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| Sophomore Kaitlyn Waybright leads the members of "Me Naked" during a show. Other band members include senior Jay Whitcomb, junior Jason Alport, senior Nick Kraemer and junior John Bridge.
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Students flock to see popular school band
By NICHOLE SHIPLEY, Chesapeake High School
One of the most well known bands at Chesapeake High School would have to be 'Me Naked.'
Students all over the school talk about their performances and anticipate the next time they will be playing. They have performed in places such as Woods in Severna Park, Fletchers in Baltimore, Black Hole Club in Dundalk, The Yard in Pasadena and Recher Theater in Towson. Being such a diverse group, their shows are interesting and give their fans a variety of style in their performance.
Bass guitarist Nick Kraemer said to prepare for a show, they 'all take a deep breath and then go and rock our faces off, and eat a lot of bacon.'
Band members include Jay 'Naked' Whitcomb, senior, on rhythm guitar; Kaitlyn Waybright, sophomore, as the lead vocalist; Jason Alport, junior, on lead guitar; Nick Kraemer, senior, on bass guitar; and Jon Bridge, junior, on drums.
The hard rock group has been inspired by many diverse bands such as Flyleaf, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Chevelle, Led Zeppelin, Avenged Sevenfold, Black Sabbath, All That Remains and the lyrical stylings of Brand New. They mostly write their own music, but also do a few Flyleaf cover songs.
Nick also said, 'We play for kids our age, between 14 and 18.'
Some favorite songs by 'Me Naked' are 'Fight Club' because, even though it's slow, it's their most popular, and 'Scars' because it's upbeat and climactic. There is definitely a future planned for the band. They are planning on playing at Woods in Severna Park in March and are hoping to get signed.
By this summer, Me Naked is planning on releasing a CD, 'Midgets Walking Tall.'
Fans can also visit their Web site at www.MySpace.com in the music/artist directory.
'Me Naked is awesome, and Jay Naked rules!' said Kyle Prescott, junior. 'They put on a good show.'
On-Campus Housing vs. Commuting: The Epic Battle
By KAITY WILSON, Chesapeake High School
As seniors all over the country enter into their final semester of high school, decisions are thrown at them left and right. We not only must decide which institutes' offer of admission we will accept, but also where we will live once we get there. And so begins the time-tested debate: When it comes to college life, is on-campus residency the better option to commuting?
Commuting to School
Commuting to and from school is a great option for those students who are attending a non-residency campus or aren't quite ready to leave their families behind. Community college attendees are experienced professionals in commuting from home to class and back again. With schools such as Anne Arundel Community College and Community College of Baltimore County, students are not offered the option of residing at school. Some students find no problem with this, enjoying the freedom to come and go as they choose, as well as retain the comforts of home in their daily life.
Villa Julie Freshmen Brad Spoon, who has a minimal 45-minute commute, said, 'Commuting is great in certain areas. I like the fact that I get to sleep in my bed and eat my food…which my mother pays for. Oh, and I also get my own quite time to study whenever I want.'
In this sense, commuting allows your college experience to be similar to high school; you go to school to attend class and leave as soon as class ends. This is a great option for those who grow tired of the being in the same place for too long, want to have a serious job while attending college or for those who really enjoy having the freedom to hop in their car and go wherever they please.
'Driving back and forth to college makes it easier to stick with the same job and chill with the family when I'm required to,' said Logan Burke, a freshmen at CCBC.
But, alas, to every point there must also be a counterpoint. Many feel that commuting to school, especially during freshmen year, inhibits your growth as a member of the college community. Logan said, 'I think that not living at school makes it harder to connect with people there. When you commute, you tend to spend most of your free time at home and not with people at school.'
When you're on campus for class, you're completely focused in on taking notes, finishing assignments and getting out of there. Brad said, 'I don't like the fact that I don't get to experience as much as residents do. I miss a lot of the fun activities, like parties and celebrity appearances.'
