tion can match you with colleges
that would best fit your interests,
students are encouraged to con-
tinue using it after the training to
keep on track.
This is not the first Naviance
training; the counseling depart-
ment has used this as an oppor-
tunity for juniors for the past few
years. Some current seniors have
taken advantage of this training
and still utilize the college prepa-
ration website during the rigorous
process. “It’s good because we
have years of data [on Naviance],”
says resource counselor Jean
Smith.
Naviance is a website de-
voted to helping students and
their parents plan for the future.
Students can research possible
careers and then use the college
search feature. It also provides
personality tests, career profilers,
scholarship opportunities and
“scattergrams,” that show accep-
tance history with particular col-
leges, and other resources to help
build college resumes. their World History class, all of the
Naviance also focuses heavily
on keeping the parents involved in
the process. During the training,
students will not only sign up, but
will also learn how parents can
register. Since Naviance requires
the email addresses of students
and parents, both will receive
important updates. “That is why
it is important to register both
student and parent emails,” adds
Ms. Moore.
The bell schedule will re-
main all-period and only the
juniors will be affected. During
students will be required to attend.
Juniors who do not take World His-
tory, however, will be updated later
by the Counseling Department. To
visit the Naviance website go to
https://connection.naviance.com/
fc/signin.php?hsid=blake.

Despite ongoing battle, student’s diligence continues to impress teachers

Family, friends admire endless strength, stability regardless of adversity
Continued from A1
Many, including guidance counselor Jean Smith,
agree that he deserves the award. Mugge transferred to
Blake from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School at the
start of his sophomore year as a result of financial burdens
and transportation conflicts. Ms. Smith, his counselor, was
told of his situation at home during the process of enrolling
him at Blake.
Mugge’s predicament did not, however, hamper his
desire to achieve success. Since entering Blake, Mugge has
managed to remain in the top 10% of the senior class and
has shined as a member of the football and wrestling teams.
“Nick, walking in here was very quiet. I expected him to...
coast through high school,” adds Ms. Smith. “But really
what he’s done is excelled.”
Ms. Smith nominated Mugge for the award near the
end of the last school year after hearing about his story. “I’m
proud of how he’s weathered this storm,” says Ms. Smith.
“I’m impressed by a kid that’s grown into a young man and
has done so without any resentment or ill-will.”
To complete the application, Mugge had to write an
essay, and submit his transcript and two letters of recom-
mendation, one of which Ms. Smith wrote. Soon after being
interviewed by the CDF in September, he was selected to
be a finalist.
English teacher Leigh Tinsley, who caught wind of his
situation after he turned in a narrative describing his life in
her AP Language and Composition class, wrote his second
letter. Mrs. Tinsley thought of Mugge as a quiet student, and
was surprised when she read his narrative. “As a teacher, it’s
nice to get a kid like Nick to open your eyes as an adult and
make you realize there are different reasons for people being
silent,” says Mrs. Tinsley. “He found his voice in writing.
It’s great for him to be able to have that outlet.”
The ceremony, sponsored by the CDF, was held at
the Harman Center for the Arts in Washington DC. At the
event, Mugge’s story and award were presented by Geof-
frey Canada, a social activist and president and CEO of the
Harlem Children’s Zone. His presentation was followed by
a speech by Mugge in which he thanked the CDF and all
those who have supported him. His parents, grandma, and
girlfriend, senior Jamie Tran, also attended the suit-and-tie
event. Says Tran, “I’m immensely proud of him. When I was
at the ceremony, it finally hit me that he actually won.”
Mugge was the first to be awarded and had many in
the audience in tears, according to Tran. She admires his
ability to empathize with others despite his own adversity.
“He definitely knows what it’s like to suffer,” says Tran, “but
[he’s still able] to feel compassion for others’ pain.” To view
a video profile on Mugge, visit http://www.childrensdefense.
org/programs-campaigns/youth-development-leadership/
beat-the-odds/
Today, Mugge’s mother suffers with myoclonus, a
neurological condition involving sudden and brief involun-
tary jerking movements of a muscle or group of muscles.
In October, she underwent Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS),
a surgery where electrodes are connected to the top of the
brain to stabilize body movement.
Every two weeks, doctors adjust settings on a battery
located under the skin of her chest in accordance with the
configuration of wires in her brain. Her myoclonus has been
slightly alleviated; however, the restoration of her overall
condition is not guaranteed.
Mugge plans on attending University of Maryland
College Park next fall where he will study either business
or prelaw. He will continue to live at home to support his
mother. Says Ms. Smith, “He has really set aside that self-
centered [teenage] mode...he’s taken care of his mother with
grace and love.”
The Blake Beat
Film Study proves to be rewarding elective
Mr. Kelley’s class gets second chance, cut revoked
x by Kristen Frese & Lucas Irvin
Elective course Introduction to Film
Study was reviewed by Montgomery County
Public Schools and was expected to be cut
from next year’s curriculum, but will now
remain an offered course.
Film study teacher Michael Kelley re-
ceived the news via e-mail and was shocked
and upset by the lack of definite reason for
the class cut. “If it was [reviewed because] it
was just seen as an excuse to watch movies
all year,” says alum Daniel Pistolessi, “then
I vehemently disagree.”
Principal Christopher Berry called the
curriculum office and told them of the edu-
cational impact that film study has on the arts
and humanities program. Because the course
was new, it was labeled a “pilot course” and
December 17, 2010
was reviewed to see if it was a valid course.
Mr. Berry says, “I think it has a tremendous
educational value; it’s part of an overall thing
of making students critical viewers.”
In Film Study, students analyze dif-
ferent genres, eras, and film directors , and
create multiple projects throughout the se-
mester. Many students sign up for the course,
and Mr. Kelley believes it would have been
a shame to turn down these interested teen-
agers. Says Mr. Kelley, “I see no reason to
cut a class that enriches students and doesn’t
hurt anyone.”
Senior Emma Semanyk took the class
last year and found it to be an enjoyable
learning experience. Semanyk adds, “It’s a
rewarding class to take because not only do
you have a great teacher, but you get to take
movies into different perspectives.”
A3
I see no
Though many students found the reason
course to be enriching, not all agree on the
educational value of Introduction to Film
Study. Junior Bethany Davis* understood
to cut a
the reasoning behind the review, and did not
believe the course was academic, though she
class that
did have fun. Says Davis, “I wish the class
was more connected to the making of movies enriches
and things I could apply to real life.”
Mr. Berry, along with many students,
believes that film is a form of art that needs
students
to be appreciated. Says Mr. Berry, “Film is
an artistic realm of our society…you can gain and doesn’t
an appreciation of cinematography.” He adds
that studying film teaches students to find the hurt anyone.
subtleties within movies and says the course
has gotten many students to understand film
on a deeper level. Michael Kelley
*Name has been changed.

MC offers college credit course, allows students to get head start

College Scholars Program provides opportunities, chance to save money
by Sonia Polyzos
x & Andrea Rizkallah
Montgomery College (MC) will be offer-
ing courses to students beginning next year to
enhance the Advanced Placement (AP) courses
already at Blake.
Current sophomores with a cumulative
GPA of 3.0 and juniors with a 2.75 or higher are
applicable to participate in the College Scholars
Program and will receive college credit. Says ju-
nior Antonella Perez-Ferreo, “With this program,
people will be able to focus on classes that will
guide them to their career path for college.”
Bengals will be treated as college students,
attending class three times a week every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday for three hours total. Says
junior Jessica Perla, “It prepares you for college,
so you get a feel for the class.”
Letters have been sent out to academically
inclined sophomores and juniors to inform them
of this opportunity. So far, only ten students have
replied. “The biggest challenge is getting it up and
running,” says Resource Counselor Jean Smith,
“because once we get it started, it will fly.”
In fact, other high schools in Montgomey
County already have extensive collaboration
programs with MC, with as many as 100 students
in the program. With the most popular courses
such as Intro to Communications, hopes are that
involvement will boom here as well. “I think
people will be into it,” adds Ms. Smith.
Some concerns have been brought up,
especially for parents of these students who will
possibly participate in these courses. William Kis-
ter, father of sophomore Michael Kister, questions
if the classes offered, are set in stone. “There are
general classes, like philosophy and computer
applications, that aren’t specific. These classes
should be taken at Blake,” says Mr. Kister.
No matter which classes are taken, stu-
dents will save money thanks to grant funds and
cheap courses; three hours of class begin around
$427.20, and four hours cost $569.60. Says Mr.
Kister. “It’s a way for students to get started on
their college career.”

National Honor Society inducts, welcomes 43 new junior members

by Savannah Doane-Malotte
x & David Hylton
New National Honor Society (NHS)
members were initiated into the reputable
group Tuesday night at the annual Induc-
tion Ceremony, a key event which marks
the beginning of their term.
The ceremony is a formal presenta-
tion of the new members in NHS. “The
Induction Ceremony is important because
it not only shows students’ commitment
to the group,” says senior NHS President
Lauren Barlow, “but [it] also allows us to
recognize students who have worked hard
to be eligible and admitted to NHS.”
NHS faculty advisor and special
education teacher Beth Shepherd called
each new member up to sign the member-
ship book, an official document that has
been signed by all previous members of
Blake’s NHS chapter. They also received
yellow roses and membership pins after
shaking hands with Barlow, math teacher
and NHS faculty advisor Katherine Kodan
and principal Christopher Berry. Addition-
ally, the 43 fall and five spring inductees
recited the Membership Pledge, led by
We try to encourage members to share
their talents to make both Blake High
School and the community better.
senior Induction co-chairs Lily Hua and
Lea Diggs.
A candle lighting ceremony was per-
formed by Barlow, along with senior NHS
officers Linda Powers, Queenies Nguyen
and Nicholas Arnold-Medabalimi. Each
candle lit represented the Four Pillars of
NHS; scholarship, service, leadership and
character. “[We stress] the importance of
living up to the four pillars,” says Mrs.
Kodan. “We try to encourage members to
share their talents to make both Blake High
School and the community better.”
Katherine Kodan
Mr. Berry gave a few remarks regard-
ing the honor and responsibility of being
a NHS member. Junior inductee Irene
Lemberos says, “I thought his speech was
really encouraging, and conveyed a really
good message to us new members.” Mr.
Berry emphasized the importance of char-
acter, and how as members, these students
represent and are now accountable for the
well-being of Blake.
Mrs. Kodan and Ms. Shepherd also
gave personal advice to the inductees and
shared testimonies of the significance of
being models, not only in high school,
but also in the real world. Musical pieces
were performed by junior Erica Wang and
seniors Julia Maas, Shannon Wade and
Brittany Hamson.
“Fulfilling your duties is important,”
says Hua. “Essentially, you’re living up to
the promises you made when you signed
the book and became a member.” NHS
members have leadership projects they
complete during their junior and senior
year, along with attending monthly meet-
ings, and tutoring a few times a semester. In
order to apply to NHS, students must have
a 3.5 unweighted or 4.0 weighted GPA, and
must fulfill application requirements.
A4 December 17, 2010 The Blake Beat

Top: The cheerleading squad performs at the Pep Rally with

enthusiasm and smiling faces, proving that they really are number
one. Center left: junior Devon Johnson and sophomore Jack Stern
show their excitement as they participated in a lively game of musical
chairs that had students fighting hard for the last spot. Center right:
Benny the Bengal and senior Rachel Cooper pose together after
the head-turning performance by the Poms Squad. Bottom right:
sophomore Kristopher Rogers and sophomore Scarlett Rodriguez
make a hard turn in the wheelbarrow race, while other teams race
ahead of them. -- photos by Aron Crews

Winter pep rally gets students excited for upcoming season

Teachers, athletes make big debut, bring school spirit back to A-C-T-I-O-N
x by Kristen Frese & Matt Present
In efforts to get students excited for the upcoming
athletic season, the Leadership class organized a winter
pep rally which included performances and games,
December 3 during seventh period.
The captains of each winter sport were introduced
along with the Varsity boys’ and girls’ basketball teams,
followed by performances by the step team, the drum
line, cheerleading and poms. Students were given the
opportunity to battle the other classes by participating in
games such as the wheelbarrow race and musical chairs.
Says sophomore Lydia Curdts, “I’m glad we had [the
pep rally] because it was a good chance for kids to show
school spirit, other than just homecoming week.”
Despite all of these exciting performances, a sur-
prise dance routine by the teachers stole the show. Many
students found this choreography to be the best part of
the pep rally. “My favorite part was when the teachers
did their dance,” says sophomore Maddy Bruffy. “I
loved seeing [science teacher Michael] Tomlinson and
[guidance counselor Christina] Gelb whip their hair
back and forth.”
English teacher Christopher Schenk got the crowd
going when he displayed his athletic abilities by do-
ing back handsprings and flips. Social Studies teacher
Donna Phillips, who is new to Blake this year, also
participated in the dance., “I think it’s awesome that at
Blake there would be eight teachers that would want to
do [it],” says Dr. Phillips, “[and] that there are students
that had the idea to showcase their teachers.” Dr. Phil-
lips was a cheerleader in college and was excited to
perform again.
The enthusiastic pep rally was a way to encourage
attendance at Bengal sporting events. Says sophomore
Matthew Weiss, “I feel like it got students pumped up
about school sports and it gave us a break from class.”
Varsity basketball coaches Marcus Wiggins and Patricia
Gilmore introduced their players and talked about their
winter seasons to gain fan support in upcoming weeks.
The Leadership class and Miss Gelb worked to-
gether to make the pep rally possible. The class was in
charge of running the rally and scheduling the perfor-
mances. Says senior Linda Powers, “People were very
competitive, which made it a lot more entertaining to
watch.” Their next project will be Pennies for Patients
which starts January 28.
Students and teachers both agree that it was a
positive experience. “It was very successful and I’m
definitely glad we had it,” says senior Lucas Frangou.
“[The rally gave] everyone a little Bengal-spirit boost
in the dry spell between Homecoming and the end of
the year.”
“I had lots of fun and I would do it again in a
heartbeat,” adds Dr. Phillips.
The Blake Beat
Graduates return to inform students about college lifeThe alumni panel will include a
x by Joal Chen & Janine Taira
Graduates from the class of 2010 will
return Thursday to discuss their post high
school experiences with juniors and seniors
during sixth period as part of the annual
alumni presentation.
Seniors will meet in the amphitheater
and juniors in the black box theater. “It
proves to be an event everybody enjoys,”
says College and Career Coordinator Kathy
Moore, who planned the meeting. “It’s one
of the things that the alums really love to
come back for.”
December 17, 2010
parents to total independence.”
diverse group of graduates. “We try to pick Alumni Christopher Riley and Ni-
students from a variety of schools,” says kisha Gordon are excited to participate in
Mrs. Moore. “We handpick who should the panel. Says Riley, “[I hope juniors and
be on the panel, and we’re looking for… seniors gain] an understanding of what to
different types of schools [and] different expect from college life and [I want] to show
types of students.” them that we did it so they can too.”
Students must sign up in the Counsel- Gordon adds, “I want them to know
ing Office by Monday to get a pass for the the big differences between high school
presentation. Attendees are encouraged to and college.”
prepare questions for the alumni, but each Junior Danielle Blocker plans to at-
graduate will have a prompt. Says junior tend the event. “As high school students,
Rhea Wyse, “I would like to find out how we’re constantly bombarded with advice
to transition from total dependence on your from [adults] on what to do to prepare for
A5
college and the work force,” says Blocker.
“It’s good to get a young person’s perspec-
tive.”
“I really would have loved to go to
this presentation [when I was a student
here],” says alumna Kirsten Petersen, who
will also join the panel. “It’s great to hear
from students who recently graduated about
their college experiences. It helps you visu-
alize yourself in college.”
After the event, alums will have the
chance to socialize with one another in the
Career Center. Mrs. Moore also encourages
staff members to visit the graduates.

FUNDRAISER FUNDRAISER AT CHEEBURGER CHEEBURGER

Blake students came out December 7 to Cheeburger Cheeburger in Burtonsville
to participate in a fundraiser for After Prom 2011. From 5pm-9pm, the restaurant
donated 20% of its profits to the PTSA. Senior Aimee Kohorst, a Cheeburger
Cheeburger employee, takes a break from serving (top left). Freshman Riley
Cruickshank, junior Alex Morales, senior Delaney Cruickshank, senior Shannon
Wade, senior Mia Browne, and senior Shelby Morales await their meals (top right ,
from left to right). Seniors Bridget Hawevermale and Catherine Burkhardt (bottom
left) show their support for After Prom. Senior Erin Yates, junior Sarah Prather
and junior Maryangel Rodriguez (bottom right) enjoy Cheeburger Cheeburger’s
famous milkshakes. -- photos by Aron Crews
A6 December 17, 2010 The Blake Beat

I believe even Lack of funding creates setbacks for MCPS

with the cuts, we Budget shortfalls force classes, bus stops to be cut
will continue to x by Lily Hua
provide a world Montgomery County Public Schools
(MCPS) is forced to make budget cuts for
class education... the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school
years, due to financial issues affecting
Everything costs the county.
The economic situation within the
something. This county is rough. With MCPS pushing
for more funding than can be provided
just reminds us by the county, the school system will
have to face the economic realities of the
that we can’t have proposed $19 million in cuts. “Everything
costs something,” says principal Christo-
it all. pher Berry. “This just reminds us that we
can’t have it all.”
There are numerous possibilities as
Christopher Berry to how MCPS will try to distribute these
deductions, but most of them will come
from the salaries of MCPS employees.
wake up earlier in the mornings and walk
further to the next bus stop. “[My school
Some of the other possibilities are larger
student-to-teacher ratios and complete
bus] doesn’t come at any consistent time,”
says senior Mary Burke. “People are ei-
elimination of smaller classes. Despite
all of this, Mr. Berry is firm in his beliefs
ther missing the bus, running to catch it,
or standing in the cold.”
that this will not affect the quality of the
MCPS system. Says Mr. Berry, “I believe
Another cut was the elimination of
the Kids Ride Free program back in June.
even with the cuts, we will continue to
provide a world class education.”
The program allowed students to ride the
Metro and Ride-On buses for free with
Regardless of how well the school
system is trying to keep the diminishing
their student IDs from 2pm – 7pm on
weekdays. By terminating this program,
funding from affecting the students, it is
nonetheless beginning to see the effects
students who need transportation after
school are hindered from getting to and
of the budget cuts. One of the cuts took
a toll on the amount of school bus stops.
from activities such as volunteering or
sports. Says senior Alistair McLean, “For
Since there are fewer bus stops, students some, it’s the only way to go from Point
who have less populated stops have to A to Point B.”

