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A Great Season for WC’s Spring Sports

WC's AP Courses: The Hardest Tests Most High School Students Will Ever Take

Superior SAT and ACT scores are impressive to colleges, but few academic credentials are more desired than an excellent score on one or more of the AP exams.

The juniors and seniors at Worthington Christian High School that are enrolled in Advanced Placement classes began taking the AP exams the week of Monday, May 3rd.

Our school does not offer an AP class for each of the 33 AP subjects that are available; but Worthington Christian does offer several AP courses: AP English Literature and Composition, AP English Language and Composition, AP Spanish, AP Calculus, AP Studio Art, and AP Music Theory. Mrs. Johnson, who teaches AP Literature, said “We certainly have AP classes that we could add; and I hope that we will.”

There are many reasons why a student would be motivated to take these challenging tests. Senior Abby Camp said “I’m taking several AP exams because if I get a good score on these tests, then I can test out of certain classes in college; and I also like to challenge myself.”

When colleges look at students’ academic qualifications, one of the most impressive things that you can have on your application is an outstanding score on several AP exams. Anything that can get you a step ahead in the process of getting into college is a huge motivation for high school students.

“I would absolutely love to see more WC students challenging themselves by taking AP courses,” Mrs. Johnson said.

One of the most common AP subjects for students at Worthington Christian to take is English; WC offers AP Literature at the junior level and AP Language at the senior level. Mrs. Johnson teaches the AP Literature class, and Miss Bell teaches the AP Language class; both have been excited to see the large number of students that took the AP exam for English this year. These classes are not only more accelerated than a normal English class, but they also cover more information, preparing the students for the exam.

The AP Literature exam took place Thursday, May 6th, in the morning; Amara Taranto said “It lasted 3 hours; my hands really hurt.” Even though the exam was long and difficult, almost all of the students were confident with their performances and felt that they were very well equipped for the exam. Senior Abby Camp said “Mrs. Johnson did a really good job of preparing us for the AP Literature exam, when I took the exam last year.”

Taking the AP English exam is difficult enough; and most students couldn’t even imagine taking a test in which some portions are written entirely in Spanish. The AP Spanish exam, which took place Tuesday, May 4th, is the final challenge for an adventurous student taking high school Spanish. The exam contains a wide variety of sections, including portions where the students must speak the answers to the questions in Spanish, as well as sections where the students must be fluent enough to be able to understand directions written completely in Spanish. Mrs. Montgomery, who is a native Spanish speaker herself, teaches our upper-level Spanish classes, including the AP Spanish V course.

On Wednesday, May 5th, many of our school’s math-savvy seniors took the AP Calculus Exam ; the class is taught by our school’s upper-level math teacher, Mr. Pifer, who has spent the entire school year preparing his students for the exam. Senior AP Calculus student Alex Whitt said “Preparing for the calculus exam is easier than preparing for the English one; it’s as easy as doing a ton of practice problems.” This does not mean that the exam is not difficult; however, when asked how he felt about his performance on the AP Calculus Exam, Alex said “I feel shaky.” His advice for any student preparing for the AP Calculus Exam is to “do a large amount of the practice questions.”

Many teachers at Worthington Christian are very excited about the newest AP class to be available at the high school: AP U.S. History—which will be offered next year. AP U.S. History will be taught by Mr. Heath, the current U.S. History teacher; but will be dissimilar from the regular history classes. The AP U.S. History course will take a more in-depth look at our nation’s history in an extremely accelerated environment. Any student who feels that he is ready for a more challenging study of history should take AP U.S. History.

Several of our school’s great artists submitted their cumulative portfolios on Friday, May 7th for the AP Studio Art Exam. The exam for AP Studio Art is not like most of the other AP exams: only a very small portion consists of multiple-choice or short answer questions. The majority of the grade is determined by the quality of the art in the portfolio, which the students have been working to build all year. The AP Studio Art Exam could make the difference between acceptance and rejection for students interested in enrolling in a prestigious art school such as CCAD or the Art Academy of Cincinnati. AP Art student Lyndsay Heminger said “I would like to go to college for art, so I hope to get at least a 3 on the exam.”

These exams are extremely difficult and take much preparation; but students feel that they are worth the challenge, particularly in order to get ahead in the increasingly competitive college admission process.

Godspell: Worthington Christian’s Spring Musical 2010

Singing and dancing filled the Worthington Christian AC Auditorium on Saturday, May 9, 2010. Audiences of all ages watched as the musical Godspell was performed by the school’s students under the direction of Dave O’Roark.

This year’s annual spring musical has been performed at Worthington Christian before. According to director and dramatic arts teacher Dave O’Roark, Worthington Christian performs Godspell quite frequently. “I decided that I was going to do it every four years,” commented O’Roark. “That way each class can see it at least once.”

Repeating Godspell ensures that all students are able to hear its Biblical message. “I really like the show,” said O’Roark. “I think it gives the kids the opportunity to learn a lot of the parables from the Bible.” Although the play is set in a gypsy camp, all of the stories are taken from the Bible. The musical used the parables to relay the story of Jesus’ life in an intriguing way.

