silverchips A public forum for student expression since 1937 Montgomery Blair High School
January 25, 2019
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND
VOL. 81 NO. 3
BANDING TOGETHER
Attempted armed robbery in Silver Spring By Mindy Burton and Miranda Rose Daly NEWS EDITORS
An attempted armed robbery occurred in the late morning of Jan. 16 at the BB&T Bank in downtown Silver Spring and ended in the police fatally shooting the suspect. 31-year-old Mikyas Tegegne entered the bank, announced that he had a bomb, displayed a gun, and demanded twenty thousand dollars. A panic button was pushed, along with multiple 911 calls being placed, and the police arrived, causing Tegegne to flee. Police activity closed Colesville Road between Georgia Avenue and East-West Highway surrounding the transit center until 2 p.m. that afternoon. Tegegne was shot at the scene, later dying in the hospital. The officer who shot him, Christopher LePointe, has since been placed on paid administrative leave, according to a Montgomery County Police statement. Tegegne is also alleged to have committed another robbery in a similar fashion, at Sandy Spring Bank, three weeks prior on Dec. 24, said the police. The investigation is currently ongoing. Montgomery County Police request that anyone with information call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070. Callers may remain anonymous.
Oly Okombi commits to Kent State University By Prayag Gordy STAFF WRITER
The summer before his freshman year, Oly Okombi could barely do a pushup. He thought about quitting the JV foot-
YEKATERINA VAKHROMEEVA
MOCO COMES TOGETHER Councilman Tom Hucker hosts a potluck, attended by Maryland senator Chris Van Hollen at Montgomery Blair in order to help government workers being affected by the partial government shutdown.
ball team before he realized: What else did he have to do? Four years of high school later, Okombi is on his way to becoming the first Blair football player in 36 years to go straight from Blair to an NCAA Division I college. On Dec. 19, the NCAA Division I Football early signing day, Okombi sealed the deal with his letter of intent to play for Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. The Kent State Golden Flashes play in the Football Bowl Subdivi-
SEALING THE DEAL Blazer Oly Okombi ter of intent to play with Kent State’s
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signs a letfootball team.
sion—the best in the NCAA—which was formerly known as Division I-A. Okombi, who was recently recognized for his prowess as defensive lineman with a nomination to the 2018 Coaches 4A All-MoCo Football Team, is grateful to have obtained a full scholarship. “I just feel thankful to the coaches… who helped me throughout this whole process, and I’m just thankful for all the people that helped me outside of football,” he says. Kent State was not the only school that came knocking. “I had eight or seven offers in the spring of my junior year,” Okombi explains. “I went there during the summer and I really liked it, and I chose Kent State and I’m happy with my decision.” Having eight schools that wanted him, that approached him and made him offers, was not where Okombi thought of himself five years ago. A day before our first interview, Okombi tweeted, “I don’t got it easy like the rest of them so I gotta work harder than all of them.” I asked him about it, expecting a simple, clichéd answer about his
see OKOMBI page F2
Vaping: The new pastime By Uma Gupta and Sarah Schiffgens STAFF WRITERS
Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources. “[I was] scared for 15 minutes, then a little less scared for 30 minutes, and after an hour or two, I realized that this was not a big deal... This was the school law enforcement.... They can’t arrest me. This isn’t really a strict crime,” says junior Jesse while describing his first time being caught juuling in school last year. When Jesse left class that day, he had no reason to believe that he would end up getting questioned by a security guard in the bathroom. For him, hitting his Juul had become a part of his daily routine. He found himself leaving class multiple times a day to get his nicotine fix, hoping to improve his productivity and feel the familiar release it gave him. In the lavatories of Blair, vap-
insidechips Conexiones
COURTESÍA DE LESLIE BLAHA
NEWS A2
Un nuevo programa para la integración cultural entre profesores y estudiantes de ESOL.
B1
SHASHI ARNOLD
LA ESQUINA LATINA B1
When “woke” goes too far
Following the fraudulent
Dreams still come true
The dangers of misused social justice
A close look into the Impostor Phenomenon
Disney reboots classic films in live action
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OP/ED C2
SALLY ZHAO
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FEATURES D1
IVVONE ZHOU
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CULTURE E1
ing appears to be as common as the bathroom’s intended purpose. “You’re about to take a dump, right, and you walk in the bathroom and there’s like four or five guys juuling. It’s obviously right there in your face,” says Theo, a junior who vapes at least once a week during class. Chase, a freshman who vapes marijuana in the bathrooms up to three times per day, says that although he tries to wait until the stalls are empty before taking a hit, most people don’t mind if they do see him. “I go into the bathroom when no one is there but I’ve seen people do it and nobody at this school really gives a f***,” he says. Security Team Leader Darryl Cooper refers to vaping at Blair as a huge problem and hopes to crack down on juuling hotspots throughout the school. “Juuls have taken over... One of the huge things that we are trying to do is just really determine where kids are going during lunch to do these things. I’ve found them in isolated classrooms. We’ve found them in pretty much everywhere where they can get a free two minutes,” he says.
see DRUGS page E2
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A2 News silverchips Montgomery Blair High School 51 University Boulevard East Silver Spring, MD 20901 Phone: (301) 649-2864 Winner of the 2015 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Winner of the 2018 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown
Editors-in-Chief: William Donaldson Adenike Falade Managing News Editors: Mindy Burton Miranda Rose Daly Managing Op/Ed Editor: Lucy Gavin Managing Features Editors: Elise Cauton Marlena Tyldesley Managing Culture Editor: Arshiya Dutta Managing Sports Editor: Camden Roberts Ombudsman: Hannah Lee Page Editors: George Ashford Teddy Beamer Elias Chen Mira Diamond-Berman Kie Donovan Itamar Fiorino Prayag Gordy Uma Gupta Amanda Liu Ethan Park Khushboo Rathore Louis Rosenberg Sarah Schiffgens Paloma Williams Victoria Xin La Esquina Latina Editors-in-Chief: Amanda Hernández Jasmine Méndez-Paredes La Esquina Latina Editor: Lourdes Reyes Valenzuela La Esquina Latina Writers: Yesenia Cruz Jenny Granados-Villatoro Executive Business Directors: Siena Butters Olena Zelinsky Business Staff: Preston Beatty Liang Lin Alyssa Ma Ray Mizui Merete Oakes Jennifer Ren Suveena Sreenilayam Managing Photo Editor: Avery Brooks Photographers: Emory Brooks Dede Greenfield Maggie Lin Lucy Martin Elenora Rue Yekaterina Vakhromeeva Managing Media Coordinator: Aidan Lambiotte Managing Art Editors: Seoyoung Joo Sally Zhao Artists: Shashi Arnold Elaine Cheng Niamh Ducey Amy Krimm Kelley Li Kennedy Salamat Katrina Warren Gabe Winston-Bailey Ivvone Zhou Managing Design Editor: Hannah Lee Puzzle Editor: Bennett Coukos-Wiley Copy Editors: Sara Kleine Ollie-Angel Nono Catherine Rodriguez Ruby Santana Luna Warren La Esquina Latina Advisors: Dianette Coombs Maria Eugenia Tanos Advisor: 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. Signed letters to the editor are encouraged. Submit your letter to Jeremy Stelzner’s mailbox in the main office or to silver.chips.print@gmail.com. Concerns about Silver Chips’ content should be directed to the Ombudsman, the public’s representative to the paper, at ombudsman.silverchips@gmail.com. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.
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January 25, 2019
MD issues accountability report cards By Kie Donovan STAFF WRITER
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) sent out newly-developed accountability report cards to all public schools on Dec. 4. The accountability report cards were implemented by the Every Student Succeeds Act, signed into law by President Obama in 2015. The report cards are intended to evaluate public schools across the country on a local level in order to pinpoint areas that need improvement; the former letter grade system did not properly reflect the nature of these areas, according to the act. On its accountability report card, Montgomery Blair High School received a score of four out of five stars. The accountability report cards contain five main subset categories: Academic Achievement, Graduation, Progress in Achieving English Language Proficiency, Readiness for Post-Secondary Success, and School Quality and Student Success. While Blair scored highly in the areas of Graduation Rate and Readiness for Post-Secondary Success relative to other sections of the report card—at 13.1 out of 15 and 7.2 out of 10 respectively—its evaluations suggest that it lacks in some areas, such as in Academic Achievement and in School Quality and Student Success, where it scored 17.6 out of 30 and 15 out of 25 respectively. The point percentages in each category are roughly equivalent to the percentage of students who met that category’s criteria. All schools were given a percentile rank based on the point values they earned. Star ratings were assigned by percentile rank. Four-star schools like Blair, which made up the majority of Maryland, received point percentages between 60 and
75 percent. The star-based rankings and categorical breakdown are valuable because they allow school systems to compare themselves to their neighbors, said MCPS Department of Communications Director Derek Turner. “[The report card] uses comparable data, so we [at MCPS] know how we’re performing relative to students in schools in Howard County, Prince George’s County, Baltimore City. So we have an understanding of what we do relative to our other jurisdictions,” he said. “It’s nice to know how they’re doing in comparison to students across the county and across the state,” said Principal Renay Johnson, who finds this aspect of the report cards particularly helpful to her role. However, according to Turner, the state accountability report cards are not perfect, as they largely rely on gross data without differentiating between racial and socioeconomic groups of students. Consequently, this delivers a warped image of schools and their students’ performance. “Our data is kind of aggregated at the state level, right?” he said. “What we’re seeing is that across our schools… students who are white and Asian and not impacted by poverty perform usually in the eighty percent to ninety nine percentile across the board at every school [on the state report card]. But what we’re seeing is when you take that group out… there is a disparity in outcome.” Johnson also did not see the report card as the most accurate measure of schools, and cited the Academic Achievement category of the report card, where Blair scored a 17.6/30, as one of its most problematic sections. The category bases itself on students’ scores on state assessments, such as the English Language Arts/Literacy Grade 10 test and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and
DEREK TURNER
Careers (PARCC) Algebra I test. According to Johnson, using these tests as evaluation criteria provides a skewed picture of Blair’s true academic ability. “We have students at Montgomery Blair… [who] have had interrupted education, many do not speak English... and they do not participate in those assessments, and so [those are] my students who are having challenges with those assessments,” she said. “Then we have students at the high tier, the Magnet students, who aren’t reflected in the data because most of them… are done [with] Algebra I by the time they come to Blair.” This is where the MCPS Equity Accountability Model comes in. An additional evaluation tool specifically for the county, the model hones in on five focus groups of students whose performance, according to Turner, is not accounted for on the state report card evaluations: non-free-and-reduced-meals (FARMS) Black or African American, Black or African American, FARMS Black or African American, FARMS Hispanic/Latino, and FARMS White/Asian/Other Stu-
KIE DONOVAN
dent Groups. “You look at school performance overall, but it doesn’t just aggregate based ethnicity and race and socioeconomic status… And so, that’s why we have our own report so that we can actually set these students’ performance, and that will help us make improvements in school performance,” Turner said. The breakdown provided by the Equity Accountability Model will allow the county and individual schools to better formulate strategies for improvement, according to Turner. “[A] school can really focus in and look at how students [are] impacted by poverty, the resources they’re being given, the instruction, whether there’s a cultural proficiency issue for educators. And so that way the school can focus on, ‘There’s a gap here. How do we close that gap?’” he said. The Academic Achievement and Academic Progress portions of the Equity Accountability Model were released in September of last year, but the Graduation Rate and Limited English Proficiency and Students with Disabilities sections will be released in February.
Blair distributes free tablets to eligible students MCPS partners with the Sprint 1Million project to close the digital gap By Sarah Schiffgens STAFF WRITER
Students who qualify for the program must complete a consent form with a parent or guardian’s signature to pledge responsibility for the device. Once the tablet is activated, it is then the student’s to keep until the end of their high school career. These tablets serve as a hotspot for other devices as well as an educational tool. Students with tablets are given access to high speed internet at home and all the G Suite applications necessary to complete some online school assignments. Jagaris Castro, a sophomore who received her Slate in December, uses it at least four times a week for school work. “It’s actually really
Blair received 100 Sprint Slate 8 Tablets from MCPS to distribute to students who have unreliable internet connection at home in early December. This initiative came as MCPS announced its partnership with the Sprint 1Million Project Foundation in an effort to close the “digital gap” by providing free mobile devices with internet access to students who lack this technology at home. The “digital gap” is an economic and social inequality in access to technology and information. Students who receive these tablets will be able to keep them throughout their high school career and are expected to return them upon graduating, free of cost. A survey was sent out to all Blair English and ESOL classes in October to gauge which students had inadequate internet access at home and would benefit the most from the tablets. Students who were not approached by school administration following the survey can still check if they are eligible to receive a tablet by contacting his or her administrator. “It’s not a strict yes or no for being eligible, because a family might have a computer, they might have internet access, it might not be reliable, it might be shared among three or four school-aged kids… it’s less than ideal,” Melissa Young said. Melissa Young, Blair’s Latino Achievement Coordinator, manages the school’s tablet distribution. PETER CEVENINI AND MELISSA YOUNG
really effective, I get all my work in on time. Even my sister uses it... Sometimes the wifi’s down, we start using it, and we’re like ‘oh yeah we got this done, and this done’, so our homework doesn’t get turned in late,” said Castro. MCPS first partnered with the 1Million Project last school year. The county expected to receive 2,500 tablets for the 2018-2019 school year and then meet at the end of the year to re-evaluate how many more tablets are needed. At least eight MCPS high schools are currently participating in the program, but this number continues to grow as tablets are constantly being distributed to more schools.
SARAH SCHIFFGENS
Blair started to receive tablets after Principal Renay Johnson contacted the county earlier in the 2018-2019 school year and is in the process of distributing its 100 tablets. Counties in other states, such as Kansas, have also partnered with the 1Million Project in hopes of combating the digital gap in their respective communities. Peter Cevenini, MCPS’ Chief Technology Officer, expressed high hopes for the future of the program. “Our goal is to expand this program...until all students in Montgomery County Public Schools have access to technology at home, so they can complete homework and learn at home as well as in school,” he said. Young shared the experiences of the Blair students who have struggled to complete online assignments due to unreliable internet access. “Some students right away say, ‘I just don’t usually do those assignments, I can’t. Or, they say, ‘I walk to the library’, or, ‘I make sure I stay after school or come in early or see my teacher at lunch to be able to use a Chromebook or computer ... and that’s not always convenient,” she said. Castro’s whole family has been able to benefit from the tablet, as her mom uses it as a hotspot for her own device and her sister also completes her work on the tablet. “I’m glad that Sprint gave us this opportunity to use tablets to get our work done because sometimes people don’t have wifi or a device,” she said. “It was really sweet of them to help us get our work done on time.”
January 25, 2019
silverchips
News A3
Yoga, Neuroscience, and Hip Hop Culture classes come to Blair
New elective classes in the 2019-2020 school year
By Khushboo Rathore STAFF WRITER
Yoga, Neuroscience, and Hip Hop History and Culture classes have been proposed by teachers, approved by administration, given a course code, and advertised to the student body. After students submit course requests in January, the classes will be integrated into teacher schedules for the 2019-2020 school year. In the physical education department, yoga is being offered for the first time at Blair. The class was brought in by current health and soccer teacher Megan Olson. In the single semester class, Olson said she hopes to give students the ability and skills to practice themselves. “My goal is by the end of the semester, if a student takes the class, they’re gonna be able to have their own yoga practice for an hour,” she said. One of Olson’s other hopes was that it would help to alleviate student stress, which is the reason that junior Wilmer Garcia wants to take the class. “Blair gives out a lot of work… yoga’s gonna make me feel relaxed… it’s gonna make me happy,” he said. The single semester class is already offered at other MCPS schools such as Thomas S. Wootton and Walter Johnson and will count as half a graduation credit towards physical education. Other classes like Hip Hop Culture and Neuroscience are being taken because students find them intriguing. Junior Tekla Maisashvili said she is excited to take Neuroscience because she is interested in the topic. “I think Neuroscience is really fascinating and I’d really like to have an opportunity to take that class in high school,” she said. The Neuroscience curriculum was developed by biology teacher Darcy Sloe. The curriculum and proposal that Sloe submitted to the Central Office took hours to create. “It’s taken me hundreds and hundreds of hours to comb through books and websites and class curricula,” she said. “From that, I’ve combed
through the material and prioritized what I what it really means,” Grady said. The class think is most important or what is most inter- will serve as a social studies elective credit, esting.” The decision to create the class was but not towards graduation. a long time coming. Sloe has heard requests Some of these classes are still facing isfrom graduating students, alumni, and cur- sues with scheduling and materials. Sloe was rent students. “Since the very beginning, stu- having a hard time coming up with a solution dents have said, ‘Oh we’d really like to have to the expensive nature of neuroscience rea neuroscience class,’” she said. The course search. “At first, I thought ‘oh gosh, I’m not serves as a biology elective but has both Hon- going to be able to do any labs for this class ors or AP Chemistry and Honors or AP Biol- because the equipment’s so expensive’...we ogy prerequisites. researched and found this company that acSocial studies teacher Kenneth Smith is tually sells neuroscience also starting the first Hip Hop History and equipment that’s afCulture class in MCPS. “I grew up in the culfordable,” she said. ture… during what we call the golden era of Smith is worried hip hop in the 80s,” he said. “I’ve been thinkabout his schedule ing about this class for years, but just finally for next year. decided that I had to write the proposal for it.” After submitting the proposal to Central Office, Smith was given permission to run the class. The single semester class is meant to be more discussion and reflection focused with no tests. To him, the purpose of the class is not to just lecture but to explore the connections that hip hop has to the student body and to make students feel like they matter. “I really hope that the students will take time to stop and reflect about how they’re conSEOYOUNG JOO suming hip hop culture, the good and the bad,” Smith said. “If you connect with hip hop in any way, shape or form, I want you to say ‘they see me.’” Junior Zolani Grady cites wanting to understand the meaning of the music as his reason for taking the class. “It would be cool to learn about the things we listen to every SEOYOUNG JOOW i t h single day and dig deeper into
two other electives, his schedule is already packed. “My Sociology course tends to be somewhat popular as well,” Smith said. “I don’t know how they’re gonna work it out.” Magnet Coordinator Peter Ostrander, who also works on managing course schedules, proposed a solution for the scheduling process issue to teachers. “After we have the students register for classes … we’ll determine how many sections of each of those courses are offered, and then the resource teachers of those departments will determine who’s teaching what section,” he said. For more information on how to sign up for these classes, please visit your guidance counselor or the Class Registration page.
A4 News Newsbriefs Montgomery Blair to offer ‘Conexiones’ program, Plans for a Conexiones program, aiming to help teachers instruct and relate to Blair’s Latinx population, were led by social studies teacher Kevin Shindel and Spanish teacher Sabrina Kalin Martinez. The program involves seminars on the cultural-social workings of Latinx students, starting in midFebruary, and content-area workshops that focus on strategies and vocabularies that maximize learning, starting in March. The workshops will be taught by groups of bilingual and ESOL Spanish-speaking students and will focus on instruction in four content-areas: math, science, English, and social studies. According to Shindel, the cultural-social seminars hope to “teach [instructors] the worlds of cultural competency about Latino students… their experiences, their values, [and the] purposes and goals that they come in here with.”
SMOB candidate declaration begins Several Montgomery County sophomores and juniors recently announced their candidacy in the 2019-2020 Student Member of the Board (SMOB) election, which is held by the county Special Elections Committee (SEC). Among the candidates declared lies Blair junior Adiba Chowdhury. If elected, she would be Blair’s fourth SMOB, the first since 2006. Candidate filings, which are reported to the SEC, close Jan. 24. After candidates are declared, the Nomination Convention will be held on Feb. 20 to choose the two candidates who will eventually compete in the General Election on April 24. Candidates for SMOB may begin campaigning as soon as their candidacy is approved by the SEC. Once approved, these candidates will compete for a spot on the Montgomery County Board of Ed., currently held by Richard Montgomery’s Ananya Tadikonda.
White Oak apartments investigated for mold/pests White Oak’s 1,169 apartment complex, The Enclave, is facing scrutiny after inspections revealed hundreds of code violations, including having mold, roaches, and rodents. The preliminary inspection, which looked at 23 percent of the complex’s units, found 367 violations, sixty of which were lifesafety related, such as mold. The discovery prompted a movement for the Department of Housing and Community Affairs to inspect the remaining apartments, led by Councilman Tom Hucker. County Executive Marc Elrich also played a hand in the complex’s inspection. “This is a first step in correcting deficiencies and other impediments to providing a healthy and safe environment at the property,” Elrich said when he ordered the inspections, in an interview with Patch. “We are committed to addressing these problems as expeditiously as possible.” The inspections were informed by a sudden increase in complaints within The Enclave, which is found on the intersection between Columbia Pike and New Hampshire Ave. Montgomery County received 113 complaints in 2018, up 176 percent from the previous four years combined. Newsbriefs compiled by Itamar Fiorino
January 25, 2019
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Maryland’s congressional district maps overturned By George Ashford STAFF WRITER
The District Court of Maryland found that the state’s current congressional district map was unconstitutionally gerrymandered in favor of Democrats on Nov. 7. Approximately a week later, Attorney General Brian Frosh appealed the case to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court accepted the appeal on Jan. 4, and arguments will be heard during March. This leaves Maryland with a split in approach from state leaders. While Frosh is now set to defend Maryland’s district map in the Supreme Court, Governor Larry Hogan has made efforts to reform the process by which the map was created. According to Azavea, a geographical data company, Maryland is one of the more gerrymandered states in the country when compared by efficiency gap. The efficiency gap is a statistic that measures the advantage held by a political party due to the way that the state’s congressional districts are drawn. FiveThirtyEight reports that Maryland has a 9% efficiency gap favoring Democrats, high enough to mean that the state sends one more Democrat to Congress than is actually representative of the state’s overall party affiliation distribution. The Republican voters suing the Maryland Board of Elections in the gerrymandering case argued that the imbalance stems from a redistricting decision made in 2011 by the Democratic state legislature. Maryland District 6, which had been represented by a Republican since 1992, was redrawn to include portions of Montgomery County and no longer included as much of Northern Maryland. In the subsequent 2012 elections, a Democrat was elected to represent the district. Michael Kimberly, the attorney representing the Republi-
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can voters, says that his clients believe they were unfairly deprived of their representation. “Their position is that it’s a violation of the First Amendment for lawmakers in Annapolis to target them for disfavored treatment in the redistricting because of the way they had voted in the past,” he said. Kimberly and his clients were backed by the most recent ruling on the case. The Nov. 7 opinion issued by the Maryland District Court stated that District 6 was altered with the intent to help Democrats. “Maryland Democratic officials worked to establish Maryland’s congressional district boundaries in 2011 with a narrow focus on diluting the votes of Republicans in the Sixth Congressional District in an attempt to ensure the election of an additional Democratic representative in the State’s congressional del-
egation,” the court opinion stated. Hogan has made several attempts to take the process out of the hands of the state legislature. According to a press release on his website, he unsuccessfully submitted a bill that would create a nonpartisan redistricting commission to redraw the maps and will submit the bill again in 2019. After the current map was struck down this November, Hogan signed an executive order creating an emergency nonpartisan commission to make the changes requested by the District Court. The new map is scheduled to be submitted to the general assembly by April 2, 2019. State Delegate David Moon of Maryland District 20 said that the reason Hogan’s legislative efforts have failed in the past is that Democrats in the state legislature are wary of increasing Republican
representation in Congress, given that most other states are gerrymandered towards Republicans. “What Maryland does feeds the membership of a national legislative body... so I don’t think [Hogan]’s been able to persuade the leadership in Annapolis that that itself [doesn’t] have partisan implications,” he said. Moon recognized the counter to that, which is that even if other states aren’t, Maryland should take the initiative on making redistricting more fair. “The response I typically get when I air that counterargument from people is ‘Well, two wrongs don’t make a right.’ That’s… a completely reasonable position to have,” he said, but he also believes that people have a reason to be concerned by the Republican gerrymanders taking place elsewhere in the country. Moon cites the fact that Attorney General Brian Frosh’s appeal to the Supreme Court could be a way to create a national standard on partisan redistricting, eliminating concerns about the need to balance out Republican gerrymandering in other states. This rationale was backed by Frosh’s Deputy Director of Communications Raquel Coombs. “We have stated in our filings that the [Maryland District] court’s decision did not provide sufficient guidance for the legislature in future redistricting, and we have asked the Supreme Court to review the decision...in the hopes that such guidance will be forthcoming, whether the decision is reversed or affirmed,” she wrote in an email. The outcome of the Supreme Court case could have a national impact. Because the Maryland map has been challenged on the basis that partisan gerrymandering is a violation of First Amendment rights, the Supreme Court could take this opportunity to create a national standard on redistricting, one that all maps following the 2020 Census will have to abide by.
