December 2023—Silver Chips Print

silverchips A public forum for student expression since 1937 Montgomery Blair High School

December 5, 2023

Young people respond to Oct. 7 aftermath Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources.

In response to ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas, students at college campuses around the nation have refused to remain silent. At universities such as Columbia, Cornell, and Harvard, passionate supporters of both Israel and Palestine have protested and flooded social media platforms, sparking further conflict and controversy.

These students add to the hundreds of thousands of people across the U.S. voicing their discontent with the situation in Israel and Gaza, as well as the Biden Administration’s response.

On Nov. 4, tens of thousands filled the streets of Washington, D.C. for a pro-Palestine march demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. 10 days later, tens of thousands took to the same streets to show their

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solidarity with Israel.

Alex Spero was one of a bus full of Cornell students who joined demonstrators at the March for Israel in D.C. After a Cornell junior posted threats online to kill Jewish students, Spero and his peers decided to join the D.C. protest in support of Israel. “It’s important … staying with Israel and marching against antisemitism … during troubled times,” he says.

John, who marched for Palestine in D.C., is an organizer of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at the University of Maryland (UMD), which aims to educate the student body about injustice in Palestine. “Protests [and] sit-ins [that] attract attention are really valuable.

Demonstrations unite people and [are a] public display of our resilience,” John says. John adds that the outbreak of war in Gaza has increased interest in the SJP’s cause.

Prior to Oct. 7, there were nine months of protests in Israel as Benjamin Netanyahu’s government pushed through a law that attempted to cancel the Israeli court’s ability to block government actions and appointments. The Israeli Su-

preme Court then faced the choice of accepting the law and losing their power, or potentially having Netanyahu’s government ignore the court’s ruling, leading to a constitutional crisis. This led to hundreds of thousands of Israelis taking to the streets between January and October 2023.

On Oct. 7 Hamas—a Muslim fundamentalist and terrorist group in control of Gaza—bypassed Israeli defenses and killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and abducted over 200 hostages, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and called up 300,000 reserve troops to prepare for combat. Later that day, Israel began a bombardment of Gaza that has killed more than 15,000 people, or more than one out of every 200 Gazans, a population mostly made up of women and children. On Nov. 24, Israel and Hamas agreed to a temporary ceasefire for the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. On Nov. 30, the bombing resumed.

NEWS

FEATURES

Enclave Tenants Association

Tenants at the Silver Spring apartment complex protest unfair living conditions. A2

see OCT. 7 page D5

Outdoor Ed

MCPS environmental education program celebrates 60 year anniversary. D3

PHOTO BY MADELINE GOLD

Blair girls soccer makes history

By Eloise Carter and Dyan Nguyen Staff Writer & Sports Editor On Nov. 17, Blair students, staff, and families packed rows of seats, equipped with signs and red apparel, to cheer on the girls’ varsity soccer team at the Loyola University Ridley Athletic Complex in their state finals game. The fans were on the edge of their seats as they waited for the team to step onto the field. This was the first time in program history that the team made it to the state finals.

The journey to the finals started approximately three months earlier, during preseason. To prepare for their season, the team played eight scrimmages and had practices six days a week. Senior midfielder Elizabeth Poulson believes that it was the preseason where the team built their bond and chemistry for the year. “We definitely had some struggles [during preseason], but we really came together [by the end] and felt more like a developed and connected team,” she says.

CULTURE

Women in the Arts Museum

Following renovations, D.C.’s National Museum of Women in the Arts reopens. E1

By working out the kinks in preseason, the team was able to exhibit outstanding performance in their regular season. “We had our best start ever. We won our first nine [games] in a row. We were perfect at home. A record that can’t ever be broken,” Robert Gibb, Blair girls’ varsity soccer coach says. The team’s regular season ended with a 10-2 record, losing to top schools Whitman and Churchill.

Driving this success was the team’s dynamic. “Every person [was] able to trust each other with everything and [was] communicating on and off the field, even on the bench. We set the tone for each other,” sophomore striker Meron Koro says.

Junior midfielder Natalie Mullens notes a balance between dedication and the joyous environment of the team. “It’s kind of interesting, because we are going for this super competitive, win it all kind of thing, but as a team we are very silly, very fun,” she explains. see GIRLS’ SOCCER page F1

SPORTS

MCPS booster clubs

Differences in booster club funding across the county creates sport inequities. F2

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A2 News December 5, 2023 NEWS BRIEFS Compiled by Diego Santoro-Velez Staff Writer

Proposed MoCo bill to require menstrual products in public restrooms On Nov. 15, Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando proposed bill 42-23, the Menstrual Products Access and Equity Act. The bill requires facilities that are mandated to contain public restrooms, such as restaurants and county buildings, to provide menstrual products at no additional cost to the user.

In an interview with WTOP News, Jawando compared the menstrual products to “clean running water, a functioning toilet, toilet paper and soap.” Fellow Councilmember Kristin Mink echoed Jawando’s point on the importance of menstrual products.

Fellow Councilmember Kristin Mink has announced her support for the bill.

A hearing on the bill took place on Dec. 5 at 1:30 p.m.

Apartments to be added to Ellsworth Place shopping center

America First Legal, a national right-wing legal group, and two Montgomery County residents filed litigation suing the BOE, Superintendent Monifa McKnight, and six school system staff members, claiming that the groups violated their First Amendment rights and their rights under the Maryland Open Meetings Act. The residents in the case—Matthew Foldi and Bethany Mandel— are two right-wing politicians and commentators. Foldi previously ran for a seat in the 2022 Republican primary in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District and Mandel is a writer for multiple publications, including Fox News and The New York Post.

The case stems from the residents feeling they were denied the chance to join an open session board meeting in person on June 27. Because of the heightened scrutiny and attention on the BOE meeting, it was limited to scheduled speakers and invited attendees for safety purposes.

Foldi’s and Mandel’s complaints first arose with the introduction of 22 LGBTQ-themed books for classroom use with no way to opt students out from instruction pertaining to the books.

A preliminary discussion for the case occurred on Dec. 5.

Over 150 tenants from the Enclave apartment complex in Silver Spring held a press conference outside of the buildings to protest unsafe living conditions on Oct. 19. The press conference followed ongoing health and safety issues, including over 3,000 code violations during a February inspection of the building.

During the protest, tenants held signs with slogans including, “People Over Profits” and “Tenant Power” as they publicly voiced their concerns. The group was joined by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, County Councilmember Kristin Mink, and Maryland State Delegate Lorig Charkoudian.

Frustrated and upset over persistent pest infestations, broken elevators, and water heating systems, the Enclave Tenants Association, an organization of residents who formed in early October, hoped that the attention from the press conference would force management to act. Ann Keasling, the Housing Justice Organizer at Progressive Maryland, is working to help organize the Enclave Tenants Association so that it can withstand the challenge of tenant turnover.

“Ultimately [the Enclave] is a business, and what they care about is their bottom line, when they start getting bad press. That’s a deterrent for investors, that just looks bad for their business,” Keasling said.

In addition to their press conference, the Enclave Tenants Association sent a letter on Oct. 19 to Hampshire Properties and Rose Valley Management, who currently manage operations at the Enclave, urging them to address their numerous health, safety, and infrastructure concerns. “The Enclave has endured prolonged neglect of tenant complaints and county citations, resulting in escalating issues, including pest infestations and hazardous mold. Security rollbacks have left tenants feeling vulnerable and unsafe in their homes. Additionally, recurrent elevator malfunctions have caused substantial distress and inconvenience for all residents,” the letter read.

In the letter, the tenants association also requested better safety measures, including functional CCTV Surveillance Systems in all buildings, 24 hour concierge desks in the lobby of each building, immediate and effective pest control measures, better elevator maintenance to ensure continuous functionality, and timely and effective maintenance responses.

The Enclave Tenants Association received a response on Oct. 26 from management which addressed each of the demands.

Rose Valley Management stated they did not intend to reinstate concierge service and referred to a third party for CCTV Surveillance System maintenance. They also claimed to have a pest control plan in place and emphasized a partnership between management and tenants. Keasling described the Association’s reaction to the response as disheartened. “Their response was overall, so much frustration and I want to say disappointment, but it’s not really disappointment because no one was surprised. This was largely what we had anticipated as a response to the letter, but people were angry,” Keasling said.

During a Feb. 7 inspection of the property, the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) issued 3,317 code violations which included broken services such as HVAC and elevator systems, along with consistent pest and mold problems across the 1,119 units. This high level of code violations and citations issued is not new. In 2019, the DHCA found more than 2,500 health and safety violations including persistent and widespread mold, and mice and roach infestations in the complex.

Ultimately [the Enclave] is a business, and what they care about is their bottom line, when they start getting bad press.

That’s a deterrent for investors, that just looks bad for their business.

A troubled property Regulations enacted in 2019 created a “troubled” and “at risk” list for properties that do not comply with Chapter 29 of the Montgomery County Code, which outlines violations such as infestations, mold growth, and water leakage. These properties are required to create and implement an action plan that details the specific actions the landlord will take to correct ongoing violations, and prevent future violations as much as possible.

Nathan Bovelle, the Chief of Community Development at the Department of Housing and Community Affairs said the “troubled” designation is based on a building’s code violations. “When we do an inspection, a property can be designated as troubled which means that it either has a high number of violations, or a high

PHOTOS BY KENEAN BIZUWORK

THE ENCLAVE APARTMENTS Many tenants report safety and health issues in the complex. number of high severity violations or both,” he said. “The Enclave ended up troubled because of the number of violations and [severity of] violations. The last inspection that we conducted at that property resulted in over 3,000 violations.”

Of the 80,017 rental units in Montgomery County, 8,040 units were identified as troubled in 2023. 14 percent of those designated troubled are at the Enclave.

Normally, multifamily residences like the Enclave are inspected every three years; however, properties on the “troubled” list are subjected to annual inspections from the Department of Housing and Community Affairs in Montgomery County. 100 percent of the Enclave’s units are to be inspected in 2024.

If landlords do not attempt to address the violations and make repairs, a citation and fine are issued and a court hearing is scheduled. As of Oct. 18, there are 1,227 citations for The Enclave property being pursued in court; however, the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to backlogged courts. “The courts have been so backed up, that it takes a long time for a citation to be heard in court right now. It can take up to six months for a case to actually go to court and to be heard,” Bovelle explained.

To spur the landlord and managers to address the building’s ongoing issues and move improvement efforts forward, county and state elected officials have joined the Enclave Tenant Association.

Charkoudian attended the press conference to support her constituents after seeing years of mismanagement. “I’ve been working with Enclave residents for a number of years. Since I got elected five years ago, we have had just nonstop problems with that particular building,” Charkoudian said in an interview with Silver Chips.

Fighting for tenant protections Yet, some officials believe regulations and legislation to effectively hold landlords accountable should be improved. Mink is among those attempting to draft better regulations to force landlords to act. “The question has been, ‘does the county lack the tools to make landlords shape up?’ Or are we not adequately using the tools that we have at our disposal,” Mink said in an interview with Silver Chips. “Over these many months of working with the executive branch to find every line of code that could help us crack down further at the Enclave, our conclusion has been that we lack the adequate tools.”

Charkoudian spoke of two state bills that are currently being drafted to help address buildings that are systematically problematic, in an effort to protect tenants from facing landlord retaliation and ensure solutions to health and safety concerns. “There’s two policies, and one is related to allowing tenants as a group to hold their rent in escrow, and the second is Just Cause Eviction,” Charkoudian said. Neither policies have made it to the desk of the governor, but are currently being deliberated in the Maryland State House. The former would allow a group of tenants to keep their rent in a separate account inaccessible by the landlord until repairs are made, while the latter would allow tenants more stability in their rental agreements by forcing the landlord to give a reason for the termination of the contract.

In the past, organization ef-

I’ve been working with Enclave residents for a number of years.

Since I got elected five years ago, we have had just nonstop problems with that particular building.

LORIG CHARKOUDIAN

MCPS school board sued over free speech

By Carina Nicodemus and Caleb Plank Staff Writer & Design Editor

ANN KEASLING

Ellsworth Place is not only receiving new restaurants, including Outback Steakhouse and Commas food hall, but is also growing taller, with residential space being built on top of the mall’s existing building. The project will add 300 feet in height to the mall, and aims to include about 425,593 square feet of residential space on the 91,248 square feet of available land, according to the Source of the Spring. It will contain 450 multifamily units of housing that are moderately priced to meet county standards of Moderately Priced Dwelling Units, affordably priced homes offered to first time home buyers. GBT Realty sent plans soon after the site’s purchase, informing the county of the group’s decision to expand the Silver Spring location.

Residents of The Enclave protest poor living conditions

forts at the Enclave have been thwarted because the lack of tenant protections forced the leader of a previous association to move out. “There was a previous tenants association at the Enclave a while back, and the person who led that effort was retaliated against. His lease was not renewed, and he was forced to move out,” Mink said. Currently, under the Montgomery County Landlord-Tenant Handbook, tenants have the right to form, join, meet, or assist one another within or without tenant organizations, and to meet and confer with the landlord through representatives of their own choosing.

Mink believes the lack of protections is part of what makes it hard for tenants to hold their landlords and management accountable. “The only real tool that tenants have to generate some accountability … is public embarrassment and public press ure, ” Mink said. “When that’s their only tool, but they don’t have the ability to prevent themselves from being evicted as a result of that, that’s an extremely precarious situation that we’re putting our most at risk tenants in.”

silverchips

December 5, 2023 News A3

MCPS promises electric buses, buys diesel

By Sela Colavito Culture Editor

MCPS requested approval from the school board for a $14.7 million emergency purchase of 90 special education diesel buses on Oct. 12, despite having pledged in 2021 to eventually transition to an all-electric school bus fleet by 2035.

In adherence to Montgomery County’s Climate Action Plan’s commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2027 and 100 percent by 2035, the BOE allocated $1.3 million to replace diesel school buses with electric ones. To achieve the goal of electrifying transportation, MCPS entered into a contract with Highland—a national organization that works to aid school districts in implementing sustainable transportation. The county made an agreement to pay $40,000 per bus annually, while Highland pays for the installation of charging ports, energy, and maintenance. In order to cover the costs, Highland received an $817,000 grant from the Maryland Energy Association. For MCPS, this deal makes the transition from diesel to electric possible, as the fixed cost of the electric buses is far too high for the county to afford. Since Highland covers the difference between a diesel and an electric model, MCPS pays the same amount that they typically pay for diesel buses.

On Nov. 1, student interns with the climate justice advocacy group Black, Indigenous, and People of Color MOCO Green Deal interns gathered in front of the MCPS

BOE headquarters to protest the diesel bus purchase. Students, parents, and activists joined the group.

Emily Lee, Blair sophomore and Green Deal intern, attended and spoke at the demonstration. Lee explained that holding MCPS accountable to their sustainability commitment was central to the mission of the protest. “It was more just to bring attention and … to show them that we aren’t gonna just let [the purchase] slide and ignore it … and act like everything’s fine,” she said.

In an interview with MoCo360,

As the peak season for Valley Fever approaches the American West, concerns regarding the scale of this year’s infection rates have significantly increased. More than 500,000 people may be affected by Valley Fever by the end of 2023; while the CDC only covers a fraction of these cases, preliminary estimates still predict that this number will only grow in the years to come. Given Valley Fever’s ability to spread in dry arid climates, many believe that climate change is to blame.

Valley Fever is an airborne infection caused by the inhalation of coccidioides, a type of flesh-eating fungus also known colloquially as “cocci.” In many cases, symptoms are similar to that of a standard respiratory illness, such as increased body temperature and coughing.

However, rarer cases can entail more severe symptoms such as skin and bone lesions, paralysis, and can even result in death. Elderly individuals, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems, are at a higher risk of developing severe symptoms

gravated as a result of a changing and volatile climate. For example, arboviruses—viruses that are spread by mosquitoes, ticks, and other arthropods—were primarily exacerbated by erratic rainfall and increasing temperatures. Since a damp, warm environment is ideal for these parasites, the rainfall contributed to the spread of pests and the diseases they carried such as malaria, dengue, and lyme disease, to name a few.

Foodborne illnesses are also worsened by climate change, wherein unstable ecosystems can lead to a disproportionate population of pests that can not only destroy acres of farmland, but also transmit diseases by propagating them in crops.

Waterborne diseases are also a major problem due to significant water pollution in urban or industrial areas. For example, one

of the most polluted rivers in the world, the Ganges in India, has been directly linked to cholera and dysentery cases throughout its watershed.

Some environmental advocates, including student activists, believe that raising awareness about these diseases may be a step toward getting the public to support better climate policy. “I think it really could help show what’s wrong with why climate change is a problem we need to pay attention to. But I think that a lot of the people who aren’t paying attention to climate change aren’t going to be moved by new science showing that diseases are being exacerbated by climate change,” Blair senior Evan Willson says. “That isn’t going to be the tipping point, but it might be for some people, and any people realizing that climate change is a problem is a good thing.”

GRAPHIC BY AMEN LEMIESA | DATA COURTESY OF MARYLAND LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS

MCPS BUYS NEW DIESEL BUSES This year, the county added 90 diesel school buses to its fleet despite promises to transition to electric.

BOE President Karla Silvestre claimed that the electric buses were ordered, but they have not arrived in time. Additional diesel

ALLISON LIN

By Raunak Banerjee News Columnist

delivery. “The [DOT] was saying that they had consistent delivery with diesel vehicles in the past compared to electric vehicles. And

so they were like, we feel more comfortable ordering diesel vehicles because we feel more sure that they will get here when they say they will get here,” he said.

Silverstre specified that approximately 130 electric buses have been delivered so far. Currently, there are 86 of them operating on MCPS routes. Gordon explained the disparity as a result of missing radios that drivers require. “[MCPS] said that there is a twoway radio backorder. They apparently have these electric buses that are sitting idle, not doing anything, because they don’t have the two way radios in them,” he said.

Regardless of logistics, Lee urged concerned community members to speak out against the diesel school bus purchase by contacting board members. “You can advocate and tell the board how you feel. If you’re unhappy with your child inhaling diesel exhaust and fumes on a day to day basis, then you can express your frustration with that through petitions or even just writing to the board,” she said.

Gordon sees promise in MCPS’ sustainability goals, but expects the change to be gradual. MPCS is expecting an additional 240 electric buses by the end of the 2024-2025 school year. “It’s like … turning the Titanic. You know, you’re not gonna make MCPS all of a sudden become all electric. We’ve got to work on changing the culture, making everyone see why we need to be sustainable,” he said.

buses were purchased as a backup, as ensuring that students arrive at school is a top priority for the county.

Sebastian Gordon, Co-Chair of Montgomery County Council PTA’s Sustainability and Green Schools Committee, identified a factor of the electric bus absence, claiming that the MCPS Department of Transportation (DOT) had reservations about switching to a different bus model. Potential problem areas included electric bus range, multiple manufacturers, and timeliness concerning

and complications.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley studied more than 81,000 Valley Fever records and found that the relationship between high temperature, lack of precipitation, and cocci transmission is no coincidence. Cocci flourish in dust and soil as these environmental factors serve as an effective propagator of spores, the reproductive unit of fungi.

With climate change exacerbating drought throughout the Western half of the U.S., an explosion of valley fever cases is expected.

Paired with increasingly erratic wind patterns, a lot of dry dirt is disturbed and more people are beginning to breathe in the cocci spores. Heavy rains that follow the droughts cause the fungi to grow which can make symptoms flare. Since Valley Fever cases can only be reported with symptoms, reported cases spiked in 2019 despite low drought levels.

Valley Fever is not the first time climate change or pollution has worsened the spread of certain diseases. According to a study published in the journal, “Nature Climate Change,” more than half of known diseases have been ag-

GRAPHIC BY RAUNAK BANERJEE | DATA COURTESY OF THE CDC AND U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR

INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS Compiled by Laila Andelman Staff Writer

China agrees to curb production of precursor chemicals of fentanyl

In an agreement with President Joe Biden, on Nov. 15, Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to curb the production of chemicals used in synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

The agreement took place at an international conference in San Francisco between Pacific leaders and the U.S. This agreement differs from a 2019 settlement between China and the U.S., which sought to ban fentanyl analogs, a highly potent variation of medical fentanyl. The new agreement aims to lower the production and export of precursor chemicals in fentanyl by Chinese companies that then send the precursors to Mexican cartels.

Cartels then use the materials to produce and export fentanyl to the U.S. The agreement is also intended to combat fentanyl overdose deaths in the U.S., which numbered over 77,000 between May 2022 and April 2023.

Three Ukrainian officials charged with treason for ties to Russia and Giuliani

On Nov. 13, three Ukrainian officials were charged with treason for collaborating with the Russian intelligence agency Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravleniye. The charge specifically refers to “information subversive activities” perpetrated by current member of Ukrainian parliament Oleksandr Dubinsky, former member of the parliament Andriy Derkach, and ex-prosecutor Kostyantyn Kulyk.

The charge is linked to an effort from Rudy Giuliani to tie the Biden family to corruption in Ukraine. The investigation was spearheaded by Giuliani in 2019 during former President Donald Trump’s administration, when Giuliani was Trump’s personal lawyer. Giuliani and Derkach met publicly to push the investigation of Hunter Biden, who was the director of the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma. Kulyk also separately promoted the investigation of Hunter Biden. The officials also spread a theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2020 presidential election.

U.S Military plane crashes near Japan

On Nov. 29, a U.S Military Osprey aircraft crashed into the ocean near Yakushima, an island in Southern Japan. The aircraft had eight people on board. The passengers’ conditions are still mostly unknown, but one passenger has been confirmed to be dead. A witness who was at the crash site claimed that the plane flipped over and caught on fire before falling into the water. The aircraft was performing a routine training mission when it crashed.

There is still an ongoing search and rescue effort for the aircraft and remaining passengers. Debris and a life-raft were found by a rescue team that included the Japanese Coast Guard, though there were no people in the raft.

The Osprey model has been involved in fatal accidents that have killed dozens of U.S servicemen since its introduction in 2007. On Nov. 30, Japan’s Minister of Defense stated that the Japanese government asked the U.S. to stop flying the Osprey aircraft over Japan until further confirmation that the aircraft was safe.

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A4 News December 5, 2023

Montgomery County proposes minimum wage increase for tipped workers

By Rabira Dosho Staff Writer

In May 2022, Washington, D.C. passed Initiative 82, which similarly entails that the subminimum wage for tipped workers will increase annually by $2 until equivalent with Washington, D.C’s $17 minimum wage. Jawando believes his proposal will help businesses attract employees, especially since the passage of Initiative 82. “Now

you have a situation where D.C. is going to have the [increased tipped minimum] wage and we aren’t.

If you’re a worker, why wouldn’t you go and have the higher wage?”

Jawando said.

In accordance with Initiative 82, Washington, D.C. restaurant owners must pay for increased wages.

In an attempt to mitigate new costs, restaurant owners have introduced service fees. However, Jordan Lee, a manager at Kusshi Sushi in Downtown Silver Spring believes service fees can be problematic.

“If your labor [cost] is increasing, that means that you have to make guests pay more and that’s what it boils down to,” Lee explained. “If less people come to your restaurant, you don’t need as many staff members.”

Alexander Tilton, a server at Kusshi Sushi expressed his concern that customers would be less inclined to tip in light of service fees that would impact menu prices. “Customers sometimes don’t tip because [the cost of food] is too high of a price already. So imagine if it gets raised, there will be even more instances of no tips and low tips, which is not good for anyone.”

Tilton said.

Jawando acknowledged this concern and stated that in many places that implemented a minimum wage base pay, customers continued to tip. “That’s what you see in places that provide a fair wage. Tips are happening on top of that fair wage, and it creates a higher standard of living for everybody,” he said.

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GRAPHIC BY RABIRA DOSHO | DATA COURTESY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS

high volume of restaurant workers, would be among those affected by the proposal. Patrick Corrigan, a Blair junior, worked as a food runner this summer at The Delegate, a hotel restaurant in Washington, D.C. Corrigan stated that he feels a minimum wage system is better for his pay. “People aren’t inclined to tip me, I do get tipped out a percentage from the servers, which is pretty small … I would probably make more from an hourly system,” Corrigan said. Moreover, Corrigan acknowledged how certain employees benefited more than others on a tipped credit system. “It depends if you’re a server, or a food runner, or a host, people aren’t going to tip the host, people aren’t really going to tip the food runner while I’m in the middle of

giving you your food,” he said.

We want to make sure that Montgomery County is a place with opportunities to succeed.

WILL JAWANDO

Customers sometimes don’t tip because [the cost of food] is too high of a price already.

So imagine if it gets raised, there will be even more instances of no tips and low tips, which is not good for anyone.

ALEXANDER TILTON

The Montgomery County Council heard a proposal on Sept.

23 that would raise the minimum base wage for tipped workers by $2 annually, until 2028, when workers would earn the county’s regular minimum wage in addition to customer tips. Under this proposal, employees would earn $16.70 per hour at establishments with more than 50 employees, $15 at those with under 50, and $14.50 at those with under 10.

The law, sponsored by County Councilmembers Will Jawando and Kristin Mink, would go into effect in July 2024, with the first $2 increase. In the summer of 2027, wages are set to increase by $4. The law has also pitted fair wage activists and business owners against each other. Supporters for and against the bill rallied at the bill’s public hearing. As they filed into the building, a physical altercation occurred that soon led to a brawl between two women, which resulted in minor injuries. No charges were filed.

Currently, tipped workers receive compensation through a system called tipped credit, where they are given a subminimum base wage of $4 an hour and are expected to earn most of their money through customer tips. When workers do not make minimum wage in tips, employers must pay the difference.

The Maryland Open Data Report named Montgomery County as the second highest in Maryland

for cost of living, as of 2019. Jawando explained the importance of enacting the bill in Montgomery County in an effort to better the quality of life for many who struggle to get by. “Because of the economy where we are right now [and] because it’s difficult for people to make ends meet, there’s a lot of momentum behind higher wages for people and better quality of life, I think this is the right time to introduce this and eliminate this exception to the minimum wage,” Jawando said in an interview with Silver Chips.

The bill still has a lengthy legislative process to go through, with changes and modifications to come. Jawando is hopeful that the bill, if passed, will foster new opportunities for residents. “We want to make sure that Montgomery County is a place with opportunities to succeed,” Jawando said.

silverchips

December 5, 2023 News A5

County grants $1 million to protect nonprofit organizations

By Nikki Tjiputra Staff Writer

There was a recognition that we needed to provide additional security support for our non profit organizations.

EARL STODDARD

In early October, the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) announced that they have allocated $900,000 in grants to the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Nonprofit Security Grant, an annual grant, to fund increased security for non-profit and faith-based organizations that are deemed to be at high risk of being targeted.

This year marks the fifth iteration of the grant, which was introduced in 2018 but was not implemented in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Applying organizations are eligible to receive up to $20,000 per facility to pay for security measures such as hiring guards, training existing staff, or installing surveillance cameras.

To qualify for this grant, organizations must provide evidence of past hate crime to their organization or a similar organization facing hate crime. Organizations were able to apply for the grants from Oct. 11 to Nov. 10, and grant awardees will likely be announced in late 2023 or early 2024. On Nov. 7, the OEMHS approved an additional $100,000 for the grant, increasing the total funds to $1 million.

Awardees for the grants are chosen by a team of individuals representing the OEMHS, Police Department, and Office of Community Partnership. The grants cannot be used for other purposes, like making renovations. Dr. Earl Stoddard, the Assistant Chief Ad-

ministrative Officer in the Office of the County Executive in Montgomery County, stated that while initially the grant money could be used for other purposes, the OEMHS found it more beneficial to only support renovations to infrastructure specifically meant to improve security. “During one of the first iterations of the grant, we allowed capital costs, but frankly … capital improvements are hugely expensive … We also heard from the organizations say, ‘Hey, we really need more money towards hiring off-duty police officers or hiring security personnel or putting camera systems in,’” Stoddard said in an interview with Silver Chips. “We can get more … for the dollars invested in those areas than we can in capital.”

Most organizations receive around $8,000 from the grant.

Miranda Hovemeyer, the administrative director of the Interfaith Families project, an organization that received the grant last year and focuses on celebrating Jewish and Christian traditions, stated that the project used their grant money to

pay the security guards at a local Jewish school they meet at. “We’re required to have security guards there when we use the building …

We have used our grant to help us pay the security guards,” Hovenmeyer said.

Similarly, Rabbi Deborah Cohen of the Beth Chai Jewish Humanists of Greater Washington Congregation used their grant money from last year’s grant to hire police officers for services and school. “We’ve used it during the high holidays to have a guard at our services for the high holidays, we’ve used it for training within the congregation about security issues, and … we’ve started to have a police guard on Sunday mornings when we meet for school,” Cohen said.

