Professional Documents
Culture Documents
51 Issue 1
For this 2012-2013 school year four new staff members from around the world have been added to the Devil community. The Fulbright program gives educators from around the world the opportunity to go to different countries and study the difference in education. Springbrook is hosting Ivanna Piegas from Argentina, Suresh Joshi from India, Tarik Bousetta from Morocco, and Lynette Liew from Singapore. Piegas has been teaching English for 15 years to a wide variety of people of different ages and with different needs. She is working with Monica Lee. Joshi has been teaching physics from last 15 years to 14 18 year olds and is responsible for heading the learning resource center and department of physics at Ahlcon International School. His school is placed in the eastern part of Delhi, which is in the northern part of India. He is working with Dr. Melanie Rock. I think the program gives a great opportunity to the educators to see what the education in the United States is like. Mr. Joshi is very enthusiastic about his opportunity which is great, Dr. Rock said. Bousetta has been teaching English as a Foreign Language at the high school level since 1998. Mr. Boussetta is also a certified translator. He is working with social studies teacher Sharon Cohen. This program is a great way for teachers to see different educational systems but it is also good for the children to hear experiences from the
The Fullbright Scholars make their first appearance at a welcome reception. They look forward to a successful semester.
teachers about their country, Cohen said. Liew currently teaches at Clementi Town Secondary School. She is a School Staff Developer (SSD) and her primary role as an SSD is to look into teachers' professional development. She also teaches English Language and English Literature. She is working with staff development teacher Cathy Marzens . I think it is cool because it allows us to be exposed to different ideas from around the world, Junior Kohler Sukachevin said. These four teachers are also going to be in the yearbook. Piegas is very ecstatic about this opportunity because she is not going to be featured in the yearbook in the school she works with. It is great that the teachers get to be in the yearbook. All the students will get to see who they are and why they were here, senior JP Nguyen said. Many students are intrigued by the aspect of these scholars visiting, but did not get the chance to meet them. I was very interested to hear that such renowned scholars were making an appearance at Springbrook, but I never got to see them! Still, it was cool to know that we have ties to some of the greatest minds in the world, junior Aidan Andrews said. In all, it is a great opportunity for Springbrook to have the Fullbright Scholars attend Springbrook and imparting their wisdom.
This year spirit week will be held from October 1 through October 5 and the Homecoming dance will be held on Saturday, October 6. Monday will be voted on by the general assembly so it has not been decided yet. Tuesday will be wacky tacky day. Wednesday will be International day, Thursday will be movie day, which was decided by the senior class. And last but not least Friday will be Blue Devil day were the seniors will wear togas and the rest of the school will wear blue, SGA President Alex Gutierrez said. Last year, Springbrook had a very successful spirit week. All of the school participated in spirit week, but the senior class won overall most participa-
in the security office and will be 10 dollars. Homecoming king and queen for each class will be announced at the dance and given a sashay and a crown. Every year I have always been really involved in both spirit week and homecoming, and I am hoping that this year, especially since its my last year, it will be great. Both my sophomore and junior years spirit weeks and homecomings were really phenomenal, senior Renee Adkins said. It seems that the whole school is buzzing, and even new students, such as junior Cami Blaha, have nothing but good things to say. I am really excited to go to homecoming and to be able to participate in Spirit Week. I have heard a lot of great things about it and everybody at the school seems to be really excited about it, junior Cami Blaha said.
Find out about Senioritis and its effects at the Brook on Page 8.
Learn all about the friendly, new staff this year on Page 4.
All of your favorite sports are back in action at Springbrook, including boys Varsity Soccer on Page 10.
Blueprint News
Springbrook begins the new school year with many new changes and additions. One of these changes is the school store. The school store has been introduced and is located in the pit (basement) of the school. It is run by the athletic department and current athletic director Rob Wendel. The school store sells school supplies, school apparel, such as sweatshirts, jackets, and Tshirts, along with snacks such as chips, and drinks. It seems the new school store is helping students be prepared for class already. It fills a need for the school; you dont have to go to the store to get school supplies because you can get it here, Rob Wendel said. Another great thing about the school store is that the money goes right back in to the school. All the profits go to fund-
dont come prepared, you can buy stuff from there and increase your learning capabilities senior Joshua Olabosipo said. The school had been considering reinstating a new school store for quite some time now, and this is the result. Now, many sports teams will be awarded with much needed new items, and classrooms may receive upgrades as well. The amount of revenue, however, is completely dependent on how much of the student body may actually go and make purchases. One of the main concerns is that the school store is too secluded from the daily activities of the students of Springbrook, because it is in the pit. However, it has been recorded that many purchases have been made thus far, including copious sales on back to school night, when parents were presented with the opportunity to buy Springbrook apparel for themselves and their children.
ing the few lives in danger. This could really hurt the environment in that area. Also, there could be a more dangerous mutation in mosquitoes that we do not know about, senior Chukwukpee Nzegwu. The pesticide dumped in a wide range of areas endangers the plant life that lives there, and some of the habitats most affected may not be habitable to plant life ever again. I understand that the government needs to do what is best for their constituents, but I am legitimately concerned about the wildlife in Maryland. There has to be a better way for people to be safe from the virus and still maintain a healthy ecosystem in Maryland. In the mean time, the government should hold off on allowing more pesticide to be sprayed, and wait for some better solution, junior Kohler Sukachevin said. Students at the Brook are very aware that the virus is prevalent and a real threat in the Maryland area. I will be honest, I understand that the West Nile Virus is a real threat in the Maryland area. But this does not mean that everyone has to stay cooped up inside all the time. Just go live your life, and just be a little more cautious, junior Aidan Andrews said. As the government of many states scrambles to negate the effect, people everywhere are now taking caution in order to prevent themselves from becoming infected.