Touch screen vending Says senior Evan Lipshultz, “The vending machine
is amazing. I love being able to choose from 100 different
combinations of drinks and [flavors].”

machine attracts all
New drink fountain
allows customers to
design their own soda
x by Larisha Winley & Leisha Winley
California Tortilla, located in Olney, installed the
first touch screen vending machine in the area December
1 allowing customers to choose from over 100 different
flavors to add to their soda.
Even though the vending machine has only been
operating for two weeks, it has gotten a lot of positive
feedback. “We have had [customers] come in like six times
a day…buzzing off the walls,” says assistant manager
Ashley McLellan. “[The response] has been overwhelm-
ing.”
The way the vending machine works is simple. First
you touch the screen, selecting the soda brand you want:
The vending
Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite, etc. Then you select a flavor to machine is
go along with the soda. For example, if a customer chooses
Coke the next step is to choose between the flavors such amazing. I love
as raspberry, vanilla, cherry or lime. Junior Jessica Perla
says, “It has so many options to choose from and it has the being able to
craziest flavors.” The machine offers up to 106 flavors.
California Tortilla has found itself swamped with
customers just wanting to use the vending machine, which
choose from
just became available for use December 1. “It’s really cool
to see and there’s usually a line of people waiting to get
100 different
drinks,” says junior Matt Lipshultz, “but I was entertained
just watching people get their drinks.”
combinations
The machine is usually enjoyable for customers,
except for when it freezes up from the being overused all
of drinks and
day. However, this has not stopped patrons from returning
to use it. Perla, Evan and Matt Lipshultz have all visited
[flavors].
California Tortilla more than once to use the machine.
This particular touch screen vending machine is also Evan Lipshultz
available at the California Tortillas in Dulles, Virginia and
Potomac, Maryland.

Security assitant Stefan Dade, who has worked at Blake since the 1999-2000 school on his hands, Mr. Dade plans to pursue his hobbies and take time to travel during
year, will be retiring from the school system as of January 1. With more free time his retirement. -- photo by Cecilia Girolami

Mr. Dade to retire January 1, plans to enjoy his new-found free time
x by Karen Vanegas
Security assistant Stefan Dade will
officially retire from his longtime career
January 1, after 12 memorable years of valu-
able enforcement and protection services to
the school.
Mr. Dade’s natural ability to connect
with students has made him a crucial staff
member. “Whether students walk away from
a serious or not so serious conversation with
him, they always know he cares,” says Prin-
cipal Christopher Berry. Mr. Dade’s charisma
will forever remain in the hearts of parents,
staff and students.
Before coming to Blake, Mr. Dade was
a first grade detective at the Metropolitan
Police Department for 25 years. He retired
from the police department and soon after
was employed. Security team leader Charles
Harper says, “Mr. Dade was arguably the face
of Blake Security, having served faithfully and
reliably since the second year the school was
in existence.”
Assistant principal Rudy Tyrell worked
with Mr. Dade at Francis Scott Key about two
decades ago. “He’s given me lots of advice
over the years related to managing kids or
even my own stress in dealing with kids,” says
Mr. Tyrell. “He’s a man of great conviction.”
Mr. Tyrell, along with others in the school,
feel that Mr. Dade has truly helped them
throughout the years.
The investigative background Mr. Dade
brought with him was of great service to the
school. “If we had a mystery to solve, [Mr.]
Dade was the man to solve it through patience,
determination and a critical eye for details,
both large and small,” says Mr. Harper.
As with any other job, Mr. Dade also
had to confront many ups and downs when
dealing with the school. His favorite memories
include the friends he made and the bell that
signals the end of the school day. His most
somber memory is of the student that was
killed in the school’s parking lot.
Regardless, the time for a farewell has
come. Mr. Dade will now use his free time
to enjoy his hobbies, travel and work around
his house. Mr. Dade says, “During my time, I
hope that I have... made a difference in their
lives.”
The Blake Beat December 17, 2010 A7

Newsbeats
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n n n
Reflections, a PTSA-sponsored program, is a con-
test in which students of all ages submit their own artwork
to be judged in local, state, and national levels.
The competition accepts art in six forms: dance
choreography, film production, literature, musical com-
position, photography, and visual arts. The theme for
this year’s Reflections is “Together We Can.” Students
interested in entering original work should visit the PTSA
website, www.blakeptsa.org, to review the guidelines for
each art category and to access copies of the entry and
consent forms. The deadline for submissions is today.
n n n
Senior captain outside hitter Meagan Lagerlef was
named 1st Team All-County and sophomore outside hitter
Franchesca Kuhney was named Honorable Mention All-
County by The Gazette. Lagerlef was also selected as one
of the top 24 seniors in Montgomery County to participate
in the annual Montgomery County Coaches Senior All-
Star Game. Lagerlef and Kuhney led the Lady Bengals to
their first state semifinals appearance and finished with a
12-6 record, 4-1 in their division.
n n n
Junior baseball standout Cody Acker was named
to the Maryland Pre-Season All-State Team. One of just
three Montgomery County players, Acker continues the
streak of three-straight Blake players being named to
the 30-man roster. Acker tied or set four Blake baseball
records last year for most consecutive games with a hit
(15), most multi-hit games in a season (11), career field-
ing percentage (98.5) and most improved batting average
between seasons (.317). The junior also led Blake last
year in batting average (.547), hits (29) and runs batted
in (26) and helped lead the team to a 3A West Region
Championship appearance.
n n n
Blake hosted the First Qualifying Meet for Forensics
on November 13, 2010. Students competed with actors
from other schools in various categories. The following
students won first place in their categories: Junior Alexan-
dra Reeves in Prose Interpretation and Readers Theater,
sophomore Emily Eaglin in Informative Speech, senior
Mark Fearson in Readers Theatre, and sophomores Jour-
dan Lewanda and Calvin Perry in Ensemble Acting. The
following student won third place in her category: senior
Ashley Peters in Dramatic Interpretation. The following
students are finalists: freshman Angela Mix in Poetry,
sophomore Assoumou Diby in Dramatic Interpretation,
sophomore Jourdan Lewanda in Prose and in Poetry,
and junior Richard Muhammed in Children’s Literature.
The following students are Participating Team Members:
senior Nia Chin, freshman senior Surasree Das, freshman
Rebecca Glatt, sophomore Azalia Hernandez, sopho-
more Sam Jaffe, sophomore Matt Krieger, sophomore
Kristina Mitchell, sophomore Ryan Reynolds, and
freshman Faith Ore.
The next meet will take place January 29 at Blake.

OECCT
D

170 BLAKE
CALENDAR
December 17 December 20 December 22
CCBC Indoor Track Meet JV girls’ basketball vs. Damascus, MCPS Developmental Meet #1 at
at CCBC Essex, 4:30-8pm 5:15pm Prince Georges Sports and Learning
JV boys’ basketball vs. Paint Branch, JV boys’ basketball at Damascus, Complex, 3-9:30pm
5:15pm 5:15pm JV boys’ basketball at Einstein,
Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Paint Varsity girls’ basketball vs. Damascus,
3:30pm
Branch, 7pm 7pm
Varsity boys’ basketball at Damascus, JV girls’ basketball at Einstein,
Ice Hockey vs. RMR at Rockville #2 5:15pm
7pm
Rink, 9:50pm Varsity boys’ basketball vs. Einstein,
December 21 5:15pm
December 18 Varsity Wrestling vs. B-CC, 6pm
Varsity girls’ basketball vs. Einstein,
7pm
Varsity Wrestling vs. Damascus and
December 23
Ice Hockey vs. Blair Rockville #2
Sherwood, 1pm Rink, 6:15pm
Swim and Drive Team PTSA meeting, 7pm
at Rockville Municipal, 4:15pm Alumni Panel & Reception in am-
JV wresting vs. B-CC, 7pm phitheatre and black box theatre,
Seneca Valley Pom Competition, Instrumental Music Winter Pops Con- 12:30pm
10am cert, 7:30pm
A8 December 17, 2010 The Blake Beat
Student hopes for lowered voting age to increase teenage political awareness, p. B2
jjjjywryohwrthnsrsrnsbiuyulfyuttfcufyufysrjoinbusrjnlisurtnislrutnjsrtnrtnrsttrdrtdn
Section B Section B James Hubert Blake
Learn to be
a pro at job
interviews
Make a good
impression
with bosses
x by Andrea Rizkallah
Talking to your parents is
the one situation you’re put in
every single day; maneuvering
around them usually isn’t that
difficult. But a job interview is
something that only comes around
every so often. Even the second or
third time around, everyone’s still
Cut this out
and take it
with you to
your interview!
a little rough around the edges.
But there’s a first time for
everything, and to make your
first time a little smoother, I have
some tips for becoming the best
interviewee your future boss will
ever hire.
Do arrive on time. By on
time, I mean about ten minutes
early. To be early is to be on time.
To be on time is to be late. To be
late is to be forgotten.
Do arrive prepared. “Pre-
pared” is only an eight letter
word, but it carries a lot of bag-
gage. Have all your paperwork
filled out neatly, take a few deep
breathes before you go in to relax
yourself, and have a few questions
to ask about the company and
about the job; it will make you
seem extra engaging.
Do dress appropriately.
Seriously, no tight jeans, no
baggy jeans, no tights or leg-
gings, no low cut shirts, no tank
tops, no sneakers, no sweatpants
or sweatshirts. You get the idea.
Simple dress pants and a button
up looks good on everyone, and
is absolutely acceptable no matter
where you interview.
Now for the don’ts:
Do not slouch: sit up
straight with your legs either
crossed or together.
Do not lean toward your
interviewer or onto the desk if
there is one.
Do not chew gum or make
loud, interrupting noises.
Do not have wandering
eyes: maintain eye contact, listen
to everything he/she is telling you
and ask questions.
Do not insert “and”, “uhm”
or “uh” between every word you
say.
Do not have your cell
phone on.
Go ahead, cut this out of
the newspaper and put it in your
pocket before the big show and
review it briefly. You will be
hired and employee of the month
in no time.
Blake High School
Beat Opinion December 17, 2010
Students’ ambitions have been redefined
Doctors, lawyers, teachers? Forget about
it: stardom is preferred desire for majority
x by Sonia Polyzos
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Starting from when we were first potty-trained until now,
we were asked this question as many times as we missed
the toilet seat…and that’s a lot.
Well, sadly, the once logical answers like, “When
I grow up, I want to be a gym teacher!” or mermaid or
even stamp licker have faded into the gloomy past. 2010’s
modern answer: “I want to be like Kim Kardashian, Nicki
Minaj, or Lindsay Lohan!” Yikes…
Swiftly flipping through flimsy magazine pages
nowadays involves running into images marauded with
boobies that look like two balloons have been jam-packed
with cement and squeezed under three-sizes -too-small
bikinis; or waists so small, they look like someone liter-
ally took a vacuum cleaner and sucked every ounce of
meat out of a poor girl’s frame.
But the most despairing thing of all is that teenage
girls actually want to be these silicone Heidi Montag
look-alikes, considering them the next big Oprah Win-
frey, the future Hillary Clinton or Mother Teresa. So
someone, please, save us all; I will consider dropping
off the face of the earth if Nicki Minaj becomes our
next president.
Scrolling through Maxim’s 2010 Hot 100, out
of the first ten females on the list, half have had plastic
surgery. And out of those five females, I’ve heard girls
complain about how they’re not as dramatically beautiful
or as bootyliciously curvaceous as every single one of
these phony celebrities.
But answer this question for me, ladies: would you
rather be known as the chick with the most crucial tan
lines (after spraying on your “new summer glow” tanner),
or as the missionary who saved sick, dying, orphaned
children in India- and worldwide? I, for a fact, will have
to pass on the Oompa Loompa orange tan this time.
I’m not asking for every female that earns two
million dollars or more to disappear from stardom; I
just beg for teenage girls to up their bright perceptions
of these starlets. There’s more to life than looking up
to celebrities who chow down on one celery stick per
week or who get injections that pull their face back far
into their brain.
Growing from facing obstacles; modeling positive
choice-making; feeling comfortable with yourself: these
are all aspects that should be considered in a role model.
And no, that doesn’t mean growing the length of your ev-
eryday weaves, modeling your most orange tan, or feeling
comfortable thanks to your newest pair of breasts.
December 17, 2010
Survival tips
for midterm
madness
by Sammi Levitt
x& Savannah Tyrens
January may be the start of
a new year, but the fresh begin-
ning is never easy with exams just
around the corner.
Making your way through
midterm madness may be stress-
ful, but a New Year’s resolution
to make the frustration go away
and ace your exams simply won’t
do the trick. Relieving stress may
seem impossible, but a few tips
can take you far.
Want a get-out-of-chores-
free card? Well, it’s your lucky day
because no parent will turn down
“I can’t do the dishes - I need to
go study.” We may sound like
we’re joking but we’re serious;
you don’t need the extra hassle
of mowing the lawn or taking out
the trash, you should be focusing
on your trigonomic functions and
the good ol’ periodic table.
Lock yourself in a room:
you don’t need a social life. By
the rare chance you get asked to
hang out during exam week, ask
to form a study group instead.
If you go out and party, you’ll
wake up the next morning and
regret getting nothing done, but
if you study, you’ll wake up and
will finally have learned what
Midterms are
only one week
of your life, so
don’t get all
riled up.
2+2 equals (and for those of you
who’ve partied, we’ll help you out
just this once: it’s four).
Start saving up, kids, be-
cause you are going to need to
invest in a 99-cent stress ball. We
know, going to the hospital for
punching a hole in the wall can
be fun, but you may just end up
breaking the hand you need to take
your exam. Stress balls actually
do work but if you are skeptical
of their magic then show the wall
some mercy, get a punching bag
instead.
Midterms are only a week
of your life, so don’t get all riled
up over them. Take the time to
study; the date of the test is no sur-
prise and cramming only makes
the stress worse. Two weeks prior
to the test, focus on what you need
help on, which may be a lot, so
don’t be afraid to ask your teach-
ers for help.
Exams may be scary and
we’re not saying you shouldn’t
be anxious about them, just dont
let that get the best of you. Make
sure you’re prepared and have
proper stress-coping techniques
and maybe the exams won’t be
as scary.
B2
Teens have many responsibilities Teacher evalutations: an
but no rights to go along with them essential part of education
Senior argues government needs to
pass bill, lowering voting age to 16 feedback at the end of semester
x by Nia Chin legalized voting age, and I’m not the only
In the land of the free, the Modern Rights Association, or NYRA, is a youth would improve overall schooling
one who thinks so. The National Youth
Era, or the society of today, we have arrived
at a place where status quos have shaped
our lives and double standards have limited
them. One of the biggest double standards
we have come to know is the limitation of
the age as it relates to registered voting.
Over the decades, our
patriotic country has perse-
vered rights like freedom of Lowering
speech and voting rights.
From the time that teens the voting
reach high school, to the mo-
ment when they head off to age would
college, they are pressured
with adult responsibilities. present an
In juvenile courts, the youth
are often judged to be ac- opportunity
countable, responsible, and
mature. Yet when it comes to for more
more practical affairs like vot-
ing, teenagers are considered political
imprudent and senseless little
children. What twisted minds awareness
created the rule which allows
one to have adult responsi- among
bilities, but not rights? Appar-
ently, we’re overruled. teenagers.
Just like every other
American adult, young adults
pay taxes. In fact, teens pay
an estimated 9.7 billion dollars in sales
tax alone. In addition, 80% of high school
students have jobs at some point before
graduation. The worst part is that working
teens have no say over how much is taken
out of their paychecks. So much for taxa-
tion with representation.
In my opinion, 16 should be the
December 17, 2010
Junior believes ability to provide
led national non-profit organization, in-
corporated in 1998, dedicated to fighting
for the rights and liberties of young adults.
Located in all 50 states, the establishment
promotes change in unfair stipulations
which have been placed on teenagers.
In 2006, NYRA mem-
bers convinced New York
City councilmember Gale
Brewer to pass a bill, which
lowered the voting age to
16 for community elections.
This change can put teens
one step closer towards a
higher ethical and govern-
ment system.
At age 18, teenagers
move out of their com-
fort zone, and are quickly
plunged into new, unfamil-
iar places. Suddenly, the
thrill of being a first time
voter is coupled with all
that is adulthood. It’s really
no surprise many first time
voters feel apathetic towards
politics; before 18, most
teenagers are alienated from
it. Lowering the voting age
would present an opportu-
nity for more political awareness among
teenagers. The government will be the first
to say “the children are the future.” Adults
claim they have interest in the needs and
ambitions of teenagers, but still we stand
together, unable to vote. The only way
democracy can work is if people, young
and old, are active participants.
x by Matt Present
There are many teachers at Blake that
are dedicated and incredibly knowledge-
able in their subject area. However, for
every good teacher there is a bad teacher,
teachers who are lazy and
careless when it comes to
our education. It would
Some teachers have
a difficult time making the help
material easy to understand
or the teachers who give teachers
busy work instead of home-
work. It is time that Blake by giving
provides a way for students
to let their teachers and the them
administration know what
they think, allowing students feedback
to play their part in improv-
ing education at Blake. We to improve
need teacher evaluations.
Teacher evalua- their
tions are the key to better
education. It would help teaching
teachers by giving them
feedback to improve their methods.
teaching methods. Teacher
evaluation should take place
at the end of each semester since many
students have different teachers and classes.
There should be two copies of each evalu-
ation: one for the teacher and one for the
administration. That way if there is a recur-
ring problem it can be addressed.
Teacher evaluations should be
uniform throughout the school with ques-
tions highlighting what teachers do well
The Blake Beat
and where they need to improve. Maybe
a teacher will find out that many students
need to have more of a visual approach than
an auditory approach. Maybe a teacher will
see that the class understood one unit really
well, but struggled to understand another.
The point is that if teach-
ers are unaware that there is a
problem, they will not be able
to solve it and do a better job
teaching their future students. It
is our obligation as responsible
students to provide this feedback
since it will help teachers just like
we would want them to help us.
They give us grades and com-
ments on our assignments and
we would be doing the same for
their teaching.
Evaluations are used widely
and effectively amongst colleges
and universities, so why can’t we
use that same system? By giving
feedback we could make learning
easier for students who follow in
our footsteps. They would have
the opportunity to receive a bet-
ter education from teachers, who
may have considered students’
evaluations.
Students, understand the importance
of teacher evaluation for the improvement
of education, and take action. Talk to your
teachers, your counselor or your grade
administrator and tell them that there is
one easy way to improve the quality of
education at Blake: establish teacher evalu-
ations.
The Blake Beat
Being grounded defined
differently for all; more
severe for some students
Parental interpretation of
punishment ranges from
non-existent to destructive
x by Britney Stuart
“Megan, you are grounded for
two weeks, no social events, phone,
TV or laptop.”
This punishment is just one
example of what a typical ground-
ing for a high school student would
be. But has anybody ever thought:
what if grounding had a completely
different meaning? Interpretations of
this word could be taken in multiple,
bizarre directions depending on your
parent.
For the fortunate child, ground-
ed could simply mean “you are being
watched over.” This might seem
ridiculous, yet I have surprisingly
witnessed this so-called “punish-
ment” in complete jealousy. Some of
my friends have been allowed to go
to parties, concerts, movies, friends’
houses; the list is endless- while
they are “grounded.” Apparently as
long as they are being “supervised,”
everything is acceptable. This bril-
liantly constructed consequence is
totally unfair.
Next comes the average child,
the one under “restriction.” Accord-
ing to my parents, the definition of
being restricted is only going out
one night each weekend. In fact, I
am writing this article as I am con-
fined in my home on a Friday night
restricted. During the in-between
stage, the child has some privileges,
yet freedom barely exists.
Restriction is by far the most
frustrating stage as well. What if
December 17, 2010 B3
Friday is your best friend’s
birthday party, yet Saturday
your boyfriend wants to take
you out for your 2nd year an-
niversary - which one do you
choose? Oh, and of course
to make things even more
complicated - both will be
devastated if you do not hang
out with them. Restriction can
come very close to ruining a
social life.
Last, there is that poor
child who is grounded for
life- whose social life is being
burned in flames. This is by far
the worst, most horrible stage
and leaves few survivors. Now
obviously, a parent rarely ever
says, “You are grounded for the rest
of your life.” It is more likely your
parent will say, “You are grounded
until you get your driver’s license and
complete your college applications.”
But everyone knows how long these
two processes take. Could take a
month… a year… even two years!
But why would parents ever
ground their child for that long? course,
Normal justification might be “Oh… but gen-
Megan received bad grades” or erally kids
“She drank at a party,” but there are these days
always those distorted answers such just become
as “She took her sister’s cardigan” punished for
or “He is on the phone too much.” seemingly trivial
Parents should not severely punish things and sometimes
their child for something trivial or just out of the blue. So next
something that is common amongst time your friend tells you that
us teens. she’s grounded for life, have a little
There are exceptions of sympathy.

