February 12, 2010
Transcription
February 12, 2010
Volume LXXIX No. 5 February 12, 2010 Asheville School, Asheville, NC 28806 ! W o n S Snowstorms and freezing rain bring winter to Asheville Wintry mix cancels classes By yvonne KiM and HyecHang RHiM Snow covered tree limbs in front of Mitchell Hall. Snow blanketed the area in front of the Music House. The road to the stables was covered in snow. Photos by Danny Chung Two snowstorms and a weekend of cold weather in the past month have had a wintry effect on the daily routines of the school. On December 19, the day after students had finished fall exams and left for Christmas break, Asheville experienced its first big snowfall of the year and the most snow it has seen in a long time. Several pictures of the chapel showing our beautiful campus covered with a picturesque white blanket of snow were uploaded on the Asheville School website so departed students could see the gorgeous snowfall. However, the beautiful snow soon transformed into a serious snowstorm. Asheville residents experienced the full storm. “It was fun at first,” comments fourth form day student Davie Boone. “But it got really annoying and aggravating because I could not even go into town.” Residents of Faculty Drive suffered from power outages and had no heat for four days due to 17 inches of snow. Faculty members met for their holiday meetings as usual, but power occasionally went out in Childs Conference Center, and the faculty party at the Fall House was held by candlelight. “It was fun because it was the first big snow, but difficult,” says Mr. Buddy, who had to depart from Asheville to his mother-in-law’s house in South Carolina. On January 29, another big snowfall hit Asheville. As a result, most day students stayed on campus for several days. Senior day student Morgan Sadler says, “It’s about as half much snow as that of December” when comparing how much it snowed this time. Though he had to stay on campus for four days, Sadler enjoyed staying on campus and bonding with boarding students through snowball fights and sledding. Freezing rain threatened on February 4. Because of this weather, students departed a day earlier from the scheduled winter weekend. A similar situation happened when Ms. Wall cancelled classes on the day when the winter weekend was supposed to start in 2008. Even though the snow and rain stranded them because cabs weren’t running, most students are glad that they could enjoy one more day of break. “We always have classes no matter how much it snows or rains in Korea,” comments fourth form international student Roy Kim. “Although we can’t go anywhere but ATS, I am happy that we get to enjoy one more day of break.” Opinion Page 2 eArTHquAke in HAiTi Haiti needs serious help in recovery from havoc prompTS reSponSeS A rapper takes advantage of the disaster in Haiti By MadeLine oLSen By MaTT evanS On January 12, 2010, the nation of Haiti was struck by a 7.0 earthquake that, CNN reports, was one of the worst in the area in over 200 years. Haiti, a nation that is already struggling with an unstable government and extreme poverty, will have to react to this natural disaster that left an estimated 100,000 dead. The center of the earthquake hit a few miles away from the densely populated capital, Port-au-Prince, and devastated an already problematic city. President Obama has already responded to the matter by sending 3,500 troops from Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina to Haiti to perform search and rescue missions. Along with the supply of troops, the U.S. has provided Haiti with one million dollars for relief aid. Other countries such as Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, France, Guyana, Israel, Iceland, Japan, Spain, Morocco, Russia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom offered aid in response to this tragedy. Much like the tsunami in Indonesia in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the world is quick to respond and provide aid to people in need. Yet one question still lingers: with as many problems as they have, how will Haiti recover after this event? Haiti’s government is struggling with corruption, and according to the CIA World Fact Book, eighty percent of people live in poverty and fifty percent live in abject poverty, not even having the bare necessities such as food, shelter, and clean water. How can the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere rebuild buildings, streets, etc? Haitians are at very high risk for getting bacterial diseases and even typhoid fever from bad drinking water due to their lack of sanitation. New Orleans is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, so how long will it take Haiti to recover? Although our generous contributions will help provide aid for the recent disaster, it will not change Haiti's poverty problems or its struggles to create a stable government. The mission statement and the Honor Code characterize Asheville School and its students As Greil Marcus states in his book, the shape of things to Come, “The nation exists as power, but its only legitimacy is found in a few pieces of paper.” He believes that certain documents have served as precursors of the American history. The story, or one narrative thread, of America begins with John Winthrop, who escaped from England to America in the early seventeenth century to create a new community that would become “a city upon a hill,” watched by the world. His speech in 1630, “A Modell of Christian Charity” describes the mission of the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Company. However, Winthrop also warns that, without a collaborative spirit, they may not survive. Even though he was a non-Separatist who might have felt some connection to England, Winthrop focused on creating unique community in America. About one hundred years later, Americans were united once again, as Winthrop would have demanded, because of common hatred toward the British. Americans wanted independence from them. Desiring such autonomy, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in