The Vitruvian Vol. VI, Issue I November 6, 2018 Davis, CA THE VITrUVIAN That’s A Wrap: Quarter One Finishes with a Bang! Top Left: Sophomore Ethan Horowitz presents on the similarities and differences between his island and the island in Lord of the Flies. Top Right: Seniors Aiyana Shaw, Charlie Teresi, Ramiro Cabanil- las-Ledesma and Avary Marsh celebrate a successful finish to theirYo, Caesar presentation. Bottom Left: Seniors Neil Das and Garnet Phinney read lines from Julius Caesar (Sarah Oide, Vitruvian Staff). Bottom Right: Juniors Justin Yeung, Amanda Kim, Maggie Watson, and Bradley Shaw strategize after a session of arguments from both sides (Contributed by Manda Yeung, DV Parent). By AVA MACDONALD “[Our government has] a lot of freedom to glish side of this project, each junior was given ect, seniors were tasked with reading William Staff Writer what our religion is [...] and it can be whatever a packet of reading that they needed to annotate Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar as well as anno- we want as long as we have those people be- and use as evidence later on in their debates. tating many documents from different political Just a few months into school year and the lieving in it,” Leifson said. Some students represented the Founding philosophers in their Government and Econom- students of Da Vinci Charter Academy have When the sophomores presented, they need- Fathers, or Federalists, while others represent- ics class with Ms. Conners. already finished up their first projects of the ed to have pieces of propaganda that supported ed African Americans, Women, Native Ameri- Each of the components within their read- 2018-19 school year! their government, a flag for their government cans, and Anti-Federalists. Many students be- ings and led the seniors to create their final The sophomores finished the inaugural featuring symbolic elements and a PowerPoint lieved there would be no way for the Founding product: re-imagining the play, Julius Caesar project at the high school, with The Island presentation describing the inner workings of Fathers to win based on the beliefs of people in a completely new country and time period Project. The sophomore class was tasked with their government and how it related to William today, but the end results of the debates sur- in which the play occurred, allowing seniors to creating a government that would withstand Golding’s Lord of the Flies. prised them! get creative and put their own spin on things. 100 sophomores trapped on a deserted island. Da Vinci’s juniors started off their second Junior Owen Jee represented the Founding Senior Charlie Teresi enjoyed the project as a On the English side of the project, the students year at the high school with a big project in Fathers in a debate against women. Jee believed whole. read William Golding’s Lord of the Flies which their humanities classes, Whose Constitution that the project was difficult, but rewarding in “I enjoyed reading the political philoso- related quite literally to what was going on in Is It? Juniors at Da Vinci were asked to debate the end. phers with their different ideologies, consid- their World Civilization class. from the perspective of different social groups “It was pretty fun, but it was challenging, it ering that they were very similar despite their Many created outlandish governments that on whether the Constitution was created to be was a lot of hard work,” said Jee. It seems like small differences,” said Teresi. were too silly to exist, but other students creat- fair and equitable for all Americans. Owen’s hard work paid off because his team With each of these iconic project wrapped ed more practical ways to govern themselves. Before the debates started, the 11th graders was able to win their debate! up, each class at Da Vinci is bracing as new Sophomore Na Leifson and her team of soph- learned all about the details of the Constitution The most seasoned students at Da Vinci, projects are rolled out. Based on the success omores were tasked with creating a theocratic and how the document was established. Al- the seniors, also recently finished up their first students have seen in these first projects, the form of government on their island. though there was no book assigned on the En- project of the year, Yo, Caesar! In this proj- future is looking bright! Students Reflect on South Korea Trip By JUSTIN YEUNG The students’ travel itinerary was filled with fun activities, Staff Writer including visiting the National Science Museum, living at the Magoksa Temple and taking a Korean cooking class. At the Na- For the second year in a row, members of Da Vinci Charter tional Science Museum, the students learned about