ScribblerVol. 51, No. 6

Brinkley Lecture Series Covers Justice System, Leadership, and JFKBy Karen Buitano

The Student Newspaper of the Holton-Arms School Friday, May 4, 2012

KONY 2012 and Emmanuel Jal Inspire but Produce Different ReactionsBy Zahra husain

A senior tradition involves annual seminars such as Finan-cial Literacy with math teacher Dave Weis and Nutrition in Col-lege with nutritionist Kelly Dor-fman, but this year the school tried something new.

It also incorporated three mandatory evening seminars with Landon seniors as part of the new Alan Brinkley lecture se-ries at Landon.

The Alan Brinkley lecture series is named after a Landon alum (1967) and Allan Nevis Professor of history at Columbia University.

This distinguished historian won a National Book Award for Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and the Great Depression, and he served as provost of the University from 2003-2009.

The lecture series aimed to reflect Brinkley’s scholarship.

This MonthCurrent Events - Page 4 Holton Responds to IssuesTravyon, KONY 2012, and moreSports - Page 8Ousman Sallah: Learning From Usain BoltHow Track Uses New Technique

Publications Dessert Welcomes Susan Stamberg and New Editors for Scribe, Scroll, and Scribbler

By nicole Bohannon

On the evening of April 23, writers, editors, advisors, and teachers gathered in the Simms Reception room for the annual Publications Dessert.

Hosted by Scribbler, the event not only allows for attendants to enjoy scrumptious desserts but also hosts a speaker to discuss his or her area of expertise.

This year, National Public Radio (NPR) special correspon-dent Susan Stamberg spoke to the group of girls and faculty.

Stamberg is the first woman to anchor a national nightly news program and has won every ma-jor award in broadcasting.

She has been inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the Radio Hall of Fame. An NPR founding mother, Stam-berg served as co-host of NPR's award-winning newsmagazine All Things Considered beginning in 1972.

She then hosted Weekend Edition Sunday and now serves as guest host of NPR’s Morning Edition and Weekend Edition Sat-urday in addition to reporting on cultural issues for all the NPR

programs.At the Publications Dessert,

Stamberg spoke to the girls about her first time on air and her fa-vorite experiences working on radio.

She encouraged the girls to pursue a career in journalism.

In addition to the speaker, the leaders of the three publica-tions each announced the editori-al boards for the 2012-2013 year.

Scroll, the literary magazine, designated Katie Kirk ’13 and Delancy Wu ’13 as the new ed-itors-in-chief, with Hailey Cayne ’13 and Keara Scallan ’14 as the

new presidents.Afterward, Scribe, the Holton

yearbook, declared Gabriella Chen ’13 as the Chief Editor for Art, Design and Layout; Yassa-man Erfani ’13 as Chief Editor for Content; and Sarah Lossing ’13 as Chief Editor for Publish-ing, Production, Editing and Training, among other positions.

Finally, the school newspaper Scribbler, in addition to new edi-tors for the other sections, pro-nounced Angelina DiPaolo ’13 as editor-in-chief, along with Zahra Husain ’13 and Saachi Nangia ’13 as managing editors.

The first seminar was given by Marc Howard, a Georgetown professor of government who focused on criminal justice in the United States, rights of the ac-

cused, and false confessions. Howard told the story of

Marty Tankleff, whom he aided in proving innocent after Tankleff ’s 17 years in prison.

Under pressure during inter-rogation from the Suffolk Coun-ty Police Department in Long Island, NY, Tankleff was coerced into believing that he had killed his parents and falsely confessed to first-degree murder.

After realizing that he had not committed the crime, Tankleff spent the rest of his time in jail raising awareness for his case and gaining pro-bono le-gal representation.

Howard, a childhood friend of Tankleff ’s, has devoted a great part of his career to raising awareness of the prevalence of false confessions in the American justice system today.

“The first seminar was defi-nitely the most engaging,” Neha Prasad ’12 said. “I enjoyed learn-

ing about the field of criminal law and injustices in the system with a real-life story.”

Amanda Lee ’12 said, “I liked the first seminar that we attended with Landon because it was really interesting to see how corrupt our justice system can be.”

John Glavin gave the second seminar. A Georgetown Univer-sity English professor, he also serves as director of the George-town Office of Fellowship, Awards, and Research.

Glavin spoke of the emerg-ing power of entrepreneurship over the past century’s standard path of college and gradual as-cent up the corporate ladder.

Glavin offered a fresh out-look on our generation’s tradi-tional views of college and ca-reers. His approach, however, seemed too radical for some.

“The second seminar with Professor John Glavin was my least favorite,” Lise Courtney

d’Amico ’12 said, “because it seemed as though all he was tell-ing us was to rebel against tradi-tional society.”

Lee added, “My least favorite seminar was the second Landon seminar because I found it boring and irrelevant. The only things I took away from that seminar were a) French is useless, b) you can’t get anywhere without math, and c) our generation needs to learn how to say ‘no.’”

Brinkley returned to Landon for the final lecture of the series.

Brinkleys lecture, titled “The Contested Legacy of John F. Kennedy” analyzed the late Pres-ident’s role in American history.

Brinkley examined Kenne-dy’s historical legacy by arguing that being an idealized figure in the 1960s influenced his power to lead.

The majority of students en-

continued Seminar page 3

On March 5, 2012, an or-ganization known as Invisible Children released a half-hour video documenting the wrong-doings of Ugandan fugitive Jo-seph Kony.

This year, Kony made the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) list of top criminals.

The ICC seeks to hold gov-ernment officials and large-scale criminals accountable for crimes against humanity, but because such a body, in theory, infringes on national sovereignty, its true legitimacy is questionable.

Its list, however, has sparked urgency among the activists, namely Invisible Children, fight-ing for the Ugandan people and against Kony.

Questions of the credibility of Invisible Children limited the efficacy of their campaign.

Initially, Holton’s Culture Club hoped to raise money for the Stop Kony movement.

“Because of all of the controversy and suspicions of fraud, we figured it was too risky to send people’s money to that organization,” explained

Danette Frederique ’13.Though the philanthropists’

act was initially met with a posi-tive, the number of opponents of Kony 2012 soon started growing rapidly.

The day after the Kony 2012 video was released, post-ers with slogans such as “STOP KONY” covered walls and doors around the Upper School.