order to announce that “all men are created equal” and that “they are endowed Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Then, four score and seven years later, Lincoln delivered the “Gettysburg Address” in order to honor the dead, to comfort grieving mothers, and to express his desire to establish a democratic government “of the people, by the people, for the people” that would “not perish from the earth.” When we trace back to our origin, we think about the Puritans who listened to Winthrop’s sermon. When we think about the Founding Fathers, Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. When we speak about democ- The Ashnoca, Feb. 12, 2010 racy, we remember Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. When we remember Asheville School, what should we think of? Just like the written documents of Winthrop, Jefferson, and Lincoln, Asheville School possesses written statements that identify Asheville School students: the Mission Statement and the Honor Code. The School’s mission is “to prepare our students for college and for life and to provide an atmosphere in which all members of a diverse, engaged, and purposefully small school community appreciate and strive for excellence–an atmosphere that nurtures character and fosters the development of mind, body, and spirit.” Through the mission statement, the school embraces diversity and provides an environment which helps students to develop their mind, body, and spirit. The Asheville School community will guide students to right colleges and eventually to better lives. Along with the Mission Statement, the Honor Code simply states, “I will not lie, cheat or steal, and I will report any violation of the Honor Code.” If the School environment develops mind, body, and spirit, the Honor Code will nurture the characters of students: dignity and honor. These two documents therefore characterize Asheville School and the students who attend this institution. The Asheville School community is set up to provide an atmosphere in which students can strive for excellence and learn honor. Winthrop was communitarian, Jefferson egalitarian, and Lincoln was republican according to their documents. Thus, through the Mission Statement and the Honor Code, Asheville School students are excellent and honorable. There is no doubt that the earthquake in Haiti is a colossal crisis. People have lost their homes, jobs, schools, friends, and family members. Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has lost thousands of people, and health experts believe that the deaths will continue for some time. During the wake of this ordeal, numerous charities and people have stepped forward to help the people in distress. Among them are The American Red Cross, UNICEF, and Doctors Without Borders. People everywhere are trying to do what they can to help Haitians who are struggling to get through this nightmare. One person who immediately stepped up was Haitian-American rapper and producer Wyclef Jean. Immediately after he heard the news, he flew directly to Haiti so that he could help with the relief effort. However, Wyclef Jean is now under some scrutiny for his charity, Yele Haiti. Many are aware of the “Text 90999 to donate $10 to Haiti,” and Wyclef Jean has been using his own form of this for his charity. But some are now alleging that Wyclef Jean’s charity is unreliable and that the money donated has mostly gone to him and his production services. The Internal Revenue Service shows that his Wyclef Jean Foundation, which was founded 12 years ago and directly supports Haiti, has had some problems with their taxes before, furthering the suspicion that Yele Haiti may not be what it seems. People undoubtedly want to help Haiti recover, but when they donate to an unknown charity they could be getting scammed. Eugene H. Spafford, a professor at Purdue University, says, “Unfortunately, these events also bring out the con artists and scammers who are more interested in making money for themselves rather than contributing to the rescue and restoration efforts.” It is a sad fact that many people feed on others’ misfortune for their own materialistic gain, but it is even sadder when someone uses their celebrity to advocate a foundation that may be doing more harm than good. The Ashnoca wants to hear your opinions. if you have any comments to share with the editors, please email any of the editors with your suggestions. To share your responses to current events, submit letters of less than 300 words to ashnoca@ashevilleschool.org. We reserve the right to edit for content. The ashnoca The student newspaper of asheville School ashnoca@ashevilleschool.org Asheville, NC 28806 Volume: LXXIX Number 5 STaFF ediToR in cHieF--HYECHANG RHIM deSign ediToR--JEFF WARREN FeaTUReS ediToRS--T.K LEE, BRETT PORTER, ADDIE NAVARRO oPinion ediToR--MADELINE OLSEN aRTS ediToRS--WON JUNG YUN, YOON JI KWON MUSic ediToRS- GERRY NAM, ROY KIM SPoRTS ediToRS--CHANG GUN LEE, MIN KI KIM caRTooniST in cHieF--ZOE MCDANIEL PHoTogRaPHeRS--DANNY CHUNG, KATHERINE SUN coLUMniSTS--LAWRENCE WALLER, CLIFF HANICH conTRiBUTing WRiTeRS--GRACE RAYNOR, BRENNAN HARLAN, LARRY KIM, YVONNE KIM, RYAN DO, MATT EVANS, KATHERINE SUN, DAVID SCHAFFER, CHARLIE EBAUGH, EDWARD TUNG, IAN VAN WYE PRooFReadeR--MEGAN FRIEDMAN FacULTy adviSoR--MR. GARDNER The Ashnoca, Feb. 12, 2010 Opinion Page 3 Google clashes with China over access to information By david ScHaFFeR When the Chinese government took heed of the significance of our world wide web in the late 1990s, they were quick to establish a rather vague and elastic set of Internet laws. Of course, the United States holds a set of standards for what can and cannot be posted on the internet; but when the State Council in China ordered that no person may “create, replicate, retrieve, or transmit” any information “harming national unification” (according to Article 5 of the Computer Information Network and Internet Security, Protection and Management Regulations, as translated by the US Embassy in Beijing), they left the implications this would