Organizations that have been awarded this grant in the past have seen a shift in how community members view their organization.

Jorge Orencel, a representative of Kehila Chadasha, an organization dedicated to building community within the Jewish religion, stated that the addition of police officers because of the grant has attracted more members. “People have expressed that [when they] come into events where a police officer is guarding and in control of the entrance, they feel safer, so they are more encouraged to be present there,” he said.

Diana Jusino, a member of Organization for the Advancement of and Services for Individuals with Special Needs (OASIS Inc.), an organization that teaches adults with

GRAPHIC BY NIKKI TJIPUTRA

DATA COURTESY OF EARL STODDARD

special needs life skills, emphasized the importance of the cameras to monitoring special needs members. “It just gives an extra layer of protection for the special needs people who are a vulnerable population,” she said.

The grant was initially created by the OEMHS as a response to the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “There was a recognition that we needed to provide additional security support for our non profit organizations,” Stoddard said.

During the grant’s first year, the OEMHS focused on Montgomery County’s religious organizations and allotted $200,000 for the

grants. Since then, with added support from previous grant awardees and community partnerships, the OEMHS has increased the grant funds to its highest amount this year with plans to continue increasing funds for the grant in coming years.

Even with the funds from the grant, some organizations think there is still more to do in order to combat hate and bias incidents.

Deborah Leary, the grant manager of OASIS, stated that understanding history is an important step to eliminating hate. “I think when we don’t look at history, we don’t learn history, we tend to repeat the same mistakes of the past,” she said.

NONPROFIT SECURITY GRANT Funding has increased from $200,00 to $1 million in five years.

Saying goodbye

The Smithsonian Zoo bids farewell to giant pandas Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and Xiao Qi Ji

By Max Erlebacher Staff Writer

DAN BURK

Ever since I was young, they’ve had pandas, so it was hard to imagine the day that they would be going away …

They’ve been here such a long time.

The pair arrived at the Smithsonian Zoo in 1972, but sadly passed away in 1992 and 1999. Then, in 2000, China sent the zoo two more pandas named Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. Originally, the Smithsonian Zoo and Chinese partners agreed

lar, with millions of people around the world tuning in to watch these bears,” Tahmaseb wrote.

Since the panda’s departure, visitors of the zoo have expressed sadness at the animals’ absence.

“Ever since I was young, they’ve had pandas, so it was hard to imagine the day that they would be going away … They’ve been here such a long time,” Dan Burk, a visitor of the Smithsonian Zoo, said. Others noted that the pandas have been an important part of their childhood.

“Honestly, [it’s] pretty sad,” Elena Hunt er-

flective of, nor related to the political relationship between China and the United States. Since Mei Xiang and Tian Tian first arrived in 2000, we knew they would eventually leave, as per our agreement with our partners in China,” Tahmaseb wrote. “While we were fortunate to extend the agreement several times over the decades, it is time for all three pandas to move to the next stage of their respective lives.”

Additionally, the Chinese government

most popular residents,’’ Ellie Tahmaseb, a public affairs specialist at the Smithsonian Zoo, wrote in an email to Silver Chips. ‘‘We receive roughly 2 million visitors a year and estimate about 80 percent of them visit the giant pandas.”

To make the pandas more publicly accessible, the Smithsonian Zoo set up a camera capturing some of the panda’s best moments during their stay in D.C. “[O]ur Panda Cam was incredibly popu-

mark, a Blair junior, said. “The baby pandas have been a staple in my childhood when they would rotate every few years. And it’s always sad to see animals go, and I do love pandas.”

Because the pandas came to the U.S. as a symbol of diplomacy, some suspect their departure is reflective of increasing hostilities between the U.S. and China. However, Smithsonian officials maintain that it was simply the right time for the pandas to leave the zoo. “[Their departure] is neither re-

LI

has plans to continue panda diplomacy in the future. Xi Jinping, president of China, announced on Nov. 15 that he hopes to renew the panda program in San Diego, California. “Pandas have long been envoys of friendship between China and the U.S.,” Xi said at a dinner with business officials in San Francisco. “We are ready to continue our cooperation on panda protection with the U.S., and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples.” This announcement came after Jinping’s meeting with PresSOPHIA

ident Joe Biden the day before, which reactivated diplomatic relations between the two countries.

[Their departure] is neither reflective of, nor related to the political relationship between China and the United States.

Since Mei Xiang and Tian Tian first arrived in 2000, we knew they would eventually leave, as per our agreement with our partners in China.

ELLIE TAHMASEB

On Nov. 8, giant pandas Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and Xiao Qi Ji left the Smithsonian Zoo and landed safely in China the following day. Their departure marks the end of the Smithsonian panda program, which had been ongoing for 51 years and raises questions about growing international tensions between the U.S. and China.

The panda program began in 1972, after an unsuspecting interaction between former First Lady Patricia Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. At a banquet in Beijing, Nixon noticed a tin of Chinese cigarettes with a logo depicting two giant pandas, and expressed her liking for the animal. As a sign of goodwill, Enlai gifted two giant pandas, named Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, to the American people.

to keep Mei Xiang and Tian Tian for 10 years, but they extended the deal numerous times. Before 2020, Mei Xiang had given birth to three panda cubs, named Tai Shan, Bao Bao, and Bei Bei, each of who stayed until 2009, 2017, and 2019 respectively. By 2020, the pair gave birth to a male cub, named Xiao Qi Ji, and the Smithsonian signed a new agreement to keep him, Mei Xiang, and Tian Tian until 2023.

During their time in D.C., giant pandas have been major attractions at the Smithsonian Zoo. ‘‘Our giant pandas were some of our

While many are saddened by the panda’s departure, there is much to celebrate about their long stay at the Smithsonian Zoo and what’s to come in the future. “Over the course of the 51 years the Smithsonian has worked with giant pandas, we have seen the species go from ‘endangered’ to ‘vulnerable,’ with many scientific breakthroughs helping animals both in human care and in the wild,” Tahmaseb wrote. “We hope to have giant pandas in Washington, D.C. again in the future and plan to continue our conservation efforts of these amazing animals in collaboration with our partners in China.”

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B1 Opinions December 5, 2023 silverchips Montgomery Blair High School 51 University Boulevard East Silver Spring, MD 20901 silver.chips.print@gmail.com Winner of the 2019 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medal, the 2021 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Association Crown, the 2021 American Scholastic Press Association First Place with Special Merit, the 2022 Columbia Scholastic Association Silver Crown, and the 2022 American Scholastic Press Association First Place Award

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Della Baer Julia Lian DESIGN EDITORS Dyan Nguyen Nora Pierce Caleb Plank MANAGING NEWS EDITORS Ava Bedaque Teddy Curtin MANAGING OPINIONS EDITORS Mandy Guo Viveka Sinha MANAGING FEATURES EDITORS Nora Pierce Sasha Vesensky MANAGING CULTURE EDITORS Sela Colavito Sophie Yohannan MANAGING SPORTS EDITORS Dyan Nguyen Eliza Warren OMBUDSMAN Talia Egnal COLUMNISTS Raunak Banerjee Eliza Warren Sophie Yohannan ENGLISH SENIOR WRITERS Raunak Banerjee Amen Lemiesa Sohccem Ruphael Nikki Tjiputra ENGLISH STAFF WRITERS Greta Andelman Laila Andelman Naomi Andelman Eloise Carter Jay Clouse Ethan de Brauw Rabira Dosho Max Erlebacher Evelyn Goldin Abby Greenberg Tharaa Izuagie Zachary Karp Emily Kretschmer Carina Nicodemus Chloe Pegg Keelin Pegg Diego Santoro-Velez Auden Seigel Doris Wang Norah Wilson BUSINESS DIRECTORS Isabelle Mathiascheck Finnegan Oakes BUSINESS STAFF Rowan Boyce Ava Falcone Jackie Wang Edith Yang MANAGING ART EDITORS Dami Kim Sophia Li ARTISTS Rosalyn Fang Eric Le Mia Levings Allison Lin Kate McDonough Mina Ricotti Lucia Wang Chikara Yamagishi Jason Yu MANAGING PHOTO EDITORS Fiona Bondarev Raffi Charkoudian-Rogers Maia Turpen PHOTOGRAPHERS Anagha Bhuvanagiri Kenean Bizuwork Margot Buehler Ian Gleason Madeline Gold Rose Kepka Jamie Lozada-McBride Maz Olson Naila Romero-Alston Dylan Warren SCPSPORTS EDITORS Caleb Plank Nikki Tjiputra MEDIA EDITORS Margot Buehler Madeline Gold PUZZLE EDITOR Madeline Gold OUTREACH COORDINATORS Anagha Bhuvanagiri ADVISERS Jeremy Stelzner Silver Chips is a public forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions. Unsigned editorials represent the views of the editorial board and are not necessarily those of the school or of all Silver Chips members. Signed letters to the editor are encouraged; submit them to silver.chips.print@gmail.com.

Letters may be edited for space and clarity.

In covering domestic American warfare, The Post gets it right

BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD AN OPINION In the two weeks immediately following the Washington Post’s Nov. 16 article entitled “Why we are publishing disturbing content from AR-15 mass shootings,” the American public experienced over 700 gun deaths. Of these, 20 occurred during the 17 mass shootings. The article, written by The Post’s executive editor on behalf of the editorial board, defended their controversial decision to publish their series “Terror on Repeat,” 14 stories chronicling the devastation of 11 mass killings over the last 11 years. The Post specifically defended their decision to print the photos that so often go unpublished due to their disturbing nature: a bullet riddled prayerbook, a pool of blood at the base of a school filing cabinet, and rows of body bags at the Uvalde Elementary School, among many others. The Silver Chips Print editorial board agrees with The Post’s courageous decision to publish these horrifying images and affirms the necessity of enlightening the American public on the realities of mass shootings via graphic content.

The Post acknowledges that it is highly unusual for a major news organization to publish disturbing images and videos. These images, however, impart themselves on the American consciousness.

Iconic snaps can define a whole movement, such as Tank Man in Tiananmen Square in 1989, the 9/11 Falling Man in 2001, and Mohamed Bouazizi’s 2010 self-immolation that started Arab Springs.

Many Americans cannot grasp the carnage these guns inflict when they do not have access to content

that so rawly depicts it. In movies, people typically see sanitized versions of these wounds, with a single gunshot wound and a small trickle of blood. No matter how many dead—in one popular John Wick film, he murders 140 people in 169 minutes—the gore is subdued.

These images are hallmarks of the wounds a 9mm round from a traditional handgun inflicts, not modern semi-automatic weapons.

While Hollywood may be comfortable with this muted portrayal, media organizations typically avoid showing gunshot wounds at all.

As a result, people often think of movies’ sanitized scenes as reality, but the wounds from .223 caliber-sized-rounds out of an AR-15 have none of these characteristics.

AR-15 bullet clusters travel 3,240 feet per second, the length of six football fields, pulverizing bones and disintegrating tissue in a matter of seconds.

The clean nature of the media’s portrayal of mass shootings desensitizes the public to the crisis—each new incident is just another statistic.

“Terror on Repeat” aims to combat this trend. Viewers of the series are forced to confront the horrendous bloodshed and violence underlying the mass shooting crisis America faces beyond the statistics.

These graphic images are necessary to humanize these tragedies.

There is no question that the images of crying parents outside Sandy Hook were moving, but “never again” might have become reality

Editorial Cartoon

ART BY DAMI KIM

if lawmakers were forced to see the AR-15’s effect on six-year-old Noah Pozner—if the public had to see his mangled, batman-hoodie-clad body pulled from the pile of 15 other kindergarteners. The 80 rounds that the gunman fired into the small bathroom over a decade ago ensured that not only would the victims die, but that their bodies would be so mutilated as to be unrecognizable except by DNA evidence.

To be clear, The Washington Post did not publish that image, or any images showing bodies, saying they could be “viewed as dehumanizing, exploitative and traumatizing, or could inflict further pain on the families of victims.” The only picture with visible bodies is a long-distance 2017 Las Vegas shot where none of the victims can be identified. In releasing these images now, their goals were to show that AR15s and other assault weapons are instruments of warfare. The total evisceration these semi-automatic weapons can inflict renders these guns useless for hunting or any other domestic uses. This is a level of devastation associated in the public mind with overseas wars—because that is the only place people have seen such images. News organizations undoubtedly feel more comfortable showing the dehumanizing images of violence in foreign countries. The public might not expect to see fields of dead and wounded Americans in U.S. media, but maybe it is time that more news outlets join The Post and expose what these weapons do to human beings.

Runaway Justices Supreme Court’s new ethics code solves nothing

By Talia Egnal Ombudsman AN OPINION After nearly 250 years, the Supreme Court has finally decided that they are not above the laws of the land. While it took months of constant media coverage detailing various justices’ dubious financial transactions and political connections, the seven justices have implemented a new ethics code—of themselves, by themselves, and for themselves.

The seven justices have implemented a new ethics code—of themselves, by themselves, and for themselves.

When SCOTUS overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade precedent in 2022 with their Dobbs v.

Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, public opinion of their performance fell a record 20 percentage-points. Media reports widely criticized the partisanship of the decision, the disregard for precedent, and the justices’ lack of accountability to the people.

While the court was busy striking down 50 years of reproductive rights, the media was also taking

a position they never had before.

When Justice Alito’s Dobbs opinion was leaked to Politico several months before the court released their decision, there was an unsuccessful scramble to find who was responsible. The recent stories addressing the justices’ dubious financial dealings have only served to compound the downfall of their credibility.

The first story to break about inappropriate conduct from SCOTUS justices was on Apr. 6. by ProPublica. The report offered details on the near annual luxury vacations Clarence Thomas took over the three decades since his nomination—as many as 38. These trips were paid for by billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow.

In subsequent weeks, even more troubling stories came out about how Crow and other wealthy donors paid for various indulgences: two years of Thomas’ adoptive son’s tuition of $6,000 a month or roughly $100,000 for two years; at least some of a luxury RV loan worth over $250,000; as many as 26 private jet trips; and his mother’s Georgia house for $133,000, where she still lives. In the lower courts, judges are required to disclose gifts worth over $415. For members of Congress, the line is drawn at $50. On one nine-day vacation to Indonesia that Clarence and Ginni Thomas embarked on in June 2019, equipped with a chartered private jet and a fully staffed

superyacht, the price tag if they had paid for it out of pocket could have been over $500,000. Instead, it was an undisclosed gift from Harlan Crow.

A society as large and complex as America requires laws and stable individuals to enforce them.

While the other eight justices’ undisclosed gifts were not as flagrant as Thomas’, justices across the political spectrum took advantage of their positions: Alito went on a fishing trip with billionaire Paul Singer and was accused of leaking a 2014 court decision months early to conservative donors; Gorsuch sold real estate to a law firm in 2017 that had cases before the court; Sotomayor was found to have prodded public institutions to buy her books; and Chief Justice Roberts came under fire after his wife was paid $10 million for her recruiting work with law firms that had standing cases with the court. All of the backlash culminated in Chief Justice Roberts’ widely panned statement declining to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. “In regard to the Court’s approach to ethics matters, I attach a Statement of Ethics Principles and Practices to which all of the current Members of the Supreme Court subscribe,” wrote

Roberts. If this is evidence of his decision-making skills, he should not be ruling on cases that affect 350 million Americans.

In the end, the Supreme Court succumbed to the media pressure and passed a new ethics code—one with no oversight, no punishment, and few concrete numbers. While it does place some restrictions on the justices and advocates for them to recuse themselves when there is an ethical conflict, it is largely toothless and relies upon discretion and self-admonishment. A society as large and complex as America requires laws and stable individuals to enforce them. If trust in these individuals is broken, the entire country suffers.

PHOTO BY ANAGHA BHUVANAGIRI

To contact Talia email her at scombud@gmail.com

December 5, 2023 Opinions B2

silverchips

Should we change the way we celebrate Thanksgiving?

PRO

Removing the colonial ties and putting a stronger emphasis on gratitude will make Thanksgiving a more enjoyable and intimate holiday for all.

The traditions that we use to celebrate Thanksgiving are integral to its function of bringing people together and aren’t related to ‘The First Harvest.’

By Eloise Carter Staff Writer

By Auden Seigel Staff Writer

AN OPINION

AN OPINION

pects of the holiday, while still recognizing the suffering the colonizers caused. Other potential changes would be moving away from tradition in favor of allowing everyone to make their own decisions about celebration, like denormalizing solely traditional food.

Although changing a major U.S. holiday may cause unease, it does not have to, and can instead bring people together. “I think, if there’s going to be any strength in what Thanksgiving could be for people … I would say that it’s an opportunity to highlight the ways that our histories are not so different,” Spears explained.

The holiday can also serve as an opportunity to put a strong e r emphasis on gratitude.

Keir Brady, a licensed therapist and author of the A Year of Gratitude Journal, explains the benefits of practicing gratitude. “What [gratitude] does for you internally is it decreases anxiety, decreases symptoms of depression, and increases feelings of connection,” she said. Thanksgiving can serve as a reminder to start this practice of gratitude, in turn allowing practitioners to reap its benefits.

Making these changes to Thanksgiving will allow it to be a more inclusive and accessible holiday for everyone. Spears emphasizes how making these changes could have a positive impact. “Decolonizing Thanksgiving would … allow both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to have a better appreciation and understanding of what real history is and not this carefully constructed narrative that we are so used to seeing in public education,” she said.

Imagine Christmas without the presents under the tree, the Fourth of July with no vivid fireworks to light up the night sky, or Halloween without the costume-filled streets.

That is how Thanksgiving would feel without the parades, the pies, and the turkey. For Americans across the nation, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family, give thanks, and celebrate with age-old traditions: Thanksgiving football, the Macy’s Day Parade, and the extravagant turkey feast.

Thanksgiving, a holiday based in tradition, has developed greatly since its origins at The First Harv e s t in 1621. The nation’s first real Thanksgiving celebration came when George Washington declared Nov. 26, 1789 as a day of public Thanksgiving. However, it was not until President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Proclamation that Thanksgiving was regularly celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday of November.

Since then, the U.S. has continued to develop the traditions we use to celebrate.

The first instances of turkey being recognized as a Thanksgiving staple came in the early 1800s. In ​​ Sarah Josepha Hale’s 1827 novel “Northwood,” she wrote an entire chapter describing a New England Thanksgiving, with the roast turkey placed at the head of the table.

Annual Thanksgiving football roots back to 1876 when the Intercollegiate Football Association held their championship game on Thanksgiving Day. Beginning in 1934 and 1966, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, respectively, began hosting an annual NFL football game on Thanksgiving. The tradition continues today, with three games being played on the special day.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which attracts millions of viewers each year, began in 1924. It is widely credited with having begun the tradition of a parade that many cities now practice. However, the first official LUCIA WANG

Sitting down with family, sharing a delicious meal, and practicing gratitude are all pillars of Thanksgiving. However, one pillar is often ignored: the harmful perpetuation of a false Thanksgiving narrative.

Many schools teach young students the story of the “first Thanksgiving” in which the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe feasted to celebrate a successful harvest.

The problem is that the story ends there.

It does not include the years of genocide of Indigenous people that followed for hundreds of years in the U.S., nor does it mention the origin of the holiday’s name—a call for celebration of the massacre of over 700 Pequot men, women, and children by Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop in 1637. The histories of Indigenous people are also intertwined with the histories of other minorities in that both were impacted by colonizers.

Nancy Marie Spears, the Vice President for the board of directors of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance explains that the celebration of Thanksgiving can be harmful to some Indigenous people. “Thanksgiving, especially, is a time that’s very triggering [and] depressing for Indigenous people and it’s also just extremely frustrating [for them],” she said. “The anniversary of this holiday is a massacre for them.”

As a result, many Indigenous nations observe Thanksgiving as the National Day of Mourning. Spears has her own way of recognizing the date. “When I celebrate Thanksgiving, I actually do what you would call an Indigenous only day. So I will only consume media that is made by Indigenous people … something that can really kind of negate this constant barrage of essentially gaslighting our own histories,” she said.

In addition to teaching the incomplete version of the start of Thanksgiving, cultural appropriation is prevalent during the holiday. At parades and other Thanksgiving festivities, it is commonplace to see non-Indigenous people wear Indigenous headdresses.

This misrepresentation can even happen in classrooms. Blair freshman Fiona Maguire recounts one way she celebrated Thanksgiving in elementary school. “It’s not my fault, but we dressed up like Pilgrims and like Native Americans,” she said.

The best way to move forward as a nation is by changing aspects of Thanksgiving. The most major changes to Thanksgiving should be to remove the focus on the colonial as-

CON

PHOTOS BY JAMIE LOZADA-MCBRIDE

Thanksgiving parade was held four years earlier in Philadelphia by the Gimbel Brothers Department Store.

Critics of Thanksgiving argue that its traditional ties are too strongly related to ‘The First Harvest,’ where soon after the pilgrims participated in mass killings of the Indigenous people.

However, ‘the first harvest’ was held in 1621, over 400 years ago, and 200 years before turkey was even a popular Thanksgiving dish. The harvest’s effect is nearly non-existent on today’s celebrations and certainly irrelevant within the numerous family traditions that take place around the country.

Blair sophomore Max Barham is one of many Americans that tune in with their families on Thanksgiving morning to watch the Macy’s parade. Barham believes tradition is essential to Thanksgiving. “I think the tradition that can be shared within hundreds of thousands of families across the U.S. is what makes the holiday the holiday,” he said. “It makes it special.”

Elizabeth Gallauresi, the organizer of Silver Spring’s own annual Thanksgiving Day Parade noted that the event is one of the only long standing traditions in Silver Spring. “The parade has been around since before Silver Spring was revitalized [in the 2000s],” she said. “I think [the parade has] a lot of nostalgia for the people in Silver Spring.”

The gathering and giving of thanks has always taken priority over the recollection of an ancient feast. Nateneal Eshetu, a Blair junior who celebrates Thanksgiving by spending time with family, does not feel that the killings of Indigenous people should be associated with Thanksgiving. “It’s not relevant to how we celebrate it now, because when we’re celebrating Thanksgiving we don’t think of a massacre that happened a long time ago,” he said.

Gallauresi agrees the spirit of Thanksgiving today is unrelated to the harvest. “I don’t think that’s what the spirit of Thanksgiving is about. [It’s about] spending time with your family, spending time with your friends, [and] making memories—things to take with you into the future,” she said.

In an ever-changing world, where large scale conflicts, climate change, and violence make no day certain, why change an age-old holiday rooted in the celebration of each other. We should not have to imagine a world where a long-awaited Thanksgiving Day culminates in a celebration with the absence of that moist, tender, tasty turkey.

voicebox All photos by Anagha Bhuvanagiri

“I think we definitely should change the way we celebrate Thanksgiving ... It should be more about how we are thankful and ... accept others”

“It’s good as how it is because … everyone’s together and, so I don’t think [there’s a] better way”

“I like Thanksgiving how it is, but I think we could definitely change some aspects”

“I think that the way we celebrate Thanksgiving right now with the theme of being grateful, [is] good. But ... there’s a lot of misinformation”

JACOB COBBLAH junior

GAMTAA YADATA sophomore

STELLA THEISMAN freshman

MADELINE EVIAN freshman

B3 Opinions December 5, 2023

‘Constrained to a classroom’

silverchips

MCPS should prioritize field trips at the high school level

By Greta Andelman and Nikki Tjiputra Staff Writers AN OPINION In an era where virtual field trips are becoming a convenient method of learning, the hands-on experience of an in-person field trip is rare for high schoolers today.

Field trips are an integral part of a student’s education, yet, in MCPS, high school students take half as many as those in grades two, four, and five. High schoolers should have more opportunities to experience the benefits field trips can offer.

It is no surprise, however, that the number of field trips declines after elementary school, given the complicated process to organize them at the middle and high school level. At Blair, the procedure starts with a Google Form. The form response is then approved by a scheduling team. From there, the scheduling team collects rosters and notifies the health room, and then cash payments for the trip are monitored by the tenant’s office.

Blair science teacher Elizabeth Glenn noted that this overwhelming process falls on teachers to complete. “We’ve got to get the bus … [and] arrangements with the [location sorted]. So it’s a little time-consuming,” Glenn said. This process stops many field trips from getting organized at all. “It is a ton of paperwork … [and] I know a lot of teachers, myself included, tend to not do field trips just because it’s a lot of work,” Communications Art Program Coordinator Sarah Fillman said.

However, Blair administration

has attempted to simplify the process this school year. “We’ve created a … Google Sheet that [serves as] a one-stop shop for staff … I think we’ve streamlined it a little bit,” Andrew Fields, Blair Business Administrator, said. Fillman noted that the process is more straightforward for her after organizing multiple field trips. “I think because I’ve done it now a few times it’s gotten easier, but I think if you’re [planning] for the very first time, it’s not easy,” she said. Regardless, the work to organize field trips is worth it to some teachers for the impact the trips make. “There’s an excitement around leaving the building and doing something, [and] I think students feel that excitement and feel that energy,” Blair science teacher Megan Hart said.

Despite attempts at an easier process, some teachers feel that field trips eat away at precious instructional time in other classes.

“Even though you’re doing something really cool for my class, you’re

missing some potentially … vital information and content [in your other classes],” Glenn said. Nonetheless, field trips, which do not occur on a quarterly or even yearly basis, are vital for high school students and are worth missing a single day of classes. “We’re busy and taking harder classes, [but] I wish we would have more opportunities to go out and make it fun,” Blair junior Ephratha Wondwosen said.

Additionally, Angela Watson, an assistant professor at the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University, has found through her research that field trips have beneficial social-emotional and academic effects. “Kids that go [on field trips] seem to be more tolerant of other people … [and] students that got to go on these field trips in later years [have] better grades and better test scores,” she said.

In addition to these academic benefits, field trips keep students interested in school. “We saw that our students who went on field

PHOTOS BY ROSE KEPKA

BEYOND THE BUILDING Blazers travel to the Future Women in Business Conference at the University of Maryland. trips in junior high were more likely to attend school and they were absent less often … school is more engaging,” Heidi Holmes, an Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership at Brigham Young University said about her research on field trips.

As well as engaging students in school, they allow students the opportunity to bond with members outside of the community. Wondwosen noted that visiting Gallaudet University with her American Sign Language class was a formative experience. “It gave us the opportunity to use what we learned in class in the outside world … [and it] created a very strong bond with the community and the school,” she said.

Not only do field trips let students bond with the broader community, but they also create unity within the classroom. “It’s a bonding experience because you are actually doing something together, not just sitting

there watching the screen, and so you get to make friends,” Blair junior Juno Noel-Brown said. There are also subjects that benefit from learning in another environment.

“There’s a lot of ways that going on field trips can also connect and can teach you content and skills that you can’t learn as well in the classroom,” Holmes said.

With the benefit of creating a tight community, field trips are important for not just elementary school students, but for high school students. Field trips need to become more common and accessible to organize so that all students can reap the benefits that field trips sow. “It’s a way of viewing education that’s not constrained to a classroom at a desk with a teacher … a field trip broadens the world for students and [shows that] lifelong learning is important,” Holmes said.

New hires are not the solution

Superintendent hires Senior Advisor for External Affairs

By Rabira Dosho Staff Writer AN OPINION A Nov. 15 press release announced that MCPS Superintendent Monifa McKnight hired Nancy Navarro to serve as Senior Advisor for External Affairs in McKnight’s office. Navarro is the newest addition to McKnight’s already large administrative team— their combined salaries total $2.2 million—and she is the first to fill the role. The new position is an ineffective and costly use of taxpayer dollars desperately needed in classrooms.

Navarro was a County Councilmember for 13 years and a BOE member for five years, two of which she served as BOE pres-

ident. According to McKnight, Navarro’s position will entail creating beneficial relations with external partners, interacting with county stakeholders, and advising MCPS’ recently introduced Community of Practice.

Stephania Williams makes $219,240 as acting General Counsel, Celia Fisher makes $219,240 as Assistant Chief of Communications, and Stephanie Sheron makes $226,244 as Chief of Strategic Initiatives. All of these positions seem to be providing the same services that Navarro’s job will entail.

Though Navarro is a public servant, her official salary has not been made public.

Shouldn’t the Assistant Chief of Communications be communicating with county stakeholders?

GRAPHIC BY THARAA IZUAGIE | DATA COURTESY OF MCPS

SUPERINTENDENT SALARIES Since 2011, MCPS superintendent salary at the time of hire has increased.

Shouldn’t the Chief of Strategic Initiatives initiate beneficial relations with external partners? As for Celia Fisher, she “serves as a legal advisor to the system as a whole” and “provides ongoing review of routine school system matters,” all of which appear applicable to the Community of Practice.

The Community of Practice initiative is a key component of MCPS’ corrective action plan introduced in October, and supporting it is one of Navarro’s responsibilities.The plan comes in response to the school district’s mishandling of the Joel Beidleman sexual misconduct case that surfaced in August via a Washington Post article.