By the end of the week, however, posters providing counter arguments hung next to those of Kony 2012 propo-nents.

continued KOnY page 4

Alan Brinkley (pictured) spoke on John F. Kennedy’s legacy, and dicussed his role as an idealized figure, as representa-tion of the 1960s and as a charismatic leader. The lecture series’ name comes from the esteemed Landon graduate.

photo courtesy columBia university

(From left to right) Karen Buitano ’12, Sandy Fox ’12, Nicole Bohannon ’12, Susan Stamberg, Vanessa Sauter ’12, Elizabeth Rosenbaum ’12, and Kelsey Sloter ’12 celebrate after the Publications Dessert.

photo courtesy lisa pence

Emmanuel Jal (shown) founded Gua Af-rica to fight against child soldier recruitment.

photo courtesy Whyy.org

This MonthNews - Page 2PUNCH 2012From Wind and Water to Cultural Creations to Avant GardeFeatures - Page 6Club ElectionsInsight into Electoral Processes

Senior Spirit Day

2011 Gold Medalist, Columbia Scho-lastic Press Association (C.S.P.A.)

The Holton-Arms School7303 River RoadBethesda, MD 20817301.365.5300

Letters to the Editor and opinion col-umns are the expressed opinion of the author and not of The Scribbler and its editorial board or advisor.

The Scribbler welcomes letters, which should be e-mailed to the Editor-in-Chief atNicole.Bohannon.2012@holton-arms.edu

The Scribbler cannot publish anony-mous letters, or anything deemed libel-ous, obscene, or in poor taste.

Rights are reserved to postpone, edit, or withhold from publication anything that does not meet specifications.

The opinions conveyed in The Scribbler are not those of the Holton-Arms fac-ulty or administration.

Scribbler2 OPINION May 4, 2012

Editor-in-Chief - Nicole Bohannon

Managing Editors - Karen Buitano Sandy Fox

Layout Editors - Angelina DiPaolo Zahra Husain

News Editor - Saachi Nangia Assistant News - Susannah Bane

Spread Editor - Hailey CayneAssistant Spread - Jennifer Guo

Features Editor - Lindsay CayneAssistant Features - Tiffany

Onyejiaka

Sports Editor - Catilin Montgomery

A&E Editor - Cheyenne CooteAssistant A&E - Noori Srivastava

Copy Editor - Caitlin Montgomery Photography Editor - Neha Prasad

Assist. Photo. Editor - Saachi Nangia

Cartoonist - Delancy Wu

Advisor - Maggie Spak

By the end of your high school career, you will likely have made at least one speech or announcement during as-sembly.

Many of you will swear the theater doubles in size when you’re the one on stage holding the microphone.

Whether you’re rattling off the time and place for a club meeting or running for a posi-tion in RA, it’s easy to get ner-vous.

You have a reputation to uphold, and the bright lights and three hundred stares don’t help.

The following list identifies the five general types of speak-ers (according to this editor).

Knowing where you are on the spectrum may help you im-prove your speaking.

The NaturalYou were born with charm

and confidence, and/or you’ve practiced a lot.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re more of a poised, laid-

What Kind of Speaker Are You?

April Showers ...By Delancey Wu

back, or upbeat speaker; you hold great sway over the audi-ence with your clarity and en-thusiasm.

If you’re funny, you prob-ably know.

You aren’t dependent on notes and can speak fluidly from a mental plan.

The ReaderYou can read animatedly

any writing that’s given to you. You speak clearly, don’t get

lost on the page, and maintain good eye contact.

You could be a natural who’s been told to stick to the script; out of context, there’s no way for the audience to tell.

You’re not in a bad posi-tion for speech making, but you probably could step it up and use brief notes or a mental plan instead of pages of text.

The A+ for EffortYou’re not the most fo-

cused, but your animation and/or humor often makes up for it.

Your lack of clarity might

stem from one or more of the following: distraction, fits of giggling, fidgetiness, depen-dence on note cards, fillers (“um,” “like,” etc.), confusing word choice, or poor enuncia-tion.

With practice you can chan-nel some of your energy into making sense and have some left over to dazzle the audience.

The Low Key-but-ClearYou’re less lively than oth-

ers, but you’re easy to under-stand, and you express your ideas skillfully.

You might speak in a monotone, find it hard to inject humor on stage, and/or are on the quiet side.

Just keep in mind that the precision that’s hard for others comes naturally to you.

That thought plus practice can help you become a more convincing speaker.

The Almost ThereYou share some of the

flaws of the last two types but

engage the audience with your personality.

Verbal and physical clum-siness, uneasiness, and/or reserve obscure your sense of humor and moments of poise.

You have everything you need to be a great speaker if only you would embrace your unique style.

For everyone, practice, and remember that great doesn’t mean perfect.

Effective speakers show their human sides so that what they’re saying doesn’t seem mechanical or contrived, and the human sides can bring some slipups.

Also, the Holton audience is very forgiving.

We aren’t here to judge you!

Getting on stage is im-portant because it gives you experience, not because it matters if you mess up.

So just work on it, and don’t sweat it.

3NEWSMay 4, 2012

By angelina dipaolo

MS New Orleans Trip Serves as “Great Bonding Experience”

During Spring Break, while many Holton students vaca-tioned and traveled abroad, 24 eighth graders visited New Or-leans for both service and cul-tural education.

The girls provided service to those civilians still experiencing the effects of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.

“My favorite part of the trip was definitely doing the com-munity service,” Emily King ’16 stated of her trip to NOLA.

“I liked the whole trip,” Re-becca Fisch ’16 said, “but on the first day, we went to see a bunch of houses…They spray-painted numbers on these houses [after the hurricane], and we helped re-move and clean them up.”

Holton’s eighth graders demonstrated that even a small contribution to reconstructing New Orleans can make a large difference.

Service projects included stripping paint off of a house, planting trees, and clearing an overgrown lot.

In order to clear the lot, the girls chopped overgrown plants, removed debris, and pulled weeds to prepare the lot for the creation of a rebuilt home.

The community service that the eighth graders performed served as one of the most re-warding aspects of the trip since they not only helped but also in-teracted with New Orleans resi-dents.

King stated, “One special memory I have was when we were chipping paint off of a house, and a boy named Drey, who lived a few doors down from the house we were working on, decided to come and throw the football with us...It was awe-

some to see how happy that little boy was even though he didn’t have much.”

Olivia Heflin ’16 also de-scribed meeting the hurricane victims as the most rewarding as-pect of the trip. She stated that one day “on our way to plant-ing trees, a man came out from his house and clapped and said ‘thank-you so much.’ It made my day.”

King said that after the first two days of painting and plant-ing, “[they] pulled weeds and cleared out a lot that would later be used as a field for the kids in the community.”

