June 2024 - Silver Chips Print

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Pro-Palestine protests sweep college campuses

By Norah Wilson Sports Editor

condemns proposed teacher cuts

On May 23, members of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) were locked out of a public MCPS Board of Education meeting as discussions regarding potential teacher layoffs took place. This came as a result of the Montgomery County Council approving a budget that was $30 million less than what MCPS had proposed.

With many higher education institutions using their endowment funds—financial assets that institutions invest in order to fund operations and secure long-term financial stability—to invest in Israel firms or other companies who do business

Since April 17, thousands of university students, at more than 130 higher education institutions, have followed the first pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University with their own demonstrations. The students have demanded their institutions’ administrations sever financial ties with Israel or other organizations connected to Israel’s military conflict in the Gaza Strip.

with Israel, protesters want their institutions to divest. “Emory had an initial protest whose goals were financially related, so they wanted [the administration] to disclose their investments in order to divest from investments related to Israel and military action in Israel,” Mat Schramm, an Emory University graduate and protester, said.

During the protests, demon-

strators and law enforcement have clashed resulting in more than 2,900 people being detained or arrested on higher education institution campuses across the country.

“I think the severity of the police response [at Emory] this year really was shocking to everyone,” Schramm said.

To make up for part of the $30 million gap, the Board of Education proposed scenarios where cuts could be made. One scenario involved laying off over 300 educators and rescinding 200 contracts that were offered to incoming educators, such as recent college graduates and teachers from other countries. These changes would create larger class sizes and possibly negatively impact future hiring practices. “Students should be very upset about this … if classes get bigger, that’s harder for everybody,” Blair teacher and MCEA President-elect David Stein said. “If we’re giving people contracts and then [taking them back], who is going to sign a contract with Montgomery County in the future?”

MCEA had intended to deliver a signed letter to Interim Superintendent Monique Felder before the meeting commenced—which expressed that layoffs are an

Northwood plans spark backlash

By Laila Andelman and Keelin Pegg Features Editor & Staff Writer

Frustrations over Northwood’s proposed school renovation plans, which will move students to Charles W. Woodward for the next three years, have prompted outrage and protests from within the Northwood community.

On April 24, Northwood students protested the Woodward move with a schoolwide walkout.

The Northwood SGA planned the walkout, led by SGA President and Northwood senior Ally Heitmann.

“When we were organizing the walkout, we definitely wanted to

raise awareness of the Board of Education’s broken promise to us,” Heitmann said.

Earlier start times, longer commutes, the lack of sports fields, and the loss of an auditorium are the main concerns Northwood community members voiced about the upcoming Woodward move. “I feel like they should just push off demolishing the school for another year and keep us in the original vintage Northwood that’s falling apart a little bit, but that has a gym, auditorium, fields, everything, versus sticking us in a half-done school,” Northwood junior Niko Kehler said.

In late March, the Board of Education approved changes to

Woodward construction plans. Due to budget shortfalls, they delayed construction of an auditorium indefinitely and pushed back the completion of athletic facilities until 2026 due to budget shortfalls.

This news has hit Northwood’s theater, dance, and music programs especially hard.

“Everything for the arts programs, any performances, any rehearsals, [is] usually in the auditorium,” Sidney Walter, a Northwood freshman who does theater and dance, said.

While Woodward will have a small black box theater with 137 seats, this is a drastic difference

CULTURE

FEATURES

Johnson Q&A A reflective conversation with Renay Johnson about her time as principal, her flourishing social media, and her future endeavors. D5

IAN GLEASON

MAKING A STATEMENT Students participating in the strikes wear gags to protest inaction while continuing their education

By Rabira Dosho and Doris Wang News Editor & Opinions Editor

IAN GLEASON

MAKING A STATEMENT Students participating in the strikes wear gags to protest inaction while continuing their education

Compiled by Evelyn Goldin Opinions Editor

Seniors receive partial graduation refund

On May 22, Principal Johnson informed families of Blair seniors that they would receive an approximately $25 refund on graduation fees, nearly half of the $60 they were originally charged. In September, MCPS sent a memo to MCPS high schools informing them of graduation cost subsidies, which differed based on the percentage of students eligible for Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARMS) at each school. MCPS miscategorized Blair’s FARMS rate, resulting in students collectively paying an additional $8,814 more than estimated to be needed for graduation, based on the subsidies Blair would receive. A Silver Chips investigation brought it to Principal Johnson’s attention, and pressured the administration to address it. Acknowledging the oversight, Principal Johnson apologized to families and explained they could obtain their refund by completing a Google Form no later than June 14.

Blair alumni dies in double homicide at Nolte Park

Two 20-year-old men were killed in a shooting at Nolte Park in Silver Spring. The incident occurred around 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 26th. The victims—identified as Quincy Johnson and D’Andre Wint—were pronounced dead at the scene. Wint was a Blair alumnus, who graduated in 2021. There were multiple people in the area at the time of the shooting, but no arrests have been made. Police are requesting tips from anyone with information about the shooter. The families of both victims have created GoFundMe pages to raise money for funeral and memorial costs. Each fundraiser has exceeded $30,000 in donations.

Trump convicted in New York trial

Donald Trump became the first former U.S. President to be convicted of a felony on May 30. After two days of deliberations, a New York jury found him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records. Their verdict was unanimous. The charges pertained to him falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels—who alleged Trump had sex with her—in order to hide the information from voters leading up to the 2016 presidential election. The verdict does not affect the legality of him running for president in the fall, or assuming office if he wins. Though the President of the United States has the power to pardon federal criminals, Trump would not be able to pardon himself if he is elected, because he was convicted at the state level. His sentencing hearing will be held on July 11. Trump is yet to be charged in two federal cases in Florida and Washington courts, and one state case in Georgia.

‘They just straight up lied’ Northwood community members call for action

from NORTHWOOD page A1

from Northwood’s current auditorium, which has more than 1,000 seats. Northwood junior Madison Riggs detailed how the lack of an auditorium will create a bigger loss than just a performing space. “We’re losing half of our cast just because we don’t have the space to support such large shows anymore,” Riggs said.

As the sports facilities at Woodward will not be operational for the next two years, the county and school have adapted. “We have a wonderful athletic director and even though we won’t have those pieces on site, they already have developed plans for where we are going to go and do those things,”

Northwood Principal Dr. Jonathan Garrick said. All Northwood practices and games are set to be held at other schools. “We’ll be playing our home football games at Blair,” Garrick explained.

We’re losing half of our cast just because we don’t have the space to support such large shows anymore.

Commute times are another major worry for parents and students. Woodward, which is located in North Bethesda, is at least a 15-minute drive away from the current Northwood building. Northwood parent and PTSA member Laura Nichols explained how these driving times are taxing for students. “[The commute] is a lot of time in the life of a 15, 16, and 17-year-old.” Nichols said.

Northwood community members have testified about their concerns at numerous Board of Education meetings, but were left disappointed with the responses they received. “The Board of Education’s responses were like, ‘It’s so great that you’re here advocating for your school,’ and as a parent, I was thinking, ‘They shouldn’t have to … that’s what you’re here for,’” Nichols recalled.

Many students and parents feel that the Board of Education has treated Northwood unfairly, and that the overall communi-

cation between MCPS and the Northwood community has been poor. “[MCPS] told us we would have an auditorium and fields and they lied to us. They just straight up lied. That’s not something you think somebody in that position would do,” Northwood senior Elessar Eisenberg said. Kehler contends that even getting MCPS to acknowledge their concerns has been a struggle. “Trying to get MCPS to even pay attention to us has been an uphill battle,” she said.

Some Northwood parents are worried the lack of communication about the recent changes have left some parents and students in the dark. “There are still students and families in the Northwood community who have no idea what’s going on,” Heitmann said.

Members of the Northwood community also feel that their needs are being overlooked because Northwood is a Down County Consortium (DCC) school. “I don’t think that you would see this in other parts of our county,” Nichols said. “I don’t think that this would be allowed to happen to a school that doesn’t have a 73 percent FARMS rate and a really significant population of people that don’t speak English.”

On April 24th, MCPS Chief Operating Officer Brian Hull sent out a statement in English and Spanish sharing new information about the Woodward move, in response to concerns expressed by the walkout and protests. Hull wrote that MCPS remains committed to bringing in more funding for the construction of the new auditorium.

Originally, the start time for Woodward was 7:25 a.m. Under a new proposal, the start time would be 7:40 a.m. instead. This pushes forward the earliest bus pick-ups, making the average time 6:42 a.m., only a marginal difference from the current pick-up time for the 2023-24 school year.

Northwood junior Candia Melvin credits school bus drivers for pushing the county to change the start time. “We are eternally grateful for the bus drivers because the only reason that we truly have these later start times are because of the bus drivers willing to take on new routes,” she said.

For Riggs, the response alleviated some of her concerns but not all of them. “It helped. I think it

was like a 50/50. It was a win-lose situation,” she said. “They said athletic fields are coming in 2026 and an auditorium maybe is coming in 2027. But that’s if they can find the funding. It was kind of like we won as far as the start times went, but we didn’t win as far as the amenities went.”

Heitmann, on the other hand, felt let down by the MCPS response. “[The response] was disappointing because they were basically like, ‘we hear your concerns.’

But we just want to see more actual action from them and see what they mean specifically by that.”

While the arts situation is not ideal without an auditorium, Northwood’s theater director, Brett Harwood, is taking it in stride with the chance to do shows in a new space. “We are going to make the best out of everything, and I think the possibility to do ‘Antigone’ and ‘Rent’ is really great,” he said.

Trying to get MCPS to even pay attention to us has been an uphill battle.

Garrick felt that Northwood students have plenty to look forward to despite setbacks. “There’s a lot that students haven’t seen yet that I think when they get [to Woodward], they’re gonna be like, ‘well,

this is actually better than current Northwood,’” he said.

Additionally, Harwood feels that it is important to remember that Northwood is more than just a building. “Northwood is a people, not a place. We’re going to go together and we’re going to experience this together.”

Northwood students intend to continue voicing their issues with the county’s plan at upcoming board meetings and write letters to the County Council to seek answers about why the incoming class will not have an auditorium or athletics fields as originally promised. They also aim to receive funding from the county using the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget to finance the auditorium.

Though Northwood community members are excited for the new building, the concerns of the Woodward move damper the positives. “I just hope that we don’t lose sight of the larger issue, which is just really making sure that we’re providing an equitable high school experience for [Northwood] students,” Nichols said. “Right now what’s on the table isn’t equitable. It’s going to be a great building, but that’s not what high school is all about.”

Board of Education considers 300+ teacher layoffs after budget deficit

from MCEA page A1

unacceptable measure—but were barred from entering the meeting.

MCEA believes that there are other ways to reduce spending, outside of laying off educators.

“We’re trying to get to the school board to find other ways to find that money,” Stein said. “The layoff part of the $30 million is about $10 million because there are other cuts like getting rid of the virtual academy, delaying pre-K expansion, [and] some other things.”

Peter Boyko, a sophomore from Northwest High School attended the meeting and expressed his frustration when witnessing the event, “For it to be so hard for a group of people to bring their

cause to their representatives was frustrating to see,” he said.

The group of protesters were eventually let in, which caused the meeting to adjourn. Board of Education member Lynne Harris explained that the disruption came at an inconvenient time. “I personally did not appreciate them disrupting our proclamation for Pride Month … that particular item on the agenda,” Harris said.

The current budget-making process consists of recommendations from the Board of Education and the county executive, followed by an official decision from the county council. Stein noted a lack of communication between different groups involved in the process, which often causes decision-mak-

ing delays. “One thing that we really need to work on is improving the communication between all these different groups: the teachers, the staff, the school board, the superintendent, [and] the county executive of the county council,” Stein said.

Emotions were very high. People are very worried because it’s their program or job [at stake].

As the process moves forward, Harris similarly hopes the Board of Education can address concerns and open discussions towards community leaders. “We need to have open, honest, constructive conversations with stakeholders around the budget pretty much all year around,” Harris said. “We don’t have anything to hide. We need to be clear.”

While members of MCEA and the Board of Education are open to active communication, the budgetary limits still exist, and both parties are struggling to arrive at a compromise. “Emotions were very high,” Stein said. “People are very worried because it’s their program or job [at stake.]”

DAVID STEIN

PHOTO BY IAN GLEASON

MADISON RIGGS

NIKO KEHLER

Local Metro stations shut down for summer

By Greta Andelman and Laila Andelman

Culture Editor & Features Editor

From June 1 to Aug. 3, four Metro stations—Silver Spring, Glenmont, Wheaton, and Forest Glen—will be shut down due to construction on the Red Line. Takoma Station will be closed for the month of June for smaller improvement projects.

At the Silver Spring Station, construction started on the mezzanine, an intermediate floor on the second level, that will provide access between the Metro and the Maryland Transit Administration’s (MTA) Purple Line. The construction will also provide a better connection between commuters who ride the bus and users of the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) Train, a rail that primarily runs in the Washington and Baltimore area.

Due to the clwosure caused by the mezzanine construction, the Metro also scheduled smaller projects that will improve safety and accessibility across the five stations. Some of these projects involve improving parts of the rail and track, such as fixing the Takoma Station interlocking track–used to control traffic at a junction of two or more railroads. Other measures involve performing maintenance on elevators and escalators, implementing new digital screens, and installing new lighting around the platforms and tunnels.

Jordan Pascale, the media relations manager for the Metro’s Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), explained how the summer long closure provided a straightforward opportunity to complete much needed smaller renovations.

“When you have three months of nonstop work, you can get a lot more done … with the overnight and weekend work,” Pascale said. “The setup and the takedown takes up a lot of time ... That’s one of the benefits of a longer shutdown.”

To accommodate commuters who no longer have access to the Red Line, free shuttle buses will be provided between Glenmont and Fort Totten until June 29. Once the Takoma Station reopens, the shuttles will be between Glenmont and Takoma. The different shuttles include local and express options, with express shuttles running every eight minutes on weekdays. Due to these shuttles, dedicated bus lanes on Georgia Avenue were created. Emily DeTitta, the strategic communications manager for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), explained that the bus lanes are helpful for everyone in the long run.

“[Georgia Avenue is] a huge thoroughfare … I think [the dedicated lanes] are in everybody’s best interest and to be honest, if it works, we might even look at keeping them long-term,” she said. Additionally, there will be signal retiming at select intersections, where traffic signals will have longer green lights to give more time for buses, so shuttle rides are faster.

Partnerships between different transportation agencies were key to successfully implementing the bus lanes and other measures. “[The free shuttles] are a huge effort, and so with their relationship with the state … [WMATA] was able to ask … [to] have a lane dedicated to the shuttle, like a bus lane,” DeTitta said. “If they weren’t working together, that would have never happened, and it definitely helps [with] travel time.”

Montgomery County Council member Natali Fani-González initiated the call for public amenities, including the shuttle buses, designated bus lanes, and free parking at garages for those taking shuttles. “I got the free garages, the free shuttles, the bus only lane. Those were my goals and I made it happen. I’m just happy that the state and the Metro and our county, we’re all working together towards this and we’re going to have a beautiful Purple Line,” Fani-González said.

However, not everyone is supportive of the designated bus lanes. “When I drive on [Georgia], I won’t see that bus only lane,” Blair junior Lili Miller said. “You can’t take a three lane road and cut it down to a two lane road … it’s going to cause a lot of other traffic problems.”

MCDOT hopes that commuters’ regular schedules are not drastically disrupted and that the public

is informed of updates. “We’re really pushing out information on how to use [the shuttle buses] so people feel more comfortable, … [and] have an understanding of how they can plan their day and how they can get to work on time,” DeTitta said.

I’m just happy that the state and the Metro and our county, we’re all working together towards this and we’re going to have a beautiful Purple Line.

FANI-GONZ ÁLEZ

Still, these efforts alone may not lessen the impact the shutdown has on local traffic. “[The construction] is definitely going to slow things down, no matter how people are traveling around that corridor on Georgia Avenue,” DeTitta said. Other measures to lessen traffic include emergency no-parking signs on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on portions of 16th and I Streets in Washington, D.C.

Though commuting to Washington, D.C. through public transportation is still available to students through shuttles, some are disappointed at the complications the shutdown will cause to their commutes. “The Red Line is the only [efficient] way to get into D.C. from here. If [I have] to take a shuttle in between the stations because one is closed it would just encourage me not to go down to D.C.,” Miller said.

Blair junior Lily Swope uses the Metro to travel to the Belmont-

Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in Washington, D.C. every Saturday for her internship. Though commuting is still manageable, Swope feels that the shuttles will be inefficient. “The bus systems in D.C. in general are super confusing and not all that effective to use,” Swope said. “The thing that’s nice about the Metro is that it avoids traffic and it’s often a quicker way to get from point A to point B. The shuttle buses may get you to the same place, but they won’t be as efficient and you might as well drive at that point.”

Though large delays are not expected, Pascale stated that construction sometimes gets held up in the beginning. “There inevitably is some sort of hiccup the first day or couple of days, but usually by the time we work those out, things get pretty smooth so we’re hoping that’s the case again,” he said. However, even with possible hold ups, accommodations like the shuttles and dedicated bus lanes are likely to stay in place as long as construction continues. “I think that the state would probably be open to keeping them around. I mean, the alternative would be more [problematic],” DeTitta said.

In addition to these accommodations, Fani-González wants to broaden biking options by instituting free memberships at Capital Bikeshare Stations, though they are owned by a private company. She hopes that the Metro shutdown will create lasting changes that better the community. “The long term vision is transforming Georgia Avenue,” Fani-González said. “I’m taking this shutdown as an advantage for people to start thinking that we need to build walkable and bike communities.”

Compiled by Carina Nicodemus and Auden Seigel

Iran’s president dies in helicopter crash

On May 19, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash along with seven others including the Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The helicopter crashed into the mountains near the Iran-Azerbaijan border amidst heavy fog. Poor weather conditions extended hours after the crash and delayed rescue teams from locating the site of the crash. Raisi was known for his harsh policies, which include crackdowns on protests and a strict women’s dress code. The death of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian leaves Iran without two important leaders during a time of unprecedented tension throughout the Middle East.

