a cool day for the mentor program

As the pictures above indicate, the Mentor Program spent our most recent outing skating on the National Mall. Some highlights...

• Natalia Dunlap and Ayana Bell pursued the buses for miles from the school to the rink, finally catching up, enjoying the day, and even taking in an afternoon film once Mentor Day was over.
• Ashley Everett went from being a slight liability to a full-fledged Olympic skater.
  
• Mache Chase took advantage of friendly hands at every turn.
  
• Dream Jackson and Kyle Morean each performed triple axels (Kyle's got nothing on Dream's gracefulness).
  
• Ta'Zhaun Hunter broke the sound barrier.
• Maurice Ogletree taught his Mentor Wrede Smith how to perform an ice jump.
• Nia Boxley guided Yaida Ford on at least one full loop.
• Derrick Souder took some phenomenal photos.  All but four from the slide show are his!
  
• We all had fun, got numb, fell down, and were helped up before the end of the day.
• Have some of your own recollections? Write a comment below!
  

Pastels on Parade

Recently, Ms. Shabazz's Art 1 class completed their set of still life projects. Using pastels, students recreated a collection of unrelated inanimate objects placed together against a plain backdrop. Check out the students hard at work:

Look at that concentration!

Below are two of the many stand-out pieces upon completion.

by Brittany Tillman:

by Antoinette Parish:
Please take a look the rest of the students' work in the library, on the first floor by the science labs, and in the basement by the art room when you get a chance!

Mia Logan reviews Walter Dean Myers

Eds. Note: The following write-up is from TMA librarian Cary Hanson.  If you have a question, need a book, or are interested in submitting your own review, please e-mail her: chanson@tmapchs.org.

Read a good book lately?

Some books at the TMA library are so good, you have to get on a waiting list to check them out. Which books grab students and keep them up late at night when they should be doing their homework? Before winter break, we asked students to submit reviews for their favorite TMA library books that they have read for fun. Among the excellent submissions was Mia Logan’s review of Street Love by Walter Dean Myers, which she highly recommends:

I picked up this book and thought to myself that maybe I could feel what the characters were feeling based on what I read on the back of the book….This book is about the realistic drama on the street and at home, and it tells a gripping story. The main plot is about two young girls living with their grandmother because their mother is in prison for selling drugs on the street. The older sister meets a young teenage boy who is willing to put everything behind him and be with her while she takes care of her little sister….This book is written in poems that rhyme that show the experiences these young teens went through.

Check out what else Mia has to say about this dramatic story by clicking below!

America's Next Top Blogger-Week Three Winner-Nadean Talley...Again!!

She's done it again. Nadean Talley has come out on top in the competition to become America's Next Top Blogger. This week's topic?, "Tell us about your New Year's resolution"  Nadean was up against some fierce competition including outstanding prose from Kyle Holley and poignant insight provided by Courtney Jones. Nadean's combination of sober reflection and matter-of-fact humor elevated her entry above the others, making her our first repeat winner. Here is Nadean's entry in it's entirety:

New Year's Resolution

My New Year's resolution is to stop procrastinating. Usually if I get a project, I'd probably wait until the last few days to do it, this leaves me cramming all due work into slots and most of the time I end up turning one or two assignments in late. It slows me down, plus, it stresses me out. Stress leads to pimples, and pimples + High School is not a good look.

I would rather do my work on time, check it and make sure it's right and get full credit for it than just do it late, cram it and just accept lesser or half credit. I think it will help improve my grades and reduce stress from so much work. So far, it works!

By earning her second victory, Nadean has brought herself within one win of becoming America's Next Top Blogger and winning a spot as a staff writer here at The Other 17 Hours. But don't get complacent Nadean, there are plenty of young and hungry writers out there, ready to take the title. Until Next week: Congratulations Nadean!

