Vol. 50 Issue 8 201 Valley Brook Dr. Silver Spring, MD 20904 Thursday May 17, 2012

Here is a brief preview of what is inside this Issue of The Blueprint.

Inside the Blueprint

Tragic accident leaves basketball star paralyzed

Question & Answer Prin-cipal Rivera

Awards ceremony honors students

Mihdi AfnanStaff Writer

Q: What were your biggest expectations coming into Spring-brook?

A: I think anytime you come into a new situation your biggest expecta-tion is that you’re well received and that people understand that your vi-sion for the school is the right one. So really the expectation is that you hope that people will get you and they un-derstand where you’re coming from. Every building, every school has its own culture and traditions and I want-ed to honor all that.

Q: What was the biggest differ-ence at Springbrook?

A: Well, it’s been eight years since I’ve been at the high school, before I was a principal of a middle school. So high school is very different today than it was even eight years ago. The biggest learning curve for me was re-ally to try to get a handle on every-thing that needs to be monitored and everything that needs to get done and how do you manage a staff of 190 people because that’s the size of the staff here. That’s been the biggest eye opener for me.

Q: What your first impressions of Springbrook?

A: Lovely. From the minute I walked in. I came over the summer - actually before the school year ended - I came to meet with the National Honors Society. I just had a wonder-ful meeting with them. Of course, I went to last year’s graduation so I had a chance to experience that. I loved it from the minute I started; I really fell in love with the kids. I think we’ve got some wonderful kids.

Q: What’s your fondest memory from this year?

A: The welcoming environment. The kids have been so welcoming – so accepting. They just received me so well, for me I felt at home from day one. I think that’s probably the best way to put that.

Q: What do you want to accom-plish for next year?

A: Well, really, along the same lines as that. We have an opportunity to take a look at what worked. We just finished interviewing over 1100 kids on what works for them and what doesn’t, so student voices are very important to me. We can go around and collect all the data we want, you know, instructional data. What are we seeing in a classroom? Really that’s where it starts, if there’s poor in-struction in the classroom, that’s just tough for the kids. I often tell adults they ought to pull out a schedule and just follow a student for an entire day. But we learned a lot from the student voices, and I think we’re really well on our way to identifying what our in-structional focus is for next year, and I’m really excited for that.

cash award ranging from 250 to 500 dollars.

“I think it is a great thing that many students were recognized for their achievements during high school, whether they are academic, athletic or otherwise. We have worked hard to get to where we are now, and it’s a

The school year is coming to a close soon for all students at the Brook, but the end is approaching es-pecially quickly for the seniors grad-uating this year. Students of the class of 2012 end exams on May 25, and only a matter of days later, on June 1, they will graduate from Springbrook High School.

It would only be appropriate to honor the top scholars of the student body, which is excactly what admin-istration plans to do beginning with and awards ceremony that was held on May 10. After the awards ceremo-ny, a special dinner will be held on May 23 for the schools top achievers. The awards ceremony was a spectacle of a night, honoring many of Spring-brook’s model students, for all facets of learning. The awards ceremony was run by the staff, and directed by guidance counselor Madonna Brown-Miles.

The 6:30 reception and greeting was followed by the doling of awards to students. Some of the more memo-rable moments include the awarding of the Michael A. Durso Award, to Charline Ngweh and Ronny Ortiz, for their growth and maturity over their four-year tenure at Springbrook. Some other notable “Distinguished Awards”, which were voted on by the staff, included the Richard C. Ahlberg Award, and the Dr. Thomas P. Mar-shall Award, which were awarded to Kendra Reid and Gregory Ridgeway respectively. Another distinguished award, the David Cooper Robin Award, was awarded to Nicole Mair. The “Distinguished Awards” came with a plaque and in some cases, a

great feeling to know that somebody appreciates it,” senior Wesley Carter said.

The Distinguished Scholars Din-ner will be held on Wednesday of next week for the most accomplished scholars in the school. The dinner will being at 6:00p.m., and only stu-

dents who were able to maintain and end their high school careers with a 3.5 unweighted GPA will be able to partake in the event. The event will consist of a dinner, guest speakers of the event and the recognition of those students honored in the ceremony with speeches by teachers.

Bye bye seniors! Take a look at their plans for next year in the senior issue.

New club causes com-motion! Page 2

Springbrook alum from the class of 2011, and current student of Goucher College Damone Brooks suffered an accident on April 20 which mis-aligned his C-4 and C-5 vertebrae in his neck and bruised his spinal cord. Following this accident, he was diag-nosed as a level C4- C5 quadriplegic, and has been hospitalized at Univer-sity of Maryland Medical Center. He was told he would never walk again.

After his first surgery, in which the surgeons fused his C-4 and C-5 verte-brae back in line, they were still un-able to determine his prognosis. Later that night, he was able to control movement in his right arm. The next morning, he was able to move his left arm. Even though the movement in his left arm is not as controlled and mobile as his right arm, the doctors told his family they were still very impressed with his progression and because he is so young, strong, and healthy, those characteristics could all work in his favor for a full recovery.

On April 21, 2012, he had his second surgery in which the surgeon

operated on the back of his neck and added pins and rods to the neck to help prevent more damage to his spinal cord from the natural swelling that occurs. They removed bone spurs between C2 and C3 along with bone fragments to allow the expansion of the swelling of the spinal cord. The doctors advised that because he was so strong and they had to go thru the muscle to get to his bones, that sur-gery and recovery would be more painful than the previous one. On April 22, 2012, his 19th birthday, the surgeon gave us great news that he was able to feel sensation in his bot-tom area. We later learned that the sensation the surgeon observed could have been from sporadic neurons in his back and not actual communica-tion with his brain, but that could also be wrong. From the looks of his X-Rays, MRI’s, and CT scans, the doc-tors informed him that they predict he will not be able to walk again.

“His physical state is slowly get-ting better. He smiles but still cannot talk real well. He gets really happy when people visit like his coaches or teammates. They told him he wouldn’t walk but knowing Damone

he is going to fight it,” assistant bas-ketball coach Darnell Myers said.

Brooks developed a good repu-tation during the time he spent at Springbrook and still holds many strong relationships with the Spring-brook community today.

“He is a really good-natured, fun kid. Teachers often talk about students and all of us teachers shared the idea that he is really fun and positive,” his former English teacher Andy Leddy said. “I always had a positive interac-tion with him.”

Teachers agree that Brooks is a kind-hearted, respectful student.

“He’s funny, hardworking, and selfless. He’s the kind of kid who al-ways puts the team over his ego. He’s the kind of kid a parent would like their daughter to date,” former Eng-lish teacher Adam Bahr said.

Damone Brooks was a part of the 2009 and 2010 state championship basketball teams. Myers and Senior Lindsay Pinckney are organizing the “Damone Brooks Charity Tourna-ment” on Saturday June 2 at 4:00 p.m.

This tournament will include two games featuring Springbrook Alumni

Jenelle Whitman Editor in Chief

Travis Bauer Will JohnsonStaff Writers

Damone Brooks class of 2011

Former Principal Michael Durso comes back to honor the students at the award ceremony along with current principal Samuel Rivera.

Photo by Jenelle Whitman

from the 2008, 2009 and 2010 state championship teams in the Spring-brook gymnasium. This tournament will also feature the cheerleaders and poms teams from 2008, 2009 and 2010. The poms teams and the current drumline will perform dur-ing halftime. During the tournament volunteers will sell food, wristbands and t-shirts. All of the proceeds will benefit Damone Brooks.

2 Thursday, May 17, 2012Blueprint News

Middlebrook’s teachings inspireDestiny Wagner Staff Writer

SMOB: John MannesPresident- Alex Gutierrez 1st Vice President- Chukwukpee Nzegwu 2nd Vice President- Ryan Washington Treasurer- Sumaiya DelaneyRecording Secretary- Catherine Smith Corresponding Secretary- Hana Yi

Cassidy O’HearnStaff Writer

The engineering club is a recent addition that has been added to the after school programs at Springbrook high school. Club Sponsor Paraedu-cato, Dr. Arben Tashko has been very enthusiastic and passionate about getting this club up and run-ning.

