Silver Chips Print—March 2024

CON

March 8-10

Sankofa returns to the stage Northwood renovation to start next fall

By Keelin Pegg Staff Writer

Northwood will be relocated to the holding facility of Charles E. Woodward High School starting in the 2024-2025 school year to allow for renovation of the Northwood building. The renovation is projected to cost an estimated $124 million, and the new Northwood is scheduled to reopen for students and staff in August 2027. The project is part of the $2 billion Capital Improvements Program by MCPS, which aims to improve schools over the next six years and address overcrowding by expanding and modernizing facilities across the county.

The Northwood move was given approval by the MCPS Board of Education in February 2020, revealing plans to demolish the high school and build a brand new facility. The current Northwood building was built in 1965, almost 60 years ago. Charlotte Case, a junior at Northwood said that the age of the school is noticeable,

pointing to low ceilings, outdated bathrooms, and small classrooms that often seem crowded. “It’s just been around for so long that it just definitely needs to be upgraded,” she said.

The proposal outlined a new four-story building with a modern layout, completely revamped facilities, and over 70 classrooms. The new Northwood will be outfitted to hold 2,700 students, making room for around 1,000 more students than it currently houses. This expansion is another attempt to address overcrowding in the Downcounty Consortium (DCC).

Currently, all DCC schools are over capacity, including Blair. Lilia Lash, a sophomore at Blair, feels that this is noticeable. “I think Blair is really overcrowded and it makes me avoid the main hallway which is way slower to class,” she said. Blair junior Sophie Pranio agrees. “The hallways are super overcrowded and it feels like there are way too many people in this school, ” Priano said.

see NORTHWOOD page A4

retire at the end of the school year, marking the end of her 13 year run as Principal. A3

By Zachary Karp Staff Writer

In Blair’s 2024 Sankofa performance, junior Danielle Coly-Boateng plays the fictional role of Angela Parker, a regular at a Black-owned barbershop who faces discrimination from her employer due to her hair. But her connection to Parker extends beyond a role in a play. “It’s a very liberating topic to take up and put into a performance form [and] I think I can relate to [it],” she says.

Annual Sankofa shows have run continuously at Blair for 12 years, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In that time, the production has attracted countless student performers interested in its unique themes.

“I think we would not get as many [actors] if we did [a different play like] ‘The Color Purple,’ but we’d still get Black people because they’d want to celebrate themselves. They’d still see more of themselves in that than they do in [other plays],” Sankofa Director and Blair Science Department head Summer Roark says. “I think people want to do things that are more relevant to what’s happening today.”

Performers are also drawn to the production’s alternate function: to serve as a space for Black students to express themselves. “It’s very important for the African American community at Blair that we feel like we have a space; we feel like we have a place where we can truly be ourselves … and say [that] this is what we do [and] this is who we are,” Student Director Hannah Germain, who is a junior at Blair, adds. “Sankofa … is whatever you want it to be; [any performer] can take it and turn it into their own [thing].”

Sankofa 2024 rehearsals started after winter break, and continued on a near daily basis leading up to the show. In addition to rehearsals, crew members also meticulously prepared the stage for the threedate performance. “We installed a room backstage so that it gives the stage some depth … Most recently I’ve been building platforms for the lights to be mounted on backstage, so it hasn’t really been stuff that people will see, but it’s stuff that’s necessary for the show,” Assistant Stage Manager Guillermo Cuesta says. “We’re like Batman.”

The production is a combination of theater, song, and dance elements, where scenes alternate

FEATURES

Local chickens

A look into chicken owners in the community D4

between different art forms to depict an annual theme—in this year’s case, “Black Resistance and Triumph.” Its play scenes focus on how Black Americans resist racial prejudice through hairstyles derived from Black cultural heritage. The play follows the staff and patrons of the fictional Davis brothers’ barbershop in present-day New York City, each of whom navigate racial injustice and the struggle to remain true to their roots. The scenes are sprinkled throughout the other acts of the performance, ultimately emphasizing the importance of community among Black Americans.

Outside of the theater aspect of the production, Sankofa seeks to highlight a myriad of cultures through various mediums. Coly-Boateng describes the greater performance as a celebration of all Black culture. “We cover a lot of the [constituent] cultures: we cover African culture; we cover African American culture; we cover Ethiopian culture; West African dance; we cover step [dance],” she says. “[It’s] a lot of things that really make us, as a population, who we are.”

see SANKOFA page E1

SPORTS

Fantasy football

How fantasy football gained it’s status as a beloved activity F1

AWESOME

From

the Walter E. Washington Convention Center hosted Awesome Con, Washington, D.C.’s Comic Con. Convention attendees dressed up in cosplay and bonded over comics, movies, video games, and more.

PHOTOS BY RAFFI CHARKOUDIAN-ROGERS AND MAIA TURPEN

Compiled by Greta Andelman Staff Writer

Maryland Senate granted preliminary approval to Juvenile Law Reform Act

On Feb. 29, the state senate gave preliminary approval to Senate Bill 744, the Juvenile Law Reform Act. The legislation seeks to reform Maryland’s justice process for juveniles by expanding probation and modifying procedures related to juvenile intake and detention. One such measure mandates that first-time offenders of car thefts and gun possession between the ages of 10 and 12 be relocated to alternative programs instead of a juvenile court. The bill also requires that law enforcement write a report for the Department of Juvenile Services every time a juvenile is arrested, and the report should indicate whether the youth was referred to a prevention program or not. The bill is set to take full effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Proposed legislation to protect gender-affirming care

On Jan. 25, Maryland General Assembly Delegate David Moon proposed House Bill HB0691, a piece of legislation that would legally protect gender-affirming healthcare in the state of Maryland. Gender-affirming care can include hormone replacement therapy, gender-affirming surgeries, and other practices performed to address gender dysphoria. If passed, the bill would protect both in-state and out-of-state patients who receive gender-affirming care in Maryland from prosecution, investigations, or extraditions. The bill would also protect the physicians who administer the care from any legal action and would hinder another state’s ability to revoke a Maryland physician’s medical license for performing gender-affirming care.

