Maker DayMock Trial

Sound of Music Preview

CYber Competiotion

Athlete of the Issue

Student Video

The Beak SpeaksTHE 2014 WINTER ISSUE

Cyber Competitionby Erika Smith and Jordan Welch

A group of 7 Worcester Prep students participated in the Maryland Cyber Challenge on September 15. Led by Cameron DiPerna and advised by Mrs. R, the team’s objective was to protect a virtual server against viruses and cyber attacks. The team worked together for over 10 hours researching and applying safeguards while being remotely monitored at the contest headquarters in Baltimore

Two weeks after the Cyber challenge, the Tech Team split into two teams of 5 challengers to compete in Pico CTF, an intense national programming competition. The contest had a capture-the-flag platform that gave its participants 10 days to decipher code such as python, C++ and Java. They also had to practice cyber forensics, which ultimately allowed them to find a password to hack into an outside system. The group relied on their communication skills; they worked during computer class, after school each day and in the evenings from home communicating via text message and phone calls. On Wednesday, they had the opportunity to work on the competition throughout the entire school day and huge progress was made. Many of their opponents were from Technical High Schools and were able to compete around the clock all ten days, giving them a huge advantage. Though at a disadvantage for time, Worcester’s team was pleased with the product of their labor as they placed in the top 20% nationally out of 3,000 participating teams.

Sponsored by the Maryland State Bar Association, mock trial has become a popular competition at Worcester. In fictional court cases, schools compete as the defense and prosecution in a duel to resolve disputes. Public and private schools belong to circuits, similar to Worcester’s sports teams in the E.S.I.A.C. conference. Worcester’s home court is the Snow Hill Courthouse, and the team is excited for another rewarding season.

This year’s case is a criminal one involving the police shooting of a supposedly unarmed victim, similar to the Michael Brown case in Ferguson, Missouri. “It’s the first murder case that we’ve had, so it should be interesting,” says senior team member Arella Berger. The team started practicing on November 17th, with competitions taking place in January and February. “I’m expecting Bennett and Stephen Decatur to be our biggest competition,” says Mrs. Evans, the team’s coach. “But the team is prepared to accept the challenge.” “We have a lot of new and returning members. The case is a good one, and we’ve already been able to identify some important points for debating it,” says Riley Dickerson, a sophomore member of the team. With a combination of experienced members and enthusiastic new additions, the mock trial season looks promising.

Mock Trialby Ava Shwartz

Last year the Worcester Prep Varsity Boys basketball team had a fruitful season, but the team graduated four seniors, so there were spots and expectations to be filled. Although it won’t be an easy task, Mr. Geiger, the head coach, thinks this year’s team will triumph over last year’s. Last season, Ryan Nally and Matt Riley scored the majority of the points and exhibited tough defense. Rather than have one or two people score all of the points, this year will involve “scoring by committee” as Mr. Geiger described it. He also expects that the team will play physical defense as a unit. New faces have also appeared on the court this season. Freshmen Sam Cantello and Tucker Brown made the cut and Mr. Geiger says they will fit right into the system, as last year they were coached by Scott Dailey, who is this year’s varsity assistant coach. Tucker is a skilled ball-handler and Sam is very good with rebounding. Sam Deeley, another new face, has never played basketball on a team before, but Mr. Geiger says that he is a hard-worker and will be utilized for his energy and enthusiasm. Lights-out shooter and skilled ball handler Patrick Petrera is no stranger to the courts, having a whole season of Bennett High School JV basketball under his belt. Another seasoned veteran is “Russian Army Knife” Nick Curtis, who put his time in on JV for two seasons. Now as a versatile player on the court, he has moved up the ranks. The other six are returning players familiar with Mr. Geiger and his system. Returning varsity player Wyatt Richins states, “We lost a lot of talent last year but that’s no excuse. It is just ammo for our arsenal, another reason to work harder day in and day out.” With a confident coaching staff and a core group of players willing to work, this year’s boy’s basketball is a force to be reckoned with.

The highly anticipated Upper School Musical is already well underway. This year, students will be performing the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, The Sound of Music, which was made famous by the film adaptation starring a young Julie Andrews. Holding the musical reins of the production is a fresh

face on campus, the new head of the music department, Mr. Buzby. He is working alongside Director Mrs. Paulette DeRosa-Matrona who has been working in the Worcester Prep drama department for years. Both are very passionate and experienced in the arts and are excited about bringing the story of the Von Trapp family to life in our very own performing arts center. Equally excited are the talented stars of the show. The cast is led by junior Devin Hammond who will taking the role of Maria, the beautiful, young postulant who is sent from the abbey to be the governess of the seven Von Trapp children. Fellow junior, Jordan Kilgore, will be playing Captain Von Trapp. The pair has great chemistry and are thrilled to be working so closely with one another. The Von Trapp children are played by a troop of underclassmen, led by senior Caroline Lewis, who will be portraying Liesl Von

Trapp, the independent and love struck eldest daughter. Senior Jarad Godwin plays Rolf, Liesl’s love interest. Sophomore Davis Taylor will be returning to role of Friedrich Von Trapp, as he has already performed in The Sound of Music dozens of times with other theatre companies. Equally as important are the nuns of the abbey, who are led by the enchanting vocals of Isabel Dashiel, Amy Lizas, and Emmi Shockely, with Cecily Sass as the Mother Abbess. The entire cast is thrilled with the progress of the production and cannot wait for opening night in February.