ICC files for arrest

warrants against Israel and Hamas leaders

The International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan filed arrest warrants against Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders—Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, and Ismail Haniyeh. According to a statement issued on May 20, Khan believes there is evidence to prove the five leaders took part in ‘crimes against humanity.’ “On the basis of evidence collected and examined by my office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that [the leaders] bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Israel and the State of Palestine,” Khan said in his statement. Specifically, Khan alleges Hamas leaders committed war crimes including torture, taking hostages, and outrages upon personal dignity. Further, he accuses Israel leaders of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population, and wilfully causing great suffering.

Controversial parliament reforms in Taiwan leads to mass protest

As many as 30,000 gathered around Taiwan’s Parliament on May 24 to protest parliamentary reforms that would allow lawmakers to have more oversight over the government. The measures would require individuals, private companies, or the military to divulge information judged relevant by lawmakers. It also allows lawmakers to punish those who do not comply with contempt. The majority party pushing the reforms, the Kuomintang (KMT), claims the legislation will bring more accountability to the government. However, the opposing party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), says more debate is needed because the legislation would unconstitutionally expand the power of lawmakers. The debate over the proposed reforms heightened tension between the two parties, leading to a physical brawl between lawmakers. Many protesters, consisting of students and young professionals, see the reforms as Chinese interference in Taiwan’s democracy, referring to China’s claim over Taiwan as its territory.

GRAPHIC BY LAILA ANDELMAN | DATA COURTESY OF WMATA

NATALI

Maryland Primaries draw interest from Blair community

By Abigail Greenberg and Tharaa Izuagie Sports Editor & Culture Editor

In the upcoming 2024 election, 57 percent of young adults are extremely likely to vote, with an additional 15 percent fairly likely to participate. Since the 2016 presidential election, youth voter turnout has increased in every election. It is estimated that 50 percent of young adults voted in the 2020 presidential election, an 11-point increase from 2016. In this primary election, MCPS students were involved in the electoral process, participating as voters and poll workers.

In the coming November election, many rising seniors and recent graduates will vote for the first time. Heading into the polls, students have issues they want to see addressed by the candidates. “I think at the core, we need to start prioritizing this drug and opioid crisis because it affects students. It’s something that students are exposed to in this environment, and [students] have no idea how to handle it,”

Anna Jhon, Walter Johnson sophomore and Montgomery County Regional SGA Secretary, said.

Zaria Naqvi, Churchill sophomore and student member of the Maryland Center of School Safety’s advisory board, believes that young voters must understand that their votes ensure their ideas are reflected in decisions that impact their lives. “I also think it’s important for young voters to understand that we possess [a] unique [perspective] when it comes to these things because we are students … if the younger generations are not voting as a whole, our opinions will be reflected much less in government,”

Naqvi said.

If the younger generations are not voting as a whole, our opinions will be reflected much less in government.

Students who are not eligible to vote or want experience with the election can work at local poll sites. As poll workers, students have different types of jobs. For instance, Blair junior Nigisti Asmerom handed out ballots during the primary election. “Our chief judge assigned us different roles, so it was me and this woman [who] were people who gave [voters] paper ballots,” Asmerom said. “There were jobs to check in people [who] came to vote. There was also [a job for] the ballot marking device, which is the electronic version of the paper ballot.”

Board of Education member Lynne Harris, explained the importance of students working at the polls. “With the students that are working and canvassing at the polls, it’s really interesting to see them. It’s a skill and it’s a good life skill to learn. [It’s good] building those skills and how they kind of work together and team up and urge and support each other like MCPS students tend to do,” Harris said.

In the U.S. primary presidential election, Donald Trump was chosen as the Republican nominee, while incumbent Joe Biden was selected as the Democratic nominee.

In the U.S. Senate primary for

Maryland, Angela Alsobrooks, the current Prince George’s County Executive, won the Democratic nomination against David Trone, a three-term congressman representing Maryland’s 6th District. On the Republican side, former Maryland governor Larry Hogan secured the nomination. In November, Hogan and Alsobrooks will compete to replace three-term Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, who is stepping down after a 58-year political career.

Although Maryland is a blue state, Hogan’s late entry into the race in February has made a GOP flip of the seat possible, making the general election highly significant. “The concern is that we have a senator who retired and who set seats up for grabs. I think one of the reasons [Hogan] was popular was because he was a Republican governor chief executive in a state [with]

Young voters of Montgomery County, by and large, are very interested in issues of justice, fairness, social justice, equity ...

a super majority of Democrats. He [was] more dominated by the Democratic Party, and to be relevant, he had to find a way to moderate his stances on things to get things done,” Blair Government teacher Sean Gabaree said.

If Hogan wins the senate seat, there will be less pressure on him

from the democratic side. “As a Republican, if he were to win, he would caucus and end up supporting potentially a Republican majority,” Gabaree added.

While Republicans have not won a Maryland Senate election since 1980, a Republican win in Maryland could jeopardize the narrow one-seat Senate Democratic majority, especially with Democrats facing tough races elsewhere.

Republicans are defending ten red seats, three Democrats are up for reelection in states that Trump won in 2020, and five other races are considered swing states.

Jhon has concerns about Hogan’s popularity among Democratic voters. “I think it’s going to be kind of tight because even though Maryland has always been a Democratic state, and since Larry Ho-

gan was the governor, I think those who liked his work, might, instead of going Democratic are gonna go for Larry Hogan as a person, rather than the party,” Jhon said. This race could shift the balance of power in the Senate, which shows the importance of young voters’ participation, the role of student poll workers, and the critical impact of civic involvement on the democratic process.

Young voters in Montgomery County understand that their votes can shape a future where everyone feels valued and included. “I think the young voters of Montgomery County, by and large, are very interested in issues of justice, fairness, social justice, equity, and creating the kind of community that people feel valued in and want to live in and be a part of,” Harris said.

Students across the country demand divestment

arrested after asking where the protesters could disperse. “[The lieutenant] says to me, ‘You can do whatever you want. But now you are under arrest for disorderly conduct,’” Craig Birckhead-Morton, a Yale University graduate, said to the Yale Daily News. “This obviously was quite confusing to me, because he’s encouraging us to disperse, I’m showing my intention to disperse.”

Not only are protesters being

detained and arrested, some institutions are threatening suspension and bans from campus, making protesters feel they are not able to express their opinions freely. At Emory there is a Respect for Open Expression Policy, which is put in place to ensure students are able to express themselves freely. Stated in the policy are procedures that the university’s administration has to follow in order to let students practice free speech. “President Fenves on multiple occasions stated publicly that he violated those

procedures … He acknowledged publicly multiple times [the protests] did not violate the [Respect for Open Expression Policy], so there was no grounds to call police in the first place,” Schramm said. At Harvard University, 13 student protesters were unable to walk at graduation after the university voted to bar the students from receiving their degrees. During Harvard’s graduation ceremony, the undergraduate student speaker, Shruthi Kumar, said students’ freedom of speech became punishable during the spring semester.

In anticipation of disruptions at graduation ceremonies, many

He acknowledged publicly multiple times [the protests] did not violate the [Respect for Open Expression Policy], so there was no grounds to call police in the first place

administrations increased security presence, dismantled student encampments, set aside free speech zones, canceled student speeches, and issued admission tickets to the ceremony. Many higher-education institutions got through their

ceremonies peacefully, however, some graduates decided to make a statement. At the University of California, Berkeley, hundreds of graduates rose from their seats and protested during their commencement speech; At Virginia Commonwealth University, several graduates walked out during Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s speech; At Morehouse College, there were many silent protests while President Biden gave his commencement speech; And, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, some graduates stood with their backs facing their chancellor. Two institutions canceled their graduation ceremonies: Columbia University and

University of Southern California. Several schools like the University of Wisconsin–Madison have formed negotiations with the protesters in order to diffuse tensions across their campus, but many other institutions have not met the protesters’ demands, meaning protests will continue to happen. “The fact of the matter remains that the [financial] demands haven’t been met, nor [have there been]adequate responses from Emory, in particular, [or an] adequate response [in regards] to the use of police. The fact that those things remain unaddressed means that we are morally obliged to continue to organize actions,” Schramm said.

GRAPHIC BY ABIGAIL GREENBERG AND THARAA IZUAGIE DATA COURTESY Of US CENSUS BUREAU OF STATISTICS

ZARIA NAQVI

MAT

SCHRAMM

PHOTOS BY IAN GLEASON

LYNNE HARRIS

Guilty on all counts

By EDITORIAL BOARD AN OPINION

As the jurors filed back into the courtroom, Americans held their collective breath to see if the United States legal system would uphold a vital constitutional principle: no one is above the law. The charges rained down one after another: guilty on the first count, guilty on the second count, guilty on the third …

In a country where it seems impossible for 12 strangers to agree if the earth is round, the jurors for “The People of the State of New York v. Donald Trump” unanimously agreed to hold Trump accountable for his crimes. One of the jurors had even stated under oath that their sole source of news was Trump’s Truth Social Network, yet they still found him guilty. Guilty on the 16th, guilty on the 17th, guilty on the 18th …

Any one of the jurors could have chosen to step into the national spotlight that illuminated this trial by voting not based on the facts of the case, but based on their preconceived notions, but they didn’t. These 12 jurors chose to uphold their civic duty and the principles of the United States Constitution. The Silver Chips Editorial Board commends them.

Guilty on the 26th, guilty on the 27th, guilty on the 28th …

This conviction should be a stain on Trump’s legacy. He was deemed guilty on 34 charges of illegally falsifying business records in his ‘hush money’ trial, to cover up a payment of $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump intended to undermine the outcome of the 2016 election by keeping

voters in the dark about Daniels’ allegation that the two had had sex. Voters clearly should not consider a convicted felon to be a viable candidate for the highest office in the land. It should be an unequivocal conclusion that his leadership would be fundamentally incompatible with the ethical standards expected of a head of state.

This should be a wake up call for the Republican Party. A party that emphasizes law and order should see Trump’s conviction as a damning condemnation. He should no longer be considered fit

to lead his party.

This should be the termination of Trump’s presidential ambitions. He is the first former president in history to be convicted of a felony. Remember as children when we were taught to hold the president in the highest regard; their role represented the struggle towards good in the face of evil, right over wrong, justice served. How is it possible that there is a fair chance our next president is a criminal?

This should be the end for Trump. But it’s not. In the first 24 hours after being named a felon,

Editorial Cartoon

Trump raised a record $52.8 million in campaign donations. Four days after his sentencing, Donald Trump will be named the Republican nominee for president of the United States.

In response to the conviction, Trump’s supporters began pointing their fingers at people they claimed ‘rigged’ the trial, including the ‘corrupt’ judge, the ‘sleazebag’ star witness, and the ‘biased’ jury. These supporters have sent messages of intimidation to judges and court officials, threatening violence on social media. Many do not seem to realize that the jurors were chosen by both the prosecution and the defense.

They see Trump’s conviction as confirmation of long-standing conspiracy theories involving Hillary Clinton, George Soros, and ‘the deep state.’ Trump’s loyalists seem encouraged rather than deterred by his conviction. This is a dangerous precedent to set, and sends a disturbing message about the principles of our nation.

But the outcome of this trial shows that not all is lost. Trump’s political rhetoric that has worked with his fervent believers for so long—without any sort of basis in fact—did not work in the court of law, and that cannot be dismissed. However, it remains potent, and he will have another chance to be elected. On election day, Americans must reject Trump’s rhetoric if democracy and the rule of law are to continue.

BREAKING NEWS!!!

By Ethan de Brauw Ombudsman

AN OPINION

The wheel turns. Springtime at Blair brings senior graduation, the end of testing, and the winding down of assignments. Silver Chips has a new senior staff, and we are preparing to guide our next generation of junior writers through this transitional period for the Montgomery Blair student newspaper.

I’m Ethan de Brauw, and I’ll be taking over the position of Ombudsman from Talia Egnal for next year. As Ombudsman, my job is to serve as a liaison between the readers and the staff. My role is to provide transparency about our actions as a paper, and to give you, the audience, a voice in the paper as far as the stories we tell and the manner in which they are told. I want to hear more from you this year, and I want to better serve your interests on the paper.

Just this past year, the U.S. lost over 130 local newspapers, and has lost 2,900 since 2005.

That being said, in order to be your voice on the paper, I need to be able to hear you. You can

always reach out with questions or comments about the paper through the scombud@gmail. com email, or through the attached google form. You can also find us at the Takoma Park and Silver Spring farmer’s markets on Saturday and Sunday mornings as well as local bookstores and libraries.

Local newspapers like ours have struggled across the country recently. Just this past year, the U.S. lost over 130 local newspapers, and has lost 2,900 since 2005. If the trend continues, the U.S. is projected to lose a third of all local newspapers in the next year. In an attempt to combat this sort of hemorrhaging, newspapers have resorted to engaging people by whatever means necessary. This has led to a culture of sensationalized headlines, overemphasis of entertainment in news, and repeated mergers of newspapers in an attempt to stay afloat.

A culture built on engagement alone won’t serve its readers, only entertain. Journalism loses its power when it doesn’t perform its core function; search for truth and provide context for the goings on of the world. Why would someone read a newspaper that doesn’t inform them? Then again, if a newspaper’s content is no longer valuable to the market, naturally they should pivot to something more productive.

In an attempt to combat this trend, Silver Chips Print often

confers with other local news sources such as Moco 360, and starting this year, Source of the Spring. In the past, we have worked with Moco 360 journalist Ginny Bixby at our magazine launch party and we had Elia Griffin at our National PTA award ceremony. ers, and we recognize that not all newspapers can make those same choices. For this reason, we do what we can to work with other local newspapers when the opportunity presents itself. We can’t do it alone though. Local journalism belongs to you as it does to us, and you can play a larger role in how stories are told than in a national brand. We need engaged, informed people like you to support your local newspapers, lest we risk losing a fundamental plank of our nation.

Journalism loses its power when it doesn’t perform its core function; search for truth and provide context for the ongoings of the world.

These sorts of efforts to connect local papers are a crucial component of our local news ecosystem, and being able to work together and rely on one another makes our local informational network more extensive and healthier in a time when national outlets have been polarizing and divisive.

Over the past 13 years, Silver Chips has had the luxury, thanks to Ms. Johnson, of operating with limited administrative oversight. We also have the benefit of not having to worry about paying our writers. But the paper does cost money, roughly 15k a year. We can choose the stories we believe are most pertinent to our read-

silverchips

Montgomery Blair High School

51 University Boulevard East Silver Spring, MD 20901

silver.chips.print@gmail.com

To contact Ethan email him at scombud@gmail.com

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Carina Nicodemus

Auden Seigel

DESIGN EDITORS

Naomi Andelman

Eloise Carter

Keelin Pegg

MANAGING NEWS EDITORS

Rabira Dosho

Max Erlebacher

MANAGING OPINIONS

EDITORS

Evelyn Goldin

Doris Wang

MANAGING FEATURES EDITORS

Laila Andelman

Chloe Pegg

MANAGING CULTURE EDITORS

Greta Andelman

Tharaa Izuagie

MANAGING SPORTS EDITORS

Abby Greenberg

Norah Wilson

OMBUDSMAN

Ethan de Brauw COLUMNISTS

Emily Kretschmer

ENGLISH SENIOR WRITERS

Jay Clouse

Zachary Karp

Diego Santoro-Velez

BUSINESS DIRECTORS

Rowan Boyce

Edith Yang

Ava Falcone

MANAGING ART EDITORS

Allison Lin

Lucia Wang

ARTISTS

Josephine Brunn Lake

Rosalyn Fang

Kate McDonough

Jason Yu

MANAGING PHOTO EDITOR

Ian Gleason

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jonathan Peter Belling

Kenean Bizuwork

Jamie Lozada-McBride

SCPSPORTS EDITORS

Diego Santoro-Velez

MEDIA EDITORS

Greta Andelman

Eloise Carter

Keelin Pegg

PUZZLE EDITOR

Ethan de Brauw OUTREACH COORDINATORS

Evelyn Goldin

Chloe Pegg

Doris Wang ADVISERS

Jeremy Stelzner

Silver Chips is a public forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions. Unsigned editorials represent the views of the editorial board and are not necessarily those of the school or of all Silver Chips members. Signed letters to the editor are encouraged; submit them to silver.chips.print@ gmail.com. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.

PHOTO BY KENEAN BIZUWORK

LUCIA WANG

Is social media activism beneficial to real world activism?

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X, formerly known as Twitter, have become arenas for sharing unfiltered experiences, mobilizing support, and documenting injustices in real time. This direct communication has empowered people to catalyze social change by raising awareness, building solidarity, and pressuring institutions to respond.

Social media was pivotal in exposing police brutality and systemic racism during the peak of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, sparking global protests and prompting policy changes related to police reform and racial justice. Similarly, during the Arab Spring—a series of pro-democracy uprisings that swept through the Arab world in the early 2010s, leading to the overthrow of long-standing regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya—social media was used to disseminate information and organize protests by exchanging tactics and strategies. It also amplified the voices of ordinary citizens, circumvented state-controlled media, and documented human rights abuses by law enforcement. These efforts significantly influenced reforms toward democracy in several countries.

Apart from organizing and disseminating information, social media serves as a critical tool of resistance, particularly for marginalized groups such as Palestinians. Palestinian journalists and activists are using platforms like Instagram and TikTok to share firsthand accounts of their experiences in the current Israel-Hamas war. These accounts starkly contrast mainstream media portrayals, revealing the brutality of the situation and prompting an international outcry. The ability to share personal stories and images has profoundly affected public opinion, leading to increased calls for international intervention and support for Palestinian rights.

While it is true that some social media engagement can be superficial, this does not negate the significant impact that social media can have when used effectively. Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, social media has played a crucial role in helping students organize rallies, sit-ins, fasts, and encampments against the conflict. Social platforms have enabled student activists to share tactics and ideas from protests online, allowing them to coordinate and mobilize effectively.

