Lion's Tale Vol. 41, Issue 4

the lion’s tale

GOing Mental

GOing Mental

Exploring the importance of equal gender representation in the wellness field

Exploring the importance of equal gender representation in the wellness field

23 Web out New Spider-Man film review

The Lion’s Tale Staff

Editors-in-Chief

Stella Muzin & Lily Rulnick

Managing Editor, Copy

Aliza Bellas

Managing Editor, Web

Ari Kittrie

In-Depth Editor

Gigi Gordon

News Editors

Maya Greenblum & Penelope Terl

Features Editors

Vivi Ducker & Ruby Kotok

Opinion Editors

Maiya Blumenthal & Sophie Schwartz

Arts and Entertainment Editor, Director of Social Media

Cati Werbin

Arts and Entertainment Editor

Sadaf Zadeh

Sports Editors

Tali Loeffler, Mia Forseter & Eliana Wolf

Photo Editor

Abby Chesman

Reporters

Gila Safra, Eitan Rattner, Jordana Dauber, Isaiah Segal-Geetter, Leora Blumenthal, Sophia Leinwand & Eliana Abrams

Staff Adviser

Jessica Nassau

Adviser Emerita

Susan Zuckerman

1. Which editors birthday is on Christmas Eve?

2. Which co-editors are all three season athletes?

3. Which class do Stella Muzin, Aliza Bellas, Lily Rulnick, and Ari Kittrie all take together?

4. Which two editors have Canadian citizenship?

5. Which editor has been to 44 different countries?

6. Which co-editors are the wrestling managers?

7. Which section editor has a nephew?

Photo credits from left the right: Mia Forseter, LT, Abby Chesman, LT & Dimensions, Vivi Ducker, LT, Abby Chesman, Jordan Levy, Dimensions

dear readers,

While we will miss our departing seniors dearly, we are incredibly excited to publish our first edition of the Lion’s Tale as editors-in-chief. This edition marks several changes in the Pub Hub, such as updated design templates, advanced organizational systems and a newly inducted editorial staff. We truly believe that our new section editors are the best of the best; so far, they have exhibited the utmost dedication and talent, and we could not be more grateful or excited for the upcoming year.

For the focus of this edition, we chose to delve into a heavy topic: male mental health. While we understand that this is a rather dense subject to write about for the first edition with the new staff, we felt it was important to shed light on an issue that we know impacts our peers.

What is most important to us as a student publication is amplifying student voices. When we noticed a pattern of stigmatizing male mental health in our student body, we decided to do something about it.

become more aware of the different elements of wellness and apply them into our everyday lives. Because of this, we were able to recognize the discrepancies between men’s mental health versus women’s in our school, in the media and in our broader society, and we felt it was important to highlight this disparity.

However, we also made sure to highlight some bright spots within our community. For example, we wanted to shine a light on other journalistic work produced at our school, so we wrote an article about the other Upper School student magazines. We covered our skillful athletes, talented musicians and gave a glimpse into the exciting culminating senior events.

In our year as editors-in-chief, we are dedicated to doing everything in our power to share different perspectives from our community and produce the best product possible. We are committed to covering important stories in our community and cannot wait for an incredible year of journalism.

Sincerely,

The newly implemented Center for Health and Wellness has instilled a cognizance around mental health in our community. JDS as a whole has Editors-in-Chief

Editorial and Ethics Policy

As the student newspaper of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, The Lion’s Tale is a public forum for student opinion and expression. All content is determined by students. Its purpose is to inform the CESJDS community and to express the views of its staff and readers. The staff has made every effort to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of its news. Signed columns reflect the opinion of the writer; staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of The Lion’s Tale editorial board. The Lion’s Tale staff

welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, all of which must be signed. The staff reserves the right to refuse any material and may edit letters or columns for length, clarity, libel, obscenity and/ or disruptiveness. All other contents copyright of The Lion’s Tale. All rights reserved.

Submissions may be emailed to jdslionstale@gmail.com, mailed to The Lion’s Tale or brought to room 320.

The Lion’s Tale is funded by The Simon Hirshman Endowment for the

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Sophia Leinwand, Reporter

Colleges athletes need pay Aviv Stein, Guest Writer

Features

After school routines

Sadaf Zadeh, A&E Editor

Shmooze with Yiddish club

Eliana Abrams, Reporter

a&e

“One Love” review

Eliana Abrams, Reporter

Gatsby Day fashion Friday

Sophia Leinwand, Reporter

sports

Spring sports tryouts

Leora Blumenthal, Reporter

Girls Basketball PVAC finals

Anna Polon, Guest Writer

Upper School Newspaper and The Kuttner-Levenson Endowment for the Upper School Cultural Arts and Student Publications, and community advertisements. The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse advertisement for any reason.

The staff will adhere to the ethics policies of The Society of Professional Journalists and the National Scholastic Press Association. The adviser will be held to the Journalism Education Association’s Adviser Code of Ethics.

CHANGING THE FORECAST

Seventh grade students host a climate summit

Mia Forseter SportsEditor

The seventh grade concluded their history project on Feb. 14: a climate summit where they modeled a United Nations (UN) conference on climate change. In this simulation, seventh grade students, serving as delegates of respective countries, passed and voted for resolutions to add to the UN Paris Climate Accords.

To start the summit, students presented their country’s viewpoint in small groups, after which they debated these stances. Students then worked together to create an operative clause that would help solve the prevalent issue of climate change. These clauses were presented and voted on by the General Assembly, also known as the seventh grade. The summit is meant to mimic a UN meeting, with students acting as representatives of different developing countries.

“In our group we had a topic of conversation that we were focusing on,” seventh grade student Rayut Weiser-Rosenbaum said. “And then it was cool to see all of

Seventh Grade Voices

the groups and little sections … come together and have lots of different resolutions.”

“I picked up the skill of debating... reasons why something might not work.”

Rep. of Paraguay, Gilah Evans-Dredze

During the COVID-19 pandemic, middle school social studies teacher Heidi Zansler developed the climate summit project to replace the former capstone project on the developing world. She discussed with middle school history teacher Matthew Jacobson, and it was implemented during virtual school.

change impacts it. This helps to futher their engagement with the seventh grade theme of the developing world. Each student researches climate change in relation to an assigned area.

“I really enjoyed learning about my country,” Weiser-Rosenbaum said. “When I got [assigned] South Sudan, I really had no clue anything about the country. So I really like[d] learning more about that.”

“[I’ve gotten better at] working together to find the best solutions.”

Rep. of Costa Rica, Sam Olin

This was the first year the climate summit was entirely student-directed, with a president to introduce and explain the event and its procedures, and two moderators per small group. These moderators helped to facilitate discussion and draft clauses.

“Climate change is just a very big issue nowadays,” summit moderator Ren Baronofsky said. “And it’s important for everyone to learn a lot about it, [and] learn all the different facets as to why all these opinions make sense.”

The project spans from October to February and gives students the chance to research a developing country and how climate

In the small groups, student’s speeches were about a minute in length. During their speeches, students explained the impact of climate change on their country in relation to the area of expertise they were assigned, as well as what they think the best solution is based on their assigned stance.

“It was really exciting for me,” Zansler said. “ … I always like to see the students do it because they feel empowered that they’ve accomplished something.”

This is the fourth year that the climate summit has run. According to Zansler, the project helps students develop fundamental skills such as public speaking, research, critical thinking and time management.

Aside from academic skills, Zansler hopes that this project will plant a seed in her students about the adverse effects of climate change for later in life. She enjoys this project because of the potential it has to motivate her students to imagine and create a solution to climate change.

“[My favorite part of the project is] the day of the summit when I see it come to life, and I’m running into the different groups and the students who wouldn’t speak–maybe they were nervous or afraid–and all of a sudden I see them talking, and the words that come out of their mouths are just incredible…it’s a tear jerk moment for me,” Zansler said.

Photos by Mia Forseter, LT.

Seventh grade students represented countries in a mock United Nations climate summit. The representatives proposed solutions to climate change in small groups with a moderator. Photo by Mia Forseter, LT.

Vigilance on vaping

New detectors installed in bathrooms

Lily Rulnick Editor-in-Chief

As of December 2023, the Upper School campus has installed five vape detectors in various bathrooms throughout the school. A plan to put in vape detectors has been in motion since the end of the 2022-2023 school year, and families were made aware of this initiative through an email sent out on Feb. 13.

The administration’s decision to install vape detectors throughout the Upper School campus was made, in part, after consulting with other private schools in the area. High School Principal and Upper School Campus Head Dr. Lisa Vardi, who previously worked at a different local private school, expressed that vaping on school grounds is presently an issue across many high schools.

“We care about the physical health of our students … [we] understand the ill effects of vaping and how detrimental it can be,” Vardi said.

When someone vapes near one of the detectors, an alert is sent to administrators. The administrators then consult footage from cameras that have been installed outside of the bathrooms, in order to identify with whom to have further conversations.

Since the Upper School campus serves both middle and high school students, other factors needed to be considered when discussing the issue of vaping.

Administrators felt strongly that middle schoolers should not be influenced by high school students in terms of experimentation with vaping, which made preventative measures a necessity.

As for consequences, students who are caught vaping on school grounds are subjected to the repercussions outlined in the “Alcohol and Other Illegal Drugs Prohibited” section of the JDS Student Handbook. Any students who violate the substance guidelines are, according to the handbook, “subject to disciplinary consequences that may include suspension, prohibition from participating in the Senior Capstone Trip, dismissal from the School, and/or police referral.”