have for the rise of technology and skyrocketing globalization in China fairly unclear, particularly on the eve of a new millennium that has hitherto been defined by its technological advancements. On the face of it, the issue appears trivial from our perspective nearly 8000 miles away; one can only wonder why we would concern ourselves with China’s Internet policies. But when Google, with their lim- itless domination over cyberspace, decided to begin working out detailed relations with China, things got messy. The issue at hand is an age-old story: an unstable government is attempting to restrict access to certain information and hinder communication they feel could lead to any negative attitudes towards their leadership. In this case, China has employed nearly 30,000 Internet police to restrict networking systems like Facebook and blogs they deem capable of “injuring the reputation of state organs” – another crime in China according to the same Regulations cited above. But just how strict is this firewall? If you were to open Google in China (Google.cn launched in 2006), and type in “Tiananmen Square, 1989, pro-democracy protests, etc.” you might find a few websites with directions to Tiananmen Square, another with all the best markets in the area, and perhaps a few pictures of the Summer Palace. That’s all. No mention of the 100,000 college students and activists who stormed the streets of Beijing on June 4, 1989. No mention of the 3000 civilians Book Review China has been gradually trying to increase strong relations with the West, yet Google has accused the Chinese government of hacking into its systems (though China denies these allegations), and is now threatening to pull out of China altogether. We should hope they do. Google should never have agreed to censor historical events for China, particularly events that carry weight such as the Tiananmen Square protests. Could you grasp the concept of living in this country completely ignorant of an event such as the attack on the Twin Towers in 2001? Unfortunately, that is the situation in China. The government has virtually erased the tragedy; even Chinese citizens who lived through the massacre are unaware of its occurrence. Google has shown its true colors in these past four years, colors of a morally bankrupt and sightlessly greedy corporation. We can only hope they offer China an ultimatum: no more censorship, or no more Google. America is in financial crisis Janice Lee portrays a vivid image of Hong kong in her novel, The Piano Teacher By KaTHeRine SUn The book the Piano teacher starts when Trudy Liang, a Eurasian socialite in Hong Kong, falls in love with Will Truesdale, a newly arrived official from England. Facing Japan’s invasions, no one anticipates the betrayals in Trudy and Will’s community. Their brittle love easily breaks into pieces that no one would pick up again. Ten years later, Will becomes the driver of the Chen Family, whose wife was Trudy’s cousin. In the 1950s, Claire Pendleton, a country girl from England, also comes to Hong Kong to work for the Chens. Shocked and influenced by the luxurious life the colony people are leading, Claire soon starts an affair with her employer’s driver Will. What Claire does not know is that Will still cannot forget about Trudy. Between Will and Trudy and all the rest of their community are the desperate secrets about the benefits of the nations and the deals of selfishness. During an era full of national conflicts and selfish desires, love does not last as one would wish. Before the war, Trudy tries so hard to get Will a legal identification for him to stay in Hong Kong, but Will simply refuses it because of his personal pride of being an murdered at the hands of the PRC, and certainly no picture of “Tank Man” – the now world-famous photo depicts a determined student standing up to the Communist tanks. Do the same search here in the states, and you will see that your computer fills in the words “massacre” or “disaster” before you get to finish typing “Tiananmen Square.” Philip Wu (Nanjing, China) was asked a series of questions for his take on the issue. When asked what he knew of the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989, he said, “I’ve heard about it, but I don’t really know anything. Basically, our government has blocked the information. It’s not in the history books.” He added, “I’ve heard about it from my parents and from students here talking about it, but I’ve never seen any real evidence.” Indeed, to many Chinese citizens, their national disaster is nothing but a rumor. The press is now calling this a technological war between hemispheres; the poster child of American technology has been dealing with issues in China since they launched Google.cn just four years ago. Englishman. After the war, Will stays in Hong Kong to keep the last gleam of hope to meet Trudy again, but Trudy never wakes up from the other world where there are no arguments, no worries, and no love. Their sad mistake forever divides them farther and farther away in the two worlds like a pair of crossed lines. Once they get in touch with one another, they are never together again. The writer of this beautiful and sad love story is Janice Lee. She was born in Hong Kong and stayed there for 15 years before she went to the U.S. for education. There, she earned a degree in English and American Literature and Language at Harvard University, became an editor for magazines such as Elle and Mirabella, and went on to graduate school for her true desire of writing her own novel. Before having her third and fourth children, Lee finished her work five years after she first started. Maybe because of her early life in Hong Kong, Janice Lee depicted a vivid scene of Hong Kong almost eighty years ago. This vivacious Hong Kong finally turns into a place where love, hate, hope and regret have appeared but as if nothing had ever happened. By LaWRence WaLLeR Recently, I called a meeting of the Young Republicans Club to talk about the impending economic crisis facing America today. America’s debt, or