Blood Drive

Thursday, February 12, 2015

photographs by Lindsay Rufer

We are Girls, We are Women by Judy Capiral

Where does the abuse start? Does it start when their insults make you feel vulnerable? Does it start when a fresh bruise appears on your skin? Does it start when the person you love threatens your life? According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, abuse is defined as “a repetitive pattern of behaviors to maintain power and control over an intimate partner.” No matter where or how it starts, it ends here. Last Sunday night at the Grammys, the nation witnessed the incredible and moving speech of Brooke Axtell, a young woman who told her story of how she was abused by the man she loved and how she overcame it with the love and support of the people around her. She says,

"Authentic love does not devalue another human being. Authentic love does not silence, shame or abuse. If you are in a relationship with someone who does not honor and respect you, I want you to know that you are worthy of love. Please reach out for help, your voice will save you ... let it part the darkness, let it set you free to know who you truly are -- valuable, beautiful, loved."

As women, throughout our history, we have been underestimated, abused, neglected, and silenced for our gender. The men who have wronged us found themselves to be the superior gender, which to this day is still passed around as “credible knowledge.” Great women of today fight the men who decide this, because we as women can bring change. However, even the strongest of girls feel attacked and vulnerable through the emotional/physical abuse of the ones they love. I am here, writing this to you to say that you are not alone, nor have you ever been alone. These next generations will be raised in a world where domestic violence shall not exist, nor will any gender have superiority over the other. We will say no, and we shall not accept the violence that our sex has suffered in the past. Because we are strong. And we will not protect those who make us believe that their love is real, when the bruises continue to appear. We are girls and we are women.

It ends here.

If you, or anyone you know, has received physical/emotional abuse from a loved one, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

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Book Review

Graceling by Kristen Cashore

As a New York Times Bestseller, I’d say that Kristen Cashore’s debut novel, Graceling, has done pretty well for itself. This book is full of adventure and action. Though it isn’t one of the main themes, there is a glimpse of romance in there as well.

Although my reading of this particular book was completely by chance, I have easily fallen in love with the characters and the storyline. The main character, Katsa, has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight. She’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece to the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. There are several different Graces, really one for anything you could think of as a skill. Cooking, hunting, fighting, and anything else. A Graceling is identified by their unusual eyes. One eye is a different color than the other. When Katsa first meet’s Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, she has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that’s hidden far away in another kingdom.

I could not put the book down, and although this book has 471 pages, I finished it in two days. The number is formidable to some, but it is a good read and is highly recommended.

Jake Buhler’s outstanding performance at ALL STATE NYSSMA Conference Makes Sachem proud

Biography

I will never forget the day I first brought home my violin when I was in fourth grade. Playing an instrument seemed so novel at the time that I enthusiastically opened the case and attempted to play it. While I had no idea how to even hold the violin or read music at the time, I still managed to try and play the first few exercises in the practice book that came with the instrument. After 45 minutes, I had already taught myself how to play a two note passage in the book. The excitement I had from teaching myself how to play even such a simple little song fueled me to keep on playing to this day.

As I began to play in the school music program, I was introduced to the string orchestra. I had never seen a group like it, and it was very fascinating to me. I was very excited to play in such a unique ensemble and began to practice for hours on end. While some students may have not enjoyed it at such a young age, I always enjoyed practicing and have found it so great that after even just a few minutes of slow intonation work, I could play music that earlier that day would not have assumed I could.

It was in middle school that I decided I wanted to do more with music than just take it a few times a week in school. I began to do other programs, including MYO and USDAN; both have provided me with growth as a musician and what seems like lifelong friends who share similar passions with me. I have also been extremely lucky to have such supportive teachers in all of my endeavors, from my middle school music teacher, who encouraged me to jump from level 2 to level 5 NYSSMA (a solo competition) in sixth grade to my first private teacher who helped me refine my technique, to the conductor of my MYO ensemble, where I have recently been named Concertmaster.  Every person who has helped me while I learned to play has inspired me to further progress, and I cannot be more grateful for that.

Entering high school, I began to do even more to expand my appreciation for music. I first went to the Kinhaven Music School, a six week long summer camp in Vermont, where I

have made friends with musicians of such a high caliber that I am proud to collaborate with them.  I was honored to work with many talented musicians, some members of professional orchestras, while others recognized as exceptional collegiate professors. It is through Kinhaven that I really started to appreciate classical music, which is not something that I would have ever have imagined myself doing as a fourth grader! In addition to Kinhaven, I also joined the New York Youth Symphony this year, where I have been awarded the honor of working with many virtuosic musicians, many being students of Juilliard and the Juilliard pre college.

This year I have went to New York’s All State festival, which hosted hundreds of high school musicians who have received the highest All State scores in the state. Going in, I did not know what to expect as far as how I would rank up with the others through auditions. I would have never have guessed that I would have been awarded with the prestigious distinction of being Principal Second Violin of the Symphony Orchestra! Next year, I hope I can do just as well as I did this year in the first violin section and be concertmaster, but I know I will just have to make sure I practice even harder than I ever have.

In the future, I plan to apply to many conservatories for music performance, but as far as I go I will always remember that Sachem was the first place that helped me find such a passion, and for that, I will always be thankful.

by Jake Buhler