Greetings from the SGA Executive Board! Starting this year, the SGA will be having our own column in the Blueprint. We aim to have a convenient way for students to be kept up-to-date with everything the SGA does and plans to do. As of right now the executive board has come up with an outline for the 2012-2013 school year. We are open to new ideas and suggestions so please feel free to speak to any of the SGA board members or show up to the general assembly meetings. The SGA board has also begun to get involved with the Montgomery County Region SGA (MCR SGA), which is the county SGA. If anyone is interested in attending an MCR Executive Board meeting or a General Assembly, please talk to either SGA advisor Ms. Abeshouse in F309 or talk to SGA President Alex Gutierrez. Our first general assembly meeting was held on Wednesday, September 12th, during the second half of lunch. The main topics of discussion were was regarding spirit week, spirit days, spirit events and activities. Other major points of discussion during the general assembly were about bringing up issues with the student body, and creating committees, such as fund-raising and homecoming committees. If you are interested in being a part of a committee or volunteering for backto-school night and/or open house, please let the executive board members or Ms. Abeshouse know. If you were not selected as a third period representative, but would still like to be a part of the general SGA, there is still a way! The SGA executive board has selected senators already, but is always in need of volunteers. Feel free to talk to the Board or Ms. Abeshouse about opportunities. There are many other events the SGA has planned for the year, so we will be in need of a lot of help from students. The SGA would also like to welcome Ms. Morales to the Brook. Ms. Morales is the new administrator who came from James Hubert Blake High School and was selected to be the administrator overseeing the SGA. So if you see her, please welcome her. In conclusion, the SGA would like to encourage students to get involved, whether it is by joining a club or by doing a sport. Also, begin studying for the PSAT/SATs coming up. Thank you!
Police are now revealing new information about the 15-year-old accused of bringing a shotgun into Baltimore Citys Perry Hall High School and opening fire on a classmate. Robert Wayne Gladden Jr. has been charged as an adult for shooting a 17-year-old classmate, who was shot in the back in the schools cafeteria Monday morning August 27. The shooting left Daniel Borowy, a 17-yearold special needs student, in critical condition. Gladden faces 29 charges, including attempted murder. Police said Borowy was the only one that was shot but several others suffered minor injuries from all the commotion in the cafeteria at the time of the shooting. After
the shooting, the school was evacuated and students were escorted to a nearby shopping center and middle school. I think it is a tragic situation. Hopefully we can learn from it and it wont happen again. This shows that schools with a good image can have situations like this, despite the good reputation given to them, child development teacher Aimee Hawkins said. Gladden was a quiet boy that kept to himself and always wore his hair over his face. When asked about the situation, Gladdens father told the assistant principle that his sons actions may have been triggered because of bullying. Baltimore county police Chief, Jim Johnson, said he does not think bullying was a factor.
Blueprint News
As she attempts to purchase a snack, freshman Kelly Stiller becomes outraged by the steep prices at the machines.
was extremely thirsty after practice so I decided to buy a Gatorade but it took two of my dollars! My friend also tried but it also took his dollar, junior Cindy Martinez said. Even though the student body is disagreeing to the rise of the vending machine prices, it is necessary for these prices to be bumped up. Due to the recession, Montgomery County has had to raise the prices on the machines in order to keep the vending machines running and to keep making a profit from them. The county controls the prices and I do not have any control on how the items are priced. I will not distribute the name of the company who changed the prices on the snacks and drinks at the vending machines, business manager Chris Grasso said.
needles, blood bags, storage containers and other transfusion equipment and blood parameters measuring devices), testosterone, corticosteroids and masking agents. (3)Trafficking of EPO, testosterone, and corticosteroids. (4)Administration and/or attempted administration to others of EPO, testosterone, and cortisone. (5)Assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and other complicity involving one or more anti-doping rule violations and/or attempted anti-doping rule violations. These violations may be a taint in the legacy that is Lance Armstrong.
Blueprint News
Marine Biology
Taught by Amy Itwaru, Marine biology is a semester long honors course filled with lots of hands on activities. Some are dissecting sharks, squid and many other sea animals. Apart from studying, the students taking the class will have the chance to go whale watching in New Jersey at the beginning of November.
IB film studies is the perfect course for anyone looking for fun and rigor all in one. With a curriculum that consists of watching, analyzing, and making movies, it is the ideal class for students looking to broaden their horizons or even go into the film making business. John Goldman teaches the intuitive and hands on class. Paired with his lively and lighthearted nature, students seem to have an enjoyable time in his classroom.
