May 2015
Student Showcase... page 2Arts & Entertainment... pg 3Sports ... page 4Artist of the Month and Horoscopes... page 5
MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL SPRING ART FAIR
June 4 & 5, 7:30-4:30pm, Memorial High School Art GalleryQuality artwork at fair prices by high school students, teachers and professionals! Open to the community!
Fundraiser for Art Department account and school’s Endowment Fund. Cash and check accepted!Contact Geof Herman in the art department if you have questions: <[email protected]>
Aspire Testing and Its ProblemsBy Amit Rajesh Freshmenandsophomores---Iaminthisgroup----arefinallydonewiththeACTAspiretesting,whichisanonlinestandardizedtestthathasfivesections:Reading,Mathematics,English,Science,andWriting.Thewholetesttakesaboutfivehours,giveortake,anditisbasicallyaneasierversionoftheACT,oneofthemainstandardizedteststhatallcollegeslookatwhenconsideringapplicants. Thatbeingsaid,theAspiretestdoeshaveitsfairshareofproblems.Ihavesummarizedthetopfourissuespeopleseemtohavewiththistest: Theessayquestionwassilly,likeitalmostalwaysis.Everyonewhohastakenitknowshowgenericitwaswhichmadeitdifficulttowriteastrongessay.Notonlywasithardtowriteawholeessayabout,itwasauselessquestionthathasyouallbutlaughingatyouressayonceyoufinishit.Thisisn’taonetimethingfortheAspireeither;thefalltesthadanalmostequallyhilariousquestion.Icanonlyimaginenextyear’squestions....Thepolicyofwhatyoucanandcannotdoafterthetestneedtobechanged.Accordingtotherules,youcannotgoonyourphone,dootherhomework,orevenreadabookafteryoufinishthetest.Theonlythingthatyoucandoisstareblanklyintospaceormaybedrawonablankpieceofpaper.(Andthatpapercannotbefromyournotebook,ithastobeyourscratchpapergiventoyoubytheproctor.)Whyaretherulessostrict?It’snotlikeanyoneisgoingtocheat!WhocheatsontheAspiretest?Ithasnoimplicationsonyourgrade,andyoudon’tevengetascoreback.Thereisabsolutelynomotiveforcheatingonsuchatest.Sotherulesthattheyenforcearewaytoostrictandshouldbeslackenednextyear.Theyshouldreducethecharacterlimitthattheyenforceineveryshortanswerquestion.I’mprettysurenoonegotevenclosetoactuallynearingthelimit.(1000characterlimitfora3sentenceanswer?C’monnow.)Nexttime,thetestshouldnotbecompletelyweb-based.Thiscreatesaplethoraofproblems.First,sinceabout500-600kidsaretakingthetestatthesametime,theinternetbandwidthgetscompletelyusedup,andinternetbecomesmuchslower.Also,thismeansupperclassmen,whoaren’ttakingthetest,havetorestricttheirinternetusesotheAspiretestdoesn’tcrash.Anotherthingthatcangowrongisifaservererroroccurs,inwhichcaseallthetests,whichrunofftheserver,donotwork.Soundfamiliar?ThisisexactlywhathappenedonTuesdaymorning,andittookabitmorethananhourtofix.Thatmeantthatthefreshmenstartedtheirtestsinthemiddleofsecondhour,insteadofatthebeginningoftheschoolday,andsomeoftheirlunchschedulesendedupgettingalteredabit.Ontheplusside,sincethetesthadn’tstartedyet,wedidn’thavetofollowtheirridiculouspolicyofstaringatthewall.
A Word on Aspire Testing ByIsabellaWu SayfarewelltoExploreandPlan,fortheyarenomore.LastyearthesetwotestswereofferedforthelasttimebytheACT,andAspirewascreatedtoreplacethem.TheAspiretest,takenonline,costsapproximately$20perstudentandisanalternativetoothertestssuchasthePARCCandSmarterBalanced. Whilethistestissupposedtobea“run-downversion”oftheACT,test-takerssoonrealizedtherewaslittleincommon.Asidefromthefactthetestwasadministereddigitally,short-responseandcategorizationquestions were required in the English,Reading,Mathematics,andSciencesections.Furthermore,thesciencesection,traditionallymoreofananalyticalscienceportion,requiredfarmorescienceknowledgethanintheactualACT. Contrarytopopularbelief,theblandwritingpromptwasactuallyin“analyticalexpositorymode”--notpersuasiveorargumentative.AquickanalysisofpublicizedAspireguidelinessupportsthis.Therefore,athesiswasnotrequired. Asforourexperience,Aspiretestingcreatedabitofhavoc,scheduleandtesting-wise.Wecanallhopeforabetterroundnextyear.http://www.discoveractaspire.org/pdf/2014_exemplar_actaspire_writing.pdf