Get Your Head in the Game

by Staton Whaley

The Halls Are Alive With The Sound of Music

by Victoria Middleton

On Tuesday, November 25, 2014, Worcester Prep hosted the first ever, school-wide Maker Day. Freshman broke off into groups and sewed pillowcase dresses and built guitars and musi-cal instruments. Some sophomores handcrafted different personal designs using only nails and string, while others built the useful “tech charging station” for the Dining Hall and cardboard light fixtures. Juniors constructed a papermache dragon featuring old CD’s as individual scales, PVC pipe flutes, and miniature charcoal grills made from recycled Altoid boxes. Every senior member created a handmade teepee made with donated socks, towels, t-shirts, pants, jackets, and a few other unusual clothing items sewn together with bamboo rods forming the support system. Each teepee was complete with a flag and the team name #yeeyah. In addition to all these creations, the environmental club began the foundation for Worcester’s on-campus green house, which will provide a great place to grow various plants that can be accessed by students and teachers. Many of these unique and creative masterpieces are proudly being displayed in the library. Overall, Maker Day was considered a success. It was a fun time to bond with classmates while exercising creativity and imagination in a different learning environment. Although this was only the first Maker Day Worcester Prep has ever seen, it most certainly will not be the last.

“THERE IS NO WIN AND NO FAIL...

First Annual Maker DayBy Gracie Riley

On November 25th, the environmental club spent maker day watching their plans come to fruition as Worcester students began to build two greenhouses. Over the past year, members of the environmental club have researched greenhouse programs with the intention of bringing something similar to Worcester. They dedicated extensive time to investigating the designs of several greenhouses at other schools, as well as the purpose that they served to the schools and students. Now, with a generous donation from the grandfather of Billy Brittingham (class of 2014), the club’s goals are attainable. The club plans to create a sign-up sheet for the available space, opening the greenhouse to students conducting science experiments as well as the casual gardener. In addition to providing a space for experimentation, the greenhouses will provide an opportunity for young children, especially preschoolers, to appreciate the natural world and the beauty of growth. Mrs. Otway, who joined the muddy-shoed students as they began construction, said that gardening provided her with an appreciation for nature and a sense of healthy eating at a young age. Despite the anticipation surrounding the greenhouse project, there is still work to be done. Neither of the greenhouses are finished yet and probably won’t be until the spring. To add to the greenhouse, the club may be having a fundraiser to purchase shovels, buckets, top soil, and other “user friendly” items.

The club, led by Shelby Laws and Cassie Stevens, always welcomes new members to its cause. In addition, a special thanks is given from the club to Mrs. Otway, Mr. Westcott, Dr. Tull, Billy Brittingham and all of the students who worked towards this achievement. As Shelby said on maker day, “This is our legacy,” and we certainly couldn’t create it without working together.

...THERE IS ONLY MAKE!”

GreenhouseBy Sarah Koon

From community theater to travel sports, Worcester Prep students are just as involved in activities outside of school as ever before. The Ocean Pines Community Players, headed by Mrs. Paulette De-Rosa Matrona, put on a musical review on December 19th and 20th entitled “Lovin’ Broadway II” and the cast was filled with WPS students. Jarad Godwin, Caroline Lewis, Emmi Shockley, Cecily Sass, Isabelle Dashiel, Olivia Parker, and Maddie Simons all worked hard to prepare songs and rehearse dance numbers for the production. According to senior Cecily Sass “It rocked everyone’s socks off, that’s for sure!” and Ms. Paulette says she was excited about the wide variety of songs in the lineup.

As a member of the Salisbury Players theater group, Junior Jordan Kilgore will be warmed up for his role as Captain Von Trapp in this year’s school musical, The Sound of Music. Jordan has been a member of the Salisbury Players for several years. Last year he was cast as Marius in Les Miserables, and he is taking on the role of Fyedka in Fiddler on the Roof later this year.

On the sports front, sophomores Madison and Olivia Bescak are constantly improving their soccer skills and having tons of fun doing it. They play on the travel team “River Elite” which is coached by three of Worcester’s own soccer coaches: Mr. Underkoffler, Mr. D’Antonio, and their mom, Mrs. Bescak. River Elite recently won The Discovery Cup, a tournament held locally that features teams from all over the country. Olivia, the team’s center back, says, “It keeps me out of trouble and helps me to set goals.” Olivia also informed us that playing on both a travel and school team provides great exposure to college coaches looking for recruits.