The article revealed that over 18 anonymous complaints against Beidleman were ignored and never fully investigated by MCPS. MCPS responded to the case by hiring private law firm Jackson Lewis who investigated the case, reviewing over 30,000 documents and conducting 59 interviews with MCPS personnel. Investigators ultimately found “significant and troubling failures by senior management,” as stated by the official report.

The corrective action plan directly states that the Community of Practice would entail, “panels of experts who will come together to recommend specific actions MCPS must take in the key areas listed below to form a comprehensive corrective action plan.” We have no idea who will make up this panel of experts, only that they will require the advice of a Senior Adviser for External Affairs.

According to the Maryland Open Data Access Report, as of

February 2023, seven of the top 20 highest paid MCPS employees were associate superintendents.

Associate superintendents are each paid $204,852 annually, totalling over $1.4 million of the county’s annual budget, which could have accounted for a third of the cost of covering AP/IB exams or on average an additional 17 teachers. Yet time and time again, students and teachers have received lackluster attention and care for their wellbeing and support. Meanwhile, McKnight boasts seven associate superintendents.

One could make the case that given the size, diversity and regional challenges of MCPS, such a large and expensive staff of assistance is warranted. Yet when so many positions have overlapping responsibilities with the superintendent, it is not.

The unchecked culture of sexual misconduct at Farquhar middle school, where Beidleman was principal, has not been the only systemic issue that the county has faced.

In 2020, MCPS commissioned the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium to conduct a two-year audit on racism in the county and evaluate methods to work towards, “achieving racial equity across the district.”

The audit cost roughly $455,000.

Though the audit fulfilled MCPS’ goal of collecting data, it did not fulfill the goal of “achieving racial equity across the district.” Neha Singhal, Blair Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator noted the lack of change after the costly audit’s release. “I’m trying to be hopeful that if they did take all of this time and these resources and money that it

will lead us to somewhere effective because between when they started the anti racist audit to now I can’t say I have seen too many systemic changes,” Singhal said.

Ultimately, these systemic issues have not been solved with audits and action plans that come with a one time price and an expensive hire. “No one person can change the system,” Rahman Culver, an assistant principal at Blair, said. These solutions should entail investing in classrooms, where students learn and grow. What is a school district if that very action is not fulfilled?

MCPS’ habitual attempts to pay their way out of countywide issues is a reflection of the ever growing disconnect between the county’s bloated administrative team and the community at large. “The way that MCPS sometimes runs, feels like a business model because … you go up the chain, and the CEO is paid 50 to 100 times more than the workers and obviously, the inequity isn’t as stark in MCPS in terms of how much teachers make versus the superintendent and associates, but it’s still troubling that there’s this hierarchy and disparity, I think that as an educational system, we should be wary of that,” Singhal said.

As McKnight plans to announce her budget for Fiscal Year 25, we can only hope that she does not request the funding for a new Chief Senior Executive Officer for Internal and External Administrative Support and Wellbeing.

December 5, 2023 Opinions B4

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The DCC falls short of promises

By Zachary Karp Staff Writer AN OPINION Once intended to serve as a transformative measure to promote equity in admissions and combat overpopulation at five of Montgomery County’s low-income high schools, the Downcounty Consortium (DCC) has since achieved anything but. Since the Consortium’s first year of operation in 2004, its schools have instead seen a decline in admissions diversity and have failed altogether to reduce congestion.

At first, the DCC was also intended to incorporate the predominantly-white Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC) into its domain. But after protest from local parents, MCPS dropped plans to assimilate the school into the newly-proposed DCC. “People paid a lot of money to buy a house in Bethesda to send their kids to [B-CC] … and they felt like if their kids were sent to a different school, say [John F.] Kennedy … their property values would go down,” Regional Policy Director of D.C.-area advocacy nonprofit Greater Greater Washington Dan Reed, who has written articles about school equity issues for the organization, said.

As time has passed, a pattern has emerged at MCPS high schools— eastern county schools, such as those in the DCC, have lost a significant percentage of their white students, while affluent western county schools have generally retained their white population. “[While] the county has become more diverse … [its] schools have not nec-

essarily become more diverse. You have schools on the eastern side of the county like Blake or Paint Branch that have flipped from majority white when I was in high school [in 2001] to majority Black now, and you see that pattern a lot on the eastern side of the county,” Reed said. “Whereas on the western side of the county, at schools like [Walt] Whitman or [Winston] Churchill … those schools remain predominantly white and affluent, and the result is [that] education outcomes across the county are much more disparate.”

Ultimately, the DCC failed to diversify its five constituent schools—

Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Northwood, Wheaton, and Blair.

From the DCC’s first year of operation in the fall of 2004 to the 2022-2023 school year, MCPS’ yearly Schools at a Glance reported that white students as a percentage of total school population fell to less than 50 percent of its preDCC size at John F. Kennedy and Northwood. While Wheaton and Albert Einstein report lower losses in their white student body—from 15.3 percent to 9.8 percent and from 26.2 percent to 22.6 percent respectively—they are home to notable magnet programs: Wheaton’s Biomedical program and Albert

GRAPHIC BY ZACHARY KARP | DATA COURTESY OF MCPS

MCPS’ WHITE STUDENT POPULATION In DCC schools, the overall white student population has decreased from 2004 to 2003.

Einstein’s Visual Art Center program. This was also the case at Blair, which hosts the applicationonly STEM and Communication Arts Program magnet programs that claim approximately 13 percent and 11 percent of the student body respectively.

The DCC’s failure to introduce diversity to east county high schools is not new, but in the absence of the consortium’s modification, it has persisted. “Overall, [the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO)] finds an increase in the stratification of MCPS high schools by income, race, and ethnicity,” a 2014 report by the MCPS OLO stated in reference to the DCC and eastern Northeast Consortium, another school consortium that operates similarly to the DCC. “With highpoverty consortia and consortialike high schools utilizing similar approaches to advance student achievement (e.g. expanded signature programs and freshman academies), OLO finds that MCPS’ approach [of implementing consortia] is not working as intended,” the report continued.

Beyond addressing diversity issues, part of the DCC’s appeal was that it would reduce congestion at the already overcrowded Blair and Albert Einstein campuses. But almost 20 years later, overcrowding remains an issue in both schools.

As of last year, Blair was 386 students over its enrollment cap, while Albert Einstein was 410.

Overcrowding can be a vexing condition. “Just being in the [Albert Einstein] halls [is] very claustrophobic, and I’ve seen and heard about people not getting into classes that they want to get into [be-

cause they’re full],” Albert Einstein senior Tim Rogers said.

To encourage use of its school choice system, the implementation of the Downcounty Consortium also featured the addition of specialized academies to each of its five schools. But the academy system saw little success at accomplishing its goal. “Magnet [programs] like Blair … tend to be much more structured [and] much more beneficial for some students,” Blair junior and Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association member Sam Ross said.

“The five [academies] we have here at Blair … are much less beneficial because there is much less guidance given to students about what they actually are, what to do with them, [and] what they can offer a student.”

To address the issues that the DCC failed to overcome, MCPS can institute attractive magnet programs at less diverse schools such as John F. Kennedy and Northwood to lure a more varied student population. The county can also improve the administration of its academy programs throughout the DCC; students and parents alike have historically questioned the academy system’s efficacy in preparing students for future careers.

But whatever the road to integration may entail, MCPS must acknowledge the DCC’s failure and create a system that can effectively integrate its schools—otherwise, the diverse population upon which it prides itself will be under serious threat.

Reaching a boiling point Why each school should control their own thermostats

By Norah Wilson Staff Writer AN OPINION While opening the door to some Blair classrooms, students are met with a gust of hot air. 15 minutes into class, students are sweating as they look around to find their classmates asleep. The teacher’s lecture sounds like background noise; the students cannot focus. This is exactly what happens to Blair and other MCPS schools whose administration have no control over their respective school’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC-R).

This system results in uncomfortable temperatures throughout MCPS schools—causing a disruption in students’ learning.

All HVAC-R systems in MCPS schools are controlled by the Division of Maintenance and Operations (DMO). In the Maintenance and Repairs Division within the DMO, staff specialized in carpentry, electrical, general maintenance, HVAC-R, and plumbing, are organized to work in three regional service centers: Downcounty, Midcounty, and Upcounty. When there is a problem reported at a school, a

wide. Seth Adams, the associate superintendent of OFM, explained the repair-making process. “The [school] staff members report [the problem] to the administration and building services [to] see what’s going on,” he said.

The DMO decided to turn on the heat in all MCPS schools on Nov. 13. At Blair, the heating was not spread throughout the school and was instead highly concentrated in certain classrooms and hallways. Arizelle Parker, Blair technology teacher, explained the problems with the temperature in her classroom. “Coming from outside, which is [in the] forties, and then coming in [the hot school] and staying in class from seven all the way to three o’clock … I get sick. I have a very weak immune system and it’s hard for me to adjust,” she said.

If you want your students to actually absorb the information you’re giving them, you’d want your classrooms to be [a] comfortable [temperature].

CELIA WOODWORTH

ARIZELLE PARKER

I have to get my own humidifier [and] I have to get my own fans because they don’t provide fans [in the classroom].

worker in the required field is sent out to identify the problem and provide a solution. Though the process may sound straightforward, it is not always efficient: Blair’s air conditioning (AC) malfunction during the return to school in August took a month to fix.

The malfunction made classrooms and hallways unbearable temperatures for students and teachers. On Sept. 9, Blair Business Administrator Andrew Fields sent an email to staff members apologizing for the overheating issue. “We have MCPS staff here now to address it,” Fields wrote in the email. The hot temperatures from the AC malfunction, mainly on the third floor, negatively affected students’ ability to learn.

William Rose teaches on the third floor and was unable to hold class in his classroom because it was hard for students to pay attention.

“It would have been very bad [if I taught in the classroom] with students being lethargic, and it would have been impossible to focus,” Rose said. Celia Woodworth, a junior at Wheaton, who also experienced high temperatures at school, described the impact of the temperature. “It’s a lot harder to learn when it’s really cold or if it’s really hot, and if you want your students to actually absorb the information you’re giving them, you’d want your classrooms to be [a] comfortable [temperature],” Woodworth said.

After a staff worker from DMO evaluates the issue, they order parts from the MCPS Office of Facilities Management (OFM), which is responsible for all repairs county-

As a result of the malfunctions, many teachers had to bring in their personal fans or buy objects to make the classroom environment more comfortable. This would not

ROSALYN FANG

be the case if Blair had control over their own HVAC-R. “I have to get my own humidifier [and] I have to get my own fans because they don’t provide fans [in the classroom] …

[Administration] gave [some teachers a] big, white air purifier, but not everybody got one,” Parker said.

When a problem occurs, Blair is unable to address and fix it in a timely manner. Blair relies on the county to provide the necessary people and equipment to make the school a positive environment for students’ learning. Blair junior Alegria Martins believes that Blair should control their own AC-R. “MCPS isn’t here, [the school] should be the ones controlling the AC because we are the ones affected, not MCPS,” she said.

Blair English teacher Daniel Cole had to move his class because his classroom was too hot for students to focus. Cole believes that the HVAC-R system being Blair’s responsibility would make it easier

for the school to maintain a healthy environment. “I’m sure [Blair controlling their own AC would] be easier. I don’t know what the cost and stuff would be, but it would be helpful,” Cole said. Blair freshman, Josie Peyrebrune, feels that with the county in control, temperature problems can go unnoticed.

“I think that the county doesn’t pay attention to some of the schools,” she said.

In order to alleviate this issue, each school should be in full control of their HVAC-R systems rather than the county. Students should not be forced to sit through sweltering temperatures at school.

Each classroom maintaining a consistent temperature would benefit students’ ability to learn and this can only happen if HVAC-R systems are managed by schools themselves.

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B5 Opinions December 5, 2023

Too little, too late

MCPS anti-racist action plan fails to accomodate MAEC’s audit findings

By Amen Lemiesa Senior Writer

ination within their classrooms.

Marshall Collier, an English teacher at Blair, summarized how the professional development day reflected the broad-stroke strategies MCPS utilizes to combat racism. “I think that these antiracist trainings are geared more towards white people and not black people, and … as a black teacher, I don’t need to be here. I need to be in a meeting someplace where there are other black teachers who need a platform to talk about the racism [and discrimination] that we see here and the practices we can use to solve them,” Collier said.

I think it’s very hard in a system as large as MCPS to do a one-size-fitsall training of any kind … [An antiracist training] is not the type you do with a staff of 300.

You break [staff] up [and] provide trained facilitators.

REBECCA HUGHES

Following a Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium (MAEC) audit commissioned in 2021, MCPS presented an Antiracist System Action Plan to the BOE in May to address the race-based issues identified by the audit. While the county has stepped up where others have not, simply by implementing the Antiracist System Action Plan, the plan does not address school-specific issues regarding race-based incidents and underrepresentation in advanced-level coursework.

The MAEC’s audit reported race-based bullying, citing an example incident where teachers negligently responded to a student who was being called a “terrorist.”

The audit elaborated that students are witnessing and enduring bullying based on “race, skin color, ethnicity, or culture,” signaling a need for interventions that are specific to the environments where these incidents occur​​. According to their action plan, MCPS aims to “develop systemic feedback structures and training for staff to engage stakeholders.”

Despite MCPS’ efforts, Blair senior Jason Peña believes that discriminatory bullying incidents in MCPS must be handled within the community, and no blanket policy can effectively root out the incidents. “Dealing with [discriminatory] bullying should be a community effort,” he said. “I can’t imagine some MCPS policy is going to cut it.”

Likewise, MCPS’ generalized approach is also evident in the

professional development day implemented as a part of the action plan on Oct. 9 across the county.

The staff training at Blair was held in the auditorium and administered to all staff. The training consisted of a presentation on racial dialogues and combating racism in classrooms. Ultimately, the training failed to address the requirements of individual schools. The ineffectiveness of the training was further exacerbated given that it had to be implemented by school staff, rather than a dedicated professional.

This delivery method resulted in varying levels of staff expertise in managing racial issues, which led to a lack of sensitivity in nurturing an antiracist educational setting. Rebecca Hughes, Blair’s social studies resource teacher and a member of the committee in charge of executing the action plan, explained the difficulty in crafting the plan for a county with almost 160,000 enrolled students. “I think it’s very hard in a system as large as MCPS to do a one-size-fits-all training of any kind … [An antiracist training] is not the type you do with a staff of 300. You break [staff] up [and] provide trained facilitators,” Hughes said.

To enhance the effectiveness of the professional development for teachers, MCPS should develop training procedures sensitive to each school’s context. This can take the form of conducting a needs-based assessment that surveys each school to identify its unique challenges. Tailoring these programs involves recognizing the unique racial and cultural dynamics and providing teachers with the tools to address biases and discrim-

The underrepresentation of students of color in advanced coursework is an issue that a school-specific strategy could address more effectively. In the stakeholder survey, only about 70 percent of respondents felt that students are given equitable access to resources, and advanced academic classes regardless of their race, ethnicity, or culture. MAEC’s audit further

GRAPHIC BY AMEN LEMIESA | DATA COURTESY OF THE MID-ATLANTIC EQUITY CONSORTIUM

said that MCPS could alleviate the issue by ensuring equitable opportunities for all students to enroll in programs that set them on a path to college and career readiness by recognizing and correcting teacher biases and discriminatory practices at the school level. Rahman Culver, former Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator and now Assistant Principal at Blair, explained the importance of diversity in classroom settings, citing benefits such as promoting inclusivity and enriching learning. “Diversity in the classroom isn’t just a nice to have, [it’s] essential. It creates an environment of inclusivity, where every student feels represented and valued … It enriches the learning experience by bringing multiple perspectives to the table, which is crucial for [a] comprehensive education,” Culver

said.

While MCPS has at least acknowledged the need for antiracist work, the execution of these policies has not been localized enough to address the nuanced manifestations of racism in different school environments. “We have work to do in terms of how students access learning … some of it is just this broader system, and we haven’t done enough to address the systemic [challenges],” Hughes said.

Given the audit’s findings, MCPS must refine its strategy and adapt the 2023 action plan to underscore a shift from districtwide mandates to a decentralized approach that empowers individual schools to address their specific issues with racism and bias.

Intentos antirracistas superficiales en MCPS

Por Jaleih Cruz y Zoë Kaiser Escritora y Editora-En-Jefe

Con entrenamientos de antirracismo y planes de acción siendo implementados, ¿qué efecto tienen en la vida cotidiana de un estudiante hispano en Blair? Un guardia de seguridad, Brian Leatherwood, dice “no creo que los estudiantes

hispanos en Blair se sientan seguros”. Varios estudiantes hispanos en Blair sienten que no están seguros, conectados ni escuchados en Blair. Will Reyes Sanchez, estudiante del grado doce, dijo, “Nunca he recibido apoyo de muchos de mis maestros, consejeros ni de nadie a mi alrededor, principalmente soy yo quien tiene que hacer esto solo”. Si los estudiantes son suspendidos cuando hay un problema con su comportamiento y no reciben ningún apoyo, comienzan a sentirse inseguros en la escuela.

El antirracismo a nivel superficial también se muestra en otras maneras en Blair. Programas cómo All-In Honors, una iniciativa qué existe en Blair, y algunas otras escuelas de MCPS, ofrece una solución inefectiva a problemas profundos, como segregación entre estudiantes y el desempeño estudiantil. Esencialmente, All-In Honors intenta de poner a cada estudiante en las mismas clases centrales sin seguimiento académico, para combatir el prejuicio que los propios maestros pueden tener cuando ponen a sus estudiantes en clases avanzadas. La sra. Burgos, una vicedirectora de Blair comenta, “Pienso que [All-In Honors] está creando un ambiente donde la inclusión es posible. Pienso que el primer paso es conseguir que los estudiantes estén en el aula. Pero, ¿cómo hacemos que realmente funcione? Eso es un reto”.

Un gran desafío de All-In Honors es la desvinculación estudiantil

con estudiantes de varios niveles en la misma clase, puede ser difícil tener una clase que acomode a todos. Es importante notar que la desvinculación estudiantil está afectando al condado entero, pero la falta de recursos para maestros de clases All-In exacerba este problema. Los estudiantes que están en estas clases de honores, realmente no trabajan en material avanzado.

En una encuesta de 2022 para estudiantes en estas clases conducida por el gobierno estudiantil, 85 por ciento de los estudiantes dijeron que el material no los desafiaba.

Un estudiante en una clase All-In respondió a la encuesta, “Me he dado cuenta de que algunos niños están muy adelantados y otros están luchando”.

Nunca he recibido apoyo de muchos de mis maestros, consejeros ni de nadie a mi alrededor, principalmente soy yo quien tiene que hacer esto solo.

WILL REYES SANCHEZ

No creo que los estudiantes hispanos en Blair se sientan seguros.

BRIAN LETHERWOOD

En un condado tan diverso como el condado de Montgomery, es crucial tener un ambiente inclusivo para todos los estudiantes.

MCPS ha implementado varios esfuerzos para combatir el racismo en sus escuelas, desde el auditoría antirracista, hasta entrenamientos de antirracismo para maestros, seguridad, y administración.

Pero con todos estos esfuerzos, ¿qué tan inclusivo es MCPS realmente?

MCPS mantiene la imagen de un condado muy progresivo, pero todavía existe un largo camino por recorrer. En un entrenamiento de MCPS reciente de antirracismo para todos los maestros del condado, había preocupaciones de maestros en Blair sobre la manera en que MCPS implementa el antirracismo en el condado. En la presentacion qué occurrio en Blair, el contenido era tan anticuado que varios maestros de color pararon el entrenamiento porque no estaban de acuerdo con el contenido. Una maestra de Blair, Michelle Elie, dijo “De hecho, me costó ver cómo [el entrenamiento] era antirracista”.

En un video incluido en la presentación, Carla Shalaby, una mujer que parecía cómo una mujer blanca, de la escuela de educación Marshall, imparte su lección llamada Aprendiendo libertad de nuestros alborotadores. En su video,

Shalaby usa una foto de un hombre negro tomando agua de una fuente marcada blancos solamente, del año 1956. Shalaby continúa explicando que “él está tomando el agua con el conocimiento de la ley”, preguntando, “¿Para qué sirve este comportamiento revoltoso?” Su intención de reformular el pensamiento detrás de las consecuencias por comportamientos negativos en estudiantes es bien intencionada, pero sin un enfoque en, o entendimiento de, las experiencias de maestros o estudiantes en MCPS. Elie explica, “Frecuentemente, estos entrenamientos empiezan con una explicación de antirracismo. Para muchos maestros de color, estamos más educados sobre dónde comienzan estos entrenamientos. Para nosotros, se siente insultante”.

Como parte de los eventos para el Mes de la Hispanidad (HHM), El 13 de Octubre, MCPS presentó una feria universitaria llamada Hispanic College Fair en la escuela secundaria de Gaithersburg. Estudiantes hispanos de todo MCPS vinieron a una feria univer-

sitaria pensando que iba a ser una feria universitaria que beneficiaría específicamente a los estudiantes hispanos del condado, pero fue una feria como todas las demás.

En esta feria universitaria, todos los anuncios se hicieron en inglés y hubo un número mínimo de representantes hispanos.

Una estudiante, Gabriella Wallace, de la escuela secundaria de Wootton, dijo “yo pensé que iban a hablar sobre las becas”. Como ella, muchos estudiantes pensaron que iba a ser una feria diferente, enfocada en ayudar a estudiantes como ellos y estaban sorprendidos cuando eso no sucedió. MCPS habló de esta feria universitaria como si fuera una oportunidad para estudiantes hispanohablantes pero al parecer, es solo apariencias. Este es un ejemplo más de los esfuerzos superficiales hechos por MCPS. Los recursos de MCPS serían más efectivos si se enfocaran en las voces de los estudiantes y maestros en vez de poner sus esfuerzos en un activismo de apariencia. El antirracismo es un esfuerzo mayor que el condado de MCPS y el cambió a la inclusividad es algo que necesita incluir las voces de la gente afectada. Estos cambios pueden ser difíciles de llevar a cabo, pero el primer paso para MCPS es ser transparente con los estudiantes y la comunidad, sobre los problemas que el condado enfrenta y buscar soluciones en conjunto con las comunidades más afectadas.

la

El 5 de diciembre de 2023

esquinalatina Representando la comunidad latinx desde el 2003

Volumen 21 Número 2

Evento solidario

La Esquina Latina se involucra en el espíritu del día de acción de gracias

JEROME CHAMBERS

Cualquier donación es buena, honestamente. El desafío más grande es que simplemente no hay suficientes viviendas.

Cuando eres un individuo sin hogar, estás privado del sueño, y victimizado.

JEROME CHAMBERS

Para celebrar el día de acción de gracias, el equipo de Esquina recopiló artículos de tocador, ropa interior, calcetines, comida imperecedera, botellas de agua y otras necesidades para crear alrededor de cuarenta bolsas con productos esenciales para individuos sin hogar. Todas las bolsas fueron donadas a Shepherd’s Table, una organización dedicada a combatir la inseguridad de la comida, entre otras cosas.

El director de servicios sociales en Shepherd’s Table, Jerome Chambers, explica el impacto de las donaciones, “Cualquier donación es buena, honestamente. El desafío más grande es que simplemente no hay suficientes viviendas”. Chambers expande, “siempre necesitamos jabón, cepillos de dientes, pasta dental, loción, desodorante, esas cosas para que [la gente sin hogar] pueda mantener su dignidad”. Estas donaciones pueden recorrer un largo camino para organizaciones que ayudan a la gente sin hogar. “Cualquier donación ayuda”, dice Chambers. Es crucial que estos individuos tengan

FOTO POR JAMIE LOZADA-MCBRIDE

MARCANDO LA DIFERENCIA Personal de La Esquina Latina empaca bolsas para dárselas a personas sin vivienda.

Pathways to Housing, una organización con la misión de abordar la falta de vivienda y apoyar la recuperación de personas que también viven con enfermedades mentales graves y persistentes condiciones de salud desafiantes, desempeña un papel importante en la lucha contra este problema. La organización originó el método de vivienda primero, que se enfoca en proporcionar primero vivienda permanente y luego combinarlo con un enfoque que centra al cliente e incluye servicios de tratamiento de apoyo que incluyen salud mental, abuso de sustancias, empleo, etc. Sirven como una alternativa a un sistema de refugio de emergencia o vivienda de transición, y han brindado tratamiento a más de 850 adultos en el área de DC. Según el Point-in-Time Count (PIT), una encuesta anual de personas sin hogar en los

BERLY SOLI S

El pasado 22 de noviembre, el equipo de La Esquina Latina se unió al espíritu de la temporada con un acto para retribuir a la comunidad. Esquina quiere combatir el problema de las personas sin casa. La combinación de ingreso fijo, inflación, y escasez de vivienda pone a miles de ciudadanos estadounidenses en riesgo de estar sin hogar.

el apoyo y los recursos de la comunidad. “Cuando yo regreso a mi hogar, puedo prepararme para el próximo día. Pero cuando eres un individuo sin hogar, estás privado del sueño, y victimizado”, comenta Chambers.

Además de ofrecer comida, Shepherd’s Table conecta individuos con viviendas a través de colaboración con organizaciones como Pathways to Housing, y otros servicios. Chambers explica, “antes de recibir su comida, los individuos pueden venir y hablar con un administrador del caso, pueden conseguir cupones de comida, [y] Medicaid de Maryland.” Además de estos servicios, también hay un centro de recursos con ropa, productos de higiene, artículos de tocador, y otros recursos que son donados.

La falta de suficientes viviendas en los Estados Unidos crea una demanda tan competitiva que es demasiado caro tener un hogar, especialmente en áreas urbanas, y para familias con un ingreso bajo.

El promedio de la renta mensual en Maryland es de 2.070 dólares y con tantas personas en apuros de pagar este precio, el costo de comida, atención médica y otras necesidades pueden ser abandonadas.

Dificultades como un accidente que requiere atención médica, un costo alto en un país sin atención médica universal, o la pérdida de trabajo, pueden poner a un individuo, o familia, en la posición de estar sin hogar en una fracción de segundo.

K IM

Por Zoë Kaiser y Giselle Zelaya Editoras-en-Jefe

Estados Unidos, DC experimentó un aumento del 12% en la falta de vivienda en comparación con el año pasado. También encontró un aumento colectivo del 26% en los suburbios de DC, incluyendo los condados de Montgomery y Prince George en Maryland, y los condados de Arlington y Fairfax en Virginia.

FOTO POR MAIA TURPEN

ENTREGANDO UN REGALO Zoë Kaiser, Editora-en-Jefe de La Esquina Latina, deja paquetes para personas sin hogar a Sheperd’s Table.

CHRISTY REPRESS

Este no es un problema de Washington, D.C. o de la ciudad de Nueva York. Este es un problema de los Estados Unidos.

Los altos costos de la vivienda y el racismo estructural, que ha causado brechas en la riqueza, el encarcelamiento y la salud, son la base de la falta de vivienda en esta área. En un artículo del Washington Post, Christy Respress, directora ejecutiva y presidenta de Path-

ways to Housing DC, comentó: “Este no es un problema de Washington, D.C. o de la ciudad de Nueva York. Este es un problema de los Estados Unidos, y está en todas las comunidades del país... Es imposible encontrar viviendas asequibles, no solo en las ciudades, sino también en los suburbios de la región de DC, sin algún tipo de asistencia para la vivienda”.

Chambers explica que, “El 70 por ciento de nuestra población, probablemente la vemos semanalmente, lo cual es bastante bueno. Aunque algunos de ellos todavía no se han involucrado en los servicios, la forma en que está diseñado el sistema, al menos vendrán a buscar comida, recursos, revisarán su corrreo.” Hay demasiados desafíos para la gente sin hogar, y el apoyo de la comunidad es crucial para combatir esta problema.

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C2 La Esquina Latina el 5 de diciembre de 2023

Caminando hacia un futuro mejor

El proceso universitario para los estudiantes hispanos en Blair Por Lukas Barbieri y Marta Vasquez Lucas Escritores

MARIA ESPINAL

Universitaria y el Éxito” o ACES por sus siglas en inglés, que proviene de Montgomery College. De acuerdo con el coordinador de éxito estudiantil, Dwayne Brown, “El objetivo del programa ACES es realmente cerrar la brecha de alguna manera. Estamos aquí para ayudar a los estudiantes universitarios de primera generación, con su proceso de solicitud de ingreso a la universidad y ayudarlos a recorrer ese proceso, ocupándose de las solicitudes, la ayuda financiera, las becas, entre otras cosas, para ayudarlos a alcanzar sus objetivos de obtener una educación superior”. Los estudiantes, hispanos o no, que han nacido en los EEUU y tienen suficiente inglés pueden disfrutar de los beneficios si son admitidos. Los recién llegados o los que no dominan el inglés, tienen que llegar al tercer nivel de ELD para ser considerados. No muchos estudiantes saben sobre el programa. Los estudiantes pueden informarse más sobre este programa en la oficina del señor Brown en el salón ciento sesenta y nueve. ACES es muy selectivo, entonces si eres admitido, ACES puede brindarte consejo y apoyo con su conocimiento intrínseco del proceso. Estos programas están disponibles para poder sustituir a lo que falta de los padres.