The engineering club’s main objec-tive is to find the best students in the school and get them to express themselves through the application of physics, chemistry, mathemat-ics, technology, computer sci-ence, economics to design and build machines and devices.

The engineering club will help students in many areas. Students will progress in math and sciences because of their importance in engineering.

“We believe that Engineering Club can be expanded to Engineering Academy,” Tashko said.

The club is prepared to separate the club into three levels. One level is for the less advanced. Second level is for the intermediate and the third level is for those with a good grasp on the topic.

“We must help students to find

Spotlight on clubs at the ‘Brook

Brook introduces the Engineering Club

On the Monday after spring break, IB and AP Spanish teacher, Carol Middlebrook, found in her mailbox the certificate for Claes Nobel Educa-tor of Distinction.

Middlebrook was recognized for her role-model attitude and superb commitment to academic achieve-ment. It is that type of commitment she has to teach these young folk an-other language and the distinct level of achievement with which an award of such magnitude is earned. Middle-brook’s audacious efforts and tenure in teaching have earned her the cov-eted Nobel award.

A current junior at Springbrook

and a former student of Middle-brooks, Chukwupee Nzegwu is the one who nominated her.

As a member of The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS), Nzegwu had the opportu-nity to have her praised as the dedi-cated teacher she is and show the ex-cellence she wants her to see her kids strive for not only in the classroom but in life as well.

“I selected Ms. Middlebrook be-cause she is a phenomenal teacher, one who goes out of her way to help her kids learn Spanish. She also brings in scholarship opportunities and makes them aware to her stu-dents. I enjoyed having her and I was elated to see that my nomination was recognized and made a difference,”

Nzegwu said.Claes Nobel, the name of the

award, is also Chairman of NSHSS. In a personal letter of congratulations to Middlebrook, Nobel quotes Jaques Barzun- “In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day’s work. It is invisi-ble and remains so, maybe for twenty years.”

Middlebrook has certainly shown that and made an impact on her stu-dents enough to receive a certificate for it.

“Total surprise was the first thing I felt. After the initial shock, I was animated, especially when I saw the nature of the award. To think that Chukwupee, a student I no longer teach, nominated me, made me feel really happy,” Middlebrook said.

what they are able to do. The mobility is important. Stu-

dents that advance fast can jump on a higher level. Students who need more time can move to a lower level. What is crucial is students must understand what they are doing. Only when they

understand the information will they enjoy what they are do-

ing and push themselves to learn more. They

will believe in themselves. Qual-ity and quantity need to be in bal-

ance,” Tashko said. The Engineering

Club is in need of teachers that are passionate about see-

ing students excel in engineer-ing and participate in engineering as well.

“We need the help and contribu-tion of many people. The participa-tion of Math Department, Science Department, Computer Science and Technology Department and other departments are indispensable. Right now, Ms. Engel (Technology Re-source teacher) has helped me so much to have the material base and software,” Tashko said.

Please see Dr. Arben Tashko if you are interested in joining the en-gineering club.

Announcing the 2012-2013 SMOB and SGA

3Thursday May 17, 2012 Blueprint News

4 Thursday, May 17, 2012Blueprint Feature

As the end of the school year approach-

es, the one thing on every student’s mind is summer! For some, summer means traveling to Italy with their families or soaking up the sun on some beach in the Bahamas. But for others, summer means lounging in front of your com-puter bored to tears. Your blasé plans have forced you to resort to watching three minute vid-eos of your favorite bands on YouTube. Well how would you like to hear the real thing? Yes, we mean the real thing! Not shaky video re-cordings with horrible static filled audio but actual live, front row per-formances. Blueprint is here to save the day, with a list of some of the hottest concert events and music fes-tivals this summer that will not leave you completely broke or jet lagged.

For those of you who are planning on staying in state this summer, there are plenty of opportunities to go see some of your favorite bands live. For the past 30 years the 9:30 club has remained a hot spot for concert goers looking for alternative music, from Bob Dylan to the Beastie Boys, DeadMau5, Odd Future, Wale etc. The 9:30 club is located by the U Street station of the Washington Metro, which allows for easy and cheap transportation. Tickets range from about 15 to 30 dollars. The 9:30 club is on the small side and therefore it offers a more intimate experience with the perform-ers. You are more likely to meet some of your favorite artists at the 9:30 club than at a huge venue like the Verizon Center or Meriweather Post Pavilion.

“I love the 9:30 club! I went there to go see Wale for the first time it was real live!” junior Jordan Brown said.

Another concert venue located in Mary-land is Rams Head Live, and it is located just a metro ride away in Baltimore. Some upcom-ing concerts at Rams Head Live and at the 9:30 club include personal favorites: Bombay Bicycle Club, Nada Surf, Phantogram and City in Colour. The prices at Rams Head are incredibly cheap at only 20 dollars per ticket,

What is your dream vacation?Devil’sDiscuss:

“Go to Bora Bora to check out the ladies. Also lay on the beach and go to resorts,” -Gregory Beltre, 9

Put an End to Your Summer BummerConcerts and Festivals to Remember

photo courtesy google images

photo courtesy Google images

photo courtesy Google images

they are definitely a steal. Other nearby venues include: U street Music Hall, Verizon Center

and Merriweather Post Pavilion, just to name a few.

Unfortunately for us Marylanders, unlike Californians, we do not have

the luxury of being located near any large music festivals. But do not be too bummed out, even though you can’t travel all the way to California there are plen-ty of festivals that don’t require a week long drive or a $500 plane ticket. One Festival that is locat-

ed about a two-day drive away would be, Bonnaroo. Locat-ed in Manchester Tennessee, Bonnaroo has hosted head-

lining acts such as Pretty Lights, Kings of Leon, Jay-Z, and LCD Sound-

system. This year’s lineup is just as insane with huge bands such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Avett Brothers, Two Door Cinema Club, Young the Gi-

ant, Dawes and comedian Aziz Anzari. The concert starts on June 7 and lasts for about four days. Bonnaroo takes place on 700 acres and is covered with 11+ stages filled with A-list performers. The tickets to Bonnaroo are a little more on the expensive side ranging from 200 to 300 dollars but the experience is surely worth it.

“Yo, I love the Red Hot Chilli Pep-pers, doe. They are my favorite band. I would definitely drop as many stacks as possible to see them play live! Red Hot Chilli Peppers reppin all day!” junior Mark Genzer said.

Another two-day long drive festival is lo-cated in Ozark, Arkansas called Wakarusa. Wa-karusa begins on May 31 and ends on June 3, its date is earlier than Bonarroo’s and its lineup is not as strong as either, but it still features many well-known bands such as pop duo Fitz and the Tantrum, indie folk group Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and techno phenomenons Girl Talk and Adventure Club. The tickets for

Photo courtesy Misbah Tareen Photo Courtesy Colette Colburn

Wakarusa are way more afford-able than Bonnaroos, prices start at 99 dollars for a two day pass and 179 dollars for a full event pass; almost half of Bonnaroo’s price.

One music festival with perhaps one of the strongest techno lineups this year is the Electric Forest festival located in Rothbury, Michi-gan. The lineup features: Steve Aoki, Bassnectar , STS9 (2 shows), Theivery Corporation, Major Lazor, 12th Planet, and the list goes on. Tickets are selling for 242 dollars but with the per-formances from these A-list bands and DJs you are sure to get your money’s worth. The Elec-tric Forest Festival is not only filled with great performers but the festival

is also known for its Go Green Movement. The generators that the bands use to power the stage run on bio diesel and if you truly do not have the money to pay of your ticket there is no need to worry because you can work of the price of your ticket by volunteering with the green team and working 3-7 hour long shifts recycling and picking up trash at the concert.

“I think it’s so cool how environmentally friendly this concert is! I love the fact that I can work off the price of my ticket. I would basically get to go for free. This concert will definitely be on my to-do list!” sophomore An-drew Robinson said.