In addition to clearing the lot, several other portions of service shaped students’ perspec-tives of the Louisiana culture.

King ’16 stated, “We went on a boat tour of an alligator swamp one day, we went on a tour of the city on a bus one day, we got an afternoon to go shopping in the French Quarter, and we went out for dinner, breakfast, and lunch.”

Heflin ’16 shared that such purely fun activities made the trip even more memorable and bond-ed the class as well.

She said, “Hanging out with all of my friends and shop-ping were a lot of fun. Getting to know people better was also

a highlight of the trip. The car rides were the best. We taught each other new games to keep us occupied.”

The trip has scarcely changed over the years.

In fact, as Tony Shawe re-marked, “the basic itinerary of the trip has remained consistent over the years – with service work in the morning to early afternoon, followed by cultural activities.”

He noticed that the only change since the first trip in 2008 has been the number.

“During the first year of the trip there were 16 8th graders; however, over the years inter-est increased so we have moved from 16 to 20 to now 24 (which seems to be the perfect number for a trip of this kind).”

Shawe said on the service aspect of the trip, “For me, the highlights are always the service work, especially when the stu-dents work hard and accomplish something meaningful.”

He also, however, acknowl-edged the cultural aspect of the trip, remarking, “Another highlight would be the swamp tour (we saw an alligator, ot-ter, snakes, birds, Spanish moss, etc.) and of course every po’boy I ate.”

On April 13th and 14th, a student-run, student-designed fashion show, known as “People United for New Creative Hunch-es” (PUNCH), took place in the Black Box Theater.

PUNCH was founded in 1998 by Alex Kram ’98 and Shayla Nunn ’99, and since then the ticket proceeds have continu-ally gone to Suited for Change, a non-profit organization that pro-vides low-income women with professional clothes for new em-ployment opportunities.

Marsha Scherbel, one of the advisors for PUNCH, said, “Our long history with [Suited for Change] has earned us the dis-tinction of being named a Special Sponsor of Suited for Change for the last five years.”

This year, PUNCH also do-nated to Hope 4 Women Inter-national (Dress a Girl Around the World), which delivers hand-crafted dresses to young girls in underdeveloped countries.

Scherbel said, “I love the fact that the proceeds from the show benefit two wonderful organiza-tions.”

This year PUNCH was led by president Michelle Un-ger ’12 along with Lise Court-ney D’Amico ’12, Rodina Dereje ’13, Sarah Lasky ’13, Alexandra Martin ’13, and faculty advisors Scherbel and Cheryl Hansen.

Under their leadership, PUNCH featured 25 designers with five full lines, nine half lines, a surprise line, and a senior line.

Lasky, who has designed for PUNCH twice in the past, cre-ated a full line this year.

Lasky most enjoyed “de-signing the outfits and picking a theme before choosing the out-fits as well as the whole design process, choosing colors, pat-terns, fabrics.”

On the final two nights, she recalled feeling “accomplished because it [had] been five months of hard work…It [made] me re-alize what I can actually achieve.”

Julia Pieperl ’13 and Danielle Jones ’13 debuted their design-ing and sewing skills at this year’s PUNCH.

Pieperl explained, “We’ve been wanting to do PUNCH for several years, and now we finally got to.”

Their line was inspired by the four elements, and, as Jones not-ed, “each dress embodies each model’s personality in some way or form.”

This year’s PUNCH also featured a model from Landon,

Michael Hengerer ’12, who modeled for senior Caitlin Montgomery’s surprise “Peter-Pan” inspired line.

Hengerer stated, “It’s been my dream to model in PUNCH since freshman year, so it was great to see it come true in my senior year.”

As Scherbel said, “I am always amazed at the imagina-tion and inspiration, as well as the technical talent, that the PUNCH participants display…I also enjoy sharing all the en-thusiasm and bonding that take place when a group of students and teachers team together to put on a show.”

Unger added, “The designs were exquisitely crafted. The smaller size of the show this year really did confirm my belief in quality over quantity.”

joyed the lectures, but some girls identified logistical inconviences.

Prasad said, “The only bad part of the seminars is the timing. I remember that the first seminar was the night before most Early Decision applications [to col-leges] were due! Still, I think it’s important to have the seminars.”

As an activity with Landon, the Brinkley lecture series provid-ed a glimpse into the co-educa-tional environment many seniors will soon experience in college.

“We were excited at the op-portunity for [Holton and Land-on students],” Upper School Di-rector Lisa Pence said, “especially since it is a shared experience that doesn’t involve music and a dance floor for a change.”

Lee added that she found it

refreshing to see the Landon boys in a learning environment.

She said, “I’m glad that we had seminars with Landon. Even though they were slightly awk-ward at first and reminded me of a middle school dance, it was in-teresting to be in an educational setting with boys since we rarely learn with the opposite gender here at the Holton-Arms School

for girls.”“For our students to have

a glimpse of what undergradu-ate lectures will be like is one clear objective [of the lectures],” Pence stated.

She continued, “Aside from that, how can one argue against intellectual stimulation that cen-ters on topics or issues that lie outside of your standard core academic disciplines? I think that when students aren’t in class or doing school work, they tend to direct their brain power to-wards activities that aren’t neces-sarily scholarly or intellectual in nature.”

Pence concluded, stating, “This was a good taste of what it means to enjoy learning for learning’s sake and to appreciate those who have dedicated their lives to research.”

From Seminar page 1

By hailey cayne

PUNCH Provides Creative Outlet and Charity Opportunity

photos courtesy david scherBel

John Glavin from Georgetown University spoke on leadership in the 21st century.

photo courtesy georgetoWn university

Eighth graders strip paint off a house in New Orleans, in addition to planting trees and clearing overgrown lots during their Spring Break trip.

photo courtesy tony shaWe

photo courtesy leslie nelson

At the end of the next week, the Model UN club hosted an open debate on this issue. The discussion ended up leaning heavily toward the anti-Kony side.

From the beginning, Lucy Wilkinson ’13 held some doubt about the legitimacy of the orga-nization.

“I was pretty against the Kony 2012 movement because of all the controversy surround-ing the organization running it, Invisible Children (IC). IC advo-cates military action in Uganda, despite the increased backlash that has resulted from past mili-tary action…As important as awareness is, and as bad a man as Joseph Kony is, people who want to make any sort of dif-ference need to focus on Kony himself, not Kony 2012.”

Sophomore Adia Robin-son added, “I think the Kony campaign is a good idea, but it’s just too late. Also, the questions about their credibility make it

hard to know if they’re doing the right thing.”