When considering the other plays performed at Worthington Christian, freshman Rachel Parrish said, “There is something different about Godspell, because the actors are able to live out the story.” The play truly affected the audience that attended. Junior Jack Price said that out of all the plays he has attended over the years, “Godspell is my favorite,” because he loves learning about the parables.

The response from the audience was overwhelmingly positive. “It was excellent,” commented senior Michael Bush. “It was well directed, well acted, well danced, and well sung.” Some audience members even went as far as seeing the play multiple times. Freshman Rachel Parrish attended the play three times, noting “It just got better each night that they preformed it!” Parrish’s brother Andrew was also one of the lead actors in the play.

People were surprised at the immense talent of the Worthington Christian cast members. In the majority of school plays, only the lead roles are considered to be strong vocally; however, Worthington Christian is fortunate to have strong vocal qualities in all of their actors. Director O’Roark said, “The cast was very strong vocally, which is good because even our smallest parts were able to sing a solo.”

The cast members from Godspell are very pleased about their performance as well. Actor Matt Rickly commented on the performance, “They were awesome and so much fun.” He later added, “The first week we had a lot of attendees, but the second week was packed!” The entire cast was thrilled at the number of people in attendance the second week. More seats even had to be added at the last minute because more people came than initially expected.

Overall the musical Godspell had an overwhelmingly positive response. Director Dave O’Roark’s goal was to do something about which the cast could be proud. He noted, “The actors were definitely glad to be a part of it.” Some said it was the best musical they had ever seen. The cast should be proud of their accomplishment.

Three New WC Babies

Babies Natasha Baugher, Garrison Burns, and Caschel Heath were all born recently to staff members here at Worthington Christian.

Between April 28^th and May 6^th, the Baughers, the Burns, and the Heaths were all blessed with new additions to their families. The Baughers had a beautiful baby girl, and the Burns and Heath families both had a boy.

Mr. David Stoll, WC staff member, said “Wow! I’m very excited. Being a father of four, I get excited to see God’s miracle inside of a woman. It’s amazing.” The new babies are the buzz at WC this week.

WC photography teacher Mrs. Jess Heath gave birth to Caschel McHenry Redemption Heath and, surprisingly, chose to wait until the delivery to know his sex. “I actually didn’t know that I’d have a boy. The longer Adam and I waited, the more we didn’t want to know,” she said. “I always had the feeling it was a boy.”

With this being the Heaths’ first child, waiting to discover the sex was a bold step.

WC Director of Spiritual Formation Mr. Tom Burns and his lovely wife Christie also had a baby boy. Garrison Murphy was named after a close family friend, Gary; and his middle name, Murphy, was inspired by Mr. Burns’s childhood hero, baseball player Dale Murphy. “At first we were shocked that we were pregnant as we already have a fairly full home,” said Mr. Burns. “We always thought we would have one more, but Garrison’s timing was a little sooner than we were anticipating.”

Garrison’s birth, being the fourth for the Burns family, was no major adjustment for Tom and Christie. However, Garrison’s delivery was different from that of their first three children. “This was surely the easiest pregnancy of the three,” said Christie. “We were all shocked by how big he was: nine pounds. Breaks our family record by about a pound and a half.”

Social Studies teacher Mr. Dan Roads said, “This is crazy. Three babies at once?! They’ll all grow up together and probably get married. The two guys will be fighting over Natasha, though.” The Baughers are moving into the same neighborhood where the Heaths reside, so there is a strong possibility that their children will be close companions.

The Baugher’s baby girl, Natasha, was also born in May. The only girl of the three and proud! “It is wonderful that one girl was born of the three!” said Student Services Assistant Mrs. Cindy Dunn. “And I’m pretty sure I saw Mr. Baugher wrapped around Natasha’s little finger!”

These pregnancies, and the subsequent births of the infants, have brought an intense excitement to WC.

One Band, One Sound

On April 26th, band instructor Ms. Karen Leigh led the very first WC Band Concert in the AC Auditorium.

This year, the band performed separately from the WC choir for the first time in years. The band’s independence made an indelible mark and shows the capability of their teamwork.

The band, consisting of seven seniors, two juniors, and seven freshmen, worked hard to make this concert a great one.

Senior Aimee Zhu said, “Even though the beginning of the semester wasn’t good we kept getting better. And even though we made mistakes in the concert, it was still good.” Working hard pays off, and the band put work and time into this show.

The seniors of the band earnestly presented their talents for this concert, specifically because they wished to put on a final good show. “Being in the concert was bittersweet,” said senior Katelyn Shultz. “I love being a part of the band, but that was my last concert for high school.”

The band playing without the choir was a risky decision; however, their confidence spoke volumes at the concert.

“This band concert is an innovative idea.” said senior RJ Murray. “Sure, it may need some refining, but it is a good idea for the future.” The efforts of the band members balanced their small size.