nature and Academy’s South Korea Club traveled to South Korea this sum- wildlife in Korea. They learned how to make gimbap, a type of mer as part of the exchange program between Da Vinci Charter Korean sushi, and japchae, a Korean glass noodle stir fry dish in Academy and Yuseong students. Zevik Citron, Hadley Citron, their cooking class. The students also practiced Korean calligra- Jenna Christensen, Grace Holt, Hyung-Seok Park and teacher phy at the Yuseong-gu Lifelong Learning Center. While staying advisors Ms. DeRobbio and Mr. Langone toured the city of Dae- at the Magoksa Temple, the students studied Buddhism from lo- jeon, South Korea, immersing themselves in Korean culture for cal monks. nine days. “We got to meditate on these little rocks in a small stream, which was pretty cool,” said Senior Hadley Citron. In addition to experiencing Korean culture, the students Da Vinci students meditating with Buddhist Monks at the attended Noeun High School for two days, where they sat in Magoksa Temple (Hadley Citron, Vitruvian Staff). classes with their new Korean buddies. The students sat in on Along with touring South Korea and experiencing Korean various classes, ranging from math and science to Chinese lan- school, the South Korea Club attended a baseball game. guage class. Citron stated, “It was not at all what I was expecting. When “They are so rigorous with their schooling,” Holt recalled. each of the home team’s players went up to bat, everyone would It was a tremendous shock to the Korea Club students to attend sing a song specifically for that player.” school from 7:45 AM to 10:30 PM, with extra school from 10:30 To conclude their trip, the students met Lee Jae-Kwan, Depu- PM to 12:30 AM. Unlike Da Vinci, the teachers relied on chalk ty mayor of the town Yuseong-gu, before heading to the airport. boards and paper books instead of laptops to teach. Soon it will be the South Korea Club members’ turn to host Park said, “It was very cool to be part of a Korean school for the Korean students. Their newfound friends will visit Da Vinci two days, and also the students there were very nice and wel- Charter Academy in the winter, where they will sit in on our Da Vinci Korea Club Members with students and faculty from coming! Some even asked for pictures and such, making you classes and be shown around Davis. If you meet them, be sure to Noeun High School (Hadley Citron, Vitruvian Staff). feel like some kind of celebrity!” say “Hi” and welcome them to the school! STUDENT LIFE STUDENT news INTERACTIVE ARTIST SPOTLIGHT 2 STUDENT LIFE Catching up with Foreign Exchange Students By NATALIE VINH before.” Web Editor Menezes is not the only student discover- ing independence. Alex Nitzke, a student from Waking up, going to school, doing home- Germany who also spent his junior year at Da work, and spending time with friends is a Vinci, remarks on the same idea. “I feel like I routine high school students know best. But have mentally aged a lot in my year abroad.” imagine doing it all in an entirely new country. Nitzke was excited to be re-accepted by his Exchange programs, such as the ones Da Vin- German friends like nothing had happened af- ci hosts, allow international students to leave ter returning, but he also wouldn’t trade his ex- home in search of a new experience in a new perience for anything. “I would instantly do [an place, where they will live for a year with a exchange year] again, and I would recommend volunteer family. After the year has ended, the it to everyone that has the chance of doing it.” students return back home and reintegrate into Not every exchange student experiences a their past lives. It’s not hard to imagine what change once returning home. Amélie Laloire kind of growth a year abroad can have on the spent her senior year in Davis, but upon return- students. In fact, three students from the 2017- ing home to Belgium remarks not really notic- 2018 school year reminisce on their time in Da- ing a difference. “For me, [home] is the same, vis to explain how independence has changed but I have others’ perspectives.” Although one them, and how time in America has shaped thing can be universally agreed on: “It made who they are. me stronger,” Laloire writes. Bruna Menezes, a student from Brazil who An exchange year is a big adjustment, not spent her junior year at Da Vinci, explains how only for the students themselves but for the life has changed after her year in America. “I families who host them as well. These families do have a different perspective on stuff,” she volunteer to take in an international student, notes. “I think I’m just paying more attention house them, feed them, and give them the re- Exchange students attending Prom-.