Lastly one huge music fes-tival for music lovers to keep an eye out for

would be Lolla-palooza. The lineup for this festival is

by far one of the strongest this year. Its shiver worthy lineup is filled with diverse perform-ers that branch out to all music genres. It not only provides rock and indie acts such as The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Black Keys, Bloc Party, Passion Pit, The Shins, and Jack White, but it also offers up many hip hop and techno acts such as, Childish Gambino, Cal-vin Harris, Star Slinger, and J Cole. Tickets are on sale right now for 230 dollars and not only is its lineup the strongest but judging by all the great acts at Lollapalooza this year it is by far the cheapest considering all the acts you will be able to see. It is located about a two day drive away, in Grant Park, Chicago,

Illinois and it lasts from August 3- 5, which will allow you to cool off and take It easy before school starts up again in the fall.

So to all you high schoolers worried about not having anything fun to do this year, the Blueprint urges you not to fret because as you can see from this article, there are plenty of op-portunities this year for you to be able to experi-ence your favorite bands live and really get your money’s worth. So live it up this summer and explore the different opportunities that come across your way.

Tam-anh Nguyen Staff Writer

9Thursday, May 17, 2012 Blueprint Feature Thursday, May 17, 2012

Imagine yourself lying on the warm sand, drowning in relaxation, hair blowing in the summer breeze, enjoying an ice cold lemon-ade. You get up to feel the cool blue waters rush on your skin. The smell of the sea water tickles your nose, and you can almost taste the salt on your tongue. You have never seen any-thing more beautiful than the aqua blue mass stretched around you. Some summers are bet-ter than we expect them to be and some are not quite what we hoped but, let’s see what Spring-brook students have planned and are suggesting for this summer.

Many students have started planning their summer vacations. Students will be traveling all over the country and all over the world this summer!

“I’m going back to New England this sum-

Summer love, is it not so wonderful? School is out and you have all day to spend time with your loved one. Dates do not always have to be romantic or cliché, over summer break anything is possible! And yes guys, not ALL dates have to be expensive to be a good time.

Girls enjoy more than just typical Fri-day night movies or “Chipotle dates” (which don’t really count as dates); ev-ery girl has their own definition of a perfect date.

“The beach, I don’t want a cliché romantic din-ner, I want something new and exciting some-thing that no one else has thought of,” senior Doyin Ayo said.

The date depends on what direction you want to go in. Almost every place in the sum-mer is a date spot. You can go to the beach and watch the sunset or have a surprise picnic.

“I’d take out a girl to the mall to go shop-ping for clothes, eating food, and really just having a good time. As long as she’s happy and we are enjoying each other’s company, I’d consider that date,” junior Jason Jung said.

Girls also love the outdoors during sum-mer. Take you date out to the National Zoo in DC or the National Harbor in DC.

“I would take a girl out the beach and just play around and have fun with her. May-be grab a bite to eat or some-thing,” sopho-more Joshua Dan said.

Not only outdoors but

also an interest-ing and different type of date is always fun you have to be creative.

“I’d love to go to the aquarium with my boyfriend and see all the beautiful fish. Also id love to see the dolphin show at the Bal-timore national aquarium. They’re amazing and it’s a lot of fun,” sophomore Sydney Consolloy said.

mer to visit family” sophomore Dan Rushton said.

It is always good to go visit family over the summer.

Not only are student going overseas to visit family but they are also traveling by road.

“I’m going to New Jersey to visit my baby nephew who just turned one! He is the cutest thing ever! My cousins also live there, so it nice to see my family” junior Noreen Rozario said.

Springbrook students suggest that if you want to see something exciting this summer, then you should travel to New York! It is a beautiful place to see, see the statue of liberty, or go shopping in New York City, and be sure to visit Time Square! It has something for ev-eryone. And the drive is fairly quick compared to many other places.

If you are stuck at home because you can-not drive, then go to driving school! Summer

What is your dream vacation?

is the best time to go to driving school.“I am looking forward to driving school and

getting my license this summer” junior Maya Wallick said. Going to driving school will keep your summer exciting and busy.

If you already have your license or aren’t old enough to get it then go to the beach! Going

to the beach is one of the best ways to spend the summer.

“I love going to Assateague in the sum-mer, my family goes camping and we can stay right on the beach. There are a lot of wild ponies too, it’s a really unique place” senior Meredith Blair said.

“I would go to Guyana and visit my family there,”-Aleena Deen, 10

“I would go backpacking in Italy, through the countryside with Mike Green,”-Kelly Massino, Special Educa-tion teacher

“Go to France with Obama and rub sun tan lotion on Oprah’s foot,”-Temi Adesina,12

TOP 5 DATE SPOTS:

1. Amusement park

2. Beach

3.Georgetown

4.Paintballing

5. Concert

Put an End to Your Summer BummerNot Just Another Candlelight Dinner

Misbah Tareen Staff Writter

Your New and Improved Summer Vacation for 2012!

Photo courtsey Google images

Photo Courtesy Misbah Tareen Photo Courtesy Misbah Tareen

“I don’t want a cliché romantic dinner, I want something new and excit-ing, something that no one

else has thought of,” -Doyin Ayo,12

Misbah Tareen Staff Writer

Thursday May 17, 2012 Senior Issue Cover 5

SPRINGBROOK SENIORS

What my parents think I do What my teachers think I do What my friends think I do

What society thinks I do What I think I do What we really do

20-12 Wad up

YO

LO

6Thursday May 17, 2012 SeniorReflections

It has been a turbulent journey these past four years in high school, and I would be lying if I said that I was not ready to leave. Over the course of my life at Springbrook I have acquired a number of memories, both the good and the bad, and have met a motley crew of people—

both the good and the bad. As I sat staring at the blank screen before me

my mind was sifting through the endless list of things I could reflect on and share with the rest of my graduating seniors; and this is what I have come up with.

To anyone that knows me it should come to no alarm that I am no sports fan. But I am sur-rounded by people who breathe, and live sports. It was my sophomore year that I decided to manage the wrestling team, despite the fact that I knew nothing about wrestling. At first I took on my new role as werstling manager as a means of getting out of the house and just hav-ing something to do. But as the years rolled by it became much more to me than just a side act. It came to be an integral part of my year; win-ters had taken on a whole new meaning.

In due time the wrestlers transformed from the brute athletes I had viewed them as into the amazing friends that I cherish today. Most of my closest friends are a part of the wrestling team; they always bring out the best in me with their unmatched humor and childish charm. They are the guys that I can always turn to with full confidence that they will be there for me in

my times of vulnerability and need. But past all the good fun there was something more to these wrestlers, another side of them that appeared the second they hit the mat.

With the countless number of practices, matches, and tournaments I have attended in the past three years there is one thing that never fails to surprise me. I admittedly am not the most knowledgeable when it comes to sports, but I stand by my statement when I say that there is no other team that shows more dedica-tion, puts in more effort, or brings out more love than the wrestling team.

It is plain to see in the careful swift move-ments of their feet, the way their eyes narrow with focus on their opponent during each match. It is heard in the silence that washes over the benches with the start of each round, and in the screams and cheers raging from the bleachers. There is something about seeing my friends in this new light that tugs at my heartstrings, evok-ing from me a kind of respect unprecedented by any other.