Summer and FinalsByEvankaAnnyapu Itwasonlyafewdaysagothat I noticed my eyes wandering offintospace,mainlytothesightoutside.Icouldseetheflowersstartingtobloom,thesunraysshiningasbrightasever,andthebirdsflyingaround.IhadtopullmyselfoutofthisdaydreamthatIwasgoingintoandstartthinkingaboutthosefinalsthatwerecreepingup. Theweatheroutsidebecomesitsown‘hypnotizer,’leavingmanystudentstostrayofftothinkaboutsummerratherthanthefinalsthatinchingcloserandcloser.Buttostayontrackyoucan: 1)Selfmotivateyourselfusingpost-itnotesorsmallquoteswritteninyourplanner.Atleastyoucanfeelthepressureasyoulookbackdownatyourplannerafteramomentofdaydreaming. 2)Studyforfinalswithpeopletakingthesameclass.Theconversationsmayleadofftosomethingdifferent,butyouatleastknowyou’rethinkingaboutsomethingotherthansummer. 3)Takealookatyourgrades.Isthereagradethat’slooking...Notsogood?Itmightbethesparktopushyoutostudyatleastforadayortwo.Ifthatpressuresstartstodieoffafteracoupleofdays,maybeyourremedymightbetoprintoutyour grades and put it somewhere you’dseeeveryday. 4)Createaschedule.Aschedulemightbeastarttoincreasingyourwillpower.Withfifteenminutebreaksandatleast45minutestoanhourofstudyingeveryday,youcouldliftthatgradefromaBtoanA. 5)Getridofthedistractions!Imean,weallknowthefirstdistraction-allelectronicdevices.FromphonestoTVs,youwillmostlikelynotgetstuffdoneasefficientlyasyouwantedto.Studyinginanidealenvironmentisprettyhardbecausesuddenly,thepaintonthewallseemswaymoreinterestingthanstudying.Pickaplacethatyoufeelcomfortableandcalm.Aplacewhereyouknowyoucangetstuffdone. Withthesefivetips,youcouldprobablyhandleanother6-7weeksofschool!Motivateyourselfanddon’tletthatsquirreloutsidedistractyoutoomuch.Finalsarejustaroundthecornerandhowwellyoudoonthemmatters.Justassureyourselfthatinalmostlessthanmonth,you’llbeoutside,enjoyingtheniceweatherandnomoreofthosefinals!
STUDENT OF THE MONTH:
Nathan Wang ByDavidCao
Withaprodigiousamountofself-determinationandself-motivation,NathanWangcandoanything.Throughouthighschool,hehastakenthemostdifficulthonorsandAPcoursesMemorialhastooffer.NotonlyhasNathantakentenAPcoursesfromsophomoretosenioryear,buthehasalsoaudaciouslypursuedfourcollegeclassesatUW-MadisonduringhislastyearatJMM.Alongwithhisacademicexcellence,heisalsoaNationalMeritFinalist,PresidentialScholarSemifinalist,aswellasaNationalAPScholar.Whileeffectivelymanagingchallenginghighschoolandcollegeclasswork,NathanisalsoactivelyinvolvedinSpartanYouthService,whereheoftenvolunteersaroundtheMadisoncommunity.Forhisexcellentacademicachievementandcommunityservice,NathanwasnamedtheSaukTrailsOptimistClubStudentoftheMonthandtheSouthMadisonRotaryClubStudentoftheMonth,andwasalsoawardedtheRotaryOutstandingSeniorScholarshipandKemperK.KnappScholarship.
Nathan’s Classes Taken at Memorial:
IinterviewedNathanaboutallofhisachievementsandhowhemakestimeforleisurewithhisdemandingacademiccourseworkandextracurriculars: What inspires or motivates you to be your best? It’smostlyself-motivationbutIthinkitwouldbemoreaccuratetodescribeitasasickness… What clubs or extracurricular activities are you involved in, and how have they changed or influenced you as a person? IthinkSpartanYouthServicehasinfluencedmethemostoutofalltheclubsI’vebeenapartof.It’staughtmealotaboutresponsibilityandit’sgivenmethechancetomeetalotofcoolpeoplethatIwouldn’thaveotherwise.Idefinitelythinkit’sagreatopportunityforallhighschoolstudentstohelpgivebacktothecommunitywhilehavingfun,andthebestpartisthatthestudentsarereallytheoneswhodrivetheclubforward.ButIthinkit’simportanttonotethateveryclubI’vebeenapartofatMemorialhascontributedtowhoIam.Eachclubofferssomethinguniqueandallthosedifferentpartsareequallyimportanttome. With all of your activities and busy schedule, how do you find time to relax and enjoy life?IhaveNetflixandImakepoorlifedecisions. What are your tactics for managing time and getting tasks done efficiently with the highest quality?Iusedto/(still)suckatgettingthingsdonebutIhonestlythinkittakespracticetobeabletoconcentrateanddoallyourstuffatonce.ItalsohelpstothinkthatthesoonerIcanfinish,thesoonerIcanrelax. What are you most excited for in college and what are you thinking about majoring in?I’mgoingtomajorinchemicalengineeringandI’mreallyexcitedaboutthefreedomincollege.Inhighschoolyou’reconstrainedafewdifferentcoreclassesineachsubjectbutincollegeyoucanfocusinonthesubjectsyoulikealotmoreeasily.I’veneverlikedmyclassesasmuchasIdothisyearbecauseit’sallinformationthatI’msuperinterestedin. Do you have any wise words of advice for Memorial students to make them successful like you?Learnhowtostudy.Oneofthemainreasoncollegestudentsfailisbecausetheydon’tactuallyknowhowtostudyforexams.Don’tbethatkidwhonevergoestolectureandfailstheexambecausecollegeisridiculouslyexpensiveandthenyou’vejustwasted4monthsofyourlife.