Britain celebrates engagement, ready to embrace new princess

Prince William proposes to longtime girlfriend with mother’s ‘cursed’ ring
x by Tatiana Hetherington
No one can forget the tragic death of Princess Diana of
Wales. For years, the tragedy of her death has hung over Eng-
land. But thanks to the recent engagement of Prince William and
his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton, the people of England
can once again rejoice.
Talk about the wedding of the century has spread all
over the world. However, rumors have started to surface over
the engagement, but rather the ring Prince William used to
propose to his now fiancée. The ring belonged to Princess
Diana herself, and Prince William stated that he felt it was the
right thing to do.
But was proposing with a ring that brought his mother bad
luck in both marriage and divorce the right thing to do?
Looking back on her life, I have to disagree. The ring did
not bring joy to the princess so how could it bring happiness to
the Prince William and his fiancée? Princess Diana’s marriage
tragically ended on August 28, 1996, when her husband, Charles
Philip, Prince of Wales, was found to have been in a long time
affair with Camilla Parker Bowle, now Duchess of Cornwall.
Not only that, but the princess died soon after finally
having found her love, Dodi Al Fayed. Her life and death were
a tremendous tragedy and if it were me proposing, I wouldn’t
want anything to do with that unfortunate ring. I would want
to remember the positive events in her life and that ring was
just not part of it.
Prince William could have chosen anything else that he
felt well represented his mom. I’m sure during her lifetime,
Princess Diana had accumulated a good amount of jewelry
which would have made a perfect and meaningful gift. When
getting married, one usually hopes for fortune, not misfortune;
I just hope the latter won’t happen to the new royal couple.
B6
Death of Merriam-Webster brings birth of Urban Dictionary
Slang words “lyk3 dis” devalues “da” education we once strived for
x by Caroline Pledger & Isak Shah
The past several decades have de-
faced the purity of the English language
beyond repair, dealing fatal blows and
bringing about an inevitable and untimely
demise.
While we cannot truthfully say
that we were not duly warned by George
Orwell, our perspective as bystanders is
excruciating.
To the terror of many, slang and col-
loquialisms now dominate the streets, as
verbose vocabularies hide in the shadows,
and spelling books are trapped in a time
where a world class education was once
something worth striving for.
School children produce essays rife
December 17, 2010
with abbreviations and grammatical errors, idioms does not reel me in to believing
enough to make Strunk and White turn in that you are worth dating, any more than
their graves. Even worse, our pop-culture’s a worm on a hook would. Pick-up lines
festering stupidity now lives on in recorded heard throughout the hallways are often
form, with asinine words like “bootyli- ill-thought out and offensively awful. And
cious” or “refudiate” (created by Sarah thanks to the nature of today’s speech, it is
Palin,) being granted access into a once now a compliment to call someone’s back-
highly sacred dictionary. side “fat” and make animalistic, sloppy kiss
Such laziness has never been as noises at their retreating “donk.”
disturbing as the way we can seamlessly It seems that Prince Charming now
incorporate “ain’ts,” “da’s” and expletives rides in a “Chevy with the butterfly doors”
where they simply do not belong. It is as- and wants a “shawty,” not a princess. And
tounding how one thing can lead to another thanks to the inventions of “ridonkulous”
and how all of a sudden we simply feel and “unbeweavable,” we, as a species,
the need to leave off every syllable except have been able to completely annihilate
maybe the first two. comprehension as we know it.
On another note, reducing a woman The world will end when “too,”
down to “BAIT” and other demeaning “two,” and “to” cease to mean entirely
The Blake Beat
different things, and when teachers are
no longer “Mr.” or “Mrs.” but “son” or
“dawg.” At this point, “homonym” could
actually be perceived as a pejorative for a
member of the LGBT community.
But if you’ve gotten this far and still
see nothing wrong with your maneuvering
of the written word, think back to your
constant blind operation of the synonym
option on Microsoft Word - making your
essays sound “smarter.” Your reliance on
the spell check feature to make your actual
writing skills more sophisticated usually
results in a gigantic flop.
So heed our words and expand your
vocabularies, because if you aren’t careful,
you could end up like this: $0 !f u rN+ c@
r3FuL u cUD 3nd ^ L!k3 d!$ <3

Loophole found in Montgomery County’s Excused Absences policy

State of Emergency causes State of Confusion for staff and students
x by Samara Tu
Look at page 13 in your
agenda book. Read the Excused
Absences. You’ll notice the ba-
sic reasons for being excused:
illness, death in the immedi-
ate family, yadda-yadda-yadda,
hazardous weather conditions,
yadda-yadda-yadda, “state emer-
gency”…wait. State emergency?
You’re probably thinking, “Oh.
Well, I guess I have my reason
for missing school today.”
Well, apparently not. “State
emergency,” as defined by our
attendance office would be when
our state of Maryland is in a cri-
sis or urgent situation such as a
terrorist attack. Only then could
people be excused. But that hours of 7:25am and 10am, and emergency if Justin Bieber came teachers to get to school.
doesn’t make any sense. If there everyone in Maryland was rush- to Maryland and sang “Baby” on What if Michael Sorrentino
were a terrorist attack, people ing to get one. Could that be a top of a school bus in the intersec- aka “The Situation”, took his shirt
wouldn’t need an excused ab- state emergency? I mean, cars and tion of New Hampshire Avenue off at the National Mall, and ev-
sence; school would be closed. school buses would be stuck in and Norwood Road? I mean ev- ery girl in every county rushed to
see his supposedly hot body. This
But let’s say Apple was giving away Macs would cause a situation with the
police, who would try to control
between the hours of 7:25am and 10am, the pushing and shoving, and the
streets would be crowded with
and everyone in Maryland was rushing to get cars rushing to get down to the
Mall.
one. Could that be a state emergency? These are the factors Mont-
gomery County and the atten-
dance office should consider; you
Well, I’m not going to question bumper-to-bumper traffic all day, ery fan would ditch school to lis- never know when these things
what is listed in the agenda and every student in Montgomery ten to his prepubescent voice and will happen. But until they agree
book. County would be trying to get a the streets would be crowded with to these possible situations as a
But let’s say Apple was Mac instead of taking a test on screaming Blake fans. It would be state emergency, people, don’t
giving away Macs between the derivatives. Could there be a state impossible for buses to pass and use these excuses in your notes.
The Blake Beat December 17, 2010 B7
Guide to getting
best out of worst
holiday presents
x by Isaac Appel
The winter holidays are here; bringing
presents encompassed in glorious wrapping
paper just begging to be ripped apart. All
that excitement goes right into the fireplace
when you open that present to find a scratchy
wool sweater your grandma knitted for you
or that awesome board game that says ages
three and up. And don’t forget those jolly
Santa socks.
The real Ho-Ho-Ho-rrendous part of
all this is pretending to like the gifts and won-
dering secretly to yourself how to dispose of
them. Traditionally, ways to get rid of the gifts
are to re-gift them to another lucky person, or
to return them back to the store. But thinking
outside the gift box, there are more captivat-
ing ways of coping with these presents.
If you are the unlucky chap this Holi-
day season to get that sweater, here’s what
you can do: Don’t keep the sweater and waste
your WoolLite on it! We’re in a recession;
save those pennies! A sweater was designed
to keep you warm, right? Well throw that baby
in the fireplace and light it up. This winter
season is going to be cold, and your house
could use some heating. You’re using the
sweater the way it was designed for, warmth.
All that excitement
goes right into the
fireplace when you
open that present
to find a scratchy
wool sweater.
Watch those beautiful flames, and say burn
baby burn. You’re happy the sweater is gone
and momma is happy she saves on her heating
bill. Everyone wins!
People who get cologne/perfume for
the Holidays are a special case, because
someone thinks you stink. Worst off, they’ll
buy you a bloody awful smelling cologne/
perfume to mask your stinky stench. Now

