Morning announcements come on and the host tells you to stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance—what do you do? Do you stand and recite the familiar oath, or do you sit and follow an oath of your own?

While some students and staff promote the recital of the national promise, others are not as passionate.

“[The Pledge] shows consideration for the country and is a sign of awareness that there are a lot of benefits of being part of this country,” says science teacher Thomas Bryant. Mr. Bryant con-siders himself an “appreciative [and] somewhat hopeful” American, and expects his students to stand up for the Pledge every day.

Other educators, like social studies teacher Mary Wagner, support the Pledge but do not feel all students need to take part in the patriotic tradi-tion. “I don’t require anyone to say the Pledge in my class,” says Mrs. Wagner. “I require that people be quiet if they don’t want to say it, so that people who do want to say it, can.”

Although Mrs. Wagner does not obligate her students to say the Pledge, she believes it is the respectful act to partake in. Adds Mrs. Wagner, “I think, as citizens of this country, we do owe our loyalty to the United States…it is appropriate to express that patriotism and that loyalty.”

Junior Fatou Yatassaye, ambivalent to reciting the Pledge, understands both sides of

the issue, but is not passionate about partaking in the oath. Says Yatassaye, “I personally don’t stand for the Pledge not because I don’t respect America, but because I have different ways of showing respect for this country.”

Also irresolute about standing for the Pledge is junior Tanner Williams who agrees with Yatassaye. Williams says, “Some people don’t stand for the Pledge because they feel that they don’t have to publicly express their support for their country.”

Social studies teacher Scott Menden-hall participates in the Pledge every day and prefers his students to do the same, but does not require it of them. Mr. Mendenhall believes that the allegiance to our country is directly tied to our education. “We’re receiving a free public education,” says Mr. Mendenhall. “The Pledge of Allegiance is just an acknowledgment of that.”

Social studies teacher Emily Morales also feels the Pledge is not essential in order to prove your loyalty to your country. “It’s not really nec-essary to be a good citizen.” Ms. Morales says. “I think it’s possible to be a good patriot [by] doing other things that are more important like voting, paying attention to politics, or making sure your opinion in heard.”

Regardless of whether or not students believe in the recitation of the Pledge, thanks to Supreme Court case West Virginia v. Barnette, no one is required to. Says Ms. Morales, “It’s your own choice if you want to pledge your allegiance.”

Section C James Hubert Blake High School December 14, 2012

Students spend spare time horsing around at Reddemeade Equestrian Center, p. C7

Junior with autistic brothers challenges social norms Identical Parsons triplets have difficulty reading interpersonal cues

If one younger sibling seems like a handful, think again—junior Matt Parsons has learned to live with his autistic identical triplet brothers, who have taught Parsons to challenge social norms.

The triplets, Michael, Stephen, and Timothy, are currently in seventh grade at Gaithersburg Middle School. They were diagnosed with generic high functioning autism at the age of two.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in 88 American children falls somewhere on the autism scale. “Basically they don’t get

the unspoken rules of society as a whole,” Parsons says.Autismspeaks.org states, “Many of those on the autism spectrum have

exceptional abilities in visual skills, music and academic skills. About 40 percent have average to above average intellectual abilities.” The Parson

triplets are among the gifted percentage.“It’s kind of embarrassing when your seventh grade brother scores

higher than you in math,” says Parsons. “[My brothers] are wicked smart, but they don’t understand social interactions—what is socially acceptable and what is not socially acceptable.”

Living with his brothers alters the Parsons’ family life. “The house is a mess,” says Parsons. “Other than that, it’s stressful, we don’t go as many places, [and] we don’t have as many people over.” However, the challenges of his brothers’ autism also forge tight bonds within Matt’s circle of close friends. “We know that we can count on them, and [they will] understand everything,” he adds.

Parsons, who took on the responsibility of Master Carpenter in the recent production of Legally Blonde, finds solace from his hectic home life within the school. “Blake Backstage has really helped me get away from all the stress,” he says. “Just focusing

on a task really helps.”Parsons says, “Honestly, I think that society has some [questionable] rules.” For example, some may find it unusual if a boy spontaneously started conversation

with them on the street. “My brother [speaks] quite en-thusiastically with complete strangers everywhere...people give him the strangest looks,” he adds.

Despite the stress autistic brothers can add to his life, Parsons also shares a lot of fun times with the triplets. “Oh, most of the time is a good time,” Parsons says. “Stephen says the funniest things…

He made me laugh three times just this morning when I was trying to get him out of bed. It’s tiny little

quirky things.”

by Janine Taira & Sami Wrightx(Left to right) Triplets Michael, Timothy, and Stephen Parsons pile onto the couch and put on their biggest smiles for the camera. --Photos by Sami Wright

Matthew P a r s o n s ( p i c t u r e d right) takes on the responsibility of watching his brothers at home.

I pledge allegiance to the flag...umm...what are the words again?

by Ann Cirincione& Maryam Outlawx

Nowadays, many students will opt to stay sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance, not always due to religious objections. --Photo by Becca Schwartz

Junior

December 14, 2012 The Blake BeatC2Twin takeover: multiples multiply in sophomore class

Holiday season can be hectic with many celebrationsChristmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa each provide something special

Imagine being able to receive eight nights of presents only to expect more from Santa the following week, or cel-ebrate the African American culture all while opening presents under the Christmas tree.

As the holiday season is arriving, Blake students are celebrating a holiday or in some cases, two holidays with their families. Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are all festive holidays cel-ebrated around the same time during the winter. Typically celebrated by Christians, Christmas is a holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Hanukkah a Jewish celebration that lasts eight nights, with every night at sundown a candle is light on the Menorah. Kwanzaa is a relatively recent holiday typically celebrated by ethnic groups that reside within Africa. Kwanzaa is a seven night celebration where, similar to Hanukkah, seven

candles are lit each standing for a principle; Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, and is therefore often celebrated alongside Christmas. Sophomore Darien Waters celebrates both Christmas and Kwanzaa with his family. “I really like the time I get to spend with my family,” says Waters.

“We have a really big dinner for Christmas and do our nightly celebrations of lighting the candles and talk about our culture for Kwanzaa”. Senior Julia Dennis enjoys that the gifts she receives for Kwanzaa are more meaningful because they are

handmade, “My mom knitted me a scarf and made me a bag to match it, and I usually make her a candle,” says Dennis. Decorations around the house for Waters and Dennis usually include the traditional Christmas tree and the seven branched Kinara. “We also have the dried corn representing the youth and children, mats, and the Kwanzaa books,” adds Dennis.

Those who celebrate Chrismukkah (a fusion of Christ-mas and Hanukkah) have more to celebrate than an abundance

of presents. “The celebration lasts a lot longer with two holidays so it’s a lot more time spending with family,” says sophomore Thomas Plihal. Freshman Jack Tempchin enjoys celebrating both holidays because of the bonds they cre-ates within his family. “We laugh during

Hanukkah because we don’t really know what we’re doing,” says Tempchin. Plihal’s sister, alumna Grace Plihal is a rare individual who celebrates the Chrismukkah with her family and the Kwanzaa with her friends.

by Zema Meseretux

In a world with a population of a little over seven billion people, only about 1% of those people can call themselves twins. However, in the sophomore class of about 450 there are 26 students who sport that title proudly.

“My favorite thing about being a twin would probably be the fact that you have a best friend for life,” says Darien Walker. “Whether we argue or not we’ll always still love each other.” Walker and

sister Alexis, along with Chloe and Julian Martin-Poteet, Nathan and Naysa Peake, Nahom and Naomi Fesseha and Vanessa and Vaness Akroti, make up the five sets of boy-girl twins, a feat even more uncommon than just being a twin.

Says Chloe Martin-Poteet, “My favorite thing about being a twin is always having someone that knows you always with you. I also really like having a brother as a twin because if Julian was a girl I don’t think it would be nearly as fun.”

However, even though they have all had a partner to share every moment of

their lives with, the sophomore twins agree that being a twin is not always a walk in the park. “My least favorite thing would be all the fighting that happens,” adds Chloe. “It’s not like we fight all the time, it’s just when we do, we get really mad at each other really fast.”

Even though all of these twins share a birthday’s, age differences, however slight they may be, still play part in their dai-ly lives. “My sister’s older and [she reminds me] all the time,” Says Sophia Steadman. “We’ll be sitting down and she’ll tell me to go get something for her and I’ll say no but

then she says well I’m the oldest so do it.” While the twins have been together

their whole life, most realize that one day that will have to separate from one another. Even so, being a twin will always be part of who they are and they will carry it with them their whole life. Says Katie Delaney about her sister Maggie, “I think being a twin will affect me later in life because there will be times when I’ll miss her and I’ll want to talk to her but we may be miles from one another. But no matter how far we are from each other I’ll always secretly love her, no matter how annoying she may be.”

by John Beers& Jenna Beers x

First row (left to right): Alexa Steadman, Sophia Steadman, Samantha Steel, Sydney Steel (not pictured), Janelle McLaughlin, Ashley McLaughlin, Jolin Huleis, Jina Huleis. Second row (left to right): Allysa Mulrain, Melissa Mulrain, Julian Martin-Poteet, Chloe Martin-Poteet, Naomi Fesseha, Nahom Fesseha, Stephen Farrell, Paul Farrell. Third row (left to right): Nathan Peake, Naysa Peake, Katie Delaney, Maggie Delaney, Joshua Oxley, Joseph Oxley, Alexis Walker, Darien Walker, Vanessa Akrofi, Vaness Akrofi. Inset: Brandon Walker and Duncan Walker were both born November 21, 1995. They are, however, not twins. --Photos by John Kos

Blake students are celebrating a holiday or, in some cases, two.

December 14, 2012 The Blake Beat C3Club brings together teens who share common interestsYoung Life mixes things up, is alternative to social networking norms

Many students struggle in high school trying to find a group where they feel welcomed and comfortable. However, their search could very well be over the first time they attend Young Life.

Young Life is a Christian social group who aims to provide students with a safe and fun environment where they can interact and share in unique social experiences. “It’s just bringing together a group of kids who kind of have the same values and who want to spend their time doing the same sort of things,” says senior Lydia Curdts. “It’s just a really great chance for kids to get out on Monday night, have a lot of fun, and meet people they would never get to meet otherwise.”

Every Monday, the meetings, which are called clubs, have a different theme. Many of the themes are related to the time of year. Some of the past activities have included

Turkey Bowling around Thanksgiving, watching Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Christmas time and making gingerbread houses during the holidays. Adds Curdts, “Every one that is themed is really great because it relates to the season and it kind of relates to what’s going on in your life and it’s a fun chance to play games.”