Ten Questions,Two Minutes. 4th Quarter Comeback Edition.

mentors, mentees, movies, and mindful discussion

The December Mentor Day featured a trip to the beautiful AFI theater in Silver Spring for a private screening of Made in LA, a documentary film about garment workers in Los Angeles.  In the film, the garment workers join together to protest unjust practices used by the clothing store Forever 21 and ultimately win a settlement from the store.  Shot over a period of almost two years, the film served as a nice reminder that change happens slowly.

With the film as motivation, mentors and mentees returned to the school and discussed ways that they could get involved in issues that concern them.  Our April Mentor Day will be focused on service, and the post-movie discussions will likely serve as a foundation for our work.  They even took notes!

We have now had three Mentor Days and we would like to recognize the 19 pairs who have attended all three.  Thank you thank you thank you to these 38 committed participants:

Jameka Anderson and Amy Asheroff
Tamara Brown and Katie Shay
LaQuan Butler and Kimberly Smith
Gianna Canada and Sonia Bacchus
Nia Crawley and Angela Clark
Amber Dixon and Anastasia Brown
Aris Ellison and YaVonne DuBose
Alexis Fenwick and Alexis Gutierrez
Allanxandria Hall and Kristen Aiken
Daveania Jones and Angela Chandler
Courtney Jones and Karen Todd
Malek Latney and Darryl Stevens
Salihah Muhammad and Michelle Morant
Imani Newborn and Patty Kersting
Maurice Ogletree and Wrede Smith
Marcelleus Sanders and Darryl Maxwell
Shayla Simms and Amanda Beaumont
Kyvonne Williams and Joyce Dubin
Nye'al Wise and Emily Berman

This Saturday we will head to the skating rink located on the Downtown Mall for some good cold fashion fun.  Mentor and mentees...see you soon!

A Newsworthy Outing

Just before that long hiatus otherwise known as Winter Break, half of the ninth grade class visited the Newseum, arguably the most engaging museum DC has to boast. This trip, a counterpart to Law Day, led students on a journey through some of the most newsworthy events of the past century. Students learned the process of collecting, reporting and disseminating news in a vast variety of mediums. They saw the courageous and heartfelt reporting of 9/11 and the revealing reporting used to help law agencies solve crimes. They experienced the evocative photojournalism of events ranging from Hurricana Katrina to Obama's Inaguration.

The students also took a crash course in the rights protected under the First Amendment. They saw how it not only protects abstract and lofty ideas but also aspects relavent to their daily lives. Examining life on the other side of the Berlin Wall, students saw what life could be like without the likes of a First Amendment. To put it bluntly, they did not envy those born behind the iron curtain.

In the end, students were moved by the interactive exhibits and the touching descriptions of events, especially those that they remember from their own lifetimes. Students marveled at the model of the car used by the DC snipers. Many expressed their desire to go back to the museum when they have more than just two hours to explore. They came back to school bragging about their experiences to the other half of the class, who will visit the Newseum at the end of this month. From what I hear, they can't wait.

America's Next Top Blogger - Week Two Winner - Kyle Holley

This week, America's Next Top Blogger asked students to write about an issue of concern in their communities. We received some incredibly insightful submissions, with eclectic topics ranging from homelessness to neighborhood cleanliness, from poverty to health reform. The winner, however, really moved us with his poignant and eloquent account of the cycle of violence is his community. This week's winner is junior Kyle Holley. His exposition is reprinted below:

A seemingly ever present issue in my community of Southeast D.C. is the violence and sense of security in that of its residents. People that have been residents of the area for years even don't seem necessarily comfortable in the places they reside. Violence takes place on an almost daily basis in my area; so much so it is almost seen as the normal or accepted. This is an issue plaguing our community whether people see it or not. "Home" is supposed to be a place comfort and peace, not paranoia and fright.

Though there have been a number of events to improve the community by way of children services, jobs and things that raise the spirits of its residents, nothing has been done to "increase the peace" by the residents! It may sound a bit cliche, but at days end, when I enter my community I want to be able to say, "There's no place like home" and mean it. If I could suggest a solution to the problem, I would tell the residents not to shy away from the issue but embrace it for what it is. Because the truth of the matter is, no one will involve themselves in an issue that's being ignored!