On April 17, a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel-Hamas war encampment began at Columbia University, with thousands of students at more than 130 different colleges and universities later joining the demonstrations, calling

Yes No

Social media has revolutionized activism by amplifying the voices of marginalized communities and allowing people direct access to global audiences.

By Tharaa Izuagie Culture Editor

AN OPINION

on their colleges to divest from companies doing business with Israel. People shared information about how to help, including details about bail funds and ways to provide supplies for student protests; some even used funds from the Tiktok Creator Fund to support encampments. Digital documentation of the demonstrations, like the police response, placed pressure on universities. This led to divestment actions at Evergreen State College, and several college agreements with students about investment transparency and exploration of divestment from Israel.

Sarah Croco, a professor of Gov ernment and Politics at University of Maryland and an associ ate at the Center for International Development and Conflict Management, explained social media democratizes activism, making it more engaging by providing dif ferent perspectives and stories to reach people. “Having ac cess to social media just makes communication and organizing easier … [it] also changes that whole dy nam ic because you’re seeing a student’s perspective … which makes it more engaging for people who want to be involved,” she said.

The performative nature of social media often hinders real change through inauthenticity and misinformation, rather than promoting it.

By Doris Wang Opinions Editor

AN OPINION

Since the creation of the World Wide Web, people have expressed themselves through social media platforms like Myspace, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. Users have grown increasingly reliant on these platforms, and according to Pew Research, at least half of all adults in the U.S. obtain news from social media. In addition to self-expression, activism has soared on these platforms. From posting hashtags to forwarding posts, social media has seemingly made it easier for

BY

and Red Crescent Movement. Donations like these have a greater effect in creating change and helping those in crisis than a social media post ever could.

Rather than promoting change, social media posts make celebrities feel accomplished and satiate the demands of the masses. It is easy for those that are more privileged, including celebrities, to feel as though a post is enough. “I remember ... that during Black Lives Matter, people would [post] the black square,” Blair junior Afie Fuller said. “[But] if you [wanted] to support the Black Lives Matter movement, you were going to go out there. You were going to march. You weren’t going to sit [back] and post a black square and be like, ‘this is my contribution towards the Black Lives Matter movement,’ … that was very performative.”

The ease of obtaining information about global politics through social media is unprecedented, offering users insights and updates they might not have had access to otherwise. Even though some of this content might present misinformation, it has encouraged people to get involved by researching things they see online. This drives a more informed and active citizenry capable of discerning and acting upon critical global issues.

President of Young Democrats Club and Blair junior Lily Scheckner said social media has made activism more accessible, making it an important tool to make a difference. “To a certain extent, social media doesn’t require any privileged use … in terms of allowing minorities and disadvantaged people to use their voices, social media is something that anyone can use, and I think the power of that really can’t be underestimated,” she said.

by Kenean Bizuwork & Ian Gleason

sues that are truly important. A similar share suggests that social media misleads people to think they are making a difference. Indeed, a large part of social media activism is extremely surface-level. This practice is deemed “slacktivism,” in which users exert little effort or commitment to support a political or social cause.

Recently, celebrities have been pressured to use their platforms to speak out about societal issues. Artists like Selena Gomez have been under fire for not posting enough about social movements or important events like the Israel-Hamas conflict. “I wish I could change the world. But a post won’t,” Gomez wrote after facing backlash due to a lack of social media activism in light of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Since then, Gomez has pledged to donate to UNICEF, the Israeli Red Cross Organization Magen David Adom, and the Palestine Red Crescent Society—a part of the International Red Cross

“Social media spreads information on current issues … and based on that you can do your own research and educate yourself.”

“It can be both helpful and harmful…people can go on social media fake what they’re thinking or say some- thing just to get reactions out of others.”

DELINA BERHAMU

sophomore

Rather than focusing on what other people are saying on social media, individuals should focus on making change through real-life activism. “At the end of the day, I don’t really think [social media posts] are doing anything to implement change,” Fuller said.

In addition to reducing real change by acting as a distraction, social media platforms are breeding grounds for misinformation. On apps like Instagram, TikTok, and X, formerly known as Twitter, it is easy to repost dramatic scenes, but very difficult to fact check them. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many infographics were posted to social media featuring death tolls that lacked context necessary to correctly understand them. “You can never really trust anyone on social media because a lot of people just make stuff up,” Blair sophomore Sophia Strout said.

Digital algorithms aim to stir up emotions in a viewer, and unfortunately, many users do not think to assess the reliability of statements presented as facts. These platforms often strengthen and polarize an individual’s pre-existing beliefs, showing users content that they already agree with, instead of presenting all the facts and promoting the critical thinking necessary for effective public discourse.

Ultimately, the performative nature of social media fails to aid in any real-life activism, and often hinders change rather than creating it. From overshadowing important issues to spreading misinformation, social media has become a flawed and inauthentic platform. Instead of posting, individuals need to take stances in the real world. “Unless you actually go out and seek to change, you are not going to get it,” Fuller said.

“Social media activism is a great way to spread awareness .. especially for people who can’t go out and protest.”

INAYAH JUBEAR

sophomore

“[Social media] really can [make] some people think, ‘Oh, just because I like this video or I comment on this video, that’s enough.’”

Photos

LUCIA WANG

PHOTOS

IAN GLEASON

Protect MCPS teachers’ free speech

By Peter Lynch Guest Writer AN OPINION

As this year ends so too should violations of teacher First Amendment Rights.

Anike Robinson of Westland Middle School, and Angela Wolf of Takoma Park Middle School made posts about the war in Gaza on their private social media accounts. Hajur El-Haggan of Greencastle Elementary School wrote “from the river to the sea Palesteine will be free” in her email tagline. Had it not been for a lawsuit brought by the Council on Arab American-Islamic Relations they may have been fired instead of being put on leave and then placed in different schools. Their ordeal was unacceptable.

The success of our country relies on the promise of public education. William Butler Yeats wrote that education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. Teachers kindle that fire so you might go into the world to enlarge the greater good and engage in our multicultural democracy.

Some of the essential components of that democracy are enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. These are shared by teachers with some con-

ditions.

The Supreme Court agrees in two key decisions: the Pickering v. Board of Education case of 1968 and the Tinker v. Des Moines case of 1969.

The Pickering case ruled that Marvin Pickering, an Illinois high school teacher, who had been dismissed for writing about school issues in his local paper was free to do so.

In the Tinker case the court wrote that teachers and students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”

Mary Beth Tinker, the case’s namesake, spoke at Montgomery Blair. The 13-year-old Tinker protested the Vietnam War by wearing a black armband to school. She faced suspension for refusing to remove the band. El-Haggan, Robinson, and Wolfe engaged in less impactful speech than both Tinker and Pickering but faced harsher consequences.

We may not agree with a teacher’s views, but we ought to commit to their free speech. Fear of repercussions for protected speech won’t help students.

Hajur El-Haggan, a Muslim with loved ones in Palestine and a childhood friend killed by Israeli airstrikes, claimed her statement

supported Gazans. With no prior history of antisemitism, El-Haggan could have been taken at her word and the signature removed from the email.

Anike Robinson and Angela Wolf made private social media posts critical of Israel outside of school and were unfairly accused of antisemitism.

Angela Wolf, far from being antisemitic, marched against neoNazis at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017.

As Constitutional rights must be supported, we must never tolerate hate speech in school. This year a now inconclusive report claimed Blair students were using antisemitic gestures on campus. My English class dropped our plans and learned about allyship with help from the Anti Defamation League curriculum.

Blair also raises awareness about discrimination with Holocaust survivor speakers, Holocaust remembrance week talks with the Anti Defamation League, field trips to the Holocaust Museum after reading ‘Night,’ programming from Blair’s diversity, equity, and inclusion administrator, and more.

El-Haggan, Robinson, and Wolfe would surely support these efforts.

They are necessary. Each of the

world flags in our main hall connect to students that walk beneath them. We must continue to rely on dialogue, First Amendment principles, and respect when difficulties inevitably arise. This community already has. A former student wrote that his grandparents escaped a repressive North Korean regime because of their faith, and survived by hiding in an apple orchard living off the apples for two weeks. They fled the temporary home and eventually earned enough money to come to America. The First Amendment ensures the religious persecution they endured would never happen here.

Jewish and Muslim student groups thrive at Blair. The community enjoyed in these clubs is protected by the First Amendment.

Blair alumnus Brenna Levitan introduced Congressman John Lewis at a March For Our Lives Rally in 2018 before Lewis gave a speech. Their actions were protected by the First Amendment.

Alumnus Carl Bernstein reported on the corrupt Nixon presidency at the Washington Post under protection of the First Amendment.

Silver Chips staff independently publish this paper with those same protections.

Former Blazer dad and Congressman Jamie Raskin supported

MOCO Students for Change organizing around gun safety reform. When some kids opted to risk arrest at the Capitol in May of 2018 while “petitioning their government for redress” he was there.

Stories like these at Blair and MCPS are in equal measures common and inspiring.

We teach the next generation to uphold the rights and responsibilities of our democracy, to contribute to our shared future. MCPS should always stand for the sacred Constitutional principles that underpin that mission.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PETER LYNCH

Gabriela Reyes Valenzuela se graduó de la secundaria Montgomery Blair en el año 2020. Este año, Valenzuela terminó su licenciatura en la Universidad de Maryland, y planea continuar con sus estudios de medicina en el futuro próximo. Reyes Valenzuela, una mujer latina, quiere perseverar para recibir su título a pesar de los obstáculos a los que se ha enfrentado.

¿De dónde eres y de dónde es tu familia?

Yo nací en República Dominicana y mi familia entera es de allá.

¿Cuál fue tu experiencia siendo una adolecente latina en Blair?

Yo comencé a estudiar en Blair justo cuando me mudé a los Estados Unidos, a los 14 años. Al principio, se me fue difícil adaptarme a este ambiente ya que no hablaba inglés y los hispanos que habían en la escuela eran mayoría centroamericanos, entonces aunque hablábamos el mismo idioma, se nos hacía difícil comunicarnos porque teníamos expresiones diferentes. Donde me sentía más cómoda, era en la clase de español porque ahí aprendía más sobre las culturas de otros países, y en la clase de álgebra porque en ese tiempo la daban en español. Ya para mi segundo año aquí comencé a escribir para La Esquina Latina, y a ser estudiante auxiliar para clases de español. Esos dos primeros años aquí aprendí de otras culturas hispanas lo que me ayudó a desenvolverme más para poco a poco lograr mis metas.

¿Cuáles fueron los obstáculos que tuviste que superar estando en la secundaria?

El primer obstáculo que tuve fue el inglés. Yo comencé en ESOL 3 y estaba determinada a empezar clases en inglés para mi segundo año, entonces yo completamente cambié todo lo que hacía, empecé a ver series y películas en inglés, hablaba con los maestros, y me propuse siempre hablar inglés.

Representando la comunidad latinx desde el 2003

Exalumna de Blair exitosa

¿Hay personas que te hayan inspirado para hacer estas actividades?

La que siempre me empujaba a ser mejor y llegar a mi potencial fue La Sra. Kalin Martinez, o como yo la llamo, Kalina.

¿En algún momen- to te faltó motivación para realizar algunas actividades?

Cuando acababa de mudarme aquí, se me hacía difícil encontrar la motivación para hacer actividades ya que extrañaba mucho a mi país. Al pasar los meses me fui resignando a que ya tengo que vivir aquí y comencé a buscar actividades que hacer. Ya que sabía que quería ir a la universidad, me enfoqué y busqué la motivación hasta donde no la tenía.

¿Puedes hablarme un poco de tu experiencia en ello?

Usualmente cuando no me sentía motivada, hacía una lista de las cosas que quería lograr como participar en más actividades en la escuela, participar en ACES y otros programas de la escuela. De ahí entonces escribía que tendría que hacer para llegar ahí y comenzaba desde el paso más fácil que era salir de ese trance. Lo lograba por medio del baile o cantando que son cosas que siempre me han ayudado a recordar quien soy, aquella chica de Santo Domingo que vino a EEUU con un montón de metas por cumplir.

¿Qué técnicas usaste para enfocarte cuando te sentías presionada, deprimida o muy cansada para hacer algo?

Primero, me refugiaba en mi fe, y lo que me acercaba a ello era tocar la guitarra y meditar. También, como mencioné, una de las técnicas que más utilizaba era cantar y bailar porque me recuerdan a mi islita. Algo que también me gustaba hacer era escribir en mi diario todos los pensamientos que tenía y me ayuda a ver que esas preocupaciones que tenía sobre el futuro o sobre estar en los EEUU, mi cabeza los hacía más grande de lo que eran.

¿Te ayudaron las actividades que realizaste en Blair? ¿En

qué?

Las actividades que hice en Blair me ayudaron a salir de mi zona de comfort y a entender más el sistema educativo aquí. Esas actividades fueron una parte crucial en mi desarrollo como líder estudiantil porque me enseñaron a organizarse y a velar por los derechos de los estudiantes hispanos en Blair. Estas actividades fueron la base también para mi carrera en salud pública porque me ayudaron a relacionarme con estudiantes de diferentes grupos raciales y étnicos y aprendí de donde vienen muchas de las necesidades médicas.

¿Les recomend rías a más estudiantes hacer ese tipo de actividades? ¿Por qué?

Esto va a sonar cliché pero le recomendaría a todos los estudiantes hispanos que trataran de involucrarse en al menos una o dos actividades durante su tiempo en Blair. Estas actividades los ayudarán a tener expectativa sobre diferentes carreras e intereses que podrán seguir cuando se gradúen de la escuela. De igual manera, harán amistades que durarán mucho tiempo porque se formaron cuando comenzaban a desarrollarse como individuos de la sociedad.

¿Cuáles son las actividades que realizaste en la universidad?

En la universidad fui parte de “La Familia”, que es la parte Hispana de OMSE, que es la Oficina de la excelencia de estudiantes de varias etnias.

Asistente de investigación en un laboratorio de investigación familiar para familias de afrodescendientes.

Voluntaria en una oficina de partos en College Park donde la mayoría de pacientes son Latinas

¿Cuál ha sido tu experiencia siendo una latina en la Universidad de Maryland?

Mi experiencia siendo latina en UMD fue increíble porque desde el principio me uní a La Familia en el primer semestre y estar rodeada de latinos que también querían llegar a ser alguien en la vida. En este grupo también había mentores que me aconsejaron cómo explorar el sistema universitario como una estudiante de primera generación en

los EEUU.

¿Qué recomendarías a los estudiantes para que no se rindan?

Le recomendaría a los estudiantes que estudien lo que les apasiona sin importar lo que la gente diga porque cuando estén estudiando tarde de la noche o se quieran dar por vencidos lo único que los ayudara a levantarse es saber que algún día lograran sus metas.

¿Por qué te gusta estar involucrada en actividades de la comunidad latina?

Me encanta estar involucrada en las actividades latinas porque veo cómo muchas personas se benefician de mis errores y mi experiencia como estudiante Hispana en los EEUU. De igual manera me benefician a mi porque me demuestran cómo seguir adelante mientras es toy lejos de mi país. Ver a tantos latinos triunfar me inspira.

¿Crees que te ha ayudado o te ayudará en algo?

Si, me han ayudado a seguir adelante por medio de las historias de otros latinos.

¿Aparte de las actividades latinas en las que de las que fuiste parte, ¿realizaste otro tipo de actividades?

Si, fui maestra de guitarra y líder de coro en mi comunidad. Son cosas que me encantan hacer porque me regocijo en pasar tiempo con mis estudiantes y ver cómo aprenden. elante por medio de las historias de otros latinos.

¿Podrías contarnos más sobre ti? ?

Bueno, soy la más pequeña de mi familia, pero tengo muchas responsabilidades ya que mis padres

tienen enfermedades crónicas. Muchas veces tuve que quedarme tarde estudiando o levantarme temprano para cuidarlos. Por ejemplo, el semestre de otoño del 2023, tuve que llevar a mi mamá a su trabajo todo los días, trabajar como asistente médico y estudiar, entonces me levantaba a las 5:00 am y me iba a dormir a las 12:00 am. de otros latinos.

¿Cuál es tu carrera y planes académicos para el futuro?

Quiero ser médico, aún no se que especialidad pero esa es mi meta. Estoy en procesos de aplicar para la escuela de medicina pero mientras espero, estaré trabajando para NIH como una aprendiz de investigación en un programa de post-licenciatura. Yo estaré en el departamento de NIAID.

¿Hay algo que hayas aprendido que te haga no rendirte a lograr lo que quieres?

Lo que aprendí fue a dejar ir de los malos comentarios y enfocarme en las personas que me apoyan porque muchas veces sus palabras de aliento me ayudan a seguir. También aprendí a creer en mí misma y en los dones que se me han otorgado.

¿Crees que todo el esfuerzo y tiempo dedicado valió la pena? Si, creo que cada una de las desveladas y madrugadas me han traído hacia donde estoy y me han ayudado a dar y ser la mejor versión de mi. Aun tengo mucho que lograr pero estoy confiada que agarrada de mi fe, con dedicación y el apoyo de mis familiares y amigos lo lograré.

Por Elizabeth Duarte Escritor

CORTESÍA DE GABRIELA REYES VALENZUELA

La soda contra el agua

El hábito dañino de beber gaseosas prevalece entre los hispanos

Por Kelly Maltez y Gisselle Villalobos Escritores

La llegada de Coca-Cola en Lati-

de asuntos públicos, comunicación y sostenibilidad de Coca-Cola en América Latina. La bebida fue creada en 1886, originalmente vendida como tónico energizante. Desde entonces,

hidratado con químicos que

muchas veces no todos saben que tan dañinos son. El sabor dura un momento, pero el bienestar de la salud, no. Entonces, de esta manera se puede ver el aferramiento y estrangulamiento que tiene la soda en la vida de las personas. La contaminación del agua también tiene que ver con el consumo de soda, pero no al punto que la gente consume más soda que agua por contaminación. Contreras cuenta que “me hace daño porque estoy enferma, entonces no puedo tomar soda ni nada dulce”.