While the main focus of the group is the social as-pect and bringing teens together, it does have a Christian message behind it. “Young life helps people hear about God and Jesus in a fun environment so they understand it better,” says junior Kristina Mckenna. “Younglife means a whole lot to me because I have been going for about 4 years. Most importantly it helped me find my relationship with Christ.”

However, even though there is a Christian message behind what the group does, it is welcome to Christians and non-Christians alike. While the group incorporates Bible lessons into their meetings, the members do not consider

themselves part of a youth group. “A lot of people think Young Life is some strict Christian organization, similar to a ‘youth group.’ This is not the case,” says junior Kevin Wright. “It is simply a place for people to come and really think about their lives.’

Says senior Rosie Meile, “It’s open to people who aren’t Christians too; it’s supposed to be a comfortable place for people who aren’t Christians also.’

For those people who still may be skeptical about joining Young Life, its members assure you there is nothing to be afraid of. “Through your doubts you think that you don’t know anyone and you think it’s going to be awkward your first time, [but] people are so friendly,” says Curdts.

The organization meets Monday nights at 7:37 pm. If you are interested in checking it out, contact one of the members mentioned in this story. Adds Mckenna “Young life is the best organization at Blake because everyone is invited and it is tons of fun.”

Lesser-known cultural celebration combines tradition, African cultureKwanzaa provides pleasant change in commercialized holiday season

Holidays are a time for celebrating

individual beliefs, and some Blake high school students are celebrating a very excit-ing holiday: Kwanzaa.

“Kwanzaa was a way I could reconnect with my roots. It was a way for my family to come together and honor my heritage,” says sophomore Elana Harris. Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration, from December 26 to January 1, which honors African heritage. The holiday is mainly celebrated in the United States, Canada, and Africa; however, other countries such as, Brazil celebrate Kwanzaa as well. Kwanzaa was intentionally supposed to be an alternative to Christmas. But over the years, those who celebrate Kwanzaa have also celebrated Christmas.

There are 7 days in Kwanzaa: Umoja -Unity, Kujichagulia-Self Dertemination, Ujima-Responsibility and Collective Work, Ujamaa- Cooperative Economics, Nia- Pur-pose, Kuumba-creativity, and Imani- Faith. The words are Swahili. Along with the seven days they are six candles to go with the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

“My favorite part was when we lit the kinara,” says Harris. The kinara holds the candles. Each candle represents the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The black center candle represents the African race, the red candles symbolize the blood, and the green candles represent the African homeland.

Harris explains, “Each night we lit a candle and as a family we discussed the principle of the night and said what it meant to us.”

Kwanzaa has traditional attire, which the people involved in the ceremony wear. Harris says, “I would wear an outfit made out of kente cloth, or mud cloth.” Celebrants wear traditional clothing made out of tra-ditional African patterns and fabrics. The colors are often earth tones that are reflective of the homeland, such as green and red.

Just like most popular holidays such as Christmas and Hanukah, gift giving is also a part of the celebration. Harris opted out of buying gifts and instead made jewelry for her family to wear. “They never wore it but they always said, “Thanks,” says Harris.

“My mother once knitted me a scarf and made me a candle,” says Dennis. The gift giving is a great part of the holiday for Dennis, and she looks forward to it. Dennis loves celebrating Kwanzaa because it is more than just giving gifts; it is about embracing your roots.

Harris often misses the essence of the Kwanzaa celebration. “Sometimes I miss celebrating Kwanzaa. I thought it was cool how we celebrated a holiday that nobody else did.”

Kwanzaa brings a cultural message which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense. For these Blake high school students, Kwan-zaa is a holiday in which they connect with their ancestrial roots.

by John Beers & Aliya Deanx

Julia Dennis

I thought it was cool how we celebrated a holiday that nobody else

did.

by Dorian Purse & Chante Godgerx

December 14, 2012 The Blake BeatC6

by Ann Cirincione& Jacqueline Hymanx

11

Bengals hold tight to their horses, enjoy rides, jumpsStudents are experts in all things equestrian, have exciting excursions

It may seem that sports such as soccer, football, and basketball are the only ones that the student population participates in, but that is not the case.

Horseback riding is quite popular among Blake students, and our equestri-ans love what they do.

Thanks to many students’ interest in equestrian riding, multiple barns are represented schooolwide. Junior Daphne O’Grady has been riding at Reddemeade Equestrian Center for nine years. “My favorite part about riding is spending time with all the horses at the barn,” says O’Grady. “Every horse is unique and I love them all!”

O’Grady is a working student at Reddemeade, spending part of her time training other students and taking care of the horses. Says O’Grady, “It’s nice to see the business side of things at the barn, and I want to get more involved beyond just riding.” She adds, “You get to spend more time with the horses too.”

Senior Anna Steinfeld also rides and works at Reddemeade. Says Stein-feld, “I like the independence I have where this is my sport and I can ride and spend as much time working as I want.” Steinfeld has ridden at Reddemeade for five years out of nine. She adds, “I chose [Reddemeade] because I liked the different opportunities like the working student program.”

Junior Allie Hadyka has been rid-ing since she was three, originally at The Barrie School. She has now been at Oatland Stables for four years. “Riding has always been very comforting to me,” says Hadyka. “If I ever have a bad day, I can always just head out to the barn and it always makes me feel better.”

Also passionate about horseback riding is senior Emily Greitzer, who has been at Trinity Horse Farm for five years. “I think the fact that you are working with an animal is what really appeals to me,” says Greitzer. “The bond between horse and rider is really cool.” Greitzer was especially attracted to Trinity be-cause of their specialty in Eventing and Dressage, which is what she is most interested in.

Greitzer also owns her own horse at Trinity, and spends over an hour tak-ing care of him every day. “For me, it’s definitely more of a lifestyle than a hobby,” says Greitzer. “I always con-sider my horse…when I make decisions about my time and future. My horse is my best friend and I love spending time with him.”

These students may not ride at the same barn, but they all share a love of the sport. Says O’Grady, “[Riding] is awe-some and a great way to spend your time. It’s really rewarding learning to ride and taking care of horses. Reddemeade has truly become my second home and I absolutely love it there.” Junior Daphne O’Grady takes horse Sunny over a jump.

--Photos by Sami Wright

Advanced Placement classes have become a staple for many students in recent years, but as they become more common, the enthusiasm level to take them, and, more importantly, to take the May exams, has seriously decreased.

There are many reasons why students, especially seniors, who have already applied to colleges, are pon-dering whether or not taking the exam is actually worth it. One of the greatest concerns is the price that seems to increase every year, despite the “deal” College Board tries to sell, making the price of testing drop per exam if a student signs up for more tests. Senior Emily Greitzer has a few reasons why she doesn’t want to take her AP Calculus exam this year. “It is pointless to pay 89 dollars for an exam that I’m going to fail anyway,” Greitzer says. “I will probably have to take math in college anyway.” All of the money she should save with her AP exam score would only end up being added on to the price of the class in college.

For others, they are taking some AP classes out of sheer interest in the content of the class, not with the desire or intent to earn the equivalent college credit. “I don’t feel like [AP Art History] is going to get me out of any college classes,” says senior Touré Burgess. With a second more of thought, Burgess adds, “If it does, the class will probably be an elective, and I don’t want to get out of those.”

The same applies to senior Summer Bates*. For Bates, she says she simply wanted to expand her knowl-edge about European History.

Studying for AP exams, however, is something she does have a lot of experience in, and not much excitement about. “[Studying] seems like too much work,” Bates says. “I don’t actually need the college credit.”

Senior Rachel Gist made the decision not take an AP exam as a junior. Gist says, “I didn’t want to take the test because I wasn’t confident that I would score a four or five, which was what most colleges wanted. I didn’t want to risk wasting any money.” Even though she had known she didn’t want to take the exam for fear of not doing well, Gist took her time making such an important decision. “I decided not to take the exam during the exam registration closing period,” Gist adds. “[I] probably finalized [the decision] the day before.” Although Gist chose not to take one of her exams, she did take three others.

Taking the AP exams is a rewarding hurdle that is possible to overcome, but there are various reasons why many students are not attracted to them. Gist advises others to “try [their] hardest to excel. The test is a nice amount of money—[no one] wants to waste it.”

December 14, 2012 The Blake Beat C7

by Paul Choi& Angelica Grantx

Ask.Fm stirs controversy and hilarity among studentsAnonymous questions asked about students’ sexual preferences

“Have you ever felt the touch of a chu-pacabra?” “Do you consider yourself a bendy straw or a bottle of shampoo?” “Do you need some Listerine? CUZ YO BREATH STANK!” These are just some of the ridiculous ques-tions that have been asked on the notorious Ask.Fm.

Ask.Fm is a social interest website that allows users set up a page where people can ask questions anonymously. An Ask.Fm ac-count is not necessary to submit a question. It became popular among students in October, when users began to link their questions to Twitter. Says senior Laura Smethurst, “You can answer questions that people are scared to ask you to your face, and you can find out a lot more about other people that use it.”

Students found the website entertaining

and amusing, as some questions were fun and innocuous. It was obvious that askers wanted attention and tried to be funny. Says senior Jane Hwang, “The questions were funny because they asked some pretty crazy things. They made me feel curious because I would always wonder who’s asking me these questions.”

Says Senior Danielle Snowden, “The questions that amused me the most were the ones asking me about a relationship that I had no clue that I was involved in!” Snowden’s hundreds of followers on Twitter saw the ques-tions, and a witch hunt for the inquirer ensued. Says Snowden, “I thought the whole thing was hilarious. I didn’t really take the things they said seriously.”

Students began to feel uncomfortable when questions became increasingly raunchy and vulgar. Sex became a very prevalent topic among the questions and comments.

There was a myriad of questions about which teacher a student would prefer to sleep with. Says Snowden, “I felt uncomfortable with the questions that asked me which teachers I would date; that definitely grossed me out.”

The factor of anonymity began to take a turn for the worse, as people began to use Ask.Fm as a channel for cyber-bullying and harassment. Questions and comments became increasingly spiteful, insulting and bitter. Says Smethurst, “[It] sucks that you’re wasting your time trying to hurt my feelings, or you need to find more ways to spend time if you spend your time saying gross things to people.”

Ask.Fm reached its peak of popular-ity among Blake students in autumn and has since faded into obscurity. However, the hilar-ity and controversy that Ask.Fm caused will likely remain in the memories of students for a while.

You can answer questionspeople are scared to ask.Laura Smethurst

Advanced Placement classes: Worth it?Seniors question if AP classes and test are waste of time

Junior shares experiences with world travel, living, studying in Germany, Japan, America

Junior Christian Piñeiro has lived on three different continents as a result of his father’s employment in the United States Air Force, stationing him in different places every three years.