Student of the Month recognizes a Memorial senior with high academic excellence, outstanding participation in extracurricular activities, and excellent community leadership skills. This special JMM Sword and Shield recognition is intended to inspire all students in the Memorial community to take on difficult challenges and persistently pursue goals for success. Memorial seniors who are featured for Student of the Month are chosen from student nominations, and after hard deliberations, picked by the Sword and Shield editors.
A Note From the EditorBy Nathan Wang
JMM Class of 2015 Senior
Party!By Caroline Zhou
Callingallseniors!!!AsyoursenioritishitsanultimatepeakjustdaysafterAPexamsandprom,Ibelievethatwe’llhaveenoughmotivationtofinishouttheyearwithabangbyattendingtheSeniorSend-offParty!ItwilltakeplaceonMay30,2015from9p.m.to1a.m.intheJMMFieldhouse.Thethemeis“ThrowbacktoYourFuture,”andallguestsareinvitedtodresstorepresenttheirfavoritedecadefromthe1950stotoday.Attheparty,therewillbearafflethatincludesprizesfromlocalbusinessessuchasNoodles&Company,Erik’sBikeShop,andmore!Dancethenightaway,ortakeashotatthecasino.Also,newtothesnackselectionthisyearwillbethepancakebar,whereyou’llbeabletosatisfyanylatenightcravings.Ticketsare$15andcanbeboughtfromMs.DahmenintheFoxNeighborhoodCenter.Studentsinneedmaybeeligibleforassistancewithcost.Getyourflowerpower,groove,SpiceGirls,‘NSync/BackstreetBoyson!Specialthankstoalltheparentsinvolvedfororganizingthiseventforus.Asoneofthelasteventsthatwecancelebrateasaclass,Ihopetoseeyou there!
Student Showcase -
Isabella WuThis March, Memorialstudent&pianistIsabellaWucompetedintheFinalForte,thefinal
roundofoneofWisconsin’smostprestigiouscompetitionsforyoungmusicians.Isabellawaschosenasoneofthefinalfourcompetitorsfromanoriginalfieldofover50ofWisconsin’sbestyoungmusicians.TheFinalForteconcludedwithacompetitionliveonWisconsinPublicTelevisionattheCapitolTheater with the Madison SymphonyOrchestra.JoiningIsabellaonstagewasJulianRehee,violin;VivianWilhelms,piano;andMayaPierick,harp.Isabella,whohaspreviouslysoloedwiththeMadisonSymphonyontwo occasions says it was an honor toplayforastatewideaudience.“Itwasatrulyincredibleexperience”,Isabellasays.“There’ssomuchplanninggoingonbehindscenes--theorchestra,theperformers,thetelevisioncrew,make-upartistandadministration--allthatplanningintoonebeautifulnightofmusic.”Memorialhasalsobenefitedfromthisexperience.IsabellaiscontinuingaMemorialpresenceinthecompetition,followinglastyear’swinner,juniorDavidCao.Many teachers and students were in attendance, and the Madison Symphonyhasalsograntedthemusicdepartment$500.IsabellaisalsoapercussionistinWindEnsembleandaviolinistinWYSO.
Sword & Shield StaffEditor-in-chief
Nathan WangAsst.Editor-in-chief
Vishal NarayanaswamyArts&EntertainmentEditor
Caroline ZhouCopyEditorLeon PanNewsEditorAmol Rajesh
PhotographyEditorCarlos PerezSportsEditorJoe Venuta
StudentLifeEditorHamayail Ansari
HoroscopesJoanna Pauline MartinezStudentContributors
Evanka AnnyapuDavid Cao
Molly DeJonghJack Harrington
Ankita JhaShalla MoyLeon Pan
Shalini PatroAmit RajeshAmol RajeshCaleb Walker Nathan WangIsabella Wu
Caroline ZhouAdvisor
Teri Parris Ford
Senior Year: APEnglishLanguageandComposition YAPBiotechnology MultivariableCalculusatUW-Madison DifferentialEquationsatUW-Madison GeneralPhysicsSem.1forEngineersatUW-Madison GeneralPhysicsSem.2forEngineersatUW-Madison Sophomore Year: English2Honors Spanish3 APBiology APWorldHistory Math Physics APStatistics APCalculusAB HealthEducation
Junior Year: AP Chemistry AP Macroeconomics ModernUSHistory APCalculusBC APEnglishLanguageandComposition Spanish4 AP Microeconomics TeamSports Anatomy&Physiology
Freshman Year: English1Honors USHistory Spanish2 ArtExperiences ForensicSciences PhysicalEducation InternationalCuisine Pre-Calculus Math ChemistryWe’realmostdoneeveryone!As
clubsstarttowrapupandclassesgetreadyfortheendoftheyear,itcanbereallyeasytopotatooutforthenextcouplemonths.Butjustrememberthatwe’renotinsummerbreakyetanditwouldsucktohaveputinalotofworkthesepastfewmonthsjusttobloweverythingoffnow.TheJMMplannercanbereallyhelpfulrightnowtohelpyoumakesureyoucanattendeverythingthat’shappeningduringthesefinalweeks:theJMMfilmfest,sports,banquets,thespringplay,etc.We’vestudiedandworkedhardallyearlongsomakesuretoreallyenjoyyourselfandwe’llseeyouallinnextmonth’sspecialSeniorissue.