U.S. Airman dies after setting himself on fire to protest war in Gaza

On Feb. 25, Aaron Bushnell self-immolated in front of the Israeli Embassy as an act of extreme political protest. Bushnell livestreamed the event to Twitch, and stated that he would “no longer be complicit in genocide.” After dousing himself in flammable liquid, he set himself on fire while shouting “free Palestine” before falling to the pavement. He was taken to a local hospital and died after succumbing to his injuries. Bushnell was an active member of the Air Force, having served as a cyber defense operations specialist since 2020. Metropolitan Police stated that they are investigating the incident in cooperation with the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Bushnell’s protest is not the first of its kind, as an unidentified individual in Atlanta self-immolated near a Palestinian flag in December.

A conversation with SMOB finalists

By Naomi Andelman and Caleb Plank Staff Writer & Design Editor

At the annual nominating convention on Feb. 14, student delegates from around MCPS voted on the two candidates for the 47th Student Member of the Board (SMOB). The SMOB is a voting member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, elected by MCPS students. Responsibilities include voting on collective bargaining, budgets, school closings, reopenings, and boundaries.

The two finalists this year are Clarksburg junior Praneel Suvarna and Blair junior Sam Ross. The last SMOB from Blair was Sebastian Johnson in the 2005-2006 school year. Silver Chips sat down with both candidates to hear more about their goals and visions for the county. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Why do you want to be SMOB?

Sam Ross: I’m in this honestly because I care about education. I want to go on to major in some kind of education and policy. Honestly, my dream job is returning to MCPS.

Right now and over the fall I’ve been interning in MCPS to kind of learn the ropes, understand how a system like this works so that I can continue in education as a career … Education, policy, that’s what I care about, that’s why I’m here, and that’s what I’m proud of.

Praneel Suvarna: To create change within the county … I think a big portion of my life has really been dedicated to making sure students not only feel safe at schools, but they enjoy school … It’s not just advocacy that we’re talking about here, but … making sure there’s small things … So just really being able to help other students’ lives. And I think it stemmed from a really young age.

My mom was a paraeducator with MCPS … I just wanted to help people and that was something that [my family] instilled to me.

I want to sit at the board table and elevate those issues, elevate students, and just be someone there who knows what’s going on, who has the experience to handle it.

What is the county’s biggest issue that needs to be addressed and fixed?

Sam Ross: We kind of put things in the buckets of wellness, mental health, safety, academic achievement, [and] student life.

To me, they all kind of tie together because you need all of them in order to be successful. So I usually say that having students heard is the biggest issue in my opinion.

In MCPS and in school systems everywhere, everyone wants the same thing. Everyone wants stu-

dents to succeed, and a safe and healthy learning environment, but right now students just feel so unheard that it puts up these barriers between us and leadership and our teachers and staff and all these different groups, which we really all just need to work together.

Praneel Suvarna: The drug and opioid crisis … I think that is the biggest issue right now, hands down, right, because when we’re talking about student lives, those come above everything else … Students are in our bathrooms, overdosing and that’s not OK. And I think the number one thing that we need to do is equip all staff and security guards with Narcan, put safety buttons in bathrooms, and that would be a day one step for me, I would introduce a resolution to the Board of Education.

What would you do differently or the same as past SMOBs to increase student involvement and awareness with your campaign?

Sam Ross: Most of the communication methods which exist have always been used to some degree, like social media. I think right now Sami [Saeed is] doing a great job of providing updates on what he’s doing … Additionally, because of my involvement with MCPS, with Sami, with Arvin last year, and Hana the year before that, I know the roadblocks. I would still really want to try to have a SMOB Minute [video] go out. I think they’re really useful. If you can get all the schools to play them in school, that’s great, it cements the SMOB as someone who is there and can prove that they’re actually doing something.

Praneel Suvarna: Really expanding and enhancing the SMOB Advisory Council is really one of my biggest priorities. I want us to do cluster specific sub cabinets … so [Downcounty Consortium] and [Northeast Consortium] students don’t have to [travel] all the way down to Rockville or wherever the next SMOB advisory council meeting is to be able to talk about the issues that directly affect the students … Past that also making sure that on my school visits, I’m connecting to a variety of students, right? I’m not just talking to these SGAs, but I’m actually talking to the students … whose voices aren’t consistently heard and have lost

MCPS?

Sam Ross: My biggest objectives are listening to student voices. I want to continue a lot of the stuff that’s come up in the last year. Ensuring that student priorities are consistently heard, free AP tests, … restorative justice, social workers, counselors, these mental health resources … those are a student priority. We need to make sure that we’re heard and that these things are being prioritized.

some trust within the school system.

What makes you the best candidate for SMOB? Why should people vote for you?

Sam Ross: What drives me to be SMOB is that I have dedicated a lot of my life to MCPS. I spend a lot of time, I go to every

Praneel Suvarna: I’ve already been making change within MCPS. So I’ve worked on an electric bus proposal project that’s going to the County Council that’s basically putting electric bus charging stations at schools across the county … I’ve worked with the newcomer student group to create a newcomer student guide for Clarksburg … The thing that I’m probably most proud of is pushing for the creation of the drug and opioid task force within

single board meeting. I sit through all of them. I’ve spoken up at so many [board meetings] about the issues which affect us. I know so much about the history and the demographics and the issues in this county, and I would just be ready. I want to sit at the board table and elevate those issues, elevate students, and just be someone there who knows what’s going on, who has the experience to handle it. And we can all be confident that there’s someone sitting there.

Praneel Suvarana: My record of action, right? I’m not just up here talking about these issues or promising you guys things that I can’t accomplish, but I’ve actually accomplished things in the past and I’m ready to bring it to the next level as Student Member of the Board … I have experience within a realm of different clubs and groups and organizations … [That] gives me a really diverse perspective, which I think is really useful to communicate with students across the county.