By contrast, former child soldier Emmanuel Jal delivered a rousing performance to the upper school community in No-vember, and his message seems to have resonated with the stu-dent body.

Jal entered the Lewis The-ater singing his single “We Want Peace,” but he also shared his story of escaping life as a child soldier and founding Gua Africa, a charity that fights against the

problem of child soldier recruit-ment.

Shortly after his visit, Repre-sentative Assembly (RA) started the “Lose to Win” campaign, where students were encouraged to forgo buying frozen yogurt or coffee, for example, and donate that money to the cause instead. RA was able to raise $630.

RA Director Jenny Gath-right said, “I think Emmanuel Jal’s message was so important because it was personal. His pre-sentation was about his life and

By lindsay cayne

Trayvon Martin Case Catches National Attention, Sparks Debate

On February 26, Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African-American male, was returning to the house of his father’s fiancé in Sanford, Florida.

Wearing a hoodie and carry-ing Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea, Martin was talking on the phone with his girlfriend when George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old man of mixed ethnic descent, who was acting as a community watch coordinator, followed Martin.

Zimmerman called the San-ford Police Department to re-port what he believed was sus-picious behavior. He told the police that there was “a guy...walking around, looking about. This guy looks like...he’s on drugs or something.”

When police arrived on the scene, they discovered Martin dead and Zimmerman’s nose and head bleeding.

Zimmerman contends Mar-tin punched him in the face and knocked his head into the pave-ment and that he shot Martin in self-defense.

Zimmerman was taken to

the Sanford Police Department, where he was questioned by in-vestigators.

The police later released him and cited Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which enables a person to “use deadly force in self-defense when there is a rea-sonable belief of a threat and which does not require people to retreat.”

The Trayvon Martin case quickly prompted allegations of racial motivations and police mis-conduct from citizens across the country as well as from around the world.

Civil rights leaders organized rallies to demand Zimmerman’s arrest. Protesters argued that the shooting of Zimmerman was not justified.

The New Black Panther Party, an activist group, is said to have been raising money to fund a million dollar bounty for Zim-merman’s capture.

On April 11, Special Pros-ecutor Angela B. Corey an-nounced she had filed charges of murder in the second degree against George Zimmerman.

The case has also sparked strong interest and debate from students within the Holton com-munity.

The Black Student Union hosted a discussion for students to share opinions and thoughts on the matter. For senior Ma-laika Khafra, “the first word that comes to mind is ‘ignorance.’ Too many preventable incidents happen because of a lack of knowledge and understanding.”

Rachel Clayton ’12 said, “I think what happened to Tray-von Martin was a horrible event.

People need to learn to not judge too quickly and to recognize that in the changing America, stereo-types are becoming invalid.”

Sophomore Vania Canales-Canales believes “it was com-pletely unfair and racist that Mar-tin was shot just because he was wearing a hoodie, and I’m really surprised the police did not even question Zimmerman for an al-cohol test. I would have thought that as a community we would all learn that racism should play no factor in life-threatening deci-sions.”

Junior Alison Cohen ex-claimed, “I’m so happy that Flor-ida charged Zimmerman and will prosecute him. Even if Zimmer-man is innocent, a case with such questionable circumstances and so much public interest should receive a full and fair trial. I’ll be following the case very closely!”

Although the ultimate reso-lution of the Trayvon Martin case is yet to be determined, many Holton students believe the Sanford Police Department’s initial handling of the case was inadequate, if not unjust.

“One thing we can hopefully all take away from this case,” ex-pressed Antoinette Nwabunnia ’13, “is the awareness that there are still fundamental issues such as racism that plague the United States. The U.S. is supposed to be this supreme example of democ-racy, yet people are still not treat-ed equally...I’m happy now that Zimmerman has been caught, but I am very disappointed in the system. I hope that this will be a learning experience for everyone. Now we can go back to the draw-ing board and fix the problem.”

how he has chosen to dedicate it to helping people who grew up in situations similar to his. Now Emmanuel is doing what he loves, making music and simul-taneously helping his country, South Sudan.”

When comparing his mis-sion to the project of the Kony 2012 advocates, she reasoned, “Emmanuel Jal’s work is differ-ent from the work of the Kony movement because it comes from the inside; Emmanuel Jal is actually from Sudan. The Kony movement is different because it is less grassroots based and more focused on broad politi-cal awareness. Invisible Children does have a lot of programs that directly aid the people in Uganda and the Congo, but I just don’t think the message strikes the same chord as Emmanuel Jal’s message.”

Amanda Lee ’13 concurred with Gathright and believed, “Emmanuel Jal’s presentation at Holton was one of the best I’ve seen. I liked him because he was so energetic and passionate, and he did a great job connecting

with us not only through his per-son stories but also through his music. I think his cause is defi-nitely worthwhile, and I’m glad that he’s shedding light on such important issues.”

Affected by Jal’s message, junior Jazmyn McKoy designed her PUNCH (Holton’s student run fashion show) line with a cultural theme.

“Emmanuel Jal’s struggle for liberation, triumphant flight from a life of violence and poverty, and impactful changes in the lives of other sufferers moved me,” she said. “Having had a childhood filled with vio-lence, Emmanuel Jal advocates for world peace. Art allows for expression, and through musi-cal art Jal spreads his message. Through the art of fashion, I de-signed my line to emphasize the differences in cultural garb, and I created the clothing with my own modern twist.”

The exposure to the two movements pushed students to question the information fed to them and formulate their own opinions.

From KOnY page 1

On April 11, George Zimmerman (left) was charged with second degree murder of Trayvon Martin (right).

What’s Going On In The World Today?

Joseph Kony (pictured) places on ICC's list of most wanted criminals for being the head of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan guerrilla group that, among many atrocities, recruits child soldiers.

photo courtesy aBc neWs

photos courtesy nBc neWs

By JenniFer guo

APES Projects Highlight Range of Possible Energy ResourcesDuring the first week of

April, AP Environmental Science (APES) students helped remind the Holton community of a lead-ing global issue: energy sources.

Without a reliable source of energy, humans cannot operate much of modern technology.

The students presented six-ty-second commercials extolling or discrediting various energy sources that range from coal to biomass.

Patty Carver, who leads the APES classes, said the assign-ment forced students to “sort through a lot of research and information and boil it down to the most essential and persuasive facts.” During their videos, stu-dents explained the connection between greenhouse gases and global warming before focusing on a single energy source.

So why have energy sources become so important in the 21st century?

Since the beginning of in-dustrialization, humans have grown to rely heavily on fossil fu-els, energy sources that can only regenerate after millions of years.