Dr. Smith responds to claims of grade inflation Smith addresses data in email to parents and staff members
By Ethan Park STAFF WRITER
MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith sent an email to parents and teachers on Jan. 9 amid concerns of possible grade inflation as a result of the revised grading system that has been in place since the 20162017 school year. He addressed the recent increase in A’s earned by students since this transition to progress checks and the removal of final exams. This grading system, which bases semester grades solely off of the two quarter grades, allows students who earn different quarter grades to get the higher average for their semester grades. For example, a student who earns an A in the first quarter and a B in the second quarter will earn an A for the semester. Smith’s email came after concerns were raised by parents, teachers, and the media regarding recent data from the Washington Post showing an increase in the percentages of A’s in math, English, science, and Advanced Placement courses. This information was the basis for discussion at a Montgomery County Board of Education meeting on Dec. 4, prompting Smith to respond with his letter. The reported increase in academic achievement contrasts the scoring trends of standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, or state tests like the PARCC, which have mostly remained stagnant over the same time period, according to the Washington Post. Smith acknowledged these con-
cerns in his letter but also brought up the possibility that the old system simply hindered student performance. “It is possible that the changes in our grading and assessment practices have unintentionally led to grades that are not as reflective of student learning as we intended,” Smith wrote in his letter. “It is also possible that the previous model… suppressed student outcomes and that current grades better reflect student learning.” Smith became superintendent in July of 2016, shortly after the new policy was instituted. He has since held strong in his belief that this new grading system has proven beneficial, but the community has also raised concerns how the grading system affects students’ perceptions of success. Teachers have voiced their opinions on this policy change, as many of them believe that the leniency of rounding up semester grades hurts student motivation and creates a false perception of achievement. “[Students] know that if they earn an A during first quarter, they can lay low second quarter, earn a B, and still get an A on their transcript,” Donna Whitney, AP Language and Composition teacher, said. “I think it gives them a false sense of accomplishment. They can do the minimum to get the maximum grade.” Even students, like junior Auzinea Bacon, echo these concerns, as they believe that this increase in grade-based academic achievement may not be beneficial on all fronts. “I think [the grading system] is bad for [students’] work ethic,” Bacon
said. “When you go to college, that’s not really going to help you if you’re relying on the fact that your grades balance out. But also, [the system] is beneficial because you get the good grade.” Despite these complaints and concerns surrounding this newly released data, MCPS does not plan to replace any particular systems until a consistent trend is established. MCPS has taken a firm stance in waiting for more tangible data before assessing the overall effectiveness of the grading policy, which was instituted in order to decrease the amount of testing in exchange for more instructional time. “What we don’t have is enough trend data to really make a meaningful assessm e n t , ” M C P S spokesperson Derek Turner said. “That’s why we’re continuing to look at the evidence and the data to try to make an assessment so that we know
definitively, or at least with some confidence, that this is happening because of ‘X’.” In his letter, Smith wrote that no grading policy is perfect and the county will continue to monitor its impact. “There are dozens of grading systems in schools across the country and research shows none is perfect,” he said. “What we do know is that grading must be centered on what is best to assess student learning. MCPS will continue to monitor the impact of our policies and practices to reflect this goal.”
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News A5
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January 25, 2019
Community hosts social for furloughed government workers
Silver Spring copes with longest government shutdown in U.S. history By Amanda Liu STAFF WRITER
Over 500 people crowded in the Blair SAC on Jan. 11 for the “Shutdown Social” for furloughed government employees. The free potluck dinner was organized by Montgomery County Councilman Tom Hucker (D-District 5) for government employees who are not receiving salary during the government shutdown. Approximately 800,000 government employees missed their first paychecks on Jan. 11 because of the impasse between the House of Representatives and the president in appropriating funds for the 2019 fiscal year. “[The employees are] the collateral damage in this whole standoff between the House and the White House,” Hucker said. In a speech during the event, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said that the dinner event was organized to “show solidarity and support for all the federal workers… not being paid.” After over two weeks without salary, many government employees, such as Food and Drug Administration employee David McGivern, faced mounting difficulty paying their bills. “It makes you a bit panicky; you don’t know whether you can pay your bills on time,” he said. “I don’t know how long this is going to go on so we have to make some contingency plans to cover all the bills.” McGivern and his family recently moved to the area from North Carolina and still need to sell their old house. Lower-paid government contractors like custodians are especially hurt from their loss of two-weeks’ worth of salary, as they will not receive back pay, or compensation, for their furloughed days, whereas other employees will as guaranteed by the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (S. 24). “It’s not easy to not have a paycheck, but [my wife and I] have a cushion,” Eric Madsen, a longtime National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employee who will receive back pay,
YEKATERINA VAKHROMEEVA
SHOWING SUPPORT Senator Van Hollen of the potluck and helping government said. “There’s an awful lot of other folks here that do not. The janitors in our building… have at least one other job, and for them a week or two weeks’ pay is a really big deal.” Hucker hoped the dinner would provide relief to families affected by the shutdown. “They’re scrimping and saving and haven’t taken their families out to dinner at all, even on the weekends… this is a chance for them to come out and get out of the house, have a nice meal,” he said. Local restaurants that lost business as
speaks about the importance workers during the shutdown.
a result of the shutdown still stepped up to help out the community. Seventeen local restaurants, including El Golfo, McGinty’s, and Gari Kabab, donated food to the potluck event. Many Silver Spring residents also donated food. “A lot of our neighbors are government workers and so we wanted to show our support by coming and hearing what people are going through and being part of a community,” said former government contractor Annie Tulkin, who is not furloughed but decided to donate food. “It’s just nice to…
know that you’ll be welcomed as you are, regardless of what your position is or what your station is in life.” Entertainment was provided by musicians including the Northwest drumline. Middle school soccer players from the Elite Soccer Youth Development Academy soccer club volunteered in the kitchen, helping to prepare the food that was served. The Montgomery County Office of Eligibility and Community Services were present to provide information about county services to those who need assistance. “Our community always does an excellent job of taking care of each other, and this is the kind of thing that makes you really glad to live here,” Alison Gillespie, science writer for National Institute of Standards and Technology, said. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said that Blair was a prime venue for the event due to its large size and location. “You got a great cafeteria, you’ve got room to serve a lot of people, you’re central to the community, easy to get to, and you’ve got acres and acres of parking,” he said. Ultimately, many government employees hoped to return to work as quickly as possible. Madsen, for instance, who already took a week off for winter break, missed several important meetings and presentations over the past couple weeks due to the shutdown. “It’s all this lost opportunity that we aren’t going to be able to do,” he said. “When you get back… you don’t just have a week, you have three weeks that you’ve got to catch up for.” Van Hollen said that moving forward, the Senate needs to do whatever possible to end the shutdown. “What’s in our power is to immediately vote on two bills that had already been passed in the House of Representatives that would immediately reopen the government,” he said. “They’re both bills that had bipartisan support in the Senate within the last couple weeks or months, so there’s no justification to not vote for them… we shouldn’t be giving away our votes and responsibility to the president.”
Up and Coming January 25 Early Release Day
January 28 Professional Day
February 7, 8, 9 Sankofa
February 18 President’s Day
Student and Teacher Awards & Honors Allison Borton, Grace Cai, Laura Cui, Naveen Durvasula, Kevin Qian, Xiaoran Qu, Daniel Schaffer, Daniel Zhu were recognized as Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars. Daniel Yuan, Kevin Qian and Timothy Qian swept first, second and third at the University of Maryland Math Competition. Brandon Ntankeu won the 182 pound weight class at the Hammond High School Invitational Wrestling Tournament. Shreeya Khurana recieved a citation and grant from the Maryland Secretary of Labr for her MATHgirls program. Steven Qu placed third in the American Mathematical Society’s “Who Wants to Be a Mathematician“ competition
Blair Principal Renay Johnson was recognized by the Silver Spring chapter of the Links, Incorporated for raising scholarship money for local students. Nathaniel Kinyanjui won the 800 meter event for indoor track and field to become County Champion. Brian Hufford, Leoluca Cannuscio, Simera Segni, and Nathaniel Kinyanjui won the indoor track and field 4x400 relay to become County Champions. Marie Brodsky, Joseph Brodsky, and Suveena Sreenilayam won the Congressional App Challenge for Maryland’s 8th Cngressional District, and Dhruv Pai and Josh Wolfosn won the challenge for MD-06.
A6 News
silverchips
January 25, 2019
MCPS savings plan implemented
County Executive proposes $25 million reduction By Elias Chen STAFF WRITER
Newly elected Marc Elrich recently proposed a $41 million cut to Montgomery County’s $5.6 billion fiscal year 2019 budget, including a $25 million slash to the MCPS operating budget, in his first move as County Executive. Elrich’s savings plan extends a path for continuing to maintain a balanced budget, especially into the fiscal year 2020. “In order to then make sure that by the time we get to June 30 of 2019 that everything balances, we’re having to make some changes to our spending plan for the current fiscal year.” Richard Madaleno, Director of the County Office of Budget and Management said. Vital to Elrich’s plan is a one percent cut to the $2.59 billion MCPS operating budget, an estimated $25 million in identified savings. This cut is followed by similar reductions to the budgets of the County budget as well as the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Housing Opportunities Commission. Officials have maintained that the fund balance represents allotted savings already dedicated to closing the revenue gap. “There’s no cut to our budget,” County Spokesman Derek Turner said to the Bethesda Beat last month. “It’s part of our regularly scheduled savings plan.” The $25 million will be taken out of the MCPS operating budget as an “identified reversion to [the] fund balance,” or an identified portion the budget allocated for
savings according to the Elrich’s plan. The fund has been an annual part of County budgeting, according to Madaleno. “[The Fund Balance] was in place last year, the year before, and the year before, and the year before, and the year before,” he said. “That’s because this is the way that we do accounting in Montgomery County.” According to a memo from a recent County Council worksession, MCPS will be able to achieve the target $25 million without impact to classroom activities. “In FYI8 [Fiscal Year 2018], MCPS was able to meet the savings plan target without making reductions that would directly impact classroom learning. MCPS’ plan to achieve the savings this year will also not impact classrooms.” MCPS was prepared for this kind of savings plan, according to Madaleno, with the 25 million coming out of the MCPS operating budget, which will go back to the County by June 30, the end of the fiscal year. “With the school system, they’ve come to us and said, ‘At halfway through the school year, we thought we were gonna spend X,” Madaleno said, “We in fact are spending $25 million less than we thought we would, so by the end of the year, you can put into your projections now that we will have saved that 25 million.’” Elrich’s proposed cuts come in the wake of a lower than projected revenue intake for fiscal year 2018. “[By] the fiscal year that ended last June 30, it turned out that the revenues that we thought we would have when all was said and done were a little bit lower than we anticipated,” Madaleno said. Elrich’s proposed cuts come in the wake
of a lower-than-expected revenues for fiscal year 2018. “In my memorandum dated December 7, 2018, I mentioned that this is not the way I would have chosen to begin my tenure as County Executive.” Elrich wrote in a recent memo sent to County Council President Nancy Navarro. “However, it is imperative that I recommend a [Fiscal Year 2019] Savings Plan to begin to correct the shortfall in available resources for the [Fiscal Year 2020].” The lower-than-projected revenues were largely due to a change in federal tax code and
OFFICE OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE
subsequent unexpected changes in when residents filed their income taxes. Elrich’s actions follow those of his predecessor, former County Executive Ike Leggett, who previously proposed a $60 million cut to the County budget with a similar $25 million cut to the MCPS budget. The current proposal will be reviewed over the next few months and sent to the County Council on March 15, to be eventually finalized no later than June 1, approximately one month before the beginning of the 2020 fiscal year.
ELIAS CHEN
25 de enero, 2019
español B1
silverchips
La Esquina Latina
Nuevo programa para integración cultural
Estudiantes bilingües enseñarán a los profesores Por Amanda Hernández y Jasmine Méndez-Paredes EDITORAS EN JEFE
Blair se distingue por ser una de las escuelas más diversas del condado de Montgomery. Cada año, nuevos estudiantes de diferentes países y etnias se agregan a la población de esta escuela. Respectivamente, la comunidad hispana de Blair tiene el porcentaje más alto de estudiantes, según las estadísticas del año escolar de 2017-2018. Además de esto, los estudiantes hispanos también ocupan el mayor porcentaje de ESOL. Los maestros bilingües forman una parte esencial para la comunidad de Blair, especialmente para los estudiantes de ESOL. Para estos estudiantes el idioma inglés ha sido una barrera para el éxito académico. Esto es por la falta de comunicación e interacción que debe existir entre el maestro y el estudiante. Para mejorar esta situación, el señor Shindel y la señora Kalín-Martínez junto con un grupo estudiantil compuesto de numerosos estudiantes bilingües y del programa de ESOL, formaron el programa Conexiones. El propósito de Conexiones es promover el mejoramiento académico y aumentar las relaciones interactivas entre maestros y estudiantes. Conexiones también promueve eliminar los estereotipos negativos que existen hacia los estudiantes latinos como las bajas expectativas en el rendimiento académico. Además, en los próximos meses el programa iniciará clases de español básico donde los estudiantes enseñarán el idioma a los maestros. El currículo de estas clases será basado según las asignaturas de los profesores. En adición a las hojas de trabajo, la revisión y el diálogo en clase, los maestros también tendrán la oportunidad de reforzar el aprendizaje del idioma en sus hogares usando aplicaciones como Duolingo y Fluent U. Adi-
cionalmente, el programa intentará promover comprensión cultural. Las clases y los talleres iniciarán en el mes de febrero y se llevarán a cabo los martes y miércoles durante el almuerzo o después de la escuela. Idealmente, cada clase estará compuesta de aproximadamente 12 a 15 maestros (como alumnos) y 3 a 5 alumnos (como maestros).
este programa sea exitoso en unir la brecha entre los estudiantes latinos y los maestros. Esto solamente se logrará con la participación y colaboración de los estudiantes latinos. Si alguno está interesado en unirse a esta programa y recibir horas comunitarias pueden comunicarse con la Señora Kalín-Martínez o el Señor Shindel, o pueden llegar a las reuniones los lunes y los martes
Silver Chips el 25 de enero, 2019
La voz latina Steven Morales onceavo grado
AVERY BROOKS
“Yo pienso que Conexiones es un gran idea que puede ayudar los maestros entender a los estudiantes hispanohablantes”.
Heilin Almonte décimo grado
CORTESÍA DE LESLIE BLAHA
17 DE DICIEMBRE Estudiantes presentan el programa a la facultad de Blair. Marilyn Mejia, una estudiante en el noveno grado que estuvo en el programa de ESOL en la escuela intermedia, dijo lo siguiente, “Creo que Conexiones será muy beneficioso para los maestros que quieren aprender español para comunicarse mejor con sus estudiantes”. José Pereira, otro estudiante en el grado doce comentó acerca de la importancia de la apreciación cultural, “La responsabilidad de los maestros es entender a sus estudiantes de dónde vienen, ya que es responsabilidad de los estudiantes entender lo que sus maestros están inculcando en ellos”. Esperamos que
durante el almuerzo en el salón 222. Como una escuela que continúa creciendo cada año, Blair debe continuar poniendo como prioridad las necesidades de sus estudiantes, independientemente de si están en programas especializados como CAP o Magnet, en una academia o en el programa ESOL. Cada estudiante merece la mejor calidad de educación que su escuela puede darles. El establecimiento de Conexiones es uno de los primeros pasos para lograr romper barreras de entendimiento entre alumnos y maestros.
Cierre parcial del gobierno afecta al DMV
AVERY BROOKS
“Creo que Conexiones va a llgar muy lejo porque los estudiantes nuevos no se van a sentir asustados porque ya lo maestros van a saber algo de su cultura”.
Brandon Romero onceavo grado
Dos trabajadores locales comparten sus opiniones Por Jasmine Méndez-Paredes EDITORA EN JEFE
Afirmamos al comienzo del artículo que donde solo aparecen un nombre o apodo, el sujeto ha elegido en la entrevista que se proteja su identidad. 22 de enero, 2019—Hoy marca un mes desde que el presidente Trump comenzó un cierre parcial al gobierno federal. Esto sería el cierre más largo en la historia de los Estados Unidos. Trump tomó estas medidas después que la Cámara de Representantes del Congreso (mayormente compuesto del partido Demócrata) rechazó su propuesta de 5 billones de dólares para financiar el muro que él ha prometido construir desde su campaña presidencial en 2016. El cierre parcial del gobierno no solamente ha impactado la política estadounidense, también se ha manifestado negativamente en las vidas de los trabajadores de este país. Según un reporte del New York Times, “El cierre del gobierno afecta casi 800,000 empleados federales. Un trabajador típico ya ha perdido alrededor de $5,000 en paga”. A pesar que algunos servicios del gobierno, como el Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos y el Departamento de Policía aún está trabajando, el cierre ha afectado la ope-
ración de los nueve departamentos gubernamentales (esto incluye el Departamento de la Seguridad Nacional, la Administración Nacional de Aeronáutica y Espacio (NASA) y la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA). Con aproximadamente 800,000 trabajadores
“Es desafortunado que cientos de miles de empleados federales sean tomados como rehenes de la política”. -Anónimo, trabjador federal que están viviendo y trabajando sin remuneración, los trabajadores están preocupados en mantenerse estable económicamente. Un trabajador de una agencia federal con más de 20 años de servicio expresó su opinión acerca del cierre parcial del gobierno. Él dice, “Pues creo que no es necesario [tener un cierre parcial], creo que es desafortunado que cientos de miles de empleados federales sean tomados como rehenes de la política. Todos preferimos simplemente volver a hacer nuestro trabajo”. Él añade más acerca de cómo este encierre parcial ha afectado su lugar de trabajo, “Habían muchas regulaciones en desarrollo que tienen fechas límites, algunas impuestas por decisión judicial, esas fechas no han cambiado y tenemos
mucho trabajo que hacer pero no podemos hacerlo si aún estamos en el cierre”. El trabajador federal finalmente dice, “Este es un presidente muy diferente, y no es seguro que eventualmente nos paguen pronto... con este presidente, quien puede predecir lo que sucederá”. Además de esto, el cierre parcial no solamente ha afectado a los trabajadores de oficinas federales. Daniela es una pintora para una compañía que hace contratos para el gobierno. Afortunadamente la compañía de Daniela le permita recibir pago hasta el mes de octubre si continúa el cierre del gobierno. Ella comenta, “Tenemos gastos que hacer y si este cierre continúa, no podré pagar por mi estudios universitarios, por planes futuros cómo comprar una casa, no podré tener mi auto, etc.”. Daniela añade, “Espero que los Demócratas y el presidente encuentran una solución pronto. Si esta situación empeora, sería aún más difícil para pintores encontrar otro trabajo especialmente durante este tiempo en el frío”. La situación seguirá empeorando si la Cámara de Representantes y el presidente no llega a una solución. El cierre parcial del gobierno federal sigue afectando no solamente a trabajadores federales pero también a contratistas. Por el bienestar económico de toda la nación se espera que ellos se apresuran en abrir el gobierno completamente.
AMANDA HERNÁNDEZ
“Los profesores y los estudiantes van a obtener un mejor conexión para entenerse mutuamente”.
Graciela Rivera onceavo grado
AVERY BROOKS
“Puede ayudar a Blair con los esterotipos a quitar la idea que los estudiantes latinos tienen malas notas”.
B2 español
silverchips
25 de enero, 2019
Hipocresía, identidad nacional y el mito de América ¿Vale la pena hacer todo tipo de sacrificio?
Por Amanda Hernández EDITORAS EN JEFE Una Opinión
Como un faro de esperanza, los Estados Unidos es un símbolo de prosperidad económica y oportunidades para progresar en la vida. Es esta noción la que lleva a los extranjeros a cruzar fronteras y millas de mar o tierra, para recibir una visa o eventualmente la ciudadanía americana. Sin embargo, algunos se ven obligados a ingresar ilegalmente a los Estados Unidos a través de medios peligrosos, todo por la promesa del sueño americano. El sueño americano es la idea de que cualquier persona viviendo en este país tiene la oportunidad de alcanzar el éxito y prosperidad a través de sus esfuerzos y su arduo trabajo sin cesar. En los Estados Unidos, la idea del “sueño americano” se percibe como algo que todos pueden obtener, independientemente de su raza, etnia, sexo o cualquier otra característica definida. Las minorías, especialmente los latinos, están trabajando más que nunca para alcanzar el sueño americano. Sin embargo, a pesar de su arduo trabajo, durante incontables años, algunos no logran alcanzar el éxito por el cual llegaron a los Estados Unidos. A pesar del hecho que la educación K-12 está abierta a todos sin importar el estado de ciudadanía, estatus socioeconómico, etc., la segregación ha plagado el sistema educativo de los Estados Unidos en el cual hay desigualdad de oportunidades. En el condado de Montgomery, igual a otros condados en los Estados Unidos, hay evidencia de disparidades económicas y concentraciones de riqueza en áreas específicas. Además, el estatus socioeconómico está indirectamente ligado a la disponibilidad de recursos y oportunidades que impacta inherentemente al acceso al educación. En otras ciudades, sin embargo, existen escuelas que aparentan estar separadas por
segregación económica dado a la concentración de distintos grupos étnicos cerca de estas. Algunos ejemplos incluyen escuelas en Washington D.C., donde hay algunas en áreas urbanas de bajos recursos donde no existen fondos suficientes, acceso a recursos, o no tienen maestros altamente calificados. Por otro lado, hay áreas donde la concentra-
cimo grado con el sueño de ser abogado. “Ninguno de mis padres pudo terminar la escuela secundaria en México, lo cual es parte de la razón por la que llegaron a Estados Unidos. Aunque enfrentaron a la discriminación y el racismo cuando llegaron por primera vez, me enseñaron cómo priorizar mi educación para poder alcan-
KATRINA WARREN
ción es de familias es de altos recursos y las oportunidades son completamente diferentes. Estos estudiantes y sus familias reciben innumerables recursos y oportunidades. Siendo este el caso, está claro que ciertas escuelas, dependiendo del área en la que se encuentren, reciben diferentes cantidades de fondos y otros recursos para ayudar a sus estudiantes a lograr. A pesar de los disparidades económicas que existen en los Estados Unidos, las minorías han continuado trabajando duro pese a los obstáculos. Una de esas personas es, Alexander Gómez, un estudiante en el dé-
zar mis sueños algún día,” dice Gómez. Por otro lado, Ximena Martínez, una estudiante en el grado doce de honores y de AP, reflexionó sobre la lucha de sus padres, “Cuando mis padres llegaron a los Estados Unidos desde Colombia, vinieron en busca del sueño americano. Mis dos padres han sufrido dificultades, pero a pesar de sus luchas, sus trabajo me ha brindado la vida y las oportunidades que tengo ahora”. Martínez no solo ha sido aceptada en cinco universidades, sino que también participa en varias actividades extracurriculares dentro y fuera de la escuela. Indepen-
dientemente de las dificultades que Martínez y sus padres hayan enfrentado en el pasado, ella ha podido convertir sus luchas en fortalezas y continuar trabajando arduamente para lograr su sueño de ser maestra. Afortunadamente, en Blair, todos los estudiantes tienen acceso a los Chromebooks y otros recursos para garantizar el éxito educativo. No quiere decir que Blair sea perfecto, sino que brinda a los estudiantes la misma oportunidad para diferentes recursos. Siendo este el caso en Blair, la población latina debe continuar aprovechando el acceso que tienen. Hay que tener en cuenta que alcanzar el sueño americano depende del nivel de educación que haya recibido una persona. Algunos inmigrantes vienen con poca o ninguna educación formal, mientras que otros vienen con títulos universitarios y certificaciones de sus respectivos países. La educación actúa como una puerta de entrada para el éxito en los Estados Unidos, por lo que las minorías son empujadas a salir adelante a través de la educación. Antes de que grupos socioeconómicos de bajos recursos puedan ver el verdadero éxito a los ojos de lo que los estadounidenses creen que es el “sueño americano”, hay que reflexionar como nación que se está haciendo para avanzar las oportunidades que ofrece este país sin importar de donde se venga o lo que descendientes de alguien han logrado en el pasado. Esto es algo instituciones gubernamentales locales, estatales, y federales de los Estados Unidos deben poner como prioridad para ayudar a que personas con determinación y esfuerzo logren romper con ciclos de pobreza. Los Estados Unidos deben buscar de nuevo enfocarse en identificar la raíz de problemas que impiden el logro del sueño americano. Más importante, es imperativo recordar que independientemente de su estado socioeconómico, el que quiere, puede y el que busca, encuentra.
Rompiendo barreras de idiomas una palabra a la vez Una historia de determinación y resistencia
Por Jasmine Méndez-Paredes EDITORA EN JEFE
Nota de la Editora en Jefe: La comunidad latina de Blair está compuesta de diferentes subculturas. En la siguiente columna se dará un vistazo a un estudiante del país de Guatemala que habla un dialecto y los obstáculos que tuvo que enfrentar mientras aprendía inglés.