In what ways do you think you can make an effective impact on

[Montgomery County Regional SGA] … I was the environmental task force coordinator … So it’s just like being able to actually look back and see, ‘Hey, I’m not just talking about these things, but I’ve actually already created the change in these areas,’ is something that’s really, really important to me.

I think a big portion of my life has really been dedicated to making sure students not only feel safe at schools, but they enjoy school.

The final election will be held on Wednesday, April 17. Students across MCPS will be able to vote during the school day through an online ballot.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PRANEEL SUVARNA

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM ROSS

Blair begins search for new principal

By Doris Wang Staff Writer

Principal Renay Johnson announced her retirement to the Blair community in an email on Jan. 20. Johnson served as principal for over 13 years and was the first female principal at Blair. Following Johnson’s retirement announcement, MCPS officials began the search to appoint a qualified successor to fulfill the role of Blair principal.

The county has not named a replacement, and the selection process is still in its early stages. The announcement of Johnson’s retirement mid-year allowed more time for a new principal to be selected.

“If [I] announce [my] retirement by a certain date that it gives the system time to find a replacement for me,” Johnson said. “I made the announcement prior to Feb. 1 so that MCPS would have time to advertise the position.” Once a new principal is confirmed, Johnson is able to spend the months leading up to summer break helping them transition into the role.

To select and hire a new principal, the county must first confirm the vacancy and advertise the position. Afterwards, applicants will be selected for interviews with com-

munity members. Interviews help the district to identify candidates that match valued characteristics. Blair sent a survey to students and parents to rank their top four valued characteristics out of a list of 11 principal leadership skills.

Blair sophomore Reanna Grace Das Varma appreciated that the county included community members in the decision making process. “I think that’s good because … the principal should be a representative of the community,” Das Varma said.

Once four to five applicants have been chosen to proceed in part based on selected characteristics, a select interview panel consisting of MCPS staff and community members will interview and identify finalist candidates. Those finalists will then move onto a finalist meeting with Interim Superintendent of Schools Monique Felder and selected MCPS senior leadership staff. Felder will make her decision and make a recommendation to the Board of Education, which will then vote on the issue and appoint a new principal.

Students that received news of Johnson’s retirement were upset as they enjoyed her impact on Blair. “I don’t know her personally, but … she seems like a really great

By Raunak Banerjee News Columnist

On Feb. 20, Elon Musk announced that the first Neuralink “N1” brain chip patient was able to move a computer cursor with their thoughts. This is the latest step in Musk’s plan to create a successful Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) that will be sold commercially.

In May 2023—nearly seven years after the company’s founding—Neuralink received permission from the Food and Drug Administration to begin human trials for their brain implant that translates signals from the human brain into computerized output. On Jan. 29, Neuralink implanted the N1 into their first human test subject whose identity cannot be revealed due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Since the operation more than a month ago, the company

person and principal,” Das Varma said. “It’s sad that she’s leaving, especially while we’re still in high school but … the school is awaiting another great principal.”

I’ve always had a great time connecting with students and also showcasing their many achievements on social media. RENAY

Johnson interacted often both online and offline with students, attending athletic events, performances, clubs, and other school events. She often used Twitter and Instagram to engage with the Blair community. “I’ve always had a great time connecting with students and also showcasing their many achievements on social media,” Johnson said. She hopes to see the future principal continue the tradition of staying active on social media.

The new appointed principal will be supported, supervised, and evaluated by Directors from the Office of Support and Improve-

which sends signals to a bespoke Neuralink app that outputs the information from the signals. With different activities and thoughts, neurons in different parts of the brain activate. When the N1 patient imagined moving their hand, the chip read the respective part of the brain that was activated and sent a signal to the app to move the cursor.

ment, and will have direct support from a consulting principal for their first year in the position. They will be evaluated using data from student learning objectives, school improvements plans, supervisory school visits, formal observations, and perceptual data from the staff and community. A new principal is expected to be chosen by April.

Four principals in the county have retired mid-year this year, and four other principals including Johnson announced retirement for the end of the school year. The hiring process will occur in many schools. “A lot of principals just came into MCPS at the same time … and we’re all at retirement age,” Johnson said.

Johnson will be moving out of the area after retirement but will continue to stay in touch with the Blair community. “I plan to relax,” Johnson said. “[I also] plan to stay in touch with the staff and students and community members through social media [and] visiting this area because … my son and daughter [will still] live in this area.”

social media platform X, formerly known as twitter. “That is the goal.”

has been closely monitoring the patient and claim there are no adverse health effects caused by the chip, although these reports were not published in an accredited journal.

Unlike conventional non-invasive BCIs such as electroencephalographic (EEG) BCIs, Neuralink’s approach involves the implantation of minuscule electrodes directly into the brain, enabling the detection and transmission of neural signals with exceptional precision. These electrodes, designed to be thinner than a human hair, aim to facilitate a connection between the brain and external devices.

When humans think, neurons are constantly firing electrical signals at each other. Neuralink, as well as other BCIs, detect some of these signals and read them by graphing the charge they produce. Signals picked up by the electrode threads are read by a microchip,

The entire system is powered by a cell battery that can be re charged wirelessly with an in ductive charger. The company boasts easy charging from any where, including when the user is sleeping. The chip is also com pletely airtight and waterproof, as the biocompatible case that sur rounds it is grafted into the skin.

The Neuralink chip was im planted with the help of the company’s surgical robot, which consists of a base that can move in three dimensions, has five cam era systems, and the optics for an optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT uses shortwave light and studies the interference with surfaces, thus giving an extremely high resolution image. All of these features guide a needle that em beds the hair-thin thread receptors which allow the chip to pick up signals.

Aside from the commercial applications, Musk hopes to expand Neuralink to help those with neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lat eral sclerosis (ALS), paralysis, and spinal cord injuries. “Imagine if Stephen Hawking could commu nicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer,” Musk tweeted on the

Despite this accomplishment for Musk’s company, many neuroscientists and biomedical engineers remain doubtful of the impact of these results. The first human to receive a BCI implant controlled a cursor with it in 2004; non-human primates have been doing so for even longer.