Such fuels have an approach-ing expiration date and also hurt the environment with the con-stant release of greenhouse gas-es.

“Today, our main fuel source is oil, a non-renewable energy source that releases countless pollutants and contributes to cli-mate change,” explained APES student Morgan McNair ’13. “Sooner or later, we will run out of oil, and we will need to turn to a new energy source.”

In the hopes of finding vi-

able substitutions for fossil fuels, many scientists and researchers have turned to renewable en-ergy sources, which include solar power, wind power, and biomass.

Solar power involves using solar panels made of silicon or other elemental crystals to con-vert the sun’s rays into electricity.

While solar energy can never run out and does not harm the environment, it has drawbacks in terms of cost and effectiveness.

Adia Robinson ’14 said, “I think solar power is a good idea

but too expensive. It wouldn’t work in everyday lives.”

Wind power, another poten-tial energy source, uses wind tur-bines to generate electricity.

Issues with this form of energy stem from its fragility in thunderstorms and inability to work in areas with low winds.

An increasingly popular en-ergy source is biomass, which is fuel made from plant-derived materials.

While burning biomass still releases carbon dioxide, a green-house gas, the emission of that gas is balanced out by the carbon dioxide that plants take in.

The use of biomass, how-ever, has led to the clearing of major areas of land, and some plants required for the fuel are not available year- round.

Nuclear energy has also emerged as a potential source of energy in the future.

Nuclear power plants pri-marily use nuclear fission to pro-duce energy, which involves split-ting apart uranium atoms.

While nuclear fission releases an enormous amount of energy, it also produces radioactive mate-rials and can turn into a disaster

if not properly controlled. As the nuclear accidents

throughout history indicate, in-cluding the most recent crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan, using nuclear en-ergy can have devastating effects if not maintained well.

Nuclear fusion operates on the opposite principle, combin-ing atomic nuclei rather than breaking them apart.

Nuclear fusion releases even more energy than fission does and is arguably safer because it produces fewer radioactive par-ticles.

Unfortunately, scientists still have to conduct research to de-termine how to control nuclear fusion at the high temperatures it requires to function.

Energy sources will continue to pose problems in the future as humans search for a cost-effec-tive, efficient, and environmen-tally friendly alternative to fossil fuels.

Whether it’s learning about them in an AP Environmental Science class or seeing them em-ployed in real life, energy sources will remain an integral part of global affairs for years to come.

By susannah Bane

Republican Primary Election Intrigues Holton CommunityEvery morning when stu-

dents look at the paper there is at least one article on the front page about the Republican primaries.

While in the throes of schoolwork, students may feel as though November is a long way off, but for Republican candi-dates, Election Day is approach-ing quickly as they work hard to win the Republican ticket to the General Election in November.

In America, presidential pri-maries take place from January to June, culminating in the Repub-lican National Convention and Democratic National Conven-tion in August and September.

Current President Barack Obama has already received the Democratic presidential nomina-tion as of April 3, 2012, when he secured more than the required 2,778 delegates.

While Obama has secured his ride to the General Elec-tion, Republican candidates had to debate and work hard to win

the Republican nomination at the Republican National Conven-tion, which will be held August 27-August 30 in Tampa, Florida.

While Obama needed 2,778 to win the nomination, a Repub-lican candidate must secure 1,144 delegates’ votes in order to win.

The difference in number is due to a proportion calculated on the number of delegates in atten-dance and the number of candi-dates running for the position.

In the beginning of Repub-lican primaries, there were eight candidates in the race: Mitt Rom-ney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, Jon Huntsman, Michele Bachmann, and Herman Cain.

As of May 2, only Romney and Paul remain.

Since January, candidates have debated and fought to get their names on the ballot in state primaries.

In order to do so, a candidate must obtain a certain number of signatures of registered voters from the specific state.

On March 6th, the Virginia primary took place, but only two candidates appeared on the bal-lot: Paul and Romney, since Vir-ginia requires 10,000 signatures to have a name on the ballot.

In the local primary elec-tions, a voter must be registered as either Democrat or Republi-can and can only vote in his or

her respective party’s primary.The significance of win-

ning a state primary means that then delegates at the National Convention will be more likely to pledge supporter a candidate who has already won numerous state primaries.

Currently, the Republican candidate most likely to win the

Republican Nomination is Mitt Romney.

“I’m not the biggest tan of Romney, but he can take down Obama, and I think that’s what needs to happen,” Ellen Carey ’12, president of Young Republi-cans, said. “It’s a big year for Re-publicans, and it’s exciting.”

During debates, Republi-can candidates focused on the economy, health care, and social conservative values. Throughout the primaries, another issue that has been discussed is Mitt Rom-ney’s considerable wealth, an is-sue likely to be deliberated in the General Election.

Students at Holton are in-trigued by the ups and downs of the Primary Elections.

Cecily Spindel ’14, said, “I am surprised by how many can-didates were running in the be-ginning of the Primaries but now only [two] remain.”

Lia Downing ’14 finds it in-teresting “how drawn-out the primaries are…and how each state is an obstacle to overcome.”

Politics!The Environment!

Trayvon Martin!KONY 2012!

The Republican candidates included Rick Santorum (top left), Ron Paul (top right), Mitt Romney (center left), Herman Cain (center), Rick Perry (center right), Michelle Bachmann (bottom left), Newt Gingrich (bottom right), and Jon Hunts-

man (not pictured).

photo courtesy Business insider

FEATURES May 4, 20126By saachi nangia

Students “Learn about Their Peers and Themselves” in Holton Diversity Workshop

On Wednesday, April 18th, from noon to 3:30 p.m., Holton’s Black Student Union (BSU) host-ed an intra-school diversity con-ference.

The eight students who par-ticipated in the Student Lead-ership Diversity Conference (SDLC) in December 2011 main-ly organized the conference, and they modeled it after SDLC.

BSU President Bailey Jack-son ’12 explained, “Our con-ference [was] similar to other conferences we have attended this year. We [did] some of the same activities and [asked] similar questions.”

BSU chose to host a con-ference modeled after SDLC because, as Yasmeen Haider ’15 shared, “at the end of SDLC, the students who attended felt like a new people,…[and we wanted more] Holton students to experi-ence this.”

Jackson added, “[A diversity conference is] something that people are interested in…and [it] will bring awareness to certain is-sues and better the Holton com-munity.”

The conference was solely for Holton students and provid-

May 2012Horoscopes

Aries (3/21-4/20)

Choose your words carefully this month. Re-member, the best conver-sationalist is not someone who can talk but someone

who can listen.