New gamers miss out on quality classics

first, take a shower and use soap…lots! But
you still need to get rid of the gift, what to
do? Keep it on you at all times, because when
you’re out; about to be approached by some-
one who you aren’t even slightly interested
in, you need an escape. Whip out the gift and
spray yourself ferociously, covering yourself
in that terrible stench, the person should run
away fast. If they decide to stay and stick it
out for unimaginable reasons, you, my friend,
have a stalker and should call for help.
To those unfortunate few who get
those festive holiday socks and don’t want
to be walking around with Santa legs, here
is what to do with them. Keep them in your
pockets or on your person and when someone
tries to shake your hand or tries to hand you
something, quickly put the sock on your hand
and make them feel awkward. They won’t
know what to do.
Smell that folks? That isn’t the aroma
of the plastic Christmas tree in your family
room; it’s the scented candles that you have
been given yet again. Don’t forget the candles
little helper, the candle holder. This festive
duo gets thrown into your closet year after
year, making it smell like the Yankee Candle,
almost knocking you unconscious every time
you open it. Well now the days of dizziness
are over.
You’re at home alone and you hear a
noise. Now you’re worrying if an intruder is
in the house. Round the mass of candles into
a bag, carry it with you, and when you think
you’ve found the intruder throw the bag of
candles toward the foe. Then run in throwing
the candle holders at the fool, but don’t get
carried away because you might find your pet
is now severely traumatized.
Next time you get a crappy holiday
present, don’t waste your time returning it
or re-gifting it –no one wants it anyway. Use
these clever ideas to help you get through the
holiday season.
x by Miles Johnson
Unbeknownst to the young gaming
population today, consumers are buying into
a scam of huge proportions: buying sub-par
videogames.
First off, systems these days just rely
on cheap gimmicks rather than solid game
play. The hottest new game for the Xbox
Kinect, Kinectimals, is entirely made up of
waving your hands in front of your TV, to
pet and groom a virtual pet. Last I checked
grooming pets was an unfortunate chore, not
a source for fun, and that barely makes up
for its $40 price tag, plus a whopping $150
for the Kinect system. Following in the Wii’s
footsteps, the Kinect is another overpriced
Slang defines
new language
x by Sarah Mansaray
How do you go from saying “isn’t it
just nifty that these knickerbockers fit?” to
“dude that concert was totally radical!” to
“aye son you straight loafin - you need to
stop sweatin’ my new kicks and get with
it cuz cuz.”
Slang has impacted society to the
point where nouns have become adjec-
tives and phrases that would have been
seen as improper have been incorporated
into the everyday use in people’s lives. For
example, the word “ghetto” is a noun and is
defined, according to dictionary.com, as a
“section of a city, esp. a thickly populated
slum area, inhabited predominantly by
device that eschews good gameplay for fancy
hardware.
And what about those normal games
still being released for the Xbox 360 and
PlayStation 3? Well, if a game isn’t being
marketed as a ploy, it is probably extremely
violent. Just look to the new release, Call of
Duty: Black Ops. This game has one objec-
tive- shoot anyone in your way- and unfortu-
nately, this gets old after just a few missions.
It’s hardly worth spending $50 on.
For under $30, anyone can get a full
working Nintendo 64 off eBay- with two
controllers and a myriad of games. These
games are certified classics that I guarantee
will give you more mental stimulation than
anything you can buy off shelves today.
members of an ethnic or other minority
group, often as a result of social or eco-
nomic restrictions, pressures, or hardships.”
These days people normally use “ghetto” as
an adjective to describe loud and obnoxious
individuals.
There are slang terms that have been
around so long that people do not even
realize that what they are saying makes no
sense. Saying phrases like “what’s up” or
“whaddup” to someone is a common way
of asking how someone is doing. Or calling
someone your “son” or “shawty” is like
calling them your friend; but if nothing’s
up in the air and they are not your child or
shorter than you, what you are asking does
not make any sense.
Phrases that completely contradict
the meaning of the literal phrase are be-
coming the norm these days: “I be going
ham while shawty upgrade from bologna.”
Well unless you’re making a sandwich that
also makes no sense. Furthermore saying
The games from this virtual Golden
Era will keep you entertained for days with
their intricate puzzles and storylines. If you
haven’t played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina
of Time, start there. This work of art is the
quintessential adventure role-playing-game
and is considered by many one of the best
games of all time. high-def blood and gore.
If you’re into shooters go for the James
Bond-based Goldeneye, which lets you take
out communists Rambo style without vomit-
inducing high-def blood and gore.
The tech-savvy times have advanced
gaming, but in the wake the integrity and
mesmerizing characteristics were lost. So
my advice this holiday season- spend winter
break with the classics.
phrases like “that’s my manz” or “that’s not
rockin” are what adolescents today have
adapted as their daily dialogue.
Here are some common transition
words and phrases that have come in and
out: stop joking = aye yo kill/ kill Moe;
“light skinned girl” = “yellow bone;”
substance abuser = “unk;” not happening
= “dead;” attractive person = “bait;” upset
= “salty;” making something bigger than
what it is = “sice;” you’re being too obvious
about something = “you’re makin’ it hot;”
calm down = “fall back;” disgusting = “tri-
fling;” secretly = “on the low;” big buttocks
= “clappas;” cool = “slammin;” etc.
For a long time, mankind has used
improper language to make communica-
tion easier. But as time goes on, I’ve been
inclined to “smh” (“shake my head”). How-
ever, I can’t complain that much – if I grew
up during a time where saying things like
“groovy” and “swell” were cool, I might
have had to “plead the fifth.”
The Blake Beat December 17, 2010 B8
The James Hubert Blake administration, faculty & staff
congratulate these students on making 1st Quarter Honor Roll
9th GRADE Maryam Outlaw Anna Haley ANTHONY BUI Matthew Present James Halpin
Michelle Adompo Melanie Outtarac Antony Harris Nicole Byrd Zachary Radov Sidra Hamdani
Alexis Afamefune Bryan Park Funmilola Harris Javian Caceres Erica Ragland Brittany Hamson
Claudia Alarco Nicholas Park Vivian Henderon Selena Castillo Andrea Ramirez Kelly Hanlon
MARY ARONNE Estefania Perez Brittany Herbert MAN CHAN Tai Ramsey Madison Hawkes
Paule Bahi Victor Phimphachanh Azalia Hernandez Joshua Chang Shardae Rawlins Bridget Hawvermale
Hunter Balog Wendy Pintado RACHEL HEWITT Joal Chen Brooke Rehman Anna Hinden
Nicole Barriga Samuel Preza Olivia Hubbard Charles Cheng Elizabeth Ann Reyes Blaire Hoffman
Zachary Bartlett Jeremy Radov Jodeh Huleis Hiu Chiu Samuel Rivera LILY HUA
Sean Bartley Julian Raul Jane Hwang Mark Cirincione Jahmila Roberts NICHOLAS HUNG
Gregory Bell Angel Renniger Samantha Ignacio Emmanuel Clarke Maryangel Rodriguez Avery Hunter-Hackney
JULIA BELL Maiah Richards Francesca Inman Samantha Comer Ryan Romig DYLAN HYSEN
Adam Beuttler Micah Richards Sierra Jackson Cameron Constantine Ghulam Sallman Jeremy Iocozzia
Rebeca Bonilla Marquis Robinson Karen Jacob MIYA COOK Amanda Salmon Mikhail Iriarte
Grayson Boone Ezra Roschu Samuel Jaffe Courtney Cristaldi Alison Scher You Na Jung
Sarah Bridegum Matthew Russell Anton Jeter Giancarlo Curzi Matthew Siegel Alexander Kahsay
TORIE BROER Austin Ryan Konner Johnson Phuc Vu Dang Andrew Simmons Zachary Kaye
Remington Brooks Kara Savercool IRENE JONES BRANDON DAVIS Jehwo Sims Joshua Kenes
Tariq Brooks Ada Seye Kendred Jones Ryan Deane Danielle Smith John King
Silvia Buglio Connor Shaw Melania Karmazyn Janelle Dixon Douglas Steinman Simone Kirkland
KEVIN BUI Ashley Sheibaniagdam Tharana Karzai Savannah Doane-Malotte Taneigha Swingler Peace Kish
Kimberly Callahan Larson Shilling Hamza Khan-Tareen CHRISTIAN DOMAAS Nicholas Tatnall Aimee Kohorst
Devin Cannon Brett Silverman Barzillai Kim Alexis Earley Megan Taylor Corinne Konoza
Sherry-Mae Canoy Margaret Simpson Sandra Kindete Johnyie Edwards Theophilus Thomas Zakaria Ismail Kronemer
Yujun Cao Sophia Stanley Rute Kiros Nia Edwards Maiha Thompson Sara Kushner
Jasmine Carter Thomas Stanton Michael Kister Sara Elalami Emma Towriss Meagan Lagerlef
Michelle Carter DAVID STEELE Cecilia Kwakye Kathryn Evans Savannah Tryens Ashley Larkin
Justin Chan Nina Tan Sakoo Lebrew Mary Fernandes Samara Tu Kevin Lee
Ryan Chang Cassidy Tarner Ashlin Lee Hayley Fixler Nicole Tuttle Michael Leonard
Shoshanna Chito CAROLINE TATNALL Dae Kyu Lee Jocelyn Flores Jean-Claude Tzeuton Jennifer Lien
In Ji Chun Dianne Techwei Westin Lee Lane Flynn Avery Ugba Katherine Lingan
Ann Cirincione Emily Temple Sara Lettieri Stella Fotso Karen Vanegas Brianna Livesay
Bryan Citrenbaum Gregory Thompson Jourdan Lewanda Linus Francis Lynne Virgil Julia Maas
Matthew Clanton Holly Tripp Kristen Lewis Amanda Freeman Cadijah Walcott Meredith Majower
Casey Clark Kelsy Turner Blaine Lowry Kristen Frese Alexis Wallace Austin Malner
Rene Cordon Elaine Udell Cindy Luu Kathryn Fuchs Erica Wang Nicholas Mauprivez
Alison Coyne Tan Vo Allison Marcus NEVA GAKAVIAN Zhichen Wang Matthew McGugan
RILEY CRUICKSHANK Robert Walker Eli Marsh Valentina Garcia Brandon Weber Brooke Mellish
Silvana De La Jara Tanner Willians Krystal Martindale Jacob Gill Rebecca Wellman Brianna Mitchell
Yancy Del Cid Dashawn Woody Mayia McKenzie Cecilia Girolami Jenna Williams JERRY MONTERO
Miles Douglas Carolyn Worden Rosie Meile Hayley Glantz Larisha Winley Winifred Morris
Ashley Escobar Kevin Wright Marissa Metzger Shawn Glisson Leisha Winley Joseph Morstein
Stephanie Filho SAMANTHA WRIGHT Cianna Miller Claudia Gomes Ellen Wood Nicholas Mugge
Jason Fleischer FELICIA YAU RICHARD MILLER Jacob Gordon Rhea Wyse QUYNH-NHU NGUYEN
Morgan Fletcher Michelle Yeung Rushell Morgan Ramanda Graham Grace Yoo Toan Nguyen
Xavier Fox Timaj Yusuf Yonata Negatu Sarah Hagan Greggory Nicholson
Emma Friedman MICHELLE NGUYEN Lucy Harrelson 12th GRADE Amarachi Nnadi
Maia Gadsden 10th GRADE Adefolarin Orimolade Bradley Harrison Sheena Afoakwa Paige O’Flahavan
Kimia Gaines Aiman Abdelmouti Andrea Ortiz MARVIN HART IV Darlene Aniebonam Georgiette Oduro Boateng
Jason Glantz CHRISTIAN ABELL Darius Oxley Heather Heim DANIEL ARIAS Simisola Olamide
Rebecca Glatt Joy Akuchie Calvin Perry Gloria Henriquez Nicholas Arnold-Medabal Kemi Olowoofayoku
LEAH GOLDBERG Steven Alvarado Dorian Purse Phuong Hoang Sarah Aylor JESSICA ORTIZ
Betsy Gomez ABIGIA ARAGE PRADIP RAMAMURTI Victoria Hong Julia Baker Nikki Ostrow
Andy Gonzalez Kwame Asante Karelin Ramirez Derek Houston SPENSER BALOG Leena Owen
Sandra Guevara Angela Bair Rosa Reyes David Hylton Sadia Bangura Vanessa Owusu
ALEXANDRA HADYKA India Banks Ryan Reynolds Lucas Irvin LAUREN BARLOW Jeongyeon Park
LILLIAN HALLMARK Jenna Beers Christine Ricciardi Amina Irving Isabela Barriga Joshua Paunil
Bethany Hamson John Beers Christopher Richard Dorienne Jackson ASHLEY BARTECK Heather Phillips
Asha Henley Madeleine Benjoar Lara Richli Rachel Jaffe Joyce Bartlett Jessica Pinchinat
REBECCA HILL KATHERINE BLACKFORD Andrew Riedel Christian Jeong Reanna Beatty Eric Poloway
Kirsten Hines Roman Borris Traceyan Rosel Alyssa Johnson Daniel Bell Sonia Polyzos
Cathleen Ho Cole Bradshaw CHELSEA RYAN Devon Johnson Shannon Bell Susana Posada
Thao Hoang Graylyn Broadnax Katia Segura Michael Joiner Darryle Bennett LINDA POWERS
Ashley Holmes Michelle Brooks Susan Shelton-Der ASHLEY JUDAH Melissa Blue Carley Pressley
Tristan Holmes Lilet Broomes Min Shim Rebecca Kalinich Julia Boland Jasmine Pullen
Roxana Huaman Olivia Brown Sandra Simmons Johanna Kieroth Braden Bond Rohan Raju
George Hyde Madison Bruffy Laura Smethurst ROBERT KORYCINSKI Georgette Bondon Alexander Raul
Jacqueline Hyman THAIS CALDERON Rebecca Smith Robert Krakaur Maria Bonilla-Hercul Maya Reid
Hyla Jacobson Cory Camp Anna Steinfeld Kevin Lam Jesse Boulandi Cory Reyes
Janelle Jean Samantha Carpenter Nicole Sterling Melina Latona Britney Brincefield Naomi Richardson
Ashley Johnson Gregory Chaimson Jasmin Stevenson ZOEY LEE Deandra Brown Renatta Rickford
Steven Johnson Ryan James Chang Julia Stewart Adele Leishman Mia Browne Andrea Rizkallah
Arion Jones Kevin Cheung Kelly Stock Irene Lemberos Catherine Burkhardt Steven Rodriguez
Gabrielle Jones Michael Chheang Jean Suazo Peyton Leonard Stefan Byrd Clay Rorie
Madeline Kalen RYAN CHOE JANINE TAIRA Emily Lindsay Peter Calhoun IV Maximilian Sabelhaus
Dong Kang Hoyoung Choi Lucas Tax Sarah Lipkowitz Jordan Callahan Paris Saunders
Eunseo Kim Nicholas Colburn EMILY TCHAI Matthew Lipshultz Shaina Callahan Matthew Schnapp
Amanda King LINDSEY COMER Emily Tempchin Eugene Litman Maya Campbell Ariel Schwartz
Jocelyn Ko ANDREW CONCHAS Kimberly Torchenot COLLEEN LIVINGSTONE Jayson Carter Ana Segura-Cruz
Alana Kominski LYDIA CURDTS Lena Traore Dontava Lodenquai Kiarra Ceasar Emma Semanyk
Megan Kong Daniel D’Amico Jeffrey Vargas Jenny Lon Rafael Centeno-Armenta Isak Shah
John Kos NICHOLAS DAVIS Denise Venero Monika Looney Christie Chambers Max Shannon
Alexandra Krakaur Aliya Dean Natasha Virjee Julie Lopatka Jeremy Chen Andrew Shelton Der
CRYSTAL KUFFOUR Brandon Deane Wanjiru Waithaka Brianna Lopez Cynthia Cheng Mariel Shilling
Clauton Kum Jeenaba Deme RUSSELL WANKE Daniel Louloudes MAIA CHICHERIO Brandon Simms
Zachary Kushner Assoumou Diby CAROLINE WANNEN Stephanie Luk Nia Chin Daniel Simpson
Cassie Le Alison Dionne Lillian Watkins Ricardo Mancia Git-Yee Chu Cassandra Smith
Garcia Le Albert Djoum Jr. Deneen Watson Alimatu Mansaray InAh Chun Jessica Smith
Jamie Lee Julia Doh Kiana White Leslie Mata Lauren Colburn GILLIAN SPOLARICH
THEODORA LEMBEROS McKenzie Dreher Chris-Ann Whitehead Meredith Mathis Gladys Creppy-Hetherington Christine Garcia St Amand
Nicole Lertora Emily Eaglin KIELAN WILCOMB Kyle McArthur Joseph Crews Spencer Sterling
Brendan Lindsay Thomas Elkins Kionna Wiley Melissa McNabb Delaney Cruickshank Ny’Asia Stewart
Laura Lopez Darien Ellis Bryan Wilkerson Charis McNamara Ravi Dadlani Jordyn Tillman
DUNCHANDHN LYONS Monica Eng Karissa Wong MacKenzie Meyer Connie Dai Serge Tzeuton
Oscar Mariscal MICHAEL ERRIGO RACHEL WOO Terah Minor-Jones Surasree Das Kelly Umana
Kevonn Martin Alexus Ford Hannah Wynne Tara Mitchell Janjay Davis Akaninyene Umo
Theodora Martin Matthew Forsythe Rebecca Yim Danielle Moore Shelby Davis Ryan Valdes
Summer Massie Aryn Frazier Alexander Morales Kirstyn Desroches Kristina Valerio
Kristina McKenna Kamil Gabbani 11th GRADE Michael Morris Somala Diby Victoria Vanlear
Austin McKinnis Megan Gagern MOHAMMED ABBAS Juan Moscoso Leanna Diggs Sophia Venero
Matthew McLaughlin Anna Galeano Cody Acker Mihir Nakrani Christiane Djoum SHANNON WADE
Logan McMurray William Garey Kimberly Adam Michala Nathlar Portia Egwim Joshua Waldman
Angela Mix Tanner Giles-Tucker Nicole Alexander Vanessa Newman Marco Escobar Stacey Waldo
MARY MOLLOY Rachel Gist DERICK ANSAH Victor Nicholson Conrad Etchi Jasmine Walker
Chante Moore Da’Quan Givens-Coley Henry Aparicio Tayler Nine Kathleen Faisca Conor Wallace
Diego Munoz Christina Glasgow Isaac Appel Nnamdi Odoazu Markus Fearson Emily Watt
Kay Musika Gina Gomes Abigail Asantewaa Lauren Paniati Joseph Franks William White
Brigit Ngaleu Jamil Gordon Mohammad Ashrafi SEONG HWAN PARK DELILAH GATES Eric Wiley
VAN NHAN NGUYEN ERIC GOTTLIEB Brian Battaglia Leah Patterson Sylvester Gates Kira Williams
Tochi Nnadi Anjelica Grant Tiffany Bennett Jessica Perla Samuel Glatt Patrick Xiao
Daphne O’Grady Candace Grant Danielle Blocker Mandy Pham Zachary Goldberg Erin Yates
Thomas Olowu Paul Gregg Brittany Bradley Grace Plihal AMY GOTTLIEB Bemnet Yazew
Emmanuel Oppong Emily Greitzer Jordan Brooks Sarah Prather Gordon Gregg Shannon Young

Names in all caps indicate Straight A’s

 Exhibiting new hair weaves becomes generation’s latest national phenomenon, p. C7
jjjywryohwrthnsrsrnsbiuyulfyuttfcufyufysrjoinbusrjnlisurtnislrutnjsrtnlrtnrsttrdrtdn
jjjywryohwrthnsrsrnsbiuyulfyuttfcufyufysrjoinbusrjnlisurtnislrutnjsrtnlrtnrsttrdrtdn

Section
SectionC
C Section
C James Hubert
BlakeBlake
Blake Beat High School
BeatFeatures
Features December
17, 2010 December
October17,
8, 2010
2010

Picking out
presents
is one of
the hardest
things to
do during
the holiday
season.
Carley Pressley

Bengals give unique holiday gifts, bound to be loved by all

by Kemi Olowoofayoku
x & Gillian Spolarich
Most teens are suffering from a lack
of funds and therefore cannot afford expen-
sive gifts for the holidays. But these Bengals
have found a way to avoid the hassle of
falling into debt while still buying awesome
gifts for family and friends.
Thrift stores offer just about anything,
all for an extremely low price. Options
range anywhere from a nice sweater for
your brother to an authentic coach bag for
your best friend. Says senior Joyce Bartlett,
“People want gifts that are unique to them,
the thrift store is the perfect place to find
that cute, quirky and different gift.”
Gift cards are an easy gift that allows
each person to find exactly what they want.
Finding the perfect place to get one is the
only issue. “Picking out presents is one of
the hardest things to do during the holiday
season,” says senior Carley Pressley. “The
best way to ensure that your gift won’t be re-
turned is a gift card. It’s a win-win deal.”
Amazon and iTunes are two options
that every individual likes. The best thing
about Amazon is that everything is avail-
able, it’s impossible not to find something
to like. Also, just about everyone has an
iPod. Giving an iTunes card allows the op-
tion to buy anything from Apps to music
to videos.
CDs and DVDs are a classic gift
that everybody loves. Says junior Amanie
Musa, “You can never go wrong with CDs
or DVDs. If you know specifically what
the person likes, it’s impossible to disap-
point.” Top choices for this holiday season
are Kanye West’s new album, My Beautiful
Dark Twisted Fantasy, Mariah Carey’s clas-
sic Christmas album, and Lungs by Florence
+ the Machine.
Although it may be cheesy, your
school portrait is the perfect gift for a family
member. Says senior Janjay Davis, “Giv-
ing a school portrait is free, more personal
and from the heart.”Also, scrapbooks and
collages are the most creative choice that
shows how much time you put into their
gift, all at no cost to you.
The holidays may be stressful but
there are always ways to make it work.
Channel your inner Martha Stewart, be
creative and thoughtful to every individual
on your list. Good luck!

Student’s life changed after witnessing brutality in Sierra Leone

Bangura experienced terrorism, poverty, extreme suffering of children
x by Blaire Hoffman
Many of us can only imag-
ine the horrors that occur be-
cause of war and genocide, but
for senior Sadia Bangura that
was the reality she experienced
every day.
While living in Sierra Le-
one, Bangura witnessed extreme
poverty and horrific acts by
rebels, consequences of the
war. Says Bangura, “The hard-
est thing growing [up in Sierra
Leone] was watching children
suffer.” Many houses were burnt
down by the rebels and as a re-
sult, the people of Sierra Leone
became homeless or had to live
in houses with 15 to 20 other
people. The primary sustenance
that they survived on were rice
and palm oil
Bangura was born in Sierra
Leone and lived there for nine
years until she moved to Ghana
for five years, where she then
briefly returned to Sierra Leone
for a year. She lived in the capital
of Freetown with her mother,
sister and brother. Her dad, who
was earning his graduate degree
in Canada, sent money to her
family every month so that
I saw with my own
eyes a woman’s
womb cut open with a
cutlass and the child
taken out.
Sadia Bangura
they were able to buy food and fortunate than others, Bangura
clothes, attend private school and was still affected by the poverty
maintain their home. In 2007, and the terrorism by the rebels in
Bangura and her family moved Sierra Leone. She saw children
to the US after her father was who would beg along the streets
offered the position of advisor or go to work with their parents
to the executive director of the in the markets in order to make
World Bank. a little extra money. The rebels
Although she was more brutalized the people of Sierra
Leone by cutting off their hands
and feet, and used their wrists as
necklaces. Bangura adds, “I saw
with my [own] eyes, a woman’s
womb cut open with a cutlass
and the child taken out.”
When Bangura moved
from Ghana back to Sierra Leone
in 2006, she was able to see her
country transforming as lead-
ers worked to build the country
back up for the better. “[Sierra
Leone] is peaceful [now],” she
adds, “but I personally think it
has a long way to go because the
country is corrupt.”
Despite the adversity she’s
faced and the tragedy she’s
witnessed, Bangura optimisti-
cally looks toward her future
and opportunities after college.
Bangura adds, “In the US, it is
believed that you can be any-
thing you want to be if only you
get educated.”

Blake seniors breathe sigh of relief as early acceptances to college arrive in the mail, p. C2
C2 December 17, 2010 The Blake Beat

Environmental committee seeks to help save the world

Club advocates conservation, conducts fundraisers to fight for cause
x by Nia Chin & Tatiana Hetherington The committee plans to host an earth expo the week of April
22. The event will include free organic/locally grown food as well I believe
Saving the planet has become a top red button issue in the world.
Due to global warming and the endangerment of many species and
as information on how to make the school more green. Students can
purchase items such as reusable lunch bags and t-shirts at the event. that our
habitats, scientists have been focusing on ways to prevent further
destruction to the planet.
There will be other fundraisers in the future to raise money to provide
new eco- friendly products for the school. society
Thanks to our environmental committee, Blake is also now a
part of the movement. Sponsored by junior Grace Plihal and advised
As the planet continues to be affected by rapidly rising factors
such as global warming and pollution, the committee is urging Blake is not
by science teacher Colleen Roots, the committee is taking Blake head
first into the fight to save our planet. “The environmental club is all
students to take part in saving our planet. “Recycle trash in the bins
located around the building,” says Ms. Roots. “It really does make sustainable
about making our school a greener and more earth friendly place,”
says Plihal.
a difference.”
“The Environmental Club was started to encourage Blake stu- and that
In an effort to conserve more energy and water, the environ-
mental committee is encouraging everyone to turn off their lights and
dents to become involved in issues impacting our natural world and
educate those who might be interested in making a contribution,” need to be
electronics when not in use. Furthermore, the environmental commit-
tee urges people to make a practice of eating more organic foods.
says Ms. Roots. One of the committee’s main goals is to promote
and encourage more environmental-related activities. changed.
“The environmental club is open to any and all students and we “I believe that our society is not sustainable, and that needs to
welcome every new member,” says Plihal. “We are like a family.” be changed,” says senior member Cassandra Smith, “I want to be a Cassandra
The committee meets every Wednesday, in room F-171. part of that change.” Smith

Early admitted seniors reap benefits, allowing more planning time

Colleges send out acceptance letters; students get jump start on decisions
by Dylan Hysen
x & Conor Wallace
Most seniors do not hear back from
colleges until April, but some are way
ahead of the curve. They not only applied
to schools early, but have already been ac-
cepted.
Senior Sara Kushner is one of those
students. She was accepted into Ohio State
on rolling admissions (where a candidate
submits their application anytime within a
large window) in October. Kushner knows
she wants to go to Ohio State. “It was totally
worth it to apply as early as I did.” says
Kushner. “Now I don’t have to worry about
getting into college ever again!”
Unlike Kushner, senior Joey Morstein
does not know which of the schools he has
been accepted into early he wants to attend.
Morstein has already gotten into Indiana
University and East Carolina University
through rolling admissions. Says Morstein,
“I applied early because I wanted to know
where I was going early in senior year to
take the pressure off.”
Though only a small fraction of the
senior class has already been accepted to a
college, many more have applied early but
have not heard back yet. The most popular
schools that seniors apply early to are in-
state schools like University of Maryland
College Park, Towson University and Uni-
versity of Maryland Baltimore County.
Very few students at Blake apply to
schools through early decision, a binding
form of early application. If a student is
accepted through early decision, they must
withdraw all other college applications. Says
College and Career Information Coordinator
Kathy Moore, “With the economy the way
it is today, some colleges are taking a large
number of students from the early decision
applicant pool because they are guaranteed
that tuition.”
Certain students who did not want to
bind themselves by applying through early
decision still have already committed to
a school. Senior Bridget Hawvermale has
committed to the University of Maryland
after being recruited by their softball team.
“I committed because they are my number
one school [and] because they have sports
in the ACC but also offer a great education,”
says Hawvermale.
Senior Spencer Sterling has also
committed to the University of Maryland.
He was recruited by the swim team and has
received a scholarship to play for them. Says
Sterling, “I wanted to get my decision out
of the way. I really liked the atmosphere of
the school and team.”
Many students who applied to early
admissions for December 15 will know
whether they have been accepted by this
weekend. But those who have already been
admitted, like senior Renatta Rickford who
has been accepted to Towson University, are
now stress-free. “I applied early because…I
didn’t want so much pressure,” says Rick-
ford. “Plus my mom pretty much banned me
from social activities until I applied.”
The Blake Beat December 17, 2010 C3
These Bengals raking in cash with their do-it-all company
x by Brianna Livesay