Compiled by

Zachary Karp Staff Writer

Haiti declares state of emergency

On Mar. 4, Haiti declared a state of emergency after a group of armed gangs led by ex-policeman Jimmy Chérizier attacked two of the nation’s largest prisons, freeing more than 3,000 prisoners. Chérizier claimed his attacks were to capture high-ranking Haitian government officials and prevent the country’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry from returning to the country after meeting with foreign officials in Kenya, where he signed an agreement to send 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti to quell unrest.

Armed gang members attacked Toussaint Louverture International Airport, the country’s main international airport, on Mar. 4. They have also attacked police stations across Haiti’s capital, where 80 percent of the city is controlled by gangs, according to United Nations estimates. Henry took power without elections following the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021; there have been no elected officials serving in the nation’s government for over a year.

Sweden joins NATO

On Feb. 26, Hungary’s parliament approved Sweden’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Hungary was the last NATO member opposing Sweden’s membership in the organization and lifted its blockade following the end of 20 months of international pressure to allow Sweden into the organization.

Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three months prior. Its membership in the alliance ensures that NATO members will come to its defense should it be invaded. The nation will also come to other NATO members’ defense should they be attacked.

Sweden’s entry into the alliance marked the end of its 200-year policy of neutrality.

Elon Musk sues OpenAI for breach of contract

On Feb. 29, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit with a court in San Francisco against ChatGPT developer OpenAI, claiming that the corporation breached its contract to develop artificial intelligence “for the benefit of humanity.” Musk claimed that OpenAI is instead “actually refining an [artificial general intelligence] to maximize profits for Microsoft.” Microsoft is a major OpenAI backer.

Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but stepped down three years later due to concerns over artificial intelligence safety and competition between OpenAI and his company, Tesla, over hiring.

BLAIR PRINCIPAL Renay Johnson sits proudly in her office.

A FAREWELL TO BLAIR BOULEVARD Johnson poses with students.

JOHNSON

PHOTOS BY KENEAN BIZUWORK

ALLISON LIN

CHIKARA YAMAGISHI

Northwood renovation set to begin next school year

Northwood students will relocate to Charles E. Woodward High School

from NORTHWOOD page A1

The renovation was originally supposed to be completed by 2025 with the relocation starting in 2023. Delays have instead pushed the project’s estimated completion back by two years. Ariana Amaya, a sophomore at Northwood knew only sparing details about the renovation plans when she entered the school in 2022. “We just kind of knew we were going to go to a new school for some time and eventually come back.” Amaya said.

The county has not released significant detailed information to the public about the project since the initial plan and first delay. On the MCPS website, it still says incorrectly that the scheduled relocation happened in the fall of 2023. The school has largely communicated these changes to Northwood students and their families through emails. “They honestly haven’t talked about it much in person,” Case said.

Charles E. Woodward, the site of the relocation, is located in

Bethesda about nine miles away from the current Northwood building. Case also feels the location of the holding school will have repercussions. “I know that we’re probably going to lose teachers and a lot of kids are trying to transfer out because it’s not so easy to get to [Bethesda] every day,” she said.

Some Northwood students have already moved schools, like Blair junior Jonah Taveau who transferred from Northwood at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. The time and distance to get to Woodward was untenable, given his need to be available to help his grandparents who live nearby. “I just didn’t want to do that,” he said.

Blair sophomore Juliet Craig also transferred from Northwood at around the same time for similar reasons. “I play sports and it’s a really long drive from my house,” she said. “It would be like my parents driving back and forth and I would’ve felt really bad.”

Woodward is still in the process of being renovated itself and for at least the next year, sports facilities at the school will not be operational. The lack of sports facilities in light of the renovation is a common concern among Northwood athletes. “That was actually my main concern was, how am I going to get to practice?” Amaya, who runs track, said. “So what I heard

is we’re going to have activity buses take us to another school.”

Currently, student athletes have been told all games and practices are set to be held at other schools. “So right now, I think we’re supposed to go to a middle school nearby and practice there for soccer season,” Case, who plays soccer and lacrosse, said. “But all of our games are going to be at the opposing teams’ schools even for like senior night, but it’ll be counted as a home game.”

Samantha Finkelberg, a junior at Northwood who plays field hock-

ey and lacrosse is frustrated with the situation in general. “It’s really upsetting especially, you know, as a senior and being serious about my sports to know that, I’m not even going to have a legitimate senior night, or have any home games for that matter,” she said.

Given the past delays with the scheduled relocation and renovation, there is still uncertainty about the timing and details of the project. “Even now, I still don’t know if it’s going to be delayed or not,” Finkelberg said. “I think regardless, all of it can be handled a lot better.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCPS

PHOTO BY MAIA TURPEN

NORTHWOOD The current Northwood building was built in 1965 and will be demolished in the fall.

RENOVATION PLANS Blueprints from MCPS show how the new four-story Northwood building is set to look after renovation.

County council proposes housing bill

The bill would allow places of worship to build affordable housing

By Laila Andelman and Nikki Tjiputra Staff Writers

On Feb. 27, the Montgomery County Council held a community meeting regarding Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 24-01. The legislation was introduced on Jan. 16 and would allow places of worship in Montgomery County to build affordable housing on their property.

At the meeting, the council allowed for people to share their support of the bill. The testifiers, who included reverends, pastors, environmental activists, and members of housing organizations, were allowed a maximum of three minutes to share their opinion on the zoning adjustment.

The council takes these testimonies into account when voting. The ZTA will first go through a vote from the Planning Housing and Parks Committee, and then depending on its reception, may go to the full council for a work session or a vote within the next month.

The Facilitating Affordable Inclusive Transformational Housing (FAITH) ZTA is co-sponsored by Council President Andrew Friedson and Vice President Kate Stewart.

Under current county zoning laws, multi-unit living is not permitted in non-residential zones. This zoning measure seeks to remove barriers so that places of worship can provide multi-unit housing on their land by providing flexibility in development restrictions, such as height of buildings.