Sophomore Lauren Gosnear spends time outside of school volunteering for the Cancer Support Community Delaware, an organization that helps those battling cancer cope with their illness. For the past three years she has helped out at their event “Wings of Hope” which is a fundraiser that features vendors, food, and a butterfly release. “It feels really good to see people overcome cancer and live normally after the fact,” says Lauren. She has also volunteered at her neighborhood’s food drive for the past four years. “I never realized how many people in my own community don’t have enough to feed their families,” she said. Lauren loves helping out her community in a positive way, and she doesn’t plan to stop any time soon.

Female Athlete of the Issue: Kathryn O’Malley

By Regan Shanahan

Representing the girls for Athlete of the Issue is junior, Kathryn O’Malley. Kathryn has been dancing since she was three years old and is trained in several different styles of dance including ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and hip hop. Kathryn typically devotes 10 hours a week to training and practices on weekdays after school and on weekends. She competes with her company, Sea Side Dance Academy, in three competitions a year and enters others as a soloist. Already this year, she has won five scholarships at dance conventions and has earned a coveted spot traveling as a company member with a Tremaine Dance Convention. Not only does Kathryn win awards for performing, but she has also won awards for her intricate choreography. Kathryn plans on continuing her dance career in college and in her life afterwards.

Outside ActivitiesBy Emmi Shockley and Flynn Mullins

Carter Hill has been chosen as Male Athlete of the Issue due to his excellence in the field of skimboarding. Carter has won two east coast world championships and came in 2nd at the world championships this past summer. Carter also went to North Carolina this summer and took first place in an amateur contest. Exile Skim boards, a leader in the industry, and local Dewey Beach skim shop, “Alley Oop,” sponsor Carter to compete and use their skimboarding gear. These companies are trusting Carter not only to represent their brand in the water, but to be an extension of what they stand for outside of competition, as well. This speaks volumes of Carter, having been sponsored since the age of 7.

As for future aspirations, Carter is looking forward to competing in the Southside Shootout this spring, the East Coast World Championships of Skimboarding and the Amateur World Cham-pionships of Skimboarding during the summer of 2015. Carter is also looking for a wetsuit or cloth-ing sponsor to further his reaches in the skim boarding world.

Male Athlete of the Issue: Carter HillBy Staton Whaley

The beloved bad girl from Ping Pong Summer, Stacey Summers, is now taking on a new project- but this time she’s behind the camera. Senior Emmi Shockley has been delving into new work off screen as she writes, produces and directs her new short film, “Sparkler.” The film tells the tale of a group of neglected youths whose involvement in the nightlife of their small town comes to halt when an irreversible accident occurs that causes the group to question their life decisions. The film was shot over the course of a very cold November weekend in various locations around Ocean City. Cinematography for the film was handled by Senior Christian Bruder and Emmi’s younger brother, Tate Shockley. The film was scored by Quinn Lukas who produced a soundtrack that successfully represented the mood of each scene. The principal cast consisted of Tyla Massey, Myles Massey, Devin Hammond, Davis Taylor, and Emmi Shockley. One of the highlights of the film was a group scene shot at Sunset Park that required many extras. Emmi proclaimed that the shot “turned out great.” Emmi plans to use “Sparkler” as part of her college application portfolio and will continue to hone her acting and directing skills while attending the university of her choice next fall. She aspires to enter the film in competition, and it can be viewed now on Vimeo by following this link: http://vimeo.com/115547986.

SPARKLERBy Devin Hammond and Sam Deeley

Jordan Osias, Editors in Chief:Sam Deeley Taylor Hawkins

Editorial Staff:Aelya EhtashamLauren DykesSam DeeleyMattie MaullGracie Riley Erika Smith

Design Staff:Cover: Madison DoodyNews: Erika Smith and Taylor HawkinsFeature: Aelya Ehtasham and Taylor HawkinsStudent Interest: Jarad Godwin and Mattie MaullBack Cover: Jarad Godwin and Gracie Riley

Musc Review

1989- Taylor Swift

On October 27 musical genius

Taylor Swift amazed the world

with the release of her fifth stu-

dio album 1989, named after

the year in which she was born.

The album marks Swift’s official transition to full pop music. The

24-year-old singer didn’t loose any of her lyrical expertise dur-

ing her conversion. It’s easy to catch yourself singing along to

Swift’s lead single and feel-good romp “Shake It Off.” Who can

resist the urge to get down to that sick beat? Swift also used

this album to move away from the common idea that she only

found song inspiration from her exes. She actually mocked this

idea and the press’s misconstrued version of herself in the song

“Blank Space.” Both “Blank Space” and “Shake it Off” became

major hits and both were followed up with videos that portray

Swift in a pop-star light. However, these are not the only good

song on the album. From the catchiness of “Welcome to New

York” to the slow beauty of “Wildest Dreams” to the smooth

beat of “Clean” everyone can find something to like about the

album. Taylor has once again shown the world why she’s in

charge of the music industry.

by Jarad Godwin

Good luck with exam

s!

From,

The Editors