Taurus (4/21-5/21)

You’ll be tested this month on how to do more

with a lot less. The trick here is how to be that way and still have fun with it.

Gemini (5/22-6/20)

The truth is never easy, but what you see this month will tell you what you need to change. Over the next

year, see if you’re headed in the right direction.

Cancer (6/21-7/20)

Life is very rosy, and things couldn’t be better if Santa Claus showed up in May instead of December. If any problems come your

way, just roll with it.

Leo (7/21-8/22)

Your love life is getting some real boosts, and you may be including people you never considered be-

fore.

Virgo (8/23-9/22)

You still need to balance school and home life. It’s

not going to get any easier until you face it and work it

out.

Libra (9/23-10/22)

Happiness surrounds

In late April, club members and leaders all gathered together to prepare for their club elec-tions.

Students nominate them-selves for club positions, and start the voting proces. With so many clubs, not all adhere to the same procedure when picking leaders.

Some foreign language clubs stick to the nomination/voting procedure but change the names of new leaders to match the cul-ture of their language.

The most notable of these language clubs is the Latin club.

Club President Jenna Mil-stein ’12 said, “For Latin club, the positions include the co-presidents, who are each consul Promus; the treasurer/secretary, who is Quaestor; the vice presi-dent, who is known as the consul Decundus; and the party planner is Aedile.”

In clubs such as SADD, vot-ing procedures are fairly basic and akin to most clubs.

SADD club president Emily Ness ’12 said, “We have a SADD meeting where we present the candidates and count the votes. We usually have a rising senior

By leila anduZe

Variety of Clubs Mirror Types of Club Elections

run for president and an under-classmen run for vice president.”

The Model UN club uses the same procedure where a stu-dent may elect herself as presi-dent, secretary-treasurer, vice president, or the head delegates to Model UN meets (VAMUN, HAMUN and NAIMUN).

Model UN club members will then have to vote during a certain time of day to choose who they want as their leaders. Adviser Lara Wulff and the club president, Nicole Bohannon ’12, made the final decisions.

While most clubs follow the usual nominate and vote proce-dure, some clubs elect leaders on an application basis.

Students who desire to take a leadership position in Scroll send

in an application for that position. Such positions include ed-itor-in-chief and club president.

Students receive a position based on the thoroughness shown from applica-tions. Current Scroll advisors and leaders will then choose the most promising lead-ers for the club.

Similar to Scroll’s elec-tion process is the one used in PUNCH.

“Basically, the executive board [and the advisors] Mrs. Scherbel and Mrs. Hansen meet to vote and elect a new president for next year,” explained club president Michelle Unger ‘12.

“Members of the show also submit applications for the exec board, and we elect new people for next year’s exec board. Also, the president has to have been on the exec board,” Unger con-cluded.

The process of club elec-tions creates an opportunity for students to take part in clubs that mean something to them and for students to select respectable leaders.

ed them with the opportunity to discuss a variety of current issues with their peers.

The conference began with a presentation of videos and poems discussing the diversity conflicts people may face today involving race, sexuality, socio-economic status, and ability.

BSU advisor Sam Davis described the conference as a chance to “tackle topics that af-fect the school’s culture….in a safe space without the fear of being judged.”

After the presentation, the students divided into small groups to discuss the issues pre-sented, as the girls did at SDLC in December.

Two peer facilitators headed

each group and posed further questions for the participants to ponder.

These facilitators generated the “lively discussions and ex-change of ideas” that BSU mem-ber Aimee Jones-Wikerson ’13 wanted to recreate based on her experience at SDLC.

Above all, the conference al-lowed for “people to learn about their peers and themselves,” said Jackson.

It left students, in the words of Jones-Wilkerson, “challenged, optimistic, and willing to change Holton’s community for the bet-ter,” and it encouraged students, said Davis, to “embrace the com-monalities we do share within this community.”

By marina di marZo

you everywhere you go and with everyone you meet. Open your eyes to a love that has been standing in

front of you.

Scorpio (10/23-11/21)

It is time to assess where your money is going and why. You will also find

yourself spending more time with your schoolwork.

Get cozy.

Sagittarius (11/22-12/20)

This month could be “High Noon” in the re-lationship department.

You’ve grown, and your partner probably hasn’t.

Choose wisely where to go from here.

Capricorn (12/21-1/20)

You may be asking yourself: does the work

ever end? On the plus side, if you’re single, you could meet someone very special

this month.

Aquarius (1/21-2/18)

Your schoolwork is starting to look like a bur-den rather than an asset.

The whole situation is sap-ping your creative side. Still,

you should learn to work with it.

Pisces (2/19-3/20)

Your love life glows with tempting opportuni-ties. Don’t let school wor-ries spoil the chance for an unlikely romance to blos-

som.

Inspired by diversity conferences held throughout this year, Holton students hosted their own mini-conference on April 18th organized in a similar manner to SDLC.

photo courtesy saachi nangia

7ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTMay 4, 2012

Sudoku Puzzle

Level of Difficulty

Above Average

Check the Scribbler online-paper (on your Student Portal under the News bulletin) for

each month’s answer!

created By alex Bohannon

Montgomery County Festival Awards Honor Holton TalentBy tiFFany onyeJiaKa

This past March, five Holton instrumentalists, Hailey Cayne ’13, Sarah Lossing ’13, Delancey Wu ’13, Maddie Slack ’16, and Victoria Powell ’17, participated and won honors at the annual Montgomery County Solo Fes-tival.

The Montgomery County Solo Festival allows talented mu-sicians from around the area to play their well-practiced pieces before judges, who then rate and critique the performances.

Preparation for the festival takes hours of practice on the musicians’ part.

Lossing received an excellent rating for her Mozart concerto piece.

She remarked that even though practicing “was pretty hard, and [she] had to practice a lot, [she] still enjoyed the festival very much.”

Slack agreed that “practicing can be really stressful, but in the end, [the festival] is a great expe-rience.”

Lossing said, “Even though it was kind of intimidating to play solo in front of a judge, it was a great experience to hear someone else give me comments about my playing.”

Cayne also said, “Performing at these Festivals is very reward-ing because I get feedback on my musical technique and expres-sion.”

Slack also enjoyed “partici-

pating in the festival because it shows me how [I] improve as a player from year to year.”

The hard work of these Holton musicians’ hard work paid off because they recieved high awards.

Lossing, Powell, and Wu each achieved an excellent rat-ing, which is the second best rat-ing a musician can get.