IB Film Studies
Senior Crystal Vega expresses her ideas on paper in her creative writing class.
about your interest. The class is meant to express your imagination and creativity. It is not only considered a fun class, but it is also a fun experience for the
Creative Writing
Creative writing is an elective class that allows you to write
people who decide to take it. Sometimes it is easier to put my thoughts onto paper because it feels like I am letting stress slip away, junior Ellen Martinez said.
Radio Show
A new addition to the clubs at the Brook is our own radio show. The name of the show is currently in production but shows will air first around October. This radio show will be available on iTunes for free to Springbrook students. The focus of this radio show will be talking about events coming up at Springbrook, job opportunities, latest trends and new music. Also, there will be music played on this station. If everything goes well, the producers will start to invite guest speakers to come in.
The media center displays profiles of the new teachers for the 2012-2013 school year.
open amd they can stop by anytime. I love meeting new people and I want to meet new people, said Abrams. When asked what he wanted Springbrook students to know about him, Weinshels answer, for the sake of being clich free, was simple but fear inducing. I am overly and excessively serious, Weinshel, his eyes gleaming with promise, said.
Blueprint Feature
5:00 AM - Wake up 6:30 AM - Take bus 7:00 AM -Get to school 2:15 PM - School ends 2:20 PM - Study hall
Senior
Favorite Tv Show: Adventure Time Favorite Food: Red Robins Hobby: I build legos for competitions
Favorite Tv Show: Favorite Food: Achu Soup Hobby: Drawing and Working
5:40 AM - Wake Up
Junior
11:35 AM - Lift During Lunch 2:10 PM - School Ends 3-5:30 PM - Football Practice 6:00 PM - Eat Dinner 6:30 PM - Take a Shower 7:00 PM - Do Homework 8:00 PM - Relax 10:00 PM - Go to Sleep
3-5:30 PM - Football practice 6:00 PM - Get home 6:15 PM - Walk the dog 6:30 PM - Watch the Sci-Fi channel 7:00 PM - Walk the dog again 7:15 PM - Do homework 9:00 PM - Eat dinner 11:00 PM - Go to sleep
Favorite Tv Show: How I Met Your Mother Favorite Food: Food in general Hobby: Drawing, Softball 5:30 AM - Wake Up 5:35 AM - Shower 6:00 AM - Eat Toast 7:25 AM - School 2:10 PM - School Ends 2:30-4:10 PM - Marching Band Practice 4:30 PM - Get Home 4:45 PM - Take A Shower 6:00 PM - Practice Guitar, Saxaphone, and Write Music 7:00 PM - Relax and Eat Dinner 10:00 PM - Sleep
Sophomore
Freshman
2:30 PM - Go the rec and play basketball 3:30 PM - Go to Mcdonalds 4:30 PM - Go Home 5:00 PM - Do Homework 5:30 PM - Watch TV or Go on the computer 7:00 PM - Eat Dinner 10:00 PM - Go to Sleep
Faculty
6:00 AM - Roll out of bed 6:35 AM - Wake up daughter/ Drive to work 7:00 AM - Get to school
Blueprint Feature
A Week
Spirit Week
lege of wearing togas. This color scheme has been cause for much controversy amongst students. Its dumb that we all have to wear similar colors just to discourage tagging, tagging is the most fun part of spirit week! Its harmless and people should know not to wear clothes that they dont want to get dirty because tagging has been a tradition ever since I was a freshman. I went through it and other classes can too, senior Landon Kestner said. For those who do not know tagging is when one marks someone wearing another classs color with the color of his or her own class. It has been a tradition amongst classes for a long time; however as of recently it has been taken away by the administration. So make sure you find a way to have fun with the absence of tagging. When I was a freshman I got tagged and I actually thought it was fun. I dont really think its as big a deal as its being made out to be, just let kids be kids, senior Kris Harington said. One thing that is stressed for Spirit Week, is to be creative with costume ideas. Students do not need to spend 40 dollars on a brand new costume, instead try checking out the nearest thrift store for some cheap deals that are easy to recreate.
Hanging up Traditions
ery school. It represents the start of the new school year, welcomes the students into their respective classes and serves as a preparation for Homecoming with the announcement of the class council. As underclassmen, freshmen have always felt hesitant to go to Hang-up and participate with painted bodies, but the support of other students has had a positive effect on the students. A lot of freshmen are supposed to be going this year. All of the upper classmen say that it is a lot of fun and that it really hypes up the school for the Homecoming game, freshman Kelly Stiller said. Though many are upset that they do not get to experience the legendary class colors from two years ago, the fun and excitement for the students is not diminished. The hype and stories from older students has attracted many students, regardless of the change in rules. I think that we are still going to be painting our stomachs just because it is a lot of fun! I think that Hang-up is necessary because it really excites everyone and the school spirit gets really high, sophomore Adib Afnan explained as he prepares for his first Hang-up. The junior class is particularly excited for Hang-up this year as they get to attend as upperclassmen. Im planning on raving all night long! This Hang-up is going to be the best Hang-up by far. My friends and I are painting our stomach and getting things from the costume store to really get hyped up since we are finally upper classman, junior Bala Natarajan said. This excitement and buzz seems to be a common feeling amongst students as everyone gets ready to enjoy the coming school year. Teachers, staff and students enjoy Hang-up as one of the many functions that Springbrook high school holds. Hang-up allows all of the classes, who are normally seperated, to come together and cheer for one another in unity. It is a fun way to express pride for Springbrook and watch all the skits, dances, games and shows.