Behind all of this pandemonium stands a man, like no one else I have ever met, Coach Rob Wendel. My first encounter with Wendel

One big reality check

Faven Mesfin Senior News Editor

Maddy KimAssistant Editor

Naveena AshokNews Editor

Ram NatarajanOpinion Editor

An unforgettable team and the man behind it all

Senior Reflections

High school has undeniably been a roller coaster ride. I have had some of the most in-teresting, fun experiences at Springbrook. But I have also had my share of dreadful, painful days. I wish I could tell you that I will bawl

my eyes out at graduation because I will miss high school so much. I wish I could tell you that high school was everything I wanted it to be and more, and all my friendships before Springbrook flourished and that I am sad to see them go. But if I told you that, I would be lying. High school was very real. I learned a lot about myself and other people, in ways not always easy. High school tests your character and your morals. You have to learn how to appropriately handle yourself in situations that were foreign to you before. I remember the first day of high school like it was yesterday. I was so nervous to go into a new place, even though the majority of my friends were going to Springbrook. I thought the concept of different lunches and big upper-classmen was frightening. But at the same time, I was very excited. That year I made many friends. I reconnected with some old friends

from elementary school that I had not seen in a while, and made new friends. I joined clubs, did a sport and had a great time. Freshman year was one of the best years for me. Sophomore year had some good times, and it had some hard times. A few series of unfortu-nate events happened and turned everything up-side down. Even though I did not have the most pleasant experiences, I learned so much from it. It was probably the first time that I understood what it meant to regret something and what it meant to trust someone too much. Junior year was hard and stressful school wise, but it brought many new opportunities and experiences. Spring break of my junior year I went on Springbrook’s trip to Western Europe chaperoned by Mrs. Hunter, and had the time of my life. This was hands down the best experience of high school, if not my life. I was with two of my best friends, and became

A message to the class of 2012

I would not say high school has been awe-some or horrible, but it has been a great learning experience. I moved to the area at the end of eighth grade and had a hard time picking which

high school to attend in the coming fall. I end-ed up choosing Springbrook because it was the closest one to my house, but now I can say I am glad that I did.

Each year of high school was very different from one another. Ninth and tenth grade felt like a continuation of middle school, just with more work. As I was still getting used to the area and a school full of new faces, I was not very involved; to change that my good friend and I decided to manage the boys lacrosse team. This turned out to be a great idea because later on some of the current players on the team, sim-ply decided to start playing because we man-aged. They even based the number they chose off of us and lacrosse ended up being a big part of their lives. My schedule in tenth grade was very manageable between school, family and

My time at Springbrook has been memo-rably unforgettable. From sports to special events, I could best describe high school as a roller coaster ride. Coming in to Springbrook

and only knowing a few people, I did not know how things would turn out.

However after joining different clubs and sports teams, like soccer and basketball, I met friends and different groups that I started to hang out with more and more.

My freshmen and sophomore years were mostly spent studying hard and getting those straight A’s. But when junior year hit I took much harder classes, and things changed. I picked up on a new sport, lacrosse, and it be-came my year-round passion. With the new priority, I met a whole new group of friends that would soon become my brothers.

Growing up obviously meant more weekend events as well, this left less room for my aca-demics. With wasteful weekends, sport practic-es, and harder classes, I stayed up literally every night junior year trying to catch up on work. So there were many ups, and many downs of my

It’s a high school musical

friends because I only had one AP to worry about at the time. One of the most memora-ble events of sophomore year was hang up; it was by far the best hang up of my four years at Springbrook.

By the end of tenth grade, like many of my peers, I could tell that my junior and senior year would be extremely different than my first two years of high school. First semester junior year was very hard to adjust to; taking four APs, my parents constantly nagging me about SATs, and many of my close friends changing due to new exposures and influences. But after a while all this blew over because face it: high school is a time to try new things.

Senior year was surprisingly amazing. I tried out many new things and met a lot of great new people. I received a whole new level of free-

junior year. Of course when senior year came classes got

easier and the workload decreased. Everything was good until it was time to apply for colleges. In my opinion it was harder to apply for the col-leges than actually getting into them. But if you are not as lazy as me then you would probably have had an easier time.

Now second semester of senior year is when I and 90 percent of the senior class caught the senioritis syndrome. Basically students started excessively slacking in school since college ap-plications were done with. I started sleeping in class, coming late to school, going out on week-days, and leaving my backpack in the car during the school week.

I also noticed that the student body changed a lot during senior year. Usually, within the female counterparts, friends broke apart and groups started to clique. I felt like the guys

was during my freshman year of gym class; I dealt with the side comments and jokes he sent my way with a good face. Managing wrestling was no different. The man loves to joke with everyone and anyone, all the while managing to hold together a team of ace athletes. As a coach he was firm, wielding his authority to steer his team in the direction they were meant to be headed. He was stern, but always encouraging, forever keeping the attitudes of his boys at the same caliber of importance as their skills.

But beyond his coaching abilities is some-thing else that will leave me remembering Wen-del for years to come. With divorced parents I never had a strong father figure in my life, and though I never expressed it Wendel proved to be in some way a father figure to me. His devo-tion and reverence is something I admire to the greatest regard. He is one of the few teachers here at Springbrook for whom I hold the high-est respect that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

So just in case I failed to mention it before, thank you to all my friends on the wrestling team, and thank you Wendel for all that you do.

dom by my parents and got a lot closer to my friends. As high school is finally coming to an end, I realized just how much these past four years have taught me academically and beyond. It has mentally, psychologically and emotion-ally prepared me for the next part of my life. I have created lifetime memories and met many people that I will never forget. Many of these people have had an impact on the person I am now and I likewise have made them the people they are today.

So to my peers, acquaintances and friends, this is only the end of the beginning so try not to stress about what terms we’re ending high school in because it really doesn’t matter what happens in middle but whatever is meant to happen will somehow definitely happen at the end. Lets go class of 2012!

great friends with people on the trip that I am still close with. That trip was the first time I experienced complete independence. Senior year has probably been the worst year of high school because of my fair share of disap-pointments. Though it was rough, I still learned a lot about the person I am today and the person that I want to be; one of the hardest lessons to be learned in high school. Among other things, I realized in high school who my real friends are and are not. I have become much more independent than I was when I first started high school and I commend myself for that. I think one of the hardest parts about everything was figuring out who is re-ally there for you, and who is not. With all that being said, I had a generally good high school experience. It has not been easy or a time that I will reminisce about forever, but it’s been real Springbrook, it’s been real.

seemed just fine, but the women just did not mesh well with one another. This made senior events and such very difficult to plan.

My senior year lacrosse season was prob-ably the biggest highlight of my year. We came out strong beating every team and going unde-feated for a while. Since Springbrook was not such a strong lacrosse contender in the past, our team really worked hard and grew together as a family and we all ended up becoming amaz-ing friends.

Finally, seniors are now awaiting the best part of high school. Now it is time for prom, senior week, graduation, and obviously: being done with school.

Of course looking back I will miss everyone here at Springbrook. Everyone has had an im-pact on me and made me who I am today and I could not have asked for a better family these past four years.

Hyo

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7 Thursday, May 17, 2012

Four for the future

Plans for next year: Attend University of Pittsburgh and major in Occupational Therapy with a double minor in Psychology and Be-havior Sciences.

Where she sees herself in five years: Hope-fully grad school. I hope to use the skills that I have acquired to go make a difference in the world. I will strive to achieve my greatest po-tential, and to be the best that I can be, in what-ever situation I am in, or wherever I may go.

Her main hobbies in high school: I play two sports (lacrosse & field hockey) all year round, not just during the Springbrook season. Being in the goal cage as a lacrosse goalie is my main passion. I enjoy playing the violin. I have taken private music lessons for eight years, which has helped me perform better in school orchestras. I obviously have a great in-

Plans for next year: Attend Cornell Univer-sity, majoring in Applied Economics and Man-agement.

Where she sees herself in five years: Hope-fully being self-sufficient and on my way to becoming rich. A Ferrari would be great.

Her main hobbies in high school: Playing sports, reading, watching the Big Bang Theory and painting nails. [At Springbrook, Deedee was involved in field hockey, indoor track, la-crosse, National Honor Society, Orchestra, and Student Council for the Class of 2012.]

Which of her accomplishments she is most proud of: Winning states my junior year in the 500 Meter race for indoor track. [Deedee got a time of

terest in government and its processes, as evi-denced by the numerous SGA and class officer positions I have held over the years, as well as executive positions for the Student Member of the Board Elections (SMOB).