Cayne and Slack both were awarded a superior rating, in the oboe and cello, respectively, which is the highest rating one can achieve.

Because Cayne and Slack re-cieved a superior rating, they are now eligible to participate in the Maryland State Solo and Ensem-ble Festival.

The state competition brings musicians from all over the Maryland state and according to Jon Hansen “takes a lot of talent, dedication, and hard work.”

Holton’s Chambers Singers entered the Meeting Room at Sidwell Friends on Wednesday, April 4th with expressions that read, “I know something you don’t.”

As the singers took their seats with the rest of the per-formers, and as other Upper School Chorus members settled in to support their peers, the rest of the audience did not expect the shocking highlight of the night to come from these well behaved women.

Chamber acappella groups from independent schools, in-cluding Bullis, Georgetown Day, Landon, Maret, National Ca-thedral, Potomac, St. Albans, and Sidwell Friends, gathered to showcase repertoires of songs at the annual Vocal Ensemble Night. The pieces ranged from sacred texts to The Beatles.

Typically, each choir would sing two classic songs accompa-nied by one fun piece with an acappella arrangement specially chosen to incorporate distinct voice parts of individual groups. Notable performances included Georgetown Day’s “Under Pres-sure” by David Bowie and Sidwell Friend’s “Hear My Prayer” by Moses Hogan and “Tshotsholo-za” by Jeffery L. Ames.

No one could upstage Holton’s unprecedented presen-tation that brought a refreshing spin to Vocal Ensemble Night.

The Chamber Singers began unassumingly with “Since First I Saw Your Face” by Thomas Ford. Then the girls turned the focus on “For the Love of Money,” the theme of a medley comprised of songs that reflected strong, inde-

pendent women. The audience responded

to the humorous twist of the Chamber Singers’ rendition of “If I Were a Rich Man.”

Right in the middle of the medley, Holton girls from the audience, dressed in casual at-tire, walked on stage and began singing along seamlessly with the blue-gowned women, creating a flash mob.

The Swing Choir rose from their seats and merged with the Chamber Singers to give the im-pression that the entire audience had joined the performance.

Jamie Thompson ’12, presi-dent of the Chamber Singers, re-called observing a girl from the Maret Madrigals “[get] up and [walk] half way to the stage” be-fore realizing she did not know any of the lyrics to the songs be-ing sung.

“We thought this perfor-mance would be a really great chance to share ‘our night’ with the Swing Choir,” Thompson said, explaining the reasoning be-

Vocal Ensemble Night Brings Surprises and FunBy noori srivastava

hind the flash mob. “After supporting the Cham-

ber Singers for years and wishing we had our own performance,” Bailey Jackson ’12, Swing Choir president, said, “it really was an honor and a dream come true to perform with them at Vocal Ensemble Night, especially since that was my first flash mob.”

Jackson described how mem-bers of the Swing Choir “strate-gically spread [themselves] out in groups of two or three and made an effort to hide our anxiousness and anticipation.”

The two group leaders agreed that the experience was nerve-wracking since it was the first time performing their spring repertoire.

Fortunately, the night turned out a success as Thompson elab-orated, “Of the four years partic-ipating in Chamber, performing with Swing Choir at Vocal En-semble Night was my absolute favorite moment...Watching as they rose from their seats to join us was truly magical.”

Advice on Team Peeta, Prom Drama, and Cuddling BoundariesBy amanda lee and alyssa Kaden

Dear Amanda and Alyssa,Team Peeta or Team Gale?

Well, this isn’t a question that we can answer for all of you (like we normally do so well). So, here’s an analysis:

Peeta is butterflies. He’s glit-ter and fairies and Taylor Swift. Gale, on the other hand, is drag-ons and fire and that spicy sauce you know you can’t handle at Chipotle.

If you like pita, go with Peeta. If you like Ginger Ale, go with Gale.

Team Cinna forever. I showed my friend what

prom dress I was going to buy, and then she went out and bought the SAME DRESS. What should I do?

A.) Calm down, sweetie. This is not WWIII.

B.) Sever your friendship. Any type of girl who would sabotage you like that does not deserve to be your friend.

C.) Get revenge. We’ll leave that up to you. But remember, revenge is best when it comes with public humiliation.

My friend is overly“touchy-

feely.” How do I explain to her that I don’t appreciate her constant affection?

Pull out the classic line: It’s not you; it’s me. I can’t handle when you tickle me, hug me, hold me and not let go, run your fingers through my hair, and try to cuddle with me on the couch.

Your love is not my drug.

photo courtesy sidWell Friends school

The Sidwell Friends School Quaker Meetinghouse (above) housed this year’s Vocale Ensemble Night along with other Washington Area Independent schools (right).

photo courtesy saachi nangia

Delancy Wu ’13 won an excellent rating (the second best rating) at the Montgomery Solo Music Festival.

For Spring Break 2012, Ousman Sallah (far right) traveled to Jamaica to learn from the Jamaican Olympic Track team, which includes the fastest runner in the world, Usain Bolt (far left). Sallah has since incorporated some of their techniques in Holton’s own track team.

SPORTS May 4, 2012

Caroline McTaggart ’15 Smashes Records on Way to Olympic TrialsBy isaBel caBeZas

Wellness Program Offers Zumba, Yoga as Workout Alternatives

By caitlin montgomery

The Holton-Arms Wellness Program has offered group ex-ercise classes for parents, faculty, and staff since 1991.

The program includes mas-sage, yoga, Pilates, swimming, and other group exercises.

The school felt it was im-portant for Holton parents and faculty/staff to partake in health-related activities in their daily lives.

Until spring of 2010, due the the large array of sports at Holton, the program included classes for adults only.

Nikki Reynolds said, “I felt as though we needed to offer some classes for the girls as well.”

She organized the classes for fall, for spring, and during mid-term/final exam week.

These classes are free of charge. They are intended to provide the students with an op-portunity to relieve stress, spend time with peers, and expose them to new exercise activities.

Reynolds added, “I hope that some participants find that they enjoy exercising and the way it makes them feel both physically and mentally. Because of these reasons, more students should take advantage of these classes.”

Also, classes are conveniently located on campus, and they typi-cally take place from 4 to 5 p.m. once a week in the mat room by the pool lounge as well as the dance studio.

This year, freshman Caro-line McTaggart’s strength in the Holton pool, which included breaking three individual and two relay records, helped her earn the title of The Gazette’s 2012 Swim-mer of the Year.