In contrast with America, Germany provided Pi-ñeiro with a different perspective on his environment. “Germany is stricter when it comes to education but they cater a more relaxing environment to their people,” says Piñeiro. “School days start later and are shorter compared to Maryland and to me, it’s much more peaceful.”

Piñeiro has become an active participant in the school, taking part in the National Honors Society and Marching Band, where he plays the clarinet, along with in-volvement in rigorous academic classes. “I especially enjoy [AP United States History] and Band,” says Piñeiro.

Piñeiro has discovered positive and negative aspects of the United States while living in Maryland. “America is awesome,” says Piñeiro. “I enjoy the many amenities [that]

Maryland offers such as shopping malls and museums, but my least favorite thing is the lack of control and order some places have.”

Overall Piñeiro has found his high school experience in America enjoyable. He says, “[I enjoy] the many class options and the enthusiasm of the teachers.”

Piñeiro lived in Germany and Japan before coming back to the United States. Piñeiro was born in the United States and lived here two separate times. Piñeiro spent his time from ages five to seven in Japan and in Germany from ages 11 through 15. Ethnically Puerto Rican, Piñeiro was born in San Antonio, Texas.

Schooling in Asia was another learning opportunity for Piñeiro. “Japan was also an amazing experience,” says Piñeiro. “The politeness of its people and its breathtaking architectural palaces were truly wonderful.”

Piñeiro hopes to return to visit Germany in the future during the summer, or after high school graduation. “I would love to go back to Europe and visit, [especially] Ger-many, but not anytime soon unfortunately,” says Piñeiro.

by Paul Choi & Emma Friedman x

by Emily Tchai & Aryn Frazierx

I don’t feel like AP Art History is going to get me out of any

college classes.Touré BurgessJunior Christian Piñiero lived in Germany and Japan before coming to the United States.

Each country provided him with unique experiences and new perspective. --Photo by Sami Wright

December 14, 2012 The Blake BeatC8Happy Holidays Blake!------------------------------Mrs. Downey is the bomb.com------------------------------Sooo sad Youth Group is ending ------------------------------I JUST WANTED TO BE ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE--FIONA MOLLOY------------------------------Peter Chu likes cookie, unicorns, and McDonald fat girls.------------------------------ DIVE IN------------------------------tryna get that half-day schedule-----------------------------Jamil’s fro >>>------------------------------REAL LIFE< FAKE LIFE------------------------------CAFE RIO. Enough said.------------------------------You can’t go to Cafe Rio and not get pulled pork.------------------------------YOLO------------------------Sit down. stand up. pass out.-----------------------------I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22! #taylorswift------------------------------Aye Aye ------------------------------Dearest Minjee, You melt my heart like a flame melts the wax of a candle.------------------------------ Pumpkin spice latte B’s fo life------------------------------Ryan Choe is a psycho maniac tame that sekkhi------------------------------I like to have fun but I don’t play games------------------------------ why is your butt so big, its like an elephant------------------------------ im sorry that everyone is so jealous of me, but i cant help that im popular------------------------------Paste up? Ain’t nobody got time fo dat------------------------------Yearbook can’t sit with us.------------------------------its not the size of the boat that matters, its the motion of the ocean------------------------------wow youre so strong, youre like a dragon------------------------------ Peter Chu is based. Eat you raw. Tiolet bums. Corn------------------------------Allysa Thao is pretty - Peter Chu------------------------------Can you not------------------------------Squidward, you do like crabby pattys...------------------------------I love Mr. Loun ------------------------------Zach is pretty------------------------------You go Glen Coco! four for you glen coco! None for Gretchen Weiners. Bye!------------------------------I beez in da trap, aka C hallway ------------------------------Zach loves andrea on da low, sorry dunkin lions ------------------------------Hi, I’m Paul!------------------------------Andrea Ortiz bought army pants and flip-flops, so I bought army pants and flip-flops.------------------------------Dorian is hip. ------------------------------Get da wattah! ------------------------------BRENNA NOONE IS THE BEST \BAKER IN THE WORLD------------------------------Thats why her weave is so big--it’s full of secrets------------------------------ She doesn’t even go here!------------------------------

Raise your hand if you have been victimized by Dorian.*everyone raises hand*------------------------------ Jamil. ------------------------------I wanna be loved by Nicole Lertora ------------------------------ Bubble Tea ------------------------------ Deer park Girls, sike #TeamDasani------------------------------ I dont think my father, the inventorof toaster strudel, will be too pleased about this ------------------------------Screw the Big10------------------------------ Ryan loves Jane on the low, West Virginia Style ------------------------------ Jane Hwang is not a CG shes a Soju Geejeebae ------------------------------ Dub step - Tanner Williams ------------------------------Yearbook can’t sit with us.------------------------------ How to Survive at Blake- ------------------------------ Just, don’t. ------------------------------ I like food. ------------------------------ My family had two turkeys for Thanks giving.------------------------------ Go big or go home. ------------------------------Frank Krach is like a dragon------------------------------ I’d climb a mountain ------------------------------ I can always tell when dinosaursin movies are real or not ------------------------------ Girl bye------------------------------ SWERVE ------------------------------ Things I can’t. ------------------------------Buy bracelets for the philipines andfor blake music ------------------------------My stomach is still rumbling for bread-bowl pasta.------------------------------Vote Tate Stevens for the X factor-----------------------------if Lisa wins Survivor, i will flush myself down the toilet ------------------------------Vote 5th Harmony #XFactor---------------------------- I would go undergound - into hiding.-----------------------------Zema and Kendra, Question 6------------------------------Yvonne? thats a french name!Can i have yo numba?------------------------------Lord, I went up to get a coldpop. It smelt like a barbeque. I said “Lord Jesus! It’s a fiyah!” I got bronchitis.------------------------------ Is Jelena still a thing?------------------------------Word of the Day: Thern ------------------------------BURN BOOK------------------------------ I like bubble baths. ------------------------------ Boy bye.

What’s going on.------------------------------My ambition in life is to dominate the world------------------------------We shall overcome!------------------------------Buddy the elf, whats your favorite color?------------------------------Aliya Dean. Yes. ------------------------------It smells like Chinese food. ------------------------------Don’t forget to buy you yearbook!------------------------------Paste up Mondays ------------------------------I hide all of my snacks in my closet*shrugs*------------------------------Panera Bread didnt hire me. Whateverthey’re just jealous.------------------------------ Snapchat is live------------------------------Those first and last 10 minutes of class when you’re not allowed to go to the bathroom #no ------------------------------I could never eat lobster, its like alive when you kill it ------------------------------Lights, camera, action! ------------------------------Carolyn Worden is da baddest ------------------------------Pho Pho Pho------------------------------What even------------------------------ #Swag------------------------------ I want to go home.------------------------------Steven Vo loves pho------------------------------Carolyn Worden loves Mr. Eising <3------------------------------Chinese food #yes------------------------------The camera adds 10 pounds! - how manycameras were exactly on you?------------------------------ breadbowl pasta------------------------------ #TheStruggle------------------------------ #CollegeBound------------------------------ Class of ‘13------------------------------ I’m having trouble choosing these swatches.------------------------------ The hills are alive, with the sound of music------------------------------ Mr. Keegan >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>------------------------------Samantha Duong makes sweaters------------------------------------------ What’s a nosey pepper’s favorite thing to do? Get jalapeño business! --lovemily<33------------------------------ Why did the Little Mermaid wear C shells? Because she couldn’t fit the D shells. ------------------------------ What’s Forest Gump’s password? 1forrest1 ------------------------------ Why don’t seagulls fly over the Bay? Be-cause then they’d be called BAgels ------------------------------What’s “Hannah” spelled backwards?

HANNAH------------------------------What’s “racecar” spelled backwards? RACECAR------------------------------Halle Berry ------------------------------ Girla ------------------------------Go support the Blake Varsity Cheerleading team @Blair tommorrow.------------------------------HAPPY BIRTHDAY DORIAN!-love your ethiop------------------------------#NotGettingIntoCollege------------------------------Starbucks is where it’s at. ------------------------------This is censored------------------------------Alright alright alright - you gon learn today #KevinHart------------------------------I love Becca Schwartz------------------------------Aliya has long eyelashes. They’re pretty.------------------------------I will marry Aliya - Jamil------------------------------I will marry Jamil - Aliya ------------------------------ Buy Donuts and Coffee from We The People to send us to nationals!------------------------------Donuts and Coffee on sale every morning for just $1. ------------------------------Michael Ealy loves me! He said so...------------------------------ya face looks like some *inserts poop emoji here* ------------------------------Gardening Tool------------------------------Are you from Oklahoma? Cause you’re ok.------------------------------I wish I had some bread bowl pasta.------------------------------Yearbook can’t sit with us.------------------------------ I dyed my hair with koolaid guys ------------------------------Yearbook can’t sit with us.------------------------------Still wish I had some breadbowl pasta------------------------------big hands, big feet, big disappointment.------------------------------That breadbowl pasta could feed me for five days. Seriously.------------------------------However, I spent all my money shopping for presents! ------------------------------Darn it. It’s paste-up and I’m hungry.------------------------------Dylan Taira, you should read the newspa-per more often.------------------------------breadbowl pasta.------------------------------Yearbook can’t sit with us.------------------------------Paste-up!...betcha don’t even know what that is. Man, you out of the loop.------------------------------Anyone else craving breadbowl pasta?------------------------------BUY A YEARBOOK!------------------------------YOU CAN STILL BUY A SENIOR AD. ------------------------------NOT TOO LATE!------------------------------GO TO JOSTENSADSERVICE.COM!------------------------------DO EET! DO EET NOW!------------------------------REMEMBER: JOSTENSADSERVICE.COM!------------------------------THAT MEANS YOU, CLASS OF 2013!------------------------------Because you DO want a color yearbook, don’t you?------------------------------breadbowl pasta.------------------------------

UnClassifiedsSee any BEAT staffer to buy your

Unclassified in our next issue.70¢ for the first ten words, 5¢ for each additional word

Undefeated is a strong word sur-rounded with lofty expectations and hy-perbole. But it’s a word that can be used to describe 3-0 Varsity Boys’ basketball team.

The road to perfection is arduous as proved by the team’s third, and most challenging, game of the season Wednes-day against the Wheaton Knights. Despite a final score of 62-59, the game was tight deep into the fourth quarter.

The game began with what was arguably the Bengal’s best offensive quarter of the season. Great displays of speed and penetration by senior guards A.J. Butts and Breon Herbert led to easy layups and pin-point passes to their team-mates for easy buckets. “We’re more guard-heavy this year,” says Herbert. “We have more ball handlers on the court so

we’re very athletic. That’s our biggest strength.”

By the time the dust from the offen-sive whirlwind had cleared and the first period was over, the team had 25 points, the most in any quarter this year. The next two quarters were firmly in Blake’s con-trol as they continued to have their way in the paint. However, the Knights hung around and the limited the margin to six at the end of the third quarter.