Por la mayor parte, un 75% de agua no está contaminada.

Otra vez queda afirmado que los efectos negativos de la soda están haciendo efecto porque como a un estudiante de Blair, también hay más personas que están pasando por lo mismo de consumir demasiada soda. Muchas personas no ven lo esencial e importante que es el poder consumir agua diariamente. El agua nos ayuda a absorber nutrientes esenciales, por ejemplo, eliminar toxinas, facilitar el riego sanguíneo y mejorar la función digestiva. Por lo tanto, mucha gente

después sufrirá las consecuencias de sus actos en carne viva. Otra estudiante de Blair, llamada Keitlyn Díaz, cuenta que “por la mayor parte, un 75% de agua no está contaminada”. Este porcentaje es más de la mitad necesaria para poder consumir agua, esto quiere decir que el agua es accesible a la mayoría de las personas. Está en cada quien si quiere cuidar de su salud y tomar agua para su bienestar. Sin embargo, todas las personas deberían de ver el agua como una prioridad, porque al final del día el agua está vinculada con muchos beneficios.

Sherlyn Gutierrez, otra estudiante de Blair, cuenta que “No tomar agua diariamente puede dañar los riñones, también puede hacer que te debilites y hacerte sentir mal”. Nuevamente, es claro que el agua es esencial y muy requerida para el bienestar del cuerpo humano, porque si no tomamos suficiente agua, nuestro cuerpo no está recibiendo suficientes electrolitos, causando que el cuerpo no esté suficientemente hidratado.

Aunque el consumo de demasiada azúcar también puede brindar enfermedades dañinas crónicas, estas enfermedades pueden ser prevenidas con tan solo tener ciertas regulaciones como consumir menos gaseosas y más agua. Además, esas enfermedades pueden ser heredadas entre familia, como la diabetes tipo 2, una en-

fermedad que puede ser transmitida por genes, lo cual quiere decir que las personas deberían empezar a cuidarse desde jóvenes para que sus hijos no hereden estas enfermedades que pueden ser prevenidas solo por tomar demasiada soda.

América Latina es una unidad operativa clave para la compañía de Coca-Cola, no solo por el tamaño de nuestro negocio en la región, sino también por el vínculo que hemos logrado desarrollar en las personas.

De acuerdo con un artículo del gobierno de México, “el consumo de agua brinda grandes beneficios, como permitir la absorción de nutrientes esenciales, lubricar las articulaciones, eliminar toxinas, y facilitar el riego sanguíneo.” Estos son solo algunos beneficios que el agua brinda. Es bueno consumir más agua y desligarse de las bebidas con alto contenido de azúcar, como lo son las sodas, ya que el agua es esencial para el cuerpo humano, pero la soda, no.

Actores latinos tienen éxito a pesar de la barrera del idioma

Por Meydi López y Jamie Lozada-Mcbride Escritores

Tres talentosos actores latinos de la escuela secundaria Montgomery Blair compartieron sus éxitos con las presentaciones de teatro en los escenarios de Blair, a pesar de la barrera del idioma que combaten todos los días. Cada uno de ellos ha enfrentado lo mejor y lo más difícil de ser un actor latino, y las pocas oportunidades que encuentran para desempeñar un rol en el escenario.

Josías Gómez es un estudiante de tercer año que representó el personaje de Percy Snodgrass en la obra Oliver esta primavera. Gómez describió algo que le llamaba la atención del teatro. Su primera experiencia con teatro fue en eventos religiosos, y estas mismas obras que veía en la iglesia durante su niñez ha tenido una gran influencia en su destacada presentación en los escenarios. Sin embargo, Gómez no paró ahí y buscó maneras de involucrarse en la comunidad artística de Blair.

“Me empezó a gustar [el teatro] desde que iba a la iglesia y miraba que hacían obras de historias de la biblia, y me interesó bastante,” dijo Gómez.

Me empezó a gustar [el teatro] desde que iba a la iglesia y miraba que hacían obras de historias de la biblia, y me interesó bastante.

Según la coordinadora del desarrollo del idioma inglés de Blair, Tess Hiller, la clase de teatro en español se ha disuelto debido a una ausencia de maestros de teatro que hablan y se sienten cómodos con el español. Actualmente, no hay clases de teatro en español, pero esta barrera no ha impedido que los Blazers se involucren. Hiller confirma que hay muchas barreras que no permiten la creación de la clase. A pesar de los obstáculos, ella dice que hay muchas ganas entre los estudiantes y maestros para empezar la clase de nuevo. Según Hiller, los líderes de la compañía teatral de Blair han expresado su interés en la creación de este curso.

En mi país nunca pensé en actuar, pero al llegar a los Estados Unidos pensé ‘porqué no intentarlo.

Un estudiante nuevo de Blair, Brandon Jara, cuenta sobre su experiencia con los cursos de teatro en Blair. Desde una edad temprana, a Jara le ha gustado el teatro, ya que los actores famosos de su país en la televisión lo inspiraron. De niño, esto fue el principio de su curiosidad por el teatro. Pero lo que él no descubriría hasta un tiempo después, es que un día su sueño se convertiría en realidad.

“En mi país nunca pensé en actuar, pero al llegar a los Estados Unidos pensé ‘porqué no intentarlo’”, dijo Jara.

Jara ha disfrutado su clase de te-

atro en inglés y la ha descrito como un lugar cómodo y respetu oso, pero todavía le en cantaría ser parte de una comu nidad de hispano hablan tes en teatro, ya que las pa labras y las frases suenan dif erentes al expresarlas en la lengua natal. La comunidad de teatro en Blair está llena de muchos estudiantes que aspiran a ser actores, pero debido a las barreras del idioma, no les permite seguir adelante en perseguir sus sueños.

“[La clase] es más elaborada y [los estudiantes] son más exper tos…todos van a lo que van y no van a jugar…no lo hacen por una calificación si no porque les gusta y les nace hacer eso”, dijo Jara.

He visto pocos hispanos [en teatro], pero siento que es porque la gente no siempre nos apoya al involucrarse.

Al fin y al cabo, Jara dice que él disfrutaría más de este arte en su idioma natal. Siempre es bueno salir de la zona de comodidad, pero

grado y ha disfrutado su clase de actuación este año con la Señora Tami Jeral. “Me encant[a] que mis amigos y yo tengamos algo solo para nosotros”, dijo Granados. “No toda la gente va a entender los términos [de teatro], entonces me gusta tener ese ‘secreto’ entre compañeros”. Aunque Granados disfruta su clase, también siente que la comunidad de teatro hispana es muy pequeña y espera que continúe cre-

antes que les gustaría ser parte de “Yo era casi la única personatermedia], entonces a mí me tocó enseñar los términos en español [en el guión] a mis compañeros”, dijo Granados. “He visto pocosto que es porque la gente no-antes,orados del teatro, han superadofrentan su comunidad. Igual que otros grupos, los jóvenes latinos tienen mucho para contribuir a la comunidad teatral de Blair, pero debido a la situación del idioma, estas posibilidades son muy pocas. En una comunidad tan diversa con más de tres mil estudiantes, de los cuales un gran porcentaje son hispanohablantes, estos obstáculos se podrían superar.

EIMAJ

EDIRBCM--ADAZOL

MARIA ESPINAL

NOTICIAS BREVES

Compilado por Emmy Henriquez

Escritora

Personas de China llegan a México para cruzar la frontera de Estados Unidos

Desde el año pasado, ha habido un gran incremento en los inmigrantes chinos que llegan a la frontera de México para llegar a los Estados Unidos. Hay muchas aperturas en la frontera de Estados Unidos con México, que ha hecho posible que los inmigrantes chinos crucen la frontera. Toma más de 30 días solo para llegar a México y otros 10 para llegar a la frontera, pasando por narcos, desiertos, ríos y lagos solo para buscar el sueño americano. Es probable que la inmigración, como la amenaza percibida de China, sean características de las próximas elecciones estadounidenses, por lo que existe el riesgo de que el aumento de la migración China se politice, inclinándose aún más hacia las tensiones existentes entre Washington y Beijing.

Muerte de Farruko pop

¿Qué pasó?

¿Quién es Farruko Pop? Era un joven cantante por las redes sociales que desafortunadamente falleció en la ciudad de Guatemala el pasado 25 de mayo. Jorge Sebastián Pop Chocoj, más conocido como Farruko Pop, era un personaje muy famoso en la comunidad latina. A inicios de mayo, se había presentado en TV Azteca Guate para ser parte de las audiciones del reality ‘La academia’ en donde buscó sin éxito un lugar en el famoso show.

Su cuerpo fue encontrado en la colonia El Limón, varios días después de desaparecer con signos de violencia por todo su cuerpo, pero sobre todo asfixia, lo cual determinó la causa de su fallecimiento. Las autoridades dicen que fue por estrangulamiento.

Siempre será recordado por ser un joven con mucha alegría que tuvo un gran impacto no solo en Latinoamérica, sino también en los Estados Unidos.

Nueva presidenta de México será una mujer

El 2 de junio, Claudia Sheinbaum fue elegida como la primera mujer presidente de México, también siendo la primera persona judía en ser presidenta de ese país. Sheinbaum obtuvo más del 60% de los votos en la elección más grande en la historia de México, consiguiendo un logro histórico.

Sheinbaum entró el mundo de la política en el año 2000, cuando ella fue la secretaria del Medio Ambiente de la ciudad de México y después la jefa de gobierno. Después de dejar esta posición en el año 2006, Sheinbaum se comprometió a estudiar la energía, se unió a un programa del panel internacional sobre el cambio climático y formó parte del grupo que recibió el premio Nobel de La Paz en 2007.

Ser la primera presidente de México conlleva una gran responsabilidad de enseñar a todos que las mujeres pueden contribuir a un cambio positivo para el mundo. Durante los próximos seis años, tendrá muchas oportunidades en una época tensa política para desarrollar el estatus de México en todo el mundo.

Jóvenes atletas luchan por su futuro

Por Salome Bentancur y Selvin Vail Escritores

Las Olimpiadas son el evento deportivo más importante del mundo. Este acontecimiento sucede cada cuatro años en diferentes países. Este año, los juegos olímpicos se van a llevar a cabo en París, Francia desde el 26 de julio hasta el 11 de agosto. Hay una variedad de eventos deportivos donde deportistas de distintos países compiten para ganar medallas de oro, plata y bronce. Los eventos presentan a los mejores atletas de diversas partes del mundo.

Sin duda alguna, el mayor deseo de muchos atletas es llegar a competir en los juegos olímpicos. Sin embargo, el camino no es fácil. Los atletas jóvenes necesitan invertir una gran cantidad de tiempo en el entrenamiento deportivo y sus familias deben invertir tiempo, dinero y energía para apoyarlos.

Los estudiantes que se dedican seriamente a los deportes deben entrenar arduamente para poder alcanzar sus sueños. Por eso, es difícil para muchas personas que estudian y entrenan, ya que cuentan con mucho menos tiempo disponible y este tiempo tiene que ser dividido para poder hacer sus actividades de casa, escuela y el deporte. Tokyo Hopkins, una Blazer de décimo grado, explica que para dividir su tiempo en las actividades que debe hacer, “intento hacer mi trabajo durante la escuela y antes de mis prácticas, porque no voy a tener tiempo para hacerlo en casa, ya que tengo otras responsabilidades y si no tengo ti-

empo para hacerlo, pregunto para que me ayude mi familia para que pueda enfocarme en mis estudios”.

Es muy difícil mantener el equilibrio entre diferentes actividades. Como explica Sebastián Guzmán, un estudiante que se graduó de Blair en el año 2023 y que ahora se dedica a jugar béisbol en la universidad, “El sacrificio que tuve que hacer fue… Casi siempre pierdo algunas clases porque tenía que ir a algunos lugares a jugar o practicar y salía tarde de la clase y si, no salía”. La Sra. Silvana Brinkman, profesora de Blair y entrenadora de softbol, explica los sacrificios que los atletas que ella entrena deben hacer, “Les toca sacar tiempo de su día, de sus tareas… A veces hace frío, a veces está lloviendo, a veces quieren estar con los amigos. No todos hacen los mismos sacrificios, pero la mayoría, sí”.

También existen obligaciones económicas. La Sra. Gonzáles, una consejera de Blair, mencionó los sacrificios económicos muy elevados que tiene que hacer con la natación, el deporte de sus hijas, “Las personas encargadas te dan un total por cada niño y también, dependiendo la edad y los días, todo depende de cuantos días tú estás nadando y el horario, mientras más pequeños mucho mejor. Pero entre mis dos hijas más o menos mensual casi pago 400 dólares [al mes] por ambas”, dijo Gonzáles.

La Sra Silvana Brinkman, explica que los costos del equipo deportivo pueden ser muy elevados también. “El equipo puede ser muy caro…por ejemplo, hay un bate, y el bate te puede costar de 250 a 500 dólares un bate, y el

guante lo mismo”, explica Brinkman. Varias personas entran a un equipo por ayuda de familias o amigos. Sebastián Guzmán explica que se involucró en el béisbol por medio de su padre, quien lo apoyó para poder dedicarse de lleno a este deporte. Sebastián dice que “desde sus tres años he sido parte del béisbol”.

Para las hijas de la Sra. Gonzáles, fueron las amistades las que invitaron a sus hijas a participar. “Nos involucramos por medio de una vecina que nos invitó a una actividad en lo que es el deporte de verano”, explica. “Entonces mi hija mayor fue la que comenzó, le gustó tanto que entonces comenzó a tomar clases antes de poder hacer un equipo para mejorar su forma de natación”.

El apoyo de la familia es imprescindible para poder obtener éxito

deportivo. Tokyo explica que, “La gimnasia y cheer cuesta mucho dinero como comprar todo el equipo, la ropa, todo eso y entonces tuvieron que... poner mucho dinero al lado para mí, para esos deportes”. Los sacrificios no son solo de índole económica. La Sra González explica que para que sus hijas puedan nadar, muchas veces “nos tenemos que levantarnos a las 5 de la mañana y a las 4 de la mañana para poder salir”. Para participar en las Olimpiadas es necesario pasar pruebas de clasificación olímpica y estar entre los primeros lugares. Un aspecto muy importante de todo esto son las ganas y el tiempo que se invierte. El camino está lleno de sacrificios, pero la meta es clara, “Mi objetivo es llegar a las Grandes Ligas y poder hacer feliz a mi familia y poner el nombre en alto” explica Sebastián.

Un mundo de diversión

Elementos esenciales de las celebraciones latinas

Por Emmy Henriquez y Juan Daniel Quiñones

Mondaca

Escritores

Los festivales, carnavales, y otros eventos similares traen una gran felicidad a la comunidad latinoamericana, tanto en Estados Unidos como en Latinoamérica. Estos festivales no solo representan la felicidad, sino que también demuestran la riqueza cultural de estos países.

Desde los comienzos de la época colonial en Latinoamérica, ha habido festividades que representan la religión, la alegría y

la unión de familias. Estas festividades tienen la influencia de las religiones de Europa y España, así como también el legado de las prácticas culturales anteriores a la llegada de los europeos a América.

Este fenómeno, conocido como sincretismo cultural, trajo algunas de las celebraciones más populares en Latinoamérica, tales como el Carnaval de Río de Janeiro en Brasil, el día de los muertos en México y el Festival del Sol en Perú. Las celebraciones también existen en los Estados Unidos, como un festival de bailes Latinoamericanos celebrado en una variedad de ciudades estadoun-

idenses.

en mi país el más famoso es el 15 de septiembre, que es el día de la independencia de El Salvador JAIRO FLORES

Uno de los festivales, el Festival del Año Nuevo Aymara, ocurre durante los primeros días de junio en Cochabamba, La Paz y Oruro en Bolivia. Un destino muy importante para la comunidad boliviana para celebrar la llegada del año nuevo es el antiguo sitio Inca de Tiwanaku, por donde los seguidores de este evento se reúnen para ver la salida del año. El festival atrae a miles de personas y dura entre cinco y siete días. Se celebran muchas fiestas en otros países latinoamericanos también. Un estudiante salvadoreño del onceavo grado en Blair, Jairo Flores, dijo “en mi país el más famoso es el 15 de septiembre, que es el día de la independencia de El Salvador”. Como en muchos otros países, el 15 de septiembre es el Día de la Independencia y en esta ocasión se tiran cohetes al aire para conmemorar la liberación de la colonización española en Latinoamérica.

En Montgomery Blair, hay una celebración que ya se ha vuelto una tradición en la comunidad. Este evento, conocido como Blair

Fair (La Feria de Blair), tuvo una breve interrupción, pero volvió a celebrarse este año. Con vendedores ambulantes, juegos y bailes, este evento proporciona una oportunidad única para las familias y estudiantes de Blair.

El baile y la comida son, sin duda, una parte esencial de las celebraciones. Para Jairo Flores, lo mejor de los festivales son “las bandas, las cachiporras, las carrozas entre las dos dulces y la música”. Sin embargo, otro aspecto de suma importancia es la seguridad. El presidente de la Asociación de gobierno estudiantil de Blair, Daniel Romero, ayudó con la Feria de Blair este año escolar. “Tuvimos más de cinco guardias de seguridad protegiendo a la gente para que no pasara nada malo”, dijo Romero. En su opinión, la seguridad es muy importante para proteger a las personas que participan en estos eventos.

La seguridad es un factor muy importante para aquellos que asisten a las ferias también. Al respecto, Josías Gómez, un estudiante de Blair, explicó que “Andando dos personas juntas y no separarse, así me cuido”.

La seguridad es necesaria a la hora de celebrar, para garantizar la diversión sin altercados. Con mucha música rica, baile diverso, actividades divertidas y seguridad, los festivales y carnavales a través de todo el mundo latinoamericano son acontecimientos importantes para celebrar la cultura.