the amount of money that the United States Government has borrowed from foreign nations, creditors, and investors, currently stands at $12.1 trillion (USA Today, 12/31/09). That’s $40,333 for every man, woman and child, even newborns, in America. Of course, what newborn do you know who has $40,333? And many adults don’t have that amount, either. In fact, 50% of adults in America do not even pay federal income tax. To make matters worse, Congress just passed legislation to borrow an additional $290 billion to last the government until February, 2010 (USA Today, 12/31/09). This comes on top of the recent $787 billion “stimulus” package, which President Obama claimed will save 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010 (Heritage Foundation). But pull out your calculators and do some simple math: assuming the President’s claims are completely accurate, that amounts to $224,857 for every one job saved. And in the news recently, some of the jobs created by the stimulus were listed in nonexistent zip codes, or were just pay-raises for existing positions. Wasteful spending? You make the call. The recent election of Republican Scott Brown to the Massachusetts Senate seat has put Healthcare reform on hold. But the Senate Healthcare bill was projected to cost another $2.3 trillion over just the first 10 years of its operation. And this is pocket change compared to the actual $42.9 trillion in Unfunded Obligations (Heritage Foundation) due two major entitlement programs, Medicare (free healthcare for the elderly) and Social Security (pensions for the elderly). How has Congress addressed budget shortfalls? Numbers have been altered to make it appear that legislation, such as Healthcare reform, saves money. The U.S. Treasury has printed more money, devaluing every U.S. dollar already in circulation. And the U.S. Government has borrowed money from itself for years, through an ingenious ponzi scheme worthy of Bernie Madoff, by selling bonds to the Federal Reserve. The bottom line: America is in big trouble. Congress needs to stop spending money. Resources currently directed at Healthcare Reform, Cap-and-Trade carbon reduction, and Bailouts should be used to reduce the deficit and promote economic growth. According to projections by the Congressional Budget Office, America will accumulate $800 billion interest every year on its’ debt by 2019 (Heritage Foundation). And what will happen when our foreign creditors catch on to our Ponzi scheme and demand their money back? When America goes bankrupt, no one will be there to bail us out. This is our future more than the future of our parents. What are you going to do about it? required service embodies Asheville School ideal By cHaRLie eBaUgH In order to graduate, Asheville School students have to fulfill certain requirements. As seniors and juniors are well aware, one of those requirements is 40 hours of independent service. A freshman or sophomore may be wondering by now if their service every Tuesday counts; the answer is no. The service requirement to graduate is 40 hours of independent work that must be done on your own, typically the summer before your senior year. So why must we complete an additional 40 hours of community service? This is a valid question, and the answer parallels the school’s mission. Obviously, shallow answers might be, “it is just what you have to do to graduate” or “it looks good on a college application.” Although blatantly true, this is not the intent of our school. The school administration preaches to us to pursue academic excellence. However, the mission statement of the school reveals that the school hopes to create “… an atmosphere that nurtures character and fosters the development of mind, body, and spirit.” As Mr. Tyler Montgomery emphasized in his chapel talk, the faculty here challenge each student to create his or her unique identity (Who am I?) in an atmosphere where self-expression is encouraged. By simply attending Asheville School, however, a student has not reached his or her quest for self-discovery by any means. These 40 hours of service are designed so each student can develop charac- ter and give back to the world. Some might say that it is our human nature to serve others, or that humans are naturally selfish. Whatever the case may be, service will force you to step away from your day to day routine. As Head of School Mr. Montgomery stated in his letter to the fifth formers, “We want for this to be a valuable experience.” Through the eyes of a current sixth former, Blair Mintz, this service program wasn’t simply valuable; it was life changing. Mintz, fellow senior Hailey Mojica, and the summer service company Rustic Pathways traveled to a small village hours outside the main city on an island of Fiji named Nasivikoso, in a program called “Children of the Highlands.” Mintz came to love the people, admiring their faith in God, and their supportive, kindhearted community. Life inside the Asheville School bubble is comparably pretty nice; our dorm rooms do not have mud floors, and we always have drinkable water. Those natives of Fiji found happiness in simplicity, a value not commonly found in American society. Service is not guaranteed to lead you to an epiphany that forever changes you and the way you live your life. Instead, it is simply a chance to give back to those less fortunate. Asheville School hopes to produce productive members of society, and those who serve others to promote the Asheville School ideal. Page 4 Music The Ashnoca, Feb. 12, 2010 Concert Review regina Spektor heats up Asheville’s Thomas Wolfe Auditorium with outstanding show By geRRy naM Renowned for her unique singing style and delicate voice, Regina Spektor came to Asheville’s Thomas Wolfe Auditorium on November 17 during the tour supporting her latest album “Far.” The talented underground band Jupiter One kicked off the concert with its jazzy rock songs. The band’s brilliant performance and catchy songs caught the whole auditorium’s attention. Jupiter One played several songs from their new album “Sunshower.” During