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Avengers: Age of All-YawnByJackHarrington
Firstthingsfirst.Thisfilmisn’tgoingtowinanyOscars.Ifyou’reexpectingthat,pleaserethinkyourlifechoices.It’smeanttobeafun,well-written,superheroblockbuster.Thatbeingsaid,itmanagestobeincrediblybland.Itsunimaginativeplotandsidestoriesontopofannoyingdialogueareitsheavyhandedweaknesses,withitsonlyrealsavinggracebeingtheacting.
Ithinkthebiggestproblemthisfilmsuffersfromisitsplot.Thereisnocharacterdevelopmenttospeakof,withthesoleexceptionsbeingQuicksilverandScarletWitch,whoseminordevelopmentsarecompletelyunimportantbythetimethecreditsroll.TheentirestoryprogressesfrompointAtoBtoCetcetera.Theyjusthappen.Therearenocharactermotivationsorreactionstowhathappens;theyjustoccurandcharactersfollowalong.Itfeelslikeatwoandahalfhourepisodeofashowthatgoesdownasthemostforgettableoftheseason.Therearenotwistsorshockingchanges.Youcouldprobabltypredictwhatwouldhappenwhilewatchingitforthefirsttimeasaccuratelyasyouwouldthetenthtime.Ultronwantedtodestroythehumanrace,because…whynot?Hismotivesneverbecomeclearotherthanhewantsto,whichfeelsprettylazyforsuchapowerfulvillain.
Therearealsonumerousplotholes.Ultronsaysveryearlyonthat“TheAvengerswillfallbecausetheycannotworkinperfectharmonylikeIandmyrobotminionscan,”buttheonlythingthat’strulyahindranceonthemishowTheHulkdoesn’ttakeregardforcivilianlives(whichisconvenientlynotthecaseforthelastfightwhichisalsoneverexplainedastowhy)andthatheneedstobecalmeddownoutofhisrage.Otherthanoccasionalmiscommunicationsorlackingcommunications,thereisnorealdiscordtospeakof.SpeakingofTheHulk,hispossible“shouldwe,shouldn’twe”romancewithBlackWidowisfrustratinglyuseless.Theypresentnumeroustimeswheretheviewerswanttocareaboutit,butitneverdevelopsorgoesanywhereandendsupfeelinglikewaystoaddscreentimeandnothingfurther.
TheothermajorflawofAgeofUltronistheannoyingdialogue.Eachchapterofthestoryhasafewwittyone-linersallofwhicharemeanttomaketheaudiencelaugh.Otherwisethedialogueispainfullydryandforgettable.Itjusttriestopushthestoryalong.
Onthegoodside,thisisoneoftheonlyfilmsIcansaynotasingleleadactordidpoorly,norwereanyovershadowedbythecapabilitiesoftheirfellowactors.Everyonesoldtheircharacterfantastically,andthechemistrybetweeneveryonefeltrealenoughthatIcouldseethemalllivinginapenthousetogetherinreallife.Unfortunately,thisisn’tenoughtosavethefilmfromitsotherflaws.Ifyoulovesuperheroes,it’scertainlyworthaRedboxrental,butotherwiseit’shardtotrulyrecommendit.
Avengers:AgeofUltron5/10
“Chewie...we’re home”ByCalebWalker That’sright,itappearsthatStarWarsishomeonceagain.Afteryearsofirrelevance,StarWarshasfinallyreturned.UndernewownerDisney,StarWarsEpisode7:TheForceAwakens,thefirstinstallmentinthenewSequelTrilogyissettodebatelaterthisyear.Thefilm,set30yearsafterReturnoftheJedi,seesthereturnofHanSolo,LukeSkywalker,PrincessLeiaandalltheothermaincharactersfromtheoriginaltrilogycomingback,playedbytheiroldactors.Thispastmonth,thesecondtrailerforthefilmdebutedwhichfeaturedthefirstlookatHanSoloandChewbacca,sparkingmuchoptimismandhopeforfansthatwewillfinallybeabletosaygoodbyetotheprequels,whichisbyfarthedarkesteraforStarWarsfansovertheageof25.Whileourgenerationtendedtoliketheprequelsmainlyduetothefactthat“theyhadalotoflightsaberfights”,ifyougobackandrewatchthosefilmsincomparisonwiththeoriginaltrilogyfilms,youwillrealizehowbadthosemoviesreallyareandthatGeorgeLucasbasicallyrobbedyouofyourchildhood.Whileitmaybetoolate
foryou,hopefullyTheForceAwakenswilltouchanewgenerationinthesamewaytheoriginalfilmstouchedyourparents.Andhopefullythesenewfilmswillhelpyourparents’generationloveStarWarsagain.Andhey,maybeyoutoowillforgetabouttheprequelsandembracethesenewmovies.Whetheryouforgettheprequelsornot,itfeelsgoodtofinallysaygoodbyetoJarJarBinks,HaydenChristensen,GeorgeLucas,OverusedCGIandMidi-Chlorians.Here’stohopingthenexttrailercomesoutverysoonsowecanspeculateendlesslyaboutituntiltheactualmoviecomes.ThefuturelooksbrightforStarWars!