Carlos González, un estudiante del onceavo grado sintió lo mismo que algunos estudiantes de ESOL sintieron cuando entró a una escuela estadounidense por primera vez. “Cuando entré a mi clase me sentí un poco frustrado porque no entendía lo que la maestra decía,” dice González. Desde ese momento González tuvo que enfrentar el desafío de aprender inglés como un tercer idioma. En octubre de este año, González cumplirá tres anõs viviendo en los Estados Unidos. A diferencia de otros estudiantes, el primer lenguaje de González es el dialecto Achí. González nació en Alta Verapaz, Guatemala donde fue criado por sus abuelos maternos mientras que su madre trabajaba arduamente para mantener la familia. Aunque la vida no era fácil en su comunidad guatemalteca, González explica cómo las personas de su pueblo sobrevivían, “Allá (en el pueblo) somos unidos; todos colaboran si alguien necesita ayuda,” Él sigue elaborando, “Si el alcalde de nuestro país no hacía nada por nuestro beneficio, el pueblo se unía a la protesta”. Pero llegó el momento donde González ya tenía la edad para ayudar a su familia. Fue después que él terminó sexto grado cuando
la tía de González lo llevó a él y a sus hermanos a las costas de Zacapa (otro departamento de Guatemala) para trabajar en una cosecha de sandías. “Teníamos que presentarnos en
Entonces el hermano mayor de González decidió venirse a los Estados Unidos. A pesar de hablar o escribir poco español, González quiso acompañar a su hermano en su viaje
Sin embargo, González también mencionó que venir a este país y asistir a la escuela Blair, le ha brindado la oportunidad de refinar el español y aprender el inglés. Se admira el arduo esfuerzo y trabajo que González hace para aprender inglés. González explica las técnicas que él usa, “Me memorizo todas las palabras que puedo y después repaso por dos semanas y trato de usar las palabras cada día en conversaciones”. González usa varias fuentes para encontrar palabras nuevas y hacer listados de vocabulario. Él escucha palabras por la radio, lee subtítulos en las películas y utiliza un libro de práctica de SAT para aumentar su vocabulario de inglés. González explica la motivación en esforzarse para aprender el idioma, “En este país es necesario aprender el idioma (inglés) para poder comunicarse con los demás. Es igual como cuando un americano va a nuestro país, él necesita aprender a hablar español para encontrar trabajo, comunicarse, formar amistades y para superarse en la vida”. Para la mayoría de inmigrantes que han venido de otros países a los Estados Unidos, el acostumbrarse a vivir en un país extranjero con una diferente cultura, clima AVERY BROOKS e idioma es un proceso complicado. Todo PERSERVERANCIA Trabjando arduamente para lograr su éxito académico. . se complica cuando pocos hablan el dialecto Achí— pero eso no fue un obstáculo para González. la empacadora para que luego nos dijeran a con el propósito de ayudar a su familia y salir Ahora, González está en la clase de qué número de campo nos iban a asignar,” adelante. ESOL 4 con la posibilidad de terminar el según González. Además de trabajar, él tamEl estudiante menciona cómo se sintió programa y bién asistía a una iglesia cristiana con su tía. al llegar a este país, “Primeramente me sengraduarse de Blair el próximo año. No Esta era la vida de González en su país tí triste porque ya no iba [a] ver a mi madre importa los obstáculos que encontremos Guatemala. Sin embargo, las cosas cambiaron ni a mi abuelita que tanto me consentía pero en la vida, con esfuerzo y perseverancia cuando la familia de González notó que las hablo con mis familiares tres veces a la sema- uno puede superarse y alcanzar metas para cosas no estaban fáciles en el área financiera. na… siempre les llamo”. salir adelante.
español B3
silverchips
25 de enero, 2019
Un vistazo a los mejores álbumes de 2018
CORTESÍA DE SONY MUSIC LATIN
“F.A.M.E” por Maluma
Por Lourdes Reyes-Valenzuela ESCRITORA
El 18 de mayo del 2018 el cantante colombiano Maluma, también conocido como “Pretty Boy”, lanzó su tercer álbum. F.A.M.E. es una mezcla de pop con un poco de trap incluido. Este álbum tuvo un impacto en su carrera artística ya que incluye 15 canciones en español e inglés y también tiene un toque del género musical de este tiempo, trap. Algunas de estas canciones son colaboraciones con diferentes artistas latinoamericanos como Marc Anthony y Prince Royce. Este álbum fue producido por la disquera de Sony Music Latin con la cual él ha estado vinculado desde sus inicios. Tal como los álbumes anteriores, éste ha sido acogido por todos sus seguidores. El triunfo que este disco tuvo fue tan grande que la Academia Latina de Artes y de Ciencias de la Grabación le otorgó el premio a mejor álbum vocal pop contemporáneo. Para Maluma, este premio significó algo muy importante para él y su carrera, ya que es el primer Grammy Latino que ha ganado en su jornada por la música después de varias nominaciones sin éxito. Con el éxito de este álbum, Maluma demostró una vez más que sus logros no se basan en su belleza singular, sino que confirmó que su talento sobrepasa cualquier hermosura.
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CORTESÍA DE ATLANTIC RECORDS
“Invasion of Privacy” por Cardi B
“Aura” por Ozuna
A pesar de su difícil y triste pasado, la cantante Belcalis Almánzar, mejor conocida como Cardi B, realizó su álbum debut como rapera el pasado 2018. Este álbum está compuesto de 13 canciones de la autoría de la artista. “Invasion of Privacy” se lanzó el 5 de abril del 2018. Fue en este mismo año donde según sus fanáticos Cardi destronó a Nicki Minaj como la rapera de esta era. En las canciones publicadas en el disco se encuentra “I Like it,” una canción que interpretó junto a dos artistas latinos exitosos, Bad Bunny y J Balvin. La canción duró varios días encabezando la lista de Billboard. Antes de publicar su álbum, la cantante ya tenía una reputación de éxito por su canción Bodak Yellow, que ya tiene alrededor de siete discos platinos, confirmó la cantante a través de la red social Instagram. Música Apple dio a conocer que la rapera había roto el récord de mayor índice de streaming por un disco femenino en la primera semana de estreno. El triunfo de este álbum es indudable pues al salir se colocó en el primer puesto de álbumes de los Billboard y fue reconocido como uno de los mejores diez álbumes del año de 2018. En los Estados Unidos se vendieron más de medio millón de copias del disco. Si este fue el primer disco lanzado por la artista, solamente queda imaginarse lo que ha a lograr los años venideros.
Después del gran éxito que tuvo su primer álbum Odisea, cualquier persona hubiera pensado que Ozuna se tomaría un descanso de los escenarios. Para sorpresa de sus admiradores a mediados del año 2018 dio a conocer que ya estaba planificando la fecha para el lanzamiento de su segundo disco, el 24 de agosto del 2018. Después de su lanzamiento, su álbum discográfico Aura comenzó a escucharse en diferentes partes del mundo, especialmente en los Estados Unidos y en Puerto Rico. Fueron 20 canciones las que compusieron el disco completo. Entre estas canciones se encuentran colaboraciones con Cardi B y Romeo Santos. En los Estados Unidos el álbum encabezó la lista de los top álbumes latino y llegó a estar en el séptimo lugar de la lista Billboard. No se ha terminado el primer mes del 2019 y ya él está dando a conocer el nombre de su próximo disco. Mediante la red social de Instagram, Ozuna ha empezado a utilizar el hashtag de Nibiru 2019. Sus fanáticos esperan que el próximo álbum sea de tanto éxito como los primeros dos, y que mantengan al püblico interesado en las producciones de Ozuna. La humildad y el talento que tiene el artista hace juego con la lírica de sus canciones. Para sus seguidores, el cantante ha tendido una evolución gigantesca a través de los años a causa de sus esfuerzos y el talento natural que tiene.
Otro año brillante para la industria de los videojuegos
Miles de millones de dólares alimentan la industria de videojuegos
Por Amanda Hernández EDITORA EN JEFE
El 2018 marcó uno de los mejores años para la industria de videojuegos. Mes tras mes, las compañías de juegos lanzaron varios videojuegos y actualizaron nuevas consolas. Con el inicio del 2019, es probable que el nuevo año genere tanta emoción en la industria de videojuegos como el anterior. Desde las interminables actualizaciones de Fortnite hasta los juegos portátiles a través del nuevo Nintendo Switch, el 2019 podría ser otro año incalculable para los jugadores de todo el mundo. Se lanzarán docenas de juegos nuevos en los próximos meses. Algunos de los juegos más esperados incluyen Resident Evil 2, Far Cry: New Dawn y Mortal Kombat XI. Además de una variedad estelar de videojuegos, compañías de juegos electrónicos como Sony, Nintendo, y Microsoft siguen siendo las mejores en atraer a sus respectivos seguidores. Con los nuevos lanzamientos, los jugadores de todo el mundo están cada vez más dispuestos a invertir en consolas de juegos como Xbox One, PS4 y Nintendo Switch. Además de los cientos de juegos que llegarán en 2019, también se espera que la industria del videojuegos continúe creciendo. A medida que la tecnología se expande, también lo harán los contenidos de video, productos, realidad virtual y torneos de videojuegos. Algunas compañías se han expandido para incorporar torneos de deportes a través de videojuegos populares como FIFA, Madden NFL y NBA Live. Al hacerlo, las empresas garantizan que la popularidad de estos juegos siga aumentando. Según un reportaje publicado por New-
zoo’s Global Games Market Report, una firma de investigación de mercado, “Los jugadores de todo el mundo probablemente gastarán alrededor de $138 mil millones en juegos en 2018”. Esta cifra representa un aumento del 13.3 por ciento por año, o $16.2 mil millones adicionales. Dicho esto, se calcula que los jugadores gastarán aproximadamente $154.2 mil millones de dólares en 2019. Samantha Greenberg, experta en inver-
compañías] muestran sus nuevos productos [mejorados y] personalizados, lo cual crea un interés demasiado alto en las personas”. Como uno de los videojuegos más populares de todos los tiempos, Fortnite es el favorito de la mayoría de los jugadores. Uno de esos entusiastas, Walter García, un estudiante en el onceavo grado, exclamó que disfruta jugando Fortnite porque “es un juego entretenido en el cual puedes jugar con tus amigos en squad [equipos]
SEOYOUNG JOO
siones en los sectores de tecnología, internet y redes sociales, predice que la tendencia de los videojuegos solo se acelerará. A medida que más y más jóvenes se involucren con los juegos, los ingresos sólo continuarán creciendo de manera exponencial. Joe Sagastizado, un estudiante en el grado doce piensa que “la industria de videojuegos continuará creciendo gradualmente porque [cada vez que se lanza un nuevo juego] les brinda a los jugadores una nueva experiencia”. Otro alumno en el grado doce, Joseph Delcid, dice que, “Pienso que seguirá creciendo porque cada cierto tiempo [las
o dúos y pasar buenos momentos”. Además de esto, García también arrojó luz sobre las mejores características del juego como, el hecho de que “Es gratis, es para todas las edades, y está [disponible] para todas las plataformas como teléfonos, PCs, y consolas”. De acuerdo con PC Gamer, una revista acerca de juegos de PC, “La décima semana de la séptima temporada de Fortnite comenzará el 7 de febrero. Si la próxima temporada comienza una semana más tarde, el inicio de la octava temporada de Fortnite será alrededor del 14 de febrero”. “Aunque no soy una ávida jugadora, yo juego videojuegos como una forma de conec-
tar con mis amigos y divertirme sola,” dice Carmen Espinoza, una alumna del noveno grado. Por otro lado, Joseph Delcid, dice que “Algunas veces [los videojuegos] me ayuda a distraer mi mente de las mismas rutinas y muchas veces es productivo para quitar el estrés”. No hay duda de que los videojuegos tienden a tener un efecto positivo en aquellos que juegan tiempo. Los videojuegos continúan reflejando resultados positivos, que van desde el aumento de las habilidades sociales hasta quitando el estrés. Aunque 2019 apenas está comenzando, está claro que las empresas de videojuegos como los jugadores verán otro año exitoso y estelar. Los videojuegos se han convertido en uno de los elementos básicos en la vida cotidiana de miles de personas. A medida que avanza el año, es importante comprender todas las ramificaciones de los videojuegos. A pesar de sus efectos positivos, es crucial mantener un equilibrio entre los juegos y un estilo de vida saludable.
out the translated Esquina Check Latina articles for yourself with this code! Scan the QR code to read in English.
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silverchips
January 25, 2019
January 25, 2019
Op/Ed C2
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Should adult trials for juveniles be allowed?
YES:
NO:
The option should be available On Halloween 2018, in a locker room at Damascus, four freshman junior varsity football players were violently attacked by five of their teammates. Allegedly pinned down and beaten in the name of a hazing ritual, the four freshmen were subjected to attempted rape with a broomstick from their five teammates. In two cases, the attackers were allegedly successful. Due to the nature of the crime, four of the attackers were immediately referred to adult court. If the legal system eliminates the option of standing adult trial for juvenile offenders, it would be at a detriment to both the defendant and the community. A variety of legal avenues should be available AVERY BROOKS to suit the variety of criminal situations, By Victoria Xin and adolescents STAFF WRITER should be given the opportunity of adult trial in cases of serious violent crime. Adult court has its legal advantages. The four adolescents standing adult trial will be given a jury, an indispensable tool for lawyers during trial and guaranteed by the Seventh Amendment of the Constitution. Adolescents being tried within the juvenile court systems are not afforded this same right, as stated by Supreme Court case McKeiver v. Pennsylvania. Aside from the promise of a jury, adolescents are afforded de facto advantages within the adult courts. “Juries in adult court may be more sympathetic to a minor” and in crowded courts, there is an inclination to “dispose of the juvenile’s case more quickly and impose a lighter sentence,” writes attorney Kathleen Michon, a former deathrow defense lawyer, on Nolo.com, a legal counselling website. Adolescents taking part in adult trial are not rendered helpless and adrift. Instead, they are granted legal rights and advantages that those tried in juvenile court are not. There are certain situations wherein adolescent trial by adult court is the most logical solution. Drawing a harsh line is unreasonable, and the Supreme Court recognized that in the case United States v. Bland. The court adopted the position that adolescents between the ages of 16 and 18 are neither adults nor juveniles until charged by the prosecutor. If the defendant’s age is only slightly below 18, there would be no clear biological distinctions in brain development, impulse control, and critical thinking between these two ages. A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health concluded that brain maturation within adolescents continued on until the 20s. If we abide by the uncompromising and
We already have a system for juveniles
almost arbitrary line of 18 years for every trial, the nuances within each case would be lost, which is exactly what our legal system wishes to avoid. A study done by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services places the number of juveniles in adult facilities in 2011 at 771, a surprisingly small number considering the number of juvenile arrests was 30,257 in 2012. Adult trial is rarely imposed upon adolescents, and most impositions are due to extreme cases of violent attack. A significant majority of these cases consisted of manslaughter, robbery, and assault—over 80% in 2015. And even then, an overwhelming majority of the adolescents who underwent adult trial were aged 16 or 17—over 93% in 2015. Most were close to the age of 18, where they would have gone through adult criminal court regardless. If adolescents are tried and sentenced as an adult, they are often housed separately from adults until they reach 18. Under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, Maryland separates adult and juvenile criminals by “sight and sound.” If sentenced to criminal acts, the adolescent is kept in different facilities or locations from the adult prisoners to prevent exchange and communication. Moreover, the juvenile system loses jurisdiction over the adolescent when he/ she reaches the age of 21 in Maryland. After 21, the offender is released into the public. However, most juvenile offenders are not contained until their 21st birthday. “They usually don’t do [this], but [at] the most extreme, a person can be released at 18. … Technically you can be held there until 21 years of age,” said Professor Michael Pinard from the University of Maryland’s Francis King Carey School of Law. Under the juvenile system, adolescent offenders KENNEDY SALAMAT could be released before they and society are ready. Ultimately, every case has its own nuances. Taking into consideration the age, crime, ramifications, and a wide host of other factors, adult criminal court may or may not be on the menu. However, adult trial is yet another option for the law to consider in cases of serious violent crime and remains a necessary legal facet in the prosecution of adolescent criminals.
On Nov. 21, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office filed first-degree rape charges against four of the five perpetrators of the Damascus broomstick hazing rape, which automatically moved the fifteen-year-olds’ cases to adult court. If they are found guilty on the eight counts they each face, WJLA estimates that they may not be eligible for parole until 2110— when they are 107. The notion that minors should face adult penalties ignores the underlying racism, physical and mental danger, and lifelong impacts of trying juveniles in adult courts and prisons. In the Damascus rape, Maryland’s laws forced the trial AVERY BROOKS into adult court, though judges and By Prayag Gordy prosecutors also STAFF WRITER have some powers to push the case towards an adult trial. Furthermore, some states, like Maryland, have even decided that crimes committed by minors who have previously been charged as adults go straight to adult court. Children as young as 14—middle schoolers—can be charged as adults if the crime carries a life sentence, like the Damascus students’ rape charges do. Some states have no minimum age: There have been cases of eight-year-olds facing adult trials. Charging juveniles as adults reinforces the racial disparities already rampant in the American justice system. A study from the Prison Policy Institute reported that black youth, who use drugs at a lower rate than both their Hispanic and white counterparts, make up three-quarters of youth charged as adults for drug crimes and 95 percent of juveniles convicted in adult courts. We can make substantial progress towards a fairer justice system if juveniles are not transferred to adult prison—these youth of color would have a chance for rehabilitation, and they can become role models for the next generation. Adult prisons are far more dangerous and have lifelong consequences for a crime committed at 14. The Prison Policy Institute study also found that compared to teenagers in juvenile prison, youth imprisoned with adults are 7.7 times more likely
to commit suicide and five times more likely to be sexually assaulted, which can open up further psychological problems down the road. By no means is juvenile prison easy, but it is certainly less damaging than adult prisons. While adult correctional centers focus mostly on punishment, juvenile prisons’ goal is to rehabilitate delinquent youth with education and training so that they become productive members of society. This leads to a lower reoffending rate than youth transfers to adult prisons had, according to a study done in Florida. The goal of imprisoning anyone—especially a teenager—should be to send them out better than they came in, and juvenile prisons do this much better than their adult counterparts do. The public knows the names and faces of the four Damascus perpetrators because they were charged as adults; the fifth assailant’s name remains under seal because he was charged as a juvenile. It will stay this way for the remainder of their lives: Jean Claude Abedi, Kristian Jamal Lee, Will Daniel Smith, and Caleb Thorpe will face huge barriers in getting jobs and voting, while the fifth unnamed teenager will have a future. In fact, Jeree Thomas, the policy director at the Campaign for Youth Justice, explained that the whole community is impacted. “[The] consequence [is] not only on the individual, but also on the state—the person’s ability to be a taxpaying citizen of that state is negatively impacted,” she said, showing the effect of the hardship in finding employment. Yes, the crime was horrendous. But they are teenagers, whose decision-making skills have been scientifically shown to be worse than those of an adult. Moreover, adolescents do not understand the justice process as well as adults do, even when they face a similar trial and the same consequences. A study published in the journal Psychology, Public Policy, and Law found “a greater risk of impairments in trial competence abilities for adolescents than for adults.” The study looked at how well the adolescents understood the legal process, including how they worked with their lawyers and how they made decisions about the case. We cannot expect adolescents to be adults when they biologically cannot make decisions as well as an adult can, whether when committing the crime or during the trial. We need to stop charging teenagers as adults because we already have a system in place that works: It reduces reoffending rates, provides education, and saves youth from the worst of adult prisons, where youth are often “schooled in crime,” as Vanderbilt law professor Terry A. Maroney wrote in The Tennessean. Teenagers are not adults: Their brains are underdeveloped, and they do not receive the benefits of adulthood, like voting and being able to join the military. If we treat teenagers as teenagers in those situations, we should not treat them as adults in others.
voicebox Anna Fisher Lopez Sophomore
AVERY BROOKS
“[No]... A decision that you make as a juvenile, no matter how terrible, should not amount to life in prison.”
Alannah Oliver-Foster Senior
“[No]... They’re under the age of 18. That’s the reason why they’re called juveniles, that’s why it’s juvenile charges.”
Andres Jones Junior
“[Yes]... It depends on the situation, but...if the crime fits it... then I think they should.”
Cooper Dalbey Freshman
“[Yes]... It’s really necessary to understand the context and know what the minor did.”
Isabelle Megosh Sophomore
“[No]... They have a better chance of not going back to jail if they go through the juvenile system.”
C3 Op/Ed
January 25, 2019
silverchips
The hijacking of “woke”
Why the misappropriation of social awareness is extremely dangerous By Ethan Park STAFF WRITER
AN OPINION
A tweet. A statement. A word. In today’s day and age, any one of these things can spark a social media firestorm, requiring people to be extra conscious, or, in more modern terms, “woke.” To be “woke” essentially means to be conscious of one’s ignorance, and to be aware of social justice issues. The term started to catch on in 2013 and 2014, although it originated as a part of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) by groups such as Black Lives Matter. As this notion of being “woke” gained traction on social media, it also became reused, misappropriated, and hijacked by individuals and groups trying to stir up the pot. Although it is always important to be self-aware and woke to a certain extent in this political climate, “wokeness” has escalated from mere awareness to a misappropriated type of outrage that can be easily twisted and weaponized. This social media culture of impulsively or deliberately misappropriating social awareness is extremely detrimental, as it helps to perpetuate the stereotype of the “liberal snowflake” and delegitimizes the work of actual social justice movements. Shortly after the music video dropped for Ariana Grande’s hit single, “Thank U, Next,” a thinkpiece was published in INTO magazine accusing Grande of “transmisogyny, heterosexual pride, and blackface.” The article, which has since been deleted, attempted to
SHASHI ARNOLD
make claims of homophobia and queer antagonism. The author highlighted a part in the music video where Grande, who is playing the role of Regina George from the movie Mean Girls, pushes fellow singer and close friend Troye Sivan in the hallway. The author used this instance to assert that “queer people are apparently glad to be disrespected so long as it’s by someone as popular as Ariana.” This article was ridiculed by many after it was posted, including Sivan himself and groups who were supposedly being defended in the article. Journalist and columnist for INTO, Clarkisha Kent, responded
to the article with a rebuttal titled “There Is Such a Thing as Too ‘Woke.’” In it she broke down the original article’s flaws and proposes that the thinkpiece grossly misrepresented what it means to be “woke.” “I say ‘too woke’ because [the author is] just reading definitions or throwing out all of these big words about ‘queer antagonism,’” Kent said in an interview with Silver Chips. “There were a lot of big words that have meaning that were getting thrown out to describe things that… weren’t even happening in the video, or weren’t even relevant to the video.” Situations like these play right into the hands of online baiters who use sensitivity as a means to invalidate social justice movements and disenfranchised peoples. Instead of being supportive, this misuse of “wokeness” is often projected on communities as a whole, fostering the misconception of the sensitive “liberal snowflake.” This allows opponents to delegitimize the real feelings of oppression that people in real communities have. Instead of sitting down and listening to the problems of others, many online trolls are often given the opportunity to simply ask, “Are you triggered, snowflake?” Rather than throwing around half-baked accusations of racism, queerphobia, and misogyny at the wall to see what sticks, people like Kent believe that these online “woke” hijackers must realize that their words have consequences.
“In my view, it makes it easier to make these very serious issues trivial, and thus make them easily dismissible,” she said. “Going back to the point of the article, the Ariana article, transmisogyny isn’t funny. Queer antagonism isn’t funny. These are serious things that are happening now… But for the writer to then take those issues and then try and apply them to this video... it really hurts causes like that.” Instead of trying to be “woke” because it is a trend or something cool, people must recognize that their efforts are nothing but detrimental unless they truly take time to learn about others and themselves. “You have to get out there, you have to read, you have to talk to people, and I think the most important thing is challenging your
biases,” said Kent. “You have to be intentional about… learning more constructive things that could be helpful for these various social justice movements, whether it’s Black Lives Matter or whatever.” Arguing with an internet provocateur or pointing fingers to earn the badge of “wokeness” without truly reflecting or understanding will not bring down the institutions of racism, homophobia, and misogyny that have existed in this nation since its conception. In a political climate as divided and toxic as it is today, people should not be flaunting their “wokeness” in counterproductive acts of self-righteousness, but rather educating themselves and coming up with solutions for the disenfranchised people who have been silenced and misrepresented for too long.
soapbox Can you think of any examples of when people misuse wokeness? “People overuse it by trying to sound intelligent or ‘woke’ on a topic they have no say on.” — Anjali Gupta, freshman “Any time an adult uses ‘wokeness’ is an example of them misusing the word.” — Chris Poulson, freshman
Testing out test optional
Changing admissions policy helps students who need it most By Elias Chen STAFF WRITER
AN OPINION
“No barriers.” In stark, bold letters this message is lauded on the front page of the University of Chicago’s admissions website as the title of the multi-year overhaul of their admissions policy. The most dramatic step for the university came in June 2018 when the admissions office announced they would be one of the first top-tier colleges to adopt a “test-optional policy” (TOP) as a part of their “UChicago Empower Initiative.” In switching to a test-optional application, the University of Chicago has followed in a growing trend of colleges making SAT and ACT scores non-requirements for their application processes. In the wake of this shift, and of a massive new study released earlier in 2018 declaring the effectiveness of TOP, coming generations of students will face an increasingly holistic college admissions process. This will particularly advantage underprivileged or disenfranchised students who will be afforded more opportunities in college and increase campus diversity. First adopted by Bowdoin College in 1969, TOPs have seen a rising popularity as the modern admissions process has adapted to the cultural de-emphasis on standardized testing, particularly in the liberal arts sector with many other similar colleges following in Bowdoin’s footsteps. The stated goal of TOP is to emphasize the context of an applicant’s character, rather than to designate them a series of numbers and determine admission based on
those values. TOPs often come as a refresher, providing students the opportunity “to present themselves as well as any other college applicant,” said University of Chicago Dean of Admissions, James G. Nondorf, in a university press release. “We want students to understand the application does not define you—you define the application.” By instituting test optional policies, colleges and universities open up an attractive window for applying students, especially for minority students. According to Defining Access, a large study measuring the effectiveness of TOPs in 28 public and private institutions, found that there were over 10 percent more underrepresented students among the non-test submitting applicants than the submitting applicants. Students evidently respond to this flexibility, with TOP institutions finding an average 835 applicant increase immediately after instituting their policies, as well as 61 percent of TOP institutions experiencing a greater proportional increase in underrepresented minority applicants than comparable non-TOP colleges. This creates greater campus diversity, particularly among the number of underrepresented non-submitting applicants who enroll at 14 percent higher rate than submitting students. Despite these numbers and the growing cultural interest away from rigid score-based admissions, many still see standardized testing as a necessary part of the application process. The College Board produced an internal study headed by Jack Buckley, the company’s senior vice president for research, which
found that “looking at SAT scores in conjunction with [High School] GPA is the best predictor overall,” as Buckley explained in a panel discussion in 2016. The College Board also points to grade inflation as corrupting the college admissions process— schools can wildly fluctuate the weight of assigned grades to their own discretion—and sees standardized testing as the counteractive agent to this. According to a College Board study on test optional policy, “since the 1990s, the number of SAT test takers with an A average has gone from 39 percent to 47 percent, despite fairly flat SAT scores over this period,” thus proving the need for standardized tests to keep rampant grade
THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION
inflation in check. However, applying the SAT as an equalizing measure to combat grade inflation ignores the disproportionate spread of scores across socioeconomic areas and racial groups. The combined average of Black and Latino test-takers in 2016 was over 120 points lower than the combined average of White and Asian students, according to a Brookings Institute study. Furthermore, the study found the disparity deepened when looking at top scorers. The demographic breakdown of all test takers that year was 51 percent white, 21 percent Latino, 14 percent black, and 14 percent Asian, yet the breakdown of scores ranging from 750-800 in each section of the test
was 60 percent Asian, 33 percent white, 5 percent Latino and 2 percent black. While high schools may be more willing to hand out A’s in classes, it is impossible to ignore this disparity across race, which is due to numerous factors that further impact education as a whole, but nonetheless disqualify the SAT from being an effective equalizer. So while many will continue to point to standardized testing as the necessary balancing agent to the unpredictable forces of individual school’s misleading tactics, the numbers definitively show that test optional policies have and will continue to aid students on their journeys to college, regardless of the College Board’s opinions.