According to the U.S. Census

Bureau, Montgomery County’s median household income in 2022 was $125,583 and the poverty rate was 7.9 percent. Given this data, an estimated 83,149 people in Montgomery County lived in poverty in 2022.

At the same time they have a mission and already are working in our community on many issues and given the prices for housing they see it as a natural extension of the mission of their congregation to do this.

Jane Lyons-Raeder, a member of Montgomery For All, an organization advocating for better land use, emphasized how the affordable housing crisis impacts those who work in Montgomery County but cannot afford to live in Montgomery County. “Right now, there’s so many people who work really important, essential jobs, like teachers and custodians, or even plenty of office workers who just don’t make enough money to rent or own in this county, and so they end up driving from really far away in order to work here, but they can’t live here,” she said.

The affordable housing projects that would be created under the

ZTA are required to meet at least one of four affordability thresholds. The affordability thresholds restrict changes in rent prices for at least 30 years, depending on where a family’s income falls within the Area Median Income (AMI).

The ZTA aims to benefit both places of worship and those seeking affordable housing, as the trend of religious attendance keeps going down. “A lot of these houses of worship were built many decades ago and their congregations were just much bigger . . . so they’re land rich, but they may need resources for themselves,” Stewart said in an interview with Silver Chips.

Along with financial gain, Stewart stated how providing affordable housing aligns with the values of many places of worship. “At the same time they have a mission and already are working in our commu-

nity on many issues and given the prices for housing they see it as a natural extension of the mission of their congregation to do this,” she said.

Another facet of the ZTA is that many places of worship are situated near public transit. The ZTA also requires that a public bus service be available on a road abutting the site and that a Metro station must be within two miles of the site of affordable housing.

The ZTA would also aim to address historically segregated housing practices in Montgomery County. Practices like redlining, restrictive covenants, and exclusionary zoning led to the restricted supply of affordable housing, notably to Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.

William Hegwood, a Gaithersburg citizen, believes that the leg-

islation will help to address racial disproportionality in Montgomery County’s homeless population through the resources of Black churches. “There’s a higher proportion of African-Americans who are homeless than that live in the county … One of the ways I know [how to address this] traditionally is through the African-American church, [because] it’s steadfast been the supporter of civil rights legislation, so why not look at that organization to help this problem, and this [ZTA] goes hand-in-hand with that,” he said.

Though much of the community response to the FAITH ZTA was positive, Ellen Mann testified against the ZTA, citing environmental concerns. “A large church purchased 15.5 acres of intact forest, and they have already completely destroyed ten acres. It’s estimated that one acre of forest can sequester two-and-a-half to threeand-a-half tons of carbon per year,” Mann said in her testimony. “This is a snapshot of the future of this county if this ZTA passes with no amendments.”

Though the FAITH ZTA hopes to alleviate some of the severity of the affordable housing crisis, Stewart noted that there is still more work that needs to be done. “I see this as one piece of a lot of things that we need to be doing right now to address the affordable housing crisis and the demand for housing in our communities. It’s not the answer, because I don’t believe there is one answer,” she said.

Beltway expansion hits a roadblock

By Eloise Carter and Evelyn Goldin Staff Writers

The U.S. Department of Transportation denied the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) application for the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) in late January. The grant, which funds large infrastructure projects, would have funded 60 percent of MDOT’s American Legion Bride and I-270 Multimodal Improvements Project.

The project is estimated to cost around $4 billion, meaning that the grant would have accounted for $2.4 billion. The rest of the capital for the project would come from other federal sources and the state match program. 20 percent or about $800 million would come from other federal sources and the Maryland State Highway Administration would match that, providing the other 20 percent.

The project is looking to streamline mobility across the American Legion Bridge, I-495, and I-270. One way MDOT will aim to do this is through managed toll lanes. Drew Morrison, the policy adviser for planning and project development for MDOT, detailed that these managed toll lanes would offer more capacity and carpool opportunities. “We really see that the managed toll lanes provide … some more capacity across the bridge and importantly [provide] reliable transit carpool, vanpool lanes,” he said.

MDOT hoped that these toll lanes would better connect the

state. Morrison noted that the project also aims to meet service-related goals. “Secretary Wiedefeld, the transportation secretary, his big emphasis here is when we move forward with this project, we need to tie it with a service plan that provides new options and opportunities for people, say trying to access a job at Tysons Corner while living in Montgomery County,” Morrison said. This would include implementing new bus services. “And as we build out these networks of lanes, we hope to create some really reliable options for people so that they can catch the bus, get where they need to go when they want to,” Morrison said.

I do think 495 is literally one of the worst traffic roads in the country.

Morrison added that some of the grant money would be used to help fix up the American Legion Bridge. “The bridge has been around for a little while. It is in need of meaningful repairs and rehabilitation in the coming years,” he said. A goal of MDOT along with repairing the bridge is using it to make a way for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Potomac River. “There’s no pedestrian-bicycle connection between Fairfax and Montgomery in this section of the river, despite there

being some great assets on both sides of the river for walking, for biking, and the project will include a pedestrian-bicycle bridge over the river,” Morrison said.

One of the biggest proposed benefits of the project was that it would ease traffic jams along parts of the Capital Beltway—the project was expected to reduce congestion in the regular lanes by 25 percent. The traffic on the Beltway makes people, including Blair teacher Morgan Patel, wary of driving on it.

“I do think 495 is literally one of the worst traffic roads in the country,” Patel said.

Reducing congestion would have an impact on commute times for many. Blair teacher Erin Conley, who drives on the beltway to work, reflects on how beltway expansion could make changes to people’s daily lives. “Iit would probably lessen people’s commute who have to travel on the beltway every day. But I also understand the impact that it may have, … on the neighborhoods, or communities even maybe Blair property, like, you know, we’re right up to it. So it could cause some negative effects,” she said.

