According to juniors from three nearby private high schools, there are several noticeable differences between the private schools they attend and what they perceive M-A to be. These juniors mentioned that the largest deterrent from attending M-A is often sheer class size and the number of students.

Dylan Croll, a student at Woodside Priory High School in Portola Valley, switched to a private middle school after “falling through the cracks” in a public elementary school. “I never got attention from my teachers and I wasn’t particularly motivated to do the work,” Croll explained. “I came to Priory where I can talk to the teachers one on one. I also prefer learning through discussion versus being lectured at, and in a smaller classroom setting it’s easier to do that.”

Croll described his experience at Priory as positive, despite a “claustrophobic” lack of community. “Priory is like a bubble. I only know the people that go to Priory and I spend all day with them… it gets kind of annoying, really.” At the same time, the students who attend the school are widely spread out geographically.

Emma Thygesen, junior from Menlo High School, just a mile down the road from M-A, expressed a similar feeling:  “One thing I miss having from [public middle school] Hillview is having everyone be from the same area. The community was within about a three-mile radius from the school and people were really concerned with what was happening in the area.”

Both Thygesen and Croll reported the presence of students who live extremely far from their schools. In contrast to private schools, public schools require a student’s residence to be located within a certain region, allowing for a strong sense of community and local focus.

Regarding academics, Sacred Heart Preparatory junior Daniel Thaure described M-A as drifting away from a scholastic focus. “There are more people there that are not there for [academic] reasons. Some kids try really hard and some kids are more focused on the arts or something, in comparison to Sacred Heart,” which, Thaure explained, strongly values academics.

Croll expresses a similar view of varying student efforts at M-A. “At M-A, it’s easier to get by just taking easy classes and still get a decently high GPA. I feel like it’s easier to get through high school without having to work all that much at M-A versus Priory,” Croll said. Croll maintains the belief that “both schools have the same learning experience offered to the students,” but private schools demand more engagement with their courses while M-A provides more freedom and independence. Thygesen does not view one school as drastically “tougher than the other,” but feels that “Menlo is a little bit harder than M-A because of the teachers and because there are so many more students.”

Thaure, Croll, and Thygesen view their teachers as extensively qualified instructors. “The academic dean at my school runs a really tight ship. If teachers are strongly disliked or people are reporting back that they’re not satisfied with the learning experience in that teacher’s classroom, that teacher will be gone, usually, by the next year,” Croll explained. “From my understanding, bad teachers at public schools tend to stick around a lot longer.”

In comparison to her experience at a public middle school, Thygesen noticed a definite difference in the teaching staff in her public versus private schooling experiences. Although she acknowledges the teaching levels of various teachers at M-A, she speculated about “larger spectrum of teaching level” at public schools versus Menlo, which she says has “a fantastic teaching staff.”

Despite a difference in teachers and course level, all students expressed an inability to label or generalize two different types of people. “I really don’t feel like there are two types of people, one type of person that goes to a private high school and one type of person that goes to a public high school,” Thygesen speculates.

In the end, high school is high school, and is filled with teenage students experiencing similar mistakes and achievements to students in the school next to it. Although M-A provides a strong sense of community and a vibrantly diverse student body, private schooling systems offer specialized attention for those that need it and can offer a very enriched learning experience. To each his own.

Have you ever tickled a slow loris? No, we didn’t think so

Like pandas but red

We feel for sleepy bear

MEET THEM!!

ice skate better than you

Holla at cute pandas…..holla at them!

Christmas puppies be mad cute.

Snoozin’ bruh

Oak Knoll got nuffin’

Ears fuh dayzz

Four years ago, Jen Novak founded the the Ravenswood Education Foundation with the goal of raising money for the Ravenswood City School District. Renu Nanda became the Executive Director in Aug. 2011. Since then, Nanda has been working to help people determine how to invest in the district and spreading its success.

“In our four years, we’re proud of our results.  We want to continue to build a strong and connected community, provide strategic and effective resources and opportunities for district students, and of course, to continue to deepen and expand our supporters,” said Nanda, who was on the REF board for three years before being asked to become the Executive Director this past August.

69 percent of students in the Ravenwood School district are English language learners, while 89 percent come from low income families. The Ravenswood Education Foundation works to provide the best possible learning environment for these students.

As part of her new position, Nanda has made changes that resulted in an increase in progress and donations in comparison to previous years. Between 2007 and 2010, the district Academic Performance Index (API) score jumped from 637 to 715, a drastic improvement, but still falls short of the statewide target of 800.