Como dice Deysi Vicente, estudiante del grado doce quien es parte del programa de Collegiate Directions Incorporations (otro programa que ofrece Blair) “Gracias a ellos ya apliqué a nueve universidades, me falta una más, pero si no fuera por ellos, yo quizás ahorita no hubiera entregado nin-

Blazers destacadas las obras emblemáticas de Shakespeare. A continuación nos explican cómo lo han conseguido.

¿Por cuánto tiempo han sido directoras?

ABI TORRES FOTOS POR DYLAN WARREN

MARÍA CLARA NARVÁEZ Abi Torres y María Clara Narváez han sido parte del teatro de Blair por mucho tiempo. Ahora, como asistentes de dirección, han asumido un papel más relevante en “César y Cleopatra”, la última producción del teatro de Blair. Su admiración por la señora O’Connor, profesora de inglés y directora del teatro en Blair, y el amor por las artes escénicas, las ha llevado a cumplir su sueño de dirigir una de

Abi: Solo para esta obra. Empezamos a comienzos del año, tras haberlo solicitado durante el verano.

María: Igual que Abi, solo he sido directora este año. Pero, he trabajado como miembro del equipo de escenario por cuatro años.

¿Cómo fueron seleccionadas como directoras de teatro?

María: Yo hablé con la señora O’Connor sobre tener una participación más importante este año.

Entonces, cuando yo hablé con ella, me ofreció el trabajo.

Abi: Haciendo obras de teatro en Blair, he tenido una conexión más cercana con la señora O’Connor. Este año, por ser él último antes de graduarme, quería hacer algo más sustancial. Quería participar más y tener funciones más relevantes. Después hablé con la señora O’Connor y le mandé un email para preguntarle si podría aplicar para la posición.

¿Cuál es el rol de un director en una obra de teatro y cómo guían a los actores en el proceso de producción?

Abi: Lo primero es que tomamos notas porque una cosa que la señora O’Connor nos dice para cada audición es que quiere que

guna aplicación”. El programa es externo y tiene como fin ayudar a los estudiantes con asesoramiento, tutoría específica, preparación para exámenes, habilidades de estudio, capacitación en liderazgo y apoyo continuo, comenzando en el décimo grado y continuando hasta una exitosa graduación universitaria.

Otro recurso que Blair ofrece es el Centro de colegios y carreras, que está disponible para ayudar a los estudiantes a facilitar el proceso de Universidad. La coordinadora.

Jasmine Delos Reyes, comenta, “Todos esos programas, todo este apoyo son gratuitos para los estudiantes. Realmente es quien quiera ayuda, estamos aquí para eso y aceptamos a cualquier estudiante.

Puede ser de cualquier raza, cultura y también a pesar de las barreras del idioma”.

Lo mejor es que el condado ofrece ayuda financiera, que reduciría los costos de la universidad.

Como comenta Jasmine delos Reyes “Es ese tipo de conversación que necesito tener con ellos en cuanto a que hay dinero, pero hay otros pasos que tenemos que seguir para poder llegar a eso”. La financiación de la universidad es algo que asusta a muchas familias, el promedio de las universidades públicas dentro del estado es de $10 mil por cada año de universidad, lo cual sigue siendo muy alto para familias de bajos recursos. Es muy difícil embarcar en este viaje para hispanos que han nacido o no en EEUU, a causa de gasto y falta de información. A pesar de ello, vale la pena, porque con una carrera de universidad, el éxito en la vida está casi garantizado. Obtener

educación universitaria puede ayudar a los estudiantes a resaltar entre solicitantes de empleo, lo cual lleva a obtener un salario más alto. También abre puertas a algo más alto y expande la creatividad e independencia de cada estudiante.

ensayos para la solicitud de ingreso a las universidades y le pido a María o otro asistente de dirección si pueden tomar notas. Otras veces lo hago yo, y de esa forma no hay una sola persona haciendo todo el trabajo continuamente.

¿Qué esperan que obtenga el público con “César y Cleopatra?”

Realmente es quien quiera ayuda, estamos aquí para eso y aceptamos a cualquier estudiante. Puede ser de cualquier raza, cultura y también a pesar de las barreras del idioma.

JASMINE DELOS REYES

¿Qué pasa después de la escuela secundaria para los estudiantes hispanos de primera generación y estudiantes del programa de desarrollo de lengua inglesa (ELD por sus siglas en inglés) en Blair? En Blair, los estudiantes hispanos de primera generación y los estudiantes de ELD desean seguir sus estudios continuando la universidad. Sin embargo, no es un camino fácil. La educación superior no es alcanzable si no sabes nada del proceso para aplicar a las universidades. Ese es el caso de muchos estudiantes hispanos aquí en Blair.

Para los estudiantes de primera generación, son los primeros en su familia que necesitan navegar el proceso y lo hacen sin el consejo de padres que conocen el proceso.

Lo único que los padres les pueden dar es su apoyo emocional. Ashley Zuleta, estudiante de primera generación del duodécimo grado, dice “Mis padres son los que me empujaron a aplicar. Ellos son los que quieren que vaya. Ahora yo también quiero ir, porque ellos son mi inspiración para ir a la universidad aquí”. Al contrario, los estudiantes de ELD encuentran como mayor obstáculo la barrera lingüística. Como expresa Kimberly Perez, estudiante de ELD del undécimo grado, “justamente hace unos días estuve buscando ayuda para ver cómo puedo entrar a la universidad. Pero la

respuesta que me dieron fue que tengo que aprender más inglés para ver si puedo todavía aplicar o no”. Muchos estudiantes de ELD se rinden en su camino a la universidad, por la falta de información y motivación adecuada. La escuela podría crear un sistema en el cual la información sobre universidad y programas esté moldeada teniendo los estudiantes de habla hispana en cuenta.

Aunque el proceso de la universidad puede ser muy abrumador para los estudiantes, para brindar apoyo en este proceso, Blair ofrece una variedad de programas.

Los cuales ofrecen consejo, información, y ayuda financiera para estos estudiantes.

Uno de estos es “Lograr la Excelencia

El camino hacia la universidad no es fácil. La calle está llena de vicisitudes, pero al final del arcoiris espera el caldero de oro, que es el diploma. Con la ayuda que ofrece Blair, todo es alcanzable. Como opina Silvana Brinkman, maestra de educación física quien fue parte de ELD años atrás, “La educación puede empujar a que los estudiantes tengan más. A no ser empleado de, sino jefe de. Cuando un hispano sube, empuja a los detrás a subir también”. Rendirse nunca es una opción ¡Nunca es demasiado tarde si no ha empezado! Pueden hablar con un consejero y averiguar cómo construir su propio camino.

Entrevistas conducidas por Henry Bonilla Reyes.

Por Dylan Warren Escritor

cada uno de nosotros tengamos éxito en nuestro trabajo y consigamos sacar un papel importante.

Los directores crean notas sobre lo que puede mejorarse y sobre lo que ya está funcionando bien. También se enfocan en que todos se sientan bien con su papel. Animamos a los actores a que prueben a desempeñar papeles más relevantes, pero también a que estén cómodos.

María: El objetivo es enfocar las buenas relaciones y el respeto entre los actores y con los directores. Hay que tener mucha consideración con todo el equipo, dentro y fuera del escenario. Eso es fundamental.

Hacemos énfasis en que los actores respeten y conozcan a todos los miembros del equipo porque sin ellos sería imposible hacer la obra.

Cultivar las relaciones es muy importante porque sin respeto no se puede llevar a cabo la obra.

¿ C ó m o e n c u e n t ra n el equilibrio entre su vida personal, ser directoras de teatro y estudiar?

María: Tenemos mucho tiempo para hacer tareas escolares durante las prácticas del teatro. Cuando no se necesita mi trabajo, me siento y me pongo a hacer tareas de otras clases. Así, durante esos huecos puedo avanzar en mis tareas escolares.

Abi: Durante todas las prácticas los asistentes de dirección tienen que tomar notas para la señora O’Connor y para compartir con el grupo. Pero como somos cinco haciendo esto, tomamos turnos y dividimos el trabajo. A veces, por ejemplo, tengo que trabajar en

¿Cómo les ha impactado la experiencia de ser directoras de una obra de teatro?

Abi: Siendo directora, he visto lo bueno y lo malo tanto de los actores como de los directores.

Nuestra prioridad es mejorar la obra, porque ése es nuestro trabajo. Queremos que todos se diviertan, que lo pasen bien, pero no se trata solo de hacer las cosas divertidas, sino bien hechas. Me llevo bien con todos los estudiantes que también están en la obra y que quieren disfrutar y expresarse, pero, también ha habido ocasiones en las que me he tenido que enojar para que limpien lo que está sucio o hagan las tareas comunes. Sé que a veces hay algunos estudiantes de primer año que piensan que siempre estamos disgustados con ellos, pero no es así. Decirles lo que deben hacer es nuestro trabajo.

María: La experiencia me ha dado más conocimientos a diferentes niveles: primero como a alguien que le encanta el teatro y ahora siendo directora y jefa de sonido. Es una experiencia maravillosa, aunque a veces no se puede ser solo amiga de los actores porque, a veces no muestran respeto y piensan que pueden hacer lo que quieran, pero no es así.

María: Quiero que la audiencia de Blair vea el talento. Todos los estudiantes son muy talentosos y tienen futuros muy prometedores.

También quiero que aprecien el esfuerzo de los miembros del equipo a cargo del escenario, ya que pienso que son los más importantes. En mi caso, yo escogí la música para la obra de este año y creo que es muy relevante porque es la que provoca emociones entre la audiencia.

Abi: Primero, que aprecien todo el trabajo que es evidente que han hecho todos los miembros del teatro. Al comienzo del año había palabras que alguna gente ni sabían cómo pronunciar, así que espero que puedan ver el gran esfuerzo que han hecho todos los miembros del equipo, tanto los actores, como los directores, y todos lo que han participado para mejorar el espectáculo. Esta obra incluye elementos de todo tipo. No es solo comedia o drama, tiene un poco de todo.

Mientras me alejo, Abi y María se apresuran a revisar sus notas e intercambiar comentarios. Al momento de hacer esta entrevista, se han llevado a cabo varias funciones, y quedan otras tantas por realizarse, y las dos asistentes de dirección no dudan en incorporar cualquier aspecto que pueda mejorarse. Pero se aprecia que están satisfechas con su trabajo.

“Creo que el resultado final de la obra es maravilloso”, dice María, sabiendo que cada representación despierta emociones únicas entre el público.

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el 5 de diciembre de 2023 La Esquina Latina C3

Los Grammy Latinos Los premios han comenzado

Por Salome Betancur y Axel Henrriquez Escritores

FRANCISCO SOLÍS MONROY

La ceremonia no tiene que ser siempre en América Latina, pero tal vez el paso correcto hubiera sido venir aquí antes de ir a Europa.

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Sin embargo, esta decisión se consideró controvertida para muchas personas. La razón es que muchos artistas latinoamericanos se sienten excluidos de los Grammy Latinos. Esto se puede ver cuando los artistas más reconocidos son de los mismos lugares.

Un artículo del Guardian, titulado, “Spanish-dominated Latin Grammys’ move to Seville provokes controversy” dice que, “Algunos críticos también han cuestionado si los artistas españoles deberían

Por Maia Turpen Columnista

Ubicada en el extremo sur de las Américas, Argentina es un país fascinante, lleno de contrastes. Con una geografía diversa que abarca desde las sorprendentes montañas de los Andes hasta el expansivo desierto en Patagonia y las vastas llanuras de La Pampa, este país ofrece una experiencia única. Además de su impresionante belleza natural, Argentina tiene una rica historia, vibrante cultura y tradiciones que la hacen única en el continente.

En el sur de Argentina se extiende la impresionante Patagonia,

u n a región de asombrosa belleza y misterio. Hogar de diversas comunidades indígenas, como los Aonikenk, Mapuches y otros, Patagonia ha sido testigo de siglos de historia. El término ‘Tehuelche’ es usado cómo nombre general de varios grupos similares en la área, específicamente los que dependían mayormente de la tierra. Otros grupos crearon canoas para atravesar el laberinto de canales y vías en la región. Dependían de la pesca y la caza de ballenas, aprovechando cada parte del animal para sobrevivir. Los primeros exploradores no podían creer que hubiera comunidades viviendo en los climas tan extremos de la región. Cuando llegaron, había tantos fogatas que lo nombraron “Tierra del Fuego”. Además, el nombre Patagonia se deriva de ‘patagón’ porque los exploradores pensaban qué los nativos tenían

artista y más. Los ganadores fueron De Todas Las Flores por Natalia Lafourcade, Mañana Será Bonito, por Karol G, Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 de Santiago Alvarado, y Joaquina respectivamente.

[La musica latina] es algo relajante y no como la música regional que sacan ahora.

ALEXANDER MENDEZ LOPEZ

Este pasado 16 de noviembre se celebró la vigésima cuarta entrega anual de los Grammy Latinos en Sevilla, España. Desde su inicio, los Grammy Latinos se han celebrado en los Estados Unidos, pero por primera vez en su historia, la jornada tomó lugar en un país hispanohablante.

clasificarse como “latinos” en el contexto de la controvertida historia colonial de España”. En una entrevista en el artículo, un crítico de cultura pop chilena del podcast musical Clase Básica, dice “Que Rosalía gane Grammy Latinos, y sin faltarle el respeto, simplemente se siente un poco desconectada”. Él dice que, “La ceremonia no tiene que ser siempre en América Latina, pero tal vez el paso correcto hubiera sido venir aquí antes de ir a Europa”.

La primera entrega anual de los Grammy Latinos fue televisada desde Los Ángeles, California el 13 de septiembre de 2000. Tiene su origen en los Grammys, que es uno de los más importantes premios en la industria músical, con estrellas como Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, Adele, Beyoncé, hasta la finada Selena siendo personas que lo han ganado. Desde el principio fue muy difícil para artistas latinos ganar primos, porque los jueces no podían entender el idioma de la música, por eso se separó para mejor dar luz a la música latina.

Los presentadores de los Grammy latinos este año fueron Sebastian Yatra, un cantante, compositor y actor colombiano. También estuvo Roselyn Sánchez, una cantautora, bailarina, modelo, actriz, productora y escritora puertorriqueña y Danna Paola, cantante, modelo, actriz mexicana. Finalmente, también contaron con la presencia de Paz Vega, una actriz española.

Ellos presentaron las categorías de Grabación del año, Álbum del año, Canción del año, Mejor nuevo

Algo que me sorprendió fue todos los diferentes ganadores, en general disfruté mucho de este evento”.

Los fanáticos de la música latina son los que hacen las canciones un gran éxito, pero ¿quiénes son estas personas? Un fanatico de Blair, Alexander Mendez Lopez, del décimo grado, dijo que le gusta la música latina. “Es algo relajante y no como la música regional que sacan ahora”. Con su favorito tipo de música siendo trap y urbana, Lopez comenta “sacan una música que me hace desestresarme y me gusta escuchar ese tipo de música”.

La estudiante Amber Juárez del grado 12 que se crió con la música latina, comenta que “reggaeton, más tipo vieja escuela, es mi favorita porque esas canciones son las que

Una sorpresa de la noche fue que Karol G fue la primera mujer que ganó el álbum del año y reaccionó después llorando y agradeciendo. Shakira también regresó después de doce años y se hizo en un especial en su honor, además cantó una canción con sus dos hijos.

Con todo lo que pasó en música este año y todo los eventos en vivo, cinco millones de personas vieron el evento desde sus casas. Uno de estos espectadores fue Taiki Hernadez, un estudiante de origen colombiano en el duodécimo grado que dice sobre el evento, “Fue muy bueno con todo lo entretenido que tenía, como el canto de Rosalía. pies grandes.

Sus paisajes impresionantes crean una increíble variedad de vida silvestre, desde los notables guanacos hasta varios tipos de ballenas majestuosas en la costa atlántica. Los guanacos son notables en el área, con su pelo marrón y su barriga blanco. Sé encuentran por todos los Andes en el oeste de sudamérica, hay un especie del norte y uno en el sur qué viven al nivel del mar hasta la línea de nieve. Los guanacos son ancestros de las llamas, pero también son parientes de la vicuña y la alpaca. Sé parecen muy similares a sus parientes, con un adulto midiendo alrededor de 110 centímetros y 90 kilogramos con su notable cuello largo. Como la vicuña, los guanacos viven en pequeñas bandas de hembras con un macho líder.

La fibra de guanaco, introducida para uso textil a mediados del siglo XX, es valorada por su rareza y textura suave y se utiliza para telas de lujo; se considera más fina que la alpaca pero más tosca que la vicuña.

Hogar de diversas comunidades indígenas, como los Aonikenk, Mapuches y otros, Patagonia ha sido testigo de siglos de historia.

Las tradiciones argentinas son una fusión de diversas influencias culturales. El tango, una apasionada danza nacida en los barrios de Buenos Aires, es un símbolo internacionalmente reconocido de la cultura argentina. El tango es mucho más que un simple baile; es una expresión artística que encapsula la esencia y la pasión de Argentina. Este baile seductor y melancólico es la manifestación

mis padres pusieron en la casa”.

Con la música teniendo afectos en su vida “Me hace sentir no sé solo las palabras, supongo que la música es profunda, es la extensión de lo que sientes, podría ser muy sincera, tiene mucha emoción, a veces puede ser deprimente, simplemente expresa lo que la gente quiere”.

Durante los últimos años, los Grammy Latinos se han comenzado a separar de los Grammys a una forma de gran éxito. Esto se puede mirar en la forma que ya no solo se hace en los Estados Unidos, sino también ahora es global. Los Grammy Latinos han sido un buen logro para muchos de los artistas.

Dicho esto, parece que los Grammy Latinos van a estar aquí por muchos años más, con su próxima ceremonia marcando su vigésimo quinto aniversario y la posibilidad de contar con el honor de tener como posibles patrocinadores a Estados Unidos, México, Argentina, o tal vez, incluso, El Salvador.

EVIE ORCUTT

de la cultura argentina. Surgido de varias influencias, desde las comunidades indígenas hasta las olas de inmigrantes europeos, el tango incorpora elementos de la milonga, el candombe y la habanera.

El tango, una apasionada danza nacida en los barrios de Buenos Aires, es un símbolo internacionalmente reconocido de la cultura argentina.

Las comidas tradicionales, como las deliciosas empanadas y los dulces alfajores, son un deleite para los sentidos. Algo conocido como bebida argentina es la yerba mate. La yerba mate es apreciada por su sabor único, se prepara tradicionalmente colocando las hojas secas y trituradas de la planta en un recipiente llamado mate. El mate suele ser una calabaza seca o un recipiente de metal o madera, y la infusión se realiza vertiendo agua caliente sobre la yerba mate. La bebida se consume a través de una bombilla, un sorbete con un filtro en el extremo, que permite beber el líquido sin inhalar las hojas.

La historia de Argentina es compleja y rica, hay mucho orgullo qué viene con ser argentino. Por está razón, el Día de la Independencia es un día bastante importante que se celebra con entusiasmo patriótico. En el 9 de julio de 1816, los representantes de las provincias que formaban lo qué ahora sé conoce cómo Argentina, declararon su independencia de España y su estado nación formal. La diversidad étnica y cultural es un elemento fundamental en la identidad nacional, y los esfuerzos por preservar y celebrar esta diversidad han sido una constante a lo largo del tiempo.

Argentina es un país impresionante con sus tradiciones vibrantes

y su historia rica. Desde la grandeza de la Patagonia hasta la pasión del tango, cada rincón de este país ofrece una experiencia única. A través de sus tradiciones arraigadas y su historia resiliente, Argentina sigue siendo un faro de singularidad en América del Sur. Explorar este país es sumergirse en un mundo entero de paisajes, sabores y emociones, dejando una impresión permanente.

la esquinalatina LA ESQUINA LATINA EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Zoë Kaiser Giselle Zelaya LA ESQUINA LATINA WRITERS Lukas Barbieri Salomé Betancur Arturo Chomba Jaleih Cruz Bia da Silva Axel Henrriquez David Goulding Rose Kepka Jamie Lozada-McBride Naila Romero-Alston Maia Turpen Marta Vasquez Dylan Warren Jason Youm MANAGING LA ESQUINA LATINA ART EDITORS Yahaira Barrero LA ESQUINA LATINA ARTISTS Margarita Contreras Amaya Maria Espinal Angela Martinez-Gonzalez Evie Orcutt Kimberly Solis Jaime Lozada-McBride Cindis Hernandez LA ESQUINA LATINA ADVISER Maria Eugenia Tanos

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C4 La Esquina Latina el 5 de diciembre de 2023

Artistas hispanos disuadidos de sus sueños

NOTICIAS BREVES Compilado por Jamie Lozada-McBride Escritor

No hay tantos estudiantes hispanos en las programas avanzados de arte en Blair

La muerte de Jesús Ociel Baena Jesús Ociel Baena Saucedo, un judicial méxicane, fue encontrado muerto en su casa en Aguascalientes el 13 de noviembre. Tenía 38 años. Elle fue el primer judicial no binario de México (o cualquier otro país latinoamericano) cuando fue jurado en octubre de 2022.

Aunque recibió varias amenazas de muerte, Baena fue famoso por apoyar los derechos de la gente LGBT, y fue uno de los primeros mexicanos en recibir un pasaporte sin especificación de hombre/mujer. La noche de su muerte, miles de personas se unieron en Ciudad de México para exigir justicia para elle.

Dorian Herrera, pareja de Baena, también se encontraba muerto al lado de Baena. Según el fiscal general de Aguascalientes, los investigadores piensan que Herrera asesinó a Baena, matándole con un cuchillo antes de quitarse la vida.

Rosa Icela Rodríguez, la ministra de seguridad de México, decía que la muerte de Baena podría haber sido un “accidente”. Esas hipótesis han causado mucha controversia, y mucha gente ha acusando al gobierno de minimizar la muerte de Baena y de otra gente LGBT. La investigación sigue en marcha.

Un político polémico El 19 de noviembre, Javier Milei ganó la elección presidencial de Argentina con 55,7% de los votos. El político ultraderechista ha prometido reducir la inflación (la inflación interanual de Argentina es más que 142%), pero sus propuestas para hacerlo, que incluyen acabar con el banco central y reemplazar el peso argentino con el dólar estadounidense como el dinero oficial del país, han sido muy polémicas. Durante su campaña, Milei usó retórica pugnaz para apoyar sus ideas, destruyendo un modelo del banco central en un anuncio y trayendo una motosierra a sus mítines. Sin embargo, la victoria de Milei fue celebrada por mucha gente, incluyendo el secretario de estado estadounidense Antony Blinken y el expresidente estadounidense Donald Trump.

Milei empezará su término el 10 de diciembre.

El político estadounidense Henry Kissinger murió el 29 de noviembre. Tenía 100 años. Durante la Guerra Fría, Kissinger dominó la política exterior de Estados Unidos, sirviendo como el consejero de seguridad nacional del presidente Richard Nixon y como secretario de estado durante las presidencias de Nixon y Ford.

Fue celebrado por su inteligencia y por ayudar a aliviar tensiones entre Estados Unidos y la Unión Soviética, pero también hizo cosas con dudosa legalidad, como escuchar los teléfonos de periodistas. Mucha gente lo llama un criminal de guerra por su apoyo a dictaduras en América Latina y su decisión de bombardear Camboya durante la guerra de Vietnam, antes que Camboya oficialmente entrara en la guerra.

La familia de Kissinger tendrá un funeral privado para él, y luego un servicio de memoria público en Nueva York.

UNA OPINIÓN Aunque 35 por ciento de la población en Blair se identifica como Hispano, este diversidad no es representado en clases de arte avanzados. Clases de cerámicas 1 y arte 1 tienen una mayoría estudiantes hipanos y de Programa de Desarrollo de lengua inglesa (ELD por sus siglas en inglés), pero cursos avanzados de arte tienen solamente uno o dos estudiantes hispanos en cada clase. Los consejeros muchas veces no priorizan clases de artes y los estudiantes ELD no tienen mucho control o flexibilidad con sus horarios. También existe un falta de comprensión sobre las oportunidades artísticas que es aumentado por barreras del idioma.

La educación artística tiene un gran efecto en los estudiantes. El artículo “Educación Artística e Hispanos”, por Gustavo A. Mellander escritor de educación superior, dice que las clases de arte ayudan a los estudiantes aprender habilidades útiles como creatividad, paciencia, observación, y los ayudan a regular sus emociones; habilidades esenciales para el desarrollo emocional y para carreras futuras. La Sra. Frank, profesora de artesanías en Blair, las clases de arte son “un espacio seguro y también y un lugar para fomento de la confianza”.

Muchas veces los estudiantes nuevos al país necesitan tomar clases adicionales para graduarse, más clases de inglés, una clase de seminario, y muchas veces más clases de matemáticas. Esto se puede aplicar también a otros estudiantes E L D quienes están atrasados en su aprendizaje.

P o r eso

AN

El legado de Henry Kissinger

Por Yahaira Barrero y Rose Kepka Escritoras

GE LA MARTINEZ-GONZALES

ellos no tienen la oportunidad de tomar tantos electivos que otros estudiantes tienen. Sra. Ponce, Blair secretario de registro civil, dijo, “Si el consejero ve que el niño … necesita más apoyo, en tomar inglés, en tomar historia de los Estados Unidos o en tomar una clase de ciencias, lo van a poner a él en la clase más que ellos ven que son más prioritarias”. En muchos casos, los estudiantes de ELD no reciben ánimo de sus consejeros para continuar sus estudios de arte porque otras clases toman prioridad. También están automáticamente puestos en clases que no involucran mucha instrucción para mejorar sus oportunidades de éxito. Esto puede causar un desconecto para los estudiantes y

UNA PASIÓN PARA EL ARTE Estudiantes de la ilustración de moda trabajan en sus proyectos de costura.

FOTOS POR ROSE KEPKA

ESTUDIANTES SE INVOLUCRAN Estudiantes de arte trabajan en sus esculturas de papel maché. para… crear relaciones con estudisu arte. Un estudiante Blair his- antes que hablan español”. De pano de AP art, Ashley Palacios esta manera pueden proveer áni(grado 12), dijo “mi consejero casi mo que posiblemente no recibirán siempre le ha dado prioridad a mi de padres o consejeros. Además clase de japonés y no arte”. No era de Mr. Kirk, muchos profesores hasta que ella recibió consejo de de cerámica y arte 1 usan espanol su profesora de arte para continu- y programas de traslación para ar sus estudias de arte que Ashley comunicar mejor con sus estudireconozca su talento creativa. antes ELD. Este programa podría Hay muchas oportunidades ser usado en clases artísticas de en Blair para estudiantes his- niveles más altos para incluir más panos participar en las artes, pero estudiantes ELD. Según la Sra. la mayoría no saben todo lo que Frank, “Es responsabilidad de los Blair ofrece. En unas entrevis- instructores alcanzar una mano tas con estudiantes de ELD, el- a los estudiantes e incentivarlos los consistentemente no sabían a continuar con clases de arte si de las oportunidades art. “Cada tienen algo yendo por ellos”. Esmaestro tiene la responsabilidad tudiantes pueden continuar sus espara enseñar [a] los estudiantes, a tudios artísticos a niveles más altos todos los estudiantes, sobre [las] y entrar a clases como dibujando oportunidades diferentes”, dijo el avanzado, pintando avanzado, AP profesor de cerámicas Sr. Kirk. Artes 2D, o AP Artes 3D. Explicó que es “importante El arte es un aspecto bien im-

portante para la cultura hispana, con artistas famosos como Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, y Pablo Picasso. Para alentar el espíritu artístico de alguien es a argumentar la cultura y la ruicesa de arte en general. Desde 2021 hispanos en carreras de arte está a 14 por ciento, siendo el segundo porcentaje más alto de grupos étnicos en arte. Con la cultura tan diversa y uniqo que tienen los hispanos, es importante para compartir lo con otros, la manera más impactante para hacer esto es por el arte. Para compartir la cultura de alguien con otros es una obra especial, y para hacer o por el método de arte es poner un amor y cuidado que impacta al mundo por años. Una manera de comenzar este proceso es participar mas en clases y programas de arte.

