Year II, Issue II November 2012 Washington Latin

New school store formedSmall start, with promising futureBy Alistair AndrulisJunior Bagels and english muffins are only some of the items on sale now at the newly formed school store.! Walter Deleon, a junior, is helping to run the store with Ms. Megan Hannon during break. ! “The idea of a school store has been on the table for a few years now. However, funds were never sufficient enough to fill the store with products” said Deleon. “This year, the idea of the school store became known to Ms. Hannon, who used our initial plans as a launch pad to initiate the store.”! The store currently has a limited stock, with mostly healthy snack and breakfast items. ! “As of now, the school store sells various snacks at very decent prices. In early 2013, we will then move on into providing branded

By Cuneyt DilJunior! Wednesday, Washington Latin students in 5th-12th grade who are taking a part in the arts program hosted an all-school Fall Arts concert at Nineteenth Street Baptist Church. ! The concert featured skits, choir performances, high school jazz band sets and various speakers from the high school.

! The event began with the singing of the U.S. national anthem, sung by the high school Honors Choir group. ! The first performance on stage were two skits, Popular Girl and Jellybeans, performed by the 5th and 6th grade.! The 7th grade choir began with the first musical piece of the night, as they first sang Shalom Chaverim, a

Barack Obama wins re-electionCoverage in Election 2012, page 4.

FeaturedElection 2012: pages 4-6Sports section: pages 7, 8Style section: pages 9-12

All-school Fall Arts Concert coverage Page 10

Ms. Latham’s college advice corner Page 13

Sumus Leones

High school Honors Choir performing September by Earth, Wind, and Fire above Wednesday night for the Arts Concert (Photo credit Emily Hall for Sumus Leones).

(continued in Style, page 10)

(continued on page 3)

School Ballot Results in section Election 2012 | Page 6

Washington Latin’s fall Art concert

13 Page Issue

Read it &pass it on

The RundownSumus Leones Issue #2

Capital heartbreak

Latin boys varsity soccer and girls varsity soccer both lose to Capital City in their respective Charter Cup Championship games. Sports

Fundraisers galore

5 How Washington Latin would have voted for the Presidential election. See Election 2012, page 6 for more mock ballot results.

83%Obama

Bad11%

Okay37%

Good26%

Really  Good  26%

Q. How would you describe the choice of days for Spirit Week?

77

See page 8 for Spirit Week.

Number of colleges that have visited Washington Latin so far this school year.

0

22.5

45

67.5

90

12%Romney

5%Other

Number of organizations holding fundraisers currently

How many have you been to?

Latin Presidential Ballot

Faculty still champs as they beat students 2-1

In the traditional Faculty vs Students soccer match, the teachers beat the students 2-1 at Ft. Stevens on November 9. Faculty members included teachers and coaches from the lower and upper school, while the student side was made up of both the varsity soccer teams. The last faculty vs students game was in 2010, when the teachers won as well.

Goals: Bito Mujal (students), Mr. Martin & Mr. Boyd (faculty)

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November 2012 Sumus Leones Page 3

! This Spring, from March 28 to April 8, a group of students who have been studying Chinese will be touring China. ! This will be the very first China trip to have been funded by Washington Latin, and some of the students going have studied the language for as long as six years. ! The students going on the trip in the Spring have been hosting fundraisers to support the funds for the trip. While many may believe that a journey begins once you are at a destined location, the students soon going to China have already begun their journey now. ! Fundraising plans so far have included bake sales at the Homecoming Dance and the Fall Arts Concert. ! For future fundraising efforts, a 5k run is scheduled, in which runners will run in support of the trip. Future Chinese dinners and a Chinese cooking class have also been considered. ! Students going on the trip have gone so far as to create a gofundme.com webpage where they advertise their trip and ask for donations. ! Chinese teacher Ms. Christina Stouder, who has lived in China in the past, has planned the tour. ! In China, the students will visit memorable places of which an average Chinese person would see daily--for example, local supermarkets and restaurants. Students will also have a chance to tour the must-see monuments in China, such as the Great Wall. They are even scheduled to visit China Care in Changsha, a children’s orphanage where students will teach English to young kids. ! The entire Latin community has been very supportive of the trip as the Student Council, Linguistics and other clubs and students have all donated their time and money to fundraise. With each contribution to fundraisers and events, the Chinese class is one step closer to creating history for Washington Latin.