According to the email which

“We care about the physical health of our students,”

- Dr. Lisa Vardi

was sent out to the Upper School community and signed by Vardi and Middle School Principal Cassandra Batson, the vape detectors have gone off “numerous times” since their installation in December 2023, prompting conversations with students, parents and visitors who could have incited the alert.

Despite these installations beginning in December, students

Coming up At CESJDS

Lock In

The freshman class will spend a late night “locked in” at school to become closer as a grade on March 2.

were made aware of the vape detectors two months later via an email sent in February.

“I do think that they should have told us that they were [installing vape detectors] before the fact instead of after,” junior Molly Wollner said. “I think that it is our right to know what’s being installed in the school that could potentially harm us or get us in trouble.”

Paulette Kaffee, mother of junior Hannah Kaffee, had heard about the vaping problem from her daughter in a Montgomery County Public School, but was unaware of its prevalence at JDS.

“I think it’s a good idea … as a deterrent for kids who might consider vaping,” Kaffee said.

Vardi hopes that these detectors will protect the physical safety of her students. She hopes that Upper School students know that administrators care about their well being, and aim to protect the safety of those who enter the school.

“We care about the health and safety of everybody in our community, and that means having [a] smoke free, vape free school,” Vardi said. “And when something does happen, it’s about having a conversation about what’s best for that student [in that situation].”

Purim Palooza JDS will celebrate Purim with costumes, decor and games on March 22.

The middle school musical, “Frozen,” will debut feauturing sixth to eighth grade students on March 14.

Eighth grade students will participate in model congress and vote on bills on March 11 and 12.

CES Day

CESJDS will celebrate and remember its namesake, Charles E. Smith on March 28.

MS Musical

Model Congress

Photo illustration by Abby Chesman, LT & Dimensions.

Class of 2024 graduates high school

Senioalutrations

PROM

As the Class of 2024 raised each other up on chairs while singing “Hava Nagila,” a traditional Jewish song, they gazed down at their classmates, savoring the excitement of prom and looking forward to the memories to come.

On Feb. 1, prom attendees started their night with photos at Woodmont Country Club before moving to prom at the Bethesda Marriott. Prom itself lasted four hours, full of dancing to Israeli and American pop music and enjoying a meat buffet.

Around 11:30 p.m., three party buses took students on a ride around downtown D.C. to see some of the national monuments before arriving at the Upper School for after-prom.

Dean of Students Roslyn Landy oversaw the planning of all parts of the night with support from the co-chairs

of prom and after-prom. One of the cochairs of prom was Jennifer Schwartz, mother of senior Shani Schwartz.

“Of the many volunteer roles I’ve had in my many years at JDS, I would say this was probably the most fun,” Jennifer said. “To see the seniors, especially for those of us [parents] who have had kids who are lifers at JDS, it’s just really fun.”

After much anticipation from prom attendees and preparation from Landy and senior parents, prom allowed the Class of 2024 to bond.

“[Prom made me realize that] there wouldn’t have been a better group of people for me to spend my four years of high school with,” senior Darya Dayanim said.

Prom Dress Look-Book

Jordana Dauber and Sophia Leinwand Reporters

Senior Maddie Polonsky spent over 100 hours crafting her gown with 50 yards of tulle, satin and lace fabric.

Photo by Roslyn Landy

Senior Miriam Goldel visited Treasure Island boutique in Annapolis, Maryland to find the perfect outfit for the event. Photo by Liz Goldel

In search of a unique dress for an affordable price, senior Olivia Cohen bought her dress secondhand from Poshmark. Photo by Talia Cohen

Senior Simon Reich spends his prom night encircled by his peers, dancing to the DJ’s music.

Senior Ethan Safra is lifted on a chair above the crowd of prom attendees, beaming with joy.

Seniors Sasha Karasik, Abby Greenberg, Hannah Shank and Ella Waldman celebrate on the dance floor.

All photos by Abby Chesman, LT & Dimensions, except where noted

Match the Graduation Cap to the Senior

SIYYUM

Seniors and their families gathered at B’nai Israel Congregation on Feb. 9, participating in morning Shacharit, followed by Head of School Rabbi Mitchel Malkus’s speech, a D’var Torah organized by the seniors and the award ceremony honoring a selection of seniors.

Teachers and the senior class nominated students who demonstrated exemplary skills in certain areas. Thirty eight awards were given, many of which were gifted by alumni families or in honor of JDS community members.

“I thought it was meaningful that our whole grade could come together and show all of our hard work,” senior Nava Feldman said. “[We could] show what our grade stands for.”

Upholding the JDS tradition of selecting a teacher to speak for Siyyum, the graduating class selected Jewish History Department Chair and alumnus Dan Rosenthal (‘00) to deliver a speech at their Siyyum. Rosenthal offered lifelong wisdom to the seniors, urging them to draw on their Jewish past to drive their Jewish futures.

“It was a major honor to be able to share the things that I’ve learned with [the seniors],” Rosenthal said.

Top: Prior to Siyyum’s opening, seniors Gabi Simon, Ari Werbin and Miriam Goldel take part in leading the Rosh Choden Torah service in the Masorti minyan.

Middle: To begin the morning program, Silberg recites the Traveler’s Prayer to wish the Class of 2024 a safe journey following high school.

Bottom: Seniors Ron Kimmel and Daniel Schlactus take a picture together after the Siyyum ceremony to mark the occasion.

GRADUATION

As the seniors recited their culminating cantata, one by one, they guided the audience through their journey at JDS, all the way from kindergarten to senior year.

During the graduation ceremony at Washington Hebrew Congregation on Feb. 11, Landy and Malkus reflected on the Class of 2024’s experience at JDS and their hopes for the future.

The senior class’s given theme was “laser focus,” which was chosen by Landy and was the heart of Landy’s speech. It referr to their motivation towards their goals, both inside and outside of the classroom.

“I will remember [the seniors] as a highly focused class, hard working kids and very successful,” Landy said.

This year’s alumni speaker, Ilana Kaplan (‘19), spoke about her own JDS community and how it continues to support her today. Kaplan explained that the tragedies brought about by the Israel-Hamas war has made community more important now than ever.

“The grade did a great job pulling everything together,” senior Alec Silberg said. “We had an amazing graduation ceremony and we are all really proud of it.”

For their last perfomance together in their high school careers, the 12 seniors of JDS’s Shir Madness sing “Forever Young” by Alphaville.

Photo by Abby Chesman

For their last perfomance together in their high school careers, four seniors of JDS’ Shir Madness, Simon Albert, Netanya Shaffin, Maddie Polonsky and Reyut Wasserstein sing “Forever Young” by Alphaville.

Standardized testing doesn’t reflect students’ abilities

change the standard

As students sit in large, crowded rooms during their standardized testing sessions, waves of worry and anxiety build while they consider the significance of their test scores. Each score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) is often a paramount factor in the college admission process. However, as students, we are so much more than a single test score. Standardized tests do not tell the story of each individual, and therefore are not a fair representation of high school students.

As some universities begin returning to the pre-COVID-19 Test Required status, higher-education is moving away from the holistic approach they claim to value. When college admission officers review applications in which each student submits a test score, it will become nearly impossible to ignore the blaring number that appears to represent a student’s academic aptitude.

Even within our own community, CESJDS has begun moving away from valuing the product over process at the beginning of the 2023 school year. Through the implementation of the “Grading for Learning” policy, the JDS administration made it clear that high school students should value

BY THE NUMBERS

1.9 million students in the class of 2023 took the SAT

1.4 million high school seniors took the ACT in 2023

80 percent of U.S. colleges are testoptional

Information from College Board, Insider Higher Ed and the WSJ

ized tests reinforce the opposite idea to millions of students across the world, including the impressionable JDS student body.

Although standardized tests are intended to be the only “fair” way to evaluate two students side-by-side, the advantages offered to wealthier applicants makes this an impossible reality. According to the National Center for Education, one in 10 students receive “high-dosage tutoring” for standardized tests. Tutoring is an additional expense for families that only wealthier ones can afford. This means that one in every 10 students has a test score that misrepresents their innate skills, and that not everyone has the same opportunity.

Test anxiety also plays a significant role in a student’s performance on standardized testing. The University of California Los Angeles School Mental Health Project reported that between 4060% of students have test anxiety that significantly interferes with their individual performance. If there are so many students who have a significant disadvantage since they don’t receive tutoring, how are these scores supposed to present a fair evaluation of each student?

Furthermore, throughout high school many students participate in extracurricular activities beginning freshman year. They dedicate hours upon hours to their hobbies and passions for up to four years, and spend a mere few hours in a testing session. Personal statements and essays tell the story of each student’s extended experiences, and are therefore a stronger representation of each applicant’s story.

External factors have changed the landscape of university applications in the U.S. Not only have test scores become an inaccurate representation of a student’s academic performance, there are more holistic ways to evaluate an applicant.

Society is evolving to emphasize the importance of the process rather than the result of a given endeavor. The time has come for universities to evolve as well, and understand that standardized test scores are not an accurate representation of high school students.

-The Lion’s Tale

Photo by Sophie Schwartz, LT and illustration by Sunny Coxe

a scene we’ve seen

Eliana Wolf SportsEditor

As I left the movie theater after watching Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story,” I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Although it was a beautiful display of cinematography, I wondered why an accomplished director like Spielberg would use his directorial abilities to create a remake that didn’t even live up to the original movie.