CINDIS HERNANDAZ

KIMBERLY SOLIS

Por Meydi López y Jamie Lozada-Mcbride

Escritores

Los latinos son la población que tiene la mayor porcentaje de trabajadores empleados en industrias peligrosas, según la Universidad del Sur de California. Esto significa que los trabajadores latinos tienen más riesgos en su trabajo que sus equivalentes de otras etnias.

El 24 de marzo de 2024, el barco Dalí chocó contra el puente Francis Scott Key, una carretera importante e ícono arquitectónico de Baltimore. Trágicamente, seis trabajadores que se encontraban en el puente perdieron la vida. Estas seis personas – Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, Miguel Luna, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, y Carlos Daniel Hernández — eran trabajadores de construcción que estaban encima del puente. Todos trabajaban para una empresa de Maryland llamada “Brawner Builders” y todos eran inmigrantes hispanos.

Siempre deben reconocer a esas seis personas que dieron su vida como héroes.

“Siento como si se robaron mi esposo, el esposo que Dios me dio”, dijo Carmencita Luna, la esposa de Miguel Luna. Luna describió que “sacrificaron a [su esposo] y sacrificaron otras cinco vidas … él es un héroe y siempre deben reconocer a esas seis personas que

Latinos trabajadores

dieron su vida como héroes”.

GRÁFICA POR JAMIE LOZADA-MCBRIDE

Luna admite que el gobierno la ha apoyado después del suceso. “Han ofrecido comida, otros han enviado tarjetas por la comida … el gobernador prometió que iba a seguir trabajando hasta encontrar al último hombre que había muerto”, dijo Luna. “Eso fue muy, muy bonito para mí porque incluso cuando tenía la esperanza de que encontraran a mi marido con vida, pero no era eso, sino que hacían mucho trabajo”.

Sin embargo, Luna todavía no entiende las acciones que hizo la policía y qué causó el fallecimiento de su esposo. “Lo único que me preocupa y no sé si podría estar equivocada, ¿por qué cerraron el puente a la izquierda y a la derecha y por qué nadie intentaba sacar [a los trabajadores]? Esa es la pregunta que siempre tengo. ¿Por qué le dieron prioridad a cerrar la derecha y la izquierda y no ir a por ellos?”

Desafortunadamente, para muchos de estos trabajadores, las esperanzas de un sistema de trabajo justo son muy escasas. Lucía Islas es la presidenta del Comité Latino de Baltimore, una organi-

zación sin fines de lucro que [más detalles] … [introducción] … En una entrevista en inglés, Islas dijo que “siempre tenemos los peores trabajos porque…la gente que nos da los contratos, [saben que] no tienes estatus legal, entonces quieren aprovecharte”.

Aunque las tragedias como el colapso del puente Francis Scott Key generalmente no son comunes, son más comunes para los trabajadores latinos, que en 2022 tenían una tasa de mortalidad en las ocupaciones de 4,6 accidentes fatales por cada 100.000 trabajadores – más que cualquier otro grupo étnico.

En 2023, la mayoría (63,1%) de los trabajadores de techando eran latinos, según la Oficina de Estadísticas Laborales (también conocido como el BLS, por sus siglas en inglés). La tasa de mortalidad laboral para los techadores es 57,7 por cada 100.000 – la segunda más alta de los Estados Unidos, solo detrás de la explotación forestal. Además, los trabajos de construcción (donde los hispanos representan 51,8% del esfuerzo laboral) presentan una tasa de mortalidad de 38,5 por cada 100.000 (el cuarto más alto de los

Estados Unidos), según el BLS. Brandon Alexander, un estudiante del décimo grado, conoce estos riesgos. Cada fin de semana, él trabaja en la remodelación, empezando a las 7 de la mañana y terminando a las 4 o 5 de la tarde. Para Alexander, la parte más peligrosa de su trabajo es cuando tiene que ir encima de los tejados. “Muchas veces las casas son muy empinadas y tenemos que usar arnés”, dijo, explicando que aunque nadie en su equipo ha caído — “hemos tenido la precaución de no lastimarnos” — siempre hay el riesgo. “[los tejados] son muy inclinados [y] cuesta demasiado mantenerse separados, entonces es un riesgo deslizarse y caerse”. Según el Centro de Prevención y Protección de Enfermedades (o CDC, por sus siglas en inglés), la mayoría de los accidentes fatales en la construcción son a causa de caídas.

Las ocupaciones de construcción no son las únicas que suelen ser peligrosas. Juan, un estudiante del grado doce de Blair, trabajó en una fábrica de frutas cuando tenía 16 años. Su deber era cortar frutas con cuchillos y empacarlas. “Cuando comencé ese mismo trabajo… no me sentía cómodo, me sentía presionado a la fuerza”, dijo Juan. Esto fue debido en parte a los otros trabajadores. “Uno se siente así como algo presionado por las personas grandes. Y cuando no sabes hacer bien los trabajos, ves que te regañan”.

Sin embargo, los otros trabajadores no eran la únicas causas de preocupación. Las máquinas que molían las frutas le parecían “cosas peligrosas que le pudieran quedar la mano trabada”.

A pesar de un sistema desigual, Luna está luchando por más leyes

y reglas para la seguridad de los trabajadores de carreteras, muchos de ellos hispanos. “[El gobierno] hace leyes que sean más justas para nosotros, los hispanos… Deberían tener leyes más estrictas para los trabajadores de las carreteras que los cuiden más, que todos tengan radio, que haya una ley que tengan radio … porque allí la policía obedeció una orden, cerró el puente, y los dejó olvidados,” dijo Luna.

esquinalatina

EDITORES-EN-JEFE DE LA ESQUINA LATINA

Kyara Romero Lira

Jason Youm

ESCRITORES DE LA ESQUINA

Salome Betancur

Camila Chi

Juan Daniel Quiñones

Meydi López

Jamie Lozada-Mcbride

Kelly Maltez

Emmy Nicole Henriquez

Selvin Vail

Nate Viechnicki

Gisselle Villalobos

JEFES DE REDACCIÓN DE ARTE

Maria Espinal

Kimberly Solis

ARTISTAS DE LA ESQUINA LATINA

Cindis Hernandez

Jamie Lozada-Mcbride

Angela Martinez-Gonzalez

LA ASESORA DE LA ESQUINA LATINA

Maria Eugenia Tanos

KYARA ROMERO LIRA Y JASON YOUM

MARIA ESPINAL

See you later, educators Veteran Blair staff bid farewell

Story by

Eloise Carter and Naomi Andelman

Photos courtesy of Kenean Bizuwork and Silverlogue

Sandra Jacobs’ classroom was always eye-catching with its stream of natural light, posters, and numerous decorations. “Kids would walk by and stop in and say, ‘I want to be in this class,’” Jacobs recalls. However, at the present moment, room 142 is almost completely stripped because Jacobs is retiring after 26 years of teaching at Blair. “A lot of teachers are happy because I’m bequeathing them with my posters,” Jacobs adds.

While many know Jacobs as a 12th grade English teacher, a position she’s held since 2002, she has also taught kindergarten, seventh grade, eighth grade, ninth grade, eleventh grade, and the infamous sixth grade. “I did teach sixth grade. That was crazy,” Jacobs says. Additionally, Jacobs is certified to teach Biology, although she has never gotten the chance to. “I always wondered what it would be like to teach Biology,” she says. “[It was] just by circumstance that I started teaching in English and then I stayed there.”

Alongside her husband, Robert Gibb, Jacobs is looking forward to the free time that comes with retirement. “We are travel buddies, we like to explore and visit various places,” she says. “We are also gardening aficionados and we tinker in the garden.”

Jacobs is also excited by the limitless opportunities of the future. “We are human beings, not human doings. And so for teaching, all you do is do, do, do. You have deadlines, you have this, you have that, you’re always constantly doing something,” she reflects. “And now it’s just to be … so that is something that I am really looking forward to.”

Before leaving Blair and embarking for the future, Jacobs has one last piece of universal advice to give. “Look for beauty in all things and all people. Not only will you find it, you will become it,” she says.

Robert Gibb has spent his teaching career solely at Blair. He has taught here permanently for 35 years, but was also a long term substitute and student teacher.

During his tenure at Blair, Gibb has taught numerous classes, including African American Studies (then called the Black Experience), ESOL (which he teaches bilingually with a co-teacher), AP European History, and other courses in the social studies field. Gibb was one of the teachers who experienced the switch from the old location to Blair’s current location. His room at the old location was on the fourth floor, which is now inaccessible. In his classroom, he often had an unexpected roommate. “A raccoon lived under [the air conditioning],” Gibb recalls. “Some days he would put his little paws on the window and he’d be looking in and kids would get distracted. I’d go, ‘You need to focus on this and he’s already passed the class.’”

The beloved social studies teacher has many wonderful memories at Blair. Here, Gibb met his wife, Sandra Jacobs, and he has built the Blair Girls’ Soccer program as well as founding and developing other athletics teams. “Coaching … sort of propels me, gives me a diversion,” Gibb says. “Even if you’ve had the worst day in the world in the classroom, when you go out there on the field with players that want to be out there and you go out and you have fun, play that game that you love, you forget about the stuff that annoyed you.” Gibb still sees coaching in his future, meaning he may be back at Blair in the future. But until then, he will miss Blair and everything that makes it special. “Blair has a uniqueness to it,” Gibb says. “I’ve been here my whole career, but there are a lot of people I know who’ve been here a long time and … they’ve been to other places, [but] once they came here, they stayed. And so there’s something to be said for that.”

Over his 42 years of teaching, Jim Mogge has seen many things, perhaps the oddest of them being a random couch in his classroom. “A group of students in the morning brought a couch into my portable that they kept in there,” he says. “I guess they were all sitting around at home and they were like, ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be great if Mogge had a couch in his portable!’”

Mogge has not always taught in the portables, let alone at Blair. Mogge worked at Richard Montgomery in his first nine years of teaching. He then moved to California and taught in Riverside and Alameda. Later, he came back to Maryland and taught at Blair, then took a three year tenure at Kennedy, but ultimately returned to Blair.

For retirement, Mogge will return to California, only this time in Santa Cruz. Although he can see himself teaching part time in the future, Mogge’s main goal for next year is to relax. “It’ll be great. This place is right along the ocean and so I’ll walk along the ocean every morning,” he says. Mogge also plans to focus on his well-being. “My priorities will be [to] eat well, exercise, [and] enjoy life,” he explains.

Angelique Bosse’s first seven years of teaching were at the old Blair location in … not the most optimal of classrooms. “The auto shop was right below my class, so I would hear all the mechanics of that and a lot of excitement out back there,” Bosse says.

Twenty-five years later, Bosse still teaches at Blair, having taught Magnet Biology, Cell Physiology, Biochemistry, Health, Research, and her favorite, Genetics.

Teaching these courses comes with preparing labs and Bosse has enjoyed trying out new ones over her 32 years of teaching. “I like the labs where you [work] on a molecular level. You can’t really see what’s happening in the test tubes and you just have faith that everything you’re doing along the way is gonna work out,” she says.

Now, after engaging students with labs over the last three decades, Bosse has a past student with his own lab at Children’s National Medical Center. “[I] reconnected with him because he wanted to be a mentor for some of my research students, and I just thought it was so cool that I remember him [as a] 10th grade bio student and now he has his own lab,” she says. Another full-circle moment came when a recent student turned out to be the daughter of one of Bosse’s former students.

In addition to teaching, Bosse coaches cross country. She plans to support the team as a volunteer in the future, as she teaches at her new school, the Academy of the Holy Cross, in Kensington. “I love being at Blair. I love teaching at Blair, but it’s time for something different,” she says.

Bosse

Mr. Bustillos

Tucked away in the 100s wing are a set of classrooms which most students have never stepped foot in or even known existed. One of these hidden rooms contains the media studios and the classroom Paris Bustillos teaches in every day. “I just think that it’s been a pleasure to work in this area because most schools don’t have two TV studios,” Bustillos said, “It’s just a cool area that I’ve gotten to be a part of. It’s a great media program here.” In that area, Bustillos has taught Digital Art, TV Production, Creative Script Writing, and Photography, for the Media department and Communication Arts Program.

Bustillos has been at Blair for 18 years. However, his teaching career has been much more extensive. This is his 31st year teaching and before Blair, Bustillos worked at Richard Montgomery, Wheaton, Thomas Edison, and Springbrook.

In relation to his overall regard for media, Bustillos is interested in expanding into teaching with AI. “AI will change the way we make media, and I’m teaching it in its very conception,” he said. After leaving Blair, Bustillos plans to take a year off before possibly pursuing a job in AI. “There are a lot of openings doing education and artificial intelligence … I’m just in a really good position right now to start teaching AI because I’ve been working with it a lot this year and I think it’s gonna really take off next year for education,” he said.

Even if Bustillos teaches more classes in the future, his past students will forever have had a significant impact on his life. “I wouldn’t wanna just remember one student, there’s a lot. I could tell you stories forever about each one of them,” Bustillos said.

The media center is at the heart of Blair and Andrea Lamphier is one of the people who keeps it pumping. The media center opens at 7:15 in the morning and stays open past the 2:30 afternoon bell. In that time, Lamphier is met with a variety of tasks and asks, from printing help to paper clips. She even provides materials that the media center might not have. “Just like a lot of classroom teachers, I’m constantly bringing stuff from home,” she says.

In the almost 21 years since Lamphier first joined the Blair community, the school and the media center have gone through many changes. “When I first came to Blair, there were several things that were very different,” she says. “Every student had to wear an ID at all times and we used to have a supply of yarn … I used to repair kids’ IDs all the time for them.” When the media center first opened, there were rows of desktop computers. With the rise of personal computers for students, among other things, the media center’s staff and consequently its scope has shrunk. “The cuts in staff have really made a difference in what we can do for and with kids,” Lamphier explains.

Lamphier has enjoyed much during her time at Blair. She notes that one of her favorite things is the fervor of the student body. “There’s a lot of passion in this school. Lots and lots of passion and willingness for people to stand up and say what’s right,” Lamphier recounts. But, for her retirement, Lamphier will get to enjoy some well-deserved rest, including the ability to sleep past the media center’s early hours.

Along with these new plans for himself, Mogge has a mantra that every Blazer should take to heart: “Tell somebody you love how you feel whenever you get a chance!”

By Greta Andelman and Maxwell Erlebacher Culture Editor & News Editor

Turning off of Seven Locks Road in Potomac, rows of pristine townhouses in shades of gray and blue are nestled amongst bright green lawns and the Bette Carol Thompson community center. Further down the road, a church under construction stands amongst rubble. Originally bought by William Dove in 1880, the Historic Scotland Community traces its roots back to the Reconstruction Era, but today it serves as a reminder of the resilience of the Black community in Montgomery County.

The settlement was first called Snakes Den, and after Dove purchased the 36 acres of land at an auction for $210, it became a place for formerly enslaved people to reside. In 1920, Snakes Den was renamed “Scotland” after a “New Scotland” sign seen at a nearby property. Scotland was largely neglected as the government failed to assist with providing basic utilities to residents. “They didn’t have electricity, they didn’t have sewers, they didn’t have a plumbing system, but all the surrounding communities had those things,” LaTisha Gasaway-Paul, a descendant of William Dove, says.

Additionally, many developers sought the community’s land, as it was situated around various white and wealthier neighbor-

Historic Black community honors their history

hoods. Many in the community believe their descendants were taken advantage of when white buyers purchased their land. “Some of my elders did … sell their land, however, they did not know what the worth of the land was, but the developers did and they didn’t want them there,” Gasaway-Paul says. Now, Scotland consists of only four acres, in comparison to the 36 it once had. This, coupled with the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (MNCPPC) desire to expand Cabin John Park in the 1960s almost dismantled the neighborhood.

Back then, most houses in the community were nearly uninhabitable. “One time, there was just shacks down here,” 94-year-old Scotland resident Edgar Dove says. In 1965, the “Save Our Scotland” committee started to combat Scot-

land’s housing crisis using federal grants. The committee successfully collected 800 signatures for a petition that called for the MNCPPC to halt their Cabin John Park plans. Today, Scotland residents take pride in the community’s fight to stay in place. “In 1968 groundbreaking [achievements] took place. [The committee was] able to secure a loan and build 100 homes on that property that they had fought for,” Gasaway-Paul says. “Scotland has a long history of resilience.”

At the heart of Scotland is the AME Zion Church. It first opened in 1924 and was later renovated when the Save Our Scotland Committee voted to bring sewage amenities to the handbuilt place of worship. The church continues to serve as a focal point for the community today while it celebrates its

100-year anniversary. In 2019, the church was closed down due to a flood and subsequent storms, prompting the launch of the 2nd Century Project. “We had trouble with the flooding, with water coming down from the hill …. It flooded the basement out,” Dove says. This past February, the foundation of the church was restored with a waterproof base. The 2nd Century Project aims to renovate and expand the church, including the construction of a new building that attaches to the original sanctuary. A benefactor of the project is the contemporary art museum Glenstone, which has matched a $3 million donation for the renovation and hopes to continue their relationship with the community. In addition, on May 29, Bethesda residents David and Carrie Marriot pledged $1 million to the AME Zion Church efforts, as part of their family’s charity, the William and S. Alice Marriott foundation. Currently, Scotland is approximately $1.8 million dollars short of their $10 million dollar goal to repair the church and preserve its rich history.

The community is also raising money for the church through its annual Juneteenth Heritage Festival, which will take place from June 15 - 19. The festival comprises 23 events, and the net profits go toward the 2nd Century Project. This year, proceeds will also go toward selected beneficiaries, such as the Emory Grove United Methodist Church—a church originally founded by freed African Americans in

1874. Scotland is hoping to give back to the broader community in the spirit of Juneteenth. “The decision to include additional beneficiaries for the festival proceeds was made by [a] desire to … uplift and empower the local Black community,” Gasaway-Paul says. “Juneteenth is about opportunity.”

Community members are excited to participate in an array of activities including a 5K Road Race, a classic car show, and a Juneteenth parade. Additionally, for the first time in Montgomery County history, fireworks will be displayed on June 19.