the song “Flaming Arrow,” the band incorporated violin and flute into their rock instrumentation. After Jupiter One’s energetic hour-long performance, Spektor, wearing a beautiful green dress and a sweet smile on her face, took the stage. The audience screamed. She started her first song right after briefly greeting the audience. Even though she rarely talked between her songs, Spektor’s narrative lyrics created Regina Spektor performs on stage an illusion that she was telling her life stories. After a few songs accompanying herself on piano, she varied the repertoire by playing guitar, and she even played both her “chair drum” and piano while singing. She indeed had an overflowing musical talent, and an hour was too short for her to show everything she is capable of. When the performance ended, the audience shoutPhoto by MIn KI KIM ed “encore,” and Spektor came out to the stage again and rewarded the audience with five more songs. All the audience stood up and sang along with Spektor during her famous song “Samson.” Although this concert was such a beautiful treat to everybody, there still were some problems. One was the positioning of the piano. Since the piano was placed parallel to the audience, people on the right side could hardly see anything when Spektor was playing piano while singing (which was most of the time.) The other problem was the stage lighting. It was way too bright that when Spektor stood up to play guitar; it made her look like a goddess, too radiant to look at. Despite these weaknesses, the concert overall was more than a success. As one enthusiastic fan yelled during concert, “We love you Regina, that’s all!” Faculty Musician A mountain biking accident creates a gifted musician By STUaRT cHae and Roy KiM Ms. Katie LaRue, Asheville School’s Assistant Director of Athletics, is not only an exceptional coach of Varsity Girls’ Basketball, but she is also a talented musician. “We have to make others listen to her music,” said fifth former Morgan Kallman after purchasing Ms. LaRue’s song, “morning coffee,” on iTunes. “She should be famous!” LaRue’s husky voice draws in the listener. She composes her own lyrics and melodies, and her guitar playing provides a textured support for her vocals. Her passion for music started in her childhood. “I’ve always loved music.” Ms. LaRue states. “When I was little, I sang all the time Ms. LaRue’s “Little Blue and used to tell people I was going to be just like Madonna!” A mountain biking accident led unexpectedly to her picking up a guitar. As a consequence, she had severe nerve damage in her right arm, and she heard that strumming a guitar could help her recover from the injury. Started as a simple therapy, music has now become a great part of Ms. LaRue’s life. Ms. LaRue’s second album, composed right before she joined Asheville School, is called “Little Blue Loveseat.” As the title of the album suggests, her favorite color is blue, just like the school color blue. Recently, she recorded her album “7 Reasons Why,” singing about her family and past relationships. Her families and friends helped a lot in supporting her to record her own album. The albums “7 Reasons Why” and “Little Blue Loveseat” were released after her years of college. Ms. LaRue’s motivation for writing and singing her music came during her time in graduate school, as an outlet for her inner emotions. At Asheville School, Ms. LaRue performs in chapel and other settings. She also performs locally in music venues. “I just love m u s i c ! ” exclaims Ms. Loveseat” LaRue. The reason that Ms. LaRue continues to write and sing her songs is simply because she loves music. Her stress is relieved, and her emotions are expressed through her musical life. She writes her lyrics about anything she likes, not pressured or burdened, but sometimes she gets frustrated when she cannot think of the way to express her meaning precisely through her words. She realized how much more she can express herself by singing than just with words that are sometimes hard to say. “It’s an added bonus that people like to listen,” concludes Ms. LaRue. ASHeviLLe SCHooL STudenTS’ Top 10 muSiC LiSTS Merritt Smail’s Top 10 list 1. Round Here by counting crows 2. Broken Stereo by Sean Fournier 3. crash by dave Matthews Band 4. daylight by Matt and Kim 5. ain’t no Reason by Brett dennon 6. Sundress by Ben Kweller 7. you Belong With Me by Taylor Swift 8. vanilla Twilight by owl city 9. Hard candy by counting crows 10. Sunshine by Matt costa nick Tims’ Top 10 list 1. Wallet Falls by Subtle 2. So Long by everlast 3. in the House - in a Heartbeat by John Murphy 4. Homicidal Suicidal by Lil' Wyte 5. Jigsaw Falling into Place by Radiohead 6. cadillacs on 22's by david Banner 7. can anybody Hear Me? by Kottonmouth Kings 8. Someday by Flipsyde 9. cactusflower by John gold 10. Slip out the Back by Fort Minor Send your top 10 list to ashnoca@ashevilleschool.org The Ashnoca, Feb. 12, 2010 Arts Page 5 The art of tea-making By yoon Ji KWon The special Asian culture of the Tea Ceremony has become very popular throughout the world. Asheville School is also seeing an increase in people drinking tea, and the school now has its own Tea Club. Even though the population of tea lovers is growing, many people do not know how the tea is made from its leaves or how to drink the tea in the proper way. Preparing the tea First, the best quality tea leaves are chosen. The leaves have to be softened and dried to make the tea. Softened and dried over a fire, the leaves are removed from the heat and rubbed and rolled vigorously by the palms of the hands on a firm flat surface, often a rough straw mat or basket, so that they curl tightly on themselves. drinking the tea In order to enjoy the fragrance of the tea, the tea should be poured into a tiny cup. From that tiny cup, drinkers will smell the fragrance of the tea. After enjoying that sweet smell, drinkers should pour the tea in the tiny cup into a bigger cup in order to taste it. In this order, people can enjoy both fragrance and taste of the tea. Tea tasters also choose their words carefully to express their feelings about the tea. For example, the word “coarse” describes a strong tea but one of poor quality. A better tasting strong tea has “body.” With a refined vocabulary and awareness of the order of the tea ceremony, tea lovers will have a richer experience drinking tea. 3 Tea is poured into a small cup first. 