Which of her accomplishments she is most proud of: Being Student Government Presi-dent and Concertmistress of the String and Symphonic Orchestras. Also being able to suc-cessfully recover from a serious head injury, since it was a very difficult and strenuous road to recovery. [Sarah suffered a serious concus-sion the May of her junior year and was unable to participate in her normal routines for over 8 months].

How she would like to be remembered at Springbrook: I would like to be remembered as a strong SGA President, a great athlete

and musician, the “all-around girl.” Not only would I like to be remembered for my accom-plishments as SGA President, but for promot-ing Springbrook’s image, being a dedicated Springbrook student, and getting a lot of things done. I would also like to be remembered for my sports-awards and my music talent.

What SGA sponsor Jessica Abeshouse says about her: Sarah is one of the sweetest, most hardworking students that I have ever had the pleasure of working with. She is not only de-voted to her own endeavors but her love and commitment to Springbrook has been a motiva-tion for all of us. In addition, her determination to return to the lacrosse team after her concus-sion last year was inspiring. I have incredible respect and admiration for Sarah and know that she is going to be successful in all that she tack-les in life.

How she would like to be remembered at Springbrook: Being ‘The fast girl who runs track’ (or however you wanna couch it).

What friend and classmate Brittany Lam-bert has to say about her: Deedee is one of a kind. Besides being incredibly talented athleti-cally, she’s also very smart. She prides herself in doing her very best in everything that she does and is a great friend to many. There is no question that Deedee will be successful in the future.

What friend and classmate Ursula Gbe has to say about her: Deedee is one of the most humble people I know. She doesn’t realize how awesome she is until you tell her and I hope I will always be there to tell her.

“Get involved and make the best of the time you have. Through this, one is able to become self moti-vated and feel like they’re making a difference. I have learned necessary life lessons like how to bring people with different abilities and experience to-gether to work toward a common goal. I have learned how to problem-solve on the spot, as well as how to motivate a large group of people, etc.” ~ Sarah

What teacher Thaddeus Hester has to say about her: The thing that pops into my mind is that Deedee has integrity. She is honest. I have always admired her and she is a hardworking and diligent student.

What teacher Wyman Jones has to say about her: Deedee is a very intelligent and well rounded student. She is talented both musically and athletically. She has been a joy to teach these past four years. She is a great student and works very hard. She has been a student leader in orchestra for the past two years and her lead-ership is going to be missed very much.

What Coach Kelly Massino has to say about her: Deedee is all-around model student ath-lete. She always brings a very positive attitude to whatever atmosphere she’s in.

“Don’t take it all for granted. It ends so quickly, you don’t really have time to worry about the little stuff.” ~Deedee

Advice from the pros:

Plans for next year: Attend University of Maryland College Park and double major in Mathematics and Physics with a minor in mu-sic.

Where he sees himself in five years: In five years, I’ll be in grad school, doing some Phys-ics, making some equations, keeping it real.

His main hobbies in high school: I play the piano and weight-lift. [Greg was also involved in National Honors Society, Swim and Dive, and It’s Academic.]

How he would like to be remembered at Springbrook: It would probably be as what Mr. Leddy would call me: “The Learner”.

What he thinks his Springbrook Legacy is: Messed up books. I usually write weird words in the condition column in the back and the pages usually get folded in my backpack.

What teacher Cyrus Ishikawa has to say about him: It is clear to me that Greg is that skilled onion peeler of thoughts and ideas. He knows that there is more to an onion that its skin. This is the reason that he is willing to em-brace ideas that cause most men to cry. While they are busy making stew, he is skillfully cre-ating an artform destined to whet the appetites of the chefs of the Ka’anapali Annual Maui Onion Festival.

“Realize that every subject has something valuable to offer you. You can get as much out of school as you allow yourself to get.” ~ Greg

Plans for next year: I am going to University of California Berkeley next fall and I plan to major in electrical engineering and computer science.

Where he sees himself in five years: I don’t know where I see myself, but I know that I want to be developing software or technology that will have a positive impact on the way we live.

His main hobbies and interests in high school: I really love music, both listening and playing. I’m always listening to music on my phone or computer and playing on the guitar and piano. [At Springbrook, Tim was involved in National Honor Society, Cross Country and the robotics club Robolicious.]

Which of his accomplishments he is most proud of: I’m really grateful and proud of some of the scholarships that I’ve gotten this year. Some of them were very competitive and I am really glad that I was chosen for some of them because they are really going to help me through college.

How he would like to be remembered at Springbrook: I just want to be remembered as a regular student. Success is not something that only a select special people can accomplish. The reality is that most of it just comes down to setting goals for yourself and working hard to accomplish them. The people who I think really deserve to be remembered are my parents and teachers. They helped me realize what I wanted to do and then pushed me to work towards my aspirations.

“Do not be afraid to dream big and do not be afraid to ask for help. There are so many re-sources and people around that want to see you succeed and its up to you to utilize them.” ~Tim

What friend Sarah Smith has to say about him: Gregory is a very self motivated person. He is admired by his peers and is also extreme-ly hardworking and driven. He has a wide ar-ray of talents ranging from academics, athlet-ics, and especially music, although he is very humble about it. He has a very charismatic personality and I can always depend on him for a good laugh. He has been a very good friend and I know that all of these qualities will allow him to be extremely successful where-ever he ends up.

What friend Joon Hyun has to say about him: There are no words to describe Greg. He is a God.

What friend and classmate Nancy Anleu has to say about him: Tim is a really smart and personable person. He is always going out of his way to help others and tries his hardest in everything

What friend and classmate Darren Tong has to say about him: Tim works really hard. I’ve worked with him on several group projects and he is very dedicated to getting tasks accom-plished. He puts in a lot of effort; he definitely deserves recognition.

What teacher Pat Youngpradit has to say about him: With most students, even high achieving students, I assume they cheat and with Tim that is not the case. By his hard work, Tim is what I would call the total package in a student.

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8Thursday, May 17, 2012 Senior Section

Allegany College Stephen Wedge

American University ZeneMesfin

Auburn University Cory Hutson Lucy Reynolds

Aveda Cosmetology School Johnye JonesBarry University Genesis Tejada

Becker College Joshua Rivers

Bennett College Maya Brown

Bowie State Univer-sity Dunstina Thomas

Carnegie Mellon Uni-versity Edna Fongod

Catholic University of America Erick Ceballos Michael Nguyen

Cedarville University Meredith Blair

Christopher Newport University Jenelle Whitman

Cleveland State Uni-versity Mina Nieto

Coastal Carolina University Nichole Hawkins

Columbia College Chicago Tara Hamilton

Community College of Baltimore County Hung Luu

Coppin State Univer-sity Wayo Adjei

Cornell University Udeme Akapaete

Delaware State Stephanie Fields Kiana Laws Andrea Taylor

Duquesne University Xavier Nelson

El Camino College Vanessa Escobedo

Embry Riddle Aero-nautical University Joy Miriga

Frostburg University Bhagawati Phuyel Rachelle Ulysse

George Mason Uni-versity Nathalie Michel

Goldey Beacom Col-lege Kiana Brown

Goucher College Sydney Harmon Deborah Kopp

Hood College Sandy Sengsourichanh Nilson Turcios LaBria Williams

Kent State Matthew Hawkins

Lackawanna College Brian Ogbenna Delonte Murray

Lincoln University Ronald Fergusan Destiny Mystique Tania Salmeron Eddie SesayMarines Corps Alexander Chavera