Sudoku:TheClassicSudokuisanumberplacingpuzzlebasedona9x9gridwithseveralgivennumbers.Theobjectiveistofillintheemptysquareswiththenumbers1to9sothateachrow,eachcolumnandeach3x3boxcontainsthesamenumberonlyonce.
Ken Ken: Usethenumbers1to5tofillineachemptysquaresothatthearithmeticoperationdenotedatthetopofeachgroupofsquares(separatedbyboldlines)leadstotheresultingnumberalsoatthetopofeachgroupofsquares.Theorderofnumbersdoesnotmatterinagroup,however,youmayonlyuseonenumberonceineachroworcolumn.
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Prep ProfilesName:Leon Pan FavoriteClass:Anatomy & Physiology CurrentSport:Tennis CareerHighlights:Winning 1st place doubles at the Raider Invite with Colin Pitman. IloveTennisbecause:What other sport has as many innuendos? Seasongoal:To not grunt. Othersports:Walking from my refrigerator to my room. IlovebeingaSpartanbecause:sometimes I like to pretend my real name is actually King Leonidas I of Sparta. But actually, our Speech & Debate championships are definitely things to be proud of. Mostmemorablemomentinsports:Freshman year, Brian Luo served a ball straight into the back of my head, which bounced over to an adjacent court. At our season banquet, Coach Grainger gave me a hard hat for that. Mostembarrassingmomentinsports:Leaving a sweaty butt print on the courts. Everyoneontheteamknowsmeas:Danger Pan/Tennis Mom/Lee-ern Pregamemusicplaylist:Top 50 Tennis Grunts of the 00s. Pregamefuel:Watching Doug Powell’s flow. Mostinspirationalteammate:Colin Pitman FavoriteAthlete:Vishal Narayanaswamy. FavoriteOpponent:East High School. IwishIcouldcompeteagainst:Brian Luo’s voracious appetite. FavoriteMovie:300 FavoriteTVshow:Cyberchase and Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat. Idescribemyselfas:Descriptive. Ilookupto:Jacob Padley’s butt chin. Ican’tlivewithout:Toilet Paper. IwishIcouldmeet:Roger Federer. DuringtheOlympicsIwatched: Ads. PostHighSchoolplans:College debt…at UW-Madison studying Computer Science and Finance. Onthebucketlist:Watching “Mulan.”
Name:Molly DeJongh Currentsport:Softball Careerhighlights:Beating LaFollette twice Ilovesoftballbecause:I like to hit Seasongoal:Win playoffs Othersports:None IlovebeingaSpartanbecause:It’s fun Mostmemorablemomentinsports:Losing to Verona on a walk off homerun Mostembarrassingmomentinsports:Tripping on first base during a game Everyoneontheteamknowsmeasthegalwho...I don’t know what they know me as
Pregamemusicplaylist:Whatever Nasitta plays Pregamefuel:Cheez-its Mostinspirationalteammate:Nasitta Keita Favoriteathlete: Sam Dekker Favoriteopponent:West IwishIcouldcompeteagainst:Coach Janssen Favoritemovie:She’s The Man Favoritetvshow:One Tree Hill Idescribemyselfas:loyal Ilookupto: My sister Ican’tlivewithout:Blankets IwishIcouldmeet:Zac Efron DuringtheOlympicsIwatched:Gymnastics Didyouknow...people think my sister and I are twins PostHighSchoolplans:Attend UW-La Crosse Onthebucketlist:Go to Australia Spartancardssold:None
Name:Ankita Jha FavoriteClass:Calculus BC. CurrentSport:Ultimate Frisbee. CareerHighlights:Getting my new favorite nickname from Lexi Amundson and Emily Hubbard. IloveUltimatebecause:Everyone is so friendly and has great spirit! Seasongoal:To catch a callahan! Othersports:Tennis IlovebeingaSpartanbecause:Green is my favorite color. Mostmemorablemomentinsports:Beating West in a tie-breaker at Conference. Mostembarrassingmomentinsports:Serving a ball into Maddy Green’s butt while playing doubles. Everyoneontheteamknowsmeasthegalwho…Wears her shorts
inside out and backwards. Pregamemusicplaylist:Anything by Childish Gambino or Sarah McLachlan. Pregamefuel:Strawberries. Mostinspirationalteammate:Melissa Heilman, just because of her laugh. FavoriteAthlete:Renee Kar-Johnson and Joseph King. FavoriteOpponent:Middleton IwishIcouldcompeteagainst:Serena Williams. FavoriteMovie:Hot Rod or The Dark Knight. FavoriteTVshow:Parks and Rec or It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Idescribemyselfas:Aloof. Ilookupto:Teri Marie Parris Ford and Peon Lan. Ican’tlivewithout:My phone and water. IwishIcouldmeet:Obama. DuringtheOlympicsIwatched:Tennis and Table Tennis. Didyouknow…I am afraid of hair. PostHighSchoolplans:Go to Carnegie Mellon University. Onthebucketlist:Skydiving. Spartancardssold:More than Lucy Ji.