Some of my elders did … sell their land, however, they did not know what the worth of the land was, but the developers did and they didn’t want them there.

These events are vitally important to preserving and celebrating Scotland’s rich history. “The Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival, the Scotland AME Zion Church, and the Scotland community, all those things to me are sacred,” says Gasaway-Paul. “They are all historic and it’s important to me to continue sharing my story.”

Baltimore Key Bridge collapse draws all hands on deck

By Rabira Dosho and Auden Seigel News Editor & Editor-in-Chief

All quotes that appear in italics havebeentranslatedfromSpanish.

Chances are, many of the things you use daily—clothes, cars, electronics—are imported from around the world; just check the label on the bottom. Only 30 miles away from Blair, the Port of Baltimore— the 11th largest port in the U.S—facilitates the trade of 150,000 tons of international and domestic cargo every day. Last year, the port directly supported 20,193 jobs.

Two months ago, all port activity came to a screeching halt. In the early morning hours on Mar. 26, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, a critical thoroughfare separating the Chesapeake Bay and the inner Port of Baltimore, collapsed after a container ship, the Dali, collided into it. Though the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) was able to stop cross-traffic, six construction workers who had been fixing potholes on the bridge died.

The Key Bridge spanned 1.6 miles and stood at 185 feet above the water. About 34,000 vehicles crossed the bridge daily, reducing Harbor Tunnel congestion and serving the local workforce. Debris from the bridge collapse blocked port accessibility for multiple weeks, devastating both port workers and commerce.

In 2023, a report by Martin Associates determined the total economic value of the port to Maryland to be approximately $70.28 billion. Countless workers and businesses depend on the port to

provide a means of commerce, including Montaeya Gross. As an employee at Tradepoint Atlantic— a large port industry that manages the flow of goods and oversees imports and exports—and a native Baltimorean, Gross explains that the port played a large role in the distribution of products in the city.

“Anything that Baltimore needs comes from the Port of Baltimore … That’s why it’s so tight right now,” she says.

tention programs. The Worker Support program, geared toward port employees, provides eligible employees with $430 weekly relief payments, whereas the Worker Retention program encourages businesses to retain employees in exchange for as high as a $200,000 grant.

Both programs have aided thousands of port employees. “In the Worker Retention [Program] we’ve helped about 3,000 workers stay on the job and stay on payroll. And then in the Worker Support [Program], we’ve helped about [another] 3,000 workers to get extra payments to help them meet their bills,” Wu says.

Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu explains that some dockworkers and truckers have not been able to work with limited access to the port. “Thousands of workers were directly impacted within days of the bridge collapse,” Wu says.

Furthermore, the bridge collapse has rerouted traffic involved in the port industry. “All these trucks aren’t really supposed to go through this way,” Gross says, referring to the increased traffic at the Tradepoint Atlantic port checkpoint.

In response to the collapse’s effect on jobs and businesses dependent on the port, the Maryland Department of Labor rolled out two relief programs via the Protection Opportunities and Regional Trade (PORT) Act: the Port of Baltimore Worker Support and Worker Re-

The PORT Act was expedited through the legislative process in only twelve days. Wu is proud that the legislature was able to unite to quickly respond to the tragedy and mitigate its effects on the industry.

“I feel very much that part of our responsibility as government is to serve the needs of the people and try to do it quickly and responsibly, and I do feel like [the PORT act] … has been a really great example [of that],” she says.

Operations at the Port of Baltimore are almost back to normal with most of the bridge remnants cleared and a 400-foot-wide channel open for ship traffic. The channel is projected to be restored to its original 700-foot-width and 50-footdepth by June 8-10. Maryland plans to rebuild the Key Bridge, however, this project is not expected to be finished for over four years.

While the port industry took a significant blow from the collapse, no impact was larger than that on the families of the workers who died that night. The men who

died were all Latino immigrants: Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, Jose Mynor Lopez, Alejandro Hernández Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, and Carlos Daniel Hernández Estrella.

Carmencita Luna, wife of Miguel Luna, explains that it has been tough since the loss of her husband. “For me, my husband was the best man, he was a hero,” Luna says. “Ifeelliketheytookmy husband that God gave me away. Andit’snoteasy,it’sveryhardfor me,” she says.

Though Luna is going through hardship, she is grateful for the support she received from the government which permitted her Salvadorian family to temporarily stay in Maryland on humanitarian visas.

“WhatIhavefelthassupportedme the most were the visas,” she says.

“[Thegovernment]gaveusthatopportunityformytwobrothersand

forpeoplefromElSalvadortobe here with us in this difficult time. [My husband’s] sister came. That hasbeenagreatsupport.”

Still, no amount of government support can erase the loss of her husband, and Luna wishes more had been done in the moment to salvage his and his coworkers’ lives. “Agranddoubtisinmyheart,and it doesn’t leave my mind, thinking, ‘Could they have done somethingmoresothatthosesixpeople didn’tdiethere?’”

Moving forward, Luna urges that the story of her husband and his coworkers be remembered to prevent future on-site construction related deaths. “They should always recognize those six people who gave their lives as heroes, so thatitisneverforgotten,” she says.

PHOTO BY JAMIE LOZADA-MCBRIDE

UNDER CONSTRUCTION Scotland AME Zion Church rebuilds after 2019 flood.

PHOTO BY IAN GLEASON

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE Efforts to remove the Dali from the collapse zone took place in May.

Tune into Takoma

New program director steps up at Takoma Park Radio

By Diego Santoro-Velez and Jay Clouse Senior Writers

Hidden behind the main street of shops on Carroll Avenue lies a small building with two large windows and a bright neon sign, shining out onto Westmoreland Avenue. Behind the neon-lit red, yellow, and white letters, sit the desks of the DJs. This is WOWDLP, Takoma Park’s very own radio station.

Since 2016, WOWD has been broadcasting their unique style for all to listen, on 94.3 FM. The station often offers different music styles than mainstream genres and songs, encouraging their listeners to grow new tastes. Takoma Park residents, such as Orly Keiner, enjoy WOWD’s unconventional take on a radio station, because it highlights many of the quirks of Takoma Park. “I just love how weird it is … I enjoy WOWD from the fact that it exposes me to types of music that I would never hear otherwise,” Keiner says.

Creator of NPR’s ‘Tiny Desk’ Bob Boilen recently stepped up as the new program director of the Takoma Park radio station. Boilen, who hosted shows on WOWD prior to his promotion, was content to take on the new role. “I asked [the founder of WOWD] if I could be of help and I said, ‘If you need a program director, I’d be happy to do it,’” Boilen says.

Boilen enjoys the alternative aspect of the station—generated from its wide-ranging music choice—because it brings light to subgenres and styles that most people might not know about. “They bring in

DJs who are passionate about specific styles of music; you can turn it on and hear reggae or hear somebody really into old or new R&B or hear somebody into music that is just out on another planet,” he says.

As the new program director, Boilen first intends to hear what

They

the DJs of the station want. He believes his job is to listen to those who have worked at WOWD for a long time and have ideas that could improve the station. Boilen would also like to create a system where listeners can hear more onair DJs—a person behind the microphone who can connect to their audience.

Although the radio primarily serves an older audience, it makes efforts to engage with younger listeners. One of these ways is by working with students like rising Blair seniors Angie Driggs and Lydia Pass. This summer, Driggs and Pass will host a show at Takoma Park radio on Fridays at 10 p.m. called Block Period. The

nearly decade-long show has been hosted by Blazers in the past. The pair hopes Block Period will introduce newer music to an older generation. “[Block Period is] to show listeners what younger generation people are listening to,” Pass says.

The later air time of their show may decrease the audience size, but Pass thinks the station’s listeners will still support it. “We’re on later at night, and so there’s less of an audience,” Pass says. “But there’s still a lot of very loyal listeners who tune in, and there’s people of older generations that want to learn about modern music through the show.”

While the station maintains an older audience, Driggs and Pass believe showcasing modern music and choosing one relatable theme per episode could help engage a younger audience. “I think showing people the music that we listen to, which I think a lot of people our age can relate to, [would engage

I think he [Bob Boilen] is like a one way ticket to so much enrichment in terms of music.

younger audiences],” Driggs says. “We’ll try to relate the songs to our lives or to specific events, or create themes.” The showrunners want to have a central topic threaded through the hour of music. “In between each song we’re going to talk a little bit, and we might have some specific themes for [each] show,” Driggs explains. For the final show

of the previous hosts of Block Period, the topic was graduation.

The Takoma Park radio’s success stems from its ability to engage with the local community. Pass believes the radio being volunteer-based is essential to its large listener base. “All but two or three people are unpaid. They all do it as volunteers, just for fun,” Pass says.

“I think that builds community more than a typical workplace.”

The excitement for Bob Boilen as the director of Takoma Park radio is unmatched. “I think he’s like a one way ticket to so much enrichment in terms of music,” Pass says. “He knows so much and he has so many connections and he has the status and ability to spread

so much knowledge about music.”

As Boilen becomes the program director for WOWD he is excited about the nature of the station, the work it does, and its connection to the community.

Moving forward with Boilen paving the way, WOWD will continue to be an emblem of Takoma Park’s quirkiness, in addition to connecting the community. “The fact that it’s fueled by people wanting to be happy, share their interests, talk to other people, [and] do interviews, that gives it a lot more communal power,” Driggs says.

LUCIA WANG

@blairprincipal #signingoff

Principal Johnson retires after 13 years at Blair

By Carina Nicodemus and Norah Wilson Editor-in-Chief & Sports Editor

In your time at MCPS, what do you think has been the biggest, most impactful change by the county?

Well, I believe the county has really focused on—when I think about it from the principal’s perspective—focusing on more programs, access, and opportunities for students. There used to [only] be the magnet program at Blair, [and] there was only [a magnet] program at Poolesville, and now there’s Aviation at Magruder, and Seneca has the Edison program. So over the many years, I’m glad to see there are more opportunities for students to choose the field they’re interested in and pursue it in high school.

What would you say is one of the most personally impactful experiences you’ve had at Blair?

Just seeing the diversity of our school, [and] seeing the improvement in the mental health services we have in school, because now we have psychologists, sociology, a Bridge to Wellness center, YMCA counseling, and an increase in counseling staff. I’m proud that students can come to school and— of course have rigorous academics; we’ve always had that—but we haven’t always had the rich, social, emotional wellness activities and programs that we have here. I’m also happy with our athletics because when I first came to Blair, we were everyone’s homecoming game. Over the years, we’ve had coaching changes and we brought in more students, and it really is a fun event on Friday nights. And our teams win not just [at] football but soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, gymnastics, swimming, and our It’s Academic team too—they’ve been champions for years. I really

love hearing from the community, ‘Hey, I saw your students on TV. They did so well,’ or, ‘I was at the game,’ or, ‘I was reading the Silver Chips newspaper.’ I love being out with my family and seeing students in Blair t-shirts. I was in Delaware at Rehoboth Beach and there were Blair t-shirts, and I’m like, ‘Wooo,’ and that’s Blazer pride. I’ve seen how it’s grown over the years, and I like to think it’s because I’m the head cheerleader and I’m always ‘rah rah rah Blair’.

What was the hardest challenge you over came in your time at Blair?

The size, because most princi pals have a nice little high school of 1,000 students and we have three times that; we have over 3,200, so when there’s an emergency, [I’m] not just thinking about the building, because we have ten portable class rooms by the stadium, and then we have another nine on the Coles ville side. So [I’m] always thinking about safety, security, and planning that there’s another 600 students outside every period. Also keep ing kids on campus at lunch [has been a challenge]; I feel like I put my finger on a hole and [students] find another way out, and my message is always, ‘we’re a closed campus, and there’s no supervision off campus.’ I always worry that if [students] leave during lunch, they’ll get stressed, rush back, and maybe get hit by a car. I prefer students to go after school, where they have more time [and] don’t have to rush to get home.

Can you tell us about a lesson that you’ve learned from one of your students or teachers?

I would say in my time here, what I really learned about from the teachers at Blair—which I really commend and I really admire—[is that] they don’t just teach during the school day. Most teachers here also sponsor a club, [or] they may

be coaches. Most teachers here really enjoy the complete high school experience with the students. You see teachers at the games; you see teachers at the concerts; you see teachers at Blair Fair. I really admire that. That hasn’t been the case in other schools I’ve worked at. I’m lucky that I have so many teachers that work beyond the [work day] to make sure kids are engaged, have their club sponsored, and are successful.

How did the change in technology affect the way that you’ve interacted with the school community?

I have to give my daughter credit.

When I came here years ago, Jamie was in high school and I was doing my newsletter, and she said, ‘Mom, what are you working on?’ I said, ‘I’m working on the newsletter. It’s back to school time, blah, blah, blah.’ And she said to me, ‘Mom, no one’s gonna read that.’ I said, ‘People are gonna read it.’ [She said,] ‘no one’s gonna read that; you need to get a Twitter account. You have to say what you have to say in 144 characters.’ And I said, ‘Ok, well, give me a Twitter account,’ and [then] Blair Principal took off, and then she said to me, ‘Mom, only old people are on Twitter.’ So then she got me an Instagram account, and then she said the Instagram account can communicate [with] the Blair Facebook page and I can reach grandparents.

Over the years, it’s [been] a great tool to highlight our students, because I often say to principals, ‘if you don’t tell your story, who will?’ I’m lucky that I got set up really nicely and my husband likes to watch Law and Order, and I can just post events while we’re watching TV in the evening.

How has your perception of the job of high school principal changed?

It’s really a lot—we run cities. If you think about a small city or my son’s college [that] has 1,800 students. I think about how we run cities, and we have a lot more challenges. Students are different, and they deserve to be unique, and they deserve to be in an environment that embraces that quirky behavior, but we have to have the services to support it. I think after COVID, a lot of our students came back, and it’s been hard to sit in a class for 90 minutes. We may have to look at [the timing]. Is that the best way to educate kids–sitting in the class for 90 minutes–or do we need to have shorter class periods? So I would say it’s evolved, and there’s a lot more demand. You have the Maryland Blueprint for Education, you have Advanced Placement data, you have report card data, SAT data, PSAT data, graduation data, attendance data. There’s all these measures that we are graded

on, and Blair has always been right up there with the ‘W’ schools, but we’re having challenges with attendance and safety. A lot of schools are having problems with safety. The attendance policy is different from what it was 13 years ago. And all the measures that we have to take to make sure kids are college and career ready are good, but those are things we didn’t have before.

What do you hope the next principal continues to do?

I hope the next principal comes in with a vision and mission to continue to raise the bar academically, but also makes sure that every student has access and opportunities to courses and are involved in extracurricular activities. And I hope the new principal is also the head cheerleader like Ms. Johnson, and that they’re proud to wear Blair clothes, and they’re proud to stand out front even in crisis and say, ‘We are Montgomery Blair.’ I hope that [the new principal] is also collaborative, because one person, the principal, doesn’t know everything. You have to collaborate with staff, and we have a lot of smart teachers and students. So talking with students, and having student voice data and staff voice data—I hope that person will gather all that information before they make any changes.

As much as you’re comfortable sharing with us, what is your next chapter?

Well, I’m actually moving out of state. I have family in Florida, and so my husband and I are retiring to Florida. But I’m not gonna just sit on the beach; I’m going to get involved, because that’s who I am, and I’m gonna try to make things better for kids and families in Florida. I am a licensed professional counselor, so I can always do adolescent therapy as well. I’m gonna get involved; I’m gonna do consulting. I’ve been asked to do some consulting with different districts, especially those with large high schools.

Out of her 33 years working for MCPS, Johnson spent 13 as Blair’s principal.

PHOTOS BY IAN GLEASON

GRADUATION Principal Johnson addresses the graduating Class of ‘24 at their ceremony on May 29.

Open doors, open hearts

Some MoCo Churches take steps toward inclusivity

By Maxwell Erlebacher and Zachary Karp News Editor & Senior Writer

At the end of Kensington Parkway, in front of the North Chevy Chase Christian Church (NC4), stands a sign that reads “everyone is welcome.” While progress is still necessary, this church and others in Montgomery County reflect a growing trend in Christianity toward LGBTQ acceptance.

NC4 officially listed its status as LGBTQ-affirming in 2019 following a vote between Disciples of Christ (NC4’s sect of Christianity) from across the country. During the referendum, Nancy Longo, a member of NC4, collaborated with Disciples of Christ leaders to promote pro-LGBTQ sentiment among their congregants. “We set up this group of people to help all of the Disciples of Christ become open and affirming,” Longo says.

“[The initiative] was directed here locally by the National City Christian Church … they provided materials and advice on how … we could [lead] our congregation to this step.”

Longo believes that being LGBTQ-inclusive is fundamental to Christian values. “It’s our whole faith; [it’s represented by] our belief in what the Christian faith teaches: to love one another,” she says.

“When you don’t feel accepted by the church, [it can feel like] God doesn’t accept you; it is so hurtful and harmful.”

Yahaira Barrero, a 2024 Blair graduate and bisexual member

of Our Lady, Queen of Americas Catholic Church, agrees that signs of progress can be seen within the Catholic community. “I’ve seen a lot of videos of priests and teachers … including more LGBTQ themes in their scriptures, or finding ways to [connote] queerness in with how God loves you,” she says. “Driving by a lot of churches, I’ve seen signs that have the inclusivity pride flag with ‘everyone is welcomed here,’ and also the [Black Lives Matter] pride flag … that’s definitely a way to be more inclusive.”

Different Christian sects and churches have varying perspectives on LGBTQ inclusivity. For example, the Roman Catholic Church accepts queer members into their congregation but refuses to marry same-gender couples, while The Episcopal Church does both. Some sects leave the question of queer acceptance up to individual churches, and others, like the United Methodist Church (UMC), are divided over the issue.

When you don’t feel accepted by the church, [it can feel like] God doesn’t accept you; it is so hurtful and harmful.