Head varsity swim coach Graham Westerberg said that McTaggart “has represented Holton to the finest. [She] is in-credibly strong and powerful un-der the water. Her ability to take the water and pull it somewhere is hard to teach. She finds a way to do that very well!”

McTaggart started swim-ming at Chevy Chase Recreation Association’s annual end-of-the-year, eight-and-under kickboard race.

“I touched the wall first,” she recalled. “The team A rep announced to the crowd, ‘Would the mother of the girl with the red bow come talk with me?’ I signed up for the CCRA team, and thus my love for swimming began.”

She started lessons at YMCA

By allie greenBerg

Holton’s very own Ousman Sallah, head coach of the track team, was in Jamaica this past Spring Break with the world’s fastest runner, Usain Bolt.

Sallah traveled to Jamaica to learn from coaches what their track techniques were.

In Sallah’s words, he wanted to know “what was in their wa-ter!”

Sallah’s schedule consisted of waking up at 5:30 am in or-der to be at the track at 6:00. He would watch and interact with the athletes until 9:00 and then go to the weight room until 11:00. He would return back to the track again from 3:30-6:00.

When working hand in hand with Bolt’s coach, Sallah noticed during his experience that the professionals did things a little differently.

He noted that the runners “lacked in stretching” while we value 10-15 minutes of stretch-ing.

Sallah also realized that back in America “we take for granted running on grass while in Ja-maica they focus for their turn to run and cannot contain their excitement.”

Sallah observed how Bolt and other fast runners trained and watched their races. The competition made way for com-munication and allowed for the runners to help each other. He could not believe the incredible

speed at which they were all run-ning.

Sallah asked Bolt how he was able to overcome the fact that he is 6 feet 6 inches, which would naturally make him slow-er, and be able to run so fast?

Bolt told him that his suc-cess are largely based on work with strength and drills. Sallah even got the chance to teach Bolt a few of his own tricks, for Sallah was a long jumper in the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Sallah stressed how grateful he is to Holton for allowing him the opportunity.

“Without Holton, this trip would not have been made pos-sible,” he said. “It has been an honor and a privilege and has opened more doors for future possibilities.”

Sallah has kept in contact with the coaches and has be-come close friends with all of

them.After his experience in Ja-

maica, Sallah was prepared to train the Holton track and field team by the “Jamaican way.”

He learned that he has to focus more on technique rather than having the girls constantly running drills over and over, causing them to be overworked and exhausted.

He stressed how he wants his practices to be fun and for his athletes to look forward to coming to practice. He wants to follow the Jamaican philosophy: Athletes have to enjoy what they are doing.

At the Georgetown Prep meet, the B team 4 by 1 broke the school record, even without its fastest runner, in part thanks to the new technique.

Sallah’s future goal for the track team is to bring home the ISL trophy for the first time.

Acquired Techniques from Usain Bolt Improve Track Team

and, at the age of eight, became part of All Star Aquatics in 2005. Although she does not hail from a family of power house swim-mers, her grandfather swam every morning, and her great-grandfather swam in Germany.

While some girls have “early-outs” to participate in outside ac-tivities, McTaggart does not.

“Instead, I rock out in Mrs. Spak’s eighth period English class,” she exclaimed. Still, Mc-Taggart practices for two hours seven times a week. She has a double practice on Mondays, al-lowing her to rest on Sundays.

“Some of the best breaks

and holidays I have ever expe-rienced included swimming be-cause I hung out with my swim friends before enjoying time with my family and eating massive quantities,” McTaggart said.

At twelve, McTaggart par-ticipated in a Mutual of Omaha Clinic at Georgetown Prep, where she met Olympians Ran-dall Bal, Rowdy Gaines, and Kate Ziegler.

Since then, McTaggart has beaten many swimmers with her bolting times. This year, she broke a total of five records - three individual and two relays - and lowered some of her own.

She started off the season by breaking two records in Holton’s second meet by setting meet re-cords at the ISLs in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle races, helping Holton to reclaim the ISL title.

Holton finished 80 points higher than second place, Stone Ridge. At the WMPSSDLs meet, McTaggart set meet and league records in the 50-free with a time of 23.07 seconds and the 100-free at 49.99 seconds, helping to secure Holton’s second place finish (the highest the team has placed in the past decade).

McTaggart also broke the METROs Championship Meet records in these events and low-ered her time in the 100 freestyle by 0.02 seconds.

In addition to setting new re-cords for the 50 and 100-meter freestyle events at Holton and at other meets, she broke the 500- freestyle record, which had stood since the 1980s.

McTaggart also anchored the record-breaking 200 and 400-meter freestyle relays.

McTaggart stated that break-

ing all the records makes her feel motivated because “accomplish-ments provide motivation to work hard during practice.”

During meets, McTaggart knits for relaxation. At home, she continues to admire the post-ers that fellow classmate Eliza-beth Bragale ’15 made, and that members of this year’s swim team signed.

Assistant varsity swim coach Mary Quirk took these posters with her over Spring Break to hold up during McTaggart’s rac-es at the Junior National Cham-pionships in Orlando, where she qualified for the Olympic Trials in both the 50 and 100-meter freestyle.

McTaggart realized that she could actually qualify for Olym-pic Trials last year in the spring after making the Nationals meet.

This past September, she and her coach formed a year plan with the main goal to qualify for the Olympic Trials.

Now that she has made them, Caroline expressed that she is “super psyched” for the

So far, students have enjoyed free Zumba classes and yoga classes.

Zumba was an especially popular program for the Class of 2012 this year.

Senior Kimberly Whitley said that she joined the class because “Zumba seemed really fun, but I never had a chance to actually do it before Holton offered the class. Also, the instructor is amazing; I especially enjoyed her motivation-al ‘WOOOPS’!”

Senior Nathalie Weiss took part in Zumba because it was a worthwhile and fun workout.

“I loved the energy in the room and how nobody there judged me for my lack of danc-ing abilities,” Weiss commented. “The teacher was awesome, she adapted well for each group (by level), and I loved her music.”

Anna Hill ’12 described the class as “energetic, lively, loud... The teacher is extremely encour-aging and teaches us the [dance] moves effortlessly.”

All three seniors agreed that they may take Zumba again.

Besides the current classes in the Wellness Program, Weiss and Hill said they wished to take a kickboxing class existed.

Reynolds maintained, “With an increased amount of participa-tion and interest in these student classes, the more likely [it is] that various courses could be offered and at a higher frequency.”

8

Caroline McTaggart ’15 (shown) has swum since eight and will try out for the Olympic Trials this summer.

photos courtesy saachi nangia

photo courtesy ousman sallah