The potential negative effects have caused many people and organizations to oppose beltway expansion. Barbara Coufal, chair of Citizens Against Beltway Expansion, shared her concerns regarding the environmental impact. “So the creeks and Potomac River and stormwater, in this case, most of it is not going to be treated. And so this dirty water is just going to flow untreated into our creeks and the

Potomac River. And so it’s going to cause a lot of water pollution,” she said. “This project would actually hamper the state’s ability to reduce vehicle miles traveled [which would] reduce the release of greenhouse gas emissions.”

Coufal also advocates against beltway expansion because she does not believe it will solve the problem. “Fundamentally, the concern is that widening roads has … shown that that doesn’t work to resolve congestion. And in fact, when the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission studied the traffic report that MDOT put together in their environmental impact statement, they found that adding the toll lanes would not actually resolve congestion, it would just move the bottlenecks to different places,” she said.

Regardless of the opposition, MDOT plans to reapply for the MPDG grant, in a continued effort to fund the beltway expansion. “It’s not uncommon with large projects like this that you submit to a program more than once. You learn things from submitting … We do intend to apply for this program this coming year as well,” Morrison said.

KATE STEWART

MORGAN PATEL

PHOTO BY MADELINE GOLD

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING Community members testify to share their opinions regarding the FAITH ZTA.

GRAPHIC BY ELOISE CARTER | DATA COURTESY OF MDOT

mcps4palestine interrupts Jamie Raskin’s campaign kickoff event

By Ethan de Brauw Staff Writer

On Feb. 22, MCPS alumni, students, and parents disrupted Congressman Jamie Raskin’s campaign kick-off event at the Silver Spring Civic Center. The protestors repeatedly called for Raskin to stop supporting genocide, referencing Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip. They were eventually escorted out of the event by police.

The disruption was in part organized by members of mcps4palestine, an open letter and Instagram account created by MCPS alumni protesting MCPS’ response to the crisis in the Gaza strip. After the event, mcps4palestine posted a video of the events on Instagram, with the caption calling for “No more aid to Israel,” and “Reinstate United Nations Relief and Works Agency funding.”

The protesters, including mcps4palestine Coordinating Committee member and Blair alum Alexandra Melinchok, disapprove of Raskin’s lack of action against Israel. “I’m a constituent of Jamie Raskin. There were several other MCPS alumni [and] there were MCPS parents there as well. Jamie Raskin—one of his big things is supporting young people. Young people, parents and teachers are coming together to publicly oppose arming and funding Israel,” she said.

In December 2023, three teachers were placed on administrative leave as a result of their comments on social media about Israel’s actions in Gaza. Frustrated by the

way that MCPS responded to proPalestinian protests, Montgomery County residents started a letter signing movement dubbed “mcps4palestine,” protesting MCPS’ actions. The open letter to MCPS called on the county to “end all anti-Palestinian repression, intimidation, and retaliation,” “reinstate all staff placed on administrative leave for their support of Palestinian human rights and justice,” “reject antiPalestinian narratives and racism,” “provide accurate, unbiased lessons about the history of Palestine, the Nakba, and the 75-year Israeli occupation,” and generally demand for all elected officials to call for a permanent and immediate ceasefire in Gaza. As of Mar. 10, the letter has been signed by more than 1,150 people, more than 240 of which are Blair alumni.

Melinchok reflected on the way that mcps4palestine came about. “When it comes to mcps4palestine, the group really came together quite organically. One of my classmates from Blair had reached out to me on Instagram and told me that there was some other students that they were in touch with that really wanted to do something, collectively as alumni to support Palestine and Palestinians in this moment,” Melinchok said. “And so we came together and we thought that this open letter would be a great first step to better organize ourselves in this moment.”

The protesters believed that Raskin, in addition to ending his own support for Israel, should be pressuring Biden to do the same. “When we were disrupting Jamie’s event, one of our messages was that Jamie Raskin is a top Biden

surrogate. Jamie Raskin needs to be at the forefront of not just calling himself for an end to arms and funding to Israel, but publicly pressuring President Biden to immediately stop arming and funding the genocide,” mcps4palestine Coordinating Committee member and Blair alum Jasper Saah said.

Not everyone supported the protests, and it was upsetting to some in the crowd. “It took a really long time out of the program, and I think that that was probably really frustrating to people,” event goer and friend of Jamie Raskin Jill Ortman-Fouse said.

The protests come after five months of bombardment of the Gaza strip by Israel in response to the Oct. 7 attack, which killed 1,163 Israelis. Since then, more than 30,320 Palestinians have been killed, 70 percent of which are

women and children. Inside Gaza, 1.7 million Palestinians have been displaced after Israel’s invasion forced them to leave their homes. 2.2 million people are in crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity in Gaza. The humanitarian crisis in the region has also grown as Israel has limited humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

Many Blair students, including senior and member of the Muslim Student Association El Hadj Seck, support mcps4palestine’s effort, as they believe there is a need for more action in response to the crisis in Palestine. “A lot of people just choose to stay silent, when that’s not what we should be doing. We should be actually advocating for peace, we should be advocating for people not to suffer and die. So, I’m glad that [mcps4palestine] took the initiative to change that,” he said.

Melinchok believes that people are realizing the local impacts of the conflict in Palestine, and that it has become a local issue. “Something that’s become more apparent in recent months for a growing number of people is that Palestine is a local issue, and that while it might seem like Palestine is far away from here, there are first generation second generation Palestinians, Palestinian Americans, living here in the U.S., just like there are American citizens who are living in Palestine,” she said.

KATE MCDONOUGH

silverchips

Montgomery Blair High School 51 University Boulevard East Silver Spring, MD 20901 silver.chips.print@gmail.com

Winner of the 2019 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medal, the 2021 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Association Crown, the 2021 American Scholastic Press Association

First Place with Special Merit, the 2022

Columbia Scholastic Association Silver

Crown, and the 2022 American Scholastic Press Association First Place Award

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

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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.