Chinese class announces China trip plansBy Eliana DuranJunior

products like some neat aluminum water bottles, and hoodies,” said Deleon. ! Profits made from the store go towards funding field trips and other student events sponsored by the school. ! The store has been a success so far this year with students lining up during break in order to purchase their morning snack before they return to their classes. ! “It’s nice that food and snacks are available to students,” said Fred Sailer, a senior. Sailer agrees that it’s a good decision to have the profits go towards field trips for all of the classes.! The store has been been on the mind of senior Joe Starnes for a number of years.! “I came up with the idea when I was in 8th grade,” he said. “I was always jealous when my sister came home with sweatshirts that had her school name on them. I did all I could to get things moving with student government. We have had a few things here and there but we’ve never been able to get a full store, until now.”! The future of the school store looks bright with all of the effort and thought that’s gone into its creation, along with its fundraising structure, funds field trips for students. ! Plans for future expansion include serving the Decatur campus and expanding the stock of the store. ! As Washington Latin moves into the new campus next year, it is bound to bring forth even more opportunity for the school store. ! “As our school moves to its permanent location next year, we believe that the school store might have its very own location at that building,” said Deleon.

School store menu items:

Bagel with light cream cheese: $1.50Bottled juice: $1.50 Go-gurt, string cheese, fruit snacks, goldfish, graham crackers: $0.50-$1

Open during break at the Allison campus everyday with the exception of Wednesday.

School store(continued from front page)

Election 2012Sumus Leones

Barack Obama wins a second term

332 Number of electoral votes Barack Obama won 206 Number of electoral votes

Mitt Romney won

Inside: Analysis, numbers and Washington Latin’s ballot

Election 2012 Page 5November 2012

Amid divided nation, Obama wins re-electionBy Walter Deleon Junior! Barack Hussein Obama was re-elected president of the United States on November 6, defying the gravity of a down economy, resistance to his agenda by Republicans in Congress and an unprecedented barrage of advertising as a divided nation decided to give the first African-American president another chance.! This race was in no way like the one that placed Mr. Obama into office in 2008. Both candidates and parties faced a different American landscape. The coming of age of social media, the impressive use of technology by almost all major media outlets, and of course, the incumbency of president Obama.! Yet Mr. Obama was able to ride a wave of broad support from moderates, women and minorities to win re-election Tuesday and managed to defeat Republican challenger Mitt Romney in Democratic strongholds and key battleground states.

! As expected, the election hinged on key "battleground states,” states with many electoral votes, comprised mainly of undecided or uncommitted voters.! By 10 PM, the democratic candidate had taken much of the East Coast and other key democratic strongholds such as Illinois and Michigan. In surprising twist, Mr. Obama also took Wisconsin, the home of republican Vice-Presidential candidate Paul Ryan. However, the real star of the race, Ohio, was

needed by both candidates to win and reach the so-called "magic number" of 270 electoral votes. Various media outlets began projecting President Obama as the winner of that key battleground state at 11:16 PM. This result came rather early in comparison to other presidential elections in the past.! As news reached the Obama headquarters, the crowd began to cheer with a jubilant air, the complete opposite of Romney headquarters, whose crowd stood still and silent as more projections trickled in.! As both candidates proceeded to make their final speeches of the night, so ended one of the longest, most bitter, and most expensive Presidential races in American history.

U.S. Popular vote: 62,610,717 | Obama59,136,717 | RomneyHow the district voted91% Barack Obama7% Mitt Romney

Source: AP

Many U.S. media outlets predicted a tighter race in key battle ground states (above) than what actually folded out.