HANNAH LEE
January 25, 2019
silverchips
Op/Ed C4
Seeing mental health in a new light How making mental health overly clinical has hurt the conversation around it By George Ashford AN OPINION
STAFF WRITER
Mental health issues have faced an enormous amount of stigma and misunderstanding throughout history. Too often, people with mental health problems are dismissed as just seeking attention or experiencing normal feelings of unhappiness and anxiety, when in reality they have a serious issue that needs attention from a professional. The reaction to this has been to present mental health as a purely clinical matter: classifying disorders and prescribing medication, in essence, treating mental conditions the same way you would physical ones. This is an extremely important step in getting more effective treatment to many people with mental health problems, but in doing this, a problem has emerged. In describing and thinking about mental health in a purely medical sense, we have over-clinicized mental health disorders. The names we have for mental health disorders try to encompass extremely broad conditions that people experience for a vast variety of reasons in a single technical term. Through the effort to completely clinicize mental health conditions, we limit the way we think about these conditions, and as a result what we consider to be options for treatment. Excessively broad clinical descriptions of mental health disorders lead people to diagnose themselves with mental disorders, taking away from their seriousness. By creating mental health classifications with more depth and specificity, we can better help the people who need it. It is critical that we recognize the variance involved in mental health, even among those who have been diagnosed with the same
disorder. Some conditions, such as Bipolar Disorder, have sublevels of specificity that allow for further nuance. Others however, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, are defined in extremely vague terms. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about a number of different things.” Imagine being diagnosed with a physical problem defined in that broad of a sentence – it would be extremely frustrating and unhelpful. Blair junior Rebby Berard has experienced firsthand the variation that can occur within a diagnosis, although not with anxiety. “Both me and my... step-brother... have ADHD, and our conditions are completely different,” she said. She acknowledged that in many cases, diagnoses don’t need to be made more specific, but “sometimes... it makes sense to become more detailed.” Over-broad diagnoses have consequences. Classifying someone as “anxious” means that they may need medication, but because many disorders are so broad, psychiatrists may struggle to find the right one. Even with Bipolar Disorder, which has sub-classifications that allow for a certain degree of specificity, patients can suffer for years trying to find adequate treatment. A survey done by the International Bipolar Foundation found that people diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder took between 2-10 years and tried 3-30 different medications before settling on the right one. Those are years in which people may be having serious mental health crises, and further specificity might help them receive needed treatment faster. There’s also the issue of over-clinicization more broadly, which is that not
everyone needs medication. A variety of factors could play a role in someone’s mental health, and if a person needs adjustments to some of those factors, thinking of mental health in purely clinical terms may discourage them from pursuing those necessary adjustments. It is imperative to recognize that not needing medication does not mean in the slightest that someone’s mental health conditions are less legitimate; they just need different kinds of treatment. Diagnostic specificity could help determine what kind of treatment someone needs, and acknowledging that a clinical diagnosis cannot always fully describe someone’s problems will help people think of mental health in a more
holistic way. To try and encompass someone’s mental condition in the way we currently do, with often sweepingly general diagnoses, is impossible. The complexity of the human mind renders diagnoses in their current form somewhat meaningless for some people in terms of how it actually improves their lives. This, of course, is not to say that mental health disorders should not be diagnosed, but that the way we diagnose them should be improved. In order to better help people struggling with their mental health, we need to think and talk about mental health in a far less clinical and far more holistic manner.
The Fairy Godmother cannot help you now
SEOYOUNG JOO
Is an 11:59 due date the best system for students? By Teddy Beamer STAFF WRITER
AN OPINION
The 11:59 p.m. due date for assignments turned in online is a source of universal dread for students. Many students who are involved in extracurricular activities struggle to put quality work in on time because of their busy schedule. Additionally, the workload for many students is overwhelming and having to turn in multiple assignments at midnight the night before class is incredibly difficult. Nothing comes from these night-before deadlines except stress and lower-quality work. A simple solution to this problem would be to require teachers who have deadlines late at night to change their late-night deadlines to before class starts so that the work is completed by the time one enters the class. The annual High School Athletics Participation Survey has calculated that in 2018 there were 7,980,886 high school sports players nationwide. At Blair, hundreds if not thousands of students are involved in sports, many on a varsity or club team. Every day, practice for these teams lasts hours, some not getting out of practice until at least 8:00 p.m. Students come home exhausted after a long day of academics and athletics. “Driving all the way back to practice, practicing, then coming home being super tired...stuff like that can definitely take a toll on how much time you have to do your homework,” said junior Bianca Martinez-Penn, a Blair and club soccer player. Additionally, coaches create tight schedules for athletes that require them to attend every practice and may only be excused for a valid reason. Often, catching up on homework is not considered a valid reason. The same goes for many Blazers who play an instrument, participate in theater, or have jobs. Long hours, full schedules, and tough leaders do not sympathize with the modernday student’s workload. For these studentathletes, musicians, actors, or employees getting school work completed by 11:59 p.m. is
GABE WINSTON-BAILEY
nearly impossible. However, students still fight for their grades and will stay up late to turn in their assignments. Struggling against time and fatigue, students lower their standards for the work they turn in. “The work quality is definitely diminished on days that I have soccer,” said Martinez-Penn. “I get home, I’m super tired, don’t want to do an assignment, sometimes I won’t do it. Sometimes I’m just like ‘Ok, I’m just gonna make something up pretty quickly and go to bed and be done with it.’” This drop in effort and quality does not go unnoticed by teachers like English teacher
Donna Whitney. She believes that the quality of her student’s work has improved because of her implementation of due dates before class starts. “I do get quality work from students, quite honestly,” she said. “I have students who do their work late at night, I have students who get up at 3:00 in the morning to finish work, due to the nature of the work of whatever class they have, so… I like to think that having the option right before class [helps].” Whitney also believes that all due dates and deadlines should be based around the student and that all teachers should consult
their students before setting due dates. “I think it’s important to get student input,” said Whitney. “Giving students choice, I think, will make for a better class anyway.” After the long hours of work and application during the school day, students find joy through sports and through sleep. Because of late-night deadlines for assignments, the things that once served as a break from the stress now cause the stress. By making assignments due only before class starts and not the night before, students will be able to turn in quality work in on time and participate in the activities they love without being penalized.
C5 Opinion
silverchips
Letters to the Editor
January 25, 2019
Responses to Silver Chips’ December cycle Pro/Con Editor’s Note: Silver Chips received a host of responses in regard to our December cycle Pro/Con: “Do CAP and Magnet benefit the student body?” We are dedicating this page, during the January cycle, as a forum for those responses. Due to spatial constraints, we decided to give voice to the responses that were signed by their authors. We would like to once again thank all the readers who reached out to offer their voices and input. Finally, we encourage all our readers to see our response to all the feedback we have received, which appears on page C6.
Attempts to foster a discussion are admirable, but could be executed better Laura Cui SENIOR
I know many other students have written regarding the Pro/Con feature (“Do CAP and Magnet benefit the student body?”), but I wanted to add my own thoughts on the issue. As a Magnet student, I recognize that some of the sentiments expressed in the Con section are reasonable, and maybe even to be expected. After all, there are variations in the ability of students in any classroom, even within the Magnet. Rather than focusing on the divide between different groups, we should encourage teachers and students to work together to make sure everyone learns the material in any class. While I cannot speak for the behavior of specific students, I would like to emphasize that the elitism and segregation portrayed in the article does not represent the Magnet as a whole. Although the majority of students in my STEM classes have been part of the Magnet, I have also made many friends outside of the Magnet, especially through art. I do not believe that most Magnet students feel that they are superior to peers who are less proficient in any subject, whether or not those peers are in a special program. While I do not want to undermine the experiences of those students interviewed for the article, it is not reasonable to extend these perceptions to a group of four hundred people. But more importantly, I am upset by the divisive effect of the article. As a school newspaper, Silver Chips should speak to the entire student body, including the quarter of the school which comprises the Magnet
and CAP programs, and is responsible for representing these students as well. While I respect the opinions of Camden and other students quoted in the article, it is unfair to generalize their experiences and to project the issue of disparity in education onto the Magnet. It is not only inaccurate to describe Magnets as a whole as “entitled” or disrespectful of the student body, it is hurtful to these students and detrimental to the relationship between these programs and the school. Rather than encourage discussion, the accusatory tone of the piece contributes to the “us-versus-them” mentality that divides the student body in the first place. I also wish that more voices had been included, such as those students not in these programs who take classes offered by the program, or students who are in these programs but have friends who are not, who might offer valuable insight into the issue. Overall, I realize that this is a difficult topic to write about, and I admire your effort to bring everyone together to start a conversation. I hope that such attempts will be more successful in the future.
Want to submit a personal column or letter to the editor? Email it to silver.chips.print@gmail.com! The Editorial Board will read through all submissions and determine all published selections.
What do you think? Feel free to access our feedback survey to tell us what you think about Silver Chips! Scan the code below with a QR reader app, or use the URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/ d/1FsDSYcRDmlCnWqYIEyf-_NBD71ktyjhvQ_ THGnisIwY/edit
Silver Chips should stand by its writers when faced with backlash By Leo Blain SENIOR
It was disappointing to see the Silver Chips editorial board and ombudsman abandon the author of the “Con” side in the recent Pro/Con article “Do CAP and Magnet Benefit the Student Body?” While it was right for the ombudsman to publicly address an article that generated controversy, it was inappropriate to apologize for an opinion piece. When a news publication does not stand by its opinion writers, it infringes on the freedom of those writers to feel comfortable sharing their
opinions. Furthermore, apologizing after receiving criticism for an opinion makes the paper appear beholden to the views of one population—in this case, CAP and Magnet students. Already, Silver Chips lacks program diversity among its writers, which hurts its credibility. Such eagerness to apologize for articles criticizing a population to which the majority of writers on the Silver Chips staff belong further detracts from the credibility of the publication. In the future, I hope Silver Chips will stand by its opinion writers, even when they share controversial opinions.
The Pro/Con was a “hatchet job” and “outright discriminatory”
By Jeremy Schwartz
STEM MAGNET MATH TEACHER
I was disappointed to read the hatchet job Silver Chips chose to run against CAP and Magnet students, classes, and programs in December’s issue. Will you ask about other school, county, state, or national educational policies and practices? Will you ask how the football team benefits the student body as a whole? Paraeducators dedicated to supporting students with identified needs? Orchestra classes? Transportation to Edison? Meals suiting particular medical or religious dietary restrictions? Work-release periods, allowing students abbreviated schedules to hold jobs? No. And you shouldn’t. Of course you shouldn’t! These are offerings and services that the community—Blair, MCPS, the state, the country!—provide for our youth. Each is of interest to, or a need for, only a subset of students, which is precisely a reflection of the diverse, nurturing, growth-oriented, equitable system for which we should strive in education. All students deserve and require the opportunity for meaningful academic engagement and continual development. These programs and opportunities are vitally important threads among the tapestry of supports available to meet the needs of all students. Why are students who excel academically somehow fair game to be excluded from
that all? Why do we so uniquely demand that they justify their existence? Why do we so uniquely categorize their needs as optional, as divisive, as elitist? Do we question on-level Algebra 2? Two-year Algebra 2? Honors Algebra 2? No. Of course we don’t. Of course we shouldn’t! So by what rationale do we question Magnet Precalculus, another course covering algebra 2 material? Your implication rings loud and clear: CAP and Magnet students are acceptable targets. After all, what have they done for you lately? It is outright discriminatory to demand that CAP and Magnet students, and the programs as a whole, justify their presence and existence by measures not ever applied to other demographics. Silver Chips should be ashamed of its role in serving as a platform for stereotypes and bigotry. Further, and independent of that primary consideration, I am proud to see students standing up in their own defense against the article’s clear, wanton, and repeated insults. Wrote Roberts, “this creates a bubble around the students in the programs, allowing them to disregard and disrespect all other students.” What of equal consideration of the self-evident reality demonstrated by the article: disregard and disrespect toward program participants? How do targeted, discriminatory hit pieces in Silver Chips benefit the student body as a whole?
The educations of students in the magnet programs matter, too By Anson Berns SENIOR
This article is exceedingly worrisome. Firstly, the arguments equating advanced education with elitism are rooted in the exact same type of anti-intellectualism that plagues modern American discourse. Especially in an era where even facts are in doubt by the populace, we should celebrate opportunities for students to go above and beyond in learning. Moreover, by painting the magnet programs as elitist with a broad brush, the article promotes the exact same type of divisiveness that it criticizes. The us-versus-them dynamic presented in the article is not representative of the interactions between students inside and outside of the special programs. Many magnet classes have non-magnet students take them—an opportunity which wouldn’t exist without the magnet. If the argument is that this is a rare experience, doesn’t portraying the magnet as unwelcoming and elitist only serve to intensify this effect and drive the two groups further apart? My true qualm with the article lies in
the initial question: “do CAP and Magnet benefit the student body?” Apart from the obvious implication that students in CAP and Magnet are not members of the student body, the question seems unjustified. At the very worst, the CAP and Magnet programs are a very slight negative to the rest of the school. Since they are great benefits to the students who are in them—whose educations matter too—the net effects of these special programs are still highly positive. I would be very curious to hear Ms. Roberts’ solution to the supposed problem of segregation introduced by the programs that does not greatly harm the gifted (not “gifted”) students to whom they provide many opportunities.
Editor’s Note: This page will return to its regular form during our February 2019 cycle. As always, we encourage our readers to submit any thoughts on Silver Chips’ content or community related topics to silver.chips.print@gmail.com
January 25, 2019
silverchips
Editorials C6
Moving the discussion forward
Blair’s magnet programs are a microcosm of systemic inequality When we decided to publish the December 2018 cycle’s Pro/Con (addressing the question “Do CAP and Magnet benefit the student body?”), nobody on this editorial board thought that we would receive the response we have gotten over the past seven weeks. As we sent the paper out, we were clear on what our goals were in publishing the pieces. First, we sought to draw attention to how perceived divisions between CAP, Magnet, and Academy students impact Blair’s identity and culture as one student and staff body. Second, we wanted to give voice to the thoughts and concerns of Academy students, who make up an overwhelming majority of the student body as a whole but a staggering minority of the writing staff on this paper. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we aimed to spark a discussion about the macro-level institutions that perpetuate the inequality we see within the Blair community. We feel that it is important to acknowledge that everyone on this Editorial Board is in one of Blair’s magnet programs. We appreciate the level of academic rigor that comes with being in these programs and our choice to run the Pro/Con had little to do with anti-intellectualism—we ran it maintaining that every student is entitled to the kind of education that we have received from the magnet programs at Blair. We believe affirming that every student deserves access to quality education, whether at Blair or anywhere else, is in direct alignment with the goals of intellectualism. It is the stratification of education, which arises from unequal access and uneven distribution of resources, that is anti-intellectual. Though we have already addressed it in our statement, we want to apologize again for the overgeneralized language that elicited a response from some of our readers. This was not at all the fault of either writer, but falls on the shoulders of the editorial board tasked with combing through articles and clarifying the language within them. However, we must emphasize that our opinion pieces are always based upon fact—whether it be from personal experience, expert sourcing, or a combination of both. We acknowledge that some of our readers were surprised or appalled at the truth contained in the Con piece, but it was truth nonetheless. And when has it ever been discriminatory or disrespectful to speak truth to power? Furthermore, we want to emphasize that we never intended for the Pro/Con to cause division. And though the Con was critical of some students in the programs who could be perceived as elitist or egocentric, we do not believe that the piece ever characterized students within the programs as bullies. The author of the Con acknowledges that the structure of magnet programs insulates the students in them, and should be partially blamed for how some students can form attitudes of superiority over other students at Blair. We understand why some students were so upset to see us publish the Pro/Con. It’s focus on the magnet programs at Blair did not take into account the roles that systems play in shaping our programs. We know that the CAP and Magnet programs do not think with one mind, and in no way can you label each individual student in the programs as elitist and egotistical. This was never our intent, and we apologize to any of our readers who felt that the Pro/Con was an attack leveled at anyone who is a part of the CAP and Magnet programs. Our critique lies within the structures themselves. At Blair, the benefit of having magnet programs becomes clear when looking at the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the student body. On the surface, Blair is incredibly diverse as touched upon in the article. But Blair’s magnet programs do not reflect this diversity. Though Silver Chips is still in the process of acquiring current data on the subject, the editorial board
knows from experience that the CAP and Magnet programs are overwhelmingly white and Asian, unlike the rest of the majorityminority student body. This difference in diversity is not only a result of systems at work outside of Blair’s magnet programs,
In order to move the discussion forward, we are hoping that the CAP and Magnet programs advance their efforts to actively work toward diversifying the students they accept, both racially and socioeconomically. It is no coincidence that the programs
Editorial Cartoon
and speaks to the need for our programs to further their emphasis on recruiting and accepting students of color and low-income students. We wholeheartedly agree that critiquing certain subsections of Blair would be inappropriate in most cases. The examples offered to us in the responses we have received, like the paraeducators dedicated to helping their students or the student athletes on the football team, are all integral parts of our Blair community. If we found, however, that the paraeducators at Blair would only help students of a certain race—or that the football team promoted a toxic culture of hazing within its program—then we would feel obligated to give those issues coverage and shed light on a facet of Blair that may affect certain students negatively. Even if the coverage of these analogous events focused on the educators or students involved and how their actions affect Blair’s student body, as our December cycle Pro/Con did, that focus is always coupled with a critique of the systems in place that allowed paraeducators to deny their services to certain students or allowed the football team to haze their players. We want to emphasize, once again, that our decision to publish the Pro/Con was not a demand for the magnet programs here at Blair to be disbanded or moved away, nor was it a demand for the programs to justify their presence. By placing the question within the context of the Pro/Con, we sought to balance the perspectives in order to offer our readers the chance to see both sides of whether the programs are seen as “beneficial.” The Con article was not intended as an attack but rather a critique. We believe that almost everyone at Blair knows the good that the programs do, and we know that many Blazers see where the programs fall short. The Pro/Con offered an incredible opportunity to spark critical discussion about how we can make our magnet programs better for all students at Blair.
look the way they do, and it is a pattern that supersedes any individual within them. The problem is institutional, and only systemic change can address it. BlackCAP has taken the first step in showing how institutions must actively work to recruit and provide information to students who do not normally see themselves in school choice programs—or even hear about them. Senior Megan Burke, one of the co-presidents of BlackCAP, emphasized that programs need to work toward diversity. “Our objective is to create a community that promotes inclusivity for students of color in magnet programs, and that’s not just in Blair but countywide,” she said. Burke acknowledged that one of the biggest challenges facing BlackCAP is the ability to make information about school choice programs available to low-income students and students of color. It is this gap in information that makes it so critical for students in the choice programs at Blair to show young students in the county that there are people in these programs who look like them and come from backgrounds. “Being able to do outreach where we have students of color… it’s really cool because they can actually see ‘Oh, these people look like me and they might have the same ideals as me and they’re actually doing a really good job and they’re succeeding in these type of programs’,” said Burke. According to Burke, BlackCAP currently works with students at Parkland Middle School, but is looking to expand the outreach to other schools that do not flow into Blair the way that Takoma Park, Silver Spring International, and Eastern do. Despite efforts by organizations like BlackCAP to diversify the pool of students applying and getting accepted to choice programs, barriers still stand in the way. For Blair’s choice programs, it may not be as economically fruitful to accept and educate students of color and low-income students because the systems in place make
it exceedingly hard for these groups to succeed economically after their education. Numerous studies provide context for this American reality, one of which appeared in the New York Times in 2018. Research spearheaded by experts at Harvard, Stanford, and the Census Bureau found that “most white boys raised in wealthy families will stay rich or upper middle class as adults, but black boys raised in similarly rich households will not.” Furthermore, the study revealed that income inequality gaps “persisted even when black and white boys grew up in families with the same income, similar family structures, similar education levels and even similar levels of accumulated wealth.” Returning to our Blair lens, the fact that black students and low-income students are less-likely to succeed in the American economy may jeopardize school choice programs’ “returns”—well-known and well-off alumni—on their “investment”—the education they provide. This could make it less of an incentive to admit them. This disparity in future economic opportunity along class and racial lines, however, should not be an excuse to protect and maintain Blair’s CAP and Magnet programs as they are. In order to diversify the students accepted into CAP and Magnet, the programs will have to acknowledge that their future economic and social capital may end up smaller than it is now. Silver Chips acknowledges that not all issues can be placed on the simple binary of “yes” and “no.” It is almost impossible to pinpoint an issue that straightforward. We recognize that in instigating this conversation, our chief mistake was placing the benefits of the CAP and Magnet programs on two extremes: “beneficial” and “not beneficial.” In reading through all of the feedback we have gotten and in crafting this response, however, we feel that we are giving the discussion about Blair’s magnet programs the nuance and thorough examination that it deserves.
Comments? Questions? Email silver.chips. print@gmail.com!
ELENORA RUE
Hannah’s column will return in our February issue. To connect with Hannah, email her at ombudsmansilverchips@gmail. com, message her on Twitter @chipsombudsman, or fill out the Silver Chips reader survey at http://www.chipssurvey.com/
Features D1/D2
silverchips
January 25, 2019
Dr. Bear and hospital care
Rare disease treatment at Children’s National
Worlds collide in the Main Atrium of the Children’s National District of Columbia Hospital. Music rises like smoke, while uniformed tap dancers clack their metal-plated shoes on a polished stage. Seated at the front are parents grasping the hands of their children. The front desk emits a comforting murmur of voices to accompany the dancers. Doctors hurry to their destinations, pausing occasionally to smile at the scene. Somehow, it all ties together. Children’s boasts the title of one of the best pediatric hospitals in the United States. Every aspect of the hospital is tailored to maximize comfort. Patients are greeted with a lively atmosphere, relevant research, and versatile treatment. Such an environment makes regular visits and prolonged stays easier for young patients with rare, chronic diseases.
Prescribed vibe
Colorful artwork adorns the walls on each floor. Some pieces include familiar characters, among them a grinning Minnie and Mickey Mouse. Others are whimsical and otherworldly: in one picture frame, a girl blows a kiss to a goblin emerging from a lake. Dr. Adelaide Robb, a Children’s National psychiatrist, chose to work at Children’s National because of its specific gear toward children. “In most adult hospitals… children are … not the primary, intended patient,” she says. “Workspaces, designs, exam tables, and everything else that’s geared toward adults [don’t] work as well for kids and teenagers.” The bond between patients and nurses at Children’s is visible the moment one steps into the hallway. Smiling faces of nurses line the walls next to a mosaic of “I decided to become a
nurse because...” wall decorations. Bulletin boards display paper hearts with the names of nurses that patients are thankful for. Doctors, too, form strong connections with their patients. “I really try to set up a rapport with a patient from day one,” metabolic dietitian Danielle Starin says. The colorful adornments, inviting attitudes, and skillful doctors are the building blocks to the cozy and inviting castle of Children’s.