Hang-up is one of the best parts of spirit week; the whole school gets together to paint their stomachs and scream for their class. Many traditions come with hang up, such as going shirtless or just wearing a sports bra, the classes being different colors, and cutting up t-shirts and chanting aggressively at opposing classes. Starting last year, the school has slowly taken away the traditions of Hang-up. First, all classes wear blue and now the administration is trying to prevent students from taking their shirts off. I am kind of mad that they took away all of the different school colors because then you cannot really tell each other apart. But we still have a ton of fun! Since it is senior year, all of my friends and I are going all out with our painting and cheering, senior Jimmy Stradley said. Hang-up will be a unique experience for the incoming freshmen, even with the newly placed restrictions. Such an event only takes place once a year, and not at ev-
Blueprint Feature
ck to School Blues Midnight in Paris: Springbrook Gets Ready for the perfect night under the stars
Maria Hawkins Sports Editor Celebrate Springbrooks new school year with not only our long awaited Homecoming football game, but also our dazzling Homecoming dance. Come ready for a night filled with smiles, great music and lots of dancing. Staff and students have come together to ensure this will be a Homecoming to remember, with our exciting theme, Midnight in Paris. Get pumped for the bon voyage Springbrook has in store for everyone. The first question most students wonder about is, What do I wear to the dance? Luckily, the Homecoming prep will be a cinch. First things first, remember this is a casual dance- dress polished, but comfortably. Next, be ready to show off your best accessory in your pictures; your smile. Savor your high school memories with friends by taking tons of photos. But, we cannot forget about dancing. Bring your best dancing shoes and get ready to boogie. It is fun to step out of your comfort zone by dancing to music you normally would not dance to with your friends. Most importantly, keep the attire and the dance moves classy during this exciting Midnight in Paris. Everyone is enthusiastic about what the dance has in store for us, especially our very own Principal Samuel Rivera. Rivera reminds and encourages students that High school is a special time. We hope for even greater participation than last years Homecoming because weve never had any problems at our Homecoming dances, so come out and have a great time. Really take advantage of our entire spirit week by going to the pep rallies, all sports games and of course, our Homecoming dance. Our upperclassmen agree that since high school moves by so quickly, every moment we have to celebrate our strong school should be taken advantage of. Senior Esther Gutierrez reminds underclassmen looking forward to the dance, Just go with a few friends. Its a good place to socialize and meet new people who also go to Springbrook. Im curious to see what kind of music our DJ will be playing that night. I hope the music is current to what plays on the radio now. But I highly recommend going to the dance, especially if you are someone who is hesitant about attending the dance. You dont want to miss out on the fun and the high school memories, junior Tam Pham said. Our staff and students organizing our Midnight in Paris can assure all Springbrook students that it will be the crme de la crme of Homecomings.
VS
Springbrook Blue Devils Blair Blazers
a game In order to perform at a high level, players need to properly hydrate themselves as well. Im gonna have a bottle of water on me at all times when Im in class on that day, junior center Jordan Williams said. Keeping it simple is al-
ways an option as well. Im not gonna be worrying about anything at all, Im just keeping it simple. The only things that are going to be on my mind are the game and my classwork. Im not gonna worry about any girls as well, just going to keep
a quiet and serene mind. senior Safety Akeem Jones said Im very pumped for the Homecoming game, its my first year on varsity football and its my first Homecoming game. So its kind of a big deal for me. Hopefully my injury will heal by then, I just cant wait to get back in the pads and play football. It would great if I could come back right on Homecoming. Im really hoping there will be a lot of people there, the more people that come, the more fun it will be. Defensive back Deondre Mingo-Smith said. One of the things we have planned for Friday afternoon is inviting the classes of 87 and 92 back to school for an
alumni event. These classes are having reunions this year and many will be in town for the event. Additionally, football coach Adam Bahr is a member of the class of 92 and former football coach now athletic director Rob Wendel graduated in 87. During the game, well have tents set up for the classes of 87 and 92 up by the baseball stands next to the concession stands. Its just an area for the alumnus to mingle and socialize, obviously they can watch the game from there. It should be a lot of fun for everyone in general. Homecoming is going to be great this year, social studies teacher and SGA sponsor Jessica Abeshouse said.
- Renee Adkins, 12
8
A tradition that has gone on at Springbrook for decades came to a screeching halt last year when administration decided to ban class colors. In the past, Hang-up was an event where students could represent their class and have fun doing it. And thats all it was. Fun. They say the use of class colors was banned because of the apparent hazing that took place within Springbrook, both during school hours and after, but I believe the class colors unified the classes more than they separated the school. Freshman would wear white, sophomores would wear black, juniors would wear red and seniors would get to represent Springbrook by wearing blue. The separation between grades actually brought the student body together into a fun filled competition. Wanting to beat out all the other grades, tons of students would donate money for the penny wars and rep their class as hard as they could. We got our school spirit and we raised money. As far as Im concerned, neither of these have negative effects. Taking away class colors has
Blueprint Opinion
Juniors last year were not allowed to wear their previous class color, red, but instead had to wear blue just like all the other underclassmen.