1 Bret Fickes smells the sweet fragrance from an emptied small cup after the tea is poured into a larger cup. it is crucial to pick the best tea leaves. 2 4 after tea is poured into the larger cup, it is ready to drink. Tea leaves are then soaked in hot water. Photos by hyeChang RhIM Page 6 The Ashnoca, Feb. 12, 2010 News and Features AS welcomes six new students By LaRRy KiM and TK Lee After winter break, six new students Basketball Team and has already made Basketball Team is an important player on some outstanding contributions with three- the team. “Chad is a good man and a good joined the Asheville School community. athlete,” Coach Plaehn says. Annabel Doke is a fifth-former from point shooting and rebounding. “I feel lucky to coach Dominick because Kevin Zhao is a new international fourth Dallas, Texas. She discovered Asheville he brings in a wealth of basketball knowl- form student from Beijing, China. He School through a friend. learned about the One of the highlights school from an of Asheville School Expo about for Doke is the equesAmerican private trian program. “I love high schools. equestrian,” Doke After graduating says. “I have been from high school, doing that practically he wishes to be a since I could walk.” businessman and She also plays soccer, a director. While and has played since here, he wishes to she was very young. learn about Annabel is looking American culture. forward to a great Mike Kelly is a career here at former fourth Asheville School. She from Atlanta, says, “I want to set an Georgia. He first example of what it learned about means to be a good Asheville School friend and a good stufrom his academic dent. I honestly think advisor. that people are what “I heard that make up this school.” Asheville School Mary Elizabeth had really good Munday is a new kids and I thought fourth former from I could fit in Hilton Head Island, well,” says Kelly. South Carolina. She Photo by Danny Chung “Every time I vislearned about ited, there were Asheville School from new students (left to right): Kevin Zhao, annabel doke, chad Koehler, Mary elizabeth Munday, dominick cammarata. not pictured: Mike Kelly generally good her parents. vibes.” “I like it here. The He is also a verpeople are very friendsatile athlete who plays football, squash ly, and they seem very outgoing.” edge to the team,” says Coach Plaehn. She is also a fan of the equestrian proChad Koehler is a fourth former from and lacrosse. In addition to sports, he is gram and volleyball, and she hopes to con- Weaverville, North Carolina. Asheville very interested in arts and music. Kelly tribute to the school through her athleti- School is “filled with great teachers and hopes to contribute to the art and music cism. peers,” says Koehler. He is also an athlete: department with his artistic and musical Dominick Cammarata is a new third he plays football, basketball and lacrosse. talents. form day student. He is brother of Anthony He hopes to contribute to the community “Camo” Cammarata. He is on the JV Boys through sports. He is now on the JV Boys nonviolence day spreads out valuable lessons By BRennan HaRLan and BReTT PoRTeR Asheville School’s Day of Nonviolence, held on Friday, January 22, was a great opportunity for students to discuss the many ways we can achieve peace and prevent violence within a broader society. According to Mr. Butera, who helped plan the day, the event was held “in remembrance of the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” and was “a day to study and celebrate nonviolent human culture.” The nonviolence program officially kicked off Thursday night, following seated dinner, with dessert and a viewing of artwork by artist Ben Betsalel in the art gallery. After viewing the artwork exhibition, students gathered in various locations around campus to watch movies dealing with issues of violence, segregation, and other human-interest issues. Events resumed on Friday morning, when movie groups discussed the movies they had watched the night before. During this time, members of each group used their artistic talent to create posters as representations of their films. Students then gathered in Graham Theater to hear the lecture by keynote speaker Stephanie Wilder. Wilder’s discussion centered on her experiences working in a youth detention center in North Carolina. She spoke of her experience teaching English to violent and rebellious youths. Wilder’s talk was an unusual one. She said that although she believed she was making a difference in these unfortunate teens’ Correction In our last issue, we misspelled the word “opportunity” in our staff editorial. We apologize for the error. lives, teens completing the detention center’s programs have a ninety percent chance of returning to their previous lives of crimes and drugs. Students wondered whether or not any efforts, whether individual or collective, could lead the teens into leading lives of nonviolence. With her frank yet refreshing take on this issue, Wilder acknoweldged that there is limited influence she can have as a teacher, given the social realities of her students’ lives inside and outside the center. After Wilder’s speech, students got a closer look of the multiple facets of nonviolence by participating in two workshops of their choice, hosted by Asheville School faculty in collaboration with off-campus guests on Friday afternoon. Over the course of Thursday night and Friday afternoon, students were able to explore and critically examine the effectiveness of nonviolence and the detrimental effects of violence within a community. The central and certainly most perplexing question students were left to ponder at the end of the day was, in a world of pervasive hatred, is combating