Momentum swung in the fourth quarter as the home crowd grew more and more excitable as Wheaton chipped away at the lead. The intensity came to a head when the Knights tied up the score at 55 with four minutes left. From there the game hung in the balance as both teams traded baskets down the wire. With one minute left, Blake held a 60-57 lead. The lead was cut to one 30 seconds later. Breon Herbert made two clutch free

throws to get the lead back to three and that is how the game ended, 62-59.

The second win of the season came last Saturday as the team took down the Walter Johnson Wildcats 56-46. Com-munication, defense and offensive execu-tion were the keys in the win. “We were communicating, cutting hard, screening hard,” says senior captain forward De-shante Brown. “We made sure everyone was talking on the floor so we knew what plays to run.”

The season began with a bang in the form of a 26 point win over the Ein-stein Titans last Thursday, 76-50. The first quarter did not go Blake’s way as the team trailed by 1 at the buzzer. The second quarter was the momentum-shifter as Blake scored 19 points and took a 30-25 lead.

The momentum from the second quarter was carried into the second half,

helped in part by a dunk by junior guard Tavon Ngangum that whipped the home crowd into a frenzy and led to a 6-0 run. “It got the crowd hyped and into the game,” says Ngangum. “It gave me confidence because that was my first Varsity dunk. I had to do it for all the people who said I couldn’t do it, to prove them wrong.”

The team looks to continue their winning ways Monday night against Quince Orchard at 7. Following that is an away game versus the Wooton Patriots and then what is sure to be the biggest game of the season’s first half: December 21 at Springbrook. “We expect to go out there with a lot of intensity,” says junior forward Demonte Ojinnaka. “We expect our fans to be as loud as possible, cheer-ing us on and have confidence and faith in us so we can go out there and get a W for the school.”

D?

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RG3 leads Redskins to four-game winning streak, pushes team toward playoffs p. D6

Girls’ basketball looks to come back from tough season, starts strong at 2-1 p. D3

Section D James Hubert Blake High School December 14, 2012

Hockey starts historic campaign with first ever victoriesSenior leadership, young talent leads team to unprecedented start

by John Kos & John Beers

by Michael Errigo & Andrea Ortiz

Starting of the year strong with a 2-1 record, Blake Ice Hockey has had its first win in team history and with its win against Damascus last Friday the team hopes continue its success.

Last Friday Blake Ice hockey got their second win of the season against the Damascus Swarmin’ Hornets, winning 8-4. The team started off strong with three goals in the first six minutes. For the game, the Bengals were led by sophomore Kenny Powers with three points, junior Julia Bell and senior captain Pradip Ramamurti with two points each “Everyone is one page this year, for the first time ever, so it really shows and pays off when we

win. The reason we have been able to win is that everyone has the same goal in mind, and we are working as a team, rather than a group of individuals,” says Ramamurti.

The Bengals lost to the DC Stars, 7-1, in Rockville November 30. Ramamurti scored an unas-sisted goal for the Bengals only score. Says junior Kevin Wright, “[we needed] better puck control, passing, and mentally (which is the most important part) we needed to play as a team.”

November 16, Blake Ice hockey won 6-1 against Pooles-ville/Northwest/Quince Orchard in Rockville, the first win since the team’s inception in 2002. “These wins have felt so good because we have worked so long and hard and they were long overdue and well I

think most of our success has come from our willingness to work in the off season to im-prove our skills” Says junior Bobby Walker.

“I feel like we can beat any team in our division, so we need to continue to work hard and have a hunger in us,” says Ramamurti.

Says team sponsor Ted Pazulski, “this year they have a real good core of kids, they have been working real hard, working in the off season, doing off ice practices and really buy-ing into the system, and by buy-ing into the system, [it] brings great success.” The Bengals take on Richard Montgomery tonight at 9:45 at Cabin John Ice Rink.

I feel like we can beat any team in our divison, so we need to continue to

work hard and have a hunger

in us.Captain Pradip

Ramamurti

Photo by Dennis Chan

Captain Pradip Ramamurti --Photo by John Kos

Three games into the season, the JV Boys’ basketball team has achieved a perfect record by scoring around 65 points a game and suffering their opponent with tight on-ball defense and a heavy dose of full court pressure.

The team defeated the Wheaton Knights Wednesday 63-35 in what turned out to be a very physical game from the start. An unbreakable full-court press employed from the opening tip helped the Bengals jump out to a very early lead by limiting the Knights to only four points in the first quarter. The sec-

ond quarter was more of the same as many chances were created off of turnovers. “We came out with a lot of intensity and caused a lot of turnovers,” says sophomore captain guard Duane Davis. “Then we capitalized on those turnovers with fast breaks.” By half-time, the team was in a comfortable position with a 26-12 lead.

The second half started with a bang as Wheaton fought to get back into the contest. However, the team was able to hold off the surge and the momentum, propelled by the home Wheaton crowd, and extend their lead to 18 points by the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter became kill the clock time, as the team passed the

ball around and took easy baskets when available. A final score of 63-35 may not of have been as indicative of the competition as it could be, but it pleased the team “We played very good defense, we passed the ball very well and took energy from the crowd,” says freshman forward Charles Snowden.

Walter Johnson proved to be a tougher test in the second game of the season but the Bengals held on for a 65-52 win. The team’s offense was led by sophomore forward Eric Assoua with 10 points. Know-ing that their team can score 60+ points a game, the team stresses the importance of defense in practice and in games. Says sophomore guard Orlando James, “We need

to stay strong on D, keep putting people in seatbelts.”

The first game of the season came against the Einstein Titans, resulting in a 65-31 win. The team looked sharp from the start with freshman forward Dariel Medina scor-ing 11 points in the first half. An offensive surge in the third quarter extended the lead to 32 points by the end of the third quarter.

Games like that have the team believing their undefeated start can turn into an undefeated season. What does the team need to do to accomplish these lofty goals? Simple. Says sophomore captain forward Darren Smith, “We just need to keep doing what we’re doing, but better.”

December 14, 2012 The Blake BeatD2New coach looks to lead track teamYoung, athletic squad runs toward success

Consistent offense, air-tight defense boost JV Boys to undefeated start

With the right motivation, running in circles can be fun! Indoor track gives you the joy of outdoor practices with the warmth of indoor meets.

This indoor track season is coach Rebekah Dietz’s first with Blake High School. She coached at Blake last year for outdoor track as well and hopes to create a strong sense of unity and camara-derie within the team. “Our goals for the season are to really work on team unity and develop strong relationships within the team and to strengthen our family,” says Ms. Dietz.

With a seemingly limitless amount of athleticism on the team, there’s a general feeling of optimism sweeping over the

team as the season kicks off. Says Senior Michael Frimpong, “I think we’re looking good….I think we’re going to be able to do some good work this year. “ Frimpong is a sprinter who has run both indoor and outdoor track in past years.

Although senior captain Marc Assoua has only been at Blake for two years, has already made a huge impact on the team. He was voted a captain this sea-son by his teammates as well as seniors Darius Oxley and junior Anthony Harris, junior Gabrielle Cudjoe, and sophomores Martha Sam and Kate Campbell. “Our goals are to pretty much get faster and stronger and make it to states,” adds Assoua.

With increased team size come a lot of new faces and a lot of new talent for the Bengals.

Says Dietz “it will be exciting to see how the new members add to our team and help to strengthen the program. We are excited to develop new talent.”

The team also has returning athletes who have been very suc-cessful with Blake track and who hope to have outstanding seasons. Dietz says, “We expect to see Darius Oxley continue to excel in the 500m and 800m races, he is looking very strong this season, and his dedication to the sport is unwavering.”

Although success on the track is a main goal for the track team this season, Ms. Dietz hopes to create champions off the track as well. Ms. Dietz says, “Working with the athletes every day, and teaching them to love the sport, to grow, to become good [citizens] and great leaders.

by Michael Errigo& Andrea Ortizx

by Kwame Asante& Zach Kushnerx

Sophomore Arnold Choi --Photo by Dennis Chan

The Lady Bengals took on the Lady Knights De-cember 12, defeating them 68-40. The girls came onto the court with a ton of energy and excitement, ready to redeem themselves after a tough loss. Senior guard and co-captain Lindsey Comer says, “Tonight we really wanted to get back on track after our tough loss, and that’s exactly what we did.” Junior guard and co-captain Asha Henley led the Lady Bengals with 13, followed by senior guard Kenise Carroll with 12. Junior forward Brigit Ngaleau added 10 of her own.

The Walter Johnson Lady Wildcats proved to be a

tough loss for the Lady Bengals on December 8. Despite never-ending hustle from the team, the girls fell 65-27. Carroll led the team with 7 points, followed by Henley and sophomore guard Citiana Negatu with 6 each. “We knew WJ was going to be a tough game, so we just wanted to put it behind us and move onto the next one to do better,” says senior forward Megan Gagern.

December 6, the Lady Bengals took on the Lady Titans, walking away with the victory 53-18. The girls’ relentless defense held the Lady Titans to just 5 points in the first half. Senior forward Michelle Wallace led the team with 12 points, also going 2-2 on her foul shots. Negatu also contributed 9 points of her own. Junior guard Kaelyn Clark

added 7, and freshman center Sofilia Ngwafang added 6.Senior co-captain Danielle Snowden also led the

team with fierce and sharp assists and rebounds, at 6.2 and 8.1, respectively. Henley brought a sharp and remained alert throughout the match up and led the team in steals with 7.5 steals per game.

The team did not dwindle or let back, and had an exceptional free-throw success of 67%.

The Lady Bengals won their first game of the sea-son on the road with ease. After the match, the victorious Lady Bengals feel nothing but rewarded after meeting their expectations and passing a milestone. Says Wallace, “Winning the first game of the season felt great.”

December 14, 2012 The Blake Beat D3

by Daniel Gonzalez& Nicole Sterlingx

by Danny Gonzalez& Caroline Wannenx

Wrestling team optimistic and excited for new seasonTeam works together to excel on the mat while learning valuable lessons

Varsity Girls’ Basketball dominates early opponents, starts 2-1

8-6 was last year; as the new season begins, incoming and returning wrestlers look to build up another successful season, and hold their main goal to come together as one and improve the team.

Head coach Dustin Jeter looks forward to hit the ground running, believing that though they have a young team, they have a lot of talent and will have a lot to cover. It all starts in the wrestling room where the basics are taught to the new members. From there, the pace is picked up. “I am looking forward to a successful season,” says Coach Jeter. “[Although] we have a young team, we

have a lot of talented wrestlers. We should do well.”