Senior Rayem Ali listens to music on his phone, during a season where many new albums came out such as Frank Oceans Orange, and The Sheepdogs Learn and Burn.
single Who from album Five Easy Pieces. Their 2011 album Learn and Burn was extremely good. The album had a very strong Hendrix and Guess Who vibe going on, and once again The Sheepdogs stayed strong to their Southern sound, allowing the spirit of real classic rock n roll pump through every song on Learn and Burn. The album although being heavily influenced by southern rock, echoes many classic sounds, each song making references to great rock bands, prominent throughout the 60s and 70s, including Creedance, Lynrd Skynrd, etc. The crazy good guitar solos, as well as Ewan Curries vocals throughout the album are strong and show a wide range, from powerful hard rock songs such as I Dont Know(its a song not a statement) to a more calm mellowed out Learn and Burn, the song being reminiscent of Doors (and personally for me Dusty Springfield as well). Everything about this band from their rough and tumble sound to their laid back, I could care less, roll out of bed style and attitude echoes everything that was cool about the late 60s. Listening to this album just makes you wish you could walk away from an explosion in slo-mo with a toothpick hanging out the side of your mouth, and this song playing n the background. Its the kind of song you would hear playing, while watching a promo for Breaking Bad or Eastbound and Down, this real . So to all of you modern day music critics who are always whining about how they dont make good music like they used to and about how back in the day they had quality sound, The Sheepdogs are here to prove you wrong. Album Favorites: Catfish 2 Boogaloo, Southern Dreaming, The One You Belong To
the best we can. We might as well make the best of it if we are pretty much stuck here for four years. Even the attendance at our school has gone down; maybe school spirit has something to do with it. Whats so much better about the other schools anyways? Is it because they have more fun? Maybe they do, but that is not just because of the school. It is because all the students actually try to enjoy themselves. Do not forget that Homecoming is right around the corner and instead of moping around the entire week, actually do the spirit days, go to the Homecoming game, Hang-up and dance. Who knows? Maybe it will be fun if people actually follow through! Stop complaining and show some Devil pride
news networks have extensively covered Mitt Romneys unwillingness to release his tax returns, a matter of months ago, the hot topic was Barack Obamas support of a controversial teacher during his college years. Both are interesting topics, certainly some which may attract more viewers to a news channel. However, these stories tell us nothing of how each candidate plans to solve the major problems that the United States has been carrying for many years now. The inclusion of scandalous stories calls for the exclusion of the policies of each candidate. Obamas college speech tells us nothing about how he currently plans to change the country, and the same can be said for Mitt Romneys case. It is time for the people to call upon the media to report what really matters, news which may change the course of this country.
Blueprint Opinion
agree with this because Walt has made enough money so sustain his family, which was the original purpose of cooking meth, so he might want to spend the rest of his life with his family. However, Walt leaving the business might not mean he will have peace in his life. With his product seemingly going to be off the streets, there will be many unhappy people demanding the Blue, including his new customers from the Czech Republic. That fact in addition to Hanks discovery could lead to and explain the beginning of Season Five, showing Walt with a different identity and a whole year older and showing Walt making a deal and getting the keys to a car. Overall, Breaking Bad will continue to be successful and impress next season because of all the twists and turns and that were unexplained at the end of the season. It is one of the best shows in a long time. Unfortunately for Breaking Bad fans they will have to wait until next summer to find out what happens.
Senioritis infiltration
Senioritis is a horrible disease that hits high school seniors at a very fast pace, crippling their grade point average and fashion sense. Symptoms include laziness, sleeping in class, not doing homework or classwork, excessive wear of track pants and t-shirts. I can be the first to say that senioritis is a very horrible disease that takes a toll on almost every seniors life. I wake up every morning struggling to get ready for school stressing myself out to be the best student just does not seem worth it anymore. I then proceed to put on the nearest article of clothing that is clean. I eventually push myself to brush my teeth and eat breakfast, but even on my good days I find it hard to clean my pearly whites. At 7:25 school begins, but my brain does not start functioning until I get my extra three hours of sleep during my classes. The worst part of it is that this is only the beginning of my senior year and it can only get worse from here. My teachers always point out that I am not working hard enough, but as long as I do the necessary work and projects to pass my classes and meet the graduation requirements I will be satisfied. Aside from struggling to keep myself hygienic and studious, keeping myself in shape has become an even bigger issue.
Unless you have not watched TV in the past five years, there is a good chance you have heard of the AMC original series, Breaking Bad. It is by far one of the best shows on television. The story follows Walter White, a chemistry teacher at his local high school. After being diagnosed with lung cancer and told that he might only have a few months to live, he decides to try to make extra money by teaming up with a former student to make and sell Methamphetamine. Before the start of Season Five, it was announced that it would be the final season; however, it is split up into two sections of eight episodes. The final episode aired on September 2. Warning: if you have not seen the whole season yet, this will be a spoiler! The season ended with Hank Schrader, his brother in-law, seeing a book by Walt Whitman with the inscription, To my other favorite
The trash being left in the hallways after lunch is becoming a major problem, causing problems such as infestations.