Lawn care is most likely at the end of
your list of career aspirations, but what if
it means a way to schedule your own jobs,
establish your own prices and stop asking
your mom for ten bucks to see a movie?
These factors have encouraged some
hard-working students to start a business
all on their own.
Juniors Victor Bennett, Estevan Cas-
tro and senior Braden Bond have dedicated
a number of their after school hours to
doing yard work for families around the
Stonegate neighborhood. “We can pretty
much choose to do whatever jobs work
out for us,” says Bennett. “It’s really cool
to get to be your own boss.” They first es-
tablished their presence in the work force
by sending out a message to the Stonegate
list-serve, the neighborhood’s email base,
and then their availability spread by word
of mouth.
The boys make 100-120 dollars
per house that they rake; each job usually
x
takes only three to four hours to complete.
Despite occasional long days and tough
jobs, the work is more than enjoyable for
this team. Bond adds, “It’s not even bad
when I work the entire afternoon; I’m
with my friends so I can still have fun and
be social.”
Not only do they rake leaves, but the
boys also are more than willing to shovel
snow, move furniture, and even organize
bookshelves. “We do a lot of interesting
things,” says Castro, “especially things
no one else has time for or knows how to
do.” The trio has learned to power wash
and re-pave driveways, unique skills which
may very well come in handy later in life,
when they will not need to hire someone
to do the job.
No matter how exciting their newly
acquired skills are, the boys have a com-
mon idea that they are all thrilled about. “I
definitely enjoy making my own money,”
adds Bennett. “I can save it, I can spend
it when I’m out with friends, I can buy
munchies, and I can do whatever I want and
not feel too wasteful.” What seems to be a
big issue for so many teenagers has been
solved by these three high school boys- get- From left to right: junior Estevan Castro, senior Braden Bond beautifying yet another leafy yard. The boys do all sorts of work
ting a job and making money. and junior Victor Bennett prepare to expand their business by for people around their neighboorhoods. --photo by Aron Crews

Sporcle: not just a computer game, an addiction for your brain
by Dylan Hysen
This creation x & Conor Wallace
has changed my Do you know the 37th president of
the United States? Can you name the capital
life...my levels of Cameroon? How about the most popular
types of soda or the names of Simpsons
of not doing characters?
If so, Sporcle.com, a hub of infinite
homework have knowledge on the most useful and unusual
facts, is where you belong.
increased so Sporcle.com is a quiz site that was
launched in 2007 by Matt Ramme. The
much that I am quizzes vary in topic and are also timed. An
increasing number of Blake students, like
now a master of senior Niraj Raju, are playing Sporcle. Says
Raju, “This creation has changed my life...my
procrastination. levels of not doing homework have increased
so much so that I am now a master at the art
Niraj Raju of procrastination.”
In fact, Sporcle.com’s mission state- cereal” one can find quizzes like “Name the
ment is: “We actively and methodically search
out new and innovative ways to prevent our
capitals of African Countries.” Says senior
Gregg Nicholson, “[Sporcle] wastes time…
users from getting any work done whatsoev-
er.” Another Blake student who has fallen into
but it also teaches [us] things we didn’t
already know.”
Sporcle’s trap is senior Joey Morstein. “I play
anytime I’m in a lab at school or can get on at
Sporcle is growing in popularity
among Blake students. Morstein, Raju and
work,” Morstein says. “It’s addicting.”
Every day Sporcle publishes new quiz-
Nicholson play Sporcle about three, four or
five times a week respectively. “Sporcle is
zes. There are currently over 4,000 published
quizzes and many more user-created ones.
greater than sliced bread and bungee jumping
combined,” says Raju. “If one was to look up
For each quiz, the player types in potential
answers. If an answer is correct it will appear
the definition of ‘awesome’ in the dictionary,
there would be a picture of Sporcle right
beside its clue. Some quizzes allow players to
type responses that apply to any of the miss-
next to it.”
According to Raju, students certainly
ing answers while others make it so questions
have to be answered in a certain order.
learn from Sporcle. “I have learned the most
important skill for the adult working world
Some of Sporcle’s quizzes are cer-
tainly trivial, but many others can be edu-
- how to look like you’re doing something
while not doing a darn thing at all,” says
cational. In addition to “Identify the type of Raju.

Boy Scouts build essential life skills through 12 years of dedication

Students earn merit badges, pride as they soar to highest rank of Eagle
by Michael Joiner
x & Andrew Markowitz
Marching through tangled
woods, crawling up rugged moun-
tains and hiking through natural
campgrounds, these Boy Scouts
have approached the highest peak
of their journey having soared their
way to the most eminent position of
Eagle Scout.
After many years of devotion
to the Boy Scouts, seniors Brandon
and Garrett Krixer are less than a few
months away from becoming Eagle
Scouts. “You have to be dedicated
to become an Eagle Scout,” says
Brandon, “whether it is camping in
35-degree weather or hiking 55 miles
in three days with heavy luggage.”
In order for a scout to move up
from Tenderfoot Scout, which is the
first ranking of scout, to one of the
other six levels on their voyage, the
scout must pass certain requirements.
For all ranks, the scout must have
participated for six months, abided
by the Scout Oath and Scout Law,
and been interviewed by the Scout-
master conference and the board of
review. For the ranks of Star, Life,
and Eagle, a scout must get a certain
number of merit badges, which are
given after completion of a set of
obligations in a particular field such
as camping, cooking and caving.
However, the main require-
ment that differentiates the rank of
Eagle Scout other ranks is that, a
scout will need to do a final project
that requires about six months to
complete. The scout must become
involved with a non-profit organiza-
tion in order to show how the scout
has helped his community. Brandon
completed his project at the Wood-
side Child Care Center, fixing the
interior and building a sandbox. “It’s
has matured me in many ways, and
taught me how to balance my respon-
sibilities,” says Brandon.
Brandon, Garrett and junior
Lucas Irvin are all part of troop 457,
which is referred to as “The Pio-
neers.” Irvin, much like Garrett, is
also completing his final project. Ir-
vin is removing and replacing rotten
walls, repainting picnic tables and
landscaping a garden at Sherwood
Elementary. “I have gained outdoor
skills and experiences, and enhanced
my ability to be both a leader and
a follower,” says Irvin. “[This is]
just one of many ways how I have
become much more mature.”
For Brandon, being a Boy
Scout is more than just the chance
of getting good scholarships. To him,
it’s about the bonding experience
and the time he gets to spend with
his friends in his troop. “Some of
my closest friends are scouts,” adds
Brandon, “I think of them as being
my brothers, because we always have
each other’s back.”
C6 December 17, 2010 The Blake Beat

Students break bank accounts with unnecessary swipes

Employed teenagers cash in without thinking twice about check balance
by Sonia Polyzos
x & Simone Taylor
Swipe. $1.62 on a cherry slurpee.
Swipe. $6.19 on a sandwich and
soup at Panera.
Swipe. $13.00 on a 3D movie
ticket.
Swipe. Swipe. Swipe. Account
balance: zero.
This is a pretty typical experi-
ence for teenagers who have a job,
a debit or credit card and the ease of
spending their money whenever and
wherever they go.
When your card is filled with
money from your latest check, it is
easy to slide it through the money-
eating machine without thinking. Says
junior Amanie Musa, “I go to the mall
often and no matter what, I always
come out having bought something.”
Amanie Musa Now that younger students
have jobs, money is spent routinely.
“Chipotle - almost every day I’m
there,” says junior Cadijah Walcott.
“The $6.47 charged to my card? No
biggie.” The same thought process
goes for senior Spencer Sterling, who
makes pit stops to 7-Eleven right after
swim practice. “I basically go get
something to eat daily after school,”
says Sterling, “and because I’m a big
eater, I’ll spend at least ten dollars
on food.”
After these expensive sched-
ules, students have found themselves
completely broke. Says senior Jesse
Boulandi, “I have received two pay-
checks so far and I have basically [no
money] left after buying one pair [of]
expensive shoes.”
In fact, it seems that students are
swiping their cards for the sole pur-
pose of asserting their independence.
Says Musa, “It’s easy to buy things
that I don’t even need in reality. Just
because I have the card to say, sure
why not?”
Walcott finds herself surfing
the web, looking for items to buy
online with her debit card. “Shoes,
clothes, jewelry-anything, I buy it,”
says Walcott.
This innocent money spending
may have its perks now, but it has
some shortcomings as well. Walcott’s
account has been overdrawn twice in
the past few months. “Every time [it’s
withdrawn], I have to pay 30 dollars
but that doesn’t bother me,” says Wal-
cott. “I just keep on spending.”
With the easy-to-manage piggy
bank in your little wallet emptied
with a swipe, depleting your bank
account seems easier than ever. “It’s
impossible to spend money you don’t
have, but with a credit card, that all
changes,” says Musa.

Junior volunteers spare time for organization close to her heart

by Maria Nassanga
x & Karen Vanegas
Baby supplies, diapers, infant for-
mula, temporary housing, and transporta-
tion are all provided by Angel Friends.
Junior Angie Fortunak is one of them.
Fortunak volunteers her free time
for the Gabriel Network, located in Mont-
gomery County, which has been empower-
ing women to embrace motherhood and
choose life for more than ten years. “It is
a great place to go and see how everyone
is lucky [to have a new opportunity],”
says Fortunak.
The non-profit organization has
Christian foundations that help expecting
mothers discover life and love, despite
their challenging pregnancy. It provides
emotional, physical and spiritual assis-
tance to pregnant women who have lost all
hope, facing homelessness and poverty.
As an aspiring pediatrician, Fortunak
says, “This was another opportunity where
I felt I could use my skills of being good
with young kids.” For Fortunak, the Ga-
briel Network gives her an occasion where
she can improve her social techniques with
infants, toddlers and children in order to
fulfill her childhood aspiration.
Fortunak first heard about the Ga-
briel Network through her church, St. John
the Baptist Catholic Church. “Every year
the school [at my church] collects baby
bottles full of loose change [for the Gabriel
Network],” adds Fortunak. She began to
help out at the Gabriel Network in eighth
grade and fell in love with its mission.
Now knowing the house’s residents,
Fortunak volunteers by herself. She helps
out all of the time, especially when she
has days off. Regardless, Fortunak is
always ready to help whenever they may
need her.
Driving mothers around and watch-
ing children fills up Fortunak’s agenda at
the Gabriel Network. “It is a great place
to help out with the children if you find
you are good with them,” adds Fortunak.
This is a cause Fortunak does because of
free will. She does not get paid for her
tremendous dedication.
The greatest lesson Fortunak has
received while volunteering at the Gabriel
Network is very personal. Fortunak lives
in a stable environment with her parents,
unlike the women that live in the house,
who either became homeless when they
found out they were pregnant or are cur-
rently jobless.
Fortunak was adopted shortly after
she turned one, by a caring and loving
family that would be able to support her.
“My biological mother just could not take
care of me,” says Fortunak, “And had the
courage to give me up for adoption to a
family she knew could take care of me...
I am lucky.”
The Blake Beat December 17, 2010 C7
From celebs to teens:
unbe-weave-able trend
x by Tyasia Hutchinson & Sarah Mansaray
Weaves, wigs, extensions, clip-ons, clip-ins, braids and a number of dif-
ferent techniques are all things women and some men have done to enhance
their look. By applying artificial hair, many give the allusion that most of the
hair on their head is real when that may not be the case.
In the past decade weaves have become a national phenomenon; ev-
eryone from celebrities to the girl that sits next to you in class is rockin’ a
weave.
There are many different types of weaves like synthetic weaves, which
have both pros and cons. Synthetic is available in weaves and single strands
for braids. One disadvantage is that it does not last as long as human hair does,
and can get quite nappy if not brushed on a regular basis. Also, if one uses
a curling or straightening iron, trust and believe there will be some Michael
Jackson hair burning going on in your bathroom, but if you’re on that reces-
sion watch, then go ahead.
Then there is human hair, which is derived from human heads and sold to
vendors to be used as a weave or wig. Most people prefer human hair because
it lasts longer and can be styled with heat appliances; on the downside it can
be more expensive. Lace front weaves, which have been on celebrities from
Beyoncé to Tyra Banks, are made with real human hair and have a sheer lace
base in the front to look resemble your own hair.

My favorite part about weaves [is that]

Senior Janjay Davis (top) and seniors Simisola
Olamide and Breant Smith (bottom) flaunt
various weaves, which can be worn long, short who wear weaves take it seriously. Anyone can wear it, so if you see a brand
or braided. --photos by Aron Crews
I don’t have to worry about my own
hair in the morning.
Christina Buckley
Beauty Lane in Briggs Chaney Shopping Center and African Hair Gal-
lery in Colesville are common places in the area to buy weaves. The price for
a pack of weaves can go from $10 to $500; if you want a decent wig, prices
usually start around $50. Most weaves can last from a couple weeks to a
year, if maintained well. You can also purchase and look at different types of
weaves at snghair.com.
Some students, such as junior Christina Buckley, sophomore Chanel
Barnes, and senior Marieme Sall wear weaves as well, flaunting their new
hair styles every few weeks. Buckley, who wears Senegalese braids says, “My
favorite part about weaves is that [they are] easier to deal with… I don’t have to
worry about my own hair in the morning while getting ready for school.” Braids
are easier to manage because they can easily be styled into a ponytail.
“I started wearing [tracks] a few months ago after I cut my hair… right
now I have synthetic [in].” Barnes says.
“I wear Remy weave,” adds Sall. “It’s expensive but worth it…[the
weave] stays straight and I don’t have to flat iron or anything.”
There are many advantages weaves present for the men and woman that
wear them. YouTube sensation Antoine Dodson spoke about it on the George
Lopez Show. Even comedian Chris Rock made a documentary called Good
Hair. Obviously, this isn’t just a local thing, it’s a global thing, and people
new weave, respect it.

Student remembers past year’s exciting events as new decade dawns

Hysen highlights top memorable
August 5, the San José copper-gold mine
x by Dylan Hysen caved in, trapping 33 Chilean miners 2,300
Ushering in a new decade, 2010 was feet underground. The miners survived
certainly a full year. From the ‘mystery
missile’ to the recent bombing of South
moments, news stories of 2010 underground for 69 days until they were
rescued October 13.
Korea, there were many newsworthy items 2) Haiti Earthquake: 2010 featured
history. Totals ranged up to around 30” in tory over Algeria.
this year. Only 10 of them, however, were many natural disasters, including an earth-
the suburbs for ‘Snowmaggedon’ February 5) WikiLeaks: WikiLeaks, an orga-
the top events of 2010. quake in Chile and flooding in Pakistan,
5 – 6, making it the fourth biggest snow- nization led by Julian Assange, divulged
10) Winter Olympics: The 21st but the most publicized one was the mag-
storm on record. secret documents throughout the year, the
Winter Olympics were held in Vancouver nitude 7 earthquake in Haiti on January 12.
7) Midterm Elections: 82.5 million most important being the Afghan War docu-
this year. Canada led the games in gold 230,000 people died from the earthquake,
people turned out to vote during the mid- ments, Iraq War logs and US diplomatic
medals with 14, while the USA led in 300,000 were injured and over a million
term elections this year which resulted in a cables. These leaks have caused a disrup-
overall medals with 37. were left homeless.
Republican takeover of the House of Rep- tion of international relations and sparked
9) Eruption of Icelandic Volcano: 1) BP Oil Spill: The Deepwater
resentatives. The Republicans also made outrage from many.
Eyjafjallajökull, one of the many volcanoes Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of
gains in the Senate, but the Democrats 4) End of the War in Iraq: The Last
in Iceland, erupted primarily during April Mexico April 20, killing 11 workers. The
maintained a majority with 53 seats. US combat brigades left Iraq August 19
and caused widespread air travel delays all resulting oil spill dominated headlines for
6) World Cup: During the 19th ending Operation Iraqi Freedom. 50,000
over Europe. the five months that it lasted. 185 million
World Cup in South Africa this year, Spain troops still remain to provide general sup-
8) Record-breaking DC Winter: gallons of oil were released into the Gulf
won over the Netherlands. The United port until a planned withdrawal at the end
The winter of 2009-2010 was the snowiest causing extensive wildlife and habit dam-
States lost to Ghana in the knockout round of 2011.
on record for DC and featured some of the age, while also harming the fishing and
after winning their group by a thrilling vic- 3) Chilean Mining Accident: On
biggest snowstorms in the nation’s capital’s tourism industries in the area.
C8
You’re using that umbrella wrong
______________________________
COUSIN Sammy is the best
______________________________
White Anglo-Saxon bias- Daniel Arias
______________________________
BLAKE’S INDOOR TRACK TEAM IS
BEAST!!!
______________________________
Sammy made my day love creepo Raven
W.
______________________________
Tigers never sleep!
______________________________
Music is Kevin’s girlfriend, his instrument
are his bros
______________________________
Please don’t go=robot love
______________________________
Hello Jake Hayman
______________________________
Lucas Irvin and Brittany Hamson! Going
strong all December long.
______________________________
LUCAS IRVIN IS A CHEATER!!!
______________________________
Becca, Jaqueline, and Kaylie, you are
wrong!!!!!!!!
______________________________
Gladys and Joanne for life
______________________________
hi brendan lindsey, i’m in love with
you...-?
______________________________
Two is always better
______________________________
Who let the dogs out? Woof woof.
______________________________
Thanks, for being my friend
______________________________
Class 2012!
______________________________
What are you looking at? Pretty Little
Liars- Jan. 3rd can’t wait!!
______________________________
Let me live my life
______________________________
Not what mama wanted to hear
______________________________
Can you hear that?
______________________________
Hate spinnerbait!
______________________________
“Roll of thunder, hear my cry.”
______________________________
Take Latin American History!
______________________________
Always I want to be with you, and make
believe with you and live in harmony
______________________________
Learn to love, not to judge
______________________________
I’m dreaming of a black Christmas…fight
the power!
______________________________
Yesterday brought the beginning tomor-
row brings the end, and somewhere in
the middle we become the best of friends.
“Sadie B”
______________________________
Dylan, you need a shovel.
December 17, 2010
UnClassifieds
See any BEAT staffer to buy your
Unclassified in our next issue.
70¢ for the first ten words, 5¢ for each additional word
Love life. Live it to the fullest and share it
with your best friends. Don’t trust people
so easily especially jerks. Love ya Nia,
Antoinette, Briy, and my hubby Bryan!
______________________________
I love tea MR²
______________________________
London Boys rule!
______________________________
Musu give me that cinnamon bun!
______________________________
Foursome first!
______________________________
Alison Dionne, I love you!
______________________________
Lindsey…I didn’t forget about you
______________________________
Everyone’s incompetent
______________________________
There’s my Hanukkah money…
______________________________
JBB 4ever.
Josh is the best associate editor- Nick Tax
______________________________
Improv. Go to it.
______________________________
Laughing is good for you. Watch improve
shows.
______________________________
Improv, Fridays at lunch in the amphithe-
atre.
______________________________
Josh’s loan company is still afloat due to
Conor despite Britney.
______________________________
Josh’s company is a scam. DO NOT PAR-
TICIPATE. IT WILL RUIN YOU.
______________________________
Unclassifieds rule!
______________________________
It’s an honor sitting next to Savannah!
______________________________
To Raj, Tim, Adam, Darius, and Durrell.
I got the kosher pepsi, this party is ready
to go.
The Blake Beat
JBB forever
______________________________
I love me some Ellen
______________________________
Julian Carr is a beast
______________________________
We should do something fun for my
birthday
______________________________
JBJ
______________________________
That’s debatable. I’ll take the pro, you
concede.
______________________________
Bombing.
______________________________
From the makers of I will hurt you, with
Jon Stewart comes I will main you with
Stephen Colbert.
______________________________
Corinne is the most amazing person in the
world!
______________________________
KEEGS crack ups: “Kill the voice, kill the
monitor, kill yourselves…wait - not that
last one.” “If you have a virus, tell me so I
can get Mr. Hall to kill that sucker.”
______________________________
Take journalism...it’s awesome. Sign up for
next year. We need great writers and pho-
tographers!! We have yummy parties:)
______________________________
Julia Baker, you are the love of my life.
______________________________
Britney Stuart, you are the bain of my
existence.
______________________________
Grace Philal. You know what you are.
______________________________
I have three pair.
______________________________
Kevin Keegan does not support Vocal
Jazz.
______________________________
But if you do, then talk to Somala Diby or
Caroline Pledger to join the up and com-
ing A Cappella Vocal Jazz Performance
Group. Feel free to join! NO AUDITIONS!
Just fun!
______________________________
I love the Blake Beat! Take journalism...
we’re the best.
______________________________
Fish are friends, not food.
______________________________
Mary Fernandes=ma coeur
______________________________
Antonella, marry me?
______________________________
I don’t understand Unclassifieds.
______________________________
Winter Break, please hurry up!
______________________________
Anna Newman. <3 Starbucks today?
______________________________
Sunshine is back for a month HOMG
______________________________
I almost got killed by a bycicle!
______________________________
Don’t open the door for Josh.
______________________________
Peeps. Gotta love em’.
Bengal Basketball stars recruited to Navy, American among other D-I schools, p. D7
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D?
Section D Section
D James Hubert Blake
Blake High School
Beat Sports December
17, 2010 December 17, 2010