In addition, Coach Smith has returned to help out the progression of the team he once wrestled for. “To be honest, you can never tell until the first few matches. Wrestling changes all the time,” says Coach Smith. “The other coaches and I are [preparing] for any and everything,” says Coach Smith. “If we need to make [any] adjustments along the way, then so be it.”

Senior Rebecca Schwartz, the only female athlete on the team, has been wres-tling for two years. As working together and improving as one, Schwartz sees the team as a second family. “I feel comfortable with my

teammates and I feel like [we] are in sync with each other,” says Schwartz. With a new team, Schwartz is determined that this will help the team do whatever it takes to reach their full potential this season.

The Bengals lost their first home match 23-60 against the Poolesville Falcons. The Bengals were dominated most of the match but managed to put up points. During the match, returning veterans made their debut. Senior Captain Daniel Gonzalez made mul-tiple key moves with a double-leg takedown and pinning his opponent, getting the first win of the match.

Senior Captain Marc Stephen-Meredith single-handedly overran his opponent tech-

pinning his opponent and earned the Bengal five team points. Also, sophomore Tyler Nine, brought a keen and well thought-out strategy dominating his opponent throughout the whole match.

Returning four year veteran Senior Brandon Deane believes that hard work and determination will make this season success-ful. “It doesn’t matter what our record is at the end, as long as we learn from our mistakes, it is still a good season to me,” says Deane, “even though we lost, we still have time to improve our skills and technique.”

The team travels to Magruder high school tomorrow for a tri-meet against the Colonels and the Sherwood Warriors.

Senior forward Michelle Wallace and junior forward Bridgit Ngaleau show off the offense that has won two games --Photos by Dennis Chan

Winning the first game of the season felt great.Michelle Wallace

December 14, 2012 The Blake BeatD4

With new leadership, JV Girls’ Basketball look to reboundFresh coach, players jump out to 2-1 start year after disappointing season

Lady Bengals remain optimistic after a strong start with convincing wins over Wheaton and Einstein, even after falling short when facing tough competition in Walter Johnson.

The team fought hard in their 44-34 win against the Wheaton Lady Knights De-cember 11. “We need to put in a lot of work,” says sophomore and Captain Carmen Moore. After facing a tough 43-21 loss against Walter Johnson, the team believes their hard work will paid off against the Lady Knight. . Teamwork shined through in the game against Einstein Lady Titans December 6, with more than eight players scored for the team in the 64-14 win. After a losing record

last year of 3-12, the win was a refreshing change to start the season as the team hopes to improve their record this year

Sophomore captain Elana Harris says, “It was a great way to start off the season.”

With hopes of a drastic change in record, comes a drastic change in leadership. Blake counselor Ms. Kat Costenbader has stepped up as the new coach this season. Ms. Costenbader has previously coached at Walter Johnson, and played basketball at American University. “I am optimistic and hoping to see marked improvement, not just in our record, but also in our growth and development as a team,” says Coach Costenbader. Sophomore captain Brionna Poindexter says, “She believes in us,” when referring to her new coach. “She stays calm under pressure,” adds Harris. The new coach

shares the strong desire to improve this sea-son, even as a newcomer to the program.

Captains this season are Sophomores McCallah Ott, Brionna Poindexter, Elana Harris, and Carmen Moore. Together, the girls have already racked up more than 30 points in their games first two games . In a challenging win against Wheaton December 11, the team evaluated their performance to perfect their skills and pursue success as a team. “We’re all a family,” says Ott about her team mates.

Last year, then freshman Keri Walker was injured during the season. Says Walker, “It was frustrating because I’d watch the games, and I couldn’t play.” She’s thankful to be back on the court this year, along with Sophomore Hannah Dalgetty. “I think we’ll have a good season,” says Walker.

“We’re trying to get to the top,” adds Poindexter.

New freshmen have brought some-thing to the table this year. Freshman Monica Hallmark scored 18 points in the first game against Einstein. Even as a new addition to the team, Hallmark shares the team’s aspirations of success. “I think [the season] will go really well…we have such good chemistry,” says Hallmark. Also among the arriving freshmen are Alexia Calhoun, Jennifer Cleofe, Sydney Mann-Howard, Tyshay Moore, and Brittany O’Gilvie.

Says Coach Costenbader, “Our 9th grade girls are working very hard and I have already seen improvement…I have a great group of girls and look forward to a great season.”

I have a great group of girls and look forward to a great seasonKat Costenbader

Lean, mean, running ma-chine and former Blue Devil senior Marc Assoua has now become a roaring Bengal and star of the track team after transferring from Springbrook High School sophomore year.

Running has not always been a part of his life. “I real-ized my passion for running… my junior year when I started long jumping,” says Assoua.

“I enjoyed the thrill and all the energy.”

Assoua’s love for track has grown from his relations with the team. “I like… my teammates,” says Assoua. “They are always encouraging me every day to do my best.” Assoua adds, “I always have Darius Oxley, who contin-ues to push me… [to] practice and give it my all.”

Though he has only been at Blake for just over a year, Assoua has many great achievements. Last spring track season, he broke school records in both the triple

and long jump and earned MVP of the team. Other achievements include competing in the Junior Olympics. “I hope to compete in the 2016 Olympics and come out in the top three,” says Assoua.

Assoua’s personal record for the long jump is 21-10.50 feet which was set at the Montgomery County Public School champion-ships. This is both his personal best and a Blake record that he set in last year’s outdoor track season. His personal and school best Triple jump is 42-07.75 feet which was set at the MCPS

Championships that same day.Throughout his high school

career, Assoua has tallied up a total of eight first place finishes. This includes one meet last spring season where Assoua finished per-fect in all three jumping events—the high jump, triple jump, and long jump—getting first place in each of them. That meet was a tri-meet in which Blake competed against rivals Sherwood Warriors and Paint Branch Panthers.

Running track is some-thing that Assoua has grown to love and he wants to help any

other Blake student who would also like to share his joy. “Some advice that I can give to Blake students that want to run track is that you won’t get faster unless you bear the pain,” says Assoua. “Don’t be scared when your legs hurt because the pain is only temporary.”

The thrill of the crowd cheering him on is what drives Assoua to do his best. Says As-soua, “[Knowing] that people in the crowd are watching you and clapping for you is really exciting.”

Senior Assoua stars on track team, looks to dominate on bigger stagesSpringbrook transfer shines on track with his new Bengal stripes

With the new season here, the swim

team and dive team are preparing for Re-gionals and look forward to working with new teammates and assistant coaches.

Head coach Ryan Burnsky wants to start the new season on a good note. “We are in Division 3 this year. I truly believe we have the talent and leadership to win all of our meets this year,” says coach Burnsky. “My expectations are high for this squad.” This is his second year being head coach at Blake. He has also spent 9 years coaching at the Olney Mill pool. “This year I know what we can do, and we are going to utilize our strengths to win a lot of meets,” adds coach Burnsky. “We have a lot of young talent that will be able to step in and contribute in meets right away.”

New assistant coach Julie Thack-ston already has some experience with the eight years of coaching under her belt. “I have a positive attitude and know a lot about the sport, since I swam for Univer-sity of Maryland,” says coach Thackston. Giving words of advice to the students, coach Thackston says, “I believe that dedicated and hard work make you a good swimmer.” Coach Thackston enjoys

seeing and interacting with students in another atmosphere.

Senior swimmer Deanna Chirigos has been on the team for four years. “Both the swim and dive team support each other; we cheer, we scream, we yell until the last person touches the wall,” says Chirigos. The team has a strong team bond thanks to senior swimmers Laura Savary and Lydia Curdts, planning events for the team. “Our bond as a team has helped each one of us want to touch the wall even though we might be losing,” adds Chirigos.

The Bengals won their first swim meet against the Kennedy Cavaliers and also won their second meet against the Springbrook Blue Devils. Both the swim and dive team managed to push through even though half of the team was not present. Sophomore swimmer Thomas Plihal was swimming the 200 meter and experienced many emotions. “When I’m standing on the block I feel nervous and excited knowing that my teammates expect me to do well,” says Plihal.

The next swim meet will be tomor-row against the Rockville Rams at the Montgomery College Takoma campus. Following that is a January 5 meet against the Gaithersburg Trojans at the Olney Swim Center.

Swim & Dive season commences with victory, high expectationsTeam will rely on persistence to capitalize, maintain early success

by Logan DreherJordan McLeanx

by Anjelica Grant & Michelle Ungx

by Zach Kushner& Marce-erica Adegbembox

Senior Sam Jaffe takes a breath during the 100 meter breast stroke. --Photo by Sami Wright

December 14, 2012 The Blake Beat D5Wrestling champ assists team victory Blake Alumnus returns to the mat as coach

What can be said about a champion? What can one say to describe what they went through? How can one be formed? Becom-ing a champ and producing champs are everyone’s desire.

Rasheim Smith, Blake alumnus, former state wrestling champion, and now Blake’s assistant wrestling coach returns to where it all started to work towards that mission.

After moving back to Maryland from Lockhaven University, a Division I school for wrestling, Coach Smith received an inter-esting call from current head wrestling coach Dustin Jeter asking if he would like to help out with the team. Smith says, “Without hesitation I accepted. I would like to go back to the place where it all started [and help out].”

It all started for Coach Smith his sophomore year at Blake high school when a couple of friends encouraged him to join the wrestling team. On the first day of practice he showed up, his friends didn’t. Instead of backing out, says Smith, “I was always taught to stick with things so… I decided to give it a try.”

Says Smith, “Apparently I was good at it… I worked hard during the off season. I was lifting and running and during the season. I was showing up to practice every day and actually learning.” In only his first year, Coach Smith won 30 varsity matches and almost placed at the state tournament.

After his appearance at the state finals his junior year, after also winning the County and Regional titles for the first time, says Smith, “My mind was set on winning states… I took advantage of [everything my coaches did] and picked up everything they taught me and actually practiced it.”

His senior year, he earned County, Regional, and State titles, becoming the most accomplished wrestler to walk through Blake.

Robert Pinsky, former head Blake wrestling coach and cur-rent Clarksburg wrestling coach, points out, “It was [Rasheim’s] attention to detail and excellent work ethic that propelled him to the next level. It makes me very proud to see Rasheim coaching wrestling. I wish he were at Clarksburg.”

Coach Jeter states, “His ability to demonstrate moves and to do it from the perspective of a college wrestler is a huge benefit. He knows what it takes to wrestle at the State Championship level which should help [for years to come.]”

Says Coach Smith, “I know I’m not going to walk in and make everyone a state champion. But my goal is to work with everyone, even the kids in the back that feel they don’t get enough attention, and make them better.”

Sigwalt embraces his role as three-sport star, face of Blake athleticsThe face of Blake athletics walks slowly through the hallways at

lunch. Most of the time he walks with a limp, a sore limb or two and the fatigue that comes with a late practice the night before. Depending on the day, he hears critique or praise from all sides.