Senior Kevin Cristobal takes the time in his spanish class to rest and take a must-needed nap. He is just one of the many seniors that find it hard to concentrate in class.
Sometimes it is easier to just munch on fried chicken instead of sprinting laps or doing Coach Murrays infamous workouts. But, I know that keeping in shape is a must and that Chipotle can come as a reward when I try out for the lacrosse team in the spring. Senioritis really takes a toll on my life and many other seniors can say the same. Things begin to seem so much more difficult to deal with because there is no motivation anymore. It is actually a very hard routine to deal with because everything would be easier if June 10 came faster. If you were wondering what this day is then you will find out that the seniors of 2013 will be graduating on this very special day! That will also be the only day I will be looking forward to this year because that will be the day that my senioritis disease will end. For right now, I just have to find a way to not slack off in an enormous way and I have to do at least some work in order to not fail and stay back.
Do you think that our school is clean? I bet I could ask that to any random person I see in the hall, and nine times out of ten the answer wiould be No. When we all first come to Springbook in the morning the halls look nice and clean. They look that way for most of the day too. The real damage is done during the hour long lunch period. While you are having a good time socializing with your friends, sometimes you will not notice the occasional piece of trash falling onto the floor. You might think that that one small piece is harmless but if you just become accustomed to not picking up your trash you would be surprised of how much trash there really is. I walked around the bathrooms after lunch and I noticed that in boys bathrooms, people do not always flush and that is just downright disgusting! Speaking of utilities, our water
fountains are not in the best condition. People leave trash in them and clog the spouts with their gum and think that is diresprectful. I also walked through the halls and the only people that were in there were building services, and I was really shocked at how much trash was leftover from lunch and was still on the ground in the hall, and not in the trash cans. By the way, if you have not noticed, we have a problem with bugs, especially roaches in our school. I am pretty sure that most of the staff in the school has taken notice including our principal Mr. Rivera. During the eleventh grade assembly on September 6, 2012 he told the entire junior class that we needed to clean up after ourselves. We are all going to be here for four years, so why not at least try and make the environment one that is enjoyable? I always do my part of cleaning up. If we make the school a better place, the overall high school experience will be unforgettable for everyone.
Springbrook High School 201 Valley Brook Drive Silver Spring, MD 20904
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The Blueprint is published monthly by the students of Springbrook High School. Signed editorials contain solely the opinion of the writer. Unsigned editorials reflect the consensus opinion of the entire staff. The purpose of the Blueprint is to inform, entertain, interpret news and provide leadership within the school. The paper also serves as an open forum for readers to voice their questions or concerns, as well as express themselves. The Blueprint will do its best to cover events equally and without bias. Our goal is to be fair and impartial in addition to maintaining a good balance in our coverage of school-wide news. Letters to the editor are strongly encouraged. Adequate space will be provided up to 250 words. Letters must be signed, though may be published anonymously. Restrictions on content include, but are not limited to: libel, obscenity and invasion of privacy at the discretion of the editorial board. The identity of those who sign letters to the editor will be confirmed.
Editor-in-Chief
Mihdi Afnan
Managing Editor
Hannah Dario
News Editors
Wendy_T_Borrelli@mcpsmd.org (301) - 989 - 6074 September 28, 2012 Volume 51, Issue 1 http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd. org/schools/springbrookhs/ Students: 1,742 Staff: 203
Assistant Editor
Colette Colburn
Opinion Editors
Nestor Cotton Andrew Robinson
Feature Editors
Tam-Anh Nguyen Anisha Sharma
Photography Editor
Theresa Nguyen
Sports Editors
Maria Hawkins Colleen Connolly
Wendy Borrelli
Adviser
Blueprint Sports
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Senior captain Maria Hawkins uses her forehand to punish her competition.
Tennis cruises
Hannah Dario Managing Editor
The Springbrook Girls tennis team started their season with a 5-1 record. The girls dominated against Blake High School, Kennedy High School, Magruder High School, PaintBranch High School, and Einstein High School. The only loss they had was a close match against Poolesville High School. We have had a strong beginning this season, but I hope to see us reach our full potential by continuing to work more efficiently, senior captain Maria Hawkins said. The Springbrook Blue Devils noticed team problems in communication and anticipation. Coach White plans on correcting these weaknesses by incorporating 30 minute conditioning drills into practices. Team members those drills are helping them excel and Coach White agrees. I think we are going to do better this year, we are a lot stronger, Coach White said. The team has high expectations for the season. Those expectations hope to be accomplished by several experienced players including Hawkins, junior Laurette Tekudo, freshman Vanylle Femnu, senior captain Hana Yi and senior captain Renee Adkins. Since this is my last season on this team, I want to finish with a bang, senior Janine Regana said. The team wants to finish the season with a sense of unity and team spirit.