Sparking joy
On a quiet balcony, plastic snowflakes dangle from neatly trimmed trees. The Healing Garden is decorated with small baubles and trinkets and verdant plants, open to the crisp air of winter mornings. Beside the door, a box containing children’s books is settled next to glass panels of First Ladies. Every year, the First Lady traditionally visits the Healing Garden to engage her young audience in a book reading. Meanwhile, down at Seacrest Studios in the Main Atrium, DJ Curly Cue and DJ Morgz provide the patients with their daily dose of fun. The DJs allow patients to host their own shows, submit their own video edits, and demonstrate technical abilities. The patient creations are then broadcast to the whole hospital. “[It’s a chance to] build lifelong friendships, share passions, interact with equipment they’ve never gotten the chance to interact with,” the DJs say. They broadcast to over 300 patients staying at Children’s National and enthrall them with live streams of Kenya filled with lions and tigers, Q&A sessions with visiting celebrities, and Minecraft and Fortnite features. “[We are] their distraction when they’re here at the hospital,” DJ Morgz says. “Because [being hospitalized] sucks, it really does.”
port she received from Children’s in order to give birth. The mental and physical disabilities associated with PKU may be passed to the child, and certain hospitals are not willing to assume the risk of working with the syndrome. Unlike Kwitkin’s previous clinic, however, Children’s was willing to help her have a child. “After 23 years of saying ‘I can’t have kids’ and that’s all I wanted in my life was to have my own child, this was just great,” Kwitkin says. She recently had her first baby and plans to have another soon. Blair sophomore Renata Muñoz, who has been diagnosed with several rare diseases, such as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Strabismus, says Children’s National is a support system for her. “People are just… learning about [my diseases], so that makes it really hard for me to find [a doctor],” Muñoz says. “Children’s National … [has] a lot of the top doctors in many different fields.” Although they see a broad spectrum of rare diseases every day, Children’s rarely lacks a expert healthcare provider on that disease.
Working with the Hill
Being patient
Children’s National patient Anniyah Jackson has a rare, chronic disease: she was born with an extra 8th chromosome and an extra 18th chromosome and is the longest-recorded surviving case of this genetic anomaly today. “She… is totally dependent on [others] for all aspects of life and will always be,” her mother Darcel Jackson says. After 12 years of treatment, Anniyah has been able to lead a fulfilling life. “[We] go to Disney and go to the beach and… enjoy things that we never once thought we could do,” Jackson says. Ashley Kwitkin, who has Phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic inborn error of metabolism, recalls the sup-
Further down the hall lie gadgets and gizmos aplenty. Smaller storage rooms are packed with 3D printers constructing heart models for surgical practice, towering robotic structures with delicate surgical arms, and a mechanical hippotherapy horse for cerebral palsy rehabilitation. The Intouch Health iRobot stands in the cardiac intensive care unit. This robot is a medical telecommunication device which can allow specialist doctors from different locations to participate in clinical rounds. It can send patient data to connected doctors and is manually controlled by the doctors remotely. When it comes to height, the robot is eye level with adults. However, its screen—which doubles as its face— is tilted downwards and angled for easy interaction with children. Although Children’s boasts wide array of electric and mechanic contraptions that would impress any Silicon Valley engineer, all the technology still holds one commonality: it’s all made for children. From infant diagnosis apps to miniature robotic horses, it’s all for children.
Technologically advanced The upper research floors floor-to-ceiling windows seats for observing the gency helicopter’s offs and landings.
are breezy, with and prime emertake-
“If you want to make a change in the field, you have to be where the policymakers are.” Summar says. The D.C. hospital’s proximity to Capitol Hill offers prime collaboration opportunities between doctor and policymaker. Dr. Summar has worked with national organizations headquartered nearby such as the Food and Drug Administration on policies surrounding rare diseases. “Almost half of the drugs approved by the FDA every year are for rare diseases,” he says. Starin has dealt with some of these healthcare issues firsthand; many of her patients cannot afford their medical diet plans because their insurance companies do not cover medical foods. “This one woman… just broke down in tears because it turns out she wasn’t having enough money to pay for her kids to eat and she wasn’t eating and when she did eat, she was eating junk,” Starin says. Her patients can spend up to 15,000 dollars a year on their medical foods. Currently, Starin and other Children’s doctors are collaborating with policymakers on legislation called the Medical Foods A c t in order to decrease medical food costs for patients. Children’s unique location adds
yet another responsibility to their role as healthcare providers. They not only treat, research, and engineer for the children, but protect children with the law.
Stringing together support
Children’s National is home to Beads of Courage, a program to support children with chronic conditions. When participating patients visit the hospital, they receive a different bead depending on what type of medical procedure they completed, such as a surgery, seizure treatment, or blood draw. “It really stinks to have to come here often… and have all these tests, but [the beads are] the one thing [the children] like,” Jackson says. The Jacksons’ collection of beads allow for a tangible measure of the many medical procedures Anniyah has experienced. “We have thousands and thousands of different beads,” Jackson says. “That is really helpful for us to tell her journey for people who may not understand it.” Along with offering medical support, Children’s is a place of emotional support and comfort for its patients. To Jackson and her family, Anniyah’s beads immortalize her courage in the face of her disease. “I’m going to make a mural out of [the beads] because this is a lifetime,” Jackson says.
Story by Design by Art by
Amanda Liu Victoria Xin Hannah Lee Sally Zhao Ivvone Zhou
Features D1/D2
silverchips
January 25, 2019
Dr. Bear and hospital care
Rare disease treatment at Children’s National
Worlds collide in the Main Atrium of the Children’s National District of Columbia Hospital. Music rises like smoke, while uniformed tap dancers clack their metal-plated shoes on a polished stage. Seated at the front are parents grasping the hands of their children. The front desk emits a comforting murmur of voices to accompany the dancers. Doctors hurry to their destinations, pausing occasionally to smile at the scene. Somehow, it all ties together. Children’s boasts the title of one of the best pediatric hospitals in the United States. Every aspect of the hospital is tailored to maximize comfort. Patients are greeted with a lively atmosphere, relevant research, and versatile treatment. Such an environment makes regular visits and prolonged stays easier for young patients with rare, chronic diseases.
Prescribed vibe
Colorful artwork adorns the walls on each floor. Some pieces include familiar characters, among them a grinning Minnie and Mickey Mouse. Others are whimsical and otherworldly: in one picture frame, a girl blows a kiss to a goblin emerging from a lake. Dr. Adelaide Robb, a Children’s National psychiatrist, chose to work at Children’s National because of its specific gear toward children. “In most adult hospitals… children are … not the primary, intended patient,” she says. “Workspaces, designs, exam tables, and everything else that’s geared toward adults [don’t] work as well for kids and teenagers.” The bond between patients and nurses at Children’s is visible the moment one steps into the hallway. Smiling faces of nurses line the walls next to a mosaic of “I decided to become a
nurse because...” wall decorations. Bulletin boards display paper hearts with the names of nurses that patients are thankful for. Doctors, too, form strong connections with their patients. “I really try to set up a rapport with a patient from day one,” metabolic dietitian Danielle Starin says. The colorful adornments, inviting attitudes, and skillful doctors are the building blocks to the cozy and inviting castle of Children’s.
Sparking joy
On a quiet balcony, plastic snowflakes dangle from neatly trimmed trees. The Healing Garden is decorated with small baubles and trinkets and verdant plants, open to the crisp air of winter mornings. Beside the door, a box containing children’s books is settled next to glass panels of First Ladies. Every year, the First Lady traditionally visits the Healing Garden to engage her young audience in a book reading. Meanwhile, down at Seacrest Studios in the Main Atrium, DJ Curly Cue and DJ Morgz provide the patients with their daily dose of fun. The DJs allow patients to host their own shows, submit their own video edits, and demonstrate technical abilities. The patient creations are then broadcast to the whole hospital. “[It’s a chance to] build lifelong friendships, share passions, interact with equipment they’ve never gotten the chance to interact with,” the DJs say. They broadcast to over 300 patients staying at Children’s National and enthrall them with live streams of Kenya filled with lions and tigers, Q&A sessions with visiting celebrities, and Minecraft and Fortnite features. “[We are] their distraction when they’re here at the hospital,” DJ Morgz says. “Because [being hospitalized] sucks, it really does.”
port she received from Children’s in order to give birth. The mental and physical disabilities associated with PKU may be passed to the child, and certain hospitals are not willing to assume the risk of working with the syndrome. Unlike Kwitkin’s previous clinic, however, Children’s was willing to help her have a child. “After 23 years of saying ‘I can’t have kids’ and that’s all I wanted in my life was to have my own child, this was just great,” Kwitkin says. She recently had her first baby and plans to have another soon. Blair sophomore Renata Muñoz, who has been diagnosed with several rare diseases, such as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Strabismus, says Children’s National is a support system for her. “People are just… learning about [my diseases], so that makes it really hard for me to find [a doctor],” Muñoz says. “Children’s National … [has] a lot of the top doctors in many different fields.” Although they see a broad spectrum of rare diseases every day, Children’s rarely lacks a expert healthcare provider on that disease.
Working with the Hill
Being patient
Children’s National patient Anniyah Jackson has a rare, chronic disease: she was born with an extra 8th chromosome and an extra 18th chromosome and is the longest-recorded surviving case of this genetic anomaly today. “She… is totally dependent on [others] for all aspects of life and will always be,” her mother Darcel Jackson says. After 12 years of treatment, Anniyah has been able to lead a fulfilling life. “[We] go to Disney and go to the beach and… enjoy things that we never once thought we could do,” Jackson says. Ashley Kwitkin, who has Phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic inborn error of metabolism, recalls the sup-
Further down the hall lie gadgets and gizmos aplenty. Smaller storage rooms are packed with 3D printers constructing heart models for surgical practice, towering robotic structures with delicate surgical arms, and a mechanical hippotherapy horse for cerebral palsy rehabilitation. The Intouch Health iRobot stands in the cardiac intensive care unit. This robot is a medical telecommunication device which can allow specialist doctors from different locations to participate in clinical rounds. It can send patient data to connected doctors and is manually controlled by the doctors remotely. When it comes to height, the robot is eye level with adults. However, its screen—which doubles as its face— is tilted downwards and angled for easy interaction with children. Although Children’s boasts wide array of electric and mechanic contraptions that would impress any Silicon Valley engineer, all the technology still holds one commonality: it’s all made for children. From infant diagnosis apps to miniature robotic horses, it’s all for children.
Technologically advanced The upper research floors floor-to-ceiling windows seats for observing the gency helicopter’s offs and landings.
are breezy, with and prime emertake-
“If you want to make a change in the field, you have to be where the policymakers are.” Summar says. The D.C. hospital’s proximity to Capitol Hill offers prime collaboration opportunities between doctor and policymaker. Dr. Summar has worked with national organizations headquartered nearby such as the Food and Drug Administration on policies surrounding rare diseases. “Almost half of the drugs approved by the FDA every year are for rare diseases,” he says. Starin has dealt with some of these healthcare issues firsthand; many of her patients cannot afford their medical diet plans because their insurance companies do not cover medical foods. “This one woman… just broke down in tears because it turns out she wasn’t having enough money to pay for her kids to eat and she wasn’t eating and when she did eat, she was eating junk,” Starin says. Her patients can spend up to 15,000 dollars a year on their medical foods. Currently, Starin and other Children’s doctors are collaborating with policymakers on legislation called the Medical Foods A c t in order to decrease medical food costs for patients. Children’s unique location adds
yet another responsibility to their role as healthcare providers. They not only treat, research, and engineer for the children, but protect children with the law.
Stringing together support
Children’s National is home to Beads of Courage, a program to support children with chronic conditions. When participating patients visit the hospital, they receive a different bead depending on what type of medical procedure they completed, such as a surgery, seizure treatment, or blood draw. “It really stinks to have to come here often… and have all these tests, but [the beads are] the one thing [the children] like,” Jackson says. The Jacksons’ collection of beads allow for a tangible measure of the many medical procedures Anniyah has experienced. “We have thousands and thousands of different beads,” Jackson says. “That is really helpful for us to tell her journey for people who may not understand it.” Along with offering medical support, Children’s is a place of emotional support and comfort for its patients. To Jackson and her family, Anniyah’s beads immortalize her courage in the face of her disease. “I’m going to make a mural out of [the beads] because this is a lifetime,” Jackson says.
Story by Design by Art by
Amanda Liu Victoria Xin Hannah Lee Sally Zhao Ivvone Zhou
D3 Features
January 25, 2019
silverchips
Living as an impostor
How impostor syndrome deteriorates self-confidence By Itamar Fiorino STAFF WRITER
Many researchers would agree that self doubt is almost universal, and that spotting a lack of confidence often requires minimal investigation. The primary area of contention lies in its origins. The question of this doubt’s beginning is surrounded with theories and explanations that each tell their own story. One of these tales is that of the impostor. Impostorism, or impostor syndrome, is a collection of symptoms in which an individual persistently doubts their accomplishments, and is in chronic fear of being exposed as a fraud. The pattern can cover a wide variety of human experience, and, being a pattern, is only one interpretation of these feelings. “Most people who experience the Impostor Phenomenon (IP) would not say, ‘I feel like an impostor.’”, writes Pauline Rose Clance, who first discovered impostorism, “Yet, when they read or hear about the experience, they say, ‘How did you know exactly how I feel?’” While counselor Emily Putney never labeled it impostorism, she found a pattern in certain students. “They feel like they have to completely, always, overcompensate, overdo everything...” Putney says. “They’re worried that they’re going to be perceived as ‘not smart,’ ‘not good enough.’ If they don’t get that ‘A,’ then there’s something wrong with them.”
The Impostor Phenomenon
Clance, a behavioral psychologist, discovered that 70 percent of people will eventually experience the syndrome at some point in their lives. She first discovered impostorism in a 1978 cooperative paper. At the time, Clance believed the syndrome to be characteristic of only high achieving women, avoiding the term “syndrome” and coining “phenomenon” to ensure the issue would not be used as an additional means to disenfranchise women in the workplace. The disorder was originally thought to be uncommon, but after further research, she discovered a broad range of additional symptoms, side effects, and, most importantly, impacts.
furthering the feelings of incompetence. The positive reinforcement received from completing the task essentially goes in one ear and out the other; for impostorists, all positives are false positives. Regardless of what path this individual takes, this cycle will eventually breed an impostorist.
Signs of impostorism The primary symptom of impostor syndrome is a worry that luck will eventually taper off, which leads to fears of disappointing one’s colleagues and supervisors. Many times, this may be displayed in an how an impostor presents himself. “People are more than willing to recognise how great their friends are, or all the accomplishments or hard work that their friends put into things. But they think, ‘well I just got here because somebody helped me’,” Rachel Walter, a University of Maryland psychology major who led a workshop on the Imposter Phenomenon (IP), says. Introspective reinforcement, as Walter explains, is normally what identifies the syndrome. “A lot of it is recognising the work that you put in and how much credit you actually give yourself for that,” she says. Another symptom of Impostor Syndrome is self-deprecation. Since they don’t internalize their successes, people with Impostor Syndrome believe less of themselves. This causes people with IP to be less outspoken about their successes and makes them seek opportunities less frequently. “You have less confidence in yourself. And that leads to less self-advocacy. So you might put yourself out there less for new opportunities or promotions or things like that. Because you don’t really think that you de-
serve it based on your experiences so far,” Walter says.
Circumstances Impostorism tends to be more common in high achieving people. For them, achievement is a double edged sword. It can bring success, but it can also breed feelings of insecurity. “For some people who suffer from IP, the more successful they get, the more severe and crippling it becomes,” Joan C. Harvey writes in her book, “If I’m so successful, why do I feel like a fake?: The Impostor Phenomenon.” Since achievement can be a
so, you know, there’s not really second guessing yourself.” Gender may also be a catalyst for impostorism. “We sort of make these presumptions about girls and boys, sometimes early, about what subjects are more suitable for boys and suitable for girls,” David Stein, who teaches various statistics electives, says. “You look back, and you see it’s just part of a cycle, a self fulfilling cycle.” “It’s harder to feel like you’re the only one there. If you’re the only person of color, you’re the only woman, it’s just that much extra pressure on you in a way,” Walter says. The Maryland Center for Women in Computing (MCWIC), where Walter works, has IP as the second enumerated topic in its mission statement. “It isn’t really a women’s issue, it’s everyone’s issue. But it can affect women more,” she says.
Escaping the impostor cycle
There are a number of tools Impostorists can use to cope with the Syndrome. First, anyone that thinks they may or may not exhibit symptoms of Impostor Syndrome should get educated. Exploring more, asking questions from professionals, and reading the Clance IP test are all ways help combat the disorder. People with impostor syndrome can also document their accomplishments. Lists of accomplishments over the past week, month, or year, can surprize the impostorists who wrote them. Lastly, people with Impostor Syndrome can perform an exercise Walter calls “cognitive reframing.” Asking simple questions like “do I give myself credit for my own accomplishments?” is the simplest way to fix impostorism. “When you have a thought, think more critically in ‘why am I thinking this way?’, ‘should I be thinking this way?’ Promoting [a] more positive self-thought,” Walter says.
Becoming an impostor Impostorism often begins with an assignment — perhaps a book report or a job application. When the job is done, the impostorist does not feel the competence that completing the task should have given. “Following task completion, there is an initial sense of relief and accomplishment,” writes Jaruwan Sakulku, in the International Journal of Behavioral Science. “But those good feelings do not persist. Although Impostors may receive positive feedback about their successful accomplishment of the task, Impostors deny their success is related to their own ability.” Now, future assignments will continue to be equally or more overworked and procrastinated,
catalyst for IP, the phenomenon is especially prevalent between careers. “When I think about this and what type of student it is, it’s going to be more of your student taking the most advanced type classes. Because there’s sort of that extra level of competition,” Putney says. “That sort of gives that extra level of fear of not being able to compete at that level.” Beyond rigorous academics, impostorism may be more common for people within specific fields. For some, the subject they are in allows them to escape the grasp of IP. Sebastian Johnson, MCPS’ Student Member of the Board in 2006, notes that he never felt the effects of impostorism. “When I was Student Member of the Board, I didn’t feel impostor syndrome,” Johnson says. “Because it was hard work, you know you’re in a place by doing the work, and getting the votes, and
O SALLY ZHA
January 25, 2019
Features D4
silverchips
Inked up
How teens and tattoos come together on the skin of Blair By Elias Chen STAFF WRITER
In order to remember achievements or memories, some kids settle for rings or jewelry as mementos. Others brandish bracelets or homemade artifacts. But, for the most dedicated of students, only one thing can satisfy the need to memorialize certain parts of their lives: a tattoo. For inked students, tattoos are a way to commemorate meaningful events in a unique and, more importantly, in a permanent way. Sophomore Jeremy Masson bears two stick-and-poke tattoos, one of a natural musical notation located on his finger. “It was something cool to add onto me,” Masson says. “I’m okay with it being there and it means something to me.” Tattoos can be permanent a way to keep lost loved ones close. “My tattoo says faith in cursive and is surrounded by flowers and colors regarding my late aunt,” says junior Zaire Cooper. For Cooper, a tattoo is not just a literal symbol of faith, it is a reminder of passed family who pushed him towards it. “My aunt was a devout Catholic, everything she did involved her faith, so thinking back on it she passed in 2014 and then my grandfather passed in 2016 and I decided to get it in 2018 because I was like ‘I’m sixteen now, I can make a decision for myself’” Cooper says. “Both had a real faith in God… so if I got a tattoo involving God, involving faith, and giving me a reason to wake up it’s something I need to have.” Similar to Cooper, tattoo artist and senior Willow Edge chose her first tattoo to immortalize the tragic end of a loved one. “My first tattoo was a star on my ankle that I got when my friend Courtney died in the Manchester Arena bombing,”Edge says. “[Because] we had a pact that we’d always get stars together when we turned eighteen.”
Bearer who bears
For these students, the personal sentiment
AVERY BROOKS
ALWAYS BY MY SIDE Zaire Cooper’s left shoulder tattoo serves as a keeps the memories of his late aunt and grandfather of a tattoo is often more important than the kind of feel like this is an interesting but good public opinion of it. way to express it.” Some, like Cooper, wear their tattoos in accessible locations for all to see. “I wear Immortalized in ink it openly, I do everything I can to make it Tattoos convey a part of their beauty known that I got a tattoo,” Cooper says. “I’m through their permanence, which can be very not gonna hide my tattoo.” attractive in the turbulence of teenage years. Even for Masson, who bears a second tat- “I don’t want anything temporary in my life,” too referencing the date of his grandfather’s Cooper says. “Having something you know is death marked into his upper back, there is going to be permanent is never going to wash no shame in exposing it, when appropriate. away, it’s always going to be ingrained in you “People can see it if I’m at the pool or the and you can always think about is something beach or something,” Masson says. “I don’t I like.” want to hide it or anything because it’s a part Masson recommends self-reflection befoof me now.” re engaging in any reckless behavior, as to During formative years where teens search avoid the possibility of future regret. “If peofor individuality and voice, tattoos are attrac- ple are unsure of whether or not they want to tive for the unique expression they offer. get a tattoo then I don’t think they should get “Many people have trouble expressing who a tattoo,” says Masson. “I think they need to they are, especially at this age when they’re be certain about it, because it could be somestill trying to figure it out,” Masson says. “So I thing they could regret later. But I would re-
reminder of his Christian faith and with him at all times. commend it if you’ve thought about it and if you have something that’s personal to you.” Similarly for Cooper, the permanence of a tattoo must reflect its importance in order to be worthwhile. “[It] goes back to having a good reason for it and that tattoo having meaning,” Cooper says. “If you get a tattoo just to get a tattoo, you’re gonna look back and think ‘why did I get that?’ and that’s just something you don’t want to have.” What truly matters in a meaningful, says Edge, is the commitment and love behind the tattoo, no matter the what the image may be. “I’m gonna get a really ugly balloon sticking its tongue out tattooed on my forearm… to anyone else it will look like a first grader drew on my arm,” Edge says. “But to me, it’s very personal and it doesn’t really matter that other people will be like ‘why do you have that on your body?’ To me it’s more about personal love.”
Educating about paraeducating The unsung heroes of Blair classrooms By Teddy Beamer STAFF WRITER
There is a special group of people within Blair that work so that the school can function with ease. They collaborate with teachers and students to make sure the students effectively receive the education they need. Before the beginning of each school year, teachers request assistance in specific classes, and paraeducators associated with that department come and supplement the teaching. Just like students, paraeducators have schedules of different classes that they need to attend every day. The Special Education department at Blair aids a number of disabled students that need extra help to learn at the same rate as other students. “Typically, I work with students in the Special Ed department who are struggling in one way or the other. They may have a learning disability or they may have ADHD,” says Paraeducator Karyn Miele. There are 22 members on the Special Education staff working every day to ensure that disabled students are receiving the proper accommodations. Paraeducators aid students with their work and provide guidance. They are also in classrooms to help teachers, making sure that students comprehend the material and are comfortable with their assignments. “[Students] may need help with explaining assignments, in more detail or they have problems with attention, so they miss things,” Miele says. “To have that extra person in the classroom helps them because they don’t quite get it the first time.” Miele also helps students working on the Bridge Project. The Bridge Project was implemented for students who do not pass their HSAs in the fall of 2008. There are four possible projects that can be done for each course and completing one of these projects can increase a student’s score up to 20 points on their HSA. Miele believes that the Bridge Pro-
ject is one of the most important programs for Special Ed students. “[Students] won’t graduate without doing this project because their grades [on the test] have not been good enough to graduate,” Miele says. For whatever help students need working on this vital project, Miele is there to make sure that these students will graduate and be successful. Paraeducators like Alexander Opryszko serve two jobs, both as a paraeducator and as a paraeducator itinerant. Itinerants’ jobs are to follow a specific student through their schedule, which allows them to work in more than one subject. “I really enjoy [itinerating] because it not only gives me the chance to work per-
sonally with the student, but also to be in a variety of different classes rather than focusing on a particular subject,” Opryszko says. Opryszko notes how being an itinerant provides much more interesting and unique experiences for him. “It’s been exciting and fun and I’ve enjoyed learning about how everything goes on from now, the sort of teacher-paraeducator standpoint rather than as a s t u dent,”
Opryszko says. These jobs allow the staff to have deeper connections with the students and understand the exact ways they need help. Miele has first-hand experience with taking the extra step to ensure the education quality of students. “As an itinerant with students in a wheelchair, I had to literally write for these students, or assist them in other way physically.” However, paraeducators have noticed confusion coming from students. “I think that a lot of students don’t know why I’m in the classroom a lot of times because they don’t really understand what a paraeducator is and no one stops to explain that to them,” Miele says. In the classroom, paraeducators’ main goal is to help students benefit and prosper academically, whether students understand their intentions or not. “I want them to know that I’m in there for a reason,” Miele says. “I’m in there because it’s my job to make sure that they get what they need to be successful in school.” Miele did not originally pursue the path of a paraeducator. Working as a substitute teacher in MCPS, she once filled in for a paraeducator who had broken her arm for three months. Later, she got a call. “I was offered a job, they actually called me for a paraeducator position at [Bethesda-Chevy Chase],” Miele explains. “I did not actually apply for the job, they called me.” Luckily, she accepted the position and has stayed with paraeducation for seven years. Opryszko, on the other hand, began his work in paraeducation right after college. Though he began at Blair this past semester, he already feels comfortable and satisfied with his work. “Looking back, when I was in high school, I don’t know whether I could have seen myself as a paraeducator working with MCPS,” Opryszko says. “But here now, I don’t know that I would want to be doing SALLY ZHOU anything else.”