“Great game Stefan!” “What happened last night Siggy?” Sometimes he carries just a backpack, sometimes a gym bag. It

matters very little considering the considerable weight that is already on his shoulders.

This is the life of a three-sport high school athlete. This is the life of senior Stefan Sigwalt. All four years have been the same: quarterback in the fall, forward in the winter, first baseman in the spring. Game after game, season after season. Football, basketball, baseball. Plus a little club swimming on the side. Does he have a favorite? “That’s hard. Once you start playing you think ‘this is definitely my favorite’ about halfway through the season so it changes a lot,” says Sigwalt.

This fall Sigwalt lead the Varsity football team to the first play-off. Not only did Sigwalt lead the Bengals to the playoffs he threw 146 completions on 270 attempts for 1710 yards and 11 touchdowns in the process. Not bad for someone who didn’t start playing organized football until high school. The highlight of the season had to be a 3-touchdown 265 yard performance against rival Springbrook that Sigwalt cites as his favorite high school game.

With a successful football season wrapped up, Sigwalt turns his atten-tion to basketball. Baseball begins in March but he can’t think about that yet. He prefers to take it one season at a time. No matter what the sport, Sigwalt’s favorite part of playing is his teammates. “I get to be with new people on each team,” says Sigwalt. “Each team is like a family.”

Sigwalt looks to take his talents to the next level as he hopes to play football at a local college next year.There’s no question that Sigwalt has built quite a legacy here. He will be remembered for years to come as many things: quarterback, teammate, player, captain, student. “ The quarterback is going to be the main thing people will think of,” says Sigwalt. “But I just want to be remembered as an athlete, just an all-around good guy.”

Playing at least 2 sports at a time year-round is sure to take a physi-cal and mental toll. Just as one season ends, another begins. Says Sigwalt, “We usually get like a week off between sports. Besides that, I don’t really get a break.”

When asked if he ever wants one, he laughs. “Definitely. Maybe I’ll get a break this summer.” It will no doubt be a well-deserved one.

New wrestling coach, and alum, Rashiem Smith motivates his team during a recent practice. Smith returns to Blake after winning a state championship during his career on the wrestling team-- Photo by Becca Schwartz

Senior Stefan Sigwalt takes a foul shot during the boys’ game against Einstein on December 6th. --Photo by Dennis Chan

by Michael Errigox

by Danny Gonzalezx

December 14, 2012 The Blake BeatD6

This college football sea-son brought us a lot of big games, big surprises and even bigger disappoint-ments. As we look forward to bowl season, let us look back on some of the best (and worst) of the season.

Best Games1.Alabama 32, Georgia 28, Decem-ber 1: With a berth in the National Championship game on the line, the SEC Championship game broke from the conference’s defensive tendencies in this offensive slugfest. Alabama running backs Eddy Lacy and TJ Yeldon combined for over 300 yards rushing and three touch-downs, and the Crimson Tide defense

stopped Georgia inside their ten yard line to end the game.2.Notre Dame 20, Stanford 13, October 12: On their road to the National Championship game, the Fighting Irish had a lot close games, but none closer than their overtime win over Stanford. After a seven yard touchdown pass to start overtime, Notre Dame’s defense stopped Stan-ford running back Stepfan Taylor on fourth and goal to win the game.3.Michigan 38, Northwestern 31, November 10: Filling in for Michi-gan legend Denard Robinson, quar-terback Devin Gardner completed a 53 yard pass to Roy Roundtree with seconds left, setting up the

game-tying field goal. Gardner put the Wolverines ahead with a rush-ing touchdown in overtime and the Michigan defense finished-off the resilient Wildcats.

Biggest Surprises1.Johnny Manziel: The redshirt freshman quarterback led the Texas A&M Aggies from being unranked in the preseason to a road upset of then number-one Alabama and a top ten ranking. Johnny “Football” tallied 4600 yards of total offense en route to being the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.2.Northern Illinois Huskies: Led by dual-threat quarterback Jordan Lynch, the Huskies became the

latest BCS buster, winning the Mid-Atlantic Conference championship and stealing a berth in the Orange Bowl. Lynch, who led the country with 1771 rushing yards, will look to lead the Huskies to an upset of Florida State. 3.Bill O’Brien’s Nittany Lions: O’Brien took over a Penn State pro-gram reeling from the NCAA sanc-tions levied as a result of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. After starting 0-2, the Nittany Lions won eight of their next ten games to finish 8-4.

Biggest Disappointments1.USC Trojans: At the beginning of the season most expected the Trojans to be playing in the National Cham-

pionship game and quarterback Matt Barkley to win the Heisman. USC lost 4 of their last 5 games to finish 7-5.2.Auburn Tigers: Two years after winning a National Championship, the Tigers were not expected to be a major factor in the SEC, but no one foresaw a 3-9 record and winless SEC campaign that left head Coach Gene Chizik without a job.3.Arkansas Razorbacks: Led by quarterback Tyler Wilson and running back Kniles Davis, the Ra-zorbacks opened the season ranked number ten. They ended the season with a 4-8 record with only 2 SEC victories.

“You are now boarding the D.C. sports fan ride! Please, keep your arms and legs in-side the vehicle at all times and, most impor-tantly, enjoy the ride!”

So begins the roller coaster that is D.C. sports. Last issue’s column was full of sadness and despair. It signified a renewed negativity and pessimism towards anything and everything having to do with D.C. sports, especially the Redskins. Fortunately, things have changed since then.

Sunday’s thrilling overtime win against the detestable Baltimore Ravens extended the current winning streak to four games. The Redskins showed great resilience in the face of an 8 point deficit (two things Redskins fans haven’t seen the past couple of years: resilience and single-digit deficit). Af-ter DeAngelo Hall did just about everything he could to make us lose the game, clearly

cementing his role as the worst #1 cornerback in the league, the team decided to put up a fight. They made a defensive stop and a sell out crowd turned up the intensity for what was sure to be the last drive of the game. Then Robert Griffin III got hurt. The DMV collectively went silent. B e i n g the competi-tor that he is, RG3 tried to play. He did everything he could to f o r c e h i s body to go out there and finish the game. But, he is human after all. It simply couldn’t be done. Enter: rookie Kirk Cousins. With playoff hopes in the balance and a rival defense looking to pounce on our

misfortune, Cousins stayed calm, cool and collected as he fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to bring it within two points with 29 seconds remaining. The two point conver-sion looked like something Robert himself would do as Cousins ran it himself into the

end zone. After the

defense stepped up on a third and short to force a punt, first time punt returner rookie Richard-Crawford returned the punt 64 yards to set up Kai Forbath for a game win-ning field goal.

The week before was a gigantic win over the Giants on Monday Night Football. The sweet victory that propelled us back into the playoff race made up for having to listen

to Jon Gruden for three and a half hours. Thanksgiving this year made me thankful for many things, including a 38-31 win over the Cowboys. In that game, Griffin went 19/27 for 304 yards and four touchdowns. The previous week he also threw four touch-downs in a win over the Eagles. Oh and he also only had one incompletion. So, over two weeks he only had one more incompletion than touchdowns. That’s the stuff of video games.

The roller coaster that is the Redskins keeps climbing, slowly inching upward with every win. With it rises the hopes and dreams of a city desperate for a football team that matters. When will they reach the top? Will they ascend higher and higher until they reach the unthinkable, a Super Bowl? Or will this 4 game climb only make the eventual drop even steeper? We as D.C. sports fans should just be happy we’re along for the ride.

Redskins making playoff push, testing fans’ hearts with every game

College football seaosn filled with big games, lots of big surprisesFrom Notre Dame’s run to Johnny Football, 2012-13 campaign excites

by Michael Errigox

by John Beers

December 14, 2012 The Blake Beat D7

Snowboarding becomes new it-sport, keeps students wanting moreWinter Weather allows for funner, easier alternative to skiing difficulty

The season that we’ve all been waiting for is finally here – time to gather your warmest snow pants, your thickest socks, your trusty snowboard and head towards the slopes.

Snowboarding has become a very popular winter sport for people of all age groups, who have been slowly straying away from the classic skis. Many people say that snowboarding is much safer than skiing, even though it may be slightly more difficult. Senior Maddy Benjoar says, “I prefer snowboarding to skiing because I was never too good at skiing.” Snowboarding is comparable to skate-

boarding on snow. Ever since he was a child, senior

Stevie Botto has been surrounded by snowboarding. “Me and my family would go on snowboarding outings every year when it would snow,” he says. “It was a great way for family bonding time.” Botto has been improving each year that he has gone snowboarding. Adds Botto, “Starting off on the bunny slopes was embarrassing and hard, but once I got the hang of it, I was unstoppable.”

Benjoar has been snowboarding for five years. She has found this sport to be a great way to branch out and see new faces. She says, “Snowboarding is a great

way to meet new people who take inter-est in the same things as you.” Benjoar sometimes will take off school to take advantage of the weather. “I usually take a big trip before a break and when we go somewhere far, it is usually somewhere with really awesome mountains.”

However there are some risks to snowboarding. Senior Barz Kim has had a traumatic experience on his first time snowboarding. “I was going too fast and I started to become a little too confident in my skills,” he says. He plummeted into the forests and swerved off of the slopes, tumbling and falling into bushes. He adds, “It was all a very scary experi-

ence but it helped me learn to be humble and practice harder.” Kim is now a very talented snowboarder and seeks to con-tinue pursuing this sport. Unlike other sports that require years of training to specialize in, snowboarding is easy to get the hang of once one learns the necessary techniques and critical moves.

The ratio of snowboarding to skiing is slowly increasing because this sport has come to be seen in such an enchant-ing and appealing light, that little to no one can resist its charm. For some, snow-boarding goes along with the image. Says Botto, “Real thugs like snowboarding, and I am thugnasty.”

Junior breaks gender barriers, contributes to ice hockey history Agressive, intense level of play is no match for fearless female athlete

On a roster of 22 names, junior Julia Bell stands out as the only female on the community ice hockey team, but with the intensity and aggressiveness she displays on the rink, no one would ever be able to guess the person beneath the helmet.

Being the only girl on an all boys’ team is nothing foreign to Bell as she has played for various boys’ teams over the span of five years. “It’s not that weird being the only girl on the team. I’m used to it,” says Bell. She was first introduced to ice hockey by her older brother who grew up playing the sport.

Bell is a forward who has contributed to the ice hockey team’s historic first two wins. She is also an assistant captain on her club team, which has enhanced her skill and

love of the game. Says senior captain Pradip Ramamurti, “She always knows where to be, she’s really good at communicating

with us, and she’s not shy at all so it’s really great playing with her.”