Junior Maggie Wartman sets Senior Captain Theresa Nguyen. Nguyen defends against Richard Montgomery with her fierce spikes.
Junior Chirs Huston shakes off the competition against Poolesville with his flashy defensive skills. The team opens their season with a win.
fans on their toes. The boys came out with a whole new attitude in the second half with sophomore Derrick Paz scoring a goal with an assist from Kevin Cristobal in the first five minutes. Shortly after Pazs goal, Poolesville struck back tying the game 1-1. As the second half came to a close, junior Chris Hutson scored the winning goal by an assist from Kevin Cristobal. We played well, a little nervous at first. We did not want to lose our first home game but we pulled through and played hard towards the end and got good goals. It was a good game overall senior Uche Onungwa said. Recently, the boys lost a disappointing game against Northwest High School 0-2. Considering they were a state runner up team last year, the boys played very well. The boys look forward to the tough competition in their upcoming games against Gaithersburg High School on October 1, PaintbBanch High School on October 2, and Blake High School on October 8.
The Devils come into the season full of determination and persistence despite the graduation of two experienced golfers, Lucy Reynolds and Cory Hutson. Despite recent losses against Watkins Mill High School, the boys continue to regroup by practicing full of determination and heart. My expectation this year is for us to win our division, junior Captain Patrick Talsania said. Talsania has been on the golf team since freshman year and Springbrook now welcomes his younger sister, Megan Talsania, onto the team. The team has always been small, but productive, finishing last year with a final record of 11-3. For being the second smallest team in the school, their record truly deserves recognition. The team finished their season third in their division. I definitely feel as though Ive been a leader for our team. As a team, we have placed second in all four matches so far. We have two more matches, Monday the 24th and Thursday the 27th, until the District Tournament. We hope to finish in the Top 12 of teams in the county, senior Elliott McKoy said. Players to watch include freshman Adam Miller, Talsania and seniors McKoy and Rafael Rice.
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After beginning the year early, with practices in the hot summer months before the new school year even started, the JV football team is now off and running. JV teams often draw small crowds, but that is not indicative with this years exciting squad of young players. Head coach Darnell Myers has prepared a tough fighting, exuberant and overall exciting team this year, which has come out very strong against tough initial opponents. The team began their season against Northwood High School, which has a team who has never challenged the likes of Springbrook in many years. In the initial stages of the game, the teams appeared anxious and jittery for their first regular season game. However, after establishing a strong running game, the team was able
to pass the ball in the second half to begin their rout of Northwood. At the end of the game, the Devils stood victorious, 140. In their second game, the Devils faced a much stronger perennial contender in Walter Johnson High School. The Walter Johnson offense looked strong and intimidating in the beginning of the game, but the Devil defense stood stout. the Springbrook offense took the field and dominated from wire to wire, withour a single gaffe along the way.While the Walter Johnson offense was more potent than that of Northwood, the Devils made easy work of the Walter Johnson defense, and handily won by a score of 18-6. The Devils square off against Northeast Consortium powerhouse Paint Branch High School this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Due to field construction, the game will be atBlair.
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Junior Ezra Hollander sprints the last 100 meters of the Clarksburg meet.
games, Dietz said. September 9 was JVs first game. It took place at Thomas S. Wooton High School. They faced a loss of 0-11 to Springbrooks old JV coach, Lesley Stroot. Since it was our first game I think that it went very well, being a new experience for the majority of the team. junior captain Sherese Nornoo said. On September 12, the Blue Devils played Walt Whitman High School. It was a disappointing loss of 0-4 against the Vikings. I liked the Whitman game a lot better than the Wooton because we played a lot better even though we are still a really young team, junior captain Tiffany Dam said. On September 15 the devils played Richard Montgomery High School, with a fustrating loss of 0-2. Today, the field hockey team will be playing Paint Branch High School away at Greencastle Elementary school at 5:00.
The Springbrook cross country team dashed into their season full of determination and resolution with the direction of the persistent Coach Gary Frace. The team prepared before and during summer to get fit and ready for this seasons challenges. Nothing but excellence is expected from this tight knit team that continues to work together for a common goal. Coach Frace continues to work with team Captains, junior Anthony Ramos, junior Ryan Washington, senior Nathan Thompson, senior Maya Wallick and senior Sydney Almeida, to bring both boys and girls teams closer to reaching their maximum potential. Springbrooks season opened up with a competitive race, but unfortunately lost, against Clarksburg High School. It left the team hungrier for their next opportunity to compete. Their most recent races were against Rockville High School, which only girls won. The Bull Run Invitational had many schools competing but unfortunately neither boys or girls won. Both boys and girls ran with the firmness and perseverance that left many of them with personal records and even higher expectations for their races to come. Fortunately for Captain Almeida, Clarksburgs race left her ecstatic when she shattered the Martin Luther King Jr. course record for all of Springbrook girl runners. Her new time of 19:54 set the stage for newer and bigger goals for the rest of the season. Im completely excited and motivated because this is just the very beginning of the season. I just want to break the all-time record. It was a tough, but fun race and Im really proud of the teams effort. Frace has been great over the years and I hope we can all continue to grow and appreciate the hard work that comes with running. Ive definitely put in a lot more time and effort this summer to improve by participating in summer track and Malaysias International Sprint Triathlon with the help of Coach Compton Godette,Im ready for what the season has in store, Almeida saId. Captains Ramos, Washington, Wallick and Thompson continue to set an example for the boys and girls teams by maintaining their steady leads and up-beat attitudes that get the team pumped for their races. Im hopeful that both boys and girls can qualify for states this year and Im proud of how well we work together. We can only improve from here. I just want to help the team stay motivated, Wallick said. Runners to watch include freshman Alex Mejia, juniors Isaac Stevens, Alex Gutierrez, Anthony Ramos, Ezra Hollander, Ryan Washington, Karen Escabedo, and seniors Maya Wallick, Dd Montiel, David Soriano and Sydney Almeida.