Además de las clases artísticas, estudiantes pueden entrar a programas de arte extracurriculares. Pueden participar en Silver Logue, la revista de arte y literatura de Blair. Lunch Club Theater es un club de teatro dirigido por estudiantes durante el almuerzo como otra opción para estudiantes quienes no tienen tiempo para participar en el programa Teatro Blair. La Sociedad Honor de Artes está abierta a algunos estudiantes que están tomando una clase artística. También hay clubs de baile, música, teatro, escritura creativa, y mucho más. La mayoría de estudiantes no saben de todos los clubs y extracurriculares artísticas ofrecido por Blair. Estas oportunidades podrían ayudar a estudiantes hispanos quienes no han tenido el valor para explorar las artes.

El sello de reconocimiento bilingüe Por Naila Romero-Alston Escritora El sello de reconocimiento de bilingüismo es un premio beneficioso para los estudiantes bilingües. Sin embargo, muchos estudiantes no conocen los beneficios que trae este sello. Muchos se preguntan: ¿Por qué los estudiantes deben tomar el examen?, ¿Cómo pueden tomar el examen? y ¿Cuáles fueron las experiencias de estudiantes que ya han logrado conseguir el sello?

La señora González, organizadora del examen del sello de conocimiento bilingüe, explica que, “Uno de los beneficios es que el estudiante va a recibir un sello en su diploma que lo reconozca como

bilingüe del idioma que domine.

Los empleadores están buscando personas que hablen más de un idioma que hablen más que inglés que hablen otro idiomas”. Esto crea una oportunidad para que los estudiantes puedan destacarse para universidades y empleadores porque priorizan los estudiantes que son bilingües.

Maria Clara Narvaez, una estudiante brasileña que ha tenido una experiencia única con el idioma de español, comenta sobre su experiencia. “Mi padre es de Ecuador y él nunca me lo enseñó [el español], y no habló español con nosotros… solo hablo portugues …tomando este examen de conocimiento bilingüe, solo quería asegurar que podría comunicarme, que podría ser entendida, que po-

dría leer, y que podría medio sentirme que podría darle validación a esa parte de mi identidad”. Como explica Maria Clara, además de los beneficios académicos que el examen puede traer, para algunos estudiantes el examen puede ser importante para su identidad cultural. Aunque Maria Clara sabe “que no necesitas hablar español para ser clasificada e identificarte como hispana o latino… se sintió como eso fue una validación para mi”.

El español no es el único idioma para el que se puede tomar el examen. Este año el examen para el sello de reconocimiento de bilingüismo ocurrió el 16 de noviembre para estudiantes del duodécimo grado, con 40 diferentes idiomas desde árabe a swahi-

li. Los estudiantes del duodécimo grado tendrán la oportunidad de retomar el examen si es necesario durante el año. Los estudiantes del undécimo grado tendrán la oportunidad de tomar el examen el 9 de enero con una tarifa de 21 dólares, y la oportunidad de retomarlo el próximo año si es necesario.

Para conseguir el sello de otra manera, muchos estudiantes toman el examen AP en su idioma en el undécimo grado y si consiguen un grado de 4 o 5 pueden conseguir el sello. Para los estudiantes que no hayan completado el examen de AP antes de graduarse, el examen de reconocimiento bilingüe les da una oportunidad para reconocer sus habilidades bilingües.

silverchips

el 5 de diciembre de 2023 La Esquina Latina C5

Un cambio drástico

El presidente de El Salvador transforma el país. ¿Qué opina la gente al respecto?

Por David Goulding Escritor

SEÑORA PASTOR

Cada mes los negocios no sobrevivían, porque tenían que juntar dinero para pagar.

Este año, la tasa de homicidios ha caído 71.6 por ciento en El Salvador, permitiendo que Miss Universo, un concurso de belleza que trae participantes de todas partes del mundo, pueda tomar lugar en el país. Sin embargo, hay preocupaciones sobre la seguridad del país, como la violencia que ha pasado hasta los 90s. La violencia empezó cuando El Salvador surgió de su guerra civil. Con una falta de una infraestructura estable, y ningún tipo de policía, el país estuvo en un estado de desorden.

Al mismo tiempo, el gobierno estadounidense empezó a deportar un exceso de Salvadoreños involucrados con las pandillas de regreso a su país natal. Sin ninguna forma

para ser reelegido para un segundo término presidencial, a pesar de que es ilegal de acuerdo a la constitución salvadoreña actual.

Te pierdes de ruta vas a llegar vivo a tu casa porque aunque te equivoques tú no vas a encontrar nada cuando tú llegas al otro lugar desconocido.

las. Antes era diferente”. Además, una otra estudiante salvadoreña en el undécimo grado, Kimberly Daniela Perez, corroboró este sentimiento diciendo, “Ahora ya no es así, ahora es como una esperanza para El Salvador. Ahora todo ya es diferente, uno puede salir libre sin necesidad de decir, “No sé si voy a regresar a mi casa”.

La vida en El Salvador está mejorando. Algunas cosas que nosotros en los Estados Unidos damos por sentado, como el derecho de manejar un negocio o ser capaz de viajar sin preocupaciones o amenazas, son cosas que hasta muy reciente no eran posible para los salvadoreños.

tuvo que localizar en otro lugar”.

Y con los nuevos cambios ella piensa, “Que todo sí se beneficia en el aspecto de que la gente puede salir. Tú puedes ir a vender tu pan, puedes tener tu negocio sabiendo que nadie te va a dañar, que nadie te va a robar el pan que tú estás ganando”. Debido a este inmenso cambio, el presidente Bukele cuenta con una tasa de aprobación de casi 91 por ciento de acuerdo con la más reciente encuesta de su Unidad de Investigación Social de El Salvador.

Los estudiantes de Blair están de acuerdo con los sentimientos de la Sra. Pastor también. Eric Josué Hernández Colíndres, un estudiante y salvadoreño nativo en el noveno

ERIC JOSUÉ HERNÁNDEZ COLÍNDRES

Conocida como la capital del homicidio, El Salvador fue un país atrincherado en la violencia de pandillas hasta que el presidente Nayib Bukele tomó medidas severas para combatirla.

de gobierno organizado, las pandillas fueron ignoradas y su violencia fue desenfrenada.

En los últimos 5 años, desde que el presidente Bukele fue elegido, la violencia de las pandillas ha disminuido extremadamente. Desde la toma de la presidencia de Nayib Bukele, desde los años 2019, hasta 2023, la tasa de homicidios ha caído de 9.26 por día a 0.42 por día. Para comparar, Paraguay, un país con una población similar en tamaño a El Salvador, tiene una tasa de 1.44 homicidios por día. Sin embargo, para lograr esto, el gobierno salvadoreño ha tenido que castigar a más de 73.000 personas. Sólo el 30 por ciento de los castigados tienen conexiones claras con las pandillas y hasta el momento, al menos 185 de los castigados han muerto mientras estaban encarcelados.

Debido a esto, críticos dicen que sus métodos para alcanzar este progreso tan rápidamente han violado los derechos humanos y que está llevando el país en dirección a una autocracia. Con más de 73.000 personas castigadas sin el proceso debido, podría haber miles de gente inocente que no tienen idea de cuándo van a regresar con sus familias. Además, en el proceso de obtener estos resultados tan altos, el presidente Bukele ha tenido que 12/3/23, 6:34 PM lograr más poder dentro del gobierno, y en la actualidad, está en control de todas las sucursales del gobierno salvadoreño, ha institucionalizado la ley marcial y también está en el proceso de presentarse

A pesar de todo, es necesario reconocer que sus acciones como presidente han beneficiado a la comunidad Salvadoreña tremendamente. La Señora Pastor, una guardia de seguridad de Blair nativa de El Salvador, contrastó el pasado de ANGELA MARTINEZ El Salvador con el presente diciEn conjunto la comunidad salvaendo que “Cada mes los negocios grado, dice que, “Es la verdad que no sobrevivían, porque tenían que si se siento una seguridad diferente doreña de Blair parece sentir que Losde Festivos juntar dinero para pagar. Dice que saber que del tú,Invierno cuando te subes el cambio es necesario y que para tu supuesta protección no sé de un bus y te pierdes de ruta vas a confrontar la violencia, fue necesario actuar drásticamente y que los qué, o te mataban. Entonces, mi tío llegar vivo a tu casa porque aunque Name: tenía en ese barrio una panadería te equivoques tú no vas a encontrar sacrificios para liberarse de dicha próspera, un negocio próspero, nada cuando tú llegas al otro lugar violencia son lo más pequeños poComplete el crucigrama tuvo que dejar todo tirado y se desconocido porque no hay pandil- sibles.

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December 5, 2023 Features D1/D2

Tiny Desk, big impact

T

BOB BOILEN

What we put out in the world is a very honest representation, which is very different from what most people [try] to do. That’s why people love [Tiny Desk], it’s unique in that way.

In that very first Tiny Desk video, Boilen remarks to the camera, “Maybe it’s the start of something and maybe it isn’t.” 15 years and approximately 1,300 concerts later, Tiny Desk has grown into a well-established video series beloved by listeners and artists alike.

On a Wednesday afternoon in November, Tiny Desk hosts The Good Ones, a group from Rwanda.

Band members Janvier Havugimana and Adrien Kazigira speak no English, but the joy felt through their music is apparent to everyone in the audience. In a translated letter written by Havugimana and Kazigira, the duo gives a brief introduction to who they are as a group. “We are not rich men, but our heads are filled with beautiful memories and our hearts with happiness,” their letter reads.

To the side of the performance space are doz-

tion, which is very different from what most people [try] to do. That’s why people love [Tiny Desk], it’s unique in that way.”

The name ‘Tiny Desk’ has layers to it. First, it takes inspiration from Tiny Desk Unit, a band founded in 1979 that Boilen was a member of. And more obviously, the artists hosted by NPR perform behind Boilen’s former desk. So when first starting the series, Boilen thought it felt natural to name it ‘Tiny Desk.’

[Different musicians] share the same stage, so [Tiny Desk] puts them on equal footing artistically.

There is no difference, because they each have something artistic to say. This desk democratizes music.

TINY DESK FOUNDER Bob Boilen stands at the set of Tiny Desk after The Good Ones’ performance. ens of cubicles. Throughout the rehearsal, NPR employees sit down at their desks, faced away from the production, working at their computers. With Tiny Desk’s busy schedule—hosting roughly three performances per week—to them, it is just another day of work.

The flurry of activity in the office continues while the musicians rehearse. Tiny Desk’s director and producers jump in with different ideas and directions, adding details and adjusting microphones. Crew members rush past the desk every couple of minutes to whisper something to one another. The rehearsal can last between three to four hours, but every minute counts. Josh Rogosin, Tiny Desk Recording Engineer and NPR Music Technical Director, finds that communication and quick thinking are critical to capturing high-quality audio. “I have one chance to get this right,” Rogosin says. “If I need to direct the musicians, if a guitar sounds like it’s out of tune, I need to speak up and say something, because I know what it takes to make it sound good.”

Kara Frame, a video producer for Tiny Desk, also highlights the importance of communication as an aspect of production. “My job is to make sure that the musicians feel comfortable where they’re at and that it looks good for us,” Frame says. “There’s a lot of working with the musicians, with the musical directors, [and] with the managers to make sure that everything is communicated and we can have a smooth concert.”

Once everything is in place, the chatter quiets and the tape rolls. An audience, made of NPR staff and other guests, gathers around a thick white line of

tape that separates the desk from onlookers. Once The Good Ones start their set, the hustle of the production dissipates, and the office fully transforms into a performance space. The intimacy of the desk makes the performance personal and cozy. The distinct sound of the songs made up from sturdy percussion, strumming guitar, and the smooth blend of Havugimana and Kazigira’s voices is enchanting to listen to.

Everyone in the audience claps and taps their feet to the beat. Havugimana uses different instruments to create a strong rhythm, including a pair of boots.

During some songs, Kazigira gets up and dances with an infectious energy. Applause erupts after each song.

The live, acoustic format of the Tiny Desk Concert highlights The Good Ones’ authenticity; there is no room to hide. “[From] the first note, [performers] have to be at their peak, and everybody [is],” Felix Contreras, co-host of NPR podcast Alt.Latino, and producer for the Good One’s performance says. “It’s crazy. I don’t know how they do it, but everybody comes here, and they bring it from that first note … No matter style, genre, they just bring it, and the crowd feeds off of it.”

This genuine showcase of artistry is the intended effect of Tiny Desk, and the production decisions reflect that. “[We try] to make [Tiny Desk] as natural as possible to convey [that] what you see here in the room happens on the screen for the audience. We’re not trying to make it flashy,” Boilen explains. “What we put out in the world is a very honest representa-

FELIX CONTRERAS

he crowd applauds, welcoming the musical duo. Lights shining down, microphones in place, the set begins with a guitar strum.

But this is no stadium, grand venue, or even a small nightclub. For these performers, their stage is the corner of an office.

This is a routine sight at the National Public Radio (NPR) headquarters in Washington, D.C., where NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts host their shows.

The performance space occupies a small nook in an expansive, sunlight-flooded office. The shelves enveloping this informal stage are adorned with a dense assortment of miscellaneous knick-knacks—a Barbie doll, a cowboy boot, a paper cup that R&B singer H.E.R. drank out of—that have accumulated over 15 years of concerts. Hundreds of books, CDs, and vinyls line the shelves while posters and photos decorate the wall.

“Artists would either on purpose or accidentally leave stuff on my desk, and I’d start just putting them on the shelf,” Bob Boilen, creator of Tiny Desk and former host of the NPR podcast All Songs Considered, explains in an interview with Silver Chips.

“Adele would leave a water bottle and I’d write on it ‘Adele’ and stick it on the shelf. So there’s really some quirky stuff there.”

Tiny Desk first came to life in 2008, when Boilen and his fellow NPR Music employee Stephen Thompson saw folk singer Laura Gibson perform in an Austin, Texas bar for the music festival South by Southwest. Disappointed that the raucous bar crowd drowned out Gibson’s soft vocals and guitar strumming, Boilen and Thompson approached her after the show to suggest that she come perform at NPR. “Stephen jokingly said to her, ‘We couldn’t hear you. Why don’t you just come play a private concert for us in our office?’” Boilen recalls. “My brain just lit up and I thought, ‘Oh my God, that’d be amazing.’

So she came three weeks later, I sat her behind my desk, we filmed it, we put it out there.”

A look into NPR’s iconic music series

Tiny Desk features artists from all different genres and popularity levels, meaning there is something for everyone watching at home. Boilen explains the process of selecting artists. “The rule that I always had in [the] 15 years I was [at NPR] is that anybody who did NPR music could pitch a Tiny Desk concert to me, but they had to be passionate about the artist,” Boilen says. “We didn’t care if they were popular or unpopular. I prefer new stuff. But we don’t do something just because it’s gonna be big to the audience.

We do something because we care about it.”

As The Good Ones begin their final song, “Young People are the Future,” a small children’s choir joins the duo behind the desk, clapping to the beat and vocally accompanying the chorus. The end of the performance is met with thunderous applause and cheers. The production crew breathes a small sigh of relief and the audience disperses, but the magic of the sound lingers.

Contreras feels that Tiny Desk is able to place different music styles and artists, such as The Good Ones, on the same level. “This is an outlet where we have BTS and Taylor Swift, and these two guys from Rwanda who don’t speak English,” he says. “They share the same stage, so [Tiny Desk] puts them on equal footing artistically. There is no difference, because they each have something artistic to say. This desk democratizes music.”

The NPR Music YouTube channel that posts every Tiny Desk Concert boasts over eight million subscribers, as well as over 1 billion cumulative views for all Tiny Desk recordings. Their catalog truly holds something for everyone. They have hosted many big names: pop stars such as Usher, Harry Styles, and Lizzo; musical theater numbers by cast members of Wicked and Six; classical musicians such as Emerson String Quartet and Yo-Yo Ma; and indie acts such as The Front Bottoms and SOAK. Tiny Desk’s production offers artists an opportunity to perform their songs in a style which may differ from the original song. “The sound quality of [Tiny

Desk] is really good [and] the way they arrange songs [is] unique from the recorded version, but still sounds like a version of the song,” Blair senior and Blair Album Club member Kathryn Gray says.

Rogosin explains that from an audio perspective, the Tiny Desk sound is more open and authentic. “I’ve learned all these different stereo sound-gathering techniques … and I sort of made that the sound for Tiny Desk … You’re usually in the recording studio and everything is close mic’d [but] this is a much different style,” he says. “I approach recording Tiny Desk as a journalist rather than as a studio recording engineer.”

As Tiny Desk spotlights indie artists and pop stars alike, the viewer response to the performances highlights the deeper connection and community that music fosters.

Gray recognizes the power music has to bring people together. “I love talking to my friends about music. I love any time anyone shares something about music on TikTok, and I think it’s a cool way for you to branch out your interests and find something new to listen to,” Gray says.

Contreras reflects on how music serves as a universal language. “The lesson [from Tiny Desk] is that music connects people,” he says. “Everybody, no matter your ethnic background, your age, what part of the country you’re from, or part of the world you’re from [knows] good music is good music.”

Tiny Desk is able to transport people to different times and remind them of meaningful experiences

and relationships through the memories and nostalgia that songs can bring. For Boilen, one of his most personal experiences with Tiny Desk was when musical artist Yusuf / Cat Stevens performed. “When I was a teenager, I was trying to learn [Stevens’] songs on guitar. He had a song called ‘Father and Son’ that I thought was really beautiful, and when he came here, he actually came with his son, and I have a son,” Boilen says. “I don’t usually ask requests for artists, but I asked him if he’d sing that song, and it was pretty tearful for me. It was a beautiful moment.”

It is programs like Tiny Desk and artists like The Good Ones that embody the power and influence music can have. “As somebody who works on [Tiny Desk] all the time, sometimes you just forget the impact that this has for people, for bands, [and] for the audience. I think today’s [performance] is a perfect example of that … it’s really powerful and it’s really an honor to work on a series that is this far reaching,” Frame says.

Contreras also recognizes the impact Tiny Desk has had through its simplicity. “I think [Tiny Desk] is magical because it’s just a little spot … It’s just a corner of the room. There’s nobody there,” he says. “But when you think about it, you close your eyes, and you think about what’s been played here, and if you go back and look at the thousands of videos that we have, everybody’s like, ‘You know what, this is my moment to shine, this is the most important thing that we’ll be doing in a while, if not ever’ …

And it’s just a little piece of carpet, man, and a bunch of crap on the wall.”

Story by Laila Andelman and Sophie Yohannan Art by Sophia Li and Kate McDonough Photos by Margot Buehler Design by Carina Nicodemus and Chloe Pegg

REHEARSAL Kara Frame directs The Good Ones in rehearsal for their Tiny Desk performance.

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D3 Features December 5, 2023

Springsong museum to commemorate Rachel Carson’s legacy

By Naomi Andelman Staff Writer

The goal of the museum is to connect the public with nature through the words and wisdom of Rachel Carson.

REBECCA HENSON

Five minutes from Blair, where the bustling Colesville Road and Northwest Branch Trail meet, a brick house sits empty. The building located on Burnt Mills East Special Park has sat unused for years, but there is now a museum in the works to occupy the space: Springsong. The museum aims to commemorate local environmentalist Rachel Carson and to bring her philosophy—wonder in nature—to the community.

Springsong will be a space to honor Carson’s legacy. A Silver Spring resident, Carson was a forerunner of the contemporary environmental movement. Her controversial 1962 book “Silent Spring” warned of chemical pesticide dangers, like those of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT).

DDT came to prominence during World War II when it killed insects in the South Pacific Islands and became available for domestic use in 1945. Carson exposed how the indiscriminate use of DDT threatened animals and caused cancer and genetic damage, which raised controversy due to DDT’s popularity and effectiveness. Nevertheless, “Silent Spring” sprouted awareness of how humanity could destroy nature, leading to the philosophy that mankind should curtail industry to protect the environment.

Carson testified before the U.S. Senate in 1963 about pesticidal harms on ecosystems, and her work led to the creation of the Environ-

mental Protection Agency. Carson won the National Book Award in 1951 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, posthumously, in 1980.

Springsong founder Rebecca Henson notes that Carson’s work went beyond promoting policy. “[Carson] was very focused on not only telling people how to care for the world or telling them facts, it was very much about inspiring a sense of wonder in nature,” Henson says.

After living in Springdale, Pennsylvania, Carson moved to Silver Spring in 1937 and died here in 1964 from breast cancer. She wrote “Silent Spring” just three miles from the future location of Springsong.

Blair science teacher Elizabeth Levien is the Board Secretary for Springsong. Levien explains that Carson’s proximity to Springsong’s future site, along with its natural surroundings, make it the perfect spot. “You see these two historic buildings on both the west and the east of Colesville Road, and they’ve been sitting abandoned for sixty-something years,” Levien says. “But they’re connected geographically to where she was,

they’re physically situated near this really gorgeous nature that’s really accessible to so many people, and they’re not being used.”

Henson says that the space’s accessibility also makes the location ideal. “It’s right where people are … we feel so lucky to have found a place that we think will really speak to Carson’s interest in … educating people and helping them feel familiar with nature,” she says.

Henson explains that Springsong hopes to bring the community’s relationship with nature to life.

“The goal of the museum is to connect the public with nature through the words and wisdom of Rachel Carson, and it’s very much to also connect people with her sense of wonder,” Henson says. Springsong will also exhibit local art and the pre-colonial history of the area, namely that of the Nacotchtank people.

However, Springsong is still in the process of becoming an official museum. “[Montgomery Parks has] an intent to lease us the property in the future, but right now we’re at the stage of meeting with a lot of the parks staff … to make our plan as strong as it can be,” Henson says.

The creation of the museum involves different steps and partnerships. “[The process entails] historical research, creating partnerships with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, … lots of visits to archives, … site construction, and the process of hiring architects, exhibit designers, and landscape architects,” Henson says.

Levien notes that although

PHOTO BY JAMIE LOZADA-MCBRIDE

BURNT MILLS EAST SPECIAL PARK Springsong and Montgomery Parks are currently creating a plan for the future location of the museum.

Springsong is still in the midst of development, it has made tremendous progress. “[Henson] has already mobilized support from the Maryland state government. Our state senator, Will Smith, has been a huge advocate. He helped get a million plus dollar bond donated to getting the building built,” Levien says. “It’s going to be years before it’s completed, but I think it’s going to happen.”

Henson notes that the support of the local community has been integral to Springsong’s success.

“Even though we hope to have this international attraction in a way, it’s just so exciting to have many local residents onboard and doing the hard work … a majority of [donations] have been from the community,” Henson says.

Blair Green Club President Emily Mallon believes that Springsong

will benefit younger generations by teaching about the environment and sharing local history. “It would be really helpful for young kids … if we’re still able to educate younger generations, then maybe they can make a difference,” she says. “It’s a really good idea [to learn about] our local communities, our local ecosystem, to learn about things that’d benefit us here in Silver Spring.”

Levien agrees that Springsong will be a valuable space for locals and visitors alike. “It would help people from all over the world, who right now … might not have any access to nature,” Levien says.

“It could be a transformational experience to go to this beautiful place that overlooks these wild lands and learn.”

Outdoor Ed celebrates 60 years

By Chloe Pegg Staff Writer A bird chirps as bright autumn leaves drift gently down from trees onto the roof of a brick building. It is an uncharacteristically quiet day for the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center where, over the course of the year, thousands of MCPS sixth graders will continue a 60 year tradition. Here, on 10 acres of land nestled within the Rock Creek Watershed, students will learn about nature, play games, and create lifelong bonds with their classmates in the MCPS Outdoor Environmental Education Program, more commonly known as “Outdoor Ed.” Outdoor Ed is a three-day, twonight residential program for all sixth graders in MCPS to engage in environmental literacy and participate in outdoor investigations.

Joe Howard created the program in 1963 as principal of Four Corners elementary, which has since closed, to teach environmental education in a more hands-on way. Howard’s program slowly gained traction and grew from 77 students at Four Corners to sixth graders across all 38 middle schools in the county.

One of the early sixth graders exposed to the program was Kate Cook, who fondly recalls her time at Outdoor Ed in 1971. “What I remember about it was not the curriculum, it didn’t turn me into this environmental person, but … that they had these counselors from Whitman high school,” she says.

The counselors were old enough that Cook wanted to impress them but young enough to form a close connection. “We all kind of loved these counselors,” Cook says.

The program grew even more

PHOTOS BY MAZ OLSON

OUTDOOR EDUCATION Sixth graders participate in Outdoor Ed at the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center in Rockville. with the opening of the Smith Not only did sixth grade move Center in 1974. The new facility, from elementary school to middle owned and operated by the county, school, the program was reduced allowed the program to expand to from its original five days and state all MCPS sixth graders. environmental literacy standards Just like many insects observed were created. “When outdoor edin stream study at the Smith Cen- ucation started, there were no speter, Outdoor Ed has undergone a cific curriculum outcomes defined metamorphosis over its 60 years. by the county or the state and now

there are,” current Outdoor Ed Supervisor Lee Derby explains. “And so now our lessons and what we do with the kids have been modified to make sure that we are addressing those environmental literacy standards.”

To meet those standards, MCPS offers an array of opportunities, allowing students to explore streams, navigate a confidence course and traverse watersheds using maps and compasses. One of the most memorable activities is the game predator and prey, according to Outdoor Ed teacher Mark Granger. “It’s often what people remember most,” Granger, who has worked with the program for 22 years, says. “It’s a wildlife simulation where kids take on the roles of omnivores, carnivores or herbivores, then they trace how energy is transferred through an ecosystem.” Predator and prey was unforgettable for Sligo Sixth Grader EJ Heckendorn, who attended Outdoor Ed this year. “[My favorite part] was being a herbivore,” Heckendorn says. “90 percent of the time people were slow enough that I could get away from them.”

Students come away from Outdoor Ed with far more than a better understanding of nature. The program enables students to become more independent and create deeper bonds with their new classmates. One tradition that helps students foster independence is kitchen patrol duty. During common meals, one sixth grader from each table dons what Granger calls the “green apron of authority” and helps set up, make sure everything goes smoothly, and clean up.

Outdoor Ed also allows students to forge strong friendships.

“My favorite part might have been bunking, getting to hang out with my friends and making new

friendships,” Madeleine Koser, Heckendon’s classmate, says. “I really bonded so much more with girls that I was kind of friends with before but hadn’t really hung out much with.”

Outdoor Ed’s impact has stretched beyond the time students spend at the Smith Center during their sixth grade year. “Stephanie Lee, one of my partners here at the Smith Center … started off in sixth grade not liking science much … but when she went to Outdoor Ed, it was the first time she started discovering things and having more fun with science,” Granger recalls.

“Now she’s one of the classroom teachers here for our Outdoor Environmental Education programs.”

For Michelle Defayette, who attended Outdoor Ed in 1977 and later volunteered, Outdoor Ed instilled a lasting love of nature. “It made me smile when I saw that the center was still there,” Defayette says. 46 years later, Defayette brings a garbage bag to pick up trash on her frequent hikes that sometimes take her through the Smith Center’s grounds. “I hope that it instills the ethos of taking care of one’s environment.”

MCPS alumna and parent Diane Kelleher also affectionately recalls her time at the Smith Center in 1982. “I loved Outdoor Ed and I’m so glad they still have it,” Kelleher says, adding that both of her kids have also gone through the program.

Today, students from all MCPS middle schools have access to Outdoor Ed. Granger hopes that eventually 100 percent of sixth graders participate and that the program will long continue. “Well, we’ve been doing it for 60 years,” Granger says. “I want to do it for another 60.”

silverchips

December 5, 2023 D4 Features

From Blair to NBC

How Alexandra Marquez found her start in Silver Chips

By Sophie Yohannan Culture Editor

I have so many memories from the day after that election, like coming to school and people were so upset … It was a very tough environment to be in the day after that election

AlEXANDRA MARQUEZ

Marquez’s and Park’s philosophy proved more important than ever when Donald Trump won the presidential election in 2016.

With the low-spirited atmosphere following Trump’s win and the unprecedented task of reporting such an event, the December 2016 issue of Silver Chips was quite a challenge. “I have so many memories from the day after that election, like coming to school and people were so upset … It was a very tough environment to be in the day after that election,” Marquez recalls. “We’re all sitting there, like—we are 16, 17,

18—‘How are we supposed to cover something of this magnitude on a school level?’ And I just remember working a lot with our entire team in shaping [our coverage].”

The result of much deliberation was a December paper with minimal attention to Trump’s election win. Marquez and Park instead created a special election edition, spotlighting the variety of other elections at the time that also had an impact on the area. “There [were] a lot of things that got voted on on the state level, on the local level, on the county level, that were just as important to our students’ and our community’s daily lives,” Marquez explains. “We prioritized covering that just as much as we did stuff that was going on at the presidential level at that point.”