When you commute, you have no need to stick around campus when class isn't in session. Students become much less likely to join student organizations, mingle with peers on the common or in the cafeteria and forge lasting relationships with teachers and fellow students because they aren't presented with the opportunity to do so.
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| Sleeping and feeling frustrated is not uncommon during AP Literature classes at Chesapeake High School.
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A.P. Literature not 'Well-Read' by Students
By JENNIFER NELSON, Chesapeake High School
I was sitting down to write an essay for one of my college applications one day when I came across a prompt that required me to speak on how a piece of literature from my high school English courses has inspired or enlightened me. I took a moment to ponder the question and then, quite frankly, I realized that I could not honestly rave about any works I had read within the classroom, throughout the course of my high school career.
And, why, you might ask, is it that myself, along with many other high school students, have not gotten any personal satisfaction out of the 'wonderful' literature chosen for instruction? It's the simple fact that one generic book is chosen for all high school classrooms in the county, when it most likely does not appeal to every person, in every classroom. Should literature for upper-level students be one size fits all? Literature has many varieties and types that each student should take advantage of and explore, but how can they in the very uniform, standardized classrooms of Anne Arundel County?
You would think that if you were mature, responsible and intelligent enough to take an advanced placement class, that you are capable of choosing the appropriate material to read.
What is the purpose of upper-level English classes anyway? It should be to extend the student's knowledge of grammar, writing techniques and the analysis of literature. If the students are actually reading something, then, what's the harm? If they are actually enjoying a piece of literature, what damage is being done?
Now, quite the contrary, if the books advanced-level English students read are still perpetually assigned, what will the student gain from it? Absolutely nothing.
The literature selected by the county for Anne Arundel County students to read is dry, tedious and not modern in the least. And what does this result in? Every English student goes straight to the online summary on popular Web sites. Now, how much does a student get out of copying a Web site's answers? I think we all know the answer to that question.
Some argue that without all students reading the same book, classroom discussion methods, such as seminars and group projects, can not occur. But, interestingly enough, it is noticeable that only select students truly participate in these activities; many times, only one out of every ten students has actually picked up the book. The rest of the students use a stretch of their imagination to present the illusion that they read and digested every word of the novel they were assigned.
Is it even worth it for students to go through high school English classes faking everything, including their knowledge on a subject, the entire time? Isn't it better for them to choose a subject that interests them, select a novel that they want to read? If the county took this into consideration, then, maybe I would have had some great piece of literature to acknowledge in that essay.
Service learning should be more challenging
By MEL PARLAMAN, Chesapeake High School
As students of the Anne Arundel County Public School system, we are required to complete 75 hours of public service before we can receive a diploma. Up until this point, service learning has been something simple, like making posters for food drives or writing unanswered letters to community officials. These menial tasks somehow add up to us being better, more adjusted individuals who care about our surroundings, but what is service learning really accomplishing?
Anne Arundel County Public Schools has infused service learning into the curriculum for decades. Recent school board legislation has proposed to enforce service learning, making the projects more challenging and consuming more of our time outside of school. Anne Arundel County's Service Learning Coordinator, Don Sholl, was unavailable for comment on the proposed changes.
Yet, is more time out of academic classes what our students really need? Test scores and grade averages should be more than enough to show that the last thing students need is less time in the classroom spent on critical life skills.
Since service learning is a graduation requirement, it is an important aspect of our school career, but why do we need to do service learning hours in the first place? As an individual, a person either cares about the world or one doesn't. No amount of helping the elderly or planting trees can instantly change you into an activist if you don't want to be. The school board should respect our choices as individuals whether or not to do community service, seeing as teachers already impose hours of homework upon our free time.
Many students already participate in community service that they enjoy doing as opposed to some sort of forced activity. By requiring students to do things for the community, they're not instilling the sense of pride that comes from helping someone — they are creating one more chore for students to complete in order to escape high school.