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Varsity football suprised many by kicking off their season strong with wins against Northwood High School and Gaithersburg High School. Recently, thier two straight losses to to Walter Johnson and Whitman High Schools have left them with a 2-2 record. The team beat Northwood 147, and then proceeded to beat Gaithersburg 20-7. However in weeks three and four the team has hit a bump in the road. They have lost two straight games to Walter Johnson and Whitman respectively. They lost 16-2 to Walter Johnson and 10-0 to Whitman. Even though the team has lost two straight, their spirits remain high as they prepare for their next game against the Paint Branch Panthers Tonight at 6:30 at Blair High School. The team has sustained many injuries. Starting running back Tyler Stewart left the game early after sustaining a broken femur and a dislocated ankle. He is likely out for the season. Starting defensive back Baki Akbar left the game with a fractured wrist and is likely out for a month. Also starting linebacker Bizabiel Reyes
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Springbrook defense forces a fumble against the Gaithersburg Trojans and swarm the football to help the team win 20-7. is confident that they can get it done and get back to their winning ways after a rough start. I think we can get deep into the playoffs if not win it all Coffie said. Head coach Adam Bahr has inspired many of the players and believe they can be very successful this season. They just need to hold their end of the rope Bahr said, they should be just fine. Though the team has many new players, they have many returning players who have experience. Junior Tatah Ndeh and senior Chris Willis return on defense as well as junior Terrence Caudle on offense. Although leading a young team, together they will help to anchor and assist the many newcomers to accomplish an improved season.
My goal for the team this year is to prepare them for varsity and to boost their confidence in the sport of volleyball. I have a lot of hope for this team and the future can only tell how well we do. said Coach Seesz. While many teams in the county are pushing to have an amazing team during their volleyball season, Coach Seesz decided that preparing for the girls to be ready for varsity is more important than anything. She believes that technique, confidence, and the ability to put effort towards anything will allow an athlete to have the ability to be a top varsity player. To support the volleyball team, come cheer them on as they play Paint Branch on Monday September 23 and Blake on Thursday September 28 at 4:30.
The first home game held on September 21 proved to be a disappointing loss of 0-10 against the Northwest Jaguars, adding onto their previous two losses. They are looking forward to their coming games, hoping to improve, all the while staying positive. With a new head coach, long time math teacher Cynthia Harris, they expect things to be much different. My expectations for my team this year is for all the girls to improve on their skills and score some goals. Ultimately, our goal is to win games. Im very excited this year coaching soccer, but Im a bit nervous too, Harris said. They opened up the season against Poolesville High School in a hard fought game. Unfortunately, they lost 0-10. They lost their next contest 1-9 at Einstein High School. Our expectations and goals as a team this year is to win at least some games this year. Even though, we were not very successful in our first 2 games, we hope to improve together as a team throughout the season and possibly pick up some wins too, senior captain Stephanie Herrera said. The home opener againstGaithersburg High School was postponed due to weather conditions.
junior Cassidy Ohearn scored in the second half. Despite their first loss Varsity Field hockey has won two other games and tied one game in the season. The biggest win was against Northwood High School with an ending score of 13-0. Aiming to beat their rivals Wootton High School the girls finished with a score of 2-2, which was cut short because of weather condi-
Senior captain Colleen Connolly sprints down the field to help the team beat Northwood High School 13-0.
tions. The season opener against John F. Kennedy High School also ended early into the second half due to our stadium lights having a technical difficulty, making it dangerous to contiue play. I am pretty disappointed that we havent been able to play a full game yet. No one has seen what we can truly do. freshman Kelly Stiller said. Varsity Girls Field Hockey pre-
season was a little shaky at the beginning because there were not many girls. Team bonding and communication is key, I feel like the loss was good for us. It showed us that we really do have to come together as a team; we just had a bad game, junior Kendra Watson said. Some players to watch are Seniors Colleen Connolly and Colette Colburn; juniors are Cassidy OHearn, Angelica Darling, and Catherine Smith, and sophomore Ria Peralta. We have a very young team this year, but none the less, I know this team has the heart and the soul to keep the tradition going. Every girl who is a part of our program puts in 200% in every drill, every practice and every game, head varsity coach Kelly Massino said. The Devils are hoping to keep their reigning title as region champs. The girls are striving to work as a team and become comfortable with how one another plays to help maintain a winning record and their reputation as a top team in the county.