I thought that this could be attributed to Spielberg challenging himself to direct a film musical, his desire for a more diverse cast or to subtly show the dangers of division in a politically heated time. Regardless of his intentions, it is reflective of the underlying philosophy of Hollywood in the past five years: to find the movies that make the most money at the expense of original ideas.

Cinema feels like the least original of all the arts in the past five years. The overabundance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and live-action remakes of ani-

mated movies are bringing great profit to Hollywood. However, they fail to provide new and exciting storylines that give viewers a new insight or emotional connection, something that remakes cannot provide.

In the digital age, endless resources are at our fingertips, making producing movies easier than ever. So why is it that Hollywood executives are incapable of producing original ideas?

The answer lies in the priorities of Hollywood. Hollywood has produced its own formula: brightly colored plotlines that are easy to follow and star-studded casts full of mediocre acting. This combination yields huge box office results, but I often leave movie theaters uninspired. Even in comedies, the jokes have resorted to either politically correct humor or watered-down jokes that don’t contribute to the plot.

Hollywood has shifted its priorities from producing quality movies to movies with great economic potential. To show the extent to which Hollywood has perpetrated high-grossing and predictable movies, the highest-grossing movies of 2022 were “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Jurassic World Dominion,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Minions: The Rise of Gru” and “Black Panther: Wakanda forever,” according

What changed?

Find the Change

Hollywood isn’t original anymore

Best New Movie

to IMDb. None of these movies hold a new revolutionary idea, as they are all spin-offs or sequels of previous successful franchises.

People watch these movies because they know what they are getting out of it, and as humans we like familiarity. While Hollywood might be profitable in the short term, in the long term producers will inevitably run out of movies to remake.

But what does creating an excellent movie mean? Possibly it is the clever screenplay and the underlying social commentary in Disney’s “Toy Story.” Maybe it is creating the extraordinary out of the ordinary, with “Good Will Hunting” as a fantastic example. Perhaps it is a glimpse into human nature told through stories that bring a new emotional depth to an issue, as Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” does.

Regardless, if Hollywood continues to prioritize money-making instead of creating art, society will be cursed with societal banality that extends much further than just the realm of cinema.

What changed?

A. The main characters

Freshman Liana Lesser “Mean Girls”

Sophomore Hannah Green

Junior Eliav Binstock “Migration”

“Wonka”

Photos by Sophie Schwartz, LT

NEW GRADING POLICY

PRO

Anna Polon Guest Writer

When I learned about the implementation of the new grading policy, I was excited that I didn’t need to do math homework and was doing well on the tests. However, as the year progressed, math started getting harder, and I wasn’t able to comprehend what we were learning without practicing it at home. Just like that, I had found a reason for doing my

Penelope Terl News Editor

“Is this for points?” “Why should I do it?” “Does this actually have a due date?”

Since the implementation of the new grading policy at the beginning of the school year, these sayings are common things I hear when my classmates and I receive a new assignment.

“The

homework as opposed to an incentive like a completion grade.

The “Grading for Learning” policy that CESJDS implemented at the beginning of the school year has been a subject of controversy among students. Completion points are no longer given for homework, there are no longer late work penalties, teachers may offer retakes or corrections on major assessments and there is a 50% grade minimum.

I believe that the policy accomplishes its goal of grading for material mastery and encourages students’ self-motivation, preparing them for college.

The elimination of the late penalty leads fewer students to leave homework incomplete as they are not punished if the due date has passed. Rather than requiring students to complete homework on time, the policy encourages students to learn on their own the importance of doing homework on time to keep up with the timeline of the class.

While I agree with the concepts of the new policy in theory, the practical application has not had a positive impact on my learning, and I argue that it achieves the opposite effect.

By reducing the amount of assignments that affect a student’s overall grade, more weight is placed upon summative assessments because they represent a significant portion of the overall grade. Isn’t the new grading policy meant to make students focus more on learning and less on the points?

Although formative assignments are meant to encourage learning, with high school students’ busy schedules, they’re often the first to get set aside since there are typically no points to be awarded for completion.

grading system is that it is supposed to relieve stress because the last one was too focused on grades. But, the new one does it even more.”

Additionally, having no completion points lets students decide how much to study and causes them to find motivation, which are skills that will stay with them throughout their lives. Beyond high school, three points are not given for completing work. Completion points do not motivate students to learn but rather grade students on if they had time to complete their homework, which is not an equitable way to grade and is in no way based on mastery of the material.

On the other hand, completion points can be unfair to students who do not need to complete all of their homework to master the material. If a student can ace a math test without completing every single problem on their homework sheet, why should they spend hours of their free time completing it so their grade doesn’t drop?

Some complain that homework not being graded makes their whole grade based entirely

People disregarding assignments doesn’t go with the school’s goal of promoting learning.

Additionally, the new system does not include daily penalties for late work, as the previous grading system did. Although teachers can require all formative assignments to be submitted before allowing a retake on a summative assessment, there are no real point deductions due to lateness.

Late penalties provided me with an incentive to do my work, because I would lose points. As someone who struggles with procrastination, this lack of motivation for a grade causes me to procrastinate even more.

Although removing strict due dates prevents any academic consequences from late work, it

“I like that it allows each individual to have more control of the pace they need to learn.”

Junior Adam Bachrach

Sophomore Nolyn Ziman

point of the

on assessments, but this is not true. Teachers still grade certain minor homework assignments and projects such as paragraph writing or answering questions.

The ability to retake or redo assessments also minimizes the pressure of assessments as students can improve their mastery if they didn’t completely understand something the first time or if they had a bad day. This encourages students to learn material that they didn’t understand on the first test, and then their grade will change to reflect that.

The “Grading for Learning” policy encourages students to develop a love for learning, which is a JDS value and something students will take with them for the rest of their lives. It should be kept in place for the near future, as it helps students develop motivation to learn while still allowing them to use their time as they want.

doesn’t stop the habit of procrastination. By having no penalties, it provides no incentive to meet due dates.

This doesn’t help teach students to meet deadlines in the future. In college and employment, there are consequences for missing deadlines, and I believe that JDS should teach students this crucial skill early on.

I agree that school should be focused on learning rather than grades. However, I believe that this is not a realistic goal for the school to accomplish due to the procrastination many students face and the importance that college places on grades. Although written in the students’ best interest, I believe that the new policy is not fully beneficial for JDS students.

Freshman Liora Litwack

“I feel like there is no motivation to do work on time so I end up not doing it.”

Keep it quiet

Eliana Abrams Reporter

There is no dreadful feeling quite like the one when a teacher hands back a test; the gurgling of stomachs as the teacher slowly makes their way around the classroom, handing out each test upside down in order to prevent students from seeing each other’s grades. Although teachers often discourage it, after class almost everyone gathers in a clump to ask what others got on their tests, comparing their grades to their classmates and feels worse about themselves.

Even when we do find out that we did better than most people, or vice versa, it doesn’t change the grade. Do we really want our validation from doing better than someone else? Students shouldn’t seek validation through doing better than their classmates. By sharing grades, students are fueling a competitive culture.

While sharing grades can provide a few moments of validation, the harmful long-term effects outlast the few seconds of satisfaction. I know firsthand that when I do poorly on a test, there is no better feeling than figuring out that everyone else did just as badly as you did. But, most of the time it just leaves others feeling badly about themselves as they might feel less-smart than others and be disappointed in their grade, which increases stress levels.

High school students are already immensely stressed as a result of their academics. An National Institutes of Health (NIH) study on teen anxiety found that 47% of females and 21% of males reported moderate or severe anxiety symptoms. Similarly, anxiety

Sharing grades is detrimental

in relation to academic performance affects most high school students. A Pew Research study on teen mental health shows that 61% of high school students feel pressure to get good grades. The pressure is only worsened when students are constantly comparing their academic successes with others.

Grades are meant to display individual performance and understanding of the material. Each student has a unique learning style, pace, strengths and weaknesses. Grades do not accurately reflect these differences. Some tests focus on memorization, and some students may not thrive in that skill, but that doesn’t have anything to do with another area in which a student could thrive.

It can be very difficult to resist the temptation of sharing grades with others, especially when friends ask. However, there are ways of averting sharing grades without fully saying you don’t want to. Dean of Students Roslyn Landy frequently witnesses interactions between students and the damage sharing grades can cause, especially throughout the college process.

“By sharing grades, students are fueling a competitive culture,”

- Eliana Abrams

“When somebody asks you ‘what did you get on yours,’ you can say ‘I did fine,’ or I didn’t do as well as I would have liked. If students would learn to respond in similar ways, instead of saying ‘I got an ‘A’ or ‘I got a B,’ the competition would decrease,” Landy said.

Discontinuing to share grades is a necessary step in minimizing the competitive environment often found at JDS. A small adjustment of not sharing grades can have long lasting positive effects in our community.

GOing Mental

Exploring the importance of equal gender representation in the wellness field

Gigi Gordon

In-DepthEditor

Stella Muzin Editor-in-Chief

Ari Kittrie ManagingEditor,Web

Photo illustration by Gigi Gordon

As he looked into the mirror, junior Philip Rosen could not help but feel disappointed in his look. After working out and committing to a fitness routine for months on end, he still felt insecure about his body and didn’t feel satisfied with his muscular development. Though Rosen may have felt alone in his struggle, the reality is that body dysmorphia and many other gym-related mental health issues are common among his gender and age demographic.