Be on the lookout for our next winner when we come back in 2010. After two weeks of blogging, Nadean Talley and Kyle Holley have each received one nomination. The first student to earn three nominations will be named America's Next Top Blogger. Keep those submissions flying off the presses and you could find yourself crowned top student blogger.

warriors win! warriors win! warriors win!

At the end of the first quarter of each of the first three Warrior games, the scoreboard looked vastly different. After one quarter on Homecoming Friday, the Warriors were locked in a tight battle in a boys basketball game against Maya Angelou (Shaw). On Tuesday, the first eight minutes left the girls down six. And just Thursday, fans in our new gym saw a scoreboard reading Home: 28 Visitor: 2 at the end of one. Basketball games, however, are a full four quarters.  And at the end of four quarters in each of these games, the result was the same: Warriors Win. Here's a closer look at the Warriors undefeated start:

Friday, December 4
TMA 59 - Maya Angelou 51 (Boys)
The first game of the season was an instant classic, with the capacity crowd storming the court after the final horn. James Trice led all scorers with 27 points and made 13 of 16 free throws, including his final ten in a row. Rayvon Sorrell and Tim Raynor provided a spark off the bench and point guard Evan Mabry added seven points and three assists.

Tuesday, December 8
TMA 33 - Cesar Chavez 25 (Girls)
This one looked to be all Chavez at first. They pressured the ball well, converted on the other end, and for one quarter did not give the Lady Warriors a clear look at the basket. In the second quarter, however, T.M.A. switched into a new gear. Led by Ni'Asia Bond's relentless defense and the poise of Chelsea Tesheira, the Warriors went into half time with a 21-17 lead and never looked back. Six Warriors scored in all, with Chanae Watson, Raynyl Cox, Ya'Vondai Covington, and Shatericka Turman joining Bond and Tesheira in the books. It was truly a team effort and a phenomenal comeback victory.

Thursday, December 10
TMA 71 - Young America Works 34
In this contest, the Warriors simply proved to be too much for the Trailblazers to handle. The frontcourt of Mark Greene, Josh Crawford, and Aris Morrison controlled the game from the opening tip and James Trice continued his hot shooting, scoring 17 in the first quarter. The Warriors got significant contributions off the bench again with Stephon Proctor, Matt Thomas, and Jordan Burns all logging valuable minutes.


We'll keep you posted throughout the season.

ADL Peer Training Night

This past Tuesday, 5 students dedicated to spreading a message of tolerance, inclusion and diversity traveled to the Rayburn Building of the House of Representitives to lead a group of young professionals in a variety of eye-opening activities. The program, under the direction of the Anti-Defamation League's A World of Difference, aims to highlight diversity among a group of individuals while still showing the more unexpected commonalities among that same group.

TMA's own Abdi Hashi, Justine Kelly, Deycha Robinson, India Young and Malek Latney led the group of about 30 young professionals wonderfully. Their poised direction helped the group confront deep and complex issues regarding bias, prejudice, fear and individuality. Everyone came away from the night with a reinvigorated sense of hope; that while bias is universal, thoughtful reflection and concerted action can help make our communities more tolerant. One of the young professionals summed up the evening best: "I came skeptical. I leave hopeful."

Homecoming Recap!

This past weekend, the TMA community wrapped up the week-long celebration of our first homecoming. And, as student India Young demonstrates above, we were fired up. After a week's worth of dress up days including pajama day, decades day, twin day and Mache Chase's personal favorite, mismatch day, we came together in our new gym to hold our first-ever pep rally.

Student hip-hop group 4Ever Martian kicked off the pep rally which went on to include class cheers, spirited introductions to the TMA athletic teams (see coaches Edge and Preston, left), class competitions, and performances by our fantastic pep squad and cheerleading team. Things concluded with the first public performance by TMA's own Go-Go band, M.u.B.