Swing States

Election 2012School Ballot Results

Page 6November 2012

Presidential race:83% Barack Obama12% Mitt Romney5% other

Question 6Gay marriage question in Maryland, to determine whether same-sex marriage will be permitted in Maryland

Question 7Gambling question in Maryland, to determine if gambling can expand in Maryland by adding table games

20%

19% 61%

YesNoUndecided

36%

25%

39%

YesNoUndecided

House delegate:Bruce Majors (L) 16%Nicole Stracuzzi (G) 16%Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D) 68%

Council chair:Calvin Gurley (D) 67%Phil Mendelsohn (D) 33%

At-large Board of educationMary Lord 53%Marvin Tucker 47%

0 22.5 45 67.5 90

0 17.5 35 52.5 70

0 17.5 35 52.5 70

0 30 60 90 120

Sports Page 7November 2012

Charter cup heartbreak for boys, girlsBoys lose 1-3 to Capital City in the finalBy Cuneyt DilJunior

! In what ended up as the last high school varsity soccer game for ten seniors, the boys’ varsity team (8-3-1) fell short of winning the Charter Cup, losing 1-3 to Capital City PCS in the championship game.! The game was certainly a tale of two halves. ! As the game began, the stage was set for the Lions to make amends for last season, after losing in the final to them Capital City last season as well. ! As a result, the Lions came out fired up in the first half, taking the game to Capital City, and dictating possession. ! Chances presented themselves to the Lions early in the first half, however none were taken, and the half ended 0-0. ! Although unable to score, Washington Latin was in the driver’s seat for much of the first half, winning balls on 50/50s, and controlling possession. Senior captain Hunter Battle anchored the defense in the back line. ! In the second half, Latin’s job became considerably harder as pressure built to score a goal. ! Both teams enjoyed times of possession and dominance, but it was Capital City who scored first, early in the second half. A corner kick that was swung into the box was headed into the net by Capital City, as they took the lead 0-1.

! Capital City added to their tally later in the half, after scoring in open play. ! Senior Captain Bito Mujal gave Latin a way back into the game, scoring a solo goal to make the score 1-2. ! However, it seemed Latin would feel heartbreak again in the finals, after conceding another goal as Capital City eased to a 3-1 lead in the second half. ! For the last 12 minutes of the game, the Lions tried to salvage something from the game.! There were changes again, but finishing proved to let down the Lions’ hopes of winning the cup. ! “Losing to Cap City for the second straight year was frustrating. I believe everyone disappointed with the result,” said Head Coach Tyler Burke. “We knew it was going to be a tough game and we came out and played hard.” ! “Scoring in close game situations has been a problem all season and was our ultimate problem in the championship,” he said. ! Head Coach Burke praised the seniors for their work throughout their last season as a part of the Latin Varsity team. ! “We set a goal at the beginning of the season to make it to the championship and win the Charter Cup and our seniors played a big part in getting us there,” he

said. “We had ten seniors on the men's varsity soccer team this year and all contributed in many ways. This was by far the most talented team that Washington Latin has ever had.” ! For the 2013 Soccer season, the Lions will be without the 10 seniors in this year’s team. ! The departure of the seniors could result in a thin squad next season. In fact, seven of the starters for the Championship game were Seniors, all of which were considered to be key players for the team. ! Next season will also see new captains being picked to replace current captains Mujal and Battle. ! “Hunter Battle and Bito Mujal played a major role in our success on the field and off the field,” said Burke. ! However, Head Coach Burke has revealed he is still “excited for next year.” ! “Even though we are losing a lot of talented players, we have a lot of promise...I believe the Seniors set a tone for the other boys and they will pick up where the seniors left off,” said Burke. “There is a lot of talent left on the Latin soccer team and much more to be found.”! Next year’s home field is also something to look forward to for the team, “ I am excited to have a home field.”

Sports Soccer Recap

Page 8November 2012

Girls Varsity Soccer lose to familiar opponents in their final gameA review of the Girls Varsity Latin Soccer team’s roller coaster season, charter cup finalBy Kelly Rivera Junior! On November 5, the girls’ varsity soccer team (3-4-2) played their last game of the season in the girls’ Charter Cup Final. The girls hoped to win the championship in dedication for themselves, the school and for the boys team. ! Girls’ varsity soccer has gone through a lot of changes this season. The coach that most of the girls knew from previous seasons had left, and two new coaches were hired for the start of the season. Later on in the season, one of the coaches had to leave, so the girls had another new head coach. Their formation and how the girls practiced all changed. ! However, one thing was certain: the girls realized that this was not going to be like the previous seasons. They were actually winning games. ! The girls continued to win games throughout the season and