By EDITORIAL BOARD AN OPINION

In most years, the federal government handles over 17 million aid requests on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from American students. In most years, over 83 percent of students attending university in the U.S. will receive some sort of financial aid, be it from the federal government, scholarships, or their educational institution. In most years, May 1 is the official National College Decision Day. 2024 has decidedly not been like most years when it came to college loans.

The FAFSA disaster began with the intention of creating a “Better FAFSA.” The 2020 FAFSA Simplification Act was intended to go into effect last year, promising a more-user friendly experience and to increase the recipients of the federal government’s grants available to low-income students, called PELL grants. The 2023-24 version followed through on a few promised benefits—it went from 118 to 36 questions. “Better FAFSA” also now directly links to the IRS database so that families no longer have to find old tax returns.

Despite their best intentions, the Department of Education, in charge of FAFSA, dropped the ball this year. Parts of the old FAFSA form were over 50-years-old and required substantial reworking. Most of the coding was in COBOL, a computer language invented in 1959. It is now, however, an unwieldy and dying language that few modern programmers know how to navigate. Bringing the platform into the 21st century has

“Better” FAFSA? We’re still waiting A clockwork autocrat

By Talia Egnal Ombudsman AN OPINION

News outlets have been long cautious of providing dictators a soapbox from which they can spread their hateful rhetoric to American audiences. Though autocrats grab attention and might boost ratings, news organizations need to draw the line in the sand and stop assisting these regimes. Tucker Carlson recently demonstrated what not to do as far as journalistic ethics are concerned during his Feb. 6 interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The precedent for such an interview was laid in 1959, when the Ed Sullivan show had an unexpected guest: Fidel Castro. On the show that night, the audience did not see the communist strongman that would rule Cuba with an iron fist for nearly 50 years and kill nearly 15,000 Cubans. He appeared on TV as a friendly 32-year-old lawyer-turned-revolutionary. Sullivan’s opening question was regarding what position Castro played in baseball. U.S. magazines would shortly thereafter refer to Castro as a new Robin Hood. He became a fashion icon. Protests supporting his ideas drew hundreds in New York. Within two years, he was personally overseeing the torture of thousands of rebels.

The ratings from the show were strong, however, which led to several other examples of journal-

turned into an even greater undertaking than the Washington, D.C. Metro’s Purple Line.

After months of missing promised deadlines, “Better FAFSA” finally limped to an opening on Dec. 30, albeit without an official press release. The delays were only the beginning of a laundry list of issues; on the first few days, the form was only available in 30-minute increments, prompting students to languish for hours in waiting rooms. The site was not working full-time until Jan. 8.

“Better FAFSA” also had no options for parents without a social security number, disproportionately impacting first-generation students. It failed to adjust for inflation after a year of painfully high rates for American families. The department chose to disregard how many

children in a family are going to college, which can double or triple the financial strain on a family. The list of errors goes on and on.

The Department of Education could have simply kept the old application operational—if it worked for 50 years, it could hang on for another one. The new FAFSA was meant to be rolled out in the 202223 application cycle, but the department needed a year-long extension. It was clearly insufficient. The department should have swallowed their pride and asked for another year. If “Better FAFSA” was not ready, a dated version would have been preferable to a broken one.

The end result of these failures is that, as of March 1, less than 5 million students have submitted their forms—12 million students less than normal. The federal gov-

Editorial Cartoon

ernment is predicting that their mistakes will cause 2 million fewer students in total to not submit the FAFSA, a 15 percent decrease. Instead of expanding access to PELL grants, the government will be lucky to reach the same amount as last year. The tragedy of this issue is that the most impacted group will be first-generation and low-income students, those who need this aid the most.

In most years, students miss out on billions in funding due to not filling out their applications.

15 states have proposals to make filling it out mandatory. In 2020, the Maryland Senate drafted an act that would make the form a graduation requirement for high school seniors, but ultimately decided against the bill. Despite the mayhem of this year’s FAFSA application process, students cannot afford to leave these millions on the table. The amount of financial aid a student receives can influence the rest of their life and thus is absolutely essential in their decision on what college to attend.

In most years, FAFSA aid packages are distributed during March alongside colleges’ regular admissions decisions. This year, however, universities will not receive the data from the government until early March—and then the colleges must process, consider, and release their own aid packages. No one knows how long this will take, but the more it is delayed, the more students will suffer.

ists interviewing some of the most brutal dictators in history; whether anything positive was gained from these is an entirely different question. CNN interviewed Osama Bin Laden in 1997, four years before 9/11. Barbara Walters was criticized by The New York Times and CNN for her methods in acquiring and conducting an interview with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2011. The New York Times has published opinion pieces by high-ranking members of the Taliban and by Putin himself in 2013 (to advocate for al-Assad after international sanctions due to engaging in chemical warfare against his own citizens). All have attempted to justify their decisions, and all fell short. CNN’s Bin Laden interview turned into a series of antisemitic rants, some of which were posted with signals of support on TikTok in 2023. The New York Times did not tell their readers about the author of the opinion’s violent past, including a hotel bombing.

News organizations need to draw the line in the sand and stop assisting these regimes.

The problem with these pieces is that journalists allow both themselves and their organization to become a platform for the dictator’s propaganda. Calling Carlson’s in-

terview with Putin fawning would be an understatement. Putin himself, famous for murdering those who disagree with him, complained that the questions were “too soft.”

Over the course of the interview, Putin launched into a 9th century history lesson and said Poland started World War 2. Neither claim was fact-checked. It is unclear if Carlson, unaffiliated with a news organization and desperate to ingratiate himself with the pro-Russian wing of the GOP, had the desire or capability to fact-check, which was undoubtedly a factor in the Kremlin granting him the interview.

Carlson also seems to have been wholeheartedly converted to spreading Putin’s rhetoric. In one of several bizarre moments, he gushed to the camera over the low prices in Moscow grocery stores.

More maliciously, close to when Putin had his most outspoken critic in Alexei Navalny falsely imprisoned and killed on Feb. 16, Carlson remarked to the World Government Summit that “leadership requires killing people.” As reports broke earlier this year of a state-sponsored poisoning ring, hunger-games style, Carlson remained silent. While his silence would normally be a welcome reprieve, it could be harmful in this case. If one only consumed their so-called news from him, they would have no reason not to whole-heartedly believe Putin’s propaganda.