Although boys and girls ice hockey are played a little differently from one another, it does not seen to be a problem for Bell. “The intensity is a lot higher playing with boys because they’re bigger and stronger and you can get hit, unlike in girls’

hockey,” says Bell.” But that’s what makes it more fun.”Having played on the team since freshman year, Bell has

formed a close bond with her teammates on and off the rink. The chemistry has been made clear by the early success of the team. “Julia is not only a great teammate but a great person and player that adds so much to our team,” says Ramamurti.

Having a girl on the team does not make any difference for senior Tanner Giles-Tucker. “It’s just like having any other player. She gets along with everyone

and doesn’t mind the little jokes she gets about being a girl,” says Giles-Tucker. “She’s a very good hockey player.”

Being the only girl on the school’s first ever win-ning team, Bell is making history. “I look forward to our team improving and winning more games and getting new players next year who can help us win more games,” says Bell.

Track star gets golden ticket to match her shining opportunitySophomore works to raise money, wishes to achieve athletic dream

Sophomore Martha Sam has a unique opportunity this upcoming summer: to travel to Australia and partici-pate in the Down Under Track & Field Meet, making her the only sophomore in Blake to be invited.

Says Sam, “I feel very fortunate to have done well last year and have this amazing opportunity …” Sam was selected to participate in the 4X400 meter relay, but she plans to participate in other events such as the 400 meter independent.

Sam qualifies for this chance based on her superb performance in the 400 meter dash in last year’s Maryland 4A State Final. Considering that this is only Sam’s second year of track and field, her opportunity is huge. She has also been a key contributor on the cross country team which went undefeated and won a division title.

Sam credits her faith, her family, her coaches, her teammates, and her diet for her immediate success. Says Sam, “My sister is on [Paint Branch’s] team and [she] motivates me to push myself to the limit [because] she’s my competition.”

In order for the sophomore to be able to go to Australia, she has to raise funds for the trip to the event which costs approximately $5,000. She has tried selling T-Shirts, but she has had little success in that endeavor. Says Sam, “My experience trying to raise money has been stressful”.

However, Sam has never gotten discouraged. She recently came up with the idea to try to get 500 people to each donate ten dollars.” I know it sounds a little crazy, but no idea is a bad idea right now,” says Sam.

Senior Darius Oxley, a teammate of Sam’s can iden-tify with her struggle. When asked what it’s like trying to raise money to participate in such events, Oxley said “You have to make a conscious effort because $5,000 isn’t pocket change” The senior also went on to say “It’d be tough if you had the talent but couldn’t do it because of money”.

Sam knows what it’s like to overcome obstacles on the track. Hopefully she can overcome this obstacle and go to Australia.

by Kwame Asante & Candace Grantx

by Jane Hwangx

by Zach Kushner & Andrea Ortizx

Sophomore Martha Sam shows off her t-shirt that she is selling in order to raise money for her trip to Australia. --Photo by Sami Wright

Prapip Ramumrti

Julia is not only a great teammate, but a great person

December 14, 2012 The Blake BeatD8

Mr.Berry, A Christmas Caroler, portrays the style of a man from the 40’s, the 1840’s that is! We really wanted to highlight his ‘principal features’ like his kind smile and bring out his eyes; a great mustache can’t hurt either.

Elana Harris, Queen Frostine (Candy Land), depicts the most exquisite of tastes, in her majesty’s Blakeover. We made sure to give Elana a winter palette of whites, silvers, and frosty blues. Due to her high sugar content, Elana is just the sweetest of all candy land characters, who doesn’t love some frosting? We really think she looks just royal!

Marie Anne Louise-Charles, Santa’s little helper, rocks her elf wear with pride. She is the cut-est of the North Pole’s little dumpling assistances, that helped to fashion together the world’s toys. We wanted to highlight her beautiful eyes with mascara, and also gave her a bright pink lip to match her cheer-ful holiday spirit.

Senior impressed with alumni’s work in hollywood adaptation of Life of Pi p. E3

Section E James Hubert Blake High School December 14, 2012

Winter band concert to be a place where dreams do come true

The instrumental music department will hold its Disney-themed winter concert December 20 at 7:30pm. “This is an arts school,” veteran music director Jonathan Eising frequently reminds his students to encourage them to work harder

for their upcoming concerts. The concert band, orchestra, jazz ensemble and percussion ensemble will feature selections from Disney classics such as

The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Up. Students have been rehearsing every day in class, preparing diligently to display their talent and musical ability. Freshman flutist Alexandra Rundlett says, “I am ready to show people what I’ve been practicing for the past couple of months.”

Students are excited about performing Disney songs, as the movies were a significant part of their child-hoods. Freshman clarinetist Matthew Chung says, “I like Disney music because it’s beautiful.” Chung plays first clarinet in the concert band and brought exceptional talent and skills to the band as a freshman.

Top junior violinist Carolyn Worden is also highly anticipating the concert, “I love the theme and the idea of the concert. It’s cute.” Worden practices four times a week outside of school to achieve perfection in her performance in the orchestra.

Students will perform under the conduction of Mr. Eising and first year teacher Rachel Lader. Says senior clarinetist Barz Kim, “[Mr. Eising] can turn an average player into a Mozart.” Mr. Eising has been teaching at Blake for eight years, and is now the head director.

Even though Ms. Lader does not have a lot of teaching experi-ence, her youth—she is only 22—allows her to more easily connect with her students. Says Ms. Lader, “I think being close in age with my students has only strengthened my relationship with them.”

One of Ms. Lader’s ambitions in life was to be Ariel in the Disney World production of The Little Mermaid. Unfortunately her small stature did not allow her. Says Ms. Lader, “It seems like it was fate that our concert was scheduled to be Disney themed!”

by Paul Choix

Disney theme sure to excite, entertain audiences of all ages

It was nice to see our

hard work

paying off.

Thomas Plihal

Drum Line snares third place in competitionStudents find success squaring off against rivals

The Roaring Bengal Drum Line placed third December 1 at a competition against other drum lines which included many different schools from around the county.

The drum line played six cadences in their performance judged by elite drummers of the Washington DC metro Area. The drum line put in extra hours during lunch and after school preparing throughout the fall season. Band teacher Rachel Lader says, “We

were all very happy with our place-

ment, especially because we beat all of our local rivals.” The drum line competed against rival schools like Springbrook and Whitman High School during the competition. Ms. Lader says, “seeing the kids walk off the field smiling, knowing they did a good job was my highlight of the competition.”

“There were some great high schools [performing], and that defi-nitely motivated me to do my best,” says sophomore snare drum player Thomas Plihal. “It was nice to see our hard work pay off.”

The Bengal drummers felt that other schools were not as prepared

for the competition. Senior snare drum player Jack Stern says, “[The other schools sounded] disorganized and monotonous.” Currently, drum line does not have any upcoming competitions but are looking for fu-ture opportunities to showcase their abilities and talents.

The drummers are excited to accompany the poms in their rou-tines. Although the drummers were proud of their accomplishment, they feel that for upcoming competitions they will prepare earlier in order to place first. The drum line is confi-dent they will step it up, impress the judges and win next year.

Forensics team gets down to business, places in 13 events at meet After competing December

8 at the forensics meet, the foren-sics team placed in 13 events, and while Magruder came ahead this month, Blake still holds the cumu-lative lead for the season.Forensics is a performance activity in which students compete in several differ-ent categories, such as Children’s Literature, Reader’s Theatre, Prose Interpretation, and more. At meets the students get judged and placed within each category. “I like foren-sics because it’s just another form of acting,” says senior Charles Harper. “It increases your reading

skills and your ability to speak in front of people.”

In order to prepare for these forensics meets, students must work hard at school and on their own time. Practices are twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, and every day when a meet is approaching. Students often have to find pieces to perform on their own. “Finding a piece is definitely the hardest part,” says senior Lydia Curdts. “I practice a lot in the mirror.”

At practices students cri-tique each other and try to improve based on their peers’ feedback. “[Jourdan Lewanda is] really good,

she knows what she’s doing, [and] she’s in the Hall of Fame, so she does give you a nice bit of critiqu-ing,” adds Harper. “So you get a good amount of practice, and a good amount of critique.”

However, just because a stu-dent gets critiqued does not mean he or she should rely solely on other people. “Forensics practice is where you get feedback, but to turn that feedback into improvement, you have to practice on your own time,” says junior Cassie Le.

According to the partici-pants, competing in the meets can be difficult. Says Le, “Meets can be very tiring, since you have to

watch and perform pieces for liter-ally the entire day.” Meets are on Saturdays, and participants have to arrive at Blake no later than 7:45am. This past meet lasted for about 11 hours, running until past 6pm.

Participating in forensics has a lot of benefits. It yields experi-ence acting, reading, and speaking in front of people, which theatre director Michel D’Anna believes is a skill everyone should have. “It prepares you to do any type of oral presentation in college,” he says. He knows that colleges like to see forensics on a student’s resume. “It’s not like playing [a] sport, it’s

not like even doing theatre, or sing-ing in a choir,” adds Mr. D’Anna. “It means that you’ve had to go out and prepare some speeches, or that you read literature.”

Students agree with Mr. D’Anna in this aspect. They know that forensics is a good extracur-ricular activity in which to partici-pate. Says Le, “[Forensics] gives you a chance to be creative and really helps you grow as an actor and speaker.”

Adds Curdts, “Sometimes it can be intense because other students try to intimidate you, but I say keep a positive attitude and it’s always fun.”

by Jacqueline Hymanx

I like forensics because it’s just another form of acting.Charles Harper

We were all very happy...

especially because we beat

our rivals.

Band teacher Rachel Lader

by Yvette Mingia& Nicole Sterlingx

December 14, 2012 The Blake BeatE2

by Emily Tempchin

Artist of the Month senior Olivia Park was nominated this month by her peers for her jaw-dropping artwork that continuously inspires the students and faculty at Blake.

Park is currently enrolled in her second year of AP Studio Art. As a fresh-man, she was able to skip Foundations of Art, which is recommended for first year art students and take Studio Art 1, followed by Studio Art 2 her sophomore year. She also improved and gained experience by taking private lessons in middle school. “No one would [like it], unless they liked drawing and painting plastic fruit and figures over and over,” said Park.

The senior really appreciates the freedom that comes along with being assigned projects that aren’t too specific in their requirements. Says Park, “I make each [piece] my own by making sure I’m incorporating my own ideas strongly.”

Inspiration for her pieces typically sparks from music and artwork that she finds while browsing the Internet. Ideas for her favorite artwork she’s created so far this year came from the movie The Life of Pi. “I saw the mahi-mahi, which was a type of tropical fish that appeared in the movie, and instantly wanted to draw something vibrant and surreal,” says Park.