made it to the semi-finals of the charter cup. They beat Cesar Chavez 5-1. This moved the girls to the finals where they were to face Capital City Public Charter School. ! The championship game was a heartbreak for the girls. The Lions ended the first half in front at 2-1, with two goals from Senior Ellie Alexander. ! However, in the second half, tiredness began to take a toll on the Lions. Capital City managed to tie toward the end of the second half, and then scored again, to make the score 2-3 in their favor.! The Latin girls knew it was over at that point, but they still cheered each other on and hoped for an equalizing goal. Sadly, the odds were not in their favor and the game ended 2-3 with Capital City taking the victory. ! The Charter Cup Championship game meant much to

the Latin girls. They had managed to go through all kinds of change and yet were able to make it to the championship for the first time in Latin girls’ soccer history. So it was no surprise when the heartbreaking loss brought the girls on the team to tears.! The girls were crying about the loss, but that wasn’t the only reason. Most of the girls were crying because they knew that the season was over, and that it was the last time they had played with the Seniors on the team. This meant goodbye. ! Although the Charter Cup Final put a damper to the end of the season, the girls gained many other things this season: adapting to change, new friends, a team that backed each girl on and off the field and many memorable wins.

Akayla Bracey, Senior:

“We may not have won the title we deserve...but what other soccer team can say that every one of their players have been injured and yet they still manage to make it to the championships and play with their hearts?”

Social Network reactionsBethany Mark (c), Senior:

“I love you all very much; those who started four years ago to those who started this year. We have grown together as a team and a family. Todays game showed us how well we work together and just how amazing we all are.”

Brandi Clarke, Junior:

“Gonna miss you guys [seniors] so much next year!”

Page 9November 2012

Photo credit Tessa Torgovitsky, Bella Bianco, Claire Detrick-Jules, Sarah Washington

In PicturesSpirit Week 2012

Style

traditional Hebrew song representing peace. Their second and last piece was Swing Down, Chariot. ! In addition to performances, nine Upper School students gave speeches during the night. Desmond Miller and Phelicia Ball, Seniors, both spoke about the use of art in our world, and how art was used to create the concert. ! The Upper School choir and jazz band took the stage for the second half of the one-hour-long concert. ! High School Jazz Band--composed of Senior Fred Sailer, Juniors Amal Riley, Jason Neely, Tyrik Dedrick and sophomore Bella Bianco on piano--along with Brandi Clarke performed “Who Can I Turn To”, a love ballad, and “More.” ! high school choir performed “We Are the World.” For many students apart of choir, it was their first ever musical performance. ! “Even though it was my first time in front of an audience at Latin, I felt comfortable going up there and performing, knowing that everyone there were either friends and family,” said Senior Shakib Khan. ! Khan talked about how their class prepared for the performance. “One thing for sure, no one was ever late for choir no matter what,” he said. “We would come into class, sit in our assigned seats and would usually expect a quick briefing about what’s going to happen throughout the week. Then we would go through some pre-singing drills and run through the song a couple of times.”

! Head of School Ms. Martha Cutts gave the closing remarks by thanking everyone who attended and participated.

! “What impressed me so much is the confidence everyone performed in,” said Ms. Cutts.

Arts concert (continued from front page)

Style Page 10November 2012

High school choir performing We Are the World by Michael Jackson (Photo credit Emily Hall for Sumus Leones).

5th and 6th grade performing Popular Girl/Jellybeans (Photo credit Emily Hall for Sumus Leones).

Page 11November 2012

Advice, fashion at homecomingA column by Tessa Torgovitsky Sophomore

Last year, many students were not impressed with school dances. If discussing them with friends, teachers or kids from other high schools, the adjective most often used to describe them was “dry.”

This year’s homecoming, with a full dance floor, free photo booth, and snacks sold to raise money for the Chinese class trip already stood out from some of the sad, underpopulated dances of the past. Those who attended looked good, and for the one’s who didn’t, here’s some advice;

Guys, you have all school year to look like you just crawled out of bed a lost a battle with a stray dog. When a social event, like a dance comes up, take the opportunity to class it up a little. Just tucking in your shirt makes a huge difference. Add a belt or a tie and it’s like you’re a different  person! To one senior boy: a member of the administration was quick to point out that a belt would have served you well, but also commented that you still looked nice.