Marymount Univer-sity Paul Castro

Maryland Institute College of Art Catherine Chu

Montgomery College Xavier Acosta Derwin Allen Senovi Amegnaglo Nancy Anleu Brenda Brown Jogn Caguiat Melvin Ceren Natalie Chamas Adam Chin Andy Cruze Nelson Cuellar Rebeca Diaz Marina Dunn Alejandra Eguizabal Alexa Elvir Jason Flores Violeta Flores Quentin Francis Stacy Fuentes-Perez Vincent Galeano Yennifer Gonzalez Francesco Gurau Jason Henriquez Nemon Heyes Justin Holland Ryan Horsford Natalie Jarman Cameron Johnson Carroll Kim Tuan-Anh Kim Jennifer Lee Jessica Leiva Cindy Lopez John Ly Keith Martin Markeeta Marty Diego Miranda Emmanuel Mondiere Justin Mukasa Euphrasia Muteba Vivianne Njang Ronny Ortiz Branden Palma Sonia Parveen Nelson Paz Elio Perdomo Cristian Reyes Teresa Rivera John Rodriguez Victoria Rozario Edith Rubio Lisbeth Sandoval Aaron Saxton Bezawit Sileshi Simone Smith Samuel Stutz MJ Senas Judy Sweringen Paul Tehamgove Kaeli TenEyck Brianna Toribio Thien Tran Sony Trinh Rene Villeda Hannah Wondwosen Lionel Youkam

Angelica ZeronMorehouse College Mark Orebiyi

Morgan State Univer-sity Sabrina Cloud

Mount Holyoke Col-lege Brittany Lambert

Mount St. Mary Joejandro Anthony

Norfolk State Univer-sity Seyram Acolatse Caitlin Barnes

North Carolina A&T State University Jessica Brooks Olivia Oriaku

North Carolina Cen-tral University Brion Robinson

Northeastern Univer-sity Kathryn OwenNorthwestern Univer-sity Rajan Negassa

Pennsylvania State University Naveena Ashok AJ Bailey Stephen Bundi Joshua Culver Piper Spiller Umeka Umelo

Robert Morris Uni-versity Micah Brown

Salisbury University Will Johnson Chris Kittelberger

Seton Hall University Demetric Austin Spencer Hoggarth

Shenandoah Univer-sity Evie Gaffney

St. John’s University Doyin Olabisi-Ayo

Stevenson University ChrisCoffie Germanys Ventura

Stony Brook Univer-sity Patrick Lehan

Sweet Briar College Amy Holder

Temple University Grady Cooper

Towson Khadijah Ali Domonique Broadus Elizabeth Coll Eddie Hernandez Ehinome Ihenyen Alice Kong Tyrell Peeler Lindsay Pinckney Sathya Rajan Prabu Ravi Ashit Rebeiro Karis Robertson

Trinity University Birkti Asmerton Shanelle Brawswell Karla Beltre Daniel Larkins

Aaliyah WashingtonUnited States Navy Suhas Banavar Oliver Dehi Jamir Rowe Gigi Voysest

University of Akron Khalil Smith

University of Califor-nia Berkeley Tim Hyon

University of Mary-land, Baltimore County Temi Adesina Alec Chanthaboun Catherine Coyne Sara Golshiri Jan Gotera Sekar Kulandaivel Christopher Ly Nelson Martinez Wingnay Ng Mike Nguy Carolyn Nguyen Jimmy Nguyen Angel Oyedele Rohit Sharma Alex Brondon SiPor Xavier Williams

University of Mary-land, College Park Nardos Amare Saron Amare Daniel Amaya Samantha Bolten Gisel Diaz Adam Hussain Amita Jain Nandini Kishore Nicolette Lee Crystal Leung Nicole Mair Aida Martinez Joshua Mathews FavenMesfin Arthur Moy Erick Otero Ram Natarajan Peter Nguyen Adanna Nwaro Yolanda Peprah Rebecca Pereira Jorge Ramirez Gregory Ridgway Vignesh Sankar Lily Stevens Nick Tam Darren Tong Khanh Tran Ho Clarence Williams April Wong

University of Mary-land, Eastern Shore Ebony Gayle Naisha Licorish Marshe Ransom Anthony Rozario Sally Sillah Henos Testaye Samson Tibebe Elias Tola

University of Pitts-burgh William Campbell Sarah Smith

University of Sciences Ryan Lee

University of Texas Charline Ngweh

University of Toronto Yemaya Alleyne

University of Virginia Colby Shinholser Ursula N’Guessan-Gbe

Virginia Common-wealth University Janelle Gentles

Virginia State Uni-versity Crystal CroomVirginia Tech Cindy Cheung Georgia Howard Erin Ingeholm

Washington Adven-tist University Lucy Hernandez

West Virginia Uni-versity Kendra Reid

Winston-Salem State University Corey Bonnette

Employment Kyle Cotter (Web Devel-opment Company) Robert Cruz-Rosales (Body Shop)

Undecided College Seeye Abraham Jordan Adams Dawitt Alemo Elvis Amurrio Cameron Anderson Benston Andrew Emanuel Ayala Tyrone Bell Issac Benitez Crystal Berroa Abel Beyene James Boclay Janelle Brawswell Tolabi Campbell Timothy Christian Irene Cotton Paul Deonaramo Trey Dooglas Branden Emery II Josue Fernandez Bijon Gaskin Gabriel Gomes Alexis Groomes Hamoon Hodjati Joon Hyun Phillis Karikari William King Anvesh Kosuro Leslie Leiva Minieratu Macauley Leah Mebrahtu Michelle Mendez Maury Mitchell Lissa Molina Taylor Montford Natash Moreno-Rodriguez Milagros Olivos Duy Phan Jaime Rivera Ricardo Roberts Tayvon Ross Irvin Smith Charles Taylor Carlos Umana Daniel Villard Brice Woods

Study Abroad/Gap year

Anna Hisnanic Grant Ihrie (Overseas College) CJ Simon Grace Thompson (Nicara-gua)

Class of 2012

10Thursday, May 17, 2012 Blueprint Opinion

Blueprint The Blueprint is published monthly by the students of Springbrook High School. Signed editorials contain solely the opinion of the writer. Unsigned editorials reflect the consensus opinion of the entire staff.

The purpose of the Blueprint is to inform, entertain, interpret news and provide leadership within the school. The paper also serves as an open forum for readers to voice their questions or concerns, as well as express themselves. The Blueprint will do its best to cover events equally and without bias. Our goal is to be fair and impartial in addition to maintaining a good balance in our coverage of school-wide news.

Letters to the editor are strongly encouraged. Adequate space will be provided up to 250 words. Letters must be signed, though may be published anonymously. Restrictions on content include, but are not limited to: libel, obscenity and invasion of privacy at the discretion of the editorial board. The identity of those who sign letters to the editor will be confirmed.

Editor-in-ChiefJenelle Whitman

Managing EditorHannah Dario

Assistant EditorsMadeline Kim

Nandini Kishore

Feature EditorsColette ColburnMichael Nguyen

Sports EditorsAida Martinez

Vignesh Sankar

Senior News EditorFaven Mesfin

News EditorsMeredith Blair

Naveena Ashok

Opinion EditorsCJ Simon

Ram Natarajan

Photography EditorsVictoria Rozario Lindsay Pickney

AdviserWendy Borrelli

Policies

Springbrook High School201 Valley Brook DriveSilver Spring, MD 20904

Wendy_T_Borrelli@mcpsmd.org(301) - 989 - 6074

March 16, 2012 Volume 49, Issue 5

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/springbrookhs/

Students: 1,718Staff: 190

is a carcinogenic substance so it is not recom-mended to be used on contact of the skin.If you eat Mentos and drink diet coke at the same time will your stomach explode?No, this is just a myth. In most severe cases your stomach could have a bad reaction, caus-ing you to vomit.

Can cell phones cause cancer?

A large number of studies have now been published on cancer risks in relation to mobile phone use. Overall, the results of studies have not demonstrated that the use of mobile phones causes brain tumors or any other type of cancer.Why do you shrink when you get older?Gravity takes hold, and the disks, or cushions between the bones in the spine, get compressed over time. The back bones, called vertebrae, end up pressing closer together, which makes a person lose a little height and become shorter.

Why does your stomach rumble when you're hungry?

It is lined with glands that go into action every three or four hours whether or not food is present. Just thinking about food can start the glands expelling digestive juices. These juices will gurgle and rumble as your empty stomach churns away. Your stomach makes about 2 1/2 quarts of these digestive fluids every day. These juices are composed of water, hydro-chloric acid, and an enzyme that breaks down proteins.