The teen mental health crisis is taking over the country right now, as one-third of the student population experienced poor mental health in 2021 and 10% of students attempted suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). These numbers are from 2021 and continue to grow yearly, making mental health an ever more pressing issue.

Importance of Male Mental Health:

Schools across the country, CESJDS included, provide mental health education and support services. In addition to this, according to the World Health Organization, workplaces are becoming more understanding of mental health challenges. However, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH), this education is often geared towards females, as there is a much greater emphasis on it.

The underlying causes of male mental health issues are very different from those of females. Although many male mental health challenges go undiagnosed according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), statistics show that females and males suffer equally from mental health. Some statistics even show greater suffering of males relating to mental health despite women’s mental health being more widely recognized. According to the CDC, 23.8 men aged 15-24 out of 100,000 committed suicide in 2021 compared to 6.1 women aged 15-24 out of 100,000. That means 390% more men age 15-24 died of suicide than women of the same age range 2021.

Added pressures from social *Names have been changed to respect individual privacy

media and stigma work together to create a broader mental health issue among men. Men often struggle to talk about how they feel, significantly impacting their wellness. According to the CDC, 24% of women received mental health treatment compared to only 13.4% of men and double the percent of women take medication for their mental health conditions.

“As we grow up, we’re taught to keep our thoughts and feelings in,” junior Ben Polonsky said. “Instead of slowly leaking, we just let it build up and explode.”

Emotional

Pressures:

Polonsky has always loved to dance, even though he was the only male in his ballet class until the age of ten. Although he loves the sport and would never quit, he has always felt particularly challenged due to the lack of men.

“The role of males in ballet is to be chivalrous, and by definition we have to be strong and confident,” Polonsky said, “Not only do we have societal norms placed on us, but those additional expectations.”

However, these societal norms aren’t specific to dance. According to PsychCentral, there is a global stigma across the world and in many cultures against men that they should be to be emotionless. The American Psychological Association (APA) thinks this stigma is why men are much less likely to get help when they are struggling. These expectations make it more difficult for men to feel comfortable reaching out, even to family and friends.

This is not only prominent in grown men, but also in teenagers and children.

“I definitely have friends who I’m close with, but I would never reach out to them for mental health stuff,” freshman Alex* said, “I feel like because of everything around me I’ve kind of been trained not to let my emotions out.”

In modern society, men are often expected to be strong, put together and self-sufficient, but these standards are unrealistic. These norms can lead men to bottle up their emotions, which can in turn affect their relationships, work and overall performance per the ADAA.

Differences in male and female mental health

60%

50% experience trauma of men of women

7% of men

go to therapy

12% of women

suicide deaths

25%

75% are men are women

22% of men use substances

8% of women

11% of men

40% of men

take medication

21% of women

afraid to get help

30% of women

Famous MENtal Health Struggles

Terry Bradshaw:

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and four time super bowl champion commonly experienced panic attacks before and after games. He would later be dianosed clinical depression after he had retired from footbal.. Bradshaw was diagnosed with depression when he was 47 after months of counseling. This became known only later when Bradshaw announced it on live television.

Probably one of the most outspoken athletes when it comes to his smental health struggles, Kevin Love has been playing professional basketball since 2008. Love has struggled with depression since highschool, using it as fuel on the court. In 2018 Love wrote an essay titled “Everyone is Going Through Something” which talked about his mental health struggles. The essay also outlines the coping mechnisms he uses to stay healthy his challenges.

Michael Phelps:

The most decorated US olympian of all time struggled with mental health challenges early on in hisw career. Phelps struggled with depression causing him to get caught both driving drunk and for possesion of Marijuana. Phelps later admitted to having suicidal thoughts. Phelps was admittedly afraid to speak about his metal health struggles until later in his career as he thought it would make him look weak. After retirement

ty Public School (MCPS) guidance counselor and social worker Mamata Hotha has seen many school-aged boys struggle with opening up about their mental health struggles.

“The problem is that boys can come across very defiant or very cheeky,” Hotha said. “So it’s like they’re masking what’s going on and I think, to the outside observer, they may not know that they’re really actually struggling and they’re just kind of masking it in some way.”

According to Polonsky, men aren’t used to having a space to discuss emotions, and as a result their struggles are worsened due to the lack of help This feeds into toxic masculinity, which also plays a large role in negative stigma surrounding male mental health.

Toxic masculinity refers to the attitude or social guidelines stereotypically expected of men. This is engraved in boys from a young age, as the adults around them – subconsciously or consciously – often teach them to be tough and not show weakness. Although having some grit can be positive, forcing them on to young children often comes with negative consequences.

“Men aren’t used to talking about emotions and they bottle them in,” Polonsky said. “If you really think about it, when’s the last time you saw a guy cry?”

Body dysmorphia:

Body dysmorphia is one well known mental health challenge that is usually attributed to women, as they can feel pressured to look like models. However, according to the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC), males and females suffer from body dysmorphia equally.

Many men also suffer from a different type of dysmorphia, known as muscle dysmorphia. This disorder is almost exclusive among men and causes men to believe they are too small and not muscular enough, according to NIH. It also says that this disorder often appears among men who are overly muscular and can cause them to abuse anabolic steroids and other drugs to artificially enhance their appearance.

girls alike, struggle with body dysmorphia because of their changing bodies. Because teenage years are a time of development, every teenager’s body is different, leading to frequent comparisons and insecurities (Anxiety Institute).

“When I was struggling the most I just didn’t like anything I saw in the mirror,” Alex* said, “I felt like I was way too skinny.”

Muscle dysmorphia and male body dysmorphia in general is much less advertised than the typical body dysmorphia seen on the internet; even in the professional field. This is partially because it is much more prominent among males than females and it is not talked about enough (NIH).

“I feel like girls kind of get more attention for this stuff and like people always talk about it but they don’t really do that with guys” Alex* said.

Social media:

The rise of gym and health content on social media has played a role in many teenage boys’ insecurities.

“I think there is a positive and negative side of seeing the gym on social media,” junior Adam Bachrach said. “The positive is that it can get a lot of people to go to the gym but the negative is that a lot of people compare themselves to these super jacked Instagram guys.”

For some the gym content works as a positive motivator, while for others, it encourages unhealthy behaviors such as taking performance enhancers.

Many prominent influencers use steroids to promote a naturally unattainable figure and, according to Rosen, this can make respecting them very difficult.

“It’s hard to look up to people who use steroids because it is not naturally attainable,” Rosen said.

Alex* was first motivated to go to the gym through social media, but that positive reinforcement soon turned into a negative influence.

Many teenagers, boys and

“The deeper in I got to Instagram the more extreme the stuff I saw, was … stuff that probably wasn’t healthy,” Alex* said.

Excercising and gym culture:

Going to the gym is seen as a rite of passage for many teenage

boys. They often start going with the goal of increasing their overall fitness and improving their body image. However, there is a certain culture that has developed within the gym, putting a lot of pressure on gym goers.

Despite the pressure of gym culture, most mental health problems come from a more internal sense of pressure. Many teenagers go to the gym to get their bodies to look a certain way. Whether this be bulkier or skinnier, these goals can lead to body dysmorphia.

Body dysmorphia can cause people to get stuck in what is known as a bulking and cutting cycle, which is when someone “bulks” by intaking high amounts of food in order to gain muscle and fat. Then that person turns around later and “cuts” by intaking low amounts of food in order to burn off that muscle and fat they gained from bulking.

“Dieting is a restriction, it’s a nutrient deficiency, which can cause a negative effect on really every single process in the body,” Founder of ReNutrition and licensed nutritionist Rachel Engelhart said.

The problem with this type of eating is that it can be hard to stop the diet, and those with body dysmorphia come to rely on it.

“If you are 170 [pounds], you say, ‘I want to get to 190.’ Then you hit 190, and you want to go to 200, and when you are 200, you don’t like how you look at that weight,” Rosen said. “Then you cut and say, ‘I am gonna go to 160. I don’t like how I look at 160. I am gonna go

to 150.’ So if you don’t stay in line with your goals, you can really easily get an eating disorder.”

Many sports, such as wrestling, gymnastics and swimming, put a lot of emphasis on a specific body weight or shape. While sports like these are not gateways for eating disorders, it’s important to be conscious about one’s obsession with keeping that specific body weight or shape.

“If you’re wrestling and making sure that you’re maintaining a weight by eating a certain number of calories or set meals a day, that’s not an eating disorder,” guidance counselor Marnie Lang said. “If you begin obsessing over the number and restricting foods so that you hit the bottom of a class or shave off one more pound to change classes or whatever it may be, you could be treading that line carefully.”

While cutting and bulking can help people look more muscular, it can be extremely dangerous, and it is essential to keep physical health in mind says middle school Tanakh teacher and personal trainer Michael Rubin.

This can cause some people who get trapped into the cycle to become extremely conscious of their eating habits.

“I know at the end of the day, it probably doesn’t affect me that much,” junior Jacob* said. “If I eat pizza now, I’m not gonna be slower at my race in two weeks probably. But it is kind of just a mindset thing. It keeps me focused on making healthy decisions.”

Commonly Used Gym Substances

“Men aren’t used to talking about emotions and they bottle them in. If you really think about it, when’s the last time you saw a guy cry?”