After returning to school and academics for an hour or so, the students came back to the gym for a ribbon cutting ceremony officially commemorating the grand opening of our new gym. Former Mayor Williams graced us with his presence and former Mayor Barry even gave a hand with those GIGANTIC scissors.

At 5:00, the boys basketball team took the stage for our first-ever home basketball game. Somehow the cheerleading team, after being on call all day and performing twice already, found the energy to cheer hard all game AND perform during the halftime show. I won't give away the details of the game; we'll keep you updated when we post our end of the week sports recap.


On Saturday after a long and joyous Friday we once again gathered in the gym to host our first annual Homecoming dance. Students came dressed to the nines and ready to get down to not one, but two live bands AND a DJ. All in all, it was a great way to cap an already amazing week of events. We came together, reflected, celebrated one another, and at the end of the day grew as a community. Needless to say, we'll all be looking forward to Homecoming 2010.

Who Rocks the House?

Last Friday, as part of our 2009 homecoming festivities, the TMA Cheerleaders showed off an incredible routine. We'll have a homecoming recap up soon, but for now stand up and cheer along with this:

Ten Questions,Two Minutes. Homecoming Edition

Check out the inaugural episode of a new weekly feature here at The Other 17 Hours: TMA, Ten Questions, Two Minutes. This weeks guest: senior Mache Chase. We would love to hear your ideas about new topics for upcoming episodes, feel free to post them in the comment section. Let us know what you think!

A conversation with debate team member Tamara Johnson

After an award-winning inaugural season (being celebrated by Markus Batchelor and Demetrius Suggs in the picture above), the TMA debate team is back at it.  The November debate featured a revamped team with Brittany McGhee and Markieta Johnson making their debuts.  In the competition, Tamara Johnson placed 5th overall.  Recently I had a chance to sit down with the one-and-only Tamara, and here are some of her thoughts:

On her favorite topic from last year...
We have so many topics each year, but the one that really stuck with me was the debate about whether all high school students should be required to get the HPV vaccine.  Since we have to be ready to argue both sides we get to view the topic in two different ways.  I support not taking the vaccine, but [in the debate] I had to argue that taking it was beneficial.

On how debate is preparing her for college...
Debate consists of reasoning and argumentation and college papers will require that.  For example, I take Philosophy at Trinity College and it connects to debate a lot.

On debate preparation...
After we get the topic, the team as a whole goes over the history and the background.  We develop arguments, do research and find evidence to support each side.

On her secret to success...
I try to remember all of the feedback that I get and keep or enhance the things that the judges thought were really good.  However, understanding the argument is also key.

Last season, Tamara was recognized as the top debater in the DC Urban Debate League.  We are so proud of her and the entire debate team.  This year's team members are Demetrius Suggs, Tamara Johnson, Markieta Johnson, Deycha Robinson, Brittany McGhee, Seren Snow,  and Brian Crawford. We'll keep you posted on their success throughout the year.

Students at Patuxent get a full hour for lunch!

Over the weekend, the Washington Post featured an article about a school that gives students a full 60 minutes for lunch time. And it got me to thinking. Should TMA consider some variation of an extended lunch? The image of the girl above was taken during her lunch period!  And it's not all study sessions:

"Students lounge in hallways and classrooms with sack lunches and trays of food. They play Frisbee, get dating advice from teachers, hold club meetings, cram for afternoon quizzes, play video games or catch up on sleep."

How exciting to think about an entire school spending the middle of the day engaged in clubs, homework, and relaxation.

But of course, it's not that easy. Our lunch periods are carefully crafted so that all 385 students have a chance to eat in the cafeteria. The academic rigor at our school demands that every minute of available class time be used effectively. And major changes like this rarely happen without significant support.

If you have a minute, read the article and let us know what you think. Should we have one huge lunch period? Students - if we had an hour for lunch, how would you use it? Would you be willing to extend the school day in order to have a longer lunch?