up and take on more responsibil-

ity,” says Ostrow. “We have had to
change plays and coaching style to
better fit the team.”
The Lady Bengals again
could not stop the opposing of-
fense in their 52-36 loss Friday to
the Poolesville Lady Falcons. Says
senior captain Jasmine Walker,
“As a team we need to improve
our communication level, as well
as passing and defensive game,
which will lead to a better of-
fense.” Coach Gilmore predicts
that despite these early struggles,
they will win at least 12 games.
Blake got off to a slow start
in a 63-49 loss to the Bethesda-
Chevy Chase Lady Barons De-
cember 7, even with sophomores
Caroline Wannen and Snowden
leading the way in scoring with

We need to
improve our
communication
level, as well
as passing
and defensive
game, which
will lead to a
better offense
Nikki Ostrow

17 and 10 points, respectively.

“As a team so far I feel as though
we haven’t played to our utmost
potential,” says Walker. “Once
Sophomore guard Caroline Wannen shoots over the Springbrook Wannen scored six points in the team’s defeat and is averaging over everyone takes ownership for our
defender as the Lady Bengals fall to the Lady Blue Devils, 67-41. ten points per game on the season. -- photo by Aron Crews team, we will be able to accom-

Lady Bengals off to by Lucas Irvin

x & Matt Present
fort. “We had a very good second plish great things.”
half,” says coach Patricia Gilmore, The Lady Bengals will host
“but we need to start out stronger the Damascus Lady Swarmin’
Despite early struggles, and be more physical.”

rough start against

Hornets Monday as well as divi-
the varsity girls’ basketball team After having reached the sion opponent the Einstein Lady
remains confident that they will regional finals last year, the Lady Titans Wednesday before head-
get more accustomed to playing to- Bengals had to cope with the loss ing into winter break. Beginning

tough competition gether and will make a run against of five seniors, including alumni January, the Lady Bengals will
their division opponents. Christine Weithman and Gaby play almost exclusively division
Monday the Lady Bengals Hall, both of which were named opponents, whom they play twice

Wannen, Ostrow lead team lost 67-41 to consortium rival, the First Team All-League and were each, for the remainder of the
Springbrook Lady Blue Devils. selected to play in the Montgom- season including Wheaton, Rock-
Senior forwards Nikki Ostrow and ery County Public Schools Top 10 ville, Northwood, Kennedy and
in scoring with combined Reanna Beatty led Blake scorers Senior All Star Game. Weithman is Einstein high schools. If the team
with nine points apiece and sopho- the only Blake basketball player plans on making a run deep into
20-points-per-game average more center Danielle Snowden to have over 1,000 career points. the playoffs, division wins will be
added six rebounds in a losing ef- “Younger players have had to step important down the stretch.

Varsity boys’ basketball off to a slow start after losing two of three
Hedley pouring in 20 points as squad prepares for Paint Branch tonight
coach Marcus Wiggins. “It was obvious that we couldn’t win. Blake got off to a quick start due to Hedley’s 100% shoot-
x by Paige O’Flahavan & Josh Paunil match their size.” The Blue Devils more than doubled the ing from the floor, including four three pointers, and the team
Despite a slow start to begin the season, the varsity Bengals’ total for rebounds and shot twice as many free took a 23-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. “Brandon had
boys’ basketball team has showed a lot of potential with two throws as well. a hot hand,” says McGugan. “No one could stop him.”
returning starters and other key additions in hopes of repeat- In Blake’s first home game of the season, they lost to a However, despite a late run by the Barons to tie up the
ing last year’s success. tough Poolesville Falcons team, 67-54. The game was close game at 40 apiece with seven minutes left, the Bengals put
When Blake traveled to play consortium rival, the the entire time with the Bengals only down three points with away the division foe on McGugan’s 6-6 shooting from the
Springbrook Blue Devils, the team was unable to keep up a few minutes left in the game when senior Matt McGugan, free throw line in the final minutes.
with the Blue Devils and lost 74-58. Despite a season-high 20 who had 23 points and six rebounds, suffered from cramps. Despite the slow start to the season, the Bengals’ goal
points for senior captain guard Brandon Hedley and career- The Bengals also suffered from mishandled passes and is to build on last year’s success to make it even farther. Says
high 19 points from junior center Avery Ugba, the Bengals a lack of scoring on the team outside of McGugan and Hedley, senior forward Brandon Simms, “We’re trying to go back to
were out-rebounded by the Blue Devils and gave their rival who accounted for over 75% of the team’s points. Comcast and bring home the trophy.”
too many second-chance points. When the Bengals traveled to face the B-CC Barons in The team plays at home against the Paint Branch Pan-
“We were ineffective early on the boards,” says head their first game of the season, they came away with a 56-51 thers tonight at 7pm.

JV boys’ basketball team crushes competition, starts season undefeated, p. D5

D2 December 17, 2010 The Blake Beat

Girls dive head first into new season with high hopes
Crushing victory over Gaitherburg propels Lady Bengals to strong start
x by Eddie Madden
After a 124-47 blowout of
the Gaithersburg Lady Trojans,
the girls’ swim team’s confi-
dence is elevated as they have
advanced to 1-0, with high hopes
for the rest of the season.
“So far, so good,” head
coach Jared Fribush says about
the team this year and their per-
formance December 11. After
moving down from Division
2 to Division 3 this year, the
Lady Bengals hope to contend
for the division title. “Our girls’
team lacks the star power as past
years, but it has depth past years
Rachel Jaffe cannot compete with,” says Mr.
Fribush.
The Lady Bengals next
meet is against division oppo-
nent, the Rockville Lady Rams
on Saturday at the Rockville
Municipal. The Bengals look to
use the momentum of their great
start to keep the success coming.
“[We have] a really strong team
this year…we have a lot more
depth which should really be
a big factor in big meets,” says
junior captain Rachel Jaffe.
The Bengals are working
hard in preparation for their
meet against division rival, the
Magruder Lady Colonels Janu-
ary 29. “[It] will be our toughest
dual meet, and will probably de-
cide the division,” Mr. Fribush
says. Before then however, the
Bengals will be tested by the
Kennedy Lady Cavilers January
15 at The Martin Luther King
Swim Center and the Einstein
Lady Titans January 22 at the
Olney Swim Center.
After losing many mem-
bers last year, the team re-
bounded with over 40 girls
coming to tryouts and making
the team. This not only gives
the Lady Bengals depth, but it
allows the team to push each
other at practice and make each
other better.
The girls dive team looks
to perform at a high level this
year even though the team is
very small. They may lack depth
as past years, but they do not
lack the talent and aptitude to
compete with the best teams in
the county.
“[The team] is having a lot
of fun in and out of the pool, and
I’m excited to see where we’ll
end up,” says Jaffe. Come sup-
port the Lady Bengals Saturday
as they take on the Rams.
So far, so good.
Jared Fribush

New year brings new expectations; Bengals torpedo into Division 3

Season starts off swimmingly, as boys lap competition in first meet
x by Eddie Madden
Despite missing several key swimmers
due to an out of state club match, the Bengals
were able to get off to a fast start as they beat
division opponent, the Gaithersburg Trojans,
102-67.
After a last place finish last year in Divi-
sion 2, the team was moved down to Division 3,
giving them high hopes for this year. Head coach
Jared Fribush is very excited this year’s team.
“We dropped down a division and are going in
as one of the favorites this year. We should be
one of the top teams,” says Fribush.
While the Bengals may have dropped to
Division 3, their talent pool this year has only
risen. “Our boys team has the chance to be the
best team Blake has ever had,” says Fribush.
This should in part be due to the team’s off-
season dedication and the strong work-ethic
during practice.
Blake has many returning swimmers who
hope to be able to have a large impact and propel
Blake to its first division championship. “Our
team has a lot of depth this year,” says senior
captain Spencer Sterling. “We have a good shot
of winning the division this year.”
Senior Cameron Lancon, who had a
strong previous year, is very excited about the
possibilities of this year’s team. “This is defi-
nitely the strongest team we’ve had while I’ve
been at Blake,” says Lancon. “Magruder looks
like our best competition…and we definitely
have a shot to beat them.”
The boys’ dive team is very experienced
and looks to have one of its best years. Junior
captain Victor Bennett is eager for the team
to be able to show off their talent. “We have a
bunch of gymnasts and trampolinists this year…
overall I think we’re one of the best teams,”
says Bennett.
The Bengals go on to face division foe
the Rockville Rams tomorrow at the Rockville
Municipal where they look to stay undefeated,
on the road to win the division.

We have a good shot of winning the division this year. Cameron Lancon
Spencer Sterling
The Blake Beat December 17, 2010 D3
Blake wrestling has early success on mat, brings home wins

Junior Edwin Callender pins his opponent at the Mad Mats tournament at Magruder Kwame Asante made the finals in their weight classes. Earlier Blake beat Blair to
High School where Blake finished fourth. Senior Evan Lipshultz and sophomore start of the season with a win. --photo by Aron Crews

First match goes well for varsity Bengals, take 57-9 victory over Blair
x by Sammi Levitt & Savannah Tryens
Trying to get off on the right foot, the varsity wres-
tling team capitalized on their strengths and defeated
division opponent, the Blair Blazers, and placed fourth
out of 18 at the annual Mad Mats tournament.
The competitive Mad Mats tournament, which takes
place at Magruder High School, allows the wrestlers to
compete not only against fellow Montgomery County
schools, but also with schools from all over the state.
The impressive finish was made possible by the wres-
tlers who competed in the final round and in consolation
matches.
Senior Evan Lipshultz and sophomore Kwame As-
ante are two of those people. Though neither one won in
the final, Lipshultz and Asante both had tough matches,
managing to place second in the 103 and 140 weight
classes, respectively. Says senior co-captain Zakaria
Kronemer, “Both guys had to wrestle tough competitors
all tournament long. The fact that they made it that far
is impressive.”
Overall, the Bengals only lost to wrestling pow-
erhouses the Magruder Colonels, Glenelg Gladiators
and Walt Whitman Vikings. “They are all tough teams
to beat,” says junior Edwin Callendar, who placed third
in his 171 weight class. “We were in the top two for the
majority of the match. We just couldn’t pull through in
the end.”
In their first match of the season, the Bengals domi-
nated Blair in a 57-9 victory, bringing both their division
and overall record to 1-0. On a squad of fourteen, ten
Bengals impressively either teched (being the first to get
15 points) or pinned their opponents. Says junior Brian
Battaglia, “It was a great start to the season, and it gives
us a lot of momentum for our upcoming matches.”
Tomorrow the Bengals have a tough match against
the Damascus Swarmin’ Hornets and Sherwood Warriors
at home, followed by another home match Tuesday against
division rivals, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons.

Community ice hockey team looks to rebound after slow start to season
Squad struggles with defense despite good performances from goalie
by Josh Paunil in the division, 13-2. Freshman group allowed 39 shots on goal, The team clocked in their of the season, they lost to the
forward Aiden Bittinger-Esser and due to the Wildcats winning most best performance of the year de- Damascus Swarmin’ Hornets com-
x & Robert Krakaur sophomore forward James Stradely of the face-offs. fensively when they traveled to munity team, 10-3. Rankin had his
With their five leading scor- scored the lone goals for the team. When the squad played the face the DC Tigers community best game of the season after scor-
ers back from last season and two “They just out-skated us and were Sherwood Warriors, the third-place team and lost, 8-0. Klemko once ing a goal and having an assist, and
four-year veterans returning, the able to get behind our defense to get team in the division, they came again played well for the team by was joined by Bittinger-Esser who
community ice hockey team has a lot of shots on goal,” says senior away with their third loss of the sea- having a save percentage of close scored a goal of his own.
a good chance to post their best forward Matt Rankin. son, 11-1, December 6. However, to 85%. “[Klemko] kept us in the Despite the slow start to the
record in recent years despite a The team also struggled to junior goalie Cross Klemko had one game most of the time by allowing season, the team is confident they
slow start. get past the Wildcats’ defense, of his best games of the season, sav- only a few goals despite our poor can rebound. “We just need to take
In the latest game against the managing only seven shots on goal. ing over 75% of the shots on goal. defense,” says senior center Daniel each game one at a time,” says Bell.
Walter Johnson Wildcats, the team “Their defense is among the best Stradley scored the team’s lone goal Bell. “He came up big for us.” “If we do that, we can pick up our
fell to the highest-scoring team we’ve faced,” adds Rankin. The in this game as well. In the team’s opening game first win of the season.”
D4
Indoor track hurdles opponents, boys take first place, girls third
Runners strive for new achievements, hope to make improvements
by Danny Lee
x & Ricardo Mancia
Shot Put, 100 meter dash,
1600 meter relay. These events
are not things you would expect
to see during the season of snow
and 20 degree weather. How-
ever, the Bengal indoor track
and field team is hard at work at
these events and more.
This year the team has one
of the biggest turnouts ever. The
roster is compiled of 51 players:
23 boys and 28 girls. Senior
Erin Yates says, “The hard work
we’re putting in during practice
is paying off during the meets.”
Along with the larger ros-
ter, the new head coach Charles
Simms has intensified the train-
ing. “I’m really looking forward
to this season,” says coach
Simms. “I coach a bunch of
good kids that come out every
day outside in the freezing cold
and work hard to get faster and
put Blake track on the map in
Montgomery County.”
This past Saturday the
team had their first meet which
they fared well in. The girls
The hard work we’re putting in during
practice is paying off during the meets.
December 17, 2010
placed third in the 4X1600 meter
relay and eighth in the 4X400.
The boys did well too, placing
first in the 4X800 and 4X400
events and placed fourth in the
4X1600. Senior captain Rachel
Porzel says “[The team] is go-
ing to do really well…the relay
teams are our strongest event.”
While the boys’ and girls’
team did well, some of the play-
ers had their own personal wins
and achievements as well. Senior
Erin Yates
Christina Falden placed second
in the shot put, while senior
Nhial Agok placed first in the
300 meter dash and sixth in the
high jump.
Sophomore Darius Ox-
ley was another example of an
individual success at the meet
by coming in second in the 800.
Junior Justin Ingram also did
well by placing second in the
55 hurdles.
The season opened with a
The Blake Beat
scrimmage at PG County’s
Sports and Learning Complex,
where the Bengals put in many
new runners. With no points at
stake, the Bengals were able to
enter their underclassmen into
different races in an effort to
explore talent at the scrimmage.
“It’s a pretty new team and I see
a lot of potential,” says senior
captain Alistair McLean. “We
have more of a drive this year.”
The team looks to keep
improving and doing well. There
are three meets the team is
hoping to excel in before the
Montgomery Invitational, the
culmination of the season, Janu-
ary 8.
The Blake Beat
Sophomore guard/forward Folarin Orimolade dribbles
past a defender from Springbrook as the JV boys’
December 17, 2010
x by Paige O’Flahavan & Josh Paunil
basketball team defeats the Blue Devils, 58-46. The team
has won its first three games. --photo by Aron Crews
D5
Boys’ basketball
begins season
with three wins
Team dominates
with over-20-point
margin of victory
Looking to continue their success from last
year, the JV boys’ basketball team has started off
undefeated with a win over consortium rival, the
Springbrook Blue Devils, and an average margin
of victory of over 20 points.
The Bengals defeated the Blue Devils in their
latest game, 58-46, with sophomore captain guards
Breon Herbert and Stefan Sigwalt leading the way,
scoring 20 and 11 points, respectively. However,
Blake started off the game slowly allowing the Blue
Devils to lead at the half, 27-25, due to the team
committing nine fouls.
“We played well together and did a good
job communicating,” says sophomore guard AK
Jones. Jones also scored ten points. Sophomore
center Leon Dean added seven of his own showing
the multitude of scoring options that the Bengals
have.
In Blake’s first home game of the season,
they came away with a 69-38 win against the Pool-
esville Falcons. “We’re a very athletic team and
have good chemistry,” says Herbert. The Bengals
dominated the whole game holding a lead at the
end of each quarter, and having a double-digit lead
throughout the second half.
When the team took on the B-CC Barons to
start off the season, they doubled their opponents’
score, winning 72-36. However, even with a con-
vincing win such as this, one the Bengals found
a lesson to be learned. “We have a lot of talent,”
says Sigwalt, “but we need to work on finishing
and controlling the pace.”
After a strong start to the season, the Ben-
gals look to continue their domination throughout
the rest of the season. Says freshman center Ohio
Chiazor, “Our long term goal is to go undefeated
this season.”

