Focus Vol. XXXIV No. 2 December 2017 A Blind Brook High School Student Publication Blind Brook A New Age Changes of the Blind Midterm Brook Media Week Center Photo courtesy of Shivani Thanneer By Amanda Capelli Schedule Model UN club attends conference at Rutgers University. Blind Brook’s library has un- dergone a slight change un- By Emily Savino & Amanda der the guidance of recent hire Capelli Tracey Wong. Wong, the Blind Gone are the days where Blind Brook Middle School-High Brook High School students get School library media specialist, a full week off to study and take is reinventing the way the li- midterms. In January 2018, Blind brary functions and is creating a Brook students will take midterms new purpose for the space. during the school day. The library is headed towards Blind Brook will not have an of- a collaborative, creative and a ficial midterm week. Previously, more cultural, innovative experi- midterm week at Blind Brook con- ence. School can be stressful, and sisted of a week designated to core Wong is doing something to help class exams in designated timed break kids out of their confined test blocks. These test would be ad- Photo/Hannah Marrow stresses and allow them to create ministered at the school and proc- Robotics Club with their latest project. while thinking outside the box. tored by a teacher, and students Wong’s goal is to introduce were only required to come into kids to experiences that they school for that allotted time. The Student Clubs Hit the are not always exposed to in the tests would range from an hour classroom. She believes that the and a half to two hours, and after students are aspiring innova- completing the test students were Ground Running tors, and that children are the allowed to go home. Most students future. She says, “My belief is would go home and study for their By Abby Ochs lot done. Lauren Wexler, freshman [that] I could always be teach- midterm later that day, or on the As Blind Brook students enter Senate member, says, “We are work- ing the next Steve Jobs, but in following day. second quarter, clubs are making ing on making winter homecom- order to do that, you have to be However, due to New York State a lot of progress and are impact- ing very exciting for all grades. We able to expose children to differ- changing what counts towards the ing the community in an extremely are ordering scarves, tee shirts, and ent things.” 180 required amount of school positive way. other merchandise to sell during all Another one of Wong’s goals days per year, scheduled half days Congress has been working on lunch periods, so people can wear is to create a STREAM (Science, no longer count. According to the increasing student body participa- Blind Brook apparel to the basket- Technology, Research, Engi- New York State Education Depart- tion, which will ensure that the ac- ball games.” Senate has also been neering, Art and Math) based en- ment, a scheduled half day is a day tions Congress takes will “better discussing the topic of the home- vironment within the library, be- in which no superintendent confer- reflect the needs of our constituen- coming dance that will take place on yond its traditional English and ence is scheduled, and elementary cies” says junior Carly Kabot, presi- Saturday, February 3, and Wexler literature-based environment. school children receive less than dent of Congress. Kabot describes added that, “The dance always has a There are activities throughout five hours of instruction, exclud- the various other Congress happen- secret theme, so you [will] have to the library to promote these sci- ing lunch and/or recess. ings, saying “We raised money for come to find out!” ence, design and engineering The teachers had already been victims of Hurricanes Irma, Har- Model UN started off the year by based ideas. For example, there discussing, prior to this change, vey, and Maria, successfully bring- attending the Horace Mann Model is a “Makey Makey.” The “Makey if the way they were administer- ing the school community together UN Conference. On November 29, Makey” is an invention through ing these exams was effective, ac- for a great cause. Another large club members attend the Rutgers which one can make functional cording to Vice Principal Derek project we are currently work- University Model UN Conference. keys by clipping alligator clips, Schuelein. Since the midterm ex- ing on is Wellness Week, which Secretary General, senior Samuel similar to the ones used in the ams took up a full week and then will take place the week of March George, says, “Our delegates did an physics classroom, to regular some days of class time, this was 12th.” Congress has been getting extremely good job at this extreme- objects like bananas or even to time that could not be gotten back. a lot done, including smaller proj- ly competitive conference. We hope people, and connecting it to com- However, New York State forced ects, which are assigned to three to use our performances at this con- puter. Students can play games, them to take this question to the new committees (Infrastructure & ference to help us in the upcoming type things, or create a mouse- next level, prompting the school to Maintenance, Student Affairs, and Johns Hopkins Conference where pad by simply clipping the clips create a new schedule for midterm Academic Affairs), which will help we hope to do even better. The po- to the objects. exams. speed along the process of better- tential success for this club at up- The technology in the library This upcoming January, the new ing the academic environment of coming conferences is tremendous.” is advancing as well. There are midterm policy makes it so that Blind Brook. Carly Kabot and Sarah Rogers both QR codes to scan in with smart there will be no more midterm Senate also has been getting a won the Best Delegate award, devices. Middle school students Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 Inside Focus Arts and Health and Science Sports News.....................................................1 Entertainment Learn about the See which seniors Viewpoints...........................................3 Arts and Entertainment.....................6 Find a movie to see over positive effects of are playing sports in Features..............................................10 Health and Science...........................12 winter break on page giving on page 12. college on page 15. Politics................................................14 6. Sports..................................................15 A Blind Brook High School Student Publication News December 2017 Blind Brook Student Clubs Hit the A New Age Changes Ground Running of the Blind Midterm Continued from page 1 Brook Media Abe Baker-Butler won the Distin- During the first weekend of guished Delegate award, and Bry- December, Human Relations had Week an Wei won the Most-Improved a trip to Camp Bernie in Port Center Delegate award. Soon, there will Murray, NJ. The students who at- be tryouts for the Johns Hopkins tended the trip took part in dis- Continued from page 1 Schedule Model UN Conference in Febru- cussions, team building, and other can sign in the computer electronically. Of- ar y. activities focused on bringing the ten, staff will come and check if certain Continued from page 1 Midnight Run is looking for- group closer together. The trip students went to the library and were in at- week. Each department will decide if ward to a run they will be doing ended up forming new friendships tendance. One savvy student used the sign they want to give their students a mid- on December 22. President, senior and unity between the participat- in sheet to prove she was where she was term, and how it will be formatted. Since Arkin Satija, says, “We prepared ing club members. suppose to be when her teacher was out and students only have a forty minute period a lot for the run and had a con- On December 13, the Latin and she escaped having a cut on her record and to take an exam, the teacher may format siderable amount of clothing do- Italian classes and clubs celebrat- did not have to serve detention. the exam to be over the span of two days. nations. We had to sort through ed the Roman holiday of Saturna- Wong wants students to “be creative There will be no test block, and students them all during clothing sorts that lia, with a modern Italian twist. and be able to enjoy all the different facets will attend their classes following the usu- we planned before the run. How- Latin Club advisor Christine Sa- in life.” in academics. Recently, Wong has al daily bell schedule. ever, because Mr. Beatty is un- batella says, “Saturnalia is an an- implemented a lounge area of the library Midterms will begin on January 8, dergoing surgery on this run, we cient Roman festival celebrated where kids can sit in an informal atmo- 2018. Teachers have the option of hav- will be taking another advisor. We during Roman times to celebrate sphere. There are chairs and a coffee table in ing their midterms separated into parts were also supposed to have a bake the god Saturnus, who is the fa- an area that formerly held boxes and com- over a span of days due to the limited sale the weekend it snowed, but we ther of Jupiter [the king of the puter supplies. She says, “It gives scholars a periods of 40 minutes. Junior Olivia Velta had to postpone it.” gods]. This was usually to cele- chance to interact instead of just being on says, “If the midterms are over a span of The Robotics Club is finish- brate a successful harvest, so they their phones.