Park also looks to anime film artist Kazuo Oga for motivation. She admits that there are many stresses to being an artist, and Oga’s work tends to soothe her. “He doesn’t really inspire me to adopt his style, but his artwork calms me,” Park says. “When I look at his paintings, I strive to finish my own,” says Park.

The aspiring artist is determined to push herself to create work that satisfies her own eyes before it does anyone else’s. She says, “I’m the kind of person who loves something a little less each time I look at it.” This allows Park to create fresh, original pieces that continuously amaze others.

Leather, moisturizer, must-haves for the winter 2012-2013 seasonby Zema Meseretu & Yvette Mingiax

With winter arriving quicker than usual, it is only natural that the skin begins to dry and lose its natural moisture. Dry skin is a very common problem and can cause irritation, itching, and cracking in the hands and feet. Here are a few home skin care treatments to help nourish dry skin from head to toe:

Dry Face: Those of you who suffer dry face in the winter know exactly how annoying it can be. Yes, some moisturizers (if the right one) will do the job but there are some other natural alternatives that can help revitalize your dry face. Making a mask out of papaya and banana is a personal favorite of mine. The natural ingredients in papaya help to clean pores and rid skin of imperfections, and it also contains vitamins C and E that are healthy for the skin. Bananas leave your skin feeling smooth and help revitalize a natural glow. Simply take both ingredients, mash them into a paste, and lather onto your face. Sit with the mask for 15 minutes, rinse off with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel.

Dry Hands: To treat dry hands simply mix olive and coconut oil and use as a mois-turizer. Another alternative would also be cocoa butter and Shea butter. These ingredi-ents soak the moisture into your dry hands, keeping them softer for longer.

Dry Feet: Dry feet are not only and annoyance, but also very unattractive. Treat-ing them, however, is simple and easy. Bak-ing soda’s alkalinity helps treat all types of problematic skin. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda for every gallon of warm water in any tub or container and soak feet for 15 minutes.

How We Style: Leather We’ve seen the ups and downs of

leather. And while we all can’t jump into a

leather body suit and still look bad like Halle Berry in Cat Woman, we can still enjoy this edgy trend. Here are some looks we believe will give you the benefit of the doubt this season:

Leather jackets? Okay, this one’s a given. Leather jackets have been in style since the 90s and have yet to fail. Throwing on a leather jacket over your outfit will not only complete your look but can give a more fitted look to your outfit. Try one on for size!

Leather…pants...? Yes. Leather pants. We said it. This trend has taken a turn for the better. All leather pants—they are really more like leggings—have been somewhat the rage this season and it’s important to understand

how to style them. Wearing leather pants the wrong way could ruin your whole outfit! If you are opting for the daring trend, try keep-ing the whole outfit a sleek color. Black is a thinning color and layering black pieces with leather pants will not make the pants stand out so much when you wear them. For those of you who are a little less on the wild side, leather accented pants may be just what you are looking for! The accented legging mate-rial mixed with leather will weigh out some of the crazy material and tone your outfit down a bit while still giving the satisfaction of being a total risk taker. Try your accented leather with greys and whites to tone down the leather accents even more without ruining it! Pastel colors paired with leather also make for a stunning but subtle combination. Enjoy!

Leather jackets have yet to fail.

Senior Olivia Park

x

--Photos by Paola Arbaiza

Elevation Burger takes burger restaurants to another level. It gives you the experience of a juicy, tasty burger, but without the pink slime and grease of an average burger. Elevation Burger provides quality food with their 100 per-cent grass fed and 100 percent free range beef, making it a healthy alternative to the usual fast-food burger.

When you walk into Elevation, it seems clean and modern. It is bright and vibrant with its florescent LED lights and recycled bamboo floors. The atmosphere at Elevation Burger makes you focus on the food because of the calm and serene

vibe given off. When you head up to order you

can choose from an array of 12 different burgers, 17 toppings, and you also have the choice of a veggie patty. You are in control of everything, from the condi-ments such as ketchup and mustard to the vegetables like tomato and lettuce. You will not accidently get pickles on your burger like you do at McDonald’s because you get to choose everything down to the small details.

They also have a good variety of healthy drink choices from Nantucket Nectar, Honest Tea, and Wild Bills. You can spoil yourself with a tasty shake or malt made with fresh ice cream. The price

of a burger,drink, and fries comes up to around ten dollars which is a little pricy, but worth it in the long run.

As you sit down and wait to be served, you can bask in the music playing softly in the background. The service is quick and you barely have to wait more than five minutes. Your burger is served nicely on a silver tray and your food looks pleasing. The burger tastes really nice and is not greasy or too sloppy. The best part is the French fries, because they are so crispy and hot but don’t taste overwhelm-ingly salty like the fries at McDonald’s do. In the end you finish your food not feeling overstuffed or heavy, and that is just the Elevation experience.

December 14, 2012 The Blake Beat E3

Life of Pi captivates audience, mesmerizes students

REVIEWS FOR YOUBurger joint provides high quality beef

Tara Adhatamsoontra

Black Ops 2 is a bonanza, thrills gaming enthusiastsby Danny Gonzalez x

Danny Gonzalez

Marina McCaney

xEscape, inspire, revolution, good

karma: do any of these adjectives sound appli-cable to your current mood? If so, Stereomood has a playlist that’s just right for you, and if not, Stereomood probably has another playlist that will harmonize with your feelings.

Stereomood (www.stereomood.com) is an online music streaming website centered on supplying its users with playlists for specific moods. The website allows users to discover music that matches their current mood.

Users can either seek to enhance a current mood or try to evoke a desired one with the music. In addition to the basic mood playlists, such as “optimistic” or “aggressive,” there are playlists that set the mood for certain activities, like doing the laundry or going on

a road trip.On the website’s homepage, you can

choose a mood that’s shown under any of the three tabs—what’s hot, the most popular playlists, random, or user’s choice, which are the playlists that have been specifically created by Stereomood users.

If none of those moods seem appealing, then there is a search bar at the top that says, “I feel…” that can be completed with any word. The search will pull up a list of options. While listening to the playlist of whichever mood you’re feeling, you can tag each song with any other descriptive moods, and that song will then appear on the playlists of those moods for your fellow users.

Every song also has a ‘more info’ link, which contains information about the artist or band as well as any upcoming tour dates.

This website is an amazing resource, and I would definitely recommend it to any-one who has any level of interest in music. The interactive aspect of Stereomood is what makes it unique and distinguishable from other music streaming websites; each user has the opportunity for an individualized experience. Stereomood can help foster the personal relationships that some people de-velop and cherish with music, or it can merely provide background music and contribute to the overall atmosphere of the environment or activity.

Either way, the website offers expo-sure to new types of music, expands users’ musical knowledge, and enhances emotions. Stereomood is a website worth visiting—and possibly keeping up in a permanent book-marks tab.

by Marina McCaney

Hannah Kenney

by Hannah Kenneyx

Sentimental details, special effects amaze senior

by Tara Adhatamsoontra x

Stereomood.com provides individualized experience, satisfies moods

Life of Pi, a spiritual and captivating fable, leaves the viewer in a nostalgic state of mind. Director Ang Lee does a phenomenal job visually capturing his movie’s sentimental morals, and the strong emotions they entail.

The movie is divided into three seg-ments. The first introduces the main character Pi, and his early childhood living at his fam-ily’s zoo. Economic issues force the family to pack up their belongings, including the animals, and immigrate to Canada by boat. Rough weather causes the ship to sink. The second segment precedes the shipwreck. The adventures of Pi are colorfully portrayed in this segment of the film, which is personally my favorite. The third segment concludes the

film with Pi narrating his incredible journey from a hospital bed. However, this segment of the movie is not dramatized, and may seem like an anticlimax.

Regardless, this “flashback” style of the movie’s plot is thought-provoking. Although the viewer is not left with an eye popping, visually astonishing scene like the rest of the film, a trippy twist leaves the viewer in a haze, either interpreting the movie as uplifting and profound, or contradicting and confusing.

Many critics of the film doubted Lee’s ability to adapt author Yann Martel’s beautiful novel into a movie and capture the novel’s purpose while maintaining its graphi-cal beauty. With an active imagination, it is almost impossible for a movie to exceed the

unrealistic images a reader develops in their mind, but, to say the least, Lee has most pos-sibly defied the impossible.

It is amazing what detailed images special effects can create. Lee has essentially put a dream to life through modern technol-ogy and aspiration. This two-hour-long cre-ation of art features a gorgeous picturesque backdrop of the shimmering ocean reflect-ing the golden clouded daytime skies, and the iridescent stars at night. This vibrantly animated depiction was almost magical, and the mere image could have easily brought an avid audience to tears.

If you appreciate a bold creative film, watch this movie-and see it in 3D! It only makes the experience that more mesmer-izing.

Every November, Call of Duty’s next midnight release is everyone’s number one anticipation. With $60 in-hand, players look to encounter an advanced and renewed gam-ing experience with Black Ops 2.

Black Ops 2 made $500 million within 24 hours of its November 13 release. Does this game deserve such deposit from gamers’ pockets? I have to admit, Black Ops I just did not cut it for me. But Black Ops 2 isn’t just another Call of Duty; this in many ways is a milestone for the franchise.

Let us begin with the campaign. Everyone wants a well-rounded, engaging gaming experience. From rushing automo-tive pursuits, to impaling fire fights, to an interesting plot that actually makes sense, the campaign hits the mark.

You play as protagonist Alex Wood’s

son David in the realistic, futuristic game segments, and as combinations of char-acters from Black Ops I in the Cold War segments. The game effectively juxtaposes time settings between the 1980’s and 2025, connecting all segments into one big chain of events.

What’s really impressive is the cam-paign’s success in delivering the explosive-ness we all expect, but also creating an emo-tionally engaging plot. This is partially due to the facial captures of characters during playback scenes. The best part is the incor-poration of player-decision. Honestly, some choices are simple, but many are more sub-tle, affecting whether or not you complete a mission. You’ll also see a character live or die based on your decisions. So thumbs up to Treyarch for player-decisions.

Now, multiplayer is just as captivat-ing; you will skip meals and hold it in until

you fling yourself towards the toilet. I’ll just mention the most relevant points in a run-on sentence. New combat training against bots for newbies! League-play for experienced players: create your own team, compete against other teams to fight their way up a league; Multi-team Battle: three or more teams face off in the same field with tension two-team battles simply can-not match. Finally, my personal favorite: pick-ten weapon classes. Here every class item is worth “one”. You can edit perks, attachments, and weapons until they add to ten, giving you ultimate personalization abilities over your weapon classes.

Now, finally, ZOMBIES! Sorry, I have no room left. Overall, Black Ops 2 is an ultra-customizable, ground-breaking COD. Whether you’re jumping in for the first time or are experienced, Black Ops 2 suits everyone.

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December 14, 2012 The Blake BeatE4