The Silver Spring UMC, located on Georgia Avenue, has taken numerous steps towards LGBTQ acceptance. “We have not only sup-

ported LGBTQIA candidates for ministry and performed weddings for LGBTQIA persons, but have in fact had LGBTQIA clergy like myself,” Will Ed Green, a queer pastor at the Silver Spring UMC, says.

Still, not all in the Methodist community have made these steps toward acceptance. “There has been [a] schism in the denomination that was made official with the creation of the Global Methodist Church last year,” Green says. “There have been congregations that have made the conscious decision to leave the denomination [and] join that new denomination, which has opposite views [to] ours on full inclusion.”

Despite recent progress, anti-LGBTQ sentiment remains prevalent within the Christian community. “A lot of the teachings and the scripture … have negative connotations toward [queer] sexuality,” Barrero says. “I don’t feel safe expressing my sexuality or sharing it with anyone there, because they [are] trying to ‘pray the gay away’ or trying to shun me.”

Furthermore, some churches do not treat all identities within the LGBTQ community with the same respect. “Many congregations might be okay [with me] saying I support lesbian and gay people, but may not be willing to embrace the same welcome or inclusion [of] our trans and genderqueer friends and community members,” Green says.

A number of Montgomery County churches aim to promote LGBTQ acceptance during Pride

Month. “What we most likely will do is to … have an educational session where you discuss [LGBTQ] myths. For example, some people wrongly believe that just because you’re homosexual, you’ll be a pedophile,” Longo says.

The Silver Spring UMC has LGBTQ initiatives planned during Pride Month as well. “We will be present at Pride in the Park … [and] we’re going to host some HIV testing at the church as a part of recognition of Pride Month,” Green says. “Then there will be at least two services in which we specifically celebrate the contributions of LGBTQIA persons in our com-

munity and world.”

Even though further progress is needed, the growing number of queer-inclusive churches provide a critical safe space for religious queer individuals all across the country. “We have a responsibility to steward our spaces as religious organizations that empower people to feel welcomed, … included, and respected, no matter what our religious perspective says,” Green says. “There’s nothing in the gospel that gives us permission to do anything other than offer radical hospitality to all people regardless of who they are or how they come.”

D.C. theater takes center stage A look inside the Helen Hayes Awards

By Chloe Pegg Features Editor

On a Monday night in late May, theater lovers dressed in their evening best gather at the Anthem to celebrate another year of great D.C. theater. A warm buzz fills the concert hall as more than 1,600 attendees laugh, mingle, and enjoy complimentary snacks. As the clock nears 6:30, attendees start seeking out their seats, adeptly navigating rows and tables with plates of hors d’oeuvres. Soon, the lights dim, a hush settles over the crowd, and the band begins to play the first notes of Stephen Sondheim’s “Tonight”.

This is the 40th Helen Hayes Awards. Presented by nonprofit organization Theatre Washington, the Helen Hayes Awards recognize outstanding achievement from professional theaters and theater-makers across the Washington, D.C. region. Winners and nominees for the Helen Hayes Awards range from recent college graduates to Broadway stars and are chosen by

a panel of judges who visit and evaluate more than 60 performances a year.

The first Helen Hayes Awards began with a question. It was 1984, and producer Bonnie Nelson Schwartz had just been nominated for a Tony award and was about to move to D.C. Her producing partner, Arthor Cantor, turned to her and asked if D.C. had anything like the Tonys. “I said, ‘No, you know, I don’t know of anything,’” Schwartz recalls. “And he said, ‘Well for God’s sake, start something!’’’

An awards show needs a name, and luckily for Schwartz, she had one in mind: the Helen Hayes Awards, named after acclaimed stage and film actress Helen Hayes, who got her start in the D.C. theater scene at the age of five. Schwartz and Cantor traveled to New York City to ask Hayes, and despite a scary red button on her dress’s lapel proclaiming ‘No,’ Hayes said yes. “And that was the very beginning,” Schwartz says.

Just like a revival of a play or a musical, no Helen Hayes Awards show has been the same. Some of

this lies in structural changes made to the award’s format. “We’ve created gender-inclusive performance categories, added a media and projection award, and worked to make it so that it’s more centered on the nominees as well, both ensemble and individual,” President and CEO of Theatre Washington Amy Austin explains.

The growth of D.C. theater, combined with some bigger theaters upset about losing to smaller, lower-budget productions, also led to splitting the awards into two distinct categories: Helen and Hayes. Productions nominated for the Helen awards have a majority of actors who aren’t members of the Actors’ Equity Association union. Hayes awards go to bigger-budget productions with a majority of Equity performers.

For Drew Morris, a Helen Hayes judge for the 2024 season and creator of the theater blog Morris Theatre, this allows productions to be judged solely on merit. “At the end of the day, you can be like, ‘Okay, who impacted me most in this performance?’ It doesn’t matter if they are a woman or a man or non-binary,” Morris says. “It’s just who’s good, who’s on that stage serving.”

One of those performers is Brunilda Herring, who won a Helen for Outstanding Supporting Performer for her standout performance as Abuela Claudia in NextStop Theatre’s ‘In the Heights’. This was Herring’s—who is also a resource teacher at Fairfax High School—first professional musical. “When they called my name, I was just so filled with pride and joy,” Herring says. “Not just for the production that we did, but also because of where I came from in

Washington Heights.’”

Like Herring, Outstanding Musical Director Helen winner Ross Scott Rawlings is also an educator. Unlike Herring, this was his ninth nomination, having received one this year for “Something Rotten” at Toby’s Dinner Theatre. “I really didn’t expect it. I didn’t even attend the awards!” Rawlings says, explaining that he went to a rehearsal for his school instead. “The next morning, my phone’s ringing and people were like, ‘Congratulations, congratulations,’ and I was like, ‘For what?’ and they went, ‘You won!’ It was pretty cool,” he recollects.

The awards also offer opportunities for artists to get exposure. “It puts you in the minds of all these casting directors,” Performer Joe Ngo, who won a Hayes for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play for ‘Cambodian Rock Band,’ says. As an actor not based in D.C., Ngo notes that winning the award enables him to keep his foot in the door. “Even only a few D.C. residents who are theater-makers can say they’ve won a Hayes,” Ngo says.

This year’s awards were par-

ticularly special due to the barrier-breaking content of the nominees. Afrobeat musical ‘Fela!’, about the titular character’s fight against corruption, won big at the Helen Hayes Awards. ‘Cambodian Rock Band’ is partially based on Ngo’s parents’ story of surviving the Khmer Rouge. Another play, ‘My Mama and The Full Scale Invasion,’ tells the story of a mom on the frontlines of the Ukrainian war in Kyiv. This play was particularly impactful for its set designer—second-time Outstanding Set Design winner Misha Kachman—who was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and whose wife is Ukrainian. “Winning felt different this time. It made me so happy that it was this show that I won for, because it was so personal,” Kachma says.

Finally, to close out the night, a dance party erupts on the stage as nominees and family members celebrate the D.C. theater

nity. For Schwartz, who attends the awards yearly, the dance party is her favorite part, “It just shows how it’s a gigantic celebration in which the theater community all comes together to support each other.”

SILVER SPRING UNITED METHODIST CHURCH The church, which faces Colesville Road, outwardly displays pride flags.

PHOTO BY KENEAN BIZUWORK

commu-

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHANNON FINNEY

DRESSED TO IMPRESS Attendees arrive at the 2024 Helen Hayes Awards.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARLETTA GIRMA

The death of the school dance

By Keelin Pegg and Diego Santoro-Velez Senior Writers

It’s Homecoming. Lights twinkle, balloons adorn the halls. Students clad in sparkly dresses and dress shirts wait in long lines for photos, and the hallways are filled with people. From a distance, it almost resembles one of those school dances immortalized in cult classic films for their transformative and magical experiences. But look a little closer and it doesn’t seem much like the movies at all. As students pour into the school, a steady stream is trickling out. Glance at the dance floor in the gym, and often only a small group of students sway to the music, while the others look lost at what to do.

Blair Assistant Principal Rahman Culver, a Blair class of 1996 alumni, feels that school dances were very different when he attended as a student. “I do think they have declined in popularity,” he said. “Dances were definitely something to look forward to … the energy was very positive.”

Culver’s view is not unique. Once a cornerstone of the traditional American high school experience, school dances in the area are grappling with declining attendance, lack of school community, and the struggle to create a social atmosphere that makes students want to stay and dance the night away. This change mirrors a major cultural shift among American teenagers in recent decades. Studies have shown that teenagers are more socially disconnected than ever, spending less time with

friends, partying less, and devoting more free time to social media and screens. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated many of these cultural changes.

The recent failure of Spring Fling, Blair’s spring dance, demonstrates the decline of the school dance. While struggling with attendance in recent years, this year the SGA was unable to sell even 200 tickets—the threshold necessary to hold the dance—to a student body of 3,204. Blair SGA President Cate Sauri believes that part of the failure was because students don’t see Spring Fling as a Blair tradition.

“Homecoming is just kind of part of the culture of [Blair], it’s very American … Spring Fling is not in the culture, it’s something that’s less common,” she says.

Blair is not alone in this struggle.

Annie Block, a Bethesda-Chevy Chase junior who is on their SGA, recalls the struggle of rallying

Dances were definitely something to look forward to … the energy was very positive.

support for the Winter Ball, the school’s winter charity dance. “It was hard to sell tickets,” she says. “I honestly don’t think we would really do it again.”

Many kids don’t see the point of going to a school dance, explains Blair junior Coby Stephens. “People are more interested in hanging out with their close group of friends

than going to a school function,” he says. “And they get more out of house parties with their group of friends than a school function.”

Even when students do attend school dances, getting them to stay for even an hour can be difficult. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the difficulty of motivating students to engage in social events, Sauri says. “Since the pandemic, engagement in general and community building has been a struggle,” she explains. “I think social anxiety grew for sure during the pandemic, and I’d like to see us get back to a place where we’re all excited about school traditions and eager to participate.”

Blair’s current seniors were eighth graders when COVID-19 hit, so the majority never experienced a middle or high school dance before the pandemic. Stephens feels that this has made a lasting impact on school dance culture. “The people that are now the juniors, the seniors, the sophomores… They didn’t have the dances that older generations and older students had. And because of that they don’t want to go to dances now,” he says. “I think it’s created a cycle where the freshmen don’t see us going to dances, so they feel less inclined to go to dances as well.”

Feven Ugezhulgiz, a Blair junior, has noticed this as well and says that there are far fewer people interested and involved in school dances compared to her freshman year. “There’s definitely a lot less

Since the pandemic, engagement in general and community building has been a struggle.

people that I saw that went to Homecoming,” Ugezhulgiz says. “And also just based on what I hear, a lot of people say, ‘Oh, I’m probably not going to go to HoCo,’ or, ‘It’s not really that fun.’” Block feels that the issue is deeper than a dislike for school dances, suggesting it is linked to a weakness in the school community that needs to be addressed. “The issue is … the spirit. I think that the way to solve it would be to try to unify the school more, [and] get people to want to go to dances because they want to see their grade together,” she says.

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JOSEPHINE BRUNN LAKE

By Abby Greenberg Sports Editor

Summer spots

Eight places to explore in Maryland

Deep Creek Lake

Maryland’s largest body of water, nestled next to Mt. Wisp (a three-hour drive from Blair). Enjoy a lake day with paddleboarding, water sports, and exploring Wisp Mountain’s hiking trails. Start the day on the brand-new lakeside zipline and ropes course. Then, head over to the water activities to be able to rent and participate in a leisurely boating and tubing ride. At the end of the day, wind down by relaxing on the beach and watching the sun set over the water.

2.

6.

Maryland SummerFest

The ideal event to attend to feel the summer vibe. The festival features two stages with performers, 25 food trucks, and over 80 artisans and drink vendors. Maryland SummerFest is located at the Carroll County Farm Museum on Aug. 24 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

3. Baltimore by Baltimore

A free music festival every first Saturday of the month at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater, a gem of Baltimore. Listen to a variety of music from emerging Baltimore artists while enjoying diverse activities and food options. This family-friendly event is perfect for spending a summer afternoon in the city.

4.

National Harbor

7.

Assateague Island

A national seashore with a variety of activities including swimming, camping, surfing, hiking, and biking. Just 10 miles south of Ocean City, it is the perfect place for a fun weekend getaway. Experience a night under the stars by heading to the beaches of Assateague for a cheap, calming camping trip by the crashing waves. When the sun rises and the first rays reflect on the water, be prepared for a full day of adventures. Keep an eye out for Assateague’s famous wild horses; one of the few places that the public can view the species in their element. It is believed that the horses arrived on the island after a late 17th century shipwreck off the Virginia Coast, so don’t miss out on this unique experience to see them.

Harriett

Tubman Underground

National Historic Park

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park— located in Cambridge, Maryland, the National Historical Park is dedicated to teaching visitors about Harriet Tubman’s lived experiences. The visitor center showcases a short film about Tubman and includes museum exhibits and a research library. Surrounding the monument, is the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, which offers tranquil nature trails with information available along the routes, offering insight into the experiences of Tubman and other enslaved people. trails with information available along the routes, offering insight into the experiences of Tubman and other enslaved people.

A 184.5-mile path along the Potomac River spanning from Georgetown, Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland. From 1831 to 1924, the canal transported coal, lumber, and agricultural products down the waterway to arrive at the city market. Today, it is a scenic spot with hiking and biking trails, and kayaking along the river. Check to see if any special events are scheduled during your time there. Some exciting activities include “Meeting the Mules” and the “Evolution of Fashion Along the C&O Canal.” These events showcase the story of the canal and invite visitors to learn something new.

A bustling waterfront home to the acclaimed Capital Ferris Wheel. With late-night movies on the jumbotron, free summer concerts, and fine dining on the water, the Harbor is the perfect spot to visit on a summer evening. If you have extra time, consider taking the water taxi from the National Harbor to the Wharf, Georgetown, or Old Town Alexandria.

By Emily Kretschmer Culture Columnist

SCHOOL CLUBS

8. Annapolis

A charming town with a rich history that overlooks the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland’s capital is located next to the US Naval Academy and is famous for its sunset boat rides. Visit the Colonial Annapolis Historic District that houses restaurants, shops, art galleries, and more. Enjoy a nice meal while watching the boats downtown at Carrol’s Creek Cafe. Explore the highly rated Maryland Federation of Art and the Annapolis Marine Gallery galleries in Annapolis’ nationally ranked arts district. Consider a walk along the water and learn about Colonial American history. Tours are available to explore the Maryland State House, St. Anne’s Church, and more.

While I had hoped for a group of passionate, young rugby fans, I instead found the prior sponsor—a rugby fan herself— who told me the club wasn’t able to survive since the former seniors had left.

Such is the story of too many passion-project clubs at Blair. Our school’s website boasts an impressive spreadsheet listing over 150 clubs, many of which meet during lunch hours. Even so, I struggled to find clubs made up of individuals who are interested in the topic of the club rather than just resume-fluffing (don’t come after me DECA! Just kidding, I’m sure you guys have lots of fun).

While Blair’s club scene may be considered vibrant due to the sheer quantity, I wanted to start the first cycle of my column with a deep dive into some of the more niche clubs at Blair. Had you heard of Rugby Fan Club before I mentioned it? Probably not, but that’s why I’m here. By the way, if anybody wants to work with me and Ms. O’Donovan to revive RFC (that’s what I’m calling it now), let me know. Thankfully, the number of stu-

dents in RFC was a stark contrast to Smash Club. “Smash Club?” you may ask. Yes, Smash Club. Every Wednesday, the valiant Smashers meet in room 226 to play Super Smash Bros. Though I had heard of it before from a student who regularly brought his Nintendo Switch to AP Physics in my freshman year, I never fully understood the passion people have for the game. But in room 226, I could tell, the passion was certainly fizzing. I left pretty quickly because I’m terrible at the game. I didn’t think they would’ve wanted to see me waste everybody’s time figuring out left from right on the joystick. Although one could say Smash Club was a success, it was the only club I could find for an entire two days. And let me tell you, I searched EVERYWHERE. No joke, I got well over my daily goal of 15,000 steps just trying to find Hair Care at Blair, Trio Club (which, I heard, was just a two-person club), Discussion Club, Crochet Club, as well as RFC, and many more. I even stood on my tippy toes to look into the room designated for Cards Club, and all I found was a desolate, slightly eerie room, lit up by blue LEDs. I’m not sure what was going on in there, but I certainly did not open that door.

The next week, I was determined to find more clubs. After all, there must be some passionate kids hidden in the depths of Blair, right? Well, Kazoo Club—which was effectively my last hope—was sadly unable to fulfill this desire.

There had been many Thursday lunch periods where, nearing room 174, I had heard a low hum of kazoos gradually getting louder, until it finally sounded like I was in a beehive where all the bees were buzzing to the classic tune “We are the Champions.” I’d long wanted to drop by the club, but was too intimidated by the raw talent that these individuals had in the art of kazooing.

Unfortunately, the day I finally faced my kazoo-playing insecurities and bravely entered the room, there was no club meeting there. Room 174, once full of joyous kazoo players, had, according to its sponsor, “fallen off.”

The sad fate of clubs like RFC and Kazoo Club showed me just how tough it can be for “fringe” clubs to survive, even when true passion is present. Even so, as this school year winds down, the summer brings hope for students to plan and start back up the many passion-project clubs that have been abandoned this past year.

During the lunch period on Friday, May

C&O Canal

LUCIA WANG

ART BY ROSALYN FANG

Chips Clips Word Ladders

Starting from the beginning word, change one letter at a time to reach the end word in the given number of spaces (or fewer, if you can!). Every line must contain a word of the same length as the beginning word, and every line must contain a valid English word. Changing a letter means switching one letter in a word to another only, not switching the positions of letters (eg. changing bed to bet).