these forces through nonviolent tactics a realistic approach? The Nonviolence Day planning committee included Mr. Butera, Ms. Pharr, Ms. Baines, and Mr. Buddy. The school’s unique celebration of Martin Luther King holiday proved to be thought provoking and entertaining for students and faculty alike. The Ashnoca wishes you a Happy Valentine’s Day Jonathan Hopkins wins first place in video contest By HyecHang RHiM Among students from over thirty schools from around the nation, Asheville School senior Jonathan Hopkins won first place in the “AdmissionQuest for the Best Student Video Contest” with his video entitled, “What is Asheville School?” Hopkins wanted to participate in the video contest because he has enjoyed writing screenplays and short films. Hopkins says, “The video contest looked like a fun way for me to try my hand at directing and editing.” He never imagined he would win but thought that the contest would be challenging and fun. Hopkins started this whole process in September when the contest was announced. He spoke with Tyler Montgomery, created a team composed of Jeremy DeJournett, Jeremiah Ballew, and Jeff Warren, and began filming. Most of the filming took place during Girls’ Sports Day and Christ School weekend. The team started editing seven hours of total footage in early November. According to Hopkins, the editing process took about thirty hours, and they submitted the project by the mid-November deadline. One really special thing about this video is the music. A small clause in the rules stated that all music had to be original to avoid copyright infringement (a rule that actually worked in his favor because it eliminated half the competition). Hopkins approached Warren one day after class with a seemingly impossible assignment: "Jeff, I need you to compose an original piece on the guitar that will function both acoustically and electrically. It has to be a melodic fit to the style of the video, it needs to be flexible for any length of time I need, and I need it in under a week." According to Hopkins, Warren is a virtuoso on the guitar, and by the weekend, he had the perfect tune. It was brilliant for what Hopkins had in mind, and it definitely gave them an edge over the competition. Hopkins also attributes his success to Ian Urquhart. Mr. Urquhart is an Asheville School alumnus who went to NYU’s film school and has worked for Comedy Central. “He’s an all-around great guy,” comments Hopkins. “He gave me a crash course in camera technology; he came in on weekends for hours at a time to discuss ideas and help me edit, and he gave our entire team the confidence needed to tackle such a large project. We definitely couldn’t have done it without him.” Hopkins is also grateful for the Asheville School student body who provided energy, enthusiasm, and spark needed in a winning video. Hopkins says, “All I had to do was film what the students do every day, and I knew the video would be great.” As a result of winning the video contest, Hopkins received $500, and another $500 went to the Cody Fund. Hopkins appreciates his video teammates DeJournett, Ballew, and Warren greatly. They have accomplished something truly incredible: they’ve won a national championship. “How many other high school kids can say that?” asks Hopkins with a smile. The Ashnoca, Feb. 12, 2010 Funnies Page 7 Zoe McdanieL eRin cRaWFoRd MiKe KeLLy aMBeR Lin KSeniya KUPRovSKa Sports Page 8 The Ashnoca, Feb. 12, 2010 Blues swimmers take County meet trophy Blues win Buncombe County meet for second straight year By ian van Wye Morgan Sadler pushes the ball down court Photo by Danny Chung “It’s not rare, it’s expected” Blues varsity Boys win big BB games The Blues finish 2nd in the Christmas tournament By cHang gUn Lee On December 28 and 29, when a majority of Morgan Sadler had 12 and 5 each, and junior students were home enjoying Christmas break, Chase Garrish had 6 points to contribute to the the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team participated triumph. in a tournament at East Rutherford High “It was certainly one of our best games,” School. remarked Avery. “After the game, many They competed with three other teams: strangers congratulated us for the good game, Chase, East Rutherford, and R.S. Central for no one expected us to beat R.S. Central.” Cavalier Classic. The Blues were able to advance to the chamIn their first game against R.S. Central, which pionship game with the win and eventually is a public high school with more than 1,600 attained 2nd place in the tournament. students, the Blues played one of their best Risher and Martin received All-Tournament games of the season, achieving a nine-point honors. victory 67-58. “As a team we gained confidence and experiSophomore Malik Risher and junior Leonard ence,” said Sadler. “And the tournament helped Martin led the team by scoring 21 and 18 points us stay focused over a long winter break. respectively. Co-captains Alex Avery and Blues come from behind to earn thrilling victory against CDS By edWaRd TUng After a recent winning streak, the Blues and Leonard Martin started off the third Varsity Basketball Team faced the second quarter with a fade-away shot and a series best team in the conference, Carolina Day of lay-ups. The crowd’s voice for CDS got School. The Blues had not beaten CDS for smaller and smaller whereas that of the the last six years. Even Rabun Gap, a team Blues’ side became louder and louder. that beat the Blues handily, could not win At the end of the third quarter with three against CDS. seconds left, Alex Avery not only blocked However, the Blues refused to get dis- and rejected one of the CDS passes, but he couraged before the game. In the locker also made a half court shot. room, Coach Harris told the team to shock However, the points were not counted the world. “You are pretty good athletes, since he released the ball a little bit late. and I believe in our team, so you need to In the fourth quarter, the Blues played believe in yourwell enough to win selves that you “you are pretty good athletes, 65-56. can do