-junior Ben Polonsky

How we can help:

With all of this in mind, it is important to find ways to overcome the overwhelming culture of the gym and stigma. In terms of conquering the insecurities and body dysmorphia that come from gym culture, one of the best things someone can do is research.

“Go out there and talk to competent experts who can give you the information you need to actually achieve the goals you are looking for in a responsible way,” Rubin said.

It is also important to understand that success is very relative and is determined by how one views themselves.

“It matters how much you compare yourself,” Jacob* said. “I could compare myself to the elite runners who are winning Olympic gold medals and I would feel like [a] failure, or I could compare myself to the middle schoolers and I would feel really good about myself.”

For those who have mental health challenges or who know someone who is struggling, there are various resources available both in-person and online. One resource is the Montgomery County Crisis Center’s Mobile Crisis Team (MCT), which provides free emergency crisis evaluations 24 hours a day for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

It is also vital that the importance of seeking treatment be emphasized for both males and females. Only 19% of people between 12-17 are treated for their mental health issues, according to Sandstone Care.

Creatine:

A combination of amino acids naturally created in the body, Creatine assists in energy development for muscles. It is sold as a powder in many stores.

Anabolic Steroids:

The purpose of these is to essentially act as a synthetic version of testosterone that will help generate bigger muscles in an unnatural manner.

Regardless of gender, teenagers across the world are affected by mental health struggles and it is our responsibility to create a supportive community and help those in need.

“I think the best way to achieve that is for everyone to understand that mental health issues affect men as well,” Jacob* said.

Caffine:

Caffine is commonly used to keep people awake when they are tired but can also be used to give someone more energy while working out. This is commonly done in the form of preworkout or energy drinks.

*Names have been changed to respect individual privacy

stay at home seniors

Graduates share their alternative second semester plans

Aliza Bellas ManagingEditor,Copy

Each year, the majority of the senior class embarks upon the Senior Capstone Trip to Israel and Eastern Europe in place of a typical second semester schedule. However, there is also a group of students who choose to stay home for a multitude of reasons: some for financial reasons, others because they plan on attending gap year programs and some simply do not want to attend.

In light of the Israel-Hamas War that broke out on Oct. 7, the Capstone Trip became a hot topic of conversation. Although some seniors planned to stay home before the attack, others had to make a difficult decision between their comfort level in traveling to a country at war or attending a trip they’d anticipated for a lifetime. This year, however, 75% of the Class of 2024 will be attending the Israel trip with an additional 12% of the grade joining the Eastern Europe portion of the trip.

SIMON ALBERT

After coming to JDS as a freshman during the COVID-19 pandemic, senior Simon Albert first learned about the Senior Capstone Trip and felt it was a bit “distant” for him to consider at the time. Albert said he thought it was standard for Jewish day schools to take their students on Israel trips, but he also knew that his goal was to spend a gap year studying at a yeshiva in Israel. For Albert, the choice fell between the two trips, and he decided to attend yeshiva next fall instead of the capstone trip.

“In the end, I chose to go to yeshiva because it was more cost effective - it was a whole year instead of three months - and also being an Orthodox Jew, I wanted to be with people who have similar customs to me and similar experiences to myself,” Albert said. “I think I could just grow more as a person being in yeshiva as opposed to going with my grade.”

This semester, Albert plans to take on a position that will prepare him for a career in law. Although he applied for positions ranging from governmental roles to ice cream shop jobs, Albert has almost certainly settled on a position at the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.

“It will also just be a really good time for me to hone all of the skills I learned in high school such as writing, analyzing data, communicating, speaking,” Albert said. “I’m excited to hone all of those skills and to be able to work in something that I hope to do in the future.”

SIMON REICH

Coming into 12th grade, senior Simon Reich said that the idea of the Israel trip presented him with a very meaningful opportunity. However, after looking into the specific itinerary of the program, it seemed unappealing to him. Having previously been to Israel three times, the CESJDS trip seemed repetitive to Reich. He said that he feels confident in his decision to stay home from the trip, especially since he’s found closure throughout the senior year culmination events.

“I think that this past month, since the last day of school, has actually done a really good job of wrapping up our experience in high school because there have been a lot of times to come together as a complete grade, not just as friend groups,” Reich said. “...This is what we’ve worked for for a while and now it’s finally here.’”

For the next few months, Reich will be taking on the role as an assistant director for a Shakespeare play at Lumina Studio Theater in Silver Spring, traveling to England with family and possibly returning to JDS to assist with the spring Shakespeare play.

“It’ll be nice to not really worry about doing something super monumental or building a resume for college,” Reich said.

ABBY GREENBERG

Since her arrival at JDS and throughout her high school career, senior Abby Greenberg has looked forward to the Senior Capstone Trip. Greenberg said that her family never had a very strong connection with Israel and that this trip was a large factor in her connection to the state.

However, following the events of Oct. 7, Greenberg’s family was hesitant to send her on the trip for safety reasons. In the end, Greenberg’s family decided it was best for her to stay home and experience a trip to Israel during a safer time.

“I’m sad to not be going to Israel, but I know that the decision was made by me and my family for a good reason,” Greenberg said. “I pray for my peers’ safety and hope they are able to soak up their time being in Israel at such an important time in its history.”

Instead of attending the trip, Greenberg looks forward to interning for the director of Camp Timber Tops, the camp she has attended for the past eight years. She hopes to learn more about summer staff recruitment and the logistical background of a summer camp.

“I’m excited to be an intern for my camp because it’s helping get an inside look on what it’s like to work for camp and see the other side of all of the summer fun,” Greenberg said. “It’s cool to see all of the things that happen during the year that ultimately impact the summer that we have at camp.”

Photo by Dasi Albert

Photo by Rich Greenberg

Photo by Amy Eisner. All photos used with permission.

Music makers

Student band “Absent Minded” debuts in the Upper School and beyond

Gila Safra Reporter

At the last whole-school Kabbalat Shabbat of the 202223 school year, a boy band com pletely made up of eighth grade boys performed “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra. Their energetic performance exceeded expectations and ex cited many about the incoming talent. The band was soon to be come a crowd favorite.

The band consists of fresh men Ryan Klepper, Micah Harkavy, Micah Blay, David Spieler and Jonah Mitre. They joined at the end of their sev enth-grade year because they wanted to “Rickroll” the mid dle school for the final Kabba lat Shabbat of the year, a trend where you redirect someone to the song “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley. This first performance sparked the for mation of the band.

The band’s chemistry, Mitre said, is due to their friendship.

“It only started because we were friends,” Mitre said. “Be fore, it was just an excuse for us to hang out. It is always super fun, but we are also lucky to be productive.”

All of the band members are multi-instrumentalists, and their roles fluctuate depending on the song. This allows them to play more versatile music and challenge themselves with instrumentally complex pieces.

When the band first formed, Upper School instrumental music teacher Gary Prince said that they were in the band room practicing every day.

“Their consistency [is what makes them special],” Prince said. “The fact that they’re in, rehearsing together all the time, even when they have performances far in the future. They’re planning, they’re rehearsing together, way in advance.”

The band refers to themselves as “Absent Minded,”

“Absent Minded” rehearses before performing at high school Kab Shab on Feb. 23. Photo by Ruby Kotok, LT

FRESH OFF THE PRESS

A look into the Upper School student magazines

Maya Greenblum News Editor

For CESJDS high school students interested in STEM, the Bohr-Franklin Science Journal is an avenue to pursue their passions. Named after two Jewish scientists, physicist Dr. Niels Bohr and chemist Dr. Rosalind Franklin, the student-led publication writes about news, discoveries and innovations in STEM.

All of the articles in the journal fall under one of the following sections: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Technology, Engineering and Math and this year’s bonus section, Diseases and Disorders. The journal allows students to delve into a wide range of scientific subjects, and nurtures curiosity for all things relating to STEM. For adviser and high school chemistry teacher Daniela Munteanu, the core of the journal is the students.

“[The journal] allows students to combine their passion for sci-

Appealing to JDS’ Hebrew speaking community, Loa Ha’ari, or in English: The Lion’s Tongue, is the Hebrew literary magazine. Loa Ha’ari unites the student body by fulfilling the Jewish value of “Ahavat Israel,” a love for the Jewish homeland. Unlike other publications, Loa Ha’ari has become an in-class activity rather than a club, meaning that it meets exclusively during class time. The Class of 2026’s highest level Hebrew class currently acts as its staff.

Loa Ha’ari operates in groups under the guidance of its adviser, Hebrew teacher Yaffa Dagony. Each group is tasked with different responsibilities: editing the literary content, designing magazine spreads, collecting literary content through surveys or managing its media. For Israeli sophomore and editor Liem Elgrably, the Hebrew magazine holds a spe-

ence with their passion for writing, and improve their research and analytical skills,” Munteanu said.

Bohr-Franklin has published six issues since 2017, when it was launched by founders and former Editors-in-Chief Ezra Loeb (‘18) and Abigail Svoysky (‘18). Ever since, the journal has attempted to cultivate an appreciation for scientific inquiry, learning and growth. Current co-Editors-inChief, junior Noam Klein, appreciates the journal for not only its intellectual opportunities, but for its social opportunities as well.

“We’re all just very passionate about STEM. That’s what I love about it … I can just talk to people interested in STEM about STEM. If I could do that all day, I would,” Klein said.

cial place in her heart.