Name:Shalla Moy FavoriteClass:AP Macroeconomics CurrentSport: Soccer CareerHighlights:First team All-Conference 2014, MVP 2014, captain Ilovesoccerbecause:it’s a contact sport Seasongoal:win conference IlovebeingaSpartanbecause:we’re a family Mostmemorablemomentinsports:scoring game winners against East, West, and Sun Prairie Mostembarrassingmomentinsports:missed a PK Everyoneontheteamknowsmeasthegalwho…yells at everyone Pregamemusicplaylist:Colleen Koval rapping Pregamefuel:Nature Valleys sweet&salty peanut bars Mostinspirationalteammate:Mary Erikson and Ashley Burkhardt FavoriteAthlete: Randall Cobb FavoriteOpponent:Middleton and West IwishIcouldcompeteagainst:the memorial boys team of 2015 FavoriteMovie:The Last Song FavoriteTVshow:Greys Anatomy Idescribemyselfas:competitive Ilookupto:no one Ican’tlivewithout:food IwishIcouldmeet: the Hemsworth brothers DuringtheOlympicsIwatched:swimming and gymnastics Didyouknow…I got cut from Magic the first year of tryouts PostHighSchoolplans:UW Madison Onthebucketlist:be an NFL wifeSpartancardssold:0
Atlanta Public School Cheating Scandal ByShaliniPatro
Dubbedasoneofthe“largestscandalsinUnitedStateshistory”duetoitssheersize,theAtlantapublicschoolcheatingscandalhasbroughtshameto44ofthe56publicschoolsinthestateofGeorgia. It is no surprise that many teachers are under stress to adequatelypreparestudentsforstandardizedtests.Infact,becauseoftheNoChildLeftBehindAct(2001),high-stakestestingoftenholdsteachersaccountable,withpenaltiesiftheyfailtoperform.Itisbecauseofthispressurethatmanyteachersinvolvedinthecheatingscandaljustifieddoingtheactionsthattheydid. Tracesofthescandalstartedin2009withtheAtlantaJournal-Constitutionpublishinganalysesofstandardizedtests.Theanalysesshowedmanystatisticallyunlikelytest scores, one that either contained greatgainsorlosses.TheAPShadbeenpraisedhighlyformanyoftheirscores.However,ithadbeendiscoveredthat178teachersandprincipalshadcorrectedanswersthat were entered in my students, thereforeincreasingthetestscores.OnSeptember29,2014,thetrialfortheteachersaccusedoftamperingwithstudents’gradesbeganinAtlanta,withtheexpectationthatitwouldlastmorethanthreemonths.OnApril1,2015,approximately11ofthetotal12teachersthatwere accused were charged with racketeering--(which,accordingtodictionary.comis“thepracticeofconductingorengaginginaracket,asextortionorbootlegging.”)Amongthepeoplesentencedare:DonaldBullock,SharonDavis-Williams,TamaraCotman,MichaelPitts,DanaEvans,AngelaWilliamson,TabeekaJordan,DianeBuckner-Webb,TheresiaCopeland,andPamelaCleveland.Theirsentencesrangefromsixmonthsto20yearsinprison,onetosevenyearstoserve,$1,000to$25,000infines,and1,000to2,000hoursofcommunityservice.
HoroscopesBy Joanna Pauline Martinez
Libra (Sept 23 - Oct 22) LuckyLibraiswhatyou’llbeknownasthisupcomingmonth!You’llstumbleontoawealthofsomekind,eithermoney,yourhealth,orawealthinyourrelationships.AppreciateallthegoodthingscomingyourwayLibra,andshareyourwealthwithothers.Thissimpleactofkindnesswillbring
evenmorekarmayourway!
Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21) AcommitmentofsomekindwilltakeupmostyourtimethismonthScorpio!Ifit’saneventthathasbeenplannedforsometimenow,tryyourbestnottobackout,whichwillleaveothersfeelingunimportant.EnjoyallthetasksandchallengesthatwillmarkthismonthofMay,somethingunexpectedbutmostappreciatedwillcomeoutfromthedifficulttimes!Don’tbeafraid!
Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Getreadyforarevamp!You’llbethefirstofyourhouseholdtostartandfinishspringcleaning,aswellastieupanylooseendsSagittarius!You’reefficientandeffectiveduringthisprocessandwithinseveraldays,allyouraffairsshouldbeinorder!Thiswillclearyourschedulefortime
withfriendsandfamily!Gettoit!
Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19) Yourdreamswillleadyoutosomethingamazing,Capricorn!Keeppaperandapencilbyyourpillowandbereadytojotdownanythoughtsassoonasyouwakeup.Attheendofthemonth,revisityourdreamjournalandseewhat’shappenedsincethen.Itmaysurpriseyouhowaccurateinpredictionsyoursleepingselfis!Followyourdreamsthismonth!
Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)YourhousemaybeoverrunbyoutoftownorunexpectedvisitorsthismonthofMay,Aquarius.Itmayatfirstseemlikeanannoyancebutwhenanoldfriendvisits,you’llstarttowishthatmorepeoplewillstopby!Takethesevisitorsforanightoutdowntownandevenamorningstrollatthefarmersmarket!Catchingupwillbethebestthing
yet!
Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20) You’vegotbigplansforthesummer,Pisces,andsoakingupthesunmaybetheonlythingonyourmind.It’sgreattoplanahead,butmakesureyourscheduleisflexibletochange!Alsodoublecheckexpensesandbeawareofyour spending these upcoming months!