it.” It was a historical and i believe in our team, so you The Blues moment for the seemed nervous need to believe in yourselves that Blues. during pre-game you can do it.” “The freshmen are warm-ups. not freshmen any--Coach harris After the game more. [The players started, CDS threatened the Blues by a have] learned how to take responsibility,” series of three-pointers and lead by 11 said Coach Harris after the game. “In fact, points at halftime. In contrast, the Blues now everybody is going to try to beat us players made frequent mistakes during the because we are now considered one of the first half. best teams in this league, and the boys will But the Blues made a significant come- need to learn how to handle such pressure back right after the halftime. Evan Haire and give their best shots.” Winter Team Records Swimming Boys 11-0 (1st in Buncombe County Meet) Girls 7-4 (2nd in Buncombe County Meet) Basketball V Boys 7-7 Wrestling 12-11 JV Boys 1-7 V Girls 1-11 JV Girls 1-3 On Saturday, January 16, Asheville School hosted the 2010 Buncombe County Swimming Championship Meet at Ambler Pool. Nine girls’ teams and ten boys’ teams participated in the day-long event. The Blues boys’ team beat T.C. Roberson High School to take first place; the Blues girls’ team captured second place. Many of the athletes on both teams had some of their finest performances of the season, with numerous swimmers improving times and setting new personal records. Nadine Moussallem won the girls’ 200-yard freestyle event, while Morgan Kallman took first place in the boys’ 50-yard free. In addition, Harald Olsson swam extremely well and managed to receive second place in the boys’ 200-yard individual medley. The Asheville School relay teams also put in a good showing, winning first in both the boys’ 200 and 400 freestyle relay events and coming within one second of the school record. Many swimmers delivered their best races of the season, including Kelsey Smith, who shaved 10 seconds off of her 500 freestyle event. Anne Marie Baker also lessened her 500 free time by an impressive 20 seconds. Among the other swimmers on the girls’ team who made notable improvements was Lizzy Photo by Danny Chung Clemons, who bettered her times on all of her Morgan Kallman dominates the 50 free events. Many of the boys also reduced their times, with Andrew Dong dropping four seconds from his 100-yard butterfly and Will Patton breaking one minute with his. The coaches, including Mr. Kriegler, Ms. Lawrence, and Mr. Gordon, say they have been especially proud of the dedication and commitment to the sport that the swimmers have demonstrated this season. Ms. Lawrence cited the exemplary effort put in every day by the athletes and good attitudes as the cause of much of the team’s success. She also praised captains Kelsey Smith and Bret Fickes as sources of much of the good morale, and noted that many of the swimmers have already met the state swim meet time requirements for their events. Aside from the state meet, Ms. Lawrence also mentioned that the team was endeavoring for a first place finish at the upcoming CAA conference meet. If trends continue, the Blues can expect great success. SporTS Beyond ASHeviLLe SCHooL What do you know about the Winter olympics? By Ryan do This year’s Winter Olympic Games will be held in Vancouver, Canada starting Feb. 12 and lasting 17 days. The opening ceremony, typically a beautiful and momentous event, should be noteworthy. In the Beijing Olympics of 2008, 90,000 people took part in the opening ceremony and over one billion people watched on TV. Canada also is preparing a lavish ceremony. The only rules the International Olympic Committee places on an opening ceremony are the march of athletes into the stadium, the release of doves, and the phrase: “Let the Games begin.” The Winter Olympics began in 1924. However, the first international event for winter sports was held in 1901 in Sweden, known as the Nordic Games. Since 1924, the Winter Olympic has been held every four years, except in 1940 and 1944 when the Games were canceled due to World War II. The USA has achieved mediocre results in recent Olympics. At the Turin Winter Olympics of 2006, the USA teams had to give up first place to Germany. At Beijing in 2008, the USA yielded to China, which had a privilege of playing at home. Since 1932, the USA has not won first place in the Winter Olympics. Jabulani, the ‘celebratory ball,’ is ready for 2010 World Cup By Min Ki KiM South Africa is preparing for the 2010 World Cup that will begin in June. As the World Cup approaches, soccer fans express their excitements towards the official World Cup ball, Jabulani. Experts regard the official ball revolutionary in both design and outer texture. According to Adidas, the company that manufactured Jabulani for the 2010 World Cup, “Individual design elements [of Jabulani] capture the colorfulness of South Africa.” Jabulani has a white background color and three panel shapes with a variety of colors in concordance. Each panel is detailed with different colors and small aerodynamic shapes to make a futuristic design. The number of tones used in the design adds up to eleven, which is the number of official World Cup balls that Adidas has produced. Just like the design, the outer texture is somewhat futuristic as well as scientific. The “Grip’n’Groove profile” is the description of the Jabulani’s texture. Since 2008, “goose bumps” have been placed in the soccer balls to optimize the grip between the player’s foot and the ball. The upgraded “goose bumps” from Loughborough University and Adidas Germany’s research are planted in Jabulani; the technology can really comfort the players. Michael Ballack, a midfielder from Chelsea, comments, “the ball does exactly what I want it to.” The Grip’n’Groove texture is complemented by the perfectly circular shape of the Jabulani. Using a high-heat gluing process, Jabulani inventors combined eight different pieces to make one perfect ball. Meaning “to celebrate,” Jabulani already excites many soccer fans, critics, and players.