“It’s very unique to our school, it’s not that every school has this,” Elgrably said. “I think it’s really important to the Hebrew Department because just like there’s an English publication, they think there should be an Hebrew one too.”

Loa Ha’ari was initially designed as a creative magazine, including pieces like Hebrew poems and stories. Since beginning its publication in 2005, and as a result of the Israel-Hamas war, it has extended its focus to non-fictional works, including letters to the families of the hostages and the Israeli soldiers.

“It’s not an Israeli magazine, it’s a Jewish Day School magazine,” Dagony said. “And so we’re just proud. It is a showcase of what our students can write in Hebrew in all kinds of different subjects.”

LOA HA’ARI

Representing the community’s Spanish and Arabic speaking students, Melting Pot has been JDS’s multilingual literary magazine for 42 years. Published prior to the annual Hispanic and Arabic Honor Society inductions, the publication culminates each year with a composition of Spanish and Arabic literary artistic works.

Ranging from poems in Spanish to short stories in Arabic, the Melting Pot highlights the teaching of the World Languages Department staff and its chair, Dr. Silvia Kurlat-Ares, who is also the magazine’s adviser. Kurlat-Ares acts as a linguistic expert for her staff, using her language skills to oversee their work.

“It showcases a different aspect of what you can do with language,” Kurlat-Ares said. “[For] students, taking a language is very academic. This is much more

REFLECTIONS

Merging artistic and literary creativity skills, the Reflections Magazine serves as an outlet for students to express themselves. The magazine publishes each spring, every edition with its own theme. This school year the theme is “Magnified,” which will focus on individual voices that may not have been previously heard.

Reflections is steadfast in its mission of individual student expression, whether through personal statements, blackout poetry or nature collages, prioritizing creativity above all else. Amid her second year as Editor-in-Chief, junior Jessica Rosenberg feels her role has taught her lessons that she couldn’t learn elsewhere.

“It’s always fun seeing what people come up with because when you read someone’s poetry and their creative writing, you can get a sense for who that person is,”

MELTING POT

playful, much more of a different side of what you can do [with language].”

For the 2023-24 edition, with festivities as its theme, the Melting Pot is emphasizing the ways in which Hispanic and Arabic peoples celebrate their cultures, such as through holidays.

The American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) has even awarded Melting Pot “Outstanding Theme,” as well as “First Place with Special Merit” among a national selection of high school literary magazines for 2023. According to Editor-in-Chief and junior Soleil Eschenlauer, Melting Pot attempts to encourage student linguistic growth.

“It allows for students to share their voices, and share them using the skills that [they] are required to learn in their language classes,” Eschenlauer said.

MIDDLE SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Middle school students have been publishing editions of Collage nearly every year since 2001. Similar to Reflections, Collage is a literary magazine compiled primarily of creative writing and artwork belonging to middle school students. This year, the staff intends to broaden its scope to other types of work, including book, movie and restaurant reviews as well as current events both in our school community and beyond. Middle school English teacher David Carrington has served as Collage’s adviser for the past three years.

“When you’re in middle school, you’re learning your craft in terms of writing and art, and your audience is usually your teacher and maybe one or two classmates,” Carrington said. “What Collage allows people to do is have a broader audience.”

Collage’s staff is divided into various positions: editor-in-chief, design manager, design staff, writing manager and writing staff. Editor-in-Chief and eight grade student Lena Lourenco, a second-year staff member, has gained valuable experiences from being a part of the magazine.

Rosenberg said. “It’s an artistic way of being able to share something really personal.”

For its 2022-23 edition, the ASPA awarded Reflections a first place in its annual contest. Following this achievement, in August, Reflections welcomed a new adviser, high school English teacher Devorah Berman. With a master of fine arts in creative writing, Berman treasures writing in all forms, and is grateful for the chance to work with students that want to share their writing with others.

“Having a place for people to share their creativity is really important, and I think our school does a really good job of finding so many outlets for students to be creative,” Berman said. “[Reflections] just allows people to have a place to put that written [and visual] creativity that they have.”

“I think it allows us to explore a lot of different and unique possibilities of what our interests are,” Lourenco said. “The way that the magazine is created ... it feels like you’re really working on an actual magazine.”

Must-Visit Museums

Four underrated gems in the D.C. area

Maiya Blumenthal Opinion Editor

Connecticut Avenue

6th Street NW

Dumbarton Oaks Museum

Dumbarton Oaks is a free historical museum and garden worth visiting. The museum is split into eight galleries, each representing different artifacts focused on Byzantine and Pre-Columbian history featuring some Persian, Greek and Roman artwork. Each collection has a sign explaining the historical significance of the artwork. The museum’s garden bursts with bright greenery and colorful seasonal flowers, making visitors feel like they are walking right through a painting. Dumbarton Oaks Museum is a quick and relaxing visit with art and nature, making it a worthwhile and well-rounded experience.

Museum of Illusions

On the outskirts of CityCenterDC, the Museum of Illusions displays artwork and structures that confuse the mind. The walls of the museum are covered with paintings that direct visitors where to stand for the best photos. For visitors who seek to understand the illusions in the museum, there are signs next to each picture and structure with a scientific explanation. While the price is higher than most museums in the area at a cost of $23.95 for adults (13+), the Museum of Illusions is a unique visit that stands out amongst other Smithsonian museums nearby.

Phillips Collection

Found within Dupont Circle, the Phillips Collection is an easily accessible art museum with free entry for minors and $20 for adults. The Phillips Collection displays impressionist, post-impressionist and expressionist modern art that is not too overwhelming as the art displays are spread out across many areas. In addition to art, the Phillips Collection holds concerts on Sundays and Thursdays in their music room and has a cafe. The Phillips Collection is a calming site full of interesting modern art and is a must-see for art lovers.

National Museum of Health and Medicine

This free entry museum in Silver Spring outlines medicine throughout history across three exhibitions. The exhibit “The Collection That Teaches” uses artifacts to teach lessons about human body parts and military medicine. For a deeper focus on military medicine, the second exhibit, “Military Medicine: Challenges and Innovations,” outlines the development of military medicine over the course of wars. The third exhibit, “The Human Body: Anatomy and Pathology,” is for lovers of human biology, as they display many preserved body parts and their functions.

Photob

Photo by Maiya Blumenthal

Brookville Road

Q Street NW

Sleep Token’s “Take Me Back To Eden” is the perfect rock albUm

Modern metal is back

Jonah Mitre Guest Writer

Metal music has always been a misrepresented genre, viewed as an unstructured mesh of endless violent, unmelodic screaming and incomprehensibly distorted guitars.

But in reality, metal is so much more than these stereotypes, especially in its modern era, which has a much broader range of vocal and guitar styles. It experiments with complex song structures, implements more electronic elements and is often influenced by other genres, challenging the notion of one-dimensional aggressive sound.

A great album for those new to metal is Sleep Token’s “Take Me Back to Eden.” This album fuses modern metal with a plethora of sounds and brings many people into the genre, as it did with me.

Sleep Token is an anonymous British progressive metal band that formed in 2016. They have become notably popular after the release of their latest 12-track album, amassing over two million monthly listeners and over 330 million streams on the album itself. The band’s surge in popularity can be attributed to the album’s diverse musical landscape, blending elements of R&B, pop, jazz and some elements of funk and trap.

The song that highlights the band’s versatility the most is “The Summoning.” This song begins with an alternating pattern of heavy guitar riffs and clean ethereal choruses, transitions into a jazzy guitar

solo and ultimately ends with a funk bridge and refrain. I listened to this song before I was even remotely interested in metal, yet couldn’t hold back a grin throughout its three different yet incredibly well-executed sections.

Lyrically, the album is very intricate with metaphors and references to the band’s enduring cult-themed lore. However, I still found it very enjoyable as someone who hadn’t initially listened to their discography. On the surface, it touches on themes of troubling relationships, suicide, depression and self-exploration.

I found the electro-pop track “DYWTYLM” (Do You Wish That You Loved Me?) to be particularly moving. Although a bit unpolished, I appreciate the song’s upbeat sound that contrasts with its depressing lyrics. Vessel, the pseudonym of Sleep Token’s vocalist, initially appears to be speaking wi his partner in a problematic relationship, though later in the song reveals that he is speaking to himself and contemplating self-acceptance.

The vocal flexibility of Vessel is probably the most notable aspect of the album overall. Vessel seamlessly balances clean soulful vocals in tracks like “Are You Really Okay?” and “Euclid” with harsh screams in tracks like the heavily ambient title track, and most notably, the blackgaze influenced “Vore.” There are R&B inspired vocals and instrumentals in tracks like “Granite,” “Ascensionism” and the most beautiful song in the album, “Aqua Regia.” There are even pop influences, such as in tracks “Rain” and “The Apparition.” The album utilizes an abundance of inspirations, yet still cleanly blends the traditional guitar and other instrumental tones of modern metal.

“Take Me Back To Eden” is a creative, and utterly genre-defying alternative metal album. It is accessible, yet still genuinely implements aspects of modern metal. It has completely shifted my music taste, and I hope it leaves you with a sense of how metal music can sound today.

album spotlight

“I Let It In And Took Everything” by Loathe

“Eternal Blue” by Spiritbox

“Finding God Before God Finds Me” by Bad Omens

“Fortitude” by Gojira

“Take Me Back To Eden’s” album cover.