About 70% of the Ravenswood Education Foundation’s funding comes from individuals and the other 30% comes from local foundations and corporations

Nanda explained, “We raise funds throughout the year, with an annual campaign in the fall and a spring gala. We also have great partnerships with local corporations such as Bosch Healthcare, Facebook, VMWare, and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, who have reached out and offered to help. Closer to home, students such as Fiona Dewar, President of the Applied Arts Club here at M-A, held a fundraiser and made a donation to support REF and one of our schools.”

In the future, the Ravenswood Education Foundation hopes to continue to build a strong connection with the community, as well as provide numerous opportunities for the students. Expanding their supporters is also very important to their district.

“Looking ahead, REF is examining 8th grade transition to ensure that students are well- prepared to enter high school, and we’re reviewing how to support the district in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).”

For more information on how you can support the Ravenswood Education Foundation, go to www.ravenswoodef.org.

Though it began as a two-person club in the early 2000s, M-A’s debate team has now evolved into a substantial organization currently including eleven members. Although the debate team was dissolved in 2005, it restarted again in 2007 and since then has been steadily growing.

Debate is an intensely engaging activity that involves arguing about and discussing topics ranging from ethics to philosophy to politics. Senior Patrick Reed described debate as an “academic version of sports.”

The debate team is given a new topic annually that they discuss and research in-depth for the entire academic year. This year’s topic is space policy, which covers use of shuttles, satellites, and the workings of NASA.

Each member of the team has an admirable passion for debate. “The debate team has made me a much better writer, academically. I have many more skills because I know how to speak and present my arguments, and I’ve also gained a larger group of friends through debate clinics and debate camps over the summer,” says senior Matt Rosenthal, captain of the team.

As captain of the team and president of the club, Rosenthal is responsible for the organizational aspect of debates as well as education of new members.

Debate tournaments are held on the weekends, and can range from a full day to an entire weekend or three day weekend. At a typical tournament, a two-person team will give speeches that range from about 45 minutes to two hours.

Senior Jake Bercow said that the debate team has helped him improve his writing skills, taught him to argue in new ways, and also aided in the college process.

Besides the educational benefits of debate, there are also social ones as well. ”There’s a really tight-knit social organization in debate… I have friends across the country in Georgia and New York and Pennsylvania who are all members of the debate community and it’s something that we all share,” said Reed.

If you are interested in joining the debate team, contact a debate member. Meetings are held Monday and Thursday at lunch in B-2.

Chubby Bunny: This game involves sticking as many marshmallows in your mouth as possible while still being able to say the words “chubby bunny.” Who doesn’t love a game where you can shove your face with food? But shockingly, this game caused the death of 6th grader Catherine Fish, who choked on a marshmallow.  Senior Alan Propp adds, “I myself was almost killed in a high stakes game of chubby bunny at a 10th birthday party.”  So before you try to stuff one more marshmallow in your mouth, think “is my mouth really that big?”

Piñata: When you put hyper kids, blindfolds, bats, and candy together, you’re asking for trouble.  Steer clear of this game unless you’re willing to risk being whacked by the powerful hit of a little league champion.  Also, diving to the ground to fight over stale candy is rarely worth the grass stains or bruises.

Red Rover: A popular elementary school game, Red Rover consists of children trying to run through and break the chain of their friends’ linked arms. When the kids are overly aggressive, or if their growth has been accelerated by McDonald’s and KFC, their force could be enough to crush bones or topple people to the ground.  Senior Brianna Mack has had firsthand experience with these risks: “I know kids who have broken their arms from Red Rover. That game means business and some serious precautions need to be taken.”

Truth or Dare: Truth or dare is a great game for watching your friends embarrass themselves and spill all their secrets.  Sometimes, though, the dares can go too far.  If you feel uncomfortable doing said dares, speak up before you place yourself in a dangerous situation.  Or just be that one wimp who chooses truth every time.

Egg Toss: For those with less dexterity and hand-eye coordination, the egg toss could cause some problems.  Other than getting your clothes dirty, raw eggs present the danger of salmonella.  Wash your hands after you play to avoid the risk of frequent trips to the bathroom, or even death.

Beer Pong: With this game, along with other drinking games, lurks the obvious danger of alcohol poisoning.  Jenna Foellmi, a 20-year-old college student, died from alcohol poisoning after consuming numerous alcoholic beverages and participating in a game of beer pong.  It also presents the less obvious danger of embarrassment and humiliation while intoxicated, and bloating (you don’t want to look chubby in the pictures that will undoubtedly cover your news feed the next day).  Aside from being dangerous, Michael Hester notes that it is “just unacceptable because it involves underage drinking and I do not sponsor that.”  Next time, think before you drink to avoid painful hangovers, puke, and videos you really don’t want to watch the morning after.

A new whiteboarding installment inspired by the theme of life featuring: the ascent of man, the beginning of life, a brick wall and the seashore, exploring the world on both macro and micro scales. Once again, exceptional music pulled from creative commons. Enjoy!