Why do you shrink when you get older?

Gravity takes hold, and the disks, or cushions between the bones in the spine, get compressed over time. The back bones, called vertebrae, end up pressing closer together, which makes a person lose a little height and become shorter.

Is the tongue the strongest muscle in your body relative to size?

In direct proportion your tongue qualifies as the strongest for its size. It is commonly mis-taken that your heart is the strongest however, you heart only beats and is actually quite weak when you draft comparison by size and muscle density.

If you eat Mentos and drink diet coke at the same time will your stomach explode?

No, this is just a myth. In most severe cases your stomach could have a bad reaction, caus-ing you to vomit.

How do you fight off a shark if you are under attack?

You should poke the shark in the eyes. The reason behind this is that it will stun the shark and they let go momentarily so you can try and get away.

Why do people say they are hungry only an hour after eating Chinese food?

It's not that you’re hungry after eating Chinese, it's that you’re hungry again not long after. This is due to the effects of monosodium glutamate (MSG), which, in addition to enhancing the flavor of food, acts as an appetite stimulant, leaving the consumer with a sensation of hunger, despite having eaten. In some people, MSG produces even less desirable effects, such as headaches and nausea.

Can eating carrots improve your eyesight?

Carrots contain some vitamin A. Lack of vitamin A can be bad for your eyesight, but eat-ing more of it has not been shown to improve eyesight and it is just a myth.

Is the tongue the strongest muscle in your body relative to size?

In direct proportion your tongue qualifies as the strongest for its size. It is commonly mistaken that your heart is the strongest however, you heart only beats and is actually quite weak when you draft comparison by size and muscle density. Your tongue on the other hand can apply different amounts of force in multiple applications.

Why do you see stars when you get hit hard in the head?

This is caused by neurons in your visual cortex misfiring. It happens do to a lack of blood to the head and thus a lack of oxygen. This can happen when you stand up too quickly, suffer head trauma, strenuous exercise or sometimes with migraine headaches.

What is the slipperiest substance on Earth?

Coal Tar is the slipperiest substance on earth. It

CHRIS’ CORNERChris KittlebergerStaff Writer

Soundtrack of a senior summerNandini Kishore Assistant EditorNaveena AshokNews Editor

The summer after senior year is a time for no worries. It is supposed to be one of the best summers of your life for many reasons. Starting off with the fact that there is absolutely nothing to worry about: no SATs, no college apps, no studying, no internships to better your resume and nothing school or academic related!

This summer is actually the last time as a teen that you can try out many new things; take the car and go on a road trip, stay out all night without answering to your parents, try out a weird hobby and slack off and just sit around even for a month. You wo not get in trouble for any of it because what are your parents going to say? That you can not go to college? No they are not going to say that because you already paid your deposit! Do all the crazy things you always wanted to do this summer class of 2012!

And for those of you seniors who still do not have their license, ask your parents to teach you how to drive this summer! Driving is the first form of real independence teenagers receive. There is not anything else that says summer than rolling down your windows, blasting mu-sic and driving around with your friends. If you want to enjoy summer to the fullest, go get your

license. This summer is also your last to hang out

and make amends with all the people you have met in grade school. Because after this, we will all be college kids, busy with our own lives, trying to get good summer jobs and all that; so try to make all your bad terms with others into good terms so you have a clean slate when en-tering college.

Remember to not let anyone stop you from doing what you want this summer. For example, your parents, siblings, friends, significant others or anyone else. Incoming college freshman are inclined to become single over this summer be-cause they do not want to be tied down over the only summer they can do anything they want and not carry that reputation on to a place where everyone will know.

Even though many people reconnect with people they knew from highschool after a few years of college, college freshmen usually end high school ties and relationships by the first thanksgiving break so they can get a full expe-rience of college life without answering to any-one which is very necessary for every college freshman.

Its summer 2012, go out every night, enjoy time with friends and family, go wild and have fun and forget about all your troubles. Then get ready for what is supposed to be the four best years of your life. It is our time to shine 2012!

Senior Peter Ngyuen enjoys tanning and hanging out on the beach with his friends during the summer.

Patrons of the BlueprintPublishers CircleBarbara and Ray Jacobsen

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Editor-in-Chief CircleRobert Hoffman

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Editors Circle Writers CircleThe Silvia Gang

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11Blueprint SportsFriday, April 27, 2012

Presented by Arrive Alive Driving School

$295.95(301)-350-9575

** Please Bring This Coupon!

Special for Teens & Adults

Boys keep winning recordGymnasticsWill Johnson Staff Writer

Travis Bauer Staff Writer

The boys volleyball team ended their season May 2, with a loss to the Quince Orchard Cou-gars. They fought hard, but lost one set out of the four sets played. The Devils finished this year with a winning record of 8-3.

“We fought hard during the game, and went all out, sure we could have won but we played our hearts out and I am happy with that. Quince Orchard has a solid team this year, and i hope the best for them,” senior Darren Tong said.

This season was full of victories; beating teams in only three sets. They also experienced tough losses, where they lost in three sets. Overall they have kept the tradition of having a winning record, just like the Blue Devils boys volleyball team had the past few years.

“I am impressed with how the season has turned out. We worked hard this year to repre-sent our program and we did very well in doing so. I’m glad to have been a part of the team my past four years here at Springbrook. I hope that future teams keep our strong program going, and are successful in the playoffs. I am really going to miss this group of guys, over the past couple months we have really become a fam-

ily,” senior captain Duy Phan said.This year the team is very tight knit, and

their friendships off the court added to their team chemistry on it. Volleyball brought the team very close together, and now they hangout more often with one another.

“I was friends with most of the guys coming into this season, but seeing them every day in practice has made us closer to each other. We had a lot of fun together at our team banquet, and we got to bond a lot,” senior Spencer Hog-garth said

The seniors can be proud of their last sports season at Springbrook High School. Many have been on the team for all their years as a Blue Devil, and were part of the many successful teams of the past. The juniors are looking for-ward to stepping up next year and setting ex-amples for future teams as their predecessors have done in the past.

“The seniors this year really taught me a lot. Next year I will be a senior and it will be my turn to show my underclassman teamates new things and keep their spirits up during games.Their determination this year have influenced me to step up next year and keep our prgrams name,” junior Elmer Chavez said.

After placing last in all of their tri-meets in the first half of the season, the Blue Devils faced a stretch including tough county contend-ers such as Montgomery Blair and Sherwood High School. However, the lady Devils faced a soft spot in their schedule on April 26, against Gaithersburg High School.

The Devils faced a tough pair of teams, Montgomery Blair and Sherwood High School. The Devils showed a lot of heart, but they were outmatched by their county foes. Most notably, the opposing teams had many more players than the Devils.

After a series of losses, the Devils came upon their first and only home meet of the sea-son, against Gaithersburg. The Devils came out confident, and took control of the meet from the beginning. With a clear advantage in size and skill, the Devils were able to beat Gaithersburg, and regained their confidence and swagger missing in the recent meets.

Although the Gaithersburg meet proved to be a milestone for the Devils, in their follow-ing meet against powerhouses Bethesda-Chevy Chase and James Hubert Blake High, the

Photo courtesy Neil RubinoFreshman Raven Boyd competes for first place on the blance beam.

Devils were once again outmatched in size, although not necessarily in talent, and were beaten cleanly.

“I had a great time this season, and I think we did pretty well,” sophomore Nikol Kireva said.

The Devils finished their season strong with a seventh place finish at the County Champion-ships, and look forward to improving next year.

12 Thursday, May 17, 2012Blueprint Sports

LACR

SSE

The Devils lost to the Wootton Pa-triots last Friday for the first playoff game with the score ending at 4-15.

The four goals were scored by se-niors Chris Kittelberger, Ram Natara-jan, Brion Robinson and junior Ryan Hydson.