Photo from spinefarmrecords.com

Photo from sharptonerecords.com

Photo from riserecords.com

Photo from sumerianrecords.com

Photo from gojira-music.com

The Of dining Heights

Diverse local food hall

Vivi Ducker Features Editor

Whether you like spicy or mild tastes, global or local cuisines, sit-down or food hall-style dining, the newly opened The Heights food hall is worth the visit. Every person who visits the food hall is sure to find something they love.

The Heights, Friendship Heights’ newest dining experience, contains a mix of global foods and conceptual stalls. Friendship Heights, an area with an infamously paltry selection of restaurants, finally welcomed the food hall after a multi-month delay in opening this past December.

The Heights has a modern and trendy layout. For people who may not enjoy food halls, there is a full-service restaurant, Urbano, located in the back of the venue. Some aspects of the traditional food hall models did feel empty due to the uniform sign and decor of each stall, but the venue was photogenic and had an amazing atmosphere all around.

One of the many benefits of this food hall is its accessibility, as the hall is located right above the Friendship Heights metro station. Along with this, the food hall has ample parking on the nearby side streets and parking garages. The Heights is stationed in the Wisconsin place redevelopment, recently occupied by Anthropology.

The Heights has eight stalls of all different cuisines including deli-style, Thai, Jap -

anese, Cuban, Indian, Middle Eastern, American and more.

The highlight of my experience at the food hall was the sushi from a stall called Doki Doki. I ordered a salmon avocado roll ($8). The fish tasted fresh and the avocado was perfectly ripe. Along with this, customers can see the sushi being made right before them, a much appreciated feature of a sushi restaurant, further reflected in the high-quality taste. The roll was perfectly assembled and you could taste the detail in each bite. The stall itself and the surrounding seating was also clean and comfortable.

MUST-TRY

Another favorite was the Lebanese-inspired food from the Yasmin stall. I got a small order of falafel ($6) and a hummus to-go ($7). The falafel was beautifully green and perfectly cooked. The Egyptian style hummus used fava beans instead of chickpeas, and was very flavorful with the toppings of olive oil and sumac. The food tasted authentic and vibrant, especially with the palatable various sauces and seasonings.

From DC Dosa, I ordered a dosa, a south Indian savory crepe dish, with a yellow lentil base, masala potatoes and onion tamarind sauce ($15). The dosa was spicy, with a buildyour-own type menu that is completely vegetarian and very unique. While I wouldn’t consider the dosa my favorite dish, traditional South Indian dosas are difficult to find in

the D.C., so it was nice to have an opportunity to try something new. The dosa could easily be shared among many and is a unique dish to change up your regular meals.

Another interesting dish I tried was from the Thai stall, Sky Lantern. I got an order of the vegetable spring rolls ($8). The rolls had a fantastic crunch and were paired with the sweet dipping sauce that balanced perfectly with the savoriness of the vegetable spring rolls. While you can perhaps find many, better, spring rolls in the area, they are still quite good.

Overall, The Heights had a wide assortment of food that can appeal to any and all palates. All of the dishes were flavorful and enjoyable.

The Heights is an ideal dining experience. Aside from the convenient location of the food hall, there was extensive seating capacity. There were comfortable and clean seating areas even during the busy midday rush on a Saturday.

For a fun and different meal experience, The Heights is a must-visit location with seemingly endless food options and a cool atmosphere.

FALAFEL FROM YASMIN

SPRING ROLL FROM SKY LANTERN

INDIAN DOSA FROM DC DOSA

The Heights food hall offers various food styles through various stalls in the diner. Photo by Vivi Ducker, LT

Photos by Vivi Ducker, LT

Web

out

Tali Loeffler SportsEditor

The sterling reputation of the Spider-Man franchise led viewers to anticipate great things from Marvel and Sony’s newest movie “Madame Web,” which premiered on Feb. 14. However, the movie failed to live up to its expectations because of its predictable plot line, surface-level characters and dull script.

The movie follows the main character Cassie Webb, played by actress Dakota Johnson, as she explores her supernatural powers. This leads to her uniting with three teenage girls, Julia Carpenter, Anya Corazon and Mattie Franklin, played by Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced and Celeste O’Connor, to protect them from

THROUGH THE YEARS

New Spider-man film disappoints

a villain relating to her mother’s past. Through her discoveries, Cassie uncovers more about who she is and what she must do to protect the girls.

The villain, Ezekiel, appears to have been an important acquaintance of Cassie’s mother. He reveals his ability to climb on walls like a spider.

Because of the previously well-known cast, including fan-favorites like Johnson and Sydney Sweeney, there was strong potential for great acting and emotional depth in the characters. Regardless of this, the relationships between Cassie and the teenage girls developed too quickly and stereotypically. The quick shift from disliking the girls to feeling responsible for them was unrealistic and disappointed viewers.

However, the movie also included many jumpscares with an overall eerie vibe, giving viewers a thrill that enhanced the movie and gave it a depth that we don’t see in all Spider-Man movies.

Despite the mysterious tone, the plot was shallow and predictable. In contrast to other Marvel movies that include elements of surprise and different plot twists, “Madame Web” followed a typical narrative arc that was boring for viewers as it could be easily anticipated early on. The storyline was unoriginal and felt like a compilation of other Marvel movies combined into one.

The screenwriting was gener-

ic and full of unnecessary, cheesy lines that hindered the plot and development of characters. Both the dialogue between the characters and the various monologues felt cliche and lacked substance. When Cassie goes to visit Santiago to search for answers, a friend of her mother’s, she is told, “When you take on the responsibility, great power will come.” This line felt extremely easily anticipated, and much of the script reflected similar, predictable writing.

One of the movie’s strengths was its action scenes and its visual production in general. The special effects that were included with Cassie’s powers added to the plot and helped give the movie extra excitement.

At the end of the movie, I was left with unanswered questions about the plot, the characters and the resolution. Most Spider-Man movies feature a climax filled with surprise and excitement; however, this movie lacked this key element. Cassie’s fate seems unexplained and unrelated to the rest of the movie. Additionally, the future of the three teenagers is unresolved and there are no hints for what might happen next.

Despite the popular actors and eye-catching special effects, the two-hour film was not satisfying. “Madame Web” failed to reach its potential and isn’t worth the watch.

SPIDER-VERSE

SPIDER-MAN 2002

SPIDER-MAN 2 2004

SPIDER-MAN 3 2007

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2012

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 2014

SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING 2017

SPIDER-MAN FAR FROM HOME 2019

SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME 2021

MADAME WEB 2024

Photos from Disney and Sony

climb to the top

New rock climbing club brings options to JDS athletics

Sophie Schwartz OpinionEditor

After trying a plethora of CESJDS sports teams such as track, basketball and volleyball, freshman Lilah Sacks was left dissatisfied with her choices for athletics. Rather than continuing to try other sports that JDS offers, she decided to take the unorthodox route and create her own after school sports club: the rock climbing club.

At the beginning of the school year, Sacks reached out to Director of Athletics Becky Silberman to see if rock climbing was of interest to the student body. Silberman then sent out an interest form, where the club gained its other two members, juniors Boaz Dauber and Abby Chesman.

“[In seventh grade] I was in a class with people and I learned basic skills of rock climbing, and I would just climb for hours on end and I really enjoyed it,” Chesman said. “And then it all shut down due to COVID-19. So this year, when I found out that they were trying to start a rock climbing club, I thought it would be a good chance to rekindle an old interest of mine.”

A non-competitive practice team, the rock climbing club meets Mondays and Wednesdays at Movement, located in Rockville.

It is around a 10-minute drive from the Upper School campus.

The club also does not have a coach or advisor, which makes Sacks’ role as the clubs president crucial to the functioning of the club. She has to perform logistical tasks to ensure the club can meet, such as communicating with the members of the club and Movement. However, Sacks said her love for rock climbing makes it worth it.

“I love rock climbing because when I climb, I get a kind of rush that I don’t get from other sports or other activities, and it’s just more fun to me than other sports,” Sacks said. “I don’t think it’s that hard of a sport to learn how to do… it’s pretty simple and it’s really fun to do, and to learn how to do. You’ll also get a lot stronger.”

At times, having only three people in the club creates unique challenges because there needs to be two or more people at Movement for anyone to climb as one person has to belay the other. Although it can be a struggle, members have found that the size of the club has allowed them to build a tight-knit friendships. While members appreciate the friendship they found in the club, it also serves other purposes for them. For Dauber, the club has allowed him to remain in shape in the

Learn the Lingo

Belay: Rope and anchor system to stop a falling climber

Carabiner: Metal clip connecting climbing systems

Rappelling: Descending down a rock face

Bouldering: Climbing without ropes

off-season of his main sport, volleyball, which was partially what sparked his interest in joining the club.

“I’m using [rock climbing] as preseason training because it’s a way for me to get stronger and prepare for the volleyball season,” Dauber said. “I think of it as a way just to get stronger in general before I focus on volleyball.”

For Chesman, who was having difficulty earning her sports credits, this club has served as a way for her to receive the 50 required hours she needs to get her out-ofschool credit. The flexibility and lack of demand of the schedule helps her balance her many extracurriculars.

The club is expected to run until the middle of March. Sacks is trying to continue it as a spring sport option and the team hopes that it will be offered next year.

“I really want to grow the club,” Sacks said. “It’s hopefully going to stay as a winter sport. But I think it would be awesome if we could get more people to do it. I think a lot of people feel the same way as I did and didn’t feel like they had a place in the sports at JDS but there are other options, and I’d be really excited if more people wanted to join.”