Marquez went on to study at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism and gained several years of experience interning and working for news organizations including the McClatchy Media Network, MSNBC, and CNBC. In January 2022, Marquez started working as a researcher for the NBC News Political Unit in Washington, D.C. “We basically cover campaigns and elections … everything from state Supreme Court races to the presidential election,” Marquez says. “It [involves] tracking broader trends, whether that be with polling, campaign travel, spending, [or] raising money for campaigns.” With the 2024 presidential election approaching and campaigns well underway, Marquez’s current focus includes analyzing polling and ad spending for President Biden’s and Repub-

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXANDRA MARQUEZ

NOV. 8 Alexandra Marquez at the republican presidential debate.

lican candidates’ campaigns so far.

Tracking these data can help indicate candidates’ strategies or their success so far.

We were very passionate about making it not just a paper about the school and for the school, but also our broader community that everyone was in.

ALEXANDRA MARQUEZ

When Blair English teacher Adam Clay advised his student Alexandra Marquez to take Blair’s journalism class and apply to write for Silver Chips Print, Marquez was hesitant; she had no interest in journalism. But Clay insisted that she take the class, just to try it.

Now, nine years later, Marquez is a political researcher at NBC News.

“I decided to take [journalism] and I had a blast, of course,” Marquez recounts. “I applied for Silver Chips, and I joined for fall of junior year, and I instantly loved my time on the paper.” Marquez joined as a staff writer and she later held the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) position with Alice Park during the 2016-2017 school year. Marquez looks back on Silver Chips as a fun, meaningful experience and a way for her to serve the school community. “It’s [easy] to feel like, ‘Oh, it doesn’t really matter. It’s just high school.’

And maybe what goes on your resume those years doesn’t matter in the long run, but it was just really rewarding and cool to feel like you were making a good impact on the community too.”

Marquez also reminisces about her time on the paper as an outlet for her passion for journalism and a fun and collaborative activity amidst other classes and responsibilities. “Having that sort of space for people to destress and be like, ‘No, we’re all here because we want to be and this isn’t just for a grade or to go on our transcript,’” Marquez says.

As co-EICs, Marquez and Park aimed big, covering serious stories not only at Blair, but in the broader community. “Alice and I were very passionate about taking on big beasts … We were very passionate about making it not just a paper about the school and for the school, but also our broader community that everyone was in,” Marquez says.

Only two years out of college, Marquez has already landed a position she loves at a major news organization. “I don’t know how I got

my dream job this quickly, because I’m technically still in an entry level role. It just happens to be the coolest team there is, and [I’m] working with some of the coolest people,” Marquez says. “It’s something new every single day, and it doesn’t really ever get boring or monotonous.”

In light of her own experience, Marquez encourages high school students to commit to their passions. “Regardless of what you choose to pursue as a career or as a major in college … be confident in what you decide,” she says.

“Don’t let people dissuade you if you know you like something with your whole heart. You can figure out how to make it work … I did something that I really liked and I feel like I made it work for me, and at the end of the day, that’s all you can really ask for.”

Flower Theater to bloom again

By Diego Santoro-Velez Staff Writer

As sort of the most iconic building in the area, this can be a catalyst to help spur on more development in Long Branch, and help the community bring in more businesses and meet the needs of the residents better.

DAN BRUECHERT

73 years ago, the neon sign of the Flower Theater illuminated a sprawling shopping center.

The Flower Ave. theater’s success sparked an increase in foot traffic and business interest, and the Long Branch neighborhood prospered.

After 28 years of closure, the Montgomery Housing Partnership plans to restore the theater and bring it back to its former glory.

Soon after the Flower Theater was built in 1950, developers saw the potential to merge shopping and entertainment and built a shopping center around the theater. Although the Flower Theater opened with just one 800 seat single screen auditorium, it eventually was split into two, and then four auditoriums.

The Flower Theater was designed to serve the growing population of the metropolitan area. Yet with the improvement of public transportation, the theater soon found it hard to compete with larger and better funded cinemas in Silver Spring and Washington, D.C. It ultimately closed in 1996, and has since been periodically occupied by a Spanish language church.

In 2021, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) activated a grant for the restoration of the Flower Theater, and soon the Montgomery Housing Partnership began planning for construction.

Approved by the DHCD in 2021 with a grant of $75,000, the project is expected to be complete by 2024. Chris Gillis, the director of Policy and Neighborhood Development at Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP), is treating this project with extra care because of

its unique history. “I knew of the importance of the Flower Theater to the community,” Gillis says.

“The community has always sought to fill this space. It’s been vacant either half the time, or it’s been occupied by a house of worship. So when it was occupied by a house of worship, at most it might be activated maybe for two hours a week for church services.”

Although Long Branch has other community locations, the area has been missing something the Flower Theater can provide. “Just across the street, there’s Flower Ave. Urban Park, and we’ve tried to activate that over the last three, four years, especially with monthly community events or sometimes multiple events in a month. But again, there isn’t a lot of event space or opportunity to do things indoors as well,” Gillis explains.

MHP believes the Flower Theater can once again serve as a year round hub of community events.

“I think ultimately our vision is the

same as the community’s: to have some use of the space where it’s being occupied six or seven days a week,” Gillis says. “There’s much more activity, hopefully morning, noon and night, and it’s bringing outside visitors to the area. That’s our goal.”

In addition to providing a community space, the Flower Theater could also deliver an economic boost to the neighborhood.“As sort of the most iconic building in the area, this can be a catalyst to help spur on more development in Long Branch, and help the community bring in more businesses and meet the needs of the residents better,” Dan Bruechert, the Senior Planner for the Historic Preservation Office of Montgomery County, says.

According to Gillis, the restoration has already attracted potential commercial interest in the area. However, none of the possible benefits of the Flower Theater could be possible without the main focus of the restoration—relighting the famous neon sign. “There’s something very magical about neon lighting, especially when it comes to theaters. It gives you this impression that [you’ve] entered somewhere special,” Gillis says.

However, the project has faced some unexpected challenges, such as the effect of the pandemic, the difficulty to restore the iconic neon lights, and unexpected costs.

“We’ve been planning this project for three and a half years. When we first started planning it, we thought maybe it was going to cost about $100,000. Costs have increased dramatically over the last three years, especially during the pandemic,” Gillis says, adding that the cost of the neon light is not cheap.

“In this day and age, neon lighting is pretty rare and it could even be

hard to find a signage company that does neon lighting,” he says.

Although the project faces obstacles, once the bright lights of the Flower Theater are restored, the times of dark lots and empty stores will come to an end. Bruechert believes the restored Flower The-

ater could become something the whole Long Branch community is proud of. “Once [the sign] goes up and it’s illuminated again, sort of literally and metaphorically, it’s a beacon for the whole neighborhood,” he says. “So the objective is that it will shine for neighbors.”

PHOTO BY IAN GLEASON

FLOWER THEATER The restoration project will relight the buildings neon sign.

silverchips

D5 Features December 5, 2023

Conflict in Gaza erupts: a school, a state, and a nation respond from OCT. 7 page A1 This is only the latest chapter in a feud that has spanned over 100 years. In 2001, at the Israel Policy Forum Gala, Bill Clinton, the last U.S. president to successfully broker a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine, explained how the conflict must be understood from an immensely complicated history—a fact still pertinent two decades later. “The Arab-Israeli conflict is not just a morality play between good and evil,” he says.

“It is a conflict with a complex history, whose resolution requires balancing the needs of both sides, including respect for their national identities and religious beliefs.”

The modern conflict over territorial control in Israel and Palestine traces back to World War I. The 1917 Balfour Declaration announced the British Royal government’s sympathy towards Jewish Zionist aspirations to establish a national home for Jews in Palestine.

After World War I, with British control of land in the region, the Declaration was put into practice with the British Mandate in 1922.

Following these acts, the Jewish population in the region swelled, especially in the 1930s as Jews fled the persecution of the Nazis in Europe. Palestinian Arab nationalists in the region opposed the plan, rebelling against the British government and fighting with Arab Jews in the area throughout the 1930s and 40s. The fighting between the British, the Palestinians, and the Jews escalated until the state of Israel declared its independence in 1948 at which point Britain withdrew.

Immediately following that proclamation, five surrounding Arab nations invaded the territory, seeking liberation for Palestinians living inside the country. The Israeli army won the war, and soon after agreed to formal armistice lines with its neighbors Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Transjordan.

The agreements to armistice would only be temporary, as the Arab world still felt aggrieved about the displacement of more than 750,000 Palestinians during the conflict. The mass expulsion became known as the Nakba—the

Arabic word for catastrophe—for which the surrounding Arab countries demanded retribution.

Close to 50 years of war followed, ending with the Oslo Peace Accords of 1993, in which the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel pushed towards peace terms. During the process, the PLO recognized the state of Israel and their right to exist in peace.

In exchange, Israel agreed to withdraw from parts of the West Bank and Gaza, and to recognize the Palestinian right to self governance under a Palestinian Authority.

However, tensions rose again in late 1995 and early 1996 with terrorist attacks by Hamas, a rising terrorist group at the time, and the assassination of Yizhak Rabin, the Israeli leader negotiating with the PLO, by a Jewish extremist. Accords between Israel and Palestine ultimately fell through when Yasser Arafat, PLO Chairman, rejected the agreement.

The conflict escalated again when in September 2000 Ariel Sharon, who later became prime minister of Israel, visited the Temple Mount, a site holy to both Muslims and Jews and declared it under Israeli control permanently.

This declaration kicked off the second Intifada, or violent uprising by the Palestinian people against the Israeli government. Nearly 3,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis died in the violence that ensued between 2000 and 2005, ending in a ceasefire and Israel’s total withdrawal from Gaza, while maintaining control of entry points.

In 2006, the Palestinian government held elections in which Hamas unexpectedly won 76 out of 132 seats over rival political faction Fatah. This sparked conflict between the two factions inside the Gaza Strip, but eventually Hamas took total control of the area.

Since Hamas took control of the region, there have been a number of violent altercations between Hamas and Israel, and further violence erupted on Oct. 7 with the attack on Israel. “The biggest reason the conflict hits so close to home is because when it first hit, my sister [was and] is still in Israel,” Albert Einstein junior Boaz Levone says.

KATE MCDONOUGH

MAP OF REGION Territories controlled by Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas.

“So there is that worry like, ‘Is she okay, is she going to be okay, is everything going to be okay?’”

Between the start of the war and the Nov. 24 temporary ceasefire, the Israeli government has continually bombed heavily populated areas, as well as prevented the majority of humanitarian resources from entering Gaza. This has left many Palestinians stranded without food, water, electricity, or healthcare.

The evolving humanitarian crisis has been upsetting to many. “I just feel like they could try to save innocent lives,” Blair junior Hanim Shafi says. “I get why [Israel] is targeting Hamas, but if you’re targeting Hamas, target Hamas, not the innocent people.”

The weeks of bombardment have taken a devastating humanitarian toll, killing thousands of civilians in Gaza. “You can see people dying on the floor, you can see everything going on,” Palestinian-American Blair sophomore Ameera El Sharif says. “[The U.S. government] wants Israel to keep attacking my people, my blood, and they want to keep killing them with no remorse.”

The Biden Administration, continuing U.S. foreign policy precedent regarding the conflict, requested $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, in addition to the $130 billion sent since Israel’s founding. Many supporters of Israel, however, do not believe the U.S. government has done enough. “I think … the West has been inadequate in its denunciation of Hamas. At this point, what we’re dealing with is a legitimate country against a terrorist group,” Blair sophomore and Jewish Culture Club (JCC) member, Hillel Tulchin, says. “Too many people are trying to say that there’s a middle ground here. If we take the example of Sept. 11, no one was trying to say, ‘Well, you see, obviously this was bad and all, but at the same time, al Qaeda had some good points there.’”

Others, including members of Blair’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) expressed outrage at the U.S. government’s response. MSA President Parsa Khan is disturbed by the U.S. neglect to aid Palestine. “It’s absolutely disgusting,” Khan says. “I just don’t understand what’s going on in their brain.”

Blair senior and MSA member Elhadj Seck believes that the government’s response was immoral, however he understands the rationale. “It makes sense for the U.S. to support the Israeli government … because [Israel is] a country that supports [the U.S.] and is fine with them going in and out. But from a moral perspective, I completely disagree with this, because innocents are being killed,” Seck says.

Since the outbreak of fighting in Gaza, the U.S. has seen a drastic rise in incidents of antisemitism.

After Oct. 7, antisemitism in the U.S. has risen by 388 percent. The war has also led to a sharp increase in Islamophobia. According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights organization, there has been a 216 percent increase in islamophobia reports from the average last year.

Mitchell Bard, Jewish historian and executive director of the American Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, believes that the war has given antisemitism a platform. “[People behind antisemitic incidents] have been antisemitic all along but didn’t have a way of expressing it that was going to have widespread acceptance. Now they see that there is an excuse for them to express their hatred, without any fear of social retribution,” Bard says.

GRAPHIC BY ETHAN DE BRAUW

TIMELINE of important events in the conflict dating back to the collapse of The Ottoman Empire in 1922.

On Nov. 9, SJP organized a demonstration where around 350 people gathered at the center of UMD’s campus, Hornbake Plaza, to chalk the area and show their support for Palestine. A chalk message stating ‘Holocaust 2.0’ was written by somebody in the crowd and demonstrators chanted ‘There is only one solution, Intifada Revolution.’

However, John, who helped organize the sit-in, feels these acts were misconstrued to be antisemitic. “[‘Holocaust 2.0’] was referring to the genocide that is happening in Gaza right now. It was drawing a parallel between the Holocaust that happened during World War II and the bombing of Gaza, which is akin to genocide because 10,000 people have died in a month,” he says. According to John, once members of SJP discovered the message they erased it.

On Nov. 27, three Palestinian college students were shot in Burlington, Vermont. Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ali Ahmad were out for a walk on their return for Thanksgiving break, when a 48-year-old white man approached them and shot all three. The shooting is being investigated as a possible hate

crime. “Had I been shot in the West Bank, where I grew up, the medical services which saved my life here would have likely been withheld by the Israeli army. The soldier who would have shot me would go home and never be convicted,” Awartani says, according to NBC News.

The long-standing conflict is not likely to end anytime soon. “In the short run, the chances of peace are pretty bleak,” Bard says. But while the situation is dire, there is still common ground among people in Maryland and outside of the war. “We know nobody’s going to change each other’s minds,” JCC leader and Blair junior Charlotte Goldberg says. “So I feel like a debate can be really difficult, but I think sharing feelings and sharing perspective is important.”

It may seem like divisions are deep and unresolveable, yet many people do not have extreme beliefs and are open to discussions. “People are not a monolith on this issue.

Jewish people do not all believe one thing, Muslim people do not all believe one thing,” Blair junior Hadar Ernst says. “Jews are not Israel, Muslims are not Palestine.”

silverchips

December 5, 2023 Features D6

Not your average statistics teacher David Stein takes a shot at MCEA presidency

By Viveka Sinha Opinions Editor

On Oct. 4, Stein announced his decision to run for MCEA President. While the voting is individual, Stein is running as part of a slate of 4, alongside Danillya Wilson, Dustin Jeter, and Kember Kane, who are running for vice president, secretary, and treasurer respectively. While Stein is the most experienced candidate for president, his choice to run was made with careful consideration. “It’s a tough decision because if I win, I have to leave the classroom … But it’s a really important role … and I really

feel like I’m the person to do it,” Stein says.

Stein is currently serving his final year of his three-year term as treasurer of MCEA. “As treasurer, I oversee the money that comes in and out,” he says. “There are four officers that are the executive leadership of the school district: the president, vice president, the treasurer, and the secretary. I also sit on the board of directors, which is

silverpatrons silver patrons Diamond

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a larger group that is in charge of setting policy.”

Before running for treasurer, Stein held various roles in the union. “At Blair, I was a head building [representative] for 12 years before I became treasurer.

I serve on what we call the PALS [Political Action & Legislative Support] committee where we oversee the political operation of the union,” he says.

Stein has been successful as treasurer, having re-evaluated MCEA’s due collection system and bargained for a pay increase for teachers. “In my role of treasurer, we have successfully changed the way that we collect dues. We’ve made [it] into a more stable source so that we don’t require large dues increases,” Stein says. “I’m [also] on the bargaining team so I bargain our contracts with the school district [and] this past year, we’ve had the most successful contract we’ve had in a very long time and the largest pay increase that we’ve had [in] at least 20 years.”

Through his work, Stein has learned the importance of acknowledging the varying needs of MCEA’s members rather than implementing one-size-fits-all methods. “We have so many different jobs [in] our 14,000 members, and I have one job—high school math teacher. My challenges are way different than a first grade teacher’s or a speech language pathologist’s,” he says. “What I really learn in bargaining is all the different challenges that all these different job titles have, and we have to try to figure out ways to improve [all of them], so it’s really, really challenging.”

Stein’s main goals for his potential presidency revolve around improving teaching conditions.

“We need to increase our salaries.

We need to increase teacher planning time, particularly elementary school teachers’ planning time. We have a lot of issues with our special ed educators, with our Englishlearner educators,” Stein explains.

He also hopes to mirror the Blair teachers’ unity in contributing to union activities across the county.

“All [Blair] teachers are members of the union and we’re all unified in working together for the common good. [In] a lot of the buildings, we need to work that in. We need to have stronger leadership, stronger building reps,” Stein says.

Stein also hopes to equip MCEA members to advocate for themselves. “In the last 10 years … we’ve moved into a much more member-oriented organization

and an empowerment organization. We stopped trying to focus on ‘Oh, the union will fix this’ and instead, strive to think about how can we help members fix things for themselves. That’s a transformation that I really want to continue,” Stein says.

Jennifer Martin, current MCEA President, emphasizes the importance of the president’s role in member empowerment. “The president’s job is about helping

Martin believes Stein has been a pivotal part of MCEA’s work. “I have worked with him for at least five years now in union work, and he has been [a] very dedicated and highly influential member of our bargaining team during contract negotiations,” she says.

Blair junior Daniel Li, a student in Stein’s Applied Statistics class, supports his candidacy for president. “He’s a really good teacher

PHOTOS BY MADELINE GOLD

STEIN TEACHES in his Applied Statistics class. people find the power they possess.

We are a member-led [organization], and we have [a] very small staff—we rely on our members organizing around the issues that they see as important and pressing for the changes that are needed,” she says.

[T]he work we’re doing in MCEA is the bedrock of public education.

It’s really incredibly rewarding, and that’s why I do it.

DAVID STEIN

MCEA—the teachers’ union for MCPS—represents all licensed educators in the county. “Anybody who needs a license to do their job and is not a supervisor in MCPS is in our bargaining unit, so that’s 14,000 people. It’s teachers, counselors, psychologists, speech language pathologists, all kinds of people who need licenses to do their job,” Stein says.

MCEA’s mission is centered

[I]t’s a really important role … and I really feel like I’m the person to do it.

DAVID STEIN

David Stein stands at the front of room 313, writing Z-scores on the board. His statistics students hang on his every word, waiting for their favorite moment of class.

Giggles begin to emanate around the classroom as Stein points to the board and says the phrase beloved amongst his students. “We must consult the CHAA-AAA-AART,” he exclaims as the room breaks out in laughter.

Blair senior Krish Wahi, a student in Stein’s Senior Seminar in Statistical Research class, explains that Stein’s interest in education is often reflected in his teaching.

“I think his creation of this class is very unique; it combines Mr. Stein’s personal interests as well as statistics. [This year], we’re doing education, which is another thing Mr. Stein is very fond of, so I’m happy that Mr. Stein is able to … give this instruction to us in this way,” he says.

But when Stein leaves Blair that evening, he is more than a beloved statistics teacher. Stein makes his way to the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) office in Rockville to fulfill his duties as treasurer.

around improving the quality of teaching and learning in the county.

“We’re their chief representation, so we bargain with the school district around their working conditions and their wages. We also serve as a lead organizer, in that we try to organize the teachers to advocate for themselves for better working conditions and then better learning conditions for their students,” Stein says.

Martin explains that the president works closely with county officials to improve teaching conditions in the county. “This role is one where you get to speak directly to politicians, to policymakers, to help influence the shape of public education in Montgomery County,” she says. “We need to be supporting public education here, and providing the working and learning conditions that the educators and students need.”

and really funny. It’s good that Mr. Stein cares about the teachers.

I hope [he] wins,” Li says. Wahi echoes this sentiment, adding that he would be sad to lose Stein as a teacher. “It would be nice if Mr. Stein could stay at the school a little longer instead of having to leave if he becomes president of MCEA. I know a lot of future students would also want to have him as a teacher.

But I [would be] happy to see him win and bring change to teachers across the county,” he says.

Stein emphasizes the importance of improving teacher conditions in bettering public education as a whole. “Teaching is my life, and student learning is what I focus on but you can’t have student learning without good teacher working conditions,” he says. MCEA is a crucial part of this improvement.

“It’s where we get our power,” Stein says. “Public education is the bedrock of the whole country, and the work we’re doing in MCEA is the bedrock of public education.

It’s really incredibly rewarding, and that’s why I do it.”

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D7 Features December 5, 2023

PHOTOS BY FIONA BONDAREV

Protests in support of Israel and Palestine

On Nov. 4, pro-Palestine protesters gathered at Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington, D.C. for a rally before marching in a loop past the White House. At the rally, speakers called on the U.S. government to end aid to Israel. On Nov. 14, protesters in support of Israel held a demonstration called the March for Israel on the National Mall. The March for Israel demonstrated solidarity with Israel and responded to growing antisemitism.

Both protests came after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and were some of the largest related to the conflict ever attended in the U.S. see OCT. 7 page A1

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December 5, 2023

Culture E1

‘Girl dinner’ leaves a bitter taste Online trends repackage misogyny

By Tharaa Izuagie Staff Writer AN OPINION

says that the term girl is often used negatively. “I think that the term girl, girly, or hyper-feminine is almost always used as an anti,” she says.

The trend perpetuates a damaging stereotype that reinforces outdated notions that women are incapable of making logical financial decisions or performing basic arithmetic, excluding women from financial conversations and encouraging attitudes that women are inherently less intellectually capable.

Other trends geared towards women, like the “divine femininity” trend, started appearing on TikTok in online spirituality and wellness spaces late last year. Initially, divine femininity was presented as a concept rooted in indigenous culture of embracing feminine and masculine spiritual energies beyond gender to create harmony.

However, underneath soothing voices, popular music clips, and spiritualist female empowerment, the videos circulating on TikTok repackage traditional gen-

der roles.

Scheckner says that old trends disguised as modern ones persist.

“People will dress up these old notions and act like they’re new, shiny, and trendy. That way, they avoid being accused of bringing back the past in a way that most people don’t think is good by saying ‘no, it’s actually new and actually feminist,’” she says.

In many of these videos, femininity coaches on TikTok offer tips on connecting with one’s ‘goddess energy’ and ‘high vibrational feminine energy,’ suggesting practices like embracing a quieter and more submissive approach to life, believed to enhance your ability to attract desired outcomes like a ‘divine masculine’ man who will provide.

These trends insidiously link a woman’s worth to her adherence to prescribed gender roles. Traits like forgiveness and sensuality, associated with ‘divine femininity,’ are wrongly associated with gender, denying inNN E BRU JOSEPHIN

LA

KE

Reframing the narrative

dividuals the freedom to “tap into” these qualities regardless of their gender identity. In one TikTok video with over 725,000 views, a creator classified high-intensity workouts, discipline, and “having a sense of direction in life” as masculine, whereas self-care, “surrendering control,” and “opening your heart to receive love” are feminine.

I think that the term girl, girly, or hyper-feminine is almost always used as an anti.

LILY SCHECKNER

“This is my meal. I call it ‘girl dinner,’” the TikTok video’s song says, featuring a plate with a mozzarella cheese stick, five strawberries, and two boiled eggs, all set to the playful tune of the ‘girl dinner song.’ With over 2.5 billion views, a simple search for the hashtag ‘girl dinner’ on TikTok yields hundreds of thousands of results. Yet, most of these posts show variations of what can only be described as nutritionally incomplete “meals.”

A disturbing implication persists in the ever-evolving world of social media, where trends bloom and wither at the speed of a double tap. Many trends draped under the guise of harmless aesthetics or relatable jokes perpetuate toxic ideals and reinforce misogyny that extends beyond digital spaces, setting a damaging social standard.

The ‘girl dinner’ trend depicts the joy of indulging in low-effort snacks audaciously passed for meals, promoting unconventional and unhealthy eating habits.

Dr. Christina Downing, a clinical psychologist based in Silver Spring, explains this normalization of meager ‘girl dinners’ romanticizes disordered eating. “Just about anything that people are exposed to on a regular basis can contribute to it being normalized, or [desensitize] a person to things that might actually be concerning or problem-

atic,” she says.

Downing adds that online communities can shape perceptions of harmful eating habits. “If you find a community of people who tell you that what you’re doing is okay or good and you find enough people to reinforce that, it becomes that much harder for the person to be able to say, ‘wait a minute, this might actually be a problem.’

Social media, in that respect, has [normalized] disordered eating behavior,” she says.

Andrea Maples, Blair Women’s Studies teacher, notes that diet culture has long been prominent in society and is only worsened by social media. “I think that diet culture has been around forever. It was around when I was a teenager; it’s never gone away. Social media amplifies it, so people will do whatever they feel necessary to meet those unrealistic, unhealthy standards,” she says.

TikTok’s ‘girl math,’ an offset of ‘girl dinner’ revolves around jokes about the financially questionable logic behind women’s spending behavior. Examples include considering paying in cash as free since it doesn’t alter the balance in a bank account, viewing returned purchases as money earned, and considering concert tickets as essentially free by the time of the concert months down the line. The trend’s jokes are harmless and relatable; what’s problematic is its label as girl-specific when it’s relatable to everyone, not just women.

Lily Scheckner, a Blair junior,

Limiting women’s agency and discouraging their thinking, decision-making, and leadership under the guise of ‘divine femininity’ aligns with misogynistic ideas, reflecting societal perceptions rooted in a culture that upholds patriarchy, inadvertently shaming women for not conforming to a narrow, traditional definition of womanhood.

Trends that showcase women’s experiences are positive as long as the trends are not promoting harmful stereotypes and ideals. It’s time to ‘girl question’ the narratives these trends uphold and strive for a culture that celebrates diverse and empowered women.

Museum uplifts women in the arts

By Carina Nicodemus Staff Writer At first glance, the stunning entryway of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) could be mistaken for a D.C. socialite’s mansion rather than an art museum. Still, the looping marble staircases and chandeliers do not overshadow the iconic works that line the gold-adorned walls.

Founded in 1981, the NMWA is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to supporting and uplifting women through their art by only showcasing female artists.

Its founders, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and her husband Wallace F. Holladay started collecting art after noticing the lack of women’s representation in art history and textbooks. They focused their collection on female artists and acquired over 500 works of paintings and sculptures before the museum opened. Now, the museum holds over 6,000 works ranging from the 1500s to the present. For the past two years, the NMWA has been closed for renovations that added about 2,500 square feet of gallery space, a new learning commons, and enhanced visitor accessibility.

rating fine tooth combs she associates with smooth straight hair textures into tight coils.

Anne Arundel Community College art history professor Stacey Queen believes that solely highlighting female artists allows them to reclaim their history. “As women, we have not always had ownership and agency over our image in visual arts,” she says. “We have not always been able to write the narrative when it comes to photography, or painting or sculpture … so when we go into spaces such as museums and galleries … [it] is important for us to be able to see ourselves in those spaces.”

For museum visitor Qiyam Stewart, the importance of the NMWA stems from the historic underrepresentation of women as sculptors, painters and artists, “There’s a whole world of perspectives that have been sort of neglected over time,” Stewart says. “A lot of these things aren’t lost. But I think the people who have preserved those histories should be given the platform to express those things. In institutions like these, it’s a good place to start.”

QIYAM STEWART

There’s a whole world of perspectives that have been sort of neglected over time.

Limit” exhibit. “[Some works] we wouldn’t have been able to even show in our previous building before the renovation—things weigh too much, or we couldn’t find a place to hang them. So it’s nice, because not only are [the sculptures] monumental, but they’re also showing what the building can do now,” Filar says.

With towering sculptures made from a variety of materials, “The Sky’s the Limit” features 33 pieces by 13 different female artists.