Aries (Mar 21 - April 19)OldfriendsmayseemtobepoppingupfasterthanthespringflowersAries!There’sareasonthey’rebackandanydramainthepastwillsoonbeforgotten.Takethesesurprisesinstrideandleaveyourselftolisten.You’llcometoembracetheseupcomingchanges!
Taurus (April 20 - May 20) SocialeventswillfillupyourcalendarthisMay,Taurus!GetyourfillofschoolspiritbyattendingtheLatinosUnidosDance,theAnnualFilmFestivaloranyofoursportingevents!Therewillalwaysbeachancetomakenewfriendships,relationships,andtojustletlooseandhavefun!Goforit!
Gemini (May 21 - June 20)Ifanupsettingeventoccursthismonth,Gemini,takethedefeatwithstrideandlearnfromanymistakesthatcouldhavebeenmade.Itmaybehardtolookpastthisevent,butyou’lleventuallyrealizethatwhateverhappenedwasunimportant.Thiswillmarkachangeinattitudes,andyou’ll
findyourselffeelinglighterandhappier!
Cancer (June 21 - Jul 22)Yourspiritswillbeupthroughoutthismonthandit’llbehardtobringyoudown!KeepsmilinganddoingyouCancer,it’sbroughtyouthisfarandwillbringyoutoplacesbeyond.Don’thesitatetoencourageclosecompanionsormereacquaintancestofollowyourlead!
Leo (July 23 - Aug 22) Takecareofyourhealththismonth,Leo!Maycanprovetobeahecticmonthanditmayseemlikeahassletotakebettercareofyourself,butignorethosefeelingsandgooutsideandexplore!Thefreshairwillrefreshbothyourbodyandmind,leadingtocreativeideas!Besuretowritethemdown!
Virgo (Aug 23 - Sept 22)OnemonthleftVirgo,don’tgiveupjustyetandcontinuedoingwhatyouneedtodoforafewmoreweeks!Itwouldbeashametohavealltheyear’shardworkgodownthedrainduetoanunusuallyhighlackofmotivation!Summerwillbeyourtimetorelax,sofornow,holdonanddon’tletgo!
May 2015Evan Cory
Startinginfirstgrade,mymomsignedmeupforasummerpotterycampataplacecalledPlayintheMudStudio.Thatturnedouttobeanexperiencethatsparkedmy(sofar)lifelonginterestinceramicsandsculpture.Beingwhereitwas,asecludedsmallforestbehindtheOriginalPancakeHouse,PlayintheMudprovedtobeastartingpointfromwhich
Icouldworkforwardindevelopingmyownartisticstyleandaesthetic.EventuallyIbeganspendingmysummersatPlayintheMudnotasacamperbutasanemployee.Thatwaswherethefunbegan.FreedomtocreateandexperimentiswhatIhavefoundtoreallymakethebigstepsindevelopmentasanartist.Allowingmyselfsometimetomessaroundonthewheelorjustletmyideasoutontoanunsuspectingpieceofclayhashelpedmesomuch.AllofthispalesincomparisontomyexperienceatMemorialthough.Weareallsoluckytohaveanoutstandingartdepartmentandnotonlythat,afullyequippedceramicsstudiowithaninspirationalteachertoo.StartinginmyfreshmanyearatMemorial,Mr.Hermanpushed,helped,andemboldenedmetosolvethedifficultproblemsinceramicsratherthantheeasyones,becausethatiswheretherealgrowthhappens.IhavebeenexposedtosuchincredibleopportunitiesthroughMr.HermansuchashavingmypiecesfiredinbothRakuandWoodfirekilnsasopposed
totheusualelectrickiln,workingwithanotablelocalpotteratoneofhis shows, and networkingthesurprisinglylargeworldofceramics in Wisconsin.AllIhavelefttosayisthis,hardworkreallydoespayoff.
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OlympianEditorsWanted
TheOlympianiscurrentlylookingforeditorsforthe2015-2016schoolyear.Pleasesendane-mailtoTeriParrisFord([email protected])and/ortothecurrentEditors-in-Chief,LeonPanandAnkitaJha.1.Writeaboutyourinterestandwhicheditorpositionyouwouldliketobeconsideredfor(seelistbelow).Pleaselistyourfirstchoiceaswellasasecondandthirdchoice.2.Pleasenoteyourqualifications,includeinterestinphotography,graphic design, writing, editing, experiencesinEnglishorArtclasses,orotherpublications.Note;studentswhohavetakenCAMM,aresignedupforCAMMorYearbooknextyearwillbegivenpriortyforallpositions.PleasenoteinyourapplicationifyouhaveorareplanningtotakeCAMMorifyouhaveanyexperienceusingAdobeInDesign.3.AllapplicationsareduebyMay22,2015.
PositionswillbeannouncedintheJuneSword&ShieldandameetingwillbecalledinJunebeforeschoolgetsout.Neweditorswillbeexpectedtomeetoverthesummertosetthemeanddesignsfornextyear’sbookandbeginmeetingweeklyinSeptember2015.Ifyouhaveanyquestions,pleaseseeTeriParrisFordintheartdepartmentortalktooneofthecurrenteditors.Positions to apply to:•Editor-in-Chief -- overseesalltheyearbookactivities.Thisistypicallyasharedposition.Ifyouwouldliketobeconsideredasateam,eachofyoushouldapplyseparatelyandstatewithwhomthepositionwouldbeshared with so that second and third choicesforeachcanbeconsidered.