Freshman Lilah Sacks and junior Boaz Dauber work to scale a climbing wall at Movement Climbing Gym. Photos by Boaz Dauber and Abby Chesman, LT & Dimensions

Dino to dartmouth

Cati Werbin-Gradel Arts & Entertainment Editor

Junior Dino Becker breathed a sigh of relief as he hung up the phone with the head soccer coach at Dartmouth College. It was Nov. 14, not even halfway through his third year of high school, and he had just verbally committed to play Division I soccer in college.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to showcase my skills at Dartmouth,” Becker said. “Meeting new teammates, experiencing the college atmosphere and competing in matches every week are things I’m really looking forward to, and being committed is just so relieving and crazy, like a weight off my chest.”

Becker has always been passionate about soccer and he feels that the sport gives him an unique opportunity to push himself while building strong relationships with his teammates.

“I’ve liked [soccer] my whole life and there was never a point where I was like, ‘I don’t wanna do this.’ I’ve always wanted to do it,” Becker said. “I like the support from lots of teammates and just being in a comfortable

his skills. Becker spent two years at Benfica Soccer School before returning to Bethesda Soccer for U15 and MLS in his freshman year of high school, a more intense and competitive league at Bethesda Soccer to play at a higher level.

Though the switch to a harder level was difficult, it helped Becker grow as a player and he finished his sophomore year as the top scorer of the East Coast with 37 goals. These accomplishments led Becker to join the D.C. United Academy, where he is now playing at his highest level of soccer yet.

“I coached Dino last year and he showed exceptional skills both on and off the ball,” Becker’s Bethesda coach Kert Mease said. “He demonstrated a profound understanding of the game, and his ball control and decision-making truly set him apart.”

Becker’s family has played a large role in his soccer career, whether it is cheering him on at games or driving him to practices and games, they are there to support him every step of the way.

“Kicking the ball from a young age, we could see that he had potential…,” Becker’s father Andres Becker said. “He started developing and he was very good for his level … I’m very proud of him and his accomplishments.”

Junior commits to

Dream Teams

DC United Academy Leesburg, Va. 2023-present

Bethesda Soccer Soccerplex, Wootten High School 2011-2018, 2020-2022

Though universities were not allowed to officially reach out to Becker until June 15 of 2023, coaches scouted Becker out at his games and asked his coaches about his play. After June 15, schools like University of Pennsylvania, Wake Forest University, University of Maryland and others began reaching out to Becker to make offers.

After much deliberation, Becker ultimately decided to commit to Dartmouth as they expressed a strong desire to have him on their soccer team, as well as an opportunity to start as a freshman, something not common in college athlet-

In addition to his family, Becker’s teammates have

Dartmouth University Hanover, NH Future

also expressed immense pride in Dino for his hard work and dedication to soccer, including Patrick O’Conner from Bethesda Soccer.

“Dino worked day in and day out to get to where he is today, and he deserves every bit of success,” Becker’s O’Connor said. “I’ve known Dino for about two years now and I’m excited to see where Dino goes in life.”

Looking ahead, Becker aspires to make a name for himself in the professional soccer world, and hopes to win rookie of the year during his freshman year at Dartmouth. He intends to continue his passion in a professional setting, and maybe someday on a global scale.

“My goal is to first make a name for myself in the college world for soccer,” Becker said. “... I definitely need to improve at Dartmouth and I’m looking forward to it.”

*Dino was a player for Benfica from 2018-2020

Used with permission by Fernando Molina

Used with permission by Mayoral Sports

Used with permission by Francis Forte

Used with permission by Molina Art and Matthew Acholla

SEASON SHOWDOWN

Winter sports come to a close

Ruby Kotok Features Editor

The 2023-24 winter sports season consisted of ten teams across middle school and high school. CESJDS athletics introduced the new girls JV basketball team, and positive team dynamics underscored the season. Although no championship titles were secured, many teams concluded their seasons with winning records.

Girls Basketball: Following an 11-8 record, a second place ranking at the Israel Becker International Invitational Basketball Tournament (Becker Tournament) in Toronto, Canada and a strong start at the Feb. 15 championship game against Spencerville Adventist Academy Hornets, CESJDS girls varsity basketball ultimately lost 53-40. The team went into the game “facing adversity,” according to sophomore Ella Longman, with a sick player among other issues. And although the team was able to start the game with a lead, their opponents out-rebounded and out-scored them the remainder of the game. However, this loss did not define the team. Steadfast teammate connections were what truly shone through this season, Longman said.

“There were a lot of tears but everbody was just enjoying our last moments together.”

- Sophomore Ella Longman

“[After the game] we all just sat and talked for an hour, and everybody was just at peace with it,” Longman said. “And there were a lot of tears but everybody was just enjoying our last moments together. And then we all went out to dinner after this, showing how strong of a connection our team had.”

THE RECORD

The team has a senior class of five players, including Shani Schwartz. Schwartz holds over 1,000 points (a milestone she reached last season) throughout her high school career. In the upcoming season, the team dynamic will undoubtedly shift as a result, according to Longman.

“We’re definitely gonna have big shoes to fill with Shani’s scoring, but I think it’s going to be pretty well dispersed between a bunch of players,” Longman said. “I’m excited to see how we all take on our new leadership roles on the team.”

Additionally, girls junior varsity basketball was added as a team for the first time this season. Concluding the season with a 4-5 record, the team has planted the seeds for the future of girls JV.

Boys Basketball: The boys varsity basketball fell short in the Feb. 13 semifinals against Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy. With eight players in the senior class, the departure of the Class of 2024 will make an impact on the team, sophomore Cyrus Blumenthal said. However, Blumenthal believes that a strong team dynamic will continue even after the seniors leave.

“We have great chemistry every game before the game. We’re always joking around and having fun even with our coaches,” Blumenthal said.

The team concluded the season with an 11-8 record after losing to Berman in the semifinals. After most of the regular season, they headed into the Becker Tournament. Despite going into the tournament finals with confidence, the team ultimately lost.

“We were all very confident going into it [the tournament finals game]. But they just had our number and they outplayed us, and I think they were winning by 20 something at halftime,” Blumenthal said. “We were just ex-

hausted, and that was just a huge letdown, but I think that’s important for every team to have adversity like that, to be able to fight through that. And I think we’ve come out stronger since then.”

Boys JV basketball concluded the season with a 12-4 record, sporting a second place ranking in the league. After a close regulation game with a buzzer-beating, game-tying three by sophomore Caden Mont, the Lions were unable to finish in overtime. However, having lost merely one in-conference game the entire season, the team maintained a winning record throughout the winter.

Dance Team: The varsity dance team performed twice this season, showcasing their student-choreographed dances at Kab Shab and basketball senior night. The team is both a winter and spring sport, so newly elected captains are already anticipating their next moves for the upcoming season. New captain and junior Navah Gris noted the unavoidable shift in the dance team dynamic which will follow the departure of the squad’s five seniors.

“I think a challenge with new people on the team is trying to get

12-4 JV Boys Basketball

them engaged in the dance team, especially after losing so many people,” Gris said. “But, we’re hoping to keep the same fun vibes going.”

According to Gris, space was a difficulty for the team this year, as there were many more practice team dancers than in prior seasons. To remedy this, the team shifted one of their two practices each week from the school cafeteria to a real dance studio at the Bender JCC.

Wrestling: Similarly, the wrestling team struggled with logistics early in the season. The limited space in the cafeteria was not optimal for practice, prompting the team to hold some practices at Pure Performance, a gym across the street.

Sophomore Adan Magnas is one of few experienced wrestlers with three years on the team. Other notable wrestlers include freshmen Zoya Wexler and Jonah Soffler. The remaining teammates’ experience varies, providing the group with a wide range of skill sets. To cater to these differing skills, training includes a variety of drills and exercises. The team does cardio, acrobatic drills,

8-5

strength exercises and “live wrestling,” Magnas said.

According to Magnas, the team often had to forfeit matches, as their smaller team does not have wrestlers for each weight class. However, the team also hosted their first home meet since before COVID-19 on Feb. 22, marking their growth as a larger, more recognized team.

Winter Track: While winter track is not a competition season, students eager to maintain their running fitness for spring track continue to practice during the winter. With time trials and practices, runners have been preparing for the spring season.

Swimming: On Feb. 8, the swim team competed at University of Maryland at the Potomac Valley Conference finals. The team participated in multiple races, and the girls finished in third place overall. Read more about the swim team at lionstale.org.

Middle School Girls Basketball

10-5

Middle School Boys Basketball

Top Left: Senior Dalya Brickman stands front and center as she performs her last dance with the team on Jan. 29.

Bottom Left: At his final practice, senior Jordan Levy, left, swims an 100-meter lap with his teammate.

Top Right: Sophomore Theo Rothenberg and freshman Micah Blay compete at practice before their final match.

Bottom Right: Juniors Jonah Berman and Nathan Szubin lead members of the team on a run during practice.

Center: Members of the girls varsity basketball team cheer on their teamates during their championship game.

SPRING SPORT which SPRING SPORT should you

team or individual?

sneakers or cleats?

play?

INDIVIDUAL

START HERE: eye black or sunglasses?

SNEAKERS CLEATS

CASUAL

OUTDOOR

meet or match?

GATORADE BLUE

MATCH FANCY MEET SHORTS

fancy or casual? blue or gold?

NO GEAR