Junior Varsity squad picks up first victory of the season over Blue Devils
Girls lose to Poolesville after tough, three-point overtime loss against B-CC
by John Beers ning our offensive plays,” says the very end. game at 33 with two free throws Comer.
sophomore captain guard Lindsey The Lady Bengals began just before regulation ended. Over- Despite their 1-2 start, the
x & Michael Errigo Comer. their season with an overtime loss time was a defensive battle, as the team remains optimistic. Cameron
JV girls’ basketball used The Lady Bengals domi- to the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Lady Bengals came up just short adds, “If we keep working hard the
excellent shooting, scrappy de- nated all aspects of the game. Lady Barons, falling 37-34. The on several offensive possessions. way we have been, then…we will
fense and great teamwork to pick Defensive execution led to easy Lady Bengals displayed great “The team worked really be successful this season.”
up their first win of the season baskets as the Lady Bengals forced defense throughout the game but hard throughout the game,” says The Lady Bengals travel to
Monday night defeating rival, the many turnovers and held the Lady could not hold on for the win. Comer, “but we started getting ner- face the Paint Branch Lady Pan-
Springbrook Lady Blue Devils, Blue Devils scoreless for long “We didn’t give up and we kept vous when the score got close.” thers tonight hoping to continue
57-21. stretches. going and fought to the finish,” The Lady Bengals execut- their winning ways.
The Lady Bengals jumped In their second game of the says sophomore guard Megan ed offensively and defensively Upcoming home games for
out to an early lead and were in season, the Lady Bengals suffered Cameron. throughout the game. Tough de- Blake include the Damascus Lady
control for the entire game. They a tough loss at the hands of the The two teams both played fense led to easy fast-break points Swarmin’ Hornets Monday, the
scored first and never gave up the Poolesville Lady Falcons, 52-27. hard, as the Lady Bengals fought and lay ups. “We have multiple Wheaton Lady Knights January
lead. “We started off very strong, They showed good effort through- back from a first quarter deficit defensive plays that cause the 4, and the Rockville Lady Rams
playing great defense and run- out the game and played hard to to lead at the half. B-CC tied the other team to get frustrated,” adds January 7.

If we keep working hard the way we have been, then... we will be successful.
Megan Cameron

Wrestling looks to learn, improve, prevail throughout the season

Year off to a positive start after close 30-24 win against Blair Blazers
x by Michael Joiner
Whether they are trying their hardest to make varsity
next year or just using JV wrestling to condition for the
spring season, the junior varsity wrestlers gave it their all
beating the Blair Blazers, December 8.
The match against the Blazers was the team’s first
match of the season, ending with a final score of 30-24.
Junior Cody Acker, who is wrestling for his second year,
pinned his opponent in the Blair match. “You really have
to want it to get a spot on varsity,” says Acker, “and the
only way to do that is improve.”
The junior varsity wrestlers push themselves to
their limit at practice to allow them to be in peak physical
condition. Most find wrestling is a great way for them to
get something out of the season. “I’m wrestling to stay in
shape and get stronger for baseball,” adds Acker. “And
since every practice is hard and intense, it really teaches
us discipline.”
The team has a lot of first time wrestlers this year,
who come onto the team with hopes of developing new
skills and staying in shape. Sophomore Zachary Johnson
was pinned in his first match, but looks forward to what
the season can offer. “I hope to learn more about wres-
tling,” says Johnson, “and hopefully get some wins under
my belt.”
The matches are set up according to whoever is pres-
ent at the match and whoever is able to wrestle. However,
even if the sport requires individual wins, they wrestle as
a team. “The captains really keep the team working hard
as a group,” says sophomore Danny Gonzalez, who wasn’t
able to wrestle due to an injury. “It’s great to be a part of
this team.”
Wrestling can teach lessons important not only to
the sport, but to life too. “I hope [this season] teaches me
how to reach my maximum potential,” says sophomore
Brandon Deane, “not just in wrestling, but in everything
I can do.”
The team’s next match is at home Tuesday against
D6 December 17, 2010 The Blake Beat

New coach, new quarterback, new defense...same results

For the third straight year, the Redskins are practically
out of the playoff hunt with three weeks left in the season.
Washington has had many problems this season in every
aspect of the game but they all start and end with one thing:
poor line play. The Redskins have had bad offensive line
play throughout the season due to injuries to starters such
as first round pick, Trent Williams. But the defensive line
issues were recently exposed in the Giants game in which
New York rushed for close to 200 yards.
One way to solve the defensive line problems is for
Albert Haynesworth to be the starting nose guard; however,
due to his problems with head coach Mike Shanahan it
looks like this is his last year as a Redskin. Washington
needs to find a dominant nose guard to put in the middle
of the defense so the linebackers can make tackles, the sole
purpose of the nose in a 3-4 scheme.
The best chance the Redskins will have to fix their
defensive line problems is the draft, when three excellent
defensive tackles will be available (all of whom can play
nose guard). Washington will probably end up getting a top-12
pick so they could get one of those players with that pick.
Once the defensive line problems are addressed, the
offensive line is priority number two. The Redskins clearly
lack depth, since once starters got injured, Donovan McNabb
had no time to throw and running backs had no room to run.
Washington cannot survive with Stephon Heyer at tackle, even
if it is due to an injury.
The linebacking core is another issue for the Redskins.
Washington has very little depth at the inside linebacker posi-
tion, and it will likely get thinner in the next couple of years
after the 35-year-old London Fletcher retires. The bottom line
for the Redskins is if they cannot solve their problems at nose
guard and inside linebacker, they will need to switch back to
a 4-3 because the inside part of their defense cannot be
the weakest part.
Going back to the offensive side of the ball, wide
receiver is another position Washington could improve
on. Anthony Armstrong has come along very nicely but
second-round picks, Malcolm Kelley and Devon Thomas
were both busts, and Santana Moss is aging faster than
Redskins fans would like to admit. Not only do the Red-
skins need to provide blocking for their quarterback (yet
another issue that needs to be addressed), but the quarter-
back needs to have targets to throw to as well.
With all the problems that Washington has, it is
very unlikely that they will make the playoffs this year
and the next couple of years as well. If the Redskins want
to be successful, they need to draft players at positions
they need and play free agency intelligently, meaning they
shouldn’t pay 100 million dollars for a defensive tackle with
no work ethic.

Despite recent six-game slump, Capitals look to weather storm

Semin strikes Lightning while team loses thunder on special teams
x by Andrew Markowitz
Throughout the month of
November, it seems as if the spot-
light for the Washington Capitals
has shifted from one Alex to
another.
Alexander Semin proved
to be the offensive flame for the
Capitals during the month of No-
vember, as he scored 12 goals and
19 points through 14 games. He
also scored two hat tricks against
division rival, the Tampa Bay
Lightning. The 12 goals brought
Semin to a team-leading 18 goals,
trailing Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby
and Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos
for the league lead.
As his Russian counterpart
basks in the limelight, superstar
Alex Ovechkin has hit another
speed bump. The left winger
matched his career-high in goal-
scoring droughts when he went
nine games without a goal before
scoring the lone Washington goal
in the team’s 3-1 loss to the Atlanta
Thrashers, December 4. How-
ever, the superstar captain did not
seem to mind the dry spell as he
notched an incredible 16 assists in
November. In his last five games,
Ovechkin has two goals and four
points.
Once again, the Capitals
have fallen into a very familiar
hole: goaltending. Michael Neu-
virth was on a tear for Washington,
with 12 victories under his belt
until he tweaked an upper body
injury and ended up dropping his
last three starts. Semyon Varla-
mov is 4-2-0 in the seven games
he’s played, with a 93.4% save
percentage.
He turned in his best per-
formance of the season so far
when he allowed only one goal in
the Capitals’ 4-1 win over the St.
Louis Blues, December 1. He also
earned his third-career-regular-
season shutout when he blanketed
the Tampa Bay Lightning, 6-0,
November 26.
Since the beginning of the
season, Washington has continued
to improve on their power play
unit, which struggled early on
in the year. The man-advantage
has improved to 23.8%, earning
a fourth place rank in the league.
As a whole, the team has scored
a total of 24 power play goals,
with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex
Ovechkin tied for the team lead
with 14 points apiece.
The penalty-killing has,
however, dipped a little in effi-
ciency. The PK is currently ranked
ninth at 84.3% efficient, which is
respectable except that the Caps
have allowed six power play goals
in a six-game stretch.
The end of November also
signified the end of left wing
Tomas Fleischmann’s career in
D.C. The Capitals traded “Flash”
to the Colorado Avalanche in
exchange for 13-year veteran de-
fenseman Scott Hannan. Hannan
is viewed as a potential missing
link in the Caps’ quest for a deep
playoff run: a stay-at-home de-
fenseman.
The Capitals will kick off a
two-game road swing when they
visit the Boston Bruins and red-
hot goaltender Tim Thomas at TD
Garden at 7pm tomorrow.
The Blake Beat December 17, 2010 D7
Seniors surge in basketball, get ready for next level
McGugan and Hedley’s hard work earns interest from college coaches
x by Eddie Madden & Josh Paunil
Throughout senior co-captains Brandon
Hedley’s and Matt McGugan’s careers at Blake,
the two have led the varsity basketball team to
a 40-10 record, a Division championship and a
Regional championship, resulting in multiple Di-
vision I and Division II offers between the two.
Hedley has received D-I interest from
American University, the University of New
Hampshire, University of Delaware and the U.S.
Naval Academy. Says Hedley, “I want to stay on
the east coast, hopefully North Carolina or New
York, and make sure the school has a winning
program and I get enough playing time.”
Hedley has continued to improve his stock
ever since post-season play last year, in which
he averaged over 17 points per game, by having
a great summer league and scoring 33 points
against ESPN’s number 24 ranked player over-
all, Quinn Cook. “He has a very high basketball
IQ and really understands how to play the team
game,” says Mid Atlantic Select AAU Coach
James Lee. “He also moves very well without the
ball and is a great student athlete, which college
coaches love.”
Realizing the importance of academics in
the recruiting process, Hedley has maintained
a 3.0 GPA over his high school career. He also
was named to the First Team on the All-League
team, selected by MCPS coaches.
Similarly to Hedley, McGugan has been
approached by many D-II and D-III schools
including Randolph-Macon, Davis & Elkins and
St. Mary’s, Randolph-Macon and St. Mary’s be-
ing his favorites. Says McGugan, “[I’m looking
for a] strong academic school with a respectable
basketball program as well as a head coach that
I will enjoy playing for.”
McGugan has also learned of the benefits
of good grades in the recruiting process, which
has lead to him earning a cumulative GPA of
3.4. “He is a great student athlete which is very
attractive to college coaches,” says Lee. McGu-
gan plans on majoring in Communications or
Broadcast Journalism in college.
Both Hedley and McGugan love playing
basketball and have no intention to stop in the
near future. Says McGugan, “I love playing it. I
love the friendships you create and just the whole Senior co-captains Matt McGugan (left) and Brandon Hedley schools after leading varsity team to a 40-10 record over their time
basketball environment.” (right) are receiving multiple offers from Division I and Divsion II at Blake. -- photos by Karen Vanegas (left) and Cecilia Girolami

Super scintillating sensational swimmers save sleeping for after season

Athletes get no shuteye while participating in both club, Blake sports
x by Isaac Appel & Adele Leishman
Getting out of bed at 6am is something many high
schoolers rely on their parents for, but when it comes to
competitive swimmers the drive to wake up is the only thing
that is going to keep them afloat.
“I don’t have a problem getting up in the morning, it’s
staying awake during school that I have trouble with,” says
junior Amanda Freeman. “I usually eat something that sticks
with me during my practice which helps keep me awake.”
Junior Rachel Jaffe has mutual feelings. “Early classes
are the most difficult to stay awake in,” she adds. However,
with a dose of caffeine in addition to a little nap time, she can
make it through the day.
Not only do these students swim for their club team,
they also participate on Blake’s swim squad. Says Freeman,
“It’s a nice break from the challenges of my club team.”
While we are tucking ourselves into bed, these athletes
are still up, sometimes just beginning their homework. Jaffe
and senior Spencer Sterling know this feeling all too well.
With eight practices a week, four in the morning and four at
night, it is no wonder these students have a hard time staying
awake in school.
Sterling, who has committed to Division I swimming at
University of Maryland College Park, says, “Some mornings
I feel like sleeping in and skipping practice, but I go because
I don’t want to let my teammates down.”
Those who have not experienced the life of a competi-
tive swimmer usually have not thought about how big a com-
mitment the sport is. Sacrificing your social life is something
most teenagers would not even consider; however sophomore
Cory Camp chooses his teammates before fun. Says Camp,
“Swimming affects my social life quite a bit, I can’t stay out
too late on Friday nights due to practice the next morning.”
Dedication, flexibility and determination have al-
lowed each of these students to pursue competitive swim-
ming.Though they have their ups and downs with school
sometimes in the way, each of them has found a balance
that works for them.

BCS bowls’ inadequate system leaves out good teams, leads to debates
Junior calls for playoff tournament to make great showdowns possible
x by Lucas Irvin
The Boise State At the end of the season for every
(BSU) Broncos major sport, teams are bracketed and have
a playoff to determine the champion. The
and the Texas only exception to this is Division I-A col-
lege football, which instead has the Bowl
Christian (TCU) Championship Series (BCS).
There are 125 teams in Division I-A
Horned Frogs... and 35 total bowls, so a winning record near
guarantees some postseason game, lead-
are always left ing to such trivial games as the San Diego
County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.
out because The best ten teams are supposed to
make it to a BCS bowl, but since lackluster
of their easy automatic-qualifying conferences (AQ)
still have to send a team to the BCS, this
schedule. rarely happens. This year, an unranked
Connecticut is headed to the BCS, but #9
Michigan State is left out. With this faulty
system, it is almost impossible for a team power to change it are making money from
with a fluke loss or a team who is not in an
AQ conference to make it into the champi-
this system. Coaches, athletic directors and
bowl directors get hefty bonuses whenever
onship game.
Teams such as the Boise State Bron-
postseason rolls around, but at the expense
of the universities.
cos (BSU) and the Texas Christian (TCU)
Horned Frogs, who have both been contend-
According to an NCAA report, 106 of
the 120 schools that play I-A football lost
ers in recent years with undefeated records,
are always left out because of their easy
money in 2009, and Big Ten Commissioner
Jim Delany says an NFL-style football play-
schedule, though they almost always blow
away their competition.
off would generate “three or four times” as
much as the current system.
In 2006, an undefeated Boise State
finished 8th in the BCS standings, but did
As strong as the opposition and
reasoning is for a college football play-
not play the only other undefeated team
left, Ohio State in the championship game.
off, it seems highly unlikely that one will
emerge. People have been trying to get one
A playoff would completely do away with
this problem, giving every team in conten-
ever since BCS buster Boise State beat the
Oklahoma Sooners in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl
tion a shot at the title.
The main reason this is not being
after Oklahoma was expected to embarrass
Boise, proving that teams in weak confer-
changed is that the people who have the ences aren’t necessarily weak themselves.
D8 December 17, 2010 The Blake Beat
Marching band, once largest in county, has shrunk in size after county ruling, p. E2
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Section E Section E James Hubert Blake

Blake High
Beat Fine School
Arts December
17, 2010 December 17, 2010

New York Voices sings alongside Blake jazz ensemble

by Delilah Gates vocalists I have ever heard.” the stage with us.” [had] this opportunity to learn from not the only ones impressed with
x & Lily Hua At various parts through- Before the performance, the musicians I admire so much.” Blake’s musicians by the end of
out the performance, the New jazz ensemble and a cappella sing- In return, the student musi- the night. “My favorite part of
Professional vocal jazz York Voices joined with student ers had a private rehearsal with the cians dazzled the New York Voices the night was hearing the jazz
group the New York Voices, gave musicians to treat the audience to New York Voices, where they were with their skills. Says Ms. Kinhan, band and solo singers,” say au-
back to the musical community collaborated music pieces. “They privy to priceless tips and advice. “[The musicians] are wonderful. dience member senior Delaney
December 3 by performing along- were an amazing group that we “They’re incredibly talented, [yet] They worked hard [and] took in a Cruickshank. “I had no idea my
side Blake’s jazz ensemble and a loved sharing the stage with,” says such real people,” says a cappella lot of information. It shows how classmates were that talented. One
cappella group for a night of musi- jazz ensemble trumpeter Stephen member and soloist Brittany Ham- smart and motivated they are.” day I might even be seeing them
cal entertainment. Bonhag, “and they loved sharing son. “I feel so honored to have The New York Voices were on stage!”
Invited by band director
Brian Damron, the New York
Voices were more than happy to
perform with Blake student musi-
cians. “We love being part of the
educational [process] of young
musicians,” says New York Voices
member Lauren Kinhan. “Passing
on the tradition of jazz and giving
back - that’s an exciting thing for
us to do.”