D5 Features
silverchips
January 25, 2019
ABROADened perspective
Blair students take on foreign exchange programs By Mira Diamond-Berman STAFF WRITER
Students often hear how high school is a turning point in their lives. They learn calculus, chemistry, and how to cram a five-page research paper an hour before it is due. But it is also a time when students learn about their own identity and are exposed to different people who allow them to gain insight into different languages and cultures. One way for high school students to achieve this awareness is by leaving their own school for another one somewhere across the globe. Foreign exchange programs can allow students to have an exciting adventure while interacting with a new culture and picking up on a new language. Learning a language is facilitated by speaking it and hearing it from natives. Being put in a situation where one is forced to speak and understand the language allows one to grasp the foreign language. Senior Ruby Tucker went on a fourmonth program in Israel called URJ Heller High during the second semester of her junior year. The study abroad program had 75 participants that consisted of American Reform Jews across the country and a few Israeli students. Tucker came into the program with little knowledge of Israel’s national language, Hebrew. “I went there not knowing how to say thank you [in Hebrew] and now I can carry a conversation,” Tucker says. Beyond language, foreign exchange programs also boost students’ knowledge of other cultures. Tucker went to the program to learn
more about her own Jewish culture. “It was an opportunity to learn about my culture, especially in Israel. I didn’t know a lot about Israel, so I wanted to learn more about [it] and I wanted to learn Hebrew,” Tucker says. She was able to see what life is like for teenagers her age in Israel. “We stayed at hotels with other Israeli kids and when I did the army boot camp, it was with all Israeli kids. So I got to see what other kids my age are doing there which is so different from America since they are getting ready for the army,” Tucker says. “I felt like they were much more mature which was really interesting to see.” Junior Isabella Garfield spent the second semester of her sophomore year at the Island School in the Bahamas, which focuses on biology. Despite the deteriorating culture on the Bahamian island due to tourism, Garfield was able to see the differences in the Eleuthera island that she stayed in compared to the other Bohemian islands. “Some of the other Bohemian islands are being overrun with tourism and the culture is slowly being lost,” she says. “[In] Eleuthera the culture is still intact because few people know about it.” Foreign exchange programs are not only educational, but also allow students to escape from their traditional high school lives of their usual friends. Tucker created friendships that would have probably never formed if it were not for the program. “I made three of my best friends, probably ever, there, and we stay in contact to this day,” says Tucker. Garfield has friends across the globe that
she still visits. “I have a couple friends in Boston, one in Connecticut, one in Rhode Island and then two in the Bahamas. I went to visit them over the summer,” she says.
exchange program does not offer those classes or Blair does not accept those classes at a foreign school, then credit problems may arise. Garfield’s program caused difficulty because she could not use any of her Island School credits towards the Blair graduation requirement. “None of the credits transferred,” she says. “For instance, I’m taking the second half of my tech credit this semester. I had to take math and English online. I’m taking AP NSL next semester.” Tucker, on the other hand, was able to continue her normal classes in Israel. “ I took all my normal classes and then on top of that I took Hebrew and Jewish history.” These programs are also not accessible to everyone due to their high cost. Garfield’s program, for example, was not cheap. “One of the things that I think that is a problem with a semester is that it is really expensive… It’s 30,000 dollars,” she says. DeDespite costs or credit issues, spite all study abroad programs are educational ELAINE CHENG the benefits of a and exciting experiences. “I really liked how foreign exchange programs, it can be difficult they showed us kind of the entire country. to fit into a high school program. Students We went from Haifa to Eilat. Every weekend must obtain specific graduation requirewe would have field trips,” says Tucker. “It ments to graduate from Blair. If the foreign was just a really fun way to learn.”
January 25, 2019
silverchips
180 days in the making
D6 Features
The work that goes into creating our class schedule By Louis Rosenberg STAFF WRITER
It is the first day of school. Blair Boulevard is packed with students heading to their first period classes. A mass of students waits in line outside the counseling office. Pink schedule change slips are scattered throughout the school. All of this follows months of administrative work putting Blazers’ schedules together. Magnet Coordinator Peter Ostrander oversees the scheduling process. The software Blair uses, Power Scheduler, automatically sorts students into classes based on their course requests. As Ostrander explains, the system first builds the schedule - placing classes in rooms and periods - without adding students to classes. “[It] puts the classes where it thinks that most of the kids can get their first choices,” Ostrander says. Then, the computer system and counselors place students in classes. The system always tries to give students their first choice but will replace certain classes with alternative courses if the preferred option is not available. Many students still try and switch their schedule in order to get a certain teacher, but as Ostrander notes, this is not enough to warrant a schedule switch. “There may be individual cases where we [will allow it], but for the most part we don’t really do teacher requests,” Ostrander says. Course requests also determine the courses taught at Blair. Women’s Studies is an example of the influence course requests can have on what classes are offered each year. After being introduced as a pilot class a few years ago, the course has gained popularity. With the increase in students registering for the class, this year it has multiple sections.
This class is just one example of how the scheduling system mirrors the interests of Blazers across the school. “At Blair, we want to make sure that our schedule is reflective of student needs and wishes,” Ostrander says. Increasing the amount of sections for a course is not the only change that can occur. Classes have been dropped due to lack of student interest, with optics being a recent example. This does not necessarily mean the class will never be offered at Blair again. “This year we didn’t run optics, but we’ll run it next year because we already have enough kids for the class,” Ostrander says. “One year, we’ll get a few [students] but the next year we’ll get a full load ... and the following year we get fewer ... So there are classes that have this natural every other year cycle.” Blair prides itself on the variety of electives students are able to take, but underclassmen spend most of their time taking classes that help fulfill graduation requirements. They are less likely to take classes that are only offered during one period, which makes scheduling easier. According to Ostrander, roughly 97 percent of freshman will get their first choice of classes. This changes, however, for upperclassmen. “As a student gets older they’re more likely to take classes that are only offered once,” Ostrander says. A senior is more likely to run into issues than a freshman as they register for classes with fewer sections. “The younger students tend to schedule better,” Ostrander says. Not every student is the same, with students in ESOL, CAP, and Magnet having less flexibility in their schedules. These programs have required classes that are often only offered during certain periods, meaning that they must be entered manually into the
system. “ESOL, Special Ed, CAP, Magnet … even some other things, have components that have to be … hand scheduled,” Ostrander says. “Because [these] students in those programs have to take specific classes … there might be a little bit less flexibility.” For the most part, schedules are completed by July, but are not finalized until the school year starts.
“We have to upload those schedules … by a certain time in July. However, at that time, some students may still have conflicts in their schedule, so the counselors are still working in July through … the school year starting in September, to fix any schedules,” Ostrander says. “What we upload isn’t what the students get in September necessarily because there still may be individual issues towards students schedules.”
SALLY ZHAO
E1 Culture
January 25, 2019
silverchips
Dreams still come true
Blazers of Note
By Paloma Williams STAFF WRITER
AVERY BROOKS
Maria Cannon Junior
Among thousands of students at the Capitol on Dec.10 Maria Cannon lobbied for the Green New Deal, a proposal for investment into the clean-energy sector. “I thought it was important to let my representatives know and hold them accountable,” Cannon said. While she was there, she spoke to the office of Maryland’s 3rd District’s representative John S. Sarbanes, about the importance of the Green New Deal and its contribution to sustainability. Later on, she joined others in the hallways near Nancy Pelosi’s office, crowding the halls and showing their passion. “People were crying as they talked to Nancy Pelosi and we were all singing together and we watched a bunch of people that we knew who helped organize it get arrested,” Cannon said. Due to her family background and personal experiences, the movement for the Green New Deal is one of the things Cannon is very passionate about. “I have a lot of white privilege, so this is an issue that I think is a lot more important to my family...my mom talks about it a lot, and my brother too, and it’s become important to me,” Cannon said. “I’ve watched climate change ruin a lot of people’s lives.” Her hope is that the Congress passes to Green New Deal and is forced to address climate change and improve the impact that America has. “The way we live is really unsustainable, so I’m down to make any changes possible, use what voice I have to support that because I’ve seen how it affects everybody,” Cannon said.
AN OPINION
We start in a lilac-blue sky illuminated by stars. The frame drifts through a cloud as moonlight from above seems to seep between the cracks of the sky and graces parts of the river below. “When You Wish upon a Star” plays steadily in the background, reaching its culmination as a tiny flag peeks into the frame. An encore of fireworks erupts in boisterous fanfare behind the place that sits close to our hearts—a castle filled with light and euphoric memories of childhood. The camera zooms around this fairytale place, somewhere that could only exist in the dreams of a young child. As the symphony of violins slows, a few notes on the piano follow a sparkle that quickly diminishes after flying above the castle. The twinkle fades away, forming words we all know and love: Walt Disney. This age-old animation lasting no less than 31 seconds seems to bring about a variety of emotions within many people. The world of Walt Disney is thought of as a world of beauty and nostalgia: a world filled with memories softer than clouds that might have filled the sky in days of elementary school. To many of us, this enchanting world is lost forever, only to remain in vague, hazy memories. Luckily enough, there is a new, innovative, inviting way to return to this magical world: remakes of the classics. Live action reboots of old films are a way for us to return to the magic of Disney that we know and love. Although some may argue that live action films take away from
the imaginative, fantastical atmospheres that animated movies create, live-action movies certainly bring something different to the table. In live-action renditions of household fairytales, we are able to experience a brand new take on characters that we are ever so familiar with. Sophomore Emily
IVVONE ZHOU
Noyes, who grew up watching Disney films, enjoys seeing new takes on old classics. “... Now they have more techniques for filmmaking and stuff so they’re always really visually interesting at least and I think it’s always fun to see how they change the stories a little
bit,” she said. In addition to bringing a new life and essence to characters, live action movies are also just a completely new perspective that allows us to bring the stories of our dreams a little bit closer to reality. This is beneficial especially for younger kids because live action movies are able to further incorporate imagination into real life, which can prove to be a very valuable lesson. “I don’t think they should replace the original ones with the reboots but I think it’s gonna be fun to see young kids interested in the same movies that like I was interested in,” Noyes said. Disney has revealed plans to produce live action remakes of a majority of their old animated films. This new phenomenon began with Cinderella in 2015, quickly followed by Beauty and the Beast in 2017. These movies will be followed by Aladdin in May 2019, The Lion King in July 2019, Dumbo in Mar. 2019, Mulan in 2019, and Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, 101 Dalmatians, the Little Mermaid, and Lilo and Stitch all with dates to be determined. In addition to these few, Disney also plans to make a movie titled Prince Charming, focused on the prince from the classic story Cinderella, told from the point of view of Prince Charming’s brother. As society progresses and technology evolves, the potential within the world of art and creativity is boundless. While Disney is known for animated movies, there is a lot of value in looking at the same old story in a brand new way. Although these reboots of old films are tangibly different from the films we know and love, they do allow us to get a little bit closer to these stories by viewing them in a different light.
soapbox
Is it tacky for Disney to keep remaking its classic films? “...It’s super tacky, and a huge cashgrab. They’re always much worse than the originals.” — Leela Mehta Harwitz, freshman “It would be tacky if the films were the same exact story just live action, but Disney adds in new details and touches to their movies.” — Ceilidh Wagner, junior
The rise of blackfishing on social media AVERY BROOKS
Lila Chafe + Kathryn LaLonde Junior + Sophomore
The idea first started in a playground and has grown to be both a personal growth experience and money-making endeavor for Lila Chafe and Kathryn LaLonde. For the past five years, Chafe and LaLonde have organized a circus, arts, and theater camp, known as CAT camp, aimed towards children aged five to ten. It first started in Chafe’s backyard, with just a few kids. “I just took kids from the neighborhood,” Chafe said. “Our first theme was Into the Amazon, and we didn’t know what was in the Amazon, and so we had tigers and birds.” Since then the camp has evolved, and Chafe and LaLonde spend a great deal of their second semester organizing the endeavor. “Lila and I start working on it right around January or February...then we send out registration in March, normally everybody’s registered by April and then everything is finalized by May and then the camp starts in June,” LaLonde said. During the summer, they spend three days teaching the kids a routine, which they perform for parents. Last year, the show had an outer space theme. “They performed a narrative story about kids that dreamed to be astronauts and then get lost in space and then finally return back home and are awarded for being brave astronauts,” Chafe explained. The experience isn’t just about making money for them, it’s about having fun with the kids. “It’s really fun to work with the little kids and be a kid again,” LaLonde said. “I love being able to play with them and have fun.”
By Khushboo Rathore
By Miranda Rose Daly, Arshiya Dutta, Lucy Gavin, Camden Roberts, Marlena Tyldesley SENIOR EDITORS
AN OPINION
From advertising skin whitening creams to taking bleach baths, society and social media’s preference for lighter skins tones is not a new topic. However, there is a new trend taking over called “blackfishing,” which is when someone pretends to be Black or mixed-race on social media, according to the BBC. This phenomenon became more widely acknowledged in November 2018, when Twitter users began to “expose” social media celebrities for altering their appearances to mask their race. This can include “using dark facial makeup … wearing their hair in cornrows and other traditionally black hairstyles, and others allegedly enhancing their bodies,” according to Teen Vogue. A prime example of blackfishing is Emma Hallberg, a Swedish Instagram model with upward of 280,000 followers. Hallberg has come under fire after followers found photos of her with a notable skin color disparity and applying a noticeably darker foundation shade. Many Twitter users have accused Hallberg of using makeup, lip fillers, and extreme tanning to appear to be black. Although followers expressed distaste in her actions, she gained an additional 38,000 followers since the start of accusations of exemplifying blackfishing. Despite this, Hallberg has vehemently denied these accusations, arguing that she had never actually said that she was black. “I’m white, and I never claimed to be anything else,” she wrote in response to a direct mes-
sage from a fan. “I’m NOT ‘posing’ as a colored person as you claim… and my skin gets very easily tanned in the sun!!” Women who blackfish have amassed thousands of followers across different platforms, and when they do it through blackfishing, it is essentially through a lie. In doing so, these women are teaching a generation of young girls that it is okay to take on the features of a race that is not their own, and to do it for their own gain. For example, Hallberg, along with many other influencers, monetizes her account by advertising various products. She is materially benefiting from the image that she has cre-
SALLY ZHAO
ated. One Instagram influencer accused of blackfishing, Jaedyn Gumbaya, realized that her actions were harmful and apologized in an email to Teen Vogue. “I am so sorry to those who may [have] been offended and for perpetuating a culture of appropriation,” she said. “I recognize that I have a responsibility to understand the intentional and unintentional impacts of my actions and platform.” But the fact of the matter is non-black peo-
ple are capitalizing on appropriation. Critics of blackfishing are frustrated by the fact that the features these influencers are profiting from are those for which black women are criticized for. Deja, a Twitter user, expressed her frustration to Teen Vogue, saying “It was just kind of annoying because [Hallberg has] gotten so Instagram famous off what black people have. Not even black people get the same amount of attention she’s getting.” This phenomenon is referred to as the ‘Kardashian Effect’. It was first coined by Lindsay Peoples in a piece for The Cut, titled “An Open Letter to My White Friends Who Love the Kardashians.” “When, recently, one of you asked me to help figure out how to get Kylie’s “big” lips, I explained to you that these characters often engage in a kind of mimicry of black people, without actually having to deal with any of the downsides of being black in America,” she wrote. “You sort of heard what I was saying, but it didn’t stop you from faithfully tuning back in.” In her article for Paper Magazine, Wanna Thompson, who started the Twitter thread which exposed these influencers, expanded on the sentiment. “Black women are constantly bombarded with the promotion of European beauty standards in the media, so when our likeness is then embraced on women who have the privilege to fit traditional standards yet freely co-opt Blackness to their liking, it reaffirms the belief that people desire Blackness, just not on Black women.” It does not matter how many people apologize, they are still doing damage to an entire generation of young people. As white, or non-black creators, it is imperative to recognize one’s privilege and refrain from appropriating others’ cultures for our own gain.
Culture E2
silverchips
January 25, 2019
What’s all the buzz about? And what are all these toilets doing in the juul room? from DRUGS page A1
“Juuling” refers to vaping nicotine using a Juul brand e-cigarette. “Vaping,” or the act of inhaling and exhaling vapor produced by an e-cigarette or a similar device, is an increasingly popular trend among high school-aged students. E-cigarette or a similar device, is an increasingly popular trend among high school-aged students. It is an easily hidden task, allowing it to slip past teachers or peers at school as the nicotine does not exude a strong scent or noticeable vapor. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), Juul Labs has transformed into the largest retailer of e-cigarettes in America over the three-year span to 2015-2017. In June of 2018, Bloomberg valued the company at $15 billion, with CNBC reporting an 800 percent increase in its sales that same year. The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that the rising popularity of Juul relates to an increase in social media marketing campaigns on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, which in turn fosters concern that the company is targeting minors. According to Market Watch, about 20 percent of teenagers vape, a number which can only rise as brands like Suorin enter the market of portable and lightweight e-cigarettes. Although agencies like the Food and Drug Administration focus on minimizing the accessibility of brands like Juul, the issue reaches beyond nicotine based devices. According to a study cited by CBS News, 1 in 11 students in the U.S. “have used marijuana in electronic cigarettes, totaling to roughly 2 million students vaping marijuana nationwide.”
The Big Picture
From school bathrooms to classrooms, with nicotine or marijuana, school drug culture spans from virtually all grades, socioeconomic backgrounds, and programs, of Blair. The stereotype that drug users are exclusively minority kids or are all simply lazy or poor, is an outdated and prejudiced one. Jesse argues that vaping is an activity reserved for the most privileged. “It isn’t black, and it isn’t poor kids [vaping nicotine]. It’s white kids⎯ really wealthy white kids ⎯doing it,” he says. According to Truth Initiative, 6 5
percent of surveyed Juul users are white, and 34 percent of those who recognized and used a Juul reported living comfortably with respect to their financial situation. Juuling is not exclusive to lazy students either. Kris, a sophomore who frequently leaves class to vape nicotine, sees little merit behind the belief that those who use nicotine or marijuana in school are messing up their lives. “I do drugs on occasion, but I don’t want to ruin my life and I still do school work normally and I don’t let them interfere.” Theo, who got high off marijuana before taking an AP exam and ultimately received a
“I knew I was addicted, I didn’t care.” - Jesse Junior
four, asserts that he, too, does not let drugs detract from his academics. Students like Chase argue that marijuana functions as a stress reliever, ultimately improving academic performance. “At school I had a Spanish test and I thought I was going to fail it and then I took a couple rips of the dab pen before class like so I was high off my a** throughout the whole test and I passed. I passed with an 85,” he says. Even Jesse admits that some of his best work was completed while under the influence of nicotine, stating that these assignments were “probably better than [they] would
SEOYOUNG JOO
TRUTH INITIATIVE
have been without it.” Despite this, the academic benefits users like Jesse attribute to vaping can come at a price: an incessant reliance on vaping products due to nicotine’s highly addictive nature. Although Jesse quit his nicotine usage as of this school year, he admits that in the past he was fully hooked. “I knew I was addicted, I didn’t care,” he shares. Jesse remains unbothered by his past nicotine addiction today, claiming that it is no different than a dependence on caffeine. “Nicotine is inexorably connected to cigarettes. I think until people dispel that notion, there will always be this sort of stigma around those who are addicted to nicotine, but in reality, it’s an addiction like any other, including those who are addicted to their coffee,” he says.
Consequences
According to the MCPS Student Code of Conduct, juuling on school property is grounds for suspension, while the possession and distribution of marijuana can lead to expulsion. Blair administration has sent a news-
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letter out to parents condemning e-cigarette usage in school and information was recently shared with staff pertaining to the dangers of vaping via email. While
the school cites vaping as a concern, Principal Johnson says that “it’s not something I’m pulling my hair out about, because I am not seeing it everywhere.” Although not always visible, vaping has grown so popular in school that students, like Theo, doubt the efficacy of regulations and consequences put in place by administration. “There’s definitely not enough consequences, because no one gives a f***,” Theo says. Even to Jesse, who has been caught, the consequences for in-school drug possession seemed trivial. He believes that no school policy will ever be enough to stop kids from using drugs in school. “Look, kids are teens. They’re going to find a way to do it. They’re going to find a way to sneak out into the parking lot and smoke,” Jesse says. With this in mind, Principal Johnson aims to found a student-led campaign dedicated to combating e-cigarette use, in hopes that it will prove more efficacious than warnings from staff alone. “I think adults spend a lot of time telling kids what they can’t do… but I think students listen to students,” says Principal Johnson. “Having a campaign where you have speakers come in, students who have abused it and have some negative side effects and
share it, those things are very impactful.” According to Kris, who recently decided to quit vaping THC oil during the school day, talk can only do so much. For him, it all boils down to the experience of doing it once. “We’ve definitely heard from adults and stuff to not smoke weed so we’ve been told a lot to not smoke weed,” says Kris. “For some reason some people still enjoy it so it’s just something that you’ve got to try and learn and see how comfortable you are with it.”
E3 Culture International Newsbriefs Russia arrests U.S. citizen DECEMBER 28 — Paul Whelan was arrested on charges of spying in Moscow, said Russia’s Federal Security Service in a statement. The former Marine reservist’s family claimed that Whelan was in Russia for a friend’s wedding. If found guilty, he could land a 20year prison sentence. According to NPR, US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman informed the Whelan family that they should collect money to hire Whelan a lawyer and to provide him with personal items such as toilet paper. CNN found that Whelan spent two weeks in Moscow and St. Petersburg during his military vacation in 2006; he also had an account on VKontakte, Russia’s largest social media network. Whelan served two tours as a Marine in Iraq, but was discharged in 2008 after he tried to steal more than $10,000, and has since worked in corporate security.
Canada grants Saudi woman asylum JANUARY 12 --- Saudi-born Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun, 18, arrived in Canada from Thailand after Canada granted her asylum because of her fears of familial abuse. “Canada was glad… to offer refuge to a person whose life was in danger,” Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters at Toronto Pearson International Airport. On Jan. 4 while vacationing in Kuwait with her family, Alqunun boarded a plane to Thailand, hoping to later seek refuge in Australia. The government said they were considering her call for asylum, but Canada accepted Alqunun first, according to NPR. Alqunun created a Twitter account on Jan. 5 and gained 155,000 followers within a week. Among her tweets were claims that her family would kill her if she returned to Saudi Arabia. She also renounced Islam, which is illegal and can carry a death sentence in Saudi Arabia. Saudi law mandates that women receive a male guardian’s permission to travel, so Alqunun had to wait until her family’s trip to Kuwait.
Venezuelan opposition leader briefly detained JANUARY 13 — Opposition party and National Assembly leader Juan Guaidó was seized by agents from Venezuela’s secret police as he continued to fight back against President Nicolás Maduro. He was released within an hour, and the government claimed that agents acted without orders, according to The Guardian. Guaidó’s detention came a day after the US State Department issued a statement that supported his push to replace Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s embattled president. The Guardian reported that Guaidó called Maduro illegitimate and cited his constitutional authority as the National Assembly leader to temporarily serve as president. Maduro, Venezuela’s first president after the death of Hugo Chávez, has faced allegations that he rigged his reelection amid economic troubles that have resulted in starvation and mass migration. In a statement, US National Security Adviser John Bolton deemed the election “not free, fair or credible.” Guaidó asked Venezuelans to join him on January 23 for a mass demonstration against Maduro’s government.