“It was a tough loss because we thought we would go further in to playoffs and fulfill our high hopes. The team really deserved it with all the hard work we put in this year,” senior Zack Stichnoth said.

The boys ended their regular sea-son with a winning record of 11-3. This record was the second highest Springbrook boys lacrosse has ever had. It came in second to 2007, in which they ended their regular season 14-2 and won the regional champion-ship.

“We are proud to say that we have the second best record springbrook has ever had. I think it really shows the chemistry the team had this year,” senior captain Tyrell Peeler said.

Another one of their tough losses was against the Walter Johnson Wild-cats. During the last five minutes of the game, Robinson scored two goals with isolation plays but unfortunately they lost the game by one and the fi-nal score was 7-8.

“Our game against WJ was a game that the Devils should have won. We

Boys varsity lacrosse loses to Wootton in the second round

started slacking off during the second quarter but even though we almost even tied them towards the end, there wasn’t enough time left,” Robinson said.

The boys recently won against Blair, Paint Branch, Kennedy, Blake and Magruder, and Northwood.

“I have been on varsity since soph-omore year. The team has worked re-ally hard this year to be at the plight we are today. Our team really cared about winning and we had a lot of great skilled players this year,” senior captain Vincent Galeano said.

The team excelled to victory on their senior night game against Magruder. The announcer called out all the seniors and the colleges they are attending next year.

“Our senior night was a great game to finish off the regular season. Many of us had goals including my very lucky one. All the seniors got a lot of playing time,” senior Wesley Carter said.

Two sophomores, attacker Bala Natarajan and midfielder Derrick Tompson got pulled up to varsity af-ter their JV season ended.

“I got a real feel for the pace of varsity next year,” B. Natarajan said.

The boys hope to take the team even further next season.

“Playing for varsity this year was a great experience. I think all the ju-niors know how to lead the team to victory for the next year,” Hudson said.

Naveena AshokNews EditorColette ColburnFeature Editor

Varsity girls have their playoff dreams cut short by WJCassidy O’HearnStaff Writer

As spring sports are nearing an end, the varsity softball team is currently in the playoffs and have a record of 5-11 after putting up tough fights but eventually losing to Magruder 2-11 , Paint Branch 2-17, Einstein 0-3, Walter Johnson 0-12 and B-CC 7-27.

“We started out really well and played really strong. But then we kind of fell apart at the end. We gave up a little at the end because we were losing by so much. I also don’t think that we did our best. We kind of gave up and I feel like we could of done a lot better and ended the game dif-ferently if we had kept trying,” senior Lucy Reynolds said.

After losing sophomore Nancy Nguyen the Devils hope to bounce back and go far in playoffs, they have started off strong after winning their first playoff game against Mergen-thaler Vocational-Tech High School 21 – 4 at the Brook with each player having a run and sophomore Sumaiya DeLane hitting a homerun.

“I think that we played really well during our first playoff game. We still need to stay humble though because there is still a lot more games that we need to win, we also need to focus a lot more by keeping morale up and keep our momentum going” senior Crystal Leung.

They also won their senior night game against Wheaton 19-6 with se-nior captain Aida Martinez hitting a home run on the fly. Seniors honored that night were Lucy Reynolds, Crys-tal Leung, Aida Martinez, Naisha

Licorish, Nicole Mair, Grace Thomp-son and Kristina Lowe. This game was their last regular season game that they will ever play at home.

“We really played well during this game and brought our A game on deck. it was a great way to end our last game at home and the seniors really deserve this win, after all it is their last home game they’ll ever play competitively in high school for life,” sophomore Sumaiya Delane said.

The whole team has strong hopes

for playsoffs after winning against Mergenthaler, and going far.

“I have a really good feeling about our next game and I think we have a strong chance of winning be-cause everyones been working hard and we really want to makeup for our losses this season by going far in the playoffs,” Reynolds said.

The Lady Devils played Balti-more Poly Tech on Monday May 14, results from that game are not avail-able on this publication.

Varsity baseball loses to Catonsville in the North Region playoffs

Softball swings back into action in playoffsQuy TranStaff Writer

Colleen ConnollyStaff Writer

Springbrook varsity baseball has ended the 2012 spring season with the record of 6-10. A new coach and young team challenged the program but they were able to come out with one of the best records the Devils have obtained in the past few years.

In the first round of playoffs in the 4A north region, the Blue Devils suffered a loss to Catonsville High School located in Baltimore County, MD. The game that ended 0-4 also sadly ended the season for Spring-brook. The game was filled with hits, and great fielding and pitching but Springbrook was just unable to score on the opportunities.

“We just didn’t get our bats around and couldn’t be the offensive threat we usually are. Our attitude and intensity in the game is what got us. Sad to know seasons over but now we just have to work harder in the off season to beat our record from this year” sophomore Chris Hutson said.

The players are dealing with the end of their season in different ways but are trying to stay positive.

“Even though it was my last game, ever and we didn’t win. I’m proud of my team no matter what and happy that I was a part of the Sprinbrook baseball program; I wish them well next year and hope they stay competi-tive,” senior Nilson Turcios said.

The team now looks back on the season, very proud of their hard work and effort. They also looks forward to keep on improving the Springbrook baseball program.

“We had a much better record this

year; our team chemistry was good and we had a strong pitching staff. Yes, it was a little rocky at the beginning of the season but the season turned out to be awesome. Even though we were pretty good, we could have been better. Any of the guys would say it,” junior Mark Genzer said.

The team is losing three seniors and key players after this season but with a young team, they trust that the team will keep up the hard work.

“I feel that we put together a com-plete squad that grew every practice and every game, hence producing a very successful first year,” head coach Doug Remer said.

Photo courtesy Blanton Studios

Senior Lucy Reynolds catches a ball from third and looks to make a double play.

Photo courtesy Blanton Studios

Senior Jordan Haxton runs to first after hitting the ball towards left out-field.

Springbrook varsity girls lacrosse ended their season with a final record of 6-7. They lost in the first round of playoffs against Walter Johnson after winning against Magruder and North-wood to end the regular season.

The game against Blair took place on April 28. They had a crushing loss of 4-14 at the home field. Jenelle Whitman , Micah Brown and Miran-da Peterson were all able to score during the bash against Blair.

“I think we have done great. I don’t believe that they were stronger than us, we just didn’t bring the in-tensity that I know we can. The Blair team really caught us off guard,” se-nior Deedee Akpaete said.

The Blue Devils’ next game was against Walter Johnson on March 30. It was a close game with a score of 11-12. Whitman, Brown, sophomore Catherine Smith and senior Evelyn Gaffney were able to score against the vicious wild cats of Walter John-son.

“The game against Walter John-son was really intense. We all wanted to win really bad and we almost did! I just wish that we could have brought home a win against this team,” junior defender Tam-anh Nguyen said.

As opposed to in other games, the Devils were able to start dominat-ing, but were hindered by a slow of momentum, due to a fast break goal from the Wildcats. Springbrook had

a four goal lead at the beginning, but as the Wildcats seemed to get really frustrated by calls against them, they ratcheted up their intensity.

The Springbrook girls fought hard in their game against Churchill but ended the game with a devastating loss.

“Like Dumbledore said, fear of a name only increases fear of a thing itself. In this game especially we played scared and did not look like our normal selves,” sophomore Ivana Yakovleff said.

Chruchill was the last loss for the Devils when they turned around their season and won the rest of their games.

The Northwood game took place on May 5. They had a spectacular win of 11-6. The Devils used the opportu-nity to focus on working as a unit and having a good transition game.

The first and last playoff game for the girls lacrosse 2012 season was bittersweet. They were able to hold the Walter Johnson Wildcats to nine goals, in large part to an amaz-ing breakout game by Sarah Smith, who made at least 15 saves and sev-eral successful clears. However, the offense found it difficult to penetrate the zone defense of WJ, ending the game with a score of 9-3.

The Lady Blue Devils had a tough schedule this year, especially with some of their hardest games in one week. They finished the regular sea-son with an even record of 6-6.