There are many reasons why students struggle to stay awake during class. For some of us, extracurricular activities and jobs take up precious time, leaving us with late nights of endless homework. Others who take rigorous AP courses pull all-nighters on a regular basis. Then there are those who can’t find motivation to do homework and would rather stay up all night stalking people on Facebook.

So, for those of us who can’t afford to sleep during class, here is a list of ways to stay awake:

1)   Chew gum.

2)   Eat your lunch.

3)   Drink Water.

4)   Get up and walk around.

5)   Ask to go to the bathroom.

6)   Change your sitting position.

7)   Pay attention.

8)   Have a conversation with the people around you.

9)   Stretch.

10) Daydream about your crush.

11) Hum your favorite song.

12) Observe the people around you.

13) Doodle all over your notes.

14) Pencil tricks.

15) Play mind games.

16) Stare into the light.

17) Bite your lips/tongue.

18) Pinch yourself.

19) Suck on a cough drop.

20) Drink Redbull.

21) Play with your hair.

22) Bite your nails.

23) Drum your fingers.

“A dream college is one that you have absolutely no doubts about wanting to attend,” says senior Sarah Collins, who plans to attend Columbia University in the fall.

Collins felt that Columbia met all of her needs: academics, volleyball, location. She “kept her grades up and played volleyball year round” in order to give herself the best chance of acceptance.

“Columbia wasn’t always my dream school,” she says, “and just because you think one school is your dream school doesn’t mean you can’t have a perfect fit somewhere else.”

Senior Emily Gran, who recently received an acceptance letter from her top choice school, Claremont Mckenna, felt that having a “dream school” was a driving force throughout her high school career. For her, Claremont Mckenna provided an ideal setting and class size. “Setting high expectations for myself from the start motivated me to take harder classes and get good grades,” she says.

Having a dream school also motivated her to pursue extra-curriculars and “ask for help when necessary.”

“As long as you are setting a high bar for yourself, and maintaining your sanity and happiness, I think having a dream school can really impact your high school experience in a positive way because it forces you to work harder than you otherwise would have,” Gran says.

For many students, visiting colleges is the most important aspect of the college decision-making process, as preconceived notions can be misleading no matter how much information students may previously have.

“Until I visit a college, I don’t feel I have a real understanding of the school,” says junior Tyler Finn.

Senior Jeff LaPlante, who will attend Lehigh University in the fall agrees. “I realized Lehigh was my dream college when I stepped on campus and could visually picture myself there. It really stood out for me on the tour. When I read about it, I wasn’t sure if I would like the school that much. But my college counselor convinced me to go visit and see it and some other schools back East, and I fell in love with it,” he says.

Knowing Lehigh was going to be a reach school, Laplante admits that “it definitely made junior year more stressful.” He put more hours into studying for the SAT and working weekly with a private college tutor to increase his chances.

College Advisor Alice Kleeman however, warns against having one particular dream school. ”It’s a huge red flag to me when students believe they must go to one particular college or their life will be over,”  Kleeman says.

Kleeman notes that in her experience, students tend to set their sights on are highly selective including top tier schools like Stanford, Princeton, UCLA, and Harvard, but in some cases “the student doesn’t even know some very important facts about the school.”

These students often go about the college application process in the exact opposite way that Kleeman suggests. ”The way I hope students will choose colleges is FIRST to choose one college that is a certainty for them—a college where they will absolutely be admitted and will absolutely be excited to go. Once that college has been chosen, it’s fine to dream.”

Before putting all their eggs in one basket, Kleeman suggests that students research a variety of colleges and “prepare themselves for possible disappointment if the dream college is not realistic.” She also advises that students “think about qualities they admire in their dream school so they find other colleges that possess those same qualities.”

“It is important for me to tell students if they are not strong or competitive appicants for their dream college based on their record at M-A,” says Kleeman, but adds that “beginning at community college can re-open the doors to their dream college and many others.”

Both Laplante and Gran agree that Early Decision and Early Action are the best ways to go about applying to top choice colleges, as it can reduce the stressful process of waiting to hear back from schools.

“The way I see it, anyone can find a way to be happy at any college,” says Laplante.  ”If I didn’t get into Lehigh, of course I would be upset but I also had some back ups that I was excited about.”

As students embark on the stressful process of college application, it is important to keep all options in mind.  Kleeman adds that “most students would be happy and fulfilled at many different types of colleges, so I know they will be content in college, even if they do not end up at their dream college.”

To view photo descriptions, click “Show Info” in the top right-hand corner of the slideshow.

Featuring Julia Hafer and Gavin Rea speed-doodling. We hope to do more installments in the future as well as possible story accompaniment. For more whiteboarding check out RSA Animate.