The editor of Sumus Leones, Cuneyt Dil, came very appropriately dressed for the semi-formal dress code. (No, I was not paid to say this!) And what did the guys have to say about the dance? The DJ Joe Starnes, Senior, was full of praise.

“I thought it was groovy! It was nice how a lot of Seniors still decided to go even though they have had some rough experiences with Latin dances in the past,” said Starnes. “Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen coming together, like it should be. Best dance ever! Plus being the DJ was pretty gnarly too!”

Ladies...first off, let me say that is was very difficult to find pictures of girls at Homecoming, and it was equally challenging to find girls willing to have a photo taken at all. If you’re going to spend upwards of

two, three, or four hours getting ready, at least make sure there is something to show for it. Dances are a time where everyone is readily handing out compliments for every part of an ensemble, so go big or go home. !

Bold colors, styles and patterns of dresses were seen on girls of every grade level. Accessories like Vanessa Rodriguez’s necklace or Ellie Alexander‘s scarf were also eye-catching.

Honestly, every girl at the dance looked great. So pose for a picture and accept every compliment you get. After all that time on hair and makeup--and the cash spent on your dress--you deserve it! Niara Taileton-Allen, Freshman, said the dance “was fun, I loved it, and I can’t wait for the next one.”! The best way to really have fun at a dance is to let loose and keep an open mind. Whether you’re making it rain, showing off your Gangam Style skills or messing around with the photo booth, be sure to get up and do something the next time you decide to grace your fellow students with your presence at a school dance. As Walter Deleon, Junior, said, "it was a lovely dance that really set forth a statement that we are on a mission to create better social events this year."

Style

Washington Latin’s homecoming dance at the Decatur campus in October attracted a record amount of students (Photo credit Emily Hall for Sumus Leones)

Page 12November 2012 Style

What sort of movie does one get when five superheroes come together to fight a villain set out to take over the world? An action-packed thriller full of various powers, skills, and attitudes.

Loki, Thor's adoptive brother from another world, is angry, wants revenge, and s determined to be king of some world. So, he and some of his cronies from another planet have decided that Earth is a prime target. Nick Fury a member of S.H.I.E.L.D played by Samuel L. Jackson has other plans in mind for anyone who thinks that they will conquer Earth without a fight.

Secretly, well somewhat secretly, he has been hoping to bring together all sorts of superheroes to battle potential enemies and in the Avengers, that hope becomes a reality through some unlikely alliances.

Stan Lee’s comic book, The Avengers, comes to life as the director shows an unexpected development and formation of a superhero group after the tesseract is stolen. The tesseract is being used by S.H.I.E.L.D to develop weapons of mass destruction. But in the wrong hands of someone like Loki who already knows the depth of its power, mankind would be powerless against such an enemy.

Does the director deliver non-stop action that holds its viewers’ attention? Slowly, but surely, and more so for the fan of comic books as he/she has an understanding and a deeper appreciation for the superhero’s character and disposition. Nick Fury’s picks; Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thor-are a unique ensemble, but what makes them ideal for the job is that they are (with the exception of Thor) a subject of a science experiment by choice or circumstance.

Overall, this a good movie to see because of the acting and effects. I recommend that everyone watches this. You can get it from your local Target or Best Buy, or Netflix it.

Movie review: The AvengersBy Kira ThompsonJunior

The editor’s musingsBy Cuneyt DilJunior

New Seashell collectors’ club information*

! Everyone interested in our brand new seashell collectors’ club should meet in Mr. Leonard’s room on Mondays, at lunch. ! Just kidding, there is no such club. But I wouldn’t be surprised if something of that sort popped up tomorrow and announced themselves as a new club. ! Something weird is happening at our school this year. We have a historically large freshman class, both soccer teams had their best season in history and next year Latin is getting a gigantic new school building. So I assume a side effect of normal-high-school-syndrome is a influx of new clubs. ! Two things happened when Washington Latin all of the sudden went mad for clubs. One, 11th grader Eliana Duran, who was in charge of organizing logistics for clubs last year, was put out of her job. Two, classroom space during lunch became almost impossible to find. ! With over 13 clubs meeting during lunch at various times over the week, along with AP classes and occasional college visits, finding classroom space during lunch is a pain. Its not just a pain for the generic student, dwelling during lunch in search of somewhere to do his homework for next class. ! Its actually a pain for the clubs as well. ! While looking for an empty classroom for Sumus Leones to meet on Fridays, and occasionally other days close to deadlines, I come across practically a new club every day, occupying classrooms all over the Allison campus. ! Now, I’m not having a dig at the new clubs. In fact I think they’re all fantastic, and another testament to how much our school has grown. I just wish there was more order for all of the clubs, their meeting times and where they meet. ! Maybe Eliana Duran can help with that. She did a superb job last year.! All I want for Christmas is a empty classroom for newspaper meetings.