Over half hang from the gallery’s ceiling, while others perch high on the walls with materials cascading down to the floor. All of them are observations, stories, and representations of society. “Curls” by Sonya Clark is a floor to ceiling installation featuring hundreds of fine tooth combs fastened together in a spiral to represent hair coils. Through this piece, Clark provides commentary on hair culture, visibility, Blackness, and ancestry, by incorpo-

Emma Filar, the Communications and Marketing Manager of the NMWA, says that the recent renovation has allowed the museum to showcase larger exhibitions such as the current “The Sky’s The

DAMI KIM

PHOTO BY ROSE KEPKA

IN THE GALLERY Viewers gather around the pieces on display in the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

A 2019 study, published in the journal “PLOS One,” found that of 18 major U.S. art museums, 87 percent of collections are from male artists and 85 percent are from white artists. Filar identified these numbers as a fundamental issue driving the museum’s mission. “Strides have been made [for] gender equity in the arts, but it’s still overwhelmingly white male dominated, especially in big encyclopedic museums, like the Met, or National Gallery,” she says. “[The mission is] showing that women have always been making art.

They’ve been making art for centuries, for millennia … Our job is to shout that from the rooftops and champion these women artists that may be overlooked or may have been overlooked.”

Featuring works such as “Anonymous Was A Woman,” “Purple

Atmosphere,” and “Being Seen,” the NMWA, helps uplift diverse perspectives by creating a platform that holds female artists in the same regard as their male counterparts in other institutions. “Women also have something to say, they have their own perspective, their own lived experiences. And those have largely been left out of a lot of stories, including the arts,” visitor Meg Zimann says. “This is just a place to allow women to speak in their own voice and tell their stories through art. It’s beautiful.”

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is located at 1250 New York Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20005 and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets for those 21 and under are free.

E2 Culture December 5, 2023

Third spaces, social places

By Jay Clouse Staff Writer

SOPHIA LI

By Sophie Yohannan Culture Columnist

Field Hockey Captain Scarlett Peterson

After lockdowns lifted, many remained wary of leaving their homes to explore new places. In April 2023, CBS conducted a survey that reported that over half of participants are more inclined to stay home. After the isolation of online school, many teens also share this sentiment. Jaylee Gue-

ROSALYN FANG

comfort of a screen, the need to interact with people face to face is minimized.

Throughout cities and towns, zoning laws have determined where third spaces reside. The important balance of communities is studied by professionals in urban planning, such as Clara Irazábal, a University of Maryland professor of urban planning and Director of the Urban Planning and Studies program. She discusses how communities are zoned to ensure that residents in the area have access to resources like third spaces and grocery stores. “Ideally, a community is planned in a holistic manner … in which you are contemplating all of these different uses and the interactions that they have … But sometimes … there may be retrofitting of exclusively residential areas to bring some services and amenities to those areas.” Irazábal says.

While many in society are feeling lonely and isolated, third spaces can act as a bridge to socialization, making it easier to engage with community members and friends over time. Renee Yaseen is a Washington Post Columnist who

explores third spaces and writes about issues facing young adults and post graduates. Yaseen documents a third space project, where shevisits a new third space every week for six weeks, on Instagram. She shares her experiences with different third spaces and people in them, which she thinks has improved her ability to talk to strangers. “[Socializing is] just something we genuinely have to practice, and I think in our day and age, we have to practice it very intentionally,” Yaseen says in an interview with Silver Chips.

While some prefer quieter third spaces, like libraries, others may prefer a more active space like a gym or yoga studio. Many use gyms because they offer a place to better oneself. “The gym [is my favorite third space] … I’m there almost every day.

It’s just about self improvement.”

Connor Moody, a Blair sophomore, says.

While school is a second space, there can be places within schools that act as third spaces.

The Blair library offers a place for students to work before and after school as well as during lunch, and clubs are a place for students to discuss ideas and engage with each other.

“The media center here I find I get a lot of work done there [and] it’s a nice environment,” Blair sophomore Owen Howard says.

The gym [is my favorite third space] … I’m there almost every day. It’s just about self improvement.

Back at the Downtown Silver Spring library, there are often activities and classes for chess, yoga, writing, technology, and more.

Third spaces can be the places to meet people. “The person that you just say hey to every time you walk into a barre class, one of those days after saying hey, sometimes you might have a full blown conversation,” Yaseen says. “Then you might get each other’s numbers, and then you might walk to class together, and that’s how friendships are formed.”

COURTESY OF ELIZA COOKE

2023 Cheer Divison Champions Blair Varsity Cheer

CONNOR MOODY

Selected as MCPS Co-Defensive Player of the Year

[Socializing is] just something we genuinely have to practice, and I think in our day and age, we have to practice it very intentionally.

RENEE YASEEN

While I did enjoy Tyler, the Creator’s rendition of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” the String lights are everywhere, Grinch should have been more red-and-green Starbucks cups re- … grinchy. This character is turn, and Mariah Carey is back meant to be an ugly, villainous in full force. Though Maryland’s monster, and the 1966 and 2000 days of respectable snowfall are Grinches I watched as a kid genseemingly in the past, the holiday uinely creeped me out. The 2018 version, in Illumination anispirit is alive and well, and mation style, is a bit too one way to celebrate the cutesy-looking and ordimost wonderful time of nary-sounding. While the year is by cozying up “The Grinch” offers a to enjoy a classic holdecent revamp of the iday movie. There is older movies, the original no shortage of sappy, carries the most authentic comedic, tear-jerking Seuss spirit. options, but I’ve narNext up was the highrowed it down to the ly-requested 1990 favorite best of the best. This SOPHIA L December, I’m watch“Home Alone,” There isn’t I ing five of Blazers’ (and my much Christmas-celebrating own) favorite holiday films—with a happening in this one, but it has cup of hot chocolate in hand and certainly cemented itself as one my reindeer socks on. of the most watched Christmas First was the 2003 “Love Actual- movies of all time, with Macacly,” set in London and following 10 ulay Culkin’s lovable perfordifferent storylines whose charac- mance as the unrealistically clever ters all connect in some way. This 8-year-old Kevin McCallister. It is movie surprised me with its mo- quite funny (especially the iconments of humor, often more ma- ic booby-trap sequence) along ture than I had expected, with more emotional, sweet especially because it’s moments here and there that rated 13+ on Netflix. balance it out. The nostalgia is I did appreciate the the cherry on top that makes comedy aspect, and “Home Alone” worth watchthis film delivered the ing this holiday season. romance, heartbreak, The final movie on and sappiness I knew it my marathon was “It’s a would. At times, it did Wonderful Life,” an oldfeel overstuffed with all ie but a goodie. Released the different subplots, in 1946 and originally in but it wasn’t underblack and white, the film tells baked—it’s two hours long for a rea- the story of George Bailey, who son. “Love Actually” also hits lots wishes he had never been born of cliches, but it is a holiday movie and sees how his world changafter all. Overall, I’d recommend es when a guardian angel grants this as a one-stop-shop movie cov- that wish. This movie is another ering both happy endings and bit- sentimental one, but touches on tersweet ones. Brownie points for heavy themes. Though minor making me cry multiple times. elements may be outdated—like “Elf,” also released in 2003, was the dramatization of the terrible requested by multiple Blazfate of a woman becoming ers. Unfortunately, I hold an “old maid”—“It’s a an inexplicable distaste Wonderful Life” is, for Will Ferrell, and he on the whole, timeless. was even scarier to me Viewers might just find in that elf costume with themselves looking at the yellow tights. But their own life differently. he steps into the charThe cast is excellent and acter well, embodying I teared up at the end, of childlike whimsy and course. amusing cluelessness.

I can’t declare a winI found “Elf” to be an ner this time around, since overall sweet and silly when it comes to holiday holiday number, with a unique idea but predictable ending. I wouldn’t movies, there is too much nostalwatch it again, but I’m sure it’s a gic attachment involved for all of holiday staple for those who saw it us. Besides, I recommend watching both funny, childish movies when they were younger.

Of three Grinch movies based and more emotional, mature on Dr. Seuss’s classic, I opted for ones. Check out a couple of these “The Grinch,” released in 2018. festive films this month and enjoy the holidays, Blazers!

Cars pass underneath like a school of fish. Muted music from a block away sifts through the walls. Students sink into colorful cushions and quilted chairs scattered about the carpeted floor.

Motivational posters, shelves of books, and desktop computers line the walls. Peace and quiet is found at Silver Spring’s Brigadier General Charles E. McGee library’s teen lounge. The lounge is one of many third spaces open to the public in Downtown Silver Spring.

Third spaces are environments distinct from home, work, or school, including gyms, libraries, and coffee shops.

These spaces offer people a place to work, relax, and interact with people in their community, making the spaces critical to those who may not otherwise socialize.

Recently, however, third spaces have become emptier due to a shift in social dynamics which coincide with a national epidemic of loneliness.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, a public crisis of loneliness and isolation emerged. The crisis continues to impact many adults and adolescents today. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) describes the severity of the problem. “Recent surveys have found that approximately half of U.S. adults report experiencing loneliness, with some of the highest rates among young adults,” the HHS says in a report titled, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.”

vara, a student at Northwestern high school in Prince George’s County expressed her reservations of interacting with others after the pandemic. “I feel like after COVID … we forgot how to socialize sometimes, being by yourself all the time,” Guevara, who spends time at the library’s teen lounge, says.

These feelings are amplified by the accessibility of communication.

Phones allow users to reach out to anyone from a pocket sized device.

With this easy entertainment and communication from behind the

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Jamie Raskin Congressional Student Award

2023 MMBA Maryland Marching Band State Championship

Margarita Contreras Amaya

7th Place- Band 6th Place- Color Guard 4th Place- Percussion

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December 5, 2023 Culture E3

The cozy Koma Cafe

By Evelyn Goldin and Sohccem Ruphael Staff Writers The sounds of live music and laughter fill the crisp fall air. In the parking lot outside, friends are gathered around tables chatting, while others line up to buy Maryland oysters and hot apple cider.

Inside, the excitement and feasting continues, and the aroma of coffee and breakfast foods waft through the restaurant. It is the grand opening of Koma Cafe, Takoma Park’s newest small business.

Koma Cafe is a Maryland and Italian influenced restaurant on Flower Ave. The cafe is owned and founded by Virginia native Brad Feickert. Feickert began his culinary training in high school and has traveled to several states to work in restaurants and even to Australia to compete in the World Burger Championship. While establishing Koma Cafe, Feickert aimed for a simple ambiance and menu to facilitate relaxation and socialization. “[It is] just kind of a laid back vibe where people can hang out and talk to one another, and then we’re kind of pushing towards an Italian theme,” he explains.

This is Feickert’s second local business endeavor; in February 2022, he and Chris Brown opened Takoma Park’s SOKO Butcher, which they continue to own and operate. Prior to the pre-opening stage of SOKO, Feickert accepted Brown’s offer to develop a co-owning partnership to establish the butchery but Feickert followed through under one condition: they serve a menu of deli sandwiches assembled by Feickert. Today, sandwiches are an economic engine for SOKO Butcher.

Koma’s menu has a wide variety of meals, drinks, and alcoholic beverages. Koma Cafe customer Fiona Schieve is impressed by the food and how reasonably priced it is. “I had a cold brew and then the sourdough salmon lox toast. I’m used to paying like $20 for a little tiny bagel with some lox on it, and this was so much salmon and just made me so happy,” Schieve says.

Many of the grand opening attendees were young couples and groups of friends. Blair junior Lily Scheckner, a Koma patron, would recommend the cafe to her peers. “If you want to go there with friends and aren’t wanting to spend a lot on dinner, it seems like actually a really good place to go,” Scheckner says. Koma is a cool and buoyant spot for Takoma Park’s young residents, and the colorful, modern decor adds to the lively energy of the cafe.

Feickert explains that eateries in Takoma Park are scarce, which drew him to open Koma in the neighborhood. “There’s tons and tons of people that live in this area and you know, for only five restaurants, it seems very underserved,” he says. Feickert and Dylan Greer, Blair alum and general manager at Koma, worked on the establishment of the restaurant together.

Both Feickert and Greer helped plan the grand and soft openings, as well as the menu. The pair also work to collaborate with other local businesses including Discover Long Branch, which aims to help the Long Branch community flourish by organizing various programs, ranging from movie nights to oyster shucking events.

Prior to opening Koma Cafe, Feickert and Greer already had experience working together at Ta-

koma Beverage Company and Zinnia, two popular establishments in the area, both co-owned by restaurateur Chris Brown. At both restaurants, Feickert was the chef while Greer was the beverage director.

“It seemed like a natural progression for us to come back and work together again,” Greer says.

Koma Cafe hosted three soft openings before its grand opening on Nov. 11. The Koma team received positive feedback after the soft openings, and noted a few customer favorites from the menu.

“People have been really into the Wush Wush coffee from Ethiopia [and] breakfast items like scrambled eggs and toast. I think those have gone over really well,” Greer says. The Wush Wush coffee originating in southwest Ethiopia, is also grown in other fertile highlands such as Columbia.

Blair senior Harry Neill works the cash register, cleans tables, and serves coffee and bakery foods to Koma customers. This is his first paid job, and he has found the work environment to be welcoming. “It was great to actually feel like you were wanted there. And they were just super open to having someone who was inexperienced there,” Neill says. Even before he was hired, Neill had positive impressions of his manager, Greer.

“Dylan was the one who interviewed me, and I never met him before, but he was great … I loved him from the start,” Neill says.

Feickert envisions Koma Cafe as a community staple with a loyal clientele. “Hopefully we’re a place that people can always come to for years and years to come and hopefully we can open 10 Koma Cafes around the neighborhood,” Feickert says.

PHOTO BY NAILA ROMERO-ALSTON

KOMA CAFE Families sit outside and talk while enjoying food from the restaurant.

Corrections October 2023 A5

The art under the column, “STEM Scoop,” was miscredited. The correct credit was Kate McDonough.

B1

The window quote in “Who killed the American news industry?” should not include “(if you want longer).”

B4

“From pencils to pixels” refers to Noreni Mamosama by first name rather than last.

C2

The top headline should be changed from “Cabezas arribas, pies derechos” to “¡Todos a clase!”

C4

In the story “Estigmas sobre la marihuana” where it says “en semifinales,” it should say “en los semifinales.”

C5

“Across” and “Down” on the crossword should be changed to “Horizontales” and “Verticales” respectively.

D3

Photo caption for “A budding canna-business” is missing a space between “CANNABIS” and “DISPENSARY.” Legalization is also spelled wrong in the caption. The window quote in this story attributed to Jason Van Slyke belongs to John Cashel Kennedy.

D4

In “Springing back,” there shouldn’t be a tab at the beginning of the sentence “From a period of fear and violence, Silver Spring has returned to the safe and popular urban community it once was.”

E2

In the byline for Sophie’s column, “Cult°ure” should not have the degree symbol.

F1

In the story, “Uneven footing” the shoe art was miscredited. The correct credit was Kate McDonough.

E4 Culture December 5, 2023

Taylor Swift never goes ‘out of style’

Taylor Swift made her debut in 2006 as a bright eyed, curly haired, 16-year-old—wholly backed by record label Big Machine Records (BMR).

After the release of her first song “Tim McGraw” in June 2006, Swift succeeded in racking up digital sales, putting her on the Billboard Hot 100 in September, an impressive feat. Swift also initiated the habit of interacting with her fanbase during this period, creating a MySpace page that accumulated over 11 million views by 2007, frequently posting relatable and friendly content. This was only the start of the superstar’s career that would soon break hundreds of records.

Fast forward to 2023, Swift has become a cultural phenomenon and was 2023’s most globally streamed artist on Spotify. This year alone, Swift won nine MTV awards out of her 11 nominations, her Eras Tour ticket sales crashed TicketMaster, and the Eras Tour movie became the highest-grossing domestic concert film in history.

Albert Einstein junior and devoted Swiftie Kate Hulton was among the 73,117 attendees at the second night of the Eras Tour in Pittsburgh, attending two other concert nights in Philadelphia. “It was such an amazing show that I wanted to see it again,” she says.

Hulton was not alone—in fact, Swift’s other nights at the Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field and the Pittsburgh Acrisure Stadium were instantly sold out as fans flocked to her concert venues from several states away.

Swift’s success is not accidental—she was dedicated to her music from a young age. To support her passion, Swift’s entire family moved from Pennsylvania to Tennessee when she was 13 to help propel her career. Swift and her mom would call different labels, pitching her abilities. At 14, she became the youngest artist ever signed by Sony/ATV. Swift worked hard to bring new ideas to the table when collaborating with songwriters.

These efforts were not in vain.

As demonstrated by the millions of fans flocking to her tour, buying her merch, and streaming her songs, Swift’s hard work paid off.

As​​ Swift’s fame has grown, so has the extremity of some of her

[Swift has] been in the public eye for so long, her fans have grown up with her.

MALAIKA KUMWAKI

The Taylor Phenomenon

fans’ behavior. In the five months leading up to Swift’s Buenos Aires show, fans waited outside the venue in tents, alternating in shifts to keep their spots and get as close as possible to Swift. The level of dedication is unique to Swift’s fan base, causing many to wonder: what is it about her that makes people lose their minds?

Swift’s connection with her audience mirrors the impact of past musical icons. In the 1950s, Elvis Presley was a liberating figure with his bold attire and spirited performances, a refreshing change of pace during a period of conformity. In the 1960s, amidst high tensions during the Cold War, the Beatles ushered in messages of love and peace. In the 1980s, Michael Jackson helped to push the era’s attitude of inclusivity and bold expression with his unique music and dancing.

In the present epidemic of loneliness following the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor Swift, with her universal lyrics, her relatable persona, and her ability to reach fans, seems to fill a space in society similar to those previous phenomenons, bringing comfort and support to listeners. “[Swift’s] just a very relatable person,” Blair senior Rihalya Sivakumar says. “She just kind of has this humility about her [that] draws people in.”

Many fans of Swift explain that the singer has helped them through difficult times and forged social connections. “The first Eras Tour concert I attended was with my friend from middle school— we were friends and then over COVID, a lot of people’s friendships ended. We didn’t text or anything [since] we were both going through a lot,” Hulton says. “But after, we started texting about Taylor … it was really cool [that] her music brought us back together.”

Swift’s music not only connects fans to one another, but also to the artist herself. Swift has been in the industry for so long that many feel as though she is their friend or sister, and some of her fans have grown a parasocial relationship with Swift.

These relationships exemplify the long lasting presence Swift and

her likable image have held within pop culture. “[Fans] enjoy her persona—the girl next door kind of vibe,” Ally Heitmann, a Northwood senior, says.

The relationships and community that Swift fans form among themselves is strong as well.

“There’s such a big community of Swifties, and I like getting excited about things to do with her and new releases and stuff,” Sivakumar says.

Swift fans often group together to have fun discussing Swift’s music, holding online watch parties for her music videos and tracking down Swift’s easter eggs, which usually foreshadow upcoming projects. “Swifties make their own corner of the internet and a lot of people have made friends through that,” Hulton says.

“I’ve seen friends that met on Swiftie TikTok and [they] connect with each other.” Swift fans enjoy dissecting her lyrics, music videos, tour visuals, Instagram captions, and even her outfits.

Lyrics

Swift’s music offers young women the opportunity to connect with and see themselves in her lyrics. Narrative songs like “All Too Well” and “I Did Something Bad” reflect many shared experiences among teenage girls like heartbreak, betrayal, and revenge.

“I personally don’t relate to a lot of her romantic songs, but I can still find meaning within them that I think is really special,” Sivakumar says. “Her music is very versatile in that everyone can find something there, and I think Swifties [have] managed to connect because of that.”

As a result of her enduring presence within the music industry, many of Swift’s songs reflect experiences throughout different periods of life. Her longevity allows for an intense relationship with fans. “[Swift has] been in the public eye for so long, her fans have grown up with her,” Blair sophomore Malaika Kamwaki says. “They’ve watched her go through a bunch of different phases, it’s kind of like watching your friend.”

Now, many students feel like Swift’s success has become in-

DAMI KIM

By Mandy Guo and Doris Wang Opinions Editor & Staff Writer

grained in teen culture. “There’s a culture of support for Taylor Swift [that makes it] very compelling for our new generation to fall in love with the artist,” Blair sophomore Erol Kalayogou says.

Swift’s music evolved as she aged to reflect more mature feelings. Swift’s songs “mad

SOPHIA

woman” and “last great american dynasty,” for example, reflect the way society condemns or misunderstands women. “Taylor Swift really understands what it means to be a girl,” Sivakumar says.

Swift’s music also spans different topics, reflecting on a diverse array of experiences beyond those generally associated with womanhood. “Obviously, lots of people enjoy her music, including men,” Sivakumar says. In songs like “my tears ricochet,” “The Archer,” and “mirrorball,” Swift tackles themes such as self-doubt, capturing the essence of struggles familiar to many.

Controversy

Despite the devotion of her beloved fans, Swift is no stranger to criticism. In 2022, within the span of seven months, Swift’s private jet racked up 8293.54 tons of carbon emissions, approximately 1,184.8 times more than an average person’s total annual emissions. Many were disappointed by her actions. “I used to be a fan but … what kind of ruins it for me is how much that she’s been polluting and her lack of accountability for that,” Heitmann says. “I have a very close friend who’s a huge fan, and I’ve been telling her … but she just doesn’t really care … I don’t understand how [Swift] has this hold over people.”

However, many people sympathize with Swift’s situation despite feeling upset with her carbon emissions. “I know some of [Swift’s] private jet use is logistical,” English literature professor Elly McCausland says. “She is so famous that there are very few other ways she can travel.” McCausland teaches a class on Taylor Swift and literature at the Ghent University in Belgium.

Some critics are also skeptical of Swift’s gender politics, labeling her as a white feminist, a term indicating that she fails to recognize women of color, focusing solely on white women’s struggles.

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Swift declared herself a feminist in 2014, and has used her platform to speak out about issues like double standards. Earlier this year, Swift was briefly romantically involved with Matty Healy, lead singer of “The 1975.” Previously, Healy had appeared

LI

to do a Nazi-style salute while commending Kanye West, and had made derogatory remarks about rapper Ice Spice, referring to her as an “Inuit Spice Girl” along with other women of color. Following criticism of her involvement with Healy, Swift released a collaboration with Ice Spice. “It seemed wrong of her to promote this feminist agenda, but then still be involved with someone who contradicts that and then make a song with someone who the guy she was involved with [insulted],” Heitmann says.

Acknowledging these varying opinions on Swift, it is clear that her responsibilities as a public figure remain controversially debated among the public. Hulton feels that as a singer, Swift is only responsible for creating music. “I don’t exactly think it’s her job to be a politician.

I think that it’s good that she’s using her voice to get people to vote because that is an important issue … but I don’t think that she has to talk about everything,” she says.

Many fans recognize Swift’s wrongdoings but still appreciate her work. “I think there is valid criticism … [but] overall she’s pretty unproblematic as they go,” Sivakumar says.

Despite her controversies, Swift’s influence and popularity are undiminished. Her ability to produce catchy hits and connect with fans on a deeply personal level has cemented her status as a cultural icon. “[Her music] feels weirdly personal, even though it’s not personal. We might not have danced around the kitchen in the refrigerator light, but we might remember something similar that we did,” McCausland says.

Call her what you want; Taylor Swift may be an anti-hero but her reputation forever and always has enchanted the public, remaining safe and sound—clean and untouchable rather than delicate.

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Chips Clips

December 5, 2023 Culture E5

DAMI KIM

Scan the QR code to the right to see the solutions to the December puzzles.

December Solutions

Nonograms

All squares must either be filled in black or marked with an X. Beside each row and column are the lengths of the “runs” of black squares (ex. 5 4 means 5 black in a row then some gap then 4 more). Fill in all the black squares to find the picture!

Sudoku

MADELINE GOLD

Contact Puzzle Editor Madeline Gold at madeline.a.gold@gmail.com with the subject “Chips Clips December” with questions, comments, concerns, or any other feedback.

MADELINE GOLD

Holiday Logic Puzzle The Silver Chips seniors decided to host a white elephant gift exchange and potluck party for the holidays! At the event, everyone brought one potluck item, one gift, had one drink, and stole one other person’s present during white elephant. Use the clues below to determine what Teddy, Raffi, Della, Mr. Stelzner, and Nikki did at the holiday party.

Mark the below grid as you figure out which things go together. For every matching pair that you figure out (ex. if you determine that Della stole Zoë’s gift), fill in the 1x1 box in the column and row that matches both parts of the pair. Then, cross off all of the other 1x1 boxes in the same row and column within that bolded 5x5 box (using the example above, you would cross off Dami, Maia, Raun, and Sophie under Della’s name and Teddy, Raffi, Mr. Stelzner, and Nikki to the right of Zoë’s name). Once you have either crossed off or filled in all of the 1x1 boxes on the grid, the puzzle is solved.

MADELINE GOLD

IA LUC G WAN

1. Nikki, who did not steal Dami’s gift or bring the fuzzy socks, brought plates and cups for the potluck.

2. Teddy, the person who brought the fuzzy socks, the person who drank the iced chai latte, and the person who brought the cheese pizza are all different people.

3. Della brought the disposable camera.

4. Raffi is not the person who drank the warm apple cider or the person who stole Maia’s gift.

5. Mr. Stelzner did not drink the iced chai latte or bring the fuzzy socks.

6. The person who brought the yodeling pickle is not the person who stole Dami’s gift and is not Raffi.

7. The person who stole Sophie’s gift is not the person who drank the cranberry juice.

8. The person who brought the sunset lamp did not bring the snowflake cookies.

9. The person who brought the fuzzy socks did not drink the Junior Mints hot cocoa and did not steal Zoë’s gift.

10. The person who drank the warm apple cider, the person who stole Raun’s gift, and the person who brought the sunset lamp are all different people.

11. Teddy is not the person who drank the warm apple cider.

12. The person who stole Maia’s gift did not bring the Starbucks gift card.

13. Of the person who brought the mac n’ cheese and the person who drank the lavender tea, one is Teddy and the other stole Sophie’s gift.

14. Mr. Stelzner either brought the pigs in a blanket or drank the warm apple cider.

15. Della either brought the plates and cups or drank the iced chai latte.

16. Nikki did not have a warm drink but did steal one of the senior columnists’ gifts.

17. Della did not steal a gift from someone on the Esquina staff or bring the pigs in a blanket.

18. The person who stole Zoë’s gift brought the mac n’ cheese.

LUCIA WANG

F1 Sports December 5, 2023

Blazers make states

from GIRLS’ SOCCER page A1

The whole experience was surreal. We were all so excited and we all knew it was such a special, once in a lifetime experience.

ALMA ZHONG

These attributes not only contributed to a successful regular season, but also helped the team win regional playoffs, where they defeated Northwood 7-1 in the semifinals and High Point 9-0 in the finals.

After a victorious regional playoff run, the team advanced to 4A state playoffs, winning 1-0 in the quarterfinals against Wheaton and 2-0 in the semifinals against Perry Hall. With these two wins, the Maryland 4A state champion was between five time state champions Whitman and Blair.

On game day, as the team ran out onto the field for the first time they were excited to see the large audience in the stadium. “It was just out of this world when we first stepped onto the field to see so many people supporting us. It really meant so much to us,” senior midfielder Alma Zhong remarks.

During the game, junior midfielder Hariette Ngwatung felt motivated to put on a great game for the fans.

“I just felt great because you could

hear the whole crowd cheering for you and it just pumps you up and keeps you going,” she says.

The championship game started with back and forth plays and fast breaks from both Whitman and Blair. Whitman took a shot in the first five minutes, but the shot was saved by junior goalkeeper Aley Martins.

Whitman continued taking shots, but was disrupted by misplaced shots, saves from Martins, and Blair’s defense. 23 minutes into the first half, Whitman junior Evelyn Javers took a shot into the top right corner of the net, scoring Whitman’s first goal. Blair quickly grouped together to talk strategy before the game restarted, aiming

BLAZER SPIRIT The Blair student section disagrees with the referee’s call.

to keep up defense and look for opportunities to attack offensively.

Ngwatung made many defensive steals, which she then turned into fast counterattacks. “They have a lot of D1 commits and I was like, ‘I’m taking these girls on, [I can match] up to [their] level,’” Ngwatung says.

In a counterattack between Koro and Whitman’s goalie, the goalie made a handball outside her box and received a red card, giving Blair a free kick. Due to the red card, Whitman’s starting goalie was removed from the field and they opted to take out a field player to put in a substitute goalie. When Ngwatung took the free kick, she passed it to Zhong rather than taking the shot, which the Whitman defense was able to intercept.

The second half began with Whitman dominating possession and taking multiple shots to try to strengthen their lead. Blair came away unlucky as two consecutive shots bounced off the crossbar.

With eight minutes left in the game, junior defender Norah Wilson fouled Whitman inside the box, leading to a Whitman penalty kick. While Martins saved the initial shot by Whitman senior Sheridan Snow, she was unable to get her hands on the rebound, scored

by Snow. Blair was unable to come back from the deficit and the game ended with a score of 2-0 in Whitman’s favor.

Nevertheless, the Blazers were able to walk off of the field proud of their accomplishments. “The whole experience was surreal. We were all so excited and we all knew it was such a special, once in a lifetime experience,” Zhong says. “In terms of how the game went, we were actually super proud of how we performed because we … felt a little more cohesive than we did when we played [Whitman] the first time around.”