In the past years, service learning has been virtually ignored. How does making a single poster add up to ten hours? How does writing a letter add up to 25? How does bringing in a single can of food add up to being a better person? If service learning has meant so little in the past, why the sudden change of heart?
Many will argue that if students were not forced into service learning, then none of them would care about the community, but this is not true. The students of Anne Arundel County do care about their communities. There are many who put an amazing amount of effort into bettering the world, and even amongst those who don't, there is a respect for the community.
Rarely do I see littering amongst my peers because we know the sorry state of the Chesapeake Bay eco-system; rarely do you see a house in the area without a recycling bin. And our environmental club at school is bigger than ever! We care about the world, and do what we can to make it better in the time we have.
Service learning is a waste of valuable hours that could be teaching students skills that they will really need to survive, such as reading and writing. The school system should leave their liberal ideas for their own lives, and try doing their own part rather than meddling in the lives of AACPS students.
Not quite a Field of Dreams
By DAN REINER, Chesapeake High School
'The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.'
— Terence Mann, 'Field of Dreams'
With the release of the much anticipated 'Mitchell Report,' America's favorite past time has been forever changed. Gone is the golden era of the boys of summer, Sunday doubleheaders and the likes of players such as Brooks Robinson and Boog Powell. Instead, the word of baseball now brings the phrase 'steroid scandal' to mind. Baseball, a national favorite, has been changed from an innocent pastime to a haven for liars and cheaters.
Former United States Senator George Mitchell set out nearly two years ago to expose widespread usage of illegal performance enhancing drugs in major league baseball. The result of his actions is a now infamous 409 page report, affectionately know as 'The Mitchell Report.' The report, released Dec. 13, 2007, names 88 major league baseball players who have allegedly used or are currently using anabolic steroids and human growth hormone, substances banned by Major League Baseball.
It is noted that at least one player from each of baseball's thirty teams is involved in the reports. The number 88 may seem small compared to the vast number of players in major league baseball, but former Senator Mitchell had no power of subpoena; he could not make anyone provide any information. This being said, the players named are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg of baseball's steroid problem.
The report named a number of high profile players whom everyone expected to be on the list. Everyone knows Barry Bonds and current Orioles Jay Gibbons. Regardless of what these players say, it's hard to believe them. Former hometown hero Rafael Palmiero stood before Congress in 2005 and swore that he 'never took steroids,' and then promptly tested positive later that season, effectively ending his once spotless career.
Even more shocking then the 'big' names are some of the other players named and some that were left off. Chris Fleig, a Chesapeake High School varsity baseball player, said that he was 'really shocked at some of the names on the list, such as Roger Clemens and Brian Roberts.' Thought he admitted his guilt and only used steroids once, Baltimore's favorite son Roberts is still nevertheless guilty.
If a player such as Roberts who exhibits such professionalism took part in the use of steroids, it's hard to turn a blind eye to the report. Sammy Sosa, another name constantly linked to steroids, was surprisingly left off the list.
The impact of the report could be felt for years, not only by players but by the fans as well. Mr. Berlin, longtime administrator at Chesapeake High and avid baseball fan, said the release of the Mitchell Report was a 'sad day in baseball' and that 'these types of things didn't always happen. Players were honest hard working citizens; they were the type of people you would tell your child to admire.' Cheaters and liars are hardly roles models for young athletes.
The only question that remains is how severely these players will be punished, should major league baseball choose to do so. Some sort of punishment does seem imminent as Orioles outfielder/ designated hitter Gibbons will suffer a 15-game ban at the beginning of the 2008 seasons for use of HgH, and number of high profile players such as Andy Pettite and Rodger Clemens have been asked to testify before Congress.
The biggest question of the new season isn't wheather Erik Bedard will don an Orioles uniform this year or if Barry Bonds will every play again, but if baseball can win back its fans.
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