•Academics Editor –responsibleforcoverageofallacademics,underclassmenandstaff.
•Clubs Editor –responsiblefororganizingcoverageofallclubs.
•Copy Editor–looksovertextoneachpagefortyposanderrorsbeforegoingtoprint.
•Photography Editor --managesallphotographyfortheyearbook,takesphotoswhenneeded.
•Senior Section Editor – responsiblefortheseniorsectionfortheyearbook.Thiscanbeasharedposition. •Sports Editor --responsiblefororganizingcoverageofsportsfortheyearbook.Thiscanbeasharedposition.
•Student Life Editor–responsiblefororganizingcoverageofthestudentlifeeventsandactivities.
Alleditorsareexpectedtobeabletomeetatleastonceamonth.Alleditorsareexpectedtobeabletotakedigitalphotos,useAdobeInDesign,respondtoemails,andbeincludedinaFacebookgroup--ie.communicateoftenwitheachotherintheplanningfordeadlines.Itisimportanttobewillingtoworkasneededafterschool,onweekendsorduringvacationdaystofulfillyourresponsibilityinmeetingdeadlines.
Immerse yourself in Cuban culture through a truly educational experience. In Havana, Cuba’s capital city, discuss the region’s conservation efforts, educational resources, and national identity with locals. Journey east to Cienfuegos and discover Cuba’s culture firsthand with a trip to an art studio as well as music and dance performances.
There is limited space on the trip, email to [email protected] for more details.
www.eftours.com/1744233YE
get a friend to join
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* New member must open a primary savings account and checking account. Primary Savings: Minimum to open $5. Annual Percentage Yield (APY), as of August 25, 2014 is 0.10%. Rate may change at any time. Minimum balance to obtain APY is $25. Referring member will have $10 deposited in their savings account when referred member is verified. Cash bonuses are considered taxable income and are subject to 1099 reporting, if applicable. See us for details.
Your savings federally insured to at least $250,000and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government
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NCUA
It’s easy, open a student free checking account at Summit and we’ll give you $10!
Even better — if you get a friend to join Summit, you'll both get an extra $10 bucks!
Stop by your high school branch and join today.
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hey Spartans
Famous Most Likelies
SatireByAmolRajesh Highschoolyearbooksofferachanceforstudentstorememberandrelivetheirhighschoolexperiencesthroughpictures,storiesandofcourse:themostlikelysection.Themostlikelysectionhasbeenanage-oldstapleofhighschoolyearbooksworldwide.Toaccountforthesuccessofmostlikelysection,Ihavecarefullyresearchedmanyprominentfiguresofthe20thcentury,andcomparedtheirlegacytotheir“mostlikely”intheirhighschoolyearbook. Kim Jong-Il:“MostLikelytoBecomeaGenius”.Thisforeshadowingwasprovedmostlycorrect,withtheNorthKoreangovernmentstatingthatheinventedparticlephysicsandwrotebooksthatwere“betterthananyotherinthehistoryofgloballiterature”. Joseph Stalin:“MostLikelytoBecomeaTaxCollector”,hewentaboveandbeyondexpectationsbyconfiscatingfarmland,carsandalmostanythingunderthesunduringhisyearsinpower. Pol Pot (Cambodian Dictator):“MostLikelytoOverdose”,numerouscriticssaythatheruledasifhewasonsomesortofsubstance(thenagain,lookathisname). Idi Amin (Ugandan Dictator): “MostLikelytoCauseaScene”,whetheritwashisshorttemperorpsychoticfantasies,eveninhighschoolhehadareputationofaclown.
Muammar Gaddafi: “MostLikelytoBecomeaProfessionalPrankster”.GaddafiliveduptoexpectationsbyoverthrowingtheLibyanmonarchyinlessthan3hoursin1969. Robert Mugabe: “MostLikelytoBeAProfessionalJaywalker”,his reputation and persistence in impeding trafficwereamongthemain reasons why the BritishleftZimbabwe. Fidel Castro: “MostLikelytoSpendNineYearsonHisUndergraduateDegree”,hispeersinhighschoolweresurprisinglyoptimistic. Dennis Rodman: “MostLikelytoEvadeJuryDuty”,whyelsewouldhetraveltoNorthKorea?
Tentative Date: June 20-28, 2016
www.eftours.com/1744233YE
9 days in Havana,
Cienfuegos, Trinidad,
& Santa Clara
See Ms. Parris Fordfor more information.for more information.
Science and Engineering Club
ScienceandEngineeringClubisaneclecticgroupofstudentswhoareinterestedinSTEMsubjectsandenjoychallengesandserviceprojects.Thispastschoolyearweworkedonthefollowing.-RegionalandStateScienceOlympiad.-WorkedwithstudentsfromMuironscienceprojectseveryotherweek.-Integratedusinga3-Dprinterforprojectsaroundschool - Competed in the Canstruction Competition to donate non-perishablefooditemstotheMiddletonOutreachFoodPantry.ThisyearwewontheYouthAwardanddonatedover850itemstothepantry.
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