Remarkably, the band members complement each other while playing certain songs and themes. English 11 teacher Mrs. Lia Johnson said, “They played well together. Katelyn Shultz’s piece was especially beautiful.” Compatibility is a key component to a great band.

Even though the band had a rough start toward the beginning of the year, they undoubtedly, have been advancing. “I was not completely satisfied with my own performance,” said senior Alex Whitt. “However, I have seen marked signs of improvement in other band members.” Knowing what needs to be improved and making the proper adjustment comes with performance and presentation.

Not only did the high school students have a good show, but they shared the concert with eighth grade WC band members. “My favorite part was playing with the eighth graders,” said freshman Ryan Carroll. “I was in the eighth grade band last year, too.”

Band director of three years Ms. Karen Leigh went from having conducted a 15 minute piece, in previous years, to this April’s hour-long show. “The Seagate is my favorite song that was played. It is a college level piece, but it is beautiful,” she noted. “I was very pleased with the concert; the whole ensemble and the solos show off my class’ talent. I am very proud.”

Internship Academy: Taking Education Outside the Classroom

Now that we're nearing the end of the school year, certain juniors have completed the process of applying and interviewing for Worthington Christian’s fall 2010 Internship Academy.

The Internship Academy has been available at Worthington Christian for the past 6 years, and has been a huge success. A number of students, every year, have the experience of getting hands-on education within the career field in which they are interested. Mr. Anglea had a vision for this program for some time, but it wasn’t until Mrs. Wheat came to our school that it became a reality. Mrs. Wheat’s previous experience with managing internship programs was just what Mr. Anglea needed to take his idea to the next level.

This year, a record number of students filled out the applications for Internship Academy, early in March. These applications inquired about the students’ interests and their reasons for wanting to be involved in the internship program. As a result of the large number of applicants, the course is highly competitive, and the selection process is rigorous. With only 11 or 12 positions available, the 29 students who applied must compete for a spot in the class. Mackenzie Clapper said “I think interning will be a good experience, because it will help me decide what I will major in, in college.”

The applicants are evaluated on the grounds of academic qualification, punctuality, professionalism, and work ethic. These are the characteristics of someone who will flourish in the Internship Academy program. A list of the interviewees is also given to all of the staff members so they can provide insights on the students that they have had in class. The interviews were conducted by Mrs. Wheat, who was accompanied by a business expert and a former intern from the previous year’s class. The students are invited into a formal interview and questioned about their interests and what they expect to receive from the Internship Academy. Nathan Deskins, who just completed his interview recently, said “The interviews were very in-depth.”

Students have an opportunity to intern with almost any occupation. Nathan Deskins said he wanted to intern because he likes that it gives him the opportunity to go out and work. Interns from last semester’s class went, after school, to participate in many different professions. From Braden Peters, who interned with a police department, to Kaley Heath, who interned with the Promo West Pavilion, learning about media and film, the students have almost limitless choices, even in the medical field. However, with the swine flu virus of this last year, some students found it difficult to find accepting mentors within the hospitals in our area. Such a circumstance may not be a problem for this next school year, because the swine flu scare is now mostly gone.

Internship Academy is most definitely not what you would call an “easy A.” Mrs. Wheat said “The students begin the course by spending the first few weeks of class studying the book of Nehemiah,” who is the biblical representation of all the qualities that make a hard worker, and a good leader. As they learn more about how to be a professional business person, they also learn about how to write a credible resume. Having qualities that make you a diligent worker is pointless if you can’t advertise them effectively. Mrs. Wheat is hoping that through learning these qualities, the students will be able to take advantage of this program to its fullest degree.

The students are paired with their mentors, the business professionals with whom they will be interning. After sixth period, the Interns go to their new place of occupation. In order to pass the class, the students must spend at least 10 hours a week with their mentor, and record the time they spend interning in a time log, which is signed by the mentor. The students also must keep a journal, in which they record their experiences. All of this information is put in the intern’s portfolio at the end of the semester.

Most of the time, Mrs. Wheat has pre-existing connections with almost every field in which a student would be interested in interning. However, when a student wants to intern in a career field with which Mrs. Wheat has no pre-established contacts, she must begin the difficult process of finding a completely new mentor. First, she sends a mass email to all of the teachers and parents asking if anyone has any contacts within that field; and with the wide variety of careers that the parents of Worthington Christian are involved, it is not normally a problem to find a Christian, professional mentor.

For almost all occupations, the students have an opportunity to participate directly with their work. Unfortunately, sometimes the type of work in which they are interning can limit the amount of hands-on experience they can receive. For example, any job that requires a license to perform, like surgery, or many other medical fields, is very difficult for a student to participate in, legally. However, this shouldn’t discourage anyone from applying to intern in these fields, because even if you can’t contribute directly, students will still be able to learn extensively about their desired career from aiding and observing their mentors.

The juniors that recently applied for Internship Academy are extremely excited to take part in this program next year: they are thrilled to continue their education by moving out of the classroom, and into the work place.