International Newsbriefs compiled by Prayag Gordy
January 25, 2019
silverchips
Switching things up in Sankofa The annual Blair classic is fresher and better than ever By Kie Donovan STAFF WRITER
As February approaches, Blair students and staff prepare for Sankofa, the annual show celebrating black culture and the black community at Blair. This year, big changes are coming to the production, and the Sankofa cast and crew are sure to make this year’s rendition of the Blair theatre classic as successful as it has been in the past. February is also Black History Month, which celebrates black culture and achievements throughout American history. Junior student director Camille Wilson eagerly encourages the Blair community to embrace Black History Month by going to see Sankofa. “[Sankofa is] not your average musical or play or high school production,” she says. “It’s something that is focused on black culture in black history, and it’s in [the] beginning of Black History month, so I think it’s a great way to start off celebrating the month.” Although Sankofa is a Blair staple, this does not mean it is not subject to change. In fact, the malleability of the production is what many people look forward to. The alterations and additions that come with each show generate the anticipation and excitement that build up as February draws near. This aspect of the show is what prompted former Sankofa cast member, junior Jansikwe MedinaTayac, to participate in the production, and what continues to draw her back to see it. “It’s just super fun to watch, and I always learn a lot… I’m super excited to see [how] it is, because they always come up with something super creative,” she says. Last year, tickets for the popular Friday and Saturday shows went quickly, leaving those who wanted to attend unable to. A third show was quickly added to accomodate the demand. This year, however, those involved with Sankofa are ensuring that history is not doomed to repeat itself by making the logistical change of adding a third show from
By Arshiya Dutta CULTURE EDITOR
Arshiya’s Aesthetic is a monthly column where Culture editor Arshiya Dutta expresses her opinions on anything and everything culture and entertainment. When I heard that Kevin Hart was hosting the 91st Oscars, I was excited. It was a well-deserved nomination; Kevin Hart is one of my favorite comedians and seeing him host the Oscars would be one for the books. However, a few hours after
AVERY BROOKS
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Perfecting a performance takes a great deal of practice. These dancers are practicing diligently to perfect their performance for Sankofa’s opening in February. the get-go. Many more components are being incorporated into the performance as well, such as more dances. Current Blair students, along with English teacher Michelle Elie, who oversees the production each year, are playing integral roles in choreographing and optimizing dances for the show. “We have some Afropop pieces, some traditional African dances, I believe. And we also have some hip hop and modern dances,” says Wilson, emphasizing the wide breadth of dance pieces, from genres pioneered by black artists, that will be performed in this year’s Sankofa. Other junior student director, Abby Russell, hopes to reach the rest of the student body by appealing to them through a time-honored teenage interest: music. “We’re adding more tributes to people that… [had] an impact in
history… Singers that, you know, really made an impact in our world and on our music industry,” she says. The show’s music also seems to resonate deeply with the cultures of cast members, as singer and sophomore Abby Brier discovered upon receiving a song for her solo performance. “My dad, so he grew up in Colorado, but his family was from Louisiana, New Orleans... so he used to spend his summers there,” she says. “And… when I texted [my song] to him, [he said,] ‘my dad would be so proud that you’re doing this song, it has so much to do with our culture,’” she explains. To complement the addition of numerous new performances, more complexity is being applied to set design this year, as well. “We have requested that the crew make more kind of elaborate street signs like they do for the plays and musicals,” says Wilson.
his official nomination, tweets by Kevin Hart from 2011 were dug up and resurfaced by bloggers, and Twitter ran with it. As seen before with other ancient celebrity tweets, Hart’s comments were homophobic and outdated, many with derogatory slurs. Although many people on Twitter recognized that Hart’s homophobic sentiments have changed since 2011, many still demanded an apology from him. In response to the backlash, the Oscars gave Hart a simple choice-- either apologize for the tweets and host the Oscars, or walk away completely. To me, this offer seemed pretty reasonable. After such tweets
an apology is in order, no matter how long ago they were posted. However, to my surprise, Hart decided to skip the apology and not host the 2019 Oscars. In response to the backlash for his tweets, Hart instead made a post on Instagram saying “Stop looking for reasons to be negative…stop searching for reasons to be angry...I swear I wish you guys could see/feel/understand the mental place that I am in. I am truly happy people… there is nothing that you can do to change that….NOTHING.” After posting that to Instagram, Hart declined to further apologize for his tweets, and left it at that. However, in a tweet some time after his decision to not host, Hart said he “sincerely apologize[s] to the LGBT community for [his] insensitive words from [his] past.” My first instinct after reading about this fiasco was to sympathize with Hart. Being in the public eye must suck. I also know that people change and that Hart is not actually deeply homophobic like his past tweets make him out to be. However, after further review, I found it unsettling to see him play the victim in the situation instead of initially gracefully apolo-
With all of these changes coming to the production, one might wonder how the cast and crew plan to get it all done in time. Wilson notes that time is a concern, but she believes that her and her peers’ devotion to making the show a success will allow them to put a great final product out on time. “Of course, with a big show, it’s a lot to prepare for... but we always crank out a good show because we have a very good group of dedicated people,” she says. “Everyone’s pretty flexible, and we’re just testing out a bunch of things, it’s really casual, it’s a really fun time,” says Brier, expressing that while a good deal of preparation is going into the show, experimentation and refinements are still happening to enhance the show to the fullest.
Blair students, staff, and families are encouraged to go see Sankofa on Feb. 7 at 4:00 p.m., or on Feb. 8/9 at 7:00 p.m.
gizing. Although I understand Hart’s frustration with “internet trolls” and “haters” trying to capitalize on his mistakes from almost eight years ago, there is a clear line that Hart overstepped by tweeting homophobic slurs. Had Hart been more mature about the situation and owned up to past mistakes, he would have been able to clear his name and even host the Oscars. With the internet’s potential to capture and store everything we do through videos, Tweets, or posts, we need to be more cautious of what we project to the world. We are also equally responsible for apologizing if we feel we are clearly in the wrong. Comedians are often told to “never apologize for their jokes,” which can be a damaging message to people who face homophobia on a daily basis. Ricky Gervais said in a tweet in reference to Hart’s controversy that “the only time I’m offended by a comedian is when they apologise.” Comedy is absolutely no excuse for homophobia or any other form of hate speech. In 2019, let us all try to be more aware of it and call people out for it!
January 25, 2019
silverchips
Culture E4
The heart and the sole As the sneakerhead revolution spreads, it’s clear that the hype is real By Ethan Park STAFF WRITER
18 hours. 18 hours is the amount of time that one fan waited in the freezing December Detroit weather for a chance at “copping” the restocked Air Jordan 11s “Space Jams” in 2016. As one of the most heralded pairs of Jordan 11s ever released, these sneakers sold out almost instantly after their drop at 10 AM. This is but one example of the sneaker hype culture that has gripped the nation within the past two decades, where obsessed customers employ fast fingers and bots to cop the most coveted sneaker releases from brands like Nike and Adidas. This sneaker craze has spread throughout the world over the past three decades, and Blair is no exception. To understand the roots of sneaker culture, one must go back to the release that started it all: the first Air Jordan 1. This legendary shoe, with its infamous high-top silhouette, was originally released in 1985 with a humble retail price tag of $65.After Michael Jordan signed with Nike for the creation of this shoe, other sneaker companies and athletes followed suit with more and more player exclusives. These collaborations are more prevalent today than ever, with various sneaker brands sponsoring famous athletes like LeBron James, Serena Williams, and Kobe Bryant. As sneakers evolved, so did technology. With the introduction of the Internet and the invention of online reselling, sneakers were being bought and “flipped” for profit at almost double their retail prices. The Internet also created the concept that remains the steady heart and soul of the sneaker industry, the secret behind the cul-
HALLWAY HYPE Sneakerhead Blazers of the latest sneaker releases from ture: hype. With new sneaker releases come varying amounts of hype. Sneakers from acclaimed brands and athletes will typically garner the most hype, especially if their stock is limited. Carina Ali, a junior and self-proclaimed “shoe connoisseur,” believes that elements such as music, sports, and fashion trends influence sneaker hype. “[People are into sneakers nowadays] because of all of these new creations and stuff like that, and along with rappers and your favorite NBA players or other collabs with companies… you want to see what they’re doing, or get into the different trends that are going on,” she says.
walk around brands like
EMORY BROOKS
school with some Nike and Adidas.
A perfect example of this type of sneaker hype was seen in 2017 and 2018, with Nike’s collaboration with streetwear brand OffWhite. Virgil Abloh, CEO of Off-White, collaborated with Nike for a series of shoes that took over the 2017 and 2018 sneaker scene. Abloh’s innovative take on the iconic silhouettes of classic Nike shoes included new colorways, printed text, and oddly enough, zip ties. Celebrities and athletes wore the shoes with each new release, and the hype spiked. The Off White x Air Jordan 1 ‘UNC’ sneakers that originally dropped at a price of $190 are now going for upwards of $800 on resell sites. Although these prices may
seem absurd, the hype is undeniable. People often buy these sneakers with the intention of reselling them for profits, as their scarcity drives resell prices up after time. Some students at Blair choose to buy sneakers just to resell them, spending hundreds of dollars on some pairs of shoes to ‘flip’ them. “The most I’ve probably spent was probably on the Kaws [Jordan] 4s,” says senior Arsene Mutagoma. “I spent $800 on those, and then I sold them for $990 or something like that, so there was $190 in profit.” Resellers like Mutagoma have to stay on top of sneaker releases, often using bots to buy shoes as soon as they drop. “Me and my cousin, we invested $100 in these good bots for any Yeezy release,” he says. “I have two installed on my computer right now, each 100-something dollars.” Although the culture of sneakerheads seems to be based heavily on the supply-anddemand logistics of online hype, many people are aware that pulling off a sneaker takes thought beyond the brand name. “There could be hype around a shoe and it could be ugly,” says Ali. “Or, you could have a hype shoe and wear an ugly outfit with it and then you just throw off the whole thing.” As the sneaker industry continues to grow, it is clear that shoe hype is not dying down any time soon. Shoe enthusiasts like Mutagoma believe that sneakers have created a culture comparable to other cultural movements throughout history. “Sneakers are a talking point. They’re a livelihood for people nowadays,” he says. “Just like how cars and hair are a culture for some people, sneakers are a culture for others.” Whether it be the sneakerheads in professional sports, the music industry, or Blair’s own hallways, this footwear revolution has shown no signs of stopping.
E5 Culture
silverchips
Archives
January 25, 2019
Edited by Camden Roberts, Avery Brooks, and Miranda Rose Daly
In Silver Chips’ 81st year, we will be continuing the tradition of our dear predecessors by going through our archives and finding the best, most timely, and most local stories. We, however, will be presenting them by section, not by year. Without further ado, our favorite features.
SOPHOMORE SETS RECORD BY SKATING FOR 288 HOURS January 21, 1975 For some Blairites, Christmas vacation this year was spent putting in hours at Murphy’s or Kress during the Christmas rush … But for sophomore Sheila Guthrie, the days just “rolled” by. During the 12 day Christmas break, the petite sophomore surpassed the world record for continuous roller skating which had been previously set at 147 hours in 1935. Sheila set the new record at 288 hours, nearly double that of the former. A veteran skater for over ten years, Sheila claims that she got the idea from a movie called Roll, Freddy, Roll which has been telecast the Tuesday night before vacation. In the picture, Tim Conway portrays a young man who tries to seek fortune and fame by breaking the roller skating record and being entered in the Guiness Book of World Records. What was it like spending all that time on wheels?
MARCUS SISTERS SHOOT TO STARDOM Feb. 14 1985 Their shelves and drawers are filled with over 200 trophies, medals and certificates. These two remarkable sisters, senior Rebecca Marcus and freshman Abigale Marcus, have made it to the top in an unusual sport, rifle shooting. Abigale has already won every single national title in her age group. Rebecca made it to the U.S. National Team two years ago, but just missed it this past year. According to Blair rifle team coach Jim Burkholder, “They’re exceptional at this sport.” He claims that “either one of them is Olympic potential.” Calling them “bright and dedicated to their sport,” Rebecca’s and Abigale’s former coach Captain Carl Drenkard attributes their talent to “dedication and perseverance.” He adds, “They both have good physical talent, but the mental desire is what makes a good shooter.” While Rebecca prepares to shoot an air rifle in the basement of their home, Abigale provides a running commentary of the action. “Our talking doesn’t even bother her at all … that’s how it is in shooting. You have to block out everything; you should only hear your heartbeat.” In a sarcastic tone, Abigale adds, “This one [Rebecca] of course got so relaxed in prone position during a meet that she fell asleep.” This incident occurred two years ago during the preliminary try outs for the U.S. National Team. Rebecca recalls, laughing, “I had been up late the night before and I was really tired. I was so relaxed during my position that I fell asleep.” She woke up with seven minutes to shoot twenty shots. Amazingly, Rebecca went on to qualify for the national team despite the nap she took.
IT’S SO-O-O NICE TO BE GAY March 11, 1949 “Oh isn’t she simply darling__?” “Wouldn’t this pink angora sweater look simply adorable on her!” “Don’t you just looove the way she walks!” These are just a few of the remarks we overheard people making about Gay. Who is this gal who seems to have captured the admiration of so many of her classmates? Gay makes friends easily, fitted right into things immediately upon her arrival at Blair. She is an active member of the Library Club, became a cheerleader in her junior year, and of course she was in the Blair Queen’s Court. Gay had few pet peeves but two of them she mentioned were “People calling me snobbish,” and “People who gossip about my friends.” Among her likes are blondhaired fellows, the colors green and grey, dancing, swimming, horseback riding, and knitting. Upon graduation this spring she plans to attend University of Maryland and then get married. We wish you luck in all you do, Gay, but we know you don’t need luck as long as you are just plain you!
BALD IS BOUNTIFUL AS SHAVEN TREND RULES Nov. 18, 1993 COURTESY OF SIMONE THOMPSON
Blair junior Simone Thompson displays her love for ballet.
TEEN PARENTING CLASS POKEY BEAR ADOPTS SON, STARTS NEW TRADITION TEACHES BABY BASICS Sept. 11, 1964 October 13, 1994 “I told the school nurse I was pregnant and she told me about the program,” says senior Nia Carry of the Blair high school Teen Parenting Class (TPC). Though listed on her transcript as a normal child development class, it is really only “for the girls and guys that are parents” or soon will be, “so you don’t feel alone or embarrassed,” explains Carry. Meeting in the afternoon, the twelve students often watch videos of pre-prenatal care, childbirth, and infant care, or invite experts from the County Health Department to lecture on nutrition. Students in the Blair Parenting Class speak proudly of how responsible they are about seeking appropriate health care and speaking to the school nurse about concerns. The program also strongly emphasizes birth control and contraceptives. Any of the students who have a second child while still at Blair are asked to leave the program. “She [Johnson] asked us how can we prevent [other students] from getting pregnant,” said Carry. “Ms. Johnson didn’t want to see multiple children. [She] wanted girls to keep coming back to school, but not keep having children.”
Pokey, Montgomery Blair’s teddy bear mascot, has adopted a son. The son, who bears the school’s initials, is called Major B. The big red and white bear was presented to the music department by Blairite Bill Schlosenberg for the expressed purpose of providing the Advanced Chorus with its own special mascot. Major B is almost five times as big as his father, but Mrs. Huntley and Miss Stickely, co-guardians of the bears have an explanation. They say that “Pokey’s long association with athletic heroes at Blair would naturally cause his son to look more like them.” Pokey has traveled with Blair athletic teams many times during his 34 years. His son will follow his example. The chorus plans to take Major B along on all concerts and performances this year. Papa Pokey has long had a wardrobe of different team uniforms. Major B is fast acquiring one of his own. He already has a protective plastic jump suit and is now being fitted for a choir robe. Plans for future outfits include a Blair tee-shirt, a mortar board and a letter sweater. When asked why the bear’s tongue is hanging out, Mrs. Huntley laughed. “The poor thing has been singing along with us so hard that he’s panting from the effort.”
Students examine the cafeteria’s new jukebox January 22, 1965
Dr. Dre, Onyx, Derek Coleman. These men are bald by choice and they have quite a few followers. Just take a glance through the halls. Think back to the 60’s and 70’s, when the more hair you had, the better. Afros were a foot high and hair flowed down the backs of many. And what about the 80’s? Remember flattops? Hair styles were climbing to new heights. But in the 90’s, more and more people, typically African-American males have decided to shave it all off. It’s not just teenagers doing it either. The Washington Post recently ran a story on middle-aged men shaving their heads. So what’s the reason for teenagers going bald? For one thing, the nuisance of having to style your hair every morning is gone, according to bald-headed sophomore Liam Bullard. “I like [having no hair on my head] ‘cause I don’t have to worry about combing it all the time,” he says. Others are taking the economical approach to head-shaving. “I got my head shaved because it cost less than getting a haircut,” says freshman Melvin Terry. “I just shaved it myself,” he adds. Of course, the razor blade did leave a few scars the first time, but now Terry says “I can shave it real good.” Senior Aaron Klein’s reason for having an almost completely bald head has nothing to do with “anything social”. Bashfully, he explains, “I made a bet with my friend. We said if Toronto won the World Series, I would shave my head. If Baltimore won, my friend would. Well, guess what happened?” Of his new look, Klein says “I hate it.” A bald head is certainly a distinguishing feature, especially on young people, but do others find it attractive? Freshman Genevieve Elgert does. “I like the way [a shaved head] looks and feels,” she says. Others aren’t so quick to generalize about the attractiveness of baldness. Mya Harper and Dionne White, both freshmen, agree a shaved head is attractive only on some people, mostly on black males. Harper says, “If the boy’s face is cute and he has a bald head, he’s still cute. But if the boy is ugly, well then, he’s still ugly even with a bald head.”
Chips Clips E6
silverchips
January 25, 2019
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SALLY ZHAO
F1 Sports
January 25, 2019
silverchips
Make protest allowed again The blacklisting of black lives matter
By Paloma Williams STAFF WRITER
AN OPINION
Editor’s Note: Silver Chips, in coverage of teams whose nicknames are racial slurs, will no longer print the slurs. Instead they will be identified by listing the city and the sport, i.e. Washington Football or Cleveland Baseball. This will be a permanent change. -Camden Roberts, Sports Editor The National Football League (NFL) is a national institution that has immense power, and thus is a quintessential aspect of American culture. One of the fundamental principles in American democracy is standing up for what is right. Stories of strong, brilliant, transformative minds are told with honor and esteem. These stories chronicle brave souls like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X, whose hearts stood tall as their voices grew loud. But these are more than just stories. These brave hearts inspire us to rise up for our beliefs and defend those without a voice. Or, in the case of Colin Kaepernick, to kneel. In Kaepernick’s third preseason game of the 2016 season, he was spotted sitting for the anthem. In the fourth preseason game, he kneeled, slightly adjusting his stance in order to show respect for U.S. veterans whilst still protesting against police brutality that was plaguing the country with the deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Terence Crutcher, and Keith Lamont Scott. That was Kaepernick’s last game. Despite the fact that our democracy encourages protest as outlined in the Bill of Rights, Kaepernick’s bold choice to kneel in protest was deemed “Un-American” and cost him his career. The values practiced in the NFL are a cheap excuse for patriotism. Last November, amidst various rumors of Kaepernick being blacklisted by the entire NFL, the Washington football team brewed up a media buzz, insinuating that they were thinking of signing Colin Kaepernick. According to Kaepernick’s management, they were never contacted. This is
GABE WINSTON -BAILEY
not the first time that Colin Kaepernick’s name has been expunged from a list of prospective players for the football team. They ended up signing quarterback Mark Sanchez, despite Kaepernick’s glaringly better performance record. In 2016, Kaepernick’s last year in the NFL, his yards per game averaged 186.8. That same year, Sanchez averaged 46.5. Kaepernick had a completion percentage of 59.2. In Sanchez’s last (nearly full season), 2012 with the New York Jets, his was 54.3. Sanchez has not thrown a touchdown since 2015, while Kaepernick threw 16 in 2016 alone. “Colin Kaepernick… took his team to the Super Bowl. He was a really good quarterback in his time,” said junior Christopher Watkins, running back on varsity football and fan of Washington’s Blair football team, who believes the QBs that the Washington football team put in are undoubtedly less qualified than Kaepernick. “He’s bet-
ter than both of the guys… that were put in after Alex Smith got hurt so, I think [they] should’ve signed him,” explained Watkins. The choice not to sign Kaepernick had nothing to do with merit and everything to do with punishment. Corrupt institutions of power are known to retaliate against those who speak on ideas that these powerful institutions feel threatened by. For Kaepernick to call out the prevalent devaluing of black lives in America means that he poses a threat to both those that exploit black lives and to those who benefit from this exploitation. Football is a sport that is carried by talented black bodies, ran and controlled by rich white men. It is no coincidence that to the NFL, ‘Black Lives Matter’ is a controversial statement. The irony of the situation is somehow lost to the men at the top. The Washington football team seems to care more about its image and prevent-
ing political controversy than about the people whose lives the league impacts. “I don’t see why that would be a problem if they signed Reuben Foster, who was the guy who had all the allegations with domestic abuse with his girlfriend,” said Watkins. Last December, the team signed Foster, a linebacker who had been arrested only days prior on domestic assault charges. For the second time that year alone, Foster faced domestic assault allegations which have yet to impact his career. His accuser, Elissa Ennis, in an interview with ABC News, expressed her dismay at the situation. “When he got signed, I was like, I can’t believe somebody picked him up,” she said. “I was shocked. Reuben threw my clothes off the balcony, he threw my stuff out the house, he dragged me down the stairs 2-3 times, he punched me in the face 2-3 times, [pulled] me by my hair, kicked me, spit on me…” she recounts from earlier allegations of his abuse. Charges against him have since been dropped, but it begs the question if anyone cared in the first place. In their overt choices regarding whom to sign, the Washington football team has made it clear that it welcomes abusers with open arms but discourages political activism. To them, assault is not enough to deem someone unqualified. By signing Foster, they are sending a message that the experiences of women are not a factor in their decision making. This is an appalling position to take on such serious matters. The NFL’s morals are flimsy at best. With power must come responsibility, and punishing people for being controversial is not only morally unjust, but commonly practiced by racist individuals and institutions. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered by a segregationist white man who felt threatened by ideas that challenged his morality. He was too ‘defiant.’ But as American history has demonstrated, the people will speak despite efforts to force their silence. Washington’s football team, along with the NFL, have time and time again expressed their unfailing willingness to punish those who take a stand. Or, if you’re Colin Kaepernick, kneel.
Sports F2
silverchips
January 25, 2019
KENT stop this
Okombi signs to play Division I football from OKOMBI page A1
motivation. But instead, I heard a story straight from the movies, about a young immigrant on the hunt for a better life who learns English, almost falls into trouble, but finds a passion that gives him a way out.
“I’m from a place you’ll never go”
“I was born in Africa, in Congo,” Okombi tells me. He grew up in the Republic of Congo, about an hour away from the capital, Brazzaville. The Republic of Congo ranks low in the CIA’s estimates of gross domestic product per capita by nation, which measures a country’s economic prosperity. “There’s not much [in Congo],” Okombi adds. “I mean, people barely go to college, so after high school you just find your way out or start a business or something. It’s not like America [where] it’s set that after high school
he continued to move around. “I went from Kenya back to Congo for a couple weeks, and then I went to Dubai,” he says. “From Dubai I went to France for a couple months, because my sister was pregnant, and she had kids there. And then from France we came here, and my sister stayed there.” In addition to English, which was not his first language—“I didn’t even know how to speak English five years ago, six years ago,” he says—Okombi also speaks Lingala, his parents’ language, and French. He finally arrived in Montgomery County in August 2011. “I just expected to have a better life.… And snow. Because we don’t have snow in Africa.” So far, he says, both expectations have been fulfilled. Okombi attended Silver Spring International, where he learned English and made friends, including football players Eric Zokouri and Poncé DeLeon (both Blair
and I started going.” Some of his other friends, however, led far different lives. Okombi has included in his Twitter bio the hashtag “#FreeZero.” “Zero,” he tells me, “is like my cousin now….In my middle school years, I didn’t play sports; I used to just be around the neighborhood, and he was one of my good [friends].” Zero was older than Okombi, who sometimes witnessed Zero and his friends doing what he describes as “older stuff.” Now, Zero is in jail for armed robbery. “I don’t live in a great neighborhood,” Okombi says, “so watching people get locked up and people going away—I have three friends that are in jail right now. That just motivates me and helps me, because I don’t want to be in jail. I don’t want my freedom to be taken away.”
Going 100 percent
When he got to Blair, Okombi
EMORY BROOKS
STANDING PROUD Okombi coaches (from left) Steve Efantis, you go to college, after college you find a job.” Okombi left Congo, he says, at the beginning of 2011, when he was 11. The first stop was Kenya, where he lived for about six months, but
poses Jerrard
with Baker,
Montgomery Andrew Fields,
Class of 2017). “They went to SSI and they was sophomores [at Blair], and they came back to SSI and told me to start going to workouts,” Okombi says. “I was like alright, I’m going to just try it out,
SEOYOUNG JOO
Blair football and Danny Cole.
started to play football, where he discovered an environment full of love and support. When his grades were falling, Blair football head coach Andrew Fields invited Okombi—in a way that could not be refused—to do his homework in Fields’ office for an hour and a half every day. “Just stuff like that, it just shows you how much they cared about me and how much they wanted me to succeed,” Okombi says with a smile. One of Okombi’s older brothers introduced him to one of his mentors, Blair’s cafeteria manager Christine Blanton. Now, Blanton and Okombi have grown close, and he feels that she “became like a mother figure.” He had a similar relationship with former football coach, Cory Boatman. “He’s just a mentor to me now,” Okombi says. “He just [told] me that ‘Even though you don’t have your dad in your life right now, we’re here for you, whenever you need us, just call us or text us, we’re going to be right here for you.’” Okombi’s father only recently made it to the United States; the first game he was able to attend was senior night. Okombi’s way of life originates from his story. “I just think my work ethic, my mentality, is just way different than other people,” he says. “I grew up where it was never easy, and then you just have to make it—you can’t come here and then mess up, so you have no option but going 100 percent.” But this motivation, this drive to make
“Camden’s Yard” is a monthly column where sports editor Camden Roberts expresses an opinion on current events in sports.