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PHOTOS BY RAFFI CHARKOUDIAN-ROGERS

HEARTBREAKING FINISH Teammates embrace after the game.

Additionally, Blair was able to make great strides from the beginning of their season. Blair parent and supporter Heather Mayes Gleason commends the team’s success. “Blair girls’ soccer was not ranked at the beginning of the sea-

son. We were all like, ‘how could that be?’ But then, [at] the end of the season, Washington Post rankings came out and Blair was ranked eighth in the DMV, which is really incredible. Beyond incredible,” she says.

MIDFIELD MASTER Zhong steals the ball from Whitman players.

Sticking up for girls’ ice hockey

By Evelyn Goldin Staff Writer

I definitely think the girls game is growing, but the opportunities and seeing other girls playing at a high level when I was growing up wasn’t as common.

At Ice Devils practices, players engage in drills to improve their stick handling, edge work, and shooting. Ice Devils 14U Coach Emily Summers says that she uses fun games to improve these skills while focusing on strategic plays such as breakouts, forechecks, and penalty kills. “We’re always trying to keep the intensity up to make sure that they’re getting as many touches on the puck, as many shooting opportunities, as much repetition, [and] as many gametime decision opportunities as we can make, because that’s what’s going to make them better players,” Summers explains.

Blair freshman Taylor Boyce joined the Ice Devils’ advanced 14U team this year. Boyce has also played on co-ed hockey teams— the Wells Warriors and Bowie Bruins—and Washington Pride, another local girls team. Boyce enjoys the Ice Devils because of the connections they have made with

other players. “The community is wonderful. It’s good to keep you physically fit and it’s just a lot of fun,” Boyce says.

Summers explains that due to the speed of the game and its transitional nature, hockey is unique in its ability to foster strong relationships between teammates. “There’s a bigger sense of camaraderie where it’s not just, ‘This is my position and that’s my only focus.’ There’s a lot of back and forth, there’s a lot of movement—you have to be comfortable knowing every role on the ice, not just your own,” Summers says.

The players are developing skills both on and off the ice. Swader notes the many lessons being on the team has taught his daughter. “Learning how to control her temper definitely comes into play.

Learning how to play as a good teammate, not just a good player, is another thing she’s learned,” he says.

Summers said that she prioritizes her players’ personal development as caring and thoughtful individuals. “My number one thing is—it kind of encompasses a lot—but being a good teammate. So you’re aware of your teammates and how they work together; if someone’s having a hard day, talking to them,” she says.

Many of the players are hoping to continue their athletic and academic careers as collegiate hockey players. Ice Devils alumni are already competing at the college level. “We’re seeing higher rates of girls playing in college—whether that be at D3 where they, you know, are fighting very hard for those spots, or within club with the

ACHA, or even just continuing on at a [recreational] level. Whatever makes them happy to continue playing,” Summers says.

Ice Devils alumna Haley Skarupa was selected to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics for the U.S. women’s team. Skarupa played hockey for the Ice Devils and Washington Pride, in addition to the boys’ varsity team at Thomas S. Wootton, her alma mater, before joining the women’s hockey team at Boston College.

The community is wonderful. It’s good to keep you physically fit and it’s just a lot of fun.

TAYLOR BOYCE

PHOTO BY MARGOT BUEHLER

PRACTICING DRILLS Montgomery Ice Devils players practice at Rockville Ice Arena.

think the girls’ game is growing, but the opportunities and seeing other girls playing at a high level when I was growing up wasn’t as common,” Campbell says.

GRACE CAMPBELL

In the girls’ locker room at Rockville Ice Arena, Montgomery Ice Devils team members are gearing up with helmets, shoulder pads, and skates. The crowded room is buzzing with excitement as the energetic players prepare for practice, talking and laughing with each other as though they are family.

The Montgomery Youth Hockey Association (MYHA) girls’ Ice Devils teams provide an opportunity for girls in Maryland to participate in competitive ice hockey.

The Ice Devils’ players range in age from seven to 19 and teams are

separated by age.

Each season officially begins at the end of August, with tournaments occurring throughout the school year. The team journeys domestically to attend the tournaments, according to Chris Swader, an Ice Devils parent. “As the club gets stronger, we get to play better competition. They get more exposure and [the MYHA Girls Hockey Director] lets them travel all over,” Swader says.

Boston College women’s hockey player and former MCPS student Grace Campbell notes that girls’ hockey has gained more attention in recent years. “There’s so many different places where boys can play right now. I definitely

Similarly, Swader’s daughter aspires to continue her hockey career at the university level. “She says she wants to play D1 hockey, so if it’s up to her, she’ll be playing at Ohio State in four years, so we’ll have to see,” Swader says.

The team is looking forward to their upcoming tournaments, for which they will travel domestically to compete. “We have our January tournament—we’re going up to Boston, so we expect some very good competition from that. We’re very excited. And then we’ll close out the season at the end of February with our playoffs for both our leagues,” Summers says.

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December 5, 2023 Sports F2

Boosting athletics

By Keelin Pegg and Norah Wilson Staff Writers

BARBARA EFANTS

The problem is that there is more parent participation at some schools and it’s not that they’re giving money— they’re giving time.

Booster clubs are organizations made up of parent volunteers that want to support their athletes and the school’s athletic program. Kelly Curran, a parent volunteer for Blair’s booster club explains her role in the club. “I help support Blair Athletics by volunteering,

GRAPHIC BY KEELIN PEGG | DATA COURTESY OF MD PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST AND THE IRS

SPORTS FUNDING varies based on schools’ booster clubs. club’s four board positions. Simply finding the personnel to volunteer can also be challenging.

Barbara Efantis, President of Blair’s Booster Club, attributes the variety of funds that booster clubs across the county have to differences in parent participation. “The problem is that there is more parent participation at some schools and it’s not that they’re giving money—they’re giving time,” she explains.

The money raised from booster clubs has a direct impact on student athletes. “We help improve the sport and provide them with equipment that’s up to date and useful for them when the county can’t do it,” Sam Le Blanc, President of Walt Whitman’s Booster Club explains.

Blair Athletic Director Rita

Boule echoes this sentiment. “It’s all about the kids. You want the facilities to look and feel good [which] requires money and time.

If you don’t have money or time, or you don’t have the manpower, it’s near impossible to get those things done,” she says.

Schools in the county’s more affluent areas have dominated MCPS sports for decades. In the last two decades, Walt Whitman and Bethesda Chevy Chase (BCC) have each won more than 20 regional and state titles in football and field hockey, as well as girls’ and boys’ soccer. In contrast, John F. Kennedy and Northwood have won none. Both Whitman and B-CC schools have well-established and well-funded booster clubs, while John F. Kennedy does not have one and Northwood’s is rel-

atively new. Blair has won six titles in the past 20 years and has an increasingly active booster club, but it still trails the schools in wealthier areas.

Before coming to Blair, Boule worked at John F. Kennedy. She saw firsthand the difference not having a booster club can make on an athletics department. “It’s just harder when you don’t have volunteers helping you. There’s no other way to say it, [athletic departments] don’t have enough money coming in [without booster clubs],” Boule says.

Funding is by no means the main factor in athletic success or achievement, but its influence is difficult to overlook. Booster clubs are proven to be helpful for many communities, but key questions remain about inequities.

There’s no other way to say it, [athletic departments] don’t have enough money coming in [without booster clubs].

RITA BOULE

Money plays an essential and oftentimes controversial role in collegiate and professional sports and it is increasingly doing so at the high school level. This is evident across MCPS where more affluent schools have emerged as sports powerhouses, fueled in part by the additional support and funding provided by booster clubs.

Central to this dilemma is how high school athletic programs in MCPS are funded. MCPS provides each school with funding for athletic programs based on a formula that ties in sports games revenue receipts, school size, socioeconomic factors, and donations from booster clubs. This formula is how the school system tries to ensure equity; however, it cannot control the amount of money given to booster clubs.

selling apparel, meaning [items] like hoodies and t-shirts,” she says.

As sports grow and more resources are needed to support each program, schools are turning more and more to booster clubs to fill the gap that county funds do not provide. Because the scale and support booster clubs can have is primarily based on the level of funding received from community members, booster clubs vary drastically across the county.

Although there are some restrictions on booster club purchases, funding can be used to purchase items that are aimed at advancing athletic ability—Walt Whitman’s booster club provided a serving machine to their volleyball team.

The machine helped the athletes perform better in their serve return.

However, the same equipment is not provided to every school as it was not a county purchase.

Booster funding comes from two primary places: donations and fundraisers. MCPS schools in wealthier areas typically have waiting lists for volunteering opportunities like running concessions. This may be in part because the majority of booster clubs in richer communities have been around longer, meaning they have alumni boards, team representatives, and committee chairs that work specifically to encourage volunteers.

Wendy Wang-Girardot, President of the Northwood Athletics Association, the equivalent of a booster club for Northwood, explains the importance of parents devoting their time to volunteering.

“The more time you have … the more time you can really develop your booster [club],” she says.

Wang-Girardot struggles to staff the

The role of booster clubs in funding public high school athletics amplifies the broader issue of equity and is one that is not easily solved. However, as Le Blanc notes it is not one that is forgotten.

“It’s very hard to come up with parity in society in general,” Le Blanc says. “I’ve wrestled with some of those questions, but I don’t have the answer on how to solve them.”

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F3 Sports December 5, 2023

Blazers of Note

By Sohccem Ruphael Staff Writer At eight years old, he transitioned to club soccer, joining his local team, Takoma Revolution. The shift to club soccer made Johnson realize the sport was more than just a hobby. “It was just a great experience. That’s really where I got hooked,” he says. Despite winning the WTOP award as a goalkeeper, Johnson was a position player on his club teams until high school.

Blair varsity soccer concluded their regular season strong with 10 wins and two losses this fall, but the Blazers were unexpectedly knocked out in the regional semifinals by the High Point eagles after losing 3-2. Regardless of losing in the second round of playoffs, Johnson found personal success during

the season. “It probably was the best season [I have] ever played. I think the spotlight was put on me because I had a lot of opportunities to make saves and really showed up in the moments that I needed to,” he says.

The early exit in playoffs came as a shock to Johnson and the rest of the team after they made it to the

state semifinals last season. “The year after you do really well is always difficult because you have so much confidence … I don’t think we were as focused as we should have been [this season],” Johnson explains.

After the end of the Blair season, Johnson has been doing preseason training with the Potomac Soccer Association. He is preparing for the Elite Club National League season, alongside winter showcases. Johnson’s post-graduation plans are uncertain, but he hopes that they involve soccer. “I would really like to [play after high school]. I don’t want to stop playing soccer. I love it so much,” Johnson says.

On Oct. 2, Blair senior Angela Wu received a platinum level of achievement from U.S. Figure Skating, the national governing body for figure skating. Platinumlevel award recipients must have competed in the U.S. Championships at the novice, junior, or senior level or made the novice-level National High Performance Development Team. Wu competed for the junior national championship in Peoria, Illinois where she performed to receive the award with D.C. Edge, her club team. She also accepted an invitation to compete for ANGELA WU the junior USA Fig-

ure Skating team during the 20222023 season.

Wu had an early adoration for Chinese dance and individual ice skating, but after one skating practice at the ice rink, a synchronized skating team caught her eye.

“Originally, I was attracted to synchronized [skating] because I saw everyone at the rink with matching backpacks and jackets,” Wu says.

When she was young, she skated once or twice a week, but as she got older and her skills advanced, she trained with her team 15 to 20 hours a week. “We would have ice training, conditioning, Pilates, and ballet. We would have mental

training too,” she explains. Wu and her team meditate, set goals, reflect on practices and competitions, and even skate while mimicking crowd noises are blasted on speakers to better the team’s composure when competing. Wu adds that mental exercises have strengthened her mindset going into high level competitions. “The most important thing overall is remembering [contests are] the exact same thing that you do in practice, [the difference is that] people watch,” she says. Wu’s intense commitment to synchronized skating hardly ever breaks.

“Even in your Synchro off-season, you still have to train by yourself.

You still have boot camps, but I really do love it,” she says.

Wu is taking a break from synchronized skating this school year to prioritize her college application process. Balancing school and synchronized skating has been demanding for her in previous years.

“If you ask any of my friends, I’m always working on something. [I] take advantage of all the free time and try not to let myself procrastinate on anything,” she says.

Although Wu’s future is still undecided, she will likely be involved with ice skating in some form after high school. “If I don’t do synchronized [skating], I definitely want to coach or compete in solo dance or something,” she says.

PHOTOS BY JAMIE LOZADA-MCBRIDE

DAMI KIM

By Eliza Warren Sports Columnist Sightseeing at the Washington Monument. A tour of the Capitol. A photo of the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. All are obvious tourist attractions when visiting the nation’s capital, but what about when you feel like sitting down, classic American food in hand, to watch a bit of sports? To find out which D.C. sports games are mustattends, I took a trip to a few of the most popular venues.

Nationals Park

On a hot Sunday in June, I took my seat in the 300s level. With skin sticking to the burning seat and the smell of sunscreen dominating the air, the experience didn’t start out strong. But, as a lifelong Nationals fan, I knew just how to turn it around: Shake Shack. Nationals Park, home to both Shake Shack and La Casita, has the best concession selection out of the venues.

The stadium is also located in the booming Navy Yard with a multitude of restaurant selections ranging from Chipotle to The Salt Line Oyster Bar. Nationals Park itself is also a well-designed, open structure that allows for views of the Capitol and the Anacostia River from the top decks.

As for the game itself, it’s unfortunately difficult to expect much from the Nationals at the moment.

Unsurprisingly, the game ended in an unmemorable loss, but the (small) crowd was as lively as possible when cheering for a losing team. My biggest complaint was the excessive in-game entertainment and between-inning games on the jumbotron.

Overall, Nationals Park is a must-attend, but perhaps I would wait until the team gets a smidge better.

Audi Field

On another sweltering Sunday afternoon, I paid a visit to Audi Field to see the Washington Spirit take on the Chicago Red Stars. Despite their 2-0 loss, it was one of the

more enthralling games that I’ve attended during the 2023 seasons.

The Spirit has a unique fan base compared to others I’ve seen in the D.C. area, and although the quantity of fans is low, the quality more than makes up for it—the fans there are passionate, rowdy, and ready to have fun. In the electric “Supporter’s Section” located behind the north goal, fans bang drums, hold up banners, and are always on their feet cheering.

Audi Field does fall short in terms of concessions. Although they have a few good options including my favorite, ArepaZone, there are not nearly enough and the lines are always too long for the overpriced food to be worth it. However, also located in Navy Yard, Audi Field has plenty of options outside of the stadium.

Overall, the atmosphere at a Spirit game makes a visit to Audi Field mandatory, but the venue itself is not uniquely special.

Capital One Arena Having never been to a professional basketball game before, I was looking forward to my excursion to Capital One Arena to see the Washington Wizards take on the Dallas Mavericks. I had high hopes, but they were dashed immediately after taking my seat. I went to watch a basketball game, yet what I got was a strobe light performance

I would really like to [play after high school]. I don’t want to stop playing soccer. I love it so much.

PHOTOS BY MADELINE GOLD

PREGAME The Wizards starting five is announced before tipoff. and blaring music. Although all sports teams have put a recent emphasis on in-game entertainment, Capital One Arena’s far exceeded other sports games I’d been to and I wasn’t a fan. Although the music and lights stopped when the game began, it started up again at every pause in play. How the players manage to stay sane in that environment perplexes me.

Prior to the game, I ventured out in search of a place to eat. The arena has many fantastic options including my favorite, Honeymoon Chicken, but wanting to get something new, I opted for Tenders Love and Chicken, as recommended by a Capital One Arena food review. Fitting for the night, their signature chicken tenders box was disappointing, costing $17 for three measly chicken tenders.

Unless you want to leave the game hungry and with a headache, I suggest avoiding Capital One Arena.

FedEx Field

GAME TIME The Washington Wizards faced the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena.

CALEB JOHNSON

On Oct. 20, Blair boys’ varsity soccer goalkeeper Caleb Johnson was included in the 2023 Maryland All State team and named WTOP player of the week. WTOP recognizes a high school athlete from the metropolitan area every week.

Johnson has been the starting goalkeeper for the varsity soccer team since his sophomore year and is the first Blair athlete to receive the award. In Johnson’s first two years on the varsity team, the team became 2022 regional champions, 2022 state semi-finalists, and 2023 division champions.

Johnson first began playing recreCALEB JOHNSON ational soccer at the young age of three.

With multiple sources ranking FedEx Field as the worst stadium in the NFL, I went in with low expectations. Planning for my day out at the Washington Commanders game against the New York Giants confirmed my expectations. With

the stadium’s minimal access to public transportation and their $40 to $60 parking spots, the cheapest way for me to get there was Uber. Driving up to the stadium in Landover, Maryland, I thought one thing: this is terribly ugly.

Food seemed just the way to turn my bad start around—as long as it was better than Capital One Arena’s—so I looked up FedEx Field concession rankings and ended up at Swizzler on the 400s concourse. Their signature grass-fed burger was quite delicious and, I felt, well worth its weighty $20 cost.

The game itself was enjoyable but lacked the excitement that comes from a passionate fanbase.

The cheers were nearly as loud for the Giants as they were for the Commanders, leading to an uninspiring atmosphere. Overall, a decent game to go to but only if you are willing to pay an exorbitant cost to find transportation into middleof-nowhere Maryland.

D.C. may not be known for their iconic sports venues like Boston and Chicago, but an excursion to at least one (not Capital One Arena) is still mandatory when living in the area.

silverchips

December 5, 2023 Sports F4

Fielding the future

Blair’s new agreement with Montgomery Parks allows for community use

By Abby Greenberg Staff Writer

convenient public transportation, it was the ideal place for the development. Blair’s campus also has a sizable parking lot with a shopping strip close by.

The agreement allows Montgomery Parks to rent the fields.

Both the new track field and the practice field at Blair will be entered into the Montgomery County Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) organization, allowing outside organizations to obtain permits for use. Some of the money will go back to Montgomery Parks, which will be used for maintenance on the fields. While the practice and track fields are new additions to the CUPF, Blair’s softball, baseball, and stadium fields are all owned, maintained, and operated by Montgomery Parks making them available for rental.

I think they are going to be great, another year of growth, care, and maintenance will give us some really nice fields.

RITA BOULE

Just over a year ago, Blair’s practice field was covered in dead yellow grass and dirt, while the track field was bumpy and uneven. The sports teams at Blair were unable to hold effective practices due to the field conditions. Now, they have been revamped.

In the summer of 2022, Montgomery Parks began a two-phase project of renovating two multisport athletic fields at Blair—the track field and practice field to improve athletic competition for sporting events and create an opportunity for community recreation.

Montgomery Parks proposed an agreement with MCPS to have the fields redone and expanded in 2020. After the proposal was approved, Montgomery Parks received a grant of $2.9 million from the Montgomery County Council to fund the project. The agreement stated that Montgomery Parks would maintain and operate the fields, while MCPS continued ownership.

The changes to Blair’s athletic fields have been significant. Phase one of the Blair improvement project was scheduled to start in June 2021 but ended up starting in August 2021 due to delays in finding an athletic field contractor. Phase one focused on improving the track field, while phase two began

in April 2023 and focused on the multi-purpose practice field, located directly behind the school. Both phases of the renovations included adding bermudagrass turf, irrigation, draining, grading, and lighting.

Although renovations are not yet complete, Blair Athletic Director, Rita Boule, noted her hopes for their progression. “I think they are going to be great, another year of growth, care, and maintenance will give us some really nice fields,” Boule said. The new fields have entered into Montgomery Park’s MCPS maintenance contract, meaning Montgomery Parks is in charge of maintenance, which will keep the fields in better shape.

“The maintenance is going to be increased out there. So we will be mowing more frequently and aerating more frequently, fertilizing, trying to keep doing everything we can to keep the grass healthy,” Galen Evans, the Athletic Fields Project Manager for Montgomery Parks said.

With the development of the new fields, Montgomery Parks aimed to create more opportunities for the lower east side of MCPS where athletic recreation fields are limited. “For the community, it’s going to help. We have a lot of community groups wanting to use those fields after hours,” Peter Ostrander, the magnet coordinator and Blair staff member supervising the project said. With Blair’s easy access to Route 495, Route 29, and

To ensure the construction was on track and that both the school and the construction team could accommodate each other’s schedules, there were frequent meetings

PHOTO BY DYLAN WARREN

BLAZER STADIUM Community rents out Blair’s field for practices in the evening. between the Montgomery Parks managing staff and Blair. “If we needed some room in the parking lot, we were able to talk to Rita [Boule] in the school. They worked with us on that [so] we had space to do the work and to bring in equipment and supplies,” Evans said. “Same with the school side, if there were events going on, we were able to coordinate that and not block entrances.”

The fields will also be beneficial for the athletic teams at Blair.

“We’ll have better fields to practice on for students … [and] the lights allow us to have our practices later,” Ostrander said. Boule added that though the fields will be advantageous, managing the teams and the construction has been tough.

Many coaches have struggled to

get field time and have had to share small spaces with other teams because of the ongoing construction.

Girls varsity soccer coach, Robert Gibb, discussed how the team has not been able to use the track field recently. “It’s impacted us for two years, because last year, we did not have use of the track field at all. Because they were growing it and this year well into the season,” he said.

“We definitely had to learn to work in tighter spaces … We did have to adapt to that.”

Rae Foster, Blair sophomore soccer player, evaluated the new conditions on the field. “It looks a lot better, because before it was muddy and hard to play on. But it looks pretty good now, and I think that the track field is definitely better too,” she said.

silverchips

F5 Sports December 5, 2023

Spinning into ‘Nutcracker’ season

By Greta Andelman and Emily Kretschmer Staff Writers

Like Cowan, Silver-Bigler finds the mental resilience needed to be overwhelming, and notes that one cause of the psychological stress of ballet is the culture of critique. “It’s hard to just keep going if you’re constantly having someone tell you that you’re doing something wrong,” she says. Silver-Bigler also adds that this continues throughout “Nutcracker” rehearsals. “After you learn basic choreography … it’s just a lot more correction intense,” she says.

Pascha Barnwell, a dance teacher at a local ballet school notes that teachers can have a critical impact on ballet students’ mental headspace. “You have to believe in your students so that they can believe in themselves,” she says.

While teachers like Barnwell are doing their best to create a safe space for their dancers, the immense precision that is required when doing ballet can often create harmful impacts. “You are constantly judging your body. Your body is your instrument, and you are also competing with everyone else,” Ellie Sanders, a former MYB student says.

In order to get all of the corrections and technique in place to form a flawless production, dancers must commit numerous hours to rehearsals. “We have class every weekday for about three to four hours, and then on the weekends we [also] have rehearsals,” Silver-Bigler says. From there, the show is practiced over and over again. “You have to run things repeatedly so that you get the stamina down … [there are] rehearsals where you have to do everything almost eight times,” she says. The time it takes to produce “The Nutcracker” can make it hard to balance school and dance.

“It’s near impossible to have a good balance,” Silver-Bigler says.

Despite the challenges, “The Nutcracker” is worth it overall for the buzz it brings to its performers. “December was a grind, but you become friends with people in a different

sort of way, and I really enjoyed [it],” Blair junior and eight-time “Nutcracker” performer Jonathan Peter Belling says. For many, the thrill of performing is a wonderful feeling. “I personally really enjoyed being on stage [and] I … liked that rush of adrenaline and being out in front of people,” Belling says.

For many, the history and choreography along with the costumes and sets are highlights of the production. “The whole experience is so magical and it’s just pretty, it’s glitzy, and it’s fun,” Moore says.

Watching dancers grow up and develop through their roles is another rewarding part of putting on “The Nutcracker.” “Watching the integration of the different ages from … little up to seasoned professionals that have been with the company for years, watching them kind of integrate together … is one of my favorite things,” Christie says.

The growth of young dancers through productions like “The Nutcracker” is meaningful not just for adults who oversee the process.

For many ballet dancers, “The Nutcracker” is an important part of their ballet journey. “It’s kind of a fundamental memory [for] most dancers,” Cowan says. “Everyone is really pushing themselves, technically, artistically, even socially…

Everyone’s really working towards a common goal and that’s really unifying.”

Silver-Bigler has grown close to other dancers over the years. “My friends at ballet, it’s a different type of bond … when you go through these hard performances together and then you finish it at the end, that brings you closer together,” she says. While joining a completely new studio may be intimidating at first, productions like “The Nutcracker” help new students connect with others. “Whenever we get new students … the best thing for them is always to do the performances because you really grow so much closer,” Silver-Bigler says.

The whole experience is so magical and it’s just pretty, it’s glitzy, and it’s fun.

FRANCES MOORE

ALLISON LIN

People don’t realize because you’re supposed to make ballet look easy, but it is so physically strenuous.

JILLIAN SILVER-BIGLER

The lights dim. The audience, once bustling, settles into their seats, waiting in anticipation. As the overture starts playing, the curtain rises and a young, elegant ballerina crosses the stage en pointe. It is Nov. 22, opening night for Ballet West’s “The Nutcracker” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. For many, the ballet signals the start of the holiday season, but for its dancers, it marks the start of an intense series of performances.

“The Nutcracker” stars a young girl named Clara on Christmas Eve. Clara and her family host a party where she receives a toy nutcracker that comes to life and becomes a prince. The Nutcracker battles the evil Mouse King and later takes Clara on trips to magical places where she meets whimsical characters like the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The classic ballet is performed by dance companies around the world, and Ballet West’s production holds significant value in the U.S. “The production itself was based on a production that our founder Willam Christensen created in San Francisco Ballet … they created the first ‘Nutcracker’ in the United States,” says Peter Christie, Ballet West’s Director of Education and Outreach.

Maryland Youth Ballet (MYB) puts on “The Nutcracker” as well as a “Mini-Nut,” a shortened version of the show targeted at younger audiences. At MYB, the months leading up to the big show are physically demanding for dancers as they rehearse for the performance while continuing with their other dance classes. “People don’t realize because you’re supposed to make ballet look easy, but it is so physically strenuous,” Blair junior and MYB student Jillian Silver-Bigler says. Silver-Bigler has been in “The Nutcracker” performances for the past six years. While ballet may look elegant, the moves can often be grueling for dancers. “The pain that I [have] felt during ‘Nutcracker’ is unparalleled,” Silver-Bigler says.

Like many sports, injuries are not uncommon in ballet, but ballet dancers are often especially injury-prone during “Nutcracker” season. “I had a bunch of ankle injuries that never healed over the past eight years. Lots of sprained ankles and ligaments,” Blair junior and ex-MYB dancer Frances Moore says. For some, the physical impact is, however, not the biggest obstacle. “It’s just this never-ending pursuit of perfection … mentally it is super draining,” Jacob Cowan, a senior at Walt Whitman and the Sugar Plum Cavalier, Nutcracker Prince, and lead Party Dad in MYB’s “The Nutcracker” says.

Just as much as “The Nutcracker” is a staple in many dancers’ autumn and winter seasons, for those who are not dancers, seeing “The Nutcracker” is a beloved holiday tradition that brings people together. Lily Swope, a Blair junior, saw the “Mini-Nut” for the first time 12 years ago, and has been hooked ever since. “[My friends and I] watched [the “Mini-Nut”] and then the next year [our parents] said that we could do the full performance, so we went … and we’ve just been doing that ever since,” Swope says.

After her friend moved away, they made an effort to continue going to the production together. “Especially in the past couple years since she’s moved away recently, it’s really something where we can continue our relationship and continue our bond after that,” Swope says.

This holiday tradition helps keep ballet companies alive, with the show’s revenue supporting the company for the rest of the year. “It is one of our biggest money makers, so it gives us a good anchor for our budget each year. It’s really definitely a family tradition,” Christie says. Sanders agrees that “The Nutcracker” is an essential part of ballet culture. “It’s so seasonal, everyone expects it … It’s such an im-

portant show to a ballet company, [to] a ballet studio,” she says.

Furthermore, “The Nutcracker” remains a long-standing tradition that helps bolster the arts and ballet companies. “I think other countries put greater emphasis on the arts … than we do here in the United States … [but] so long as there’s organizations that are still

willing to do the work and present the arts and make it accessible, then the better we will be as a whole,” Barnwell says. To support the arts and partake in the incredible holiday tradition, watch MYB students and Ballet West professionals alike perform in “The Nutcracker” this December!

PHOTOS BY IAN GLEASON

MONTGOMERY COUNTY THANKSGIVING PARADE MYB dancers Aisla Pinto and Nandi Chase perform an excerpt from “The Nutcracker.” Below, Jacob Cowan marches as the Nutcracker Prince.