*If you’re the type of person that reads the asterisk before the article, I’ll let you in on a secret: There is no such seashell collectors’ club. Just keep reading the article, featuring my attempt at being witty.

**Faculty sponsor’s note: Please see Ms. Abney if you would be interested in helping start the knitting club in January.

College Advice Corner

Many a junior has bemoaned the Junior Portfolio (JP), a right of passage into the college search process at Washington Latin. This 84-question document I designed is intended to help 11th graders cull their academic and extra-curricular experiences from the start of high school, share insights about themselves that would be helpful as we craft their letter of recommendation and flesh out the criteria that are most important to them as they begin their college search. Here is a sample of questions asked on the JP:

• Do you want to go to college? If so, why do you want to go?

• What are four or five characteristics you want colleges to know about you?

• Do you feel you’ve worked up to your potential in high school? If not, why?

• What do you consider to be your personal and academic strengths and weaknesses?

• How would your friends, teachers, and parents describe you?

The JP is due on the last day of school before Christmas break, but the earlier it is completed, the earlier the college search process can begin. Once submitted, the student is able to have their first official meeting with Mr. Boyd or me. We review their JP and then meet with the student to clarify their responses, review their progress toward graduation, and create a to-do list for the student based on that conversation. The counselor then researches a list of colleges for the student and loads that list into their Family Connection account in the “Colleges I’m

Thinking About” list. We notify the junior and their parent(s) that the list has been posted and ask them to begin looking at the schools so we can set a follow-up meeting with the family. In that meeting, we will briefly recap the conversation between the student and counselor, address the parent’s questions, and then discuss the big picture timeline, which includes when to take the SAT and/or ACT, what to do over the summer, and what should be accomplished when senior year begins.

This year, the JP has moved online; juniors are able to complete the document through the “About Me” tab in their Family Connection account. In putting the JP online, the College Counseling Office hopes that it will encourage more students to explore and use the many resources available to them through this invaluable tool. Family Connection allows students to research colleges based on their interests, look for summer enrichment programs, find scholarships for which they are eligible, take personality and career interest inventories and even begin building their résumé. There is even a free, online resource in Family Connection called Alleyoop! that offers personalized, one-on-one math and science help! 1000s of videos, practice quizzes, and challenges are available to strengthen your skills in these subject areas. It’s almost like one-stop shopping!

The Junior Portfolio is due on Friday, 21 December this year. Juniors should not wait until the last minute to begin working on it. Remember, the sooner it is completed, the more time you’ll have to do your college search right!

The infamous junior portfolioBy Ms. Crys Latham College Counselor

Sumus Leones

Teacher sponsorMs. Charlotte Abney

Management

Cuneyt Dil! ! Editor In Chief Alistair Andrulis! Managing Editor, Head of Media

Issue #2 contributors

Articles

Alistair Andrulis! SchoolWalter Deleon! Election 2012Cuneyt Dil! ! School, Style, SportsEliana Duran ! SchoolMs. Crys Latham! College Advice CornerKelly Rivera! ! SportsKira Thompson! StyleTessa Torgovitsky! Style

Media

Alistair Andrulis! VideoEmily Hall ! ! Photos

Statistics

Mr. Ryan Benjamin !Mock ElectionKarrin Thompson! Spirit Week Poll

Join Sumus Leones

Sumus Leones meets Mondays and Fridays during lunch. Contact Cuneyt Dil (junior) or Alistair Andrulis (junior) if you’re interested in writing, media or in other forms of contribution for Sumus Leones.

Email any errors, typos or questions you have found in our issue directly to sumusleones@gmail.com

Don’t throw this away!

Read it and pass this to someone else.

Sumus Leones was founded in February 2012 by Cuneyt Dil and Alistair Andrulis.