Please shut up about the New England Patriots. At this point, I genuinely couldn’t care less that Boston “breeds athletes” or that you’re the self-described “best sports city in the world!” It’s obnoxious. Don’t point at the New York Yankees as an example and say, “at least we’re not that bad!” You are. If anything, your beloved Sox are the new Evil Empire. At least be self-aware enough to admit that. Please understand—I’m not saying the Patriots are bad. To say that, I’d have to be delusional or woefully uninformed. However, they appear to be reaching the end of their dynasty of championships, at least for a little bit. They weren’t that good this season. They went 11-5 in the regular season, topped by Kansas City, the Bears, the Rams, the Chargers, and the Saints. That’s their worst record since 2009. Your beloved Tom Brady threw for more interceptions than he has since 2013. His yards per game decreased from the last few seasons, as did his touchdown percentage. Even with that, he is still playing at a level practically unheard of for a man his age. Unfortunately, he’s 41, and no matter how good he is, that is clearly not sustainable. Eventually his hand, or his ACL, or any of the other numerous injuries he has suffered over the years will catch up with him and he will decline. Hilariously, this is beginning to weigh on the players’ minds. “Everyone thinks we suck,” Brady told CBS in a press conference after beating the Chargers 41-28. “We’re the underdog this week,” added wide receiver Julian Edelman. Even better, ESPN’s power index actually gives them the lowest chance of the four remaining teams of winning the Super Bowl, at 15 percent. If you’ve gotten this far and
you’re a Patriots fan, you can call me bitter. That’s fine. Say I’m upset that whatever team you think I root for sucks or that I don’t know what I’m talking about. The thing is, I kind of do. Go ahead and tell me that you’ve won your division every year since 2009. Okay, but the AFC East sucks. Every other team in that division is terrible. Say the same thing about your conference championships—the AFC in recent years hasn’t been exactly stable. Although, to be fair, the fact that you’ve been able to accomplish anything with Alex Guerrero working for Brady is an incredible achievement on its own. As Brady’s “body coach,” Guerrero has attempted to promote (alongside Brady) a drink that he claimed would prevent concussions. Relatively recently, he has won over other Pats, with both Edelman and tight end Rob Gronkowski reportedly swearing by him. This led to a rift between Belichick and Brady that led to Guerrero briefly being banned from the team plane, as well as from the sidelines during games. Guerrero is Brady’s business partner, his close friend and the godfather of one of his children. He is also, according to Boston Magazine, a “glorified snake-oil salesman”. Brady on his own is an incredibly unpredictable variable, but Guerrero’s presence around the team and his rift with the coach create a veritable powder keg. There’s also the massive issue of Brady and Belichick’s politics, which can best be simplified as hating minorities and blindly supporting Trump, but that’s a different column. So, sure they’re good. They’re also overrated, unpredictable, prejudiced, and frankly, going downhill.
a better life, has not been without regrets. “I wish I could’ve taken my grades seriously in sophomore and freshman year,” Okombi explains. He works hard in class now, he says, and wants to pursue either criminal justice or sports management at Kent State. In the meantime, he is doing his part to get his younger teammates on track faster. “I tell them, focus in the classroom first, and then the field will take care of itself. If you’re just a good man in the classroom, that’s going to carry onto the field, [and] you’re going to be a good athlete.” Okombi also tells me, “In this society, people are just scared to
be themselves, just because of what someone has to say about them, or what someone thinks.” He mentions that people have called him “fake,” but he pushes through. “Never, never be scared to put yourself first and put your family first before anyone else.” This is the mentality that pushed him past half a pushup, that keeps him from missing workouts, that helps him block out negativity and doubt. Okombi now benches 355 pounds and squats 525, and certainly holds a physical presence in almost any room. But at the end of the day, he says, “Don’t worry about your size—it’s all about your heart.”
silverchips
F3 Sports
January 25, 2019
Where the talent began
The youth sports that start our athletes’ careers By Mira Diamond-Berman STAFF WRITER
Under the rigor of their current sports, student athletes may lose sight of the beginning of their passion. The fun of youth sports sparked their interest in the games that they still play today. Not only can youth sports benefit the children who play them, but they can also serve to bring the whole community together. Youth sports teams are a fun way to be involved in athletics while spending time with friends in a less competitive environment. They tend to consist of only one or two practices on weekdays, and then a couple games or competitions on the weekend. Youth sports are meant to encourage children to get outside and engage them in the fun of athletics. They are not necessarily about children winning or achieving a high skill and fitness level, but instead they are for children to move their bodies in a healthy way and learn the enjoyment of sports. Howard Kohn, one of the founders of Takoma Soccer, created the league in 1985. Because Montgomery Soccer Inc (MSI) was the only league in the area and limited its players to residents of the county, Kohn founded it to be open to everyone. Takoma Soccer focuses on allowing any and all kids to play soccer. “The goal is for kids to be able to play [soccer],” Kohn says. “If you can’t afford to pay the fee, then you can still play. And if you’re sort of klutzy you can still play.” Junior Noa Dorah started her soccer career in Takoma Soccer. “[It] sparked my love for the game … I learned the fun part of soccer there and then when I switched [to a club team] I learned the more serious part,” she says. Junior William Young started swimming as a child and he continues to swim competitively today, both for Blair and for a private club team. He credits the sport with encouraging him to be far more athletic and engaged
than he would have otherwise been. “[Swimming] made me do more active stuff when I was a kid,” he says. Youth sports can also teach good lifelong habits. “It’s good exercise, you learn teamwork, you learn discipline, you learn it’s not all about you, it’s about the team,” Kohn says. With young children as the players, the coaches and officials can be high schoolers looking to instill a love of sports in the younger genera-
tion. Many Blair students either coach teams or referee their competitions. This mentormentee relationship fosters positive role models for the children and helps the teenagers practice their leadership skills. Young is a coach and role model for a swim team of five and six-year-olds. “I think they look up to me and I’m a positive influence on them,” he says. Dorah referees for Takoma Soccer, typically in the seco n d grade
SEOYOUNG JOO
age range. “It’s fun to watch the little kids play and see how where I was then and where they can go.” Beyond the enjoyment of seeing the kids play and develop their skills, she is also teaching them the rules of soccer. “[Refereeing] teaches them the rules because as you get older... the field gets bigger,” Dorah says. “The rules become more complex as you get older but not that much more. So for second grade especially, they start getting offsides [called].” Participation in youth sports goes beyond teenagers and children. Parents and other family members make youth sports a community affair. Parents often coach the teams alongside teenagers, and families often attend the games and competitions to support their children. A soccer or baseball game may bring together many families for a beneficial community introduction. Families who might not interact otherwise, meet through a game. These interactions foster more connections within the community. “For a lot of parents the soccer games are one of their first introductions to their neighbors,” Kohn says. ”We start at age three so even before kids are going to public school. In a public school you get to meet all kinds of new kids, all kinds of new parents. That happens a couple of years earlier in the soccer league, at age three or four families get to know each other. And some of them volunteer to be coaches, they especially know all the other parents on their team. You know a lot of good friendships to come out of that.” These friendships do not just strengthen a community, but they also create a diverse and well-integrated community. “It also opens people’s eyes to what kind of community we have because we’re living on a block where everybody is exactly the same as you more or less. Now, all of the sudden you’re playing on a team and not everybody is the same, quite a bit different maybe. So I think it’s a introduction of the real life of our community,” Kohn says.
SpringBroken by Blair
Girls’ basketball team defeats Springbrook in second win of season By Victoria Xin STAFF WRITER
NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM, Jan. 11— After five consecutive losses, the girls’ varsity basketball team brought back the fire with a 53-44 win against Springbrook. Blair dominated the first quarter with a focus on defense. Senior Sarah Khan, sophomore Peyton Martin, and junior Janie Pitner made critical baskets. Within the first minute of the second quarter, however, Springbrook immediately shortened the gap with multiple successive baskets.
After a brief timeout, Blair came back with renewed vigor. Players rushed across the court rapidly, forcing the audience’s heads to swivel with them. Perspiration shined on the foreheads of players as they grappled on the floor for the ball. Sophomore Kate Hildebrandt, junior Zoe Abramson, and sophomore Peyton Martin led the charge with steady endurance, making aggressive drives to the basket. The last twenty seconds of the second quarter had the crowd on the edge of their seats. After Springbrook scored at the nine second mark, an exhilarating field goal by freshman Emily Liu cemented the lead for Blair. Halftime began with a score of 25 to
YEKATERINA VAKHROMEEVA
REBOUNDING Blair players hold Springbrook back as Blair tries to steal the ball after Springbrook’s missed shot. Springbrook players eagerly watch off court.
18. Both the cheer squad and the poms team pumped up the crowd with their lively chants and thrilling dance routines. During the poms performance, a black shoe from the poms team flew towards the audience like a kernel of popcorn, eliciting surprised gasps from the crowd. Starting the second half off with a three pointer, Blair’s fervor lit up the crowd. Not to be left behind, Springbrook soon edged in their own three pointer. Blair took advantage of some creative plays as well. By forming a wall around a Springbrook player after an out-of-bounds play, Blair was able to regain control of the ball. These impressive plays were not lost on the crowd. “Defense is a lot better than last week,” audience member and Blair alumnus Liam Martin noted. Maintaining their intensity from the beginning of the game, Blair sealed off the third quarter with a nine point lead. Coming into the fourth quarter, Blair continued making powerful plays, including a three pointer by senior captain Megan Burke. Sensing the stakes, Springbrook picked up their offense and upped the competition to bring their score to 42, catching up to Blair’s 46. The scores climbed unevenly on both sides, and it seemed to be a potential win for either side. Blair’s supporters didn’t seem to expect such a neck and neck game. “It’s closer than it should be,” said previous assistant coach Shaun Burke. The audience was once again at the edge of their seats. With shouts of “Go Blair!” and “Pull for it!” Liu, Hildebrandt, and junior Lucy Martin all made free throws to cement their 53 to 44 victory. With the game complete, Blair supporters let out a sigh of relief. “It was really intense before we started getting into the free
YEKATERINA VAKHROMEEVA
A RUSH TO DEFEND Blair employs a steady defense against a Springbrook player trying to shoot.
throws,” said announcer Nayely Bonilla. Burke credited the win to “a better second half, boxing out, smarter passes, and [breaking] the press,” and coach Amy Ferguson pitched in “intense defense” as a key element. The team is already looking towards their next win. “We need to work on breaking presses more with passes and less with dribbling,” said captain Peyton Martin. “I think the team really decreased our turnovers [this game]… and that’s going to contribute to wins in the future.”
January 25, 2019
silverchips
Fish out of water
Sports F4
Two staff writers switch swimming and crew practices By Uma Gupta and Amanda Liu STAFF WRITERS
IN FIRST PERSON
In terms of physicality and endurance, swimming and rowing aren’t really all that different—both require similar muscle groups and leave athletes struggling to walk by the end of practice. Nonetheless, put a rower, Uma, in the pool or a swimmer, Amanda, on an ergometer and they end up feeling like a fish out of water. Unfortunately, we had to learn this the hard way...
Uma’s perspective Rower en route to swim practice - Jan. 8, 5:15 a.m. After cramming a towel into my trunk, I do my best to drive in a straight line while I wolf down
with impeccable freestyle form, racking up completed laps with no breaks in between. My stomach turns as Amanda helps me put on my cap and offers a few words of encouragement. Ignoring my frantic protests, she guides me to the first lap lane where eight girls are lined up in shoulder level water. I slide into the pool and head to the back of the group, smiling when I see fellow chips staffer, junior Victoria Xin, in the same lane. Just as I begin to introduce myself to the group, I am interrupted by the stern voice of swim coach Kelly Labriola urging swimmers to complete their warm ups instead of standing around. Hearing this, the line of girls in front of me begin to inch forward. Our lane is soon full of movement as each swimmer steps forward and breaks into a fluid breaststroke. When my turn arrives, I am
of myself that greets Victoria at the end of the lane. Between labored breaths, I ask her to explain the next set to me, hoping it will involve exiting the pool and hitting the showers. “We’re doing dolphin kicks,” she says, putting an end to my dreams of warm towels and non-chlorine scented soap. During the first lap, I observe the swimmers around me, stunned that I can feel waves emanating from their kicks all the way across the pool. Once I feel ready, I push off from the wall with more confidence than before. Lying on my back, I can’t kick fast enough to stay afloat and pool water begins to trickle over my face and into my mouth. Sputtering to a halt, I attempt to regain my composure at the side of the lane. “It’s like doing the worm,” Victoria advises me when I finally drag myself back to the front of the lane; my confidence having long since evaporated. For the next lap I imagine myself on a dance floor listening to Drake’s latest album, and soon enough I’m worming my way to the end of the set. Following what seems like an eternity of sub-par breaststroke, weak dolphin kicks, and more than my fair share of breaks, I realize that practice is over. Suddenly, I am not so excited to leave the pool. Although I was barely able to breathe the entire time, I feel proud to have attended a practice alongside such talented athletes
The side effects
WAVERING CONFIDENCE quick breath but gets a my third banana of the morning, thanking my lucky stars (which are still visible at this ungodly hour) that the roads are empty at 4:45 am. Still groggy from a late night of watching “how to swim” videos on YouTube, I attempt to take deep, calming breaths. Suddenly, I am painfully aware of the fact that I haven’t swam in ten years. Now a rower, I can barely remember the difference between free and fly. As I pull into the parking lot fifteen minutes late, I set what I hope will be an achievable goal for today’s swim practice: just don’t drown.
“Warm Up” Upon my arrival, I am greeted by the smiling and slightly out of breath Amanda. Behind her, swimmers hurtle across the pool
SHAKING OUT cial kick in
Uma the
and pool
YEKATERINA vAKHROMEVA
Uma pauses for a mouthful of water instead. far from prepared, but all eyes are on me and I have no choice but to swim. Eager to distance myself from the discerning stares of the swimmers around me, I take a deep breath and launch myself off the wall behind me. The clamor of practice is instantly replaced by the calming murmur of water flowing past my head. Upon breaking the surface, I find that some of my third-grade knowledge of swimming is still intact. To my dismay, it serves only to help control my arms. Behind me, my legs flail, trying in vain to replicate the powerful kick of the swimmer ahead of me. I manage to flounder through the next few laps by reminding myself that things can only improve from here. It is a limp and pitiful version
DEDE GREENFIELD
Amanda talk and soafter practice finishes.
I veer into Blair’s empty parking lot around 7:20 a.m. My body feels so exhausted that I momentarily forget the entire school day still lies ahead. With an extra 20 minutes to kill, I begin to type some notes about the practice, surprised by a painful twinge in my already-sore arms. Despite my deflated ego and throbbing muscles, I sure got a kick out of 5 a.m. swim practice.
Amanda’s perspective The erg-ly truth at crew practice - Dec. 20, 3:20 p.m.
UMA GUPTA
SMILING THROUGH THE PAIN Amanda and Teddy strike a pose during a quick break in between reps. We’ll be doing it in a reverse pyramid, meaning that we increase the number of rounds as we progress through the set before coming back down. Since I don’t know what the first two mean, Uma decides it is best for me to start with full-body rowing. I take mental notes as Kiah and Stewie row, observing the urgency with which they strap and unstrap their shoes to the erg. That’s when it hits me: we’re racing the other teams! My body is flooded with adrenaline as my competitive spirit kicks in—just in time for my turn. My fingers feel like cardboard as I fumble with the footstraps, awkwardly trying to shove my feet into position. Before I can fully tighten them, Uma is handing me the ergometer handle and Kiah and Stewie are cheering me on, telling me to “ROW!” My middle school muscle memory comes back and all I can do is
the split drops. As I learn later, the split measures how long it would take to row 500 meters at the current pace. For the next cycle, Greg rearranges the groups, and I join Teddy and senior Leo Blain. This time, rowing with my arms and upper body, I try to extend backward to increase power rather than tempo. The split seems to approve, dropping into the 2:20s. “Murder the erg!” Uma yells. “Be one with the erg!” Teddy says. Despite my teammates’ conflicting messages, their energy is infectious. Even with the throbbing pain in my forearms, back, feet, and just about every other muscle in my body, I can’t help but smile. Our team finishes first, and after some high-fives we’re on to the next round. The erg handle is starting to feel like quicksand. My teammates tell me to make the fan move; I manage
Serene images of boats on the water swirl around my mind as I go about the school day, excited for my very first crew practice. As time goes by, however, my anticipation is soon replaced with a warning from fellow Chips junior writer and rower Teddy Beamer: “Your hands will be bleeding by the end of practice.” Has the last decade of grueling swim practices prepared me for this workout? Or will I disgrace the entire swim team with my performance? The practice can’t be that bad, can it? UMA GUPTA The end-of-school bell rings, PULLING THROUGH Amanda handles the presshattering my reverie. Whatever sure as teammates encourage her to finish strong. the answers to my questions, it’s too late to back out now. focus on pulling as hard and as fast a pathetic sputter. Just row as I can. Still, I try my best to keep my When I step into the sea of It feels like I have been row- tempo high. Unlike in my swim racergometers lined up outside the ing forever when Kiah finally yells, es, I can’t lie to myself here; my split weight room, I immediately feel out “50 more meters!” I watch as the jumps at even the smallest lapse in of my element. An Olympic-size odometer slowly ticks up and drop effort. Somehow, I find within myswimming pool I can handle, but the handle the moment it hits 450, self a burst of energy to lower my the unfamiliar contraptions before already panting for air. To my dis- split. 2:10. 2:00. 1:58, 1:55, 1:53. me leave me thrown for a loop. may, most of the other teams fin- Our team wins again, and we re “Line up by height!” barks crew ished long ago. coach Greg Gallishaw. At 5’2”, I Too soon, it is time for the next ward ourselves with a quick break outside, gasping in the cold Decemam well-aware of how this will go round of the pyramid: two cycles and make my way to the end of the instead of one. When I start, I again ber air, letting the rain cool us off. line. Sure enough, I am the second- focus on pulling as fast as I can, this By the end of practice, my palms are burning with newly-formed calto-last person. time only rowing with my arms. Greg begins grouping five teams “Get that split down!” Uma luses and I can’t remember the last of three for a relay set. I’m grouped shouts. What’s the split?! As if hear- butterfly set that made my arms this with freshman Kiah Beachler and ing my thoughts, Uma points to the sore. senior Stewie Williams. largest number on the dashboard, Nonetheless, I feel sad that prac Gres explains the relay set: the right above the number of meters tice is already over. Though I think first person rows with only arms completed. I’ll stick with swimming for now, I for 100 meters, the second with I train my eyes on the number can’t deny that I will feel just a little their arms and body for 150, and and force myself to increase my nostalgic the next time I see an erg the last with their full body for 200. stroke tempo. Almost immediately, at the gym.
F5 Sports
silverchips
January 25, 2019
A rookie’s guide to the NFL playoffs Predictions for Super Bowl LIII
By Khushboo Rathore STAFF WRITER
Football. An American obsession that all leads up to the Super Bowl. After a rigorous seventeen weeks of the regular season and four more of playoffs, two teams battle it out on the turf for a huge trophy, some rings and fleeting fame. As a casual observer I gave myself a quick crash course in this season’s happenings and pulled together my predictions.
AFC Divisional Playoffs
Kansas City had a powerful, fast offense with wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who is nearly impossible to catch. The Colts defense visibly had difficulty covering them. Alongside that, Kansas City had improved their defensive line, giving them a clear advantage over the Colts and a 31-13 win. Kansas City got an early lead and kept it, only making minor errors. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes kept his wits and made spec-
their bye weeks seemed to have benefitted them, giving them an advantage. After the Cowboys’ win against the Seahawks, they seemed like a force to be reckoned with. However, their defense was ineffective against running back CJ Anderson. While they did relatively well offensively, quarterback Dak Prescott contributed only incompletions and flailing plays. Running back Ezekiel Elliott attempted to compensate for Prescott’s underwhelming performance but could not. The Rams defense started out weak in the first and third quarters. Their coverage was spotty and failed to capitalize on several opportunities. However, their offense compensated for the lacking defense with the combination of Anderson, quarterback Jared Goff, wide receiver Brandin Cooks, and running back Todd Gurley. Anderson and Gurley both did well against the defense, gaining a lot of yardage through running, while Cooks and Goff did a good job with passing plays. Goff’s offensive line also protected against the Cowboys’ defense well. The Rams man-
Championship
The first half was largely dominated by the Patriots. They started the game with possession and ran two touchdowns in the first half. The Kansas City defense covered their running plays terribly, especially when Michel was involved. When Kansas City had the ball, Mahomes’ pocket protection was laughable. He was consistently under pressure, making inaccurate throws and getting sacked multiple times. This allowed the Patriots to maintain possession for the majority of the half. Statistically, Kansas City had a better chance at a win. Their offense should have been stronger, and while their defense was still shaky, they showed improvement against the Colts. However, the current Patriots team has significantly more experience than Kansas City, and that was plainly seen on the field, especially in Brady’s adaptability. Mahomes lacks the skill, and that was a large part of their 37-31 loss. During the second half, Kansas City finally
showed off their killer blitzing schemes during the game, taking Brees down twice in the second quarter. At the same time, the Saints defense let many players slip right through their fingers and were generally lacking strong coverage over the receivers. Throughout the game, both teams were deeply inconsistent. One minute, I was yelling at the Saints, the next, they were playing well. Another large reason for the Saints loss was the officiating. The controversial no-call, in which Rams’ cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman slammed into Saints’ Lewis, limited the Saints’ downs, and ripped away the win that they were so close to getting. The Rams took the win in overtime with a 57-yard field goal.
Super Bowl Prediction
In the Super Bowl, the Rams and Patriots are set to go up against each other in what will hopefully be an interesting game to watch. Both teams tend to be unpredictable, the Rams more so than the Patriots. I really, really want the Rams to win, but that’s… not realistic. This should be an easy
SALLY ZHAO
AS OF JANUARY 22
tacular passes to both Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. The offense kept blocking on their runners and receivers, and the receivers used their speed strategically. The Colts’ zone coverage failed them against Kansas City, as they were largely unable to cover players like running back Damien Williams. Their offense could not beat even Kansas City’ relatively weak defense, even though they had managed to beat the Texans. In the Patriots versus Chargers game, the Patriots managed an surprising win. With the way that the Patriots have played in the past, all signs pointed to the Chargers winning. But L.A. got lazy, leading to their eventual 28-41 loss. The Patriots used running back Sony Michel and wide receiver Julian Edelman to their full potential, and quarterback Tom Brady’s arm was significantly better than earlier in the season. The Chargers’ level of play decreased from the regular season. Much of the Patriots offensive line were able to slip by them. The only time the Chargers played like themselves was during the fourth quarter, too late for them to win.
NFC Divisional Playoffs
As expected, the Saints and Rams both won. Each had their own weaknesses, but
inside SPORTS
aged a 30-22 win, looking to continue this against the Saints. The Saints, surprisingly enough, managed to improve from how they ended the season. They floundered in the beginning of the game but were able to pull out the 20-14 win. While their defense lacked coverage, players like cornerback Marshon Lattimore had several good plays. Drew Brees is not the most flexible quarterback, but the switching between him and Taysom Hill served the Saints well, and this variation gave them an advantage. Wide receivers Tommylee Lewis and Michael Thomas, along with running back Alvin Kamara picked up the slack that Brees left. The Eagles started strongly, with quarterback Nick Foles throwing well and relatively good coverage on the Saints offense. However, as the game progressed, the defense began to fall apart, and their sluggishness became evident. While cornerback Cre’von LeBlanc covered the Saints well, their defense was largely ineffective. Offensively, Foles was calmer under pressure, and his offensive line held up much better than expected. Near the end of the game, his throwing became inaccurate, with the dropped passes eventually leading to the Eagles’ loss.
AFC Conference
showed up, and they managed to catch up to the Patriots. It almost seemed like they could win. They had a lead with just a few minutes left in the game, but they managed to ruin it with their unreliable defense. The Patriots scored a touchdown, tying the score and taking the game into overtime (OT). In OT, the Patriots won the coin flip, got a touchdown and shot to the Super Bowl within the first few minutes.
NFC Conference Championship
The Saints and Rams’ levels of play both fluctuated. In the regular season match-up, the Saints won 45-35. In the Conference Championship, where it really mattered, the Saints choked in a 26-23 loss. The Rams and Saints were both defensively consistent, and the Saints also used Kamara well, and gained a 13-point lead. During the second quarter, the Saints defense began to falter, and the Rams offense began playing smarter. Anderson’s running power was a force to be reckoned with, and Goff’s pocket kept him extremely well protected, leading to some good plays. The Rams defense was also stronger, keeping the Saints down and limiting the yardage that they attained. Nose tackle Ndamukong Suh and defensive tackle Aaron Donald
Girls’ basketball beats Springbrook
A swimmer and rower swap places
see page F3
see page F4
SEOYOUNG JOO
win for the Patriots, espcially with how powerfully they’ve been playing in recent weeks. Even with Donald and Suh, the Rams defense stands a slim chance against the Patriots offense. Brady has a lot of experience, and the Patriots have a tendency for running plays, one of the Rams’ defensive weaknesses. While I still hold that Brady’s arm is not what it used to be, he doesn’t really have to use it much. Goff on the other hand, does a lot of throwing, much of which doesn’t end well when his pocket is under pressure. While the Rams’ pocket has improved over the past few weeks, they may fall under the intensity of the Super Bowl. The Rams’ major sources of power are Gurley, Anderson, and Goff, but that’s about it. They do not have the same overall strength as the Patriots, which will ultimately be their downfall. The strength of the Patriots is something to be reckoned with, as much as I hate to admit it, and I see no way for the Rams to take a win in this game. Instead of watching the Patriots lose, I’ll probably have to see Brady take home another ring, and the team take home another trophy. Who knows, maybe it’ll finally get Brady to retire, and that would be all worth it.
Impact of youth sports see page F3