ZACHARY KARP

ETHAN DE BRAUW

ETHAN DE BRAUW

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ALL BEACH ART BY LUCIA WANG

Passing the torch

Olympics add new events to 2024 games

By Naomi Andelman and Evelyn Goldin Senior Writer & Opinions Editor

Hiding from the suffocating July heat and August humidity, millions of Americans will be sitting on the couch, blasting their air conditioning, and tuning into the 2024 Olympic Games. Thousands of miles away, U.S. Olympic athletes will represent their country in France.

Paris last hosted the Olympics in 1924, and now, exactly a century later, the Eiffel Tower and Seine River will be the backdrop for the Games again. This summer, the Olympics will commence with the Opening Ceremony on July 26 and attract an estimated 15 million visi-

tors to Paris.

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) selected Paris as the host city through a majority vote using a secret ballot, as is the custom when choosing all Olympic locations. Some of the factors the IOC takes into consideration include sustainability, political and public support, funding strategies, accommodation capacity, transport infrastructure, and security.

Additionally, the IOC votes on which sports to include in each new Olympics. The vote takes criteria such as global appeal, cost, and popularity into account. However, a host city can also push for a sport, which is why sports such as softball and baseball will not make an appearance this year, but will return in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF NAOMI ANDELMAN DATA COURTESY OF OLYMPICS

along with flag football.

For the 2024 Summer Games, Paris pushed to include breakdancing (breaking), which will make its Olympic debut. Breaking athletes, referred to as ‘B-Boys’ and ‘B-Girls’, will compete in the streets of Paris. “Each battle features a best-of-three one-on-one contest of approximately one minute. When one breaker finishes their round, their opponent instantly begins their routine in a battle format,” the NBC Olympics explains on their website. Judges will score competitors on their creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity, and musicality.

Competitive breaker and Blair junior Isaac Witte explains how the competitive aspect of breaking is a large part of its culture. “The competition side is a major part of [breaking] and there’s different types of competitions,” he says. “Usually it’s a tournament. There’ll be preliminary rounds and then the judges will pick their favorite and they’ll make a bracket … and there’ll be one winner in the end.”

Witte, along with many others, is eagerly awaiting the Olympic breaking events. “I’m super excited to watch it,” he says. “The tickets sold out right away for breaking. It was one of the most popular [sports] right off the bat.”

Although many people are celebrating breaking’s Olympic debut, several breaking community members are worried about its inclusion in the Olympics. “Some people are concerned because breakdancing has been thought of as an art form or a culture and now it’s becoming more of a sport … But I think it will definitely keep its culture and that’s never going to go away,” Witte says. “[The Olympics are] going to bring a lot more attention to breaking, which I think is a super positive thing. Hopefully more people will

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The 2024 Games also mark sport climbing’s second Olympic appearance. However, this year, climbing will feature a new bouldering and lead—two forms of climbing—combined event, along with a speed event. Blair Climbing Club member Sarah O’Connor explains the difference between these events. “Bouldering is without any ropes [and] that’s primarily what our club does,” she says. “Speed climbing is very fun to watch because they [climb] a really tall wall in a few seconds.”

[The Olympics are] going to bring a lot more attention to breaking.

O’Connor adds that she is excited to watch climbing this summer after attending the Paraclimbing National Championships in person with the climbing club. “I’m

very excited. I’m definitely going to watch [Olympic climbing] because a few weeks ago there was a [Paraclimbing event] at Sportrock and a lot of us watched it,” she says. “I definitely would want to see other talented climbers.”

Skateboarding will make its second Olympic appearance this year as well. The sport holds two events for both men and women: street and park, all being held at Place de la Concorde. Skateboarder and Blair freshman La’Var Butler explains that skateboarding deserves a place in the Olympics. “It’s a sport like any other sport … You can do a lot of stuff. A lot of people take a lot of time to learn tricks,” he says.

More events to look out for are a new kayak cross event, where four athletes will race against each other from a ramp above the water, and surfing, which will take place over 9,000 miles from the French capital on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia.

Whether you prefer traditional Olympic sports or are interested in the new ones, tune into the Olympic Games this summer from July 26 to Aug. 11.

Card collectors convene

Mid-Atlantic Sports Card Show returns to Silver Spring

By Zachary Karp Senior Writer

From the sunlit entrance to the dim central atrium of the Silver Spring Civic Building, collectors and dabblers alike wander through rows of six-foot tables and survey glass-protected assemblies of sleeved cards and sports memorabilia. For the Spring Mid-Atlantic

from across the Mid-Atlantic region, from Northern Pennsylvania to Southern West Virginia. Its main attraction is a marketplace for trading card collectors to buy and sell merchandise. Some cards are freely given away or sold for as low as 50¢, while others are priced at hundreds of dollars apiece. The Spring show on May 18 also featured an autograph guest, Denny McLain, a

their parents, to high school students who actually set up as vendors at the show,” he says. “I think younger collectors are much more interested in today’s players, and so collecting cards for today’s baseball, … football, [or] basketball stars allows them to then watch those athletes … in person or on TV.”

Blair junior Lily Swope explains her relationship with sports cards

Sports Card Show, the venue is nothing short of bustling. Some see the event as an opportunity to invest in trading cards, while others are simply hobbyists interested in collecting ink-thin representations of their favorite sports players.

Show sponsor Ryan McCormick first hosted the Mid-Atlantic Sports Card Show in October 2022 to engage local card traders; he continues to hold the event quarterly. “I grew up going to card shows, and I always really enjoyed … getting to see a lot of new items and cards that you wouldn’t see [in] any other place,” McCormick says. “It’s a way to … bring the hobby community together to buy, sell, [and] trade.”

According to McCormick, the event boasts over 1,000 attendees

1963-1972 Major League Baseball pitcher who most famously played for the Detroit Tigers. McCormick believes the accessible location of the event is important to its success. “I thought that there was … [a] demand and need for a new show that would have the capacity and ability to bring in a lot of dealers and attendees from around the DMV region,” he says. “I think [Downtown Silver Spring is] a great location. It is central, it’s close to the Metro, and there’s a lot of parking.”

McCormick adds that the show appeals to trading card enthusiasts of all ages. “There are a lot of kids … from very, very young—seven and eight-year-olds—attending with

as a tangible extension of her love of baseball. “When you have a baseball card, it’s a physical card with a picture on it [and] the stats on the back that you can … hold in your hands,” Swope says. “[It’s] something that’s really cool, and you can’t really express that in another [tactile] way.”

Swope believes that physical cards help her connect to sports players better than online mediums. “When I was little … I didn’t know how to express my interest in baseball other than [by] seeing physical [players] on trading cards,” she says. “I’m really interested in looking at stat lines, so I used to enjoy comparing the stats of different baseball players on the back of the cards.”

Blazer of Note

A heavy workload, managing time, and communicating with teachers and friends are what every student has to tackle daily. While all students experience this stress, student athletes endure school while also dedicating themselves to their sports. One of these students who walked the line between student and athlete to an incredible degree is McKinley Jovanovic. This year, Jovanovic won the 4A Maryland State Championship as a female wrestler and went on to become one of a select few National High School Coaches Association All-American wrestlers in the nation. Jovanovic, a 2024 Blair graduate, also was honored as Blazer of the Year at the Varsity Sports Awards Night.

She started wrestling her sophomore year when her close friend, Silvan Unger, recommended that she join the Blair Wrestling team.

“[During my] sophomore year [Unger told me that] ... [Blair] needed women to wrestle and I was like, ‘I’m

Many of the Mid-Atlantic Sports Card Show’s dealers say their motivation for attending is a combination of several reasons. The first is relatively straightforward: making money by selling off one’s excess inventory. The value of rare or special trading cards can be anywhere from hundreds to millions of dollars, and if they receive a professional condition grading—especially one that merits a high score—their value may increase exponentially.

Card seller Max Hirsch, whose display table showcases an array of trading cards extending from Pokémon to professional wrestlers, describes his financial motivation to deal. “I was working at an auto parts store, and I wasn’t making enough money,” he says. “I went to my dad, and I said, ‘Dad, I need to make some more money,’ [so] we started this business [that] I do … full time now.”

Dealer Jerry Higgins explains his motivation to sell cards as a result of his need to downsize his inventory of sports memorabilia, which ranges from Washington Commanders trading cards to various football collectibles and bobbleheads. “I am to the point in my life where I’ve got too much stuff, and I’m trying to get rid of [some]. I asked my family … and it was like crickets; nobody wanted it,” Higgins says. “This [show] is a way to … get something back [for] stuff I’ve had for 30, 40, 50 years.”

[There are] great customers [and the] dealers are friendly; it’s a good business to be in.

not doing [that], that’s stupid,’” Jovanovic recalled. However, after more thought, she started warming to the idea of wrestling. “At first I thought it was … not for me. Before, [my sports were] classical ballet and soccer. But then [wrestling] was always on my mind, [and I thought] ‘Whoa, this is kind of a cool sport. Maybe I should try it,’” she recounted. Jovanovic was not initially on track to be an All-American wrestler. In her first year of wrestling, she did not win any matches; despite this, she still enjoyed the sport. Before the start of her junior season, Jovanovic joined a club wrestling team to improve her skills. “I joined a club team and started competing with them. [That’s when] I started winning. I was undefeated for most of the season. My junior season, I lost two matches,” she said.

Jovanovic’s club team helped her gain the bulk of her skill, but she enjoyed the team dynamic at Blair more. The Blair wrestling team is a close-knit group that spends much of their time together. Despite the individual aspect of the sport, the team wins and loses

The trading card community itself also draws visitors to the show. Dealer Marty Graham, who sells hockey cards, explains his respect for the contemporary scene. “[There are] great customers [and the] dealers are friendly; it’s a good business to be in,” Graham says.

McCormick concludes that despite the lapse in time between the zenith of sports cards’ popularity and today, contemporary sports card shows are nonetheless not far removed from their 20th century atmosphere. “In the late 80s, almost every young adolescent kid collected baseball cards. That’s not the case today, but it’s growing,” he says. “In many ways, it’s been the same for decades. You have vendors set up at tables with lots of cards and inventory and items; you have attendees [who] come [for] an opportunity to buy, sell and trade … In that way, [the event is] reminiscent of shows from decades past.”

By Jay Clouse Senior Writer

together. It was the Blair team that supported and encouraged each other, pushed each other, and saw each other succeed. “Wrestling is very team centered. Practice-wise, you need your practice partners, you need good teammates to help you get better. If you’re not in the room, practicing with good people, you’re not going to improve in the offseason,” Jovanovic said.

Becoming a state champion was rewarding for Jovanovic because of her team’s support, encouragement, and joint celebration. “My favorite part of [the] video [from my win] is at the end; [You can see] me hugging all my teammates,” she said. “It’s a good feeling to know that there’s so many people that are there to support you and so many people that are backing you,” Jovanovic did not stop at the State Championship. She continued to push herself and won the All-American wrestler title. Despite this, she holds her State Championship victory in higher regards, because she had set her mind to becoming a State Champion and accomplished that goal.

“I think I honestly felt better about my state’s match because it was a

hard match, because it was so close, because I was losing points and then I had to come back and get those points,” Jovanovic explained. “So that felt really good, because it was the knowledge [that] I had to wrestle my best. I had to do the best that I could.”

Jovanovic has graduated from Blair, but will continue giving her all and pushing her goals in wrestling in the future. She will attend the University of Maryland in the fall and hopes to create a club team for women wrestlers there.

PHOTOS BY JAMIE LOZADA-MCBRIDE

PHOTO BY IAN GLEASON

MARTY GRAHAM

LOOKING

By Rabira Dosho and Doris Wang

News Editor & Opinions Editor

Sports serve as a platform for more than just competition and athletics at Blair; they create communities where athletes are provided opportunities to learn and grow. Athletes experience and overcome challenges, grow in their teamwork, and learn to improve from mistakes. The enthusiasm of Blair students is shown on and off the court, and this season, it was exemplified by many teams.

Girls’ Tennis (6-6)

Tennis started out rough for both the boys’ and girls’ teams, as Coach David Ngbae announced that he was unable to coach the spring season. Luckily, Coach Daniel Cole stepped up to the plate and took over, coaching both the girls’ and boys’ team alongside Coach Peter Lynch.

Although the girls’ tennis team lost against all the D1 teams they played besides Richard Montgomery, they maintained a consistent record winning against D2 teams. These divisions split different sports teams depending on their prior performances.

Senior team captain Theodora Curtin explained that the team had to adapt fast following the coaching change. “[We were] learning how to work as…a newer team under a new coaching style,” Curtin said. “[We were] navigating the dynamics of the team and the roster, so it was definitely a learning and building year.”

The team saw noticeable

Spring sports roundup

ticipated at Senior Night and the annual tennis banquet.

Boys’ Tennis (6-4)

Throughout the season, boys’ tennis fared well in competitions. While training, the boys’ team focused on a mix of physical conditioning as well as technical tennis skills.

At the Regional Championship, the mixed doubles team consisting of sophomores Tyler He and Jessica Zhang reached semifi-

growth in participation and team bonding this year. “I think we have a lot more connection as a team this year, [and also] participation in team oriented things,” Curtin said, noting that many players attended Varsity Awards Night, and also par-

nals. Sophomore Eric Ma, playing in the boys’ singles event, also reached semifinals, as did sophomores Kevin Nguyen and Jeffrey Boman, who played as a pair. Freshman Grace Shao also played and reached quarterfinals in the

Regional Championship.

At the State Championship, boys’ singles contender Eric Ma lost. Kevin Nguyen and Jeffrey Boman lost during semifinals for the boys’ doubles event. Competing solo at States, Zhang and He won third place in Maryland for the mixed doubles event, while junior Sophia Ge and sophomore Mia Payson won fourth at States in the girls’ double event.

Baseball (11-11)

The baseball team finished with an 11-11 season record, including playoffs. Baseball played in a considerably hard division (4A), ending their season to number one seed Walt Whitman in the state quarterfinals. They finished their regular season 8-10, but went on to win the Regional Championship in May. Owen Hauser, a sophomore on the Blair team is optimistic about what the future holds. “I think we’re gonna do very well. We’re gonna keep building up and our experiences are going to go up and we’ll win more games,” Hauser said.

Softball (12-5)

Blair Softball had a successful season, finishing playoffs at a high ranking and winning the Regional Championship on May 15 against Northwood with a final score of 172. They made it to the State Quarterfinals, where they ultimately lost against Perry Hall. Throughout the season, the team had two no-hitter games. Sophomore outfielder Chloe Lett remarked that she enjoyed the support of the community. “My favorite part [is] when we win a game. All the parents [clap] for us [and] we run out as a team together,” Lett said.

Track

Over 15 different individuals and seven relay teams qualified for the State Championship in Landover. The boys’ team became 4A South Regional Champions this year, while the girls’ team placed third. At county meets throughout the season, senior Mireya King and junior Quentin Braithwaite broke school records in the triple jump and 100 and 200 meter dash events, respectively. Junior captain Julia Robison enjoyed getting to know her track teammates this spring. “Some positives … were becoming closer with the teammates and building a strong sense of community,” she said.

se Jing raised his concerns. “Next year, [other teams will] have a lot of strong freshmen and sophomores, and we are losing half our players, so our remaining players have to step up our game,” Jing said.

Gymnastics

The gymnastics team started off with difficulty, as a captain was injured at the first meet of the season and their previous coach gave birth shortly prior to the gymnastics season. However, the team persevered, keeping a positive team environment. Members were supportive and aimed to have fun throughout the season. During training, the team focused on helping teammates who hadn’t formed routines yet, or had little experience in gymnastics, to gain skills and create new routines. Everyone had an opportunity to train and gain feedback from their peers during practices.

Boys’ Lacrosse (6-9)

Although the boys’ lacrosse team played in a competitive division, they finished as regional champions after securing victories against Laurel and Northwood. Their playoff hopes came to a halt after losing to Urbana, who went on to win the 4A State Championship. Although the team ended with a losing record, their Regional Championship win marked only the second time in the team’s history.. Junior faceoff specialist Weston Paschane is looking forward to improved play next year. “I’m really hoping that we step up a level and we end up doing better than this year,” Paschane said.

Girls’ Lacrosse (7-8)

The girls’ lacrosse team also had coaching woes throughout the season. With the exit of head coach Jalen Hickmon midway through the season, boys’ varsity soccer coach Allie Coyle entered the position. The girls finished with a 7-8 record, the Regional Championship, and an appearance at the State Quarterfinals, where they exited after losing against Walt Whitman. Junior captain Eloisa Somodevilla believes the team’s connectedness thrived this year. “Our biggest strength this season was our team bond and our resilience, as well as our trust in each other and in the program,” she said.

Co-ed Volleyball (8-4)

The co-ed team bid farewell to five seniors on Senior Night this year. This season, they maintained an impressive record of 8-4. Junior right-side hitter Jacob Snelgrove took pride in the team’s chemistry and performance this year. “We made less mistakes, and our coach made sure that we were prepared for every game. We knew every team’s weaknesses and how to score points on them,” Snelgrove said.

Boys’ Volleyball (12-2)

Boys’ volleyball entered the season with a loss against Churchill, losing 3-1. However, the loss ignited an unbeaten record of 10-1 for the remainder of the season, clinching a Regional Championship. In the playoffs, the team went 2-0 before losing to Churchill in the county semi-finals. With the loss of critical seniors, middle blocker Jes-

Our biggest strength this season was our team bond and our resilience, as well as our trust in each other and in the program.

This year, the gymnastics team placed fourth during a meet that included seven different schools. This is the team’s first year competing within the D1 bracket, as they had moved up after previously placing first in the D2 bracket. “That was higher than people expected,” senior Maia Turpen said. “Getting fourth [at] counties after having just joined D1…[was] a very proud moment for a lot of people.”

PHOTO BY JONATHAN PETER BELLING

PHOTO BY KENEAN BIZUWORK

PHOTO BY KENEAN BIZUWORK

ELOISA SOMODEVILLA

LOCKED IN Desmond Llanes surveys the outfield.

BRICK WALL Goalie Trenton Royall leads Blair’s defense.

BLAZER FIELD Second baseman Sarah O’Connor tags Clarksburg’s leadoff hitter.

PHOTOS