It was a pure
delight of which
I wouldn’t trade
for the world
Ryan Reynolds
The show opened with pre-
concert entertainment by the jazz
ensemble, student soloists, and a
cappella singers. For the student
soloists it was a unique chance to
perform with a live band behind
them. “When it was time to per-
form we fit together like a jigsaw
puzzle,” says sophomore Ryan
Reynolds. “It was a pure delight
of which I wouldn’t trade for the
world.” Reynolds performed Mi-
chel Bublé’s “Everything.”
During the second half, the
New York Voices took to the stage
and performed several of their
pieces, all of which impressed the
audience. Says soloist and senior
Matias Perez-Ferrero, “The New Drummer Carter Howard (left) and saxophonists Calvin Daniel Louloudes get the crowd going during the New York
York Voices are the most talented Ward, Paul Gregg, Jalen Marshall, Wesley Hunn and Voices performance December 3. --photo by Aron Crews

Junior creates online magazine, Pianist hopes to begin high school

showcases talent, expresses angst in new country on positive note
by Molly Cohen
x & Shannon Wade
Teen Inkst channels angst on the inter-
net. In the age of blogging it only makes sense
that an online magazine like Teen Inkst would
be created. The opinions on the site stray away
from society’s stereotypical viewpoints, often
placed on teenagers.
It is a magazine written by teens for
teens around the county to get noticed for
their photography and writing skills. Teen
Inkst magazine, created by junior Samara Tu
this past July, can be found at http://teenink-
stmagazine.com/.
The magazine gained momentum by
word of mouth. Students from all over Mont-
gomery County as well as Howard County
have gathered together to form the staff of
Teen Inkst. “It feels like we’re [all] a big
gang,” says junior Jenny Chiu. “We all just
come together and write our hearts out.”
Writers send their articles, photographs
and graphics to Tu by e-mail; she then edits
and critiques them to be revised before pub-
lication. Tu advertises by placing posters up
all over the school to encourage students to
contribute their work while simultaneously
improving their writing. “Now I have friends
… getting A’s [in English who used to fail],”
says Tu.
Each issue of Teen Inkst is published
online at the end of every month. There are
nine different sections for people to read de-
pending on what they are interested in. “I like
the fact that the online magazine is public, so
anyone can read it,” says Chiu. This magazine
is made mainly for middle and high school
kids, but adults read it too.
The staff is composed of 15 regular
contributors, but anyone can submit an article
or photo. Articles can be about anything that
the writer deems important. Says Chiu, “I love
fashion, so [writing for Teen Inkst] is a great
way for me to express my feelings for it.” The
latest issue includes beauty tips (called DIYs),
reviews, non-fiction stories, and features about
local stand outs.
Not only does Teen Inkst feature unique
teens, it also provides an opportunity for the
staff to show off too. Says junior Alison Scher,
“I like being able to showcase my talents and
hard work for people to see.”
Anyone daring enough to join Teen
Inkst should go to E163 Mondays at lunch.
Chiu adds, “I think I love being a member
because of the joy I get when a person readss
[my writing] and falls in love with it.”
x by Gillian Spolarich
Bengals are full of young talent, rang-
ing from dancers, actors, and artists to musi-
cians; but none have the story of freshman
piano player David Cao.
Cao, who is originally from Chi-
na, has been playing the piano since
he was three years old. He de-
cided to make the move to the
United States last June and
currently resides with
his uncle’s family. “I
considered coming
here a long time
ago, I was just
preparing,” says
Cao, “I thought the
education here would suit
me better.”
Many of his uncle’s fam-
ily members play the violin and
study at the Peabody Institute in
Baltimore. Cao was lucky enough to
land himself an audition at the Institute
and was accepted for his exceptional piano
playing. He now studies at the Institute once a
week. “The teachers and equipment are really
good,” adds Cao.
Cao, who left behind his sister, parents,
and many friends in China, says, “The biggest
change is family. [My] parents are not with
[me] anymore. It’s kind of hard to accept but
[I] must get over it.” He plans to visit them
for a month in the summer.
The transition from Chinese to
American schooling proved to have
lots of differences. In China,
Cao went to school every day
at seven o’clock and did
not return home until
six. “I think stu-
dents have more
free time to spend
here than China,”
says Cao. “We [had]
like five hours of home-
work every night.”
Cao is fitting in per-
fectly at Blake and is starting to
foster his own interests. He plays the
piano in his musical theater class and
is also in TV production. Cao also proved
his musical skills when he placed second in
the Talent Show. Says Cao, “[Blake] gives
students the stage to show their talents.”
E2 December 17, 2010 The Blake Beat

Winter choral performances spread joy, give audience chills

The Vocal Ensemble Chorus, directed by Sandra Zinkievich, performed in the Song of Seville Overture” were sung by the choir. The upcoming band concert will be
of the Season concert on December 8. Songs such as “The Silver Swan” and “Barber held on December 21 with a Rock and Roll theme. --photo by Cecilia Girolami

Musicians talk about upcoming band concert, excited to play for peers
by Kristen Frese
x & Leah Patterson
Winter brings out the musical tal-
ents of many Bengals, with the Choruses’
concert December 8 and the upcoming
Instrumental Music Winter Pops Concert
Tuesday, many students are ready to show
off their talent.
The choruses’ winter concert De-
cember 8 began at 7:00 pm. The concert,
entitled “Songs of the Season,” showcased
performances by all three choruses - Vocal
Ensemble, A Cappella and Honors Concert
Choir. Says Vocal Ensemble teacher Sandra
Zinkievich, “The most rewarding [part of
the night]… is the look on students faces
when they know they’ve done well.”
The high-energy performance re-
ceived a positive response from teachers,
performers, and audience members. Says
junior McKayla Adam, “I thought overall
it was very well put together, and when I
looked around, the audience was always
smiling.”
The choruses have been preparing the
songs for the concert since the beginning of
the year. The performances included songs
such as “The Silver Swan” and “Barber of
Seville Overture.” The preparation process
can be both difficult and rewarding. Says
Honors Choir member Lizzie Reyes, “It was
difficult sometimes to get us blending with
one another…and perfecting [the sound] to
the best that we can.”
The second band concert of the year
will be held December 21 at 7:30 pm. The
Instrumental Music Winter Pops Concert’s
theme is Rock and Roll and will feature
songs by famous bands such as The Beatles
and Led Zeppelin. “The winter [instrumen-
tal] concert is probably the best one of the
year,” says junior Daniel Louloudes. “All
of the ensembles play and all of the coolest
stuff happens.” Many band members agree
that the songs that will be performed appeal
to people of all ages, so everyone in the
audience will be entertained.
Many students look forward to the
band concerts because they know there are
always surprises involved. Some concerts
have included props such as a fog machine
and last year music teacher Brian Damron
read a poem as his band performed in the
background. Other students simply enjoy
the music played, and the talent showcased
in the events. Says junior Matthew Lip-
shultz, “I really like the drumline perfor-
mance, it’s always something different and
cool to watch.”

Roaring Bengals marching to new beat, now with fewer members

Despite decreased size, band hopes to uphold prestigious reputation
by Leisha Winley
We used x & Larisha Winley
to pride From 160-plus student musicians
down to 80.
ourselves The Roaring Bengals Marching
Band has shrunk drastically in size due to
on being Montgomery County changing marching
band from a requirement to a voluntary
the afterschool activity last year.
“It is sad that we don’t have the
largest largest band in Maryland anymore,” says
music teacher and band director Brian
marching Damron, “but it is refreshing to have only
dedicated musicians in the group.” Since
band the decline in size, the band has been able
to do more elaborate performances and has
in the worked to create a cleaner sound. member of marching band - learning self-
The new size of the band led to
county. some significant changes performance
wise. Says junior Erica Wang, “We defi-
nitely [have to] compete in smaller divi-
Danielle Blocker sions in our competitions, which could go
either badly or favorably for us.” Overall,
however, band members feel the reduction
should help rather than harm the band.
“It’s kind of sad to see the marching
band shrink,” says junior Danielle Blocker.
“We used to pride ourselves on being the
largest marching band in the county.” The
strong commitment to the marching band
which members are expected to uphold
may be the source of its reduction in size.
Students must constantly memorize music
and practice for hours, which repelled
some band members. Those who are part
of the marching band believe that the fee
may also be discouraging for potential
members.
The many advantages of being a
discipline, leadership skills, and gaining a
connection between movement and music
- have appealed to some students. Says
newcomer, junior Grace Plihal, “I have
learned a lot about discipline and restraint
from marching band.”
The band is now split into two I have
separate bands: Silver and Blue. Both the
Silver and Blue bands perform in parades learned
and in the stands during football games.
However, the Silver band’s duties are far a lot
more expanded; they perform at the half
time shows, participate in competitions about
and play at pep rallies.
Every year, the band partakes in the discipline
Burtonsville Day Celebration in Septem-
ber; the Silver Spring Thanksgiving Day and
Parade; the Washington DC St. Patrick’s
Day Parade; the Cherry Blossom Festival restraint
Parade in the spring and the Rockville
Memorial Day Parade in May. On January from
4, the band will perform at the Sugar Bowl
in New Orleans. marching
Says junior Marciana Esteves,
“Even though it’s a lot of work, sweat, band.
and can be frustrating, the marching band
is totally worth it and everyone should
join.” Grace Plihal

Blake’s dancing queens and kings to sashay across stage January 12

x Regina Cameron & Samara Tu
Bring your enthusiasm to the Winter Dance
concert January 12 to see Blake dancers show off their
moves.
The Winter Dance concert will feature students
in Ballet, Contemporary, Tap, and Jazz classes and per-
formances by the Hip Hop club and Dance Company,
choreographed by dance teachers Danielle D’Anna,
Donna Iriarte, and Nicole Houchens, and by students.
Mrs. Iriarte is choreographing a Janet Jackson
mix with her advanced jazz class, along with a modern
dance routine inspired by an Edgar Allen Poe poem. “I
hope [the audience] will see a concert that will give them
goosebumps and a concert that will entertain them,”
says Mrs.Iriarte.
Dancing to R&B, hip hop, and instrumental music,
the Hip Hop club, led by juniors Devon Johnson and
Terah Jones, will showcase a dance about a character
finding true love. “We want to leave them in awe, make
them want to get out of their seats and dance with us,”
says Johnson.
After months of practice, students will have a dress
rehearsal on stage the day before the concert. During
that time, choreographers will decide which lights and
special effects to use. Says Media Services Technician
John Ovington, “There’s lighting required for a dance.
You need lighting to reveal the form of the dancers
and…to reveal the movement.”
The dance concert will not only feature choreo-
graphed pieces, but it will also display lighting that
makes the show spectacular and eye-catching. With the
use of pars, ellipsoidals, and the fog machine, it will be
hard to take your eyes off the stage. Mr. Ovington says,
“When we use the fog machine, we light it low to make
it look like clouds rolling off the stage.”
With the recent budget cuts, the dance department
is struggling to come up with costumes and other neces-
sities; that does not stop the students from performing.
“High school [students] always amaze me,” says Mrs.
Iriarte. “When [they] want to pull it together, they can
do it.”
 The Blake Beat December 17, 2010 E3
REVIEWS FOR YOU Ca n
When you think no one watch as an “intoxicated doc- adult instead of a teenager? As the audience, we are
is watching to step in, step out, tor” tries to leave the bar to go But not everyone sits ashamed by those who d
or step away? perform surgery or as a “crazy quietly watching and ignor- turn a blind eye or stand es

id

t
This is the exact ques- mother” ties her children to ing these sensitive situations. back and watch be-

a
tion the TV show, Primetime: a post outside a store a like Some people act. Whenever cause we ourselves

By Delilah G
a
What Would You Do, asks. dog. a passer-by stops a “drunken have been there.
By performing the same person” from getting in a car; But when a per-

m
The premise is simple: actors
portray a troubling scene in skits with actors of different or scolds a “racist cashier” son stands up for

e
public, while hidden cameras races, genders, clothing-styles who refuses to serve a Muslim, the underdog

r
watch to see how the unsus- and ages, the show brings out Jew or Latino, we revel in the we are inspired

pecting bystanders react to
the ethical dilemmas. But the
results are amazing.
The show, which cur-
rently airs 9pm Fridays on
ABC, highlights human ten-
dency towards inaction. You
as catch
the sad truth about stereotypes morality and brevity of our to be more than
in our society. Did you know fellow man. Should such a an inactive by-
that people are less likely to situation arise in my presence, stander. So I
intervene when “destructive I will choose to be more than don’t know
teens” are defacing a stranger’s an inactive bystander while what you do on
car if the teens are white in- others suffer. Friday nights,
stead of black; or when an “ag- The show is raw because but if I were you

ao
f ethical absen
would be appalled by how gressive guy” is abusing his its sole purpose is to observe I’d be watching this

ce
er
many people would simply girlfriend in public if he is an the actions of real people. show.

Mons Kanye West, in his
er t newest musical install-
ment, My Beautiful Dark
Twisted Fantasy, does
everything right.
g
is z
Swift lovers alike that
he’s the same West we
used to appreciate.
In an effort to avoid
an unintentional leak,
it is: a
hip-hop album. Songs
like “Monster” and “So
Appalled” feature well-
known artists like Jay-Z
preciated about
West’s previous album,
but he sticks to rapping
and leaves the sing-
ing up to John Legend.

Everywhere he West released a song and Rick Ross as well The best part, though,
n
e

went wrong in every Friday prior to as up-and-coming art- features the wildly hi-
i
d

By Damon K

his excessively the release of his album, ists like Nicki Minaj and larious Chris Rock. It’s
synthesized birthing what fans grew Pusha-T that lend the two minutes of Rock
a

and overly to know as G.O.O.D. album a well-rounded ranting and raving about
lbum runs aw

emotional Friday. Because of this, line up. Backing up the one of West’s old girls,
album, 808’s most of the tracks I had wide array of featured with her laconically re-
and Heart- already heard before. artists is the interestingly sponding, “Yeezy taught
break, has Nonetheless, his album consistent, yet distinc- me.”
been righted was still worth buying; tively different beats I say the album is
here. He’s Kanye added outros, featured on each song. a must-buy for anyone
capitalized samples and, in some Ranging from the simply who appreciates music.
on every- cases, whole new bars layered, “Runaway”, to It’s also definitely worth
thing he does to certain songs to make the multi-layered, “Lost going deluxe if you’re
best, yielding them different from their In This World”. Each buying from iTunes; the
an album remi- released versions. song has its own specific deluxe version features
niscent of his Late We s t ’s h i g h l y mood and concept. his critically acclaimed
wit
t
ay

e
ar

Registration days memorable kick-off My personal fa- visual album/movie,

h au h with a newer Yeezy single, “Power,” estab- vorite on the album Runaway.

diophile’s
flare. He’s proving to lishes My Beautiful Dark is “Blame Game”. It If you haven’t al-
all his critics and Taylor Twisted Fantasy for what combines aspects I ap- ready, go buy it.

Let’s get one thing straight: I love
Nicki Minaj. Unfortunately, her debut
album Pink Friday just didn’t sit right
with me.
lads. Nicki does not meant about this Tee
to be singing ballads. Although “Save song. Rihanna’s vocals on each
Me” is easy for anyone to relate to, the chorus definitely help to
n
song is not anything like we’re used to make this song a close
sa

After “Mixtape Nicki” and verses hearing from Nicki, and is easy for any second to “Blazin’”.
on such songs as Kanye West’s “Mon- fan to skip upon listening to the first All in all, I
ys

By Sam Glatt
ster”, I was expecting a much fiercer verse. definitely have to
and intense rap album. What we got There is one song on this al- say that this debut
“

was a couple of good rap jams, and bum that I can definitely classify as my album is only
S

then a majority of songs in which she favorite. Nicki has a duet with Kanye okay. I love
a

tries to sing. Let me stress try. West entitled “Blazin’” and it is by far some songs and
ve me” f

The only songs on par to those the stand out track on the album. It has I completely
from her mixtape days are the smash the perfect blend of Kanye’s perfect hate others.
hits “Roman’s Revenge” featuring rhymes and Nicki’s new style of rap. It I personally
Eminem and her solo song “Did It definitely isn’t as intense as “Roman’s think that Nicki
On ‘Em”. Besides these songs, Nicki Revenge”, but it doesn’t drag on slowly should stick to
goes back and forth between attempts like “Last Chance”. being featured
to show off some amount of vocal The song I was most looking in other people’s
talent and a few somewhat successful forward to definitely met my expec- songs. A solo ca-
ro

attempts at slower songs. tations. Nicki’s collaboration with reer may not be
Songs such as “Save Me” and Rihanna entitled “Fly” is definitely the best idea for her;
“B u
m

“Last Chance” (which features Natasha

Bedingfield, who is extremely out of
place on this album) are basically bal-
one of my favorites on the album. Even
though it is slower, Nicki raps instead
of sings, which is what I love most
features and collabo-
rations are definitely her
strengths. la zin’” bad al b
Movi The much-hyped release of obvious lack of depth to the storyline: screw finally comes around
eb The Tourist, filled with excite- not only was it redundant, for most of in the last five minutes of the movie,
ment over the pairing of two of the movie, it was totally predictable. all the fluff and froth has diminished
r Hollywood’s most attractive I found myself caught up in admiring the attention spans of the audience,
stars, and packed with ex- Angelina Jolie’s wardrobe choices, and the blow is irreparably dulled. We
h
in

citing commercials was rather than gasping at the explosions are, indeed, more interested in Jolie’s
a
g

only just that- hype. and suspense that should have been, perfectly coiffed up-do than the secret
Sh
s

Needless to say, we all but were not. For once, it is painfully identity of the film’s mystery man, Al-
enjoyed the movie- apparent that she is, in fact, acting in exander Pierce. As the couple rides off
o

B y Is ak

it was cute and at a rather two-dimensional movie, as a in to the Venetian sunset, the signature
n

times funny and rather two-dimensional character. The enigmatic smile on Jolie’s lips, the audi-
even suspense- lack of believability is only made worse ence is left feeling somewhat cheated
bad trip,

ful at a couple by a needling awkwardness in her inter- of ten dollars.

points- but it was actions with Depp that runs throughout It’s certainly a movie worth
nowhere near the the course of the entire film. seeing, but only for free, and in the
must-see I thought Elise, as a character is a com- comfort of one’s own home while
it would be. plete opposite to Depp’s Frank- en scrolling through the movie channels
Angelina Jo- mode, where he is underdressed, on a boring Saturday night. The Tour-
lie was ravishing, eloquent while he is at best, a king of ist is in no way, the page-turner it was
complete with her malapropism. The schism in chemistry cut out to be by the high-pace, intense

ya
onl

effortless air of mys- is less than thrilling, and even the com- commercials. With a measly 2 1/2 stars
s

t tery as the femme fatale, out of 5, I doubt this movie will be

ar

bined talent of the actors, the beauty of

nch s Elise. Her pairing with the renowned as a riveting performance

ored by big
dashing Johnny Depp could
have been absolutely first-rate.
The only problem was a painfully
the set and wardrobe, and the renown of
the director couldn’t bump the second- by Depp or Jolie, and I’m sure fans of
rate storyline up to first. both await the next breakout role with
By the time the turn of the bated breath.
E4 December 17, 2010 The Blake Beat