Castro’s 1959 interview gave dictators an effective roadmap for misleading the American public.

“In Latin American countries over and over again, dictators [have] stolen millions and millions of dollars, tortured and killed people. How do you propose to end that here in Cuba?” asked Sullivan.

Putin himself, famous for murdering those who disagree with him, complained that the questions were “too soft.”

Castro responded flippantly.

“Very easy. By not permitting that any dictatorship come again to rule our country. You can be sure that Batista . . . will be the last dictator of Cuba.”

PHOTO

DAMI KIM

Should MCPS high schools start later?

PHOTOS BY MAIA TURPEN

There is no sunlight in the sky and the roads are silent save for the rumble of school buses. The only signs of morning life are the tired high schoolers starting their journey to school. With high schools in Montgomery County starting at 7:45 a.m., it is no shock that many MCPS teens are chronically sleep deprived. High school start times need to be moved to after 8:00 a.m. to improve students’ physical and mental health and create an efficient learning environment.

Across the country, people have started to wake up to the dire long-term and shortterm risks of a lack of sleep caused by early school start times. In 2019, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the nation’s first leg islation that forbids public school systems from starting high school earlier than 8:30 a.m. Legislation passed in Maryland’s own Howard and Anne Arundel counties re quires high schools to start after 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. respectively.

MCPS, on the other hand, has not prior itized addressing the impacts of their early school start times, namely how little sleep students are getting. Sleep is fundamental ly important to one’s physical and mental health, yet according to a Maryland De partment of Health youth risk survey, only 22 percent of high schoolers actually get the recommended eight-hour mini mum of sleep. 51 percent get six hours or less.

Over a long period of time, sleep depri vation has a detrimental effect on students’ abilities to learn. It can affect focus, the brain’s information processing abilities, and both long-term and short-term mem ory, as evidenced by how Blair students struggle to stay awake and focus, especially during first and second period classes. Blair chemistry and forensics teacher Amanda McCrea believed later start times would help with students’ focus. “I have way less sleepy, disengaged students when I start third period than when I used to teach a first block class … even if [start times] got pushed back a little bit, I think students will be more engaged,” McCrea said.

CON PRO

School start times should be pushed back in order to promote student health.

By Carina Nicodemus Staff Writer AN OPINION

Caraskadon said. “Adolescents in America are having more challenges than ever in that area of their well being, and the lack of sleep just multiplies that issue and makes it really that much harder to maintain good mental health.”

In the past, efforts to push back MCPS school start times have been rebuffed by BOE members who cited cost. In 2013, based on encouraging research conducted

Shifting start times back would be counterproductive, introducing additional stress to students.

By Evelyn Goldin Staff Writer AN OPINION

Pushing high school start times later is impractical. Though it might be enticing at first glance, it would complicate mornings for families with elementary school students, force a change in athletics schedules, and interfere with after school activities. Realistically, student sleep hours would only shift, not increase, so the efforts would be futile.

In MCPS, school level start times are currently staggered. High schools start first, at

cer leagues would have to fit in all the different practices for all the different age groups and stuff, so then everything just gets shifted back,” Glenn said.

Activities would be moved later for high school students, too. Blair junior Alegria Martins is on the Varsity Girls’ Soccer team, in addition to a club soccer team. She said that getting from Blair to club practices is already challenging. “It’s definitely a time crunch going from one practice to the next,” she said. If school times were pushed later, Martins would not have time for both teams.

Blair student Maija Lin believes that later start times would be beneficial to her overall. “Sometimes I’ll have extracurricular activities or other responsibilities after school that cause me to stay up later. So waking up at like 6 a.m. isn’t really great for me … [In later classes] I’m just generally more awake and I can focus and concentrate more,” she says.

Sleep deprivation can also greatly affect teens’ mental wellbeing, explained Mary Caraskadon, a sleep researcher and a psychiatry and human behavior professor at Brown University. “There are strong concerns about the impact on mental health,”

in MCPS. Sandra Landis, the leader of the Montgomery County chapter, believes that MCPS is paying for its early school start times in other ways. “When you look at the statistics and the data between the teen mental health crisis—the aggression, the violence—lack of sleep has shown to contribute to all these areas,” Landis said. “It truly is absolutely a health issue. It’s a wellness issue, it’s an academic issue, it’s a community issue, and the spillover is spilling into the rest of the budget.”

MCPS needs to ask themselves: at what point does student health and safety trump cost? If MCPS is to address the root of many of their problems, pushing back school start times is a great way to begin.

times would negatively impact elementary school parents whose work schedules would not change. “I would think for most parents, their job time doesn’t shift. So if they didn’t have to drop their elementary school age student off until 10, and they have to commute to work and things like that, they’re getting there at 10:30 [or] 11,” she said. “If you think of a typical job as 9 to 5, like starting that late, what job do they have where they can do that?”

Additionally, Glenn explained that later school start times would affect extracurricular activity schedules for her middle and elementary school aged children. “All those things would get shifted to later in the afternoon because of practices and stuff … like the soc-

voicebox

All photos by Ian Gleason “I feel like as high schoolers we need more time to rest up and recharge from the day before. [Waking up so early] pushes back our academic skills and how we perform in the classroom.”

“I

“If school is pushed back later, so would high school practices, and then I wouldn’t be able to make it to my club practices,” she added.

Blair senior Gabriella Maitra participates on a club crew team outside of Blair. Like Martins, she has limited time to get to her practices after school. If the bell schedule was pushed later, it would present an additional challenge for her. “School ending later would literally cause so many problems just so much stress,” she

It is ironic that an inithat intends to ease students’ lives would have the opposite results.

Blair senior Erik Sofiaj volunteers at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School and the University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore in the afternoons.

If the bell schedule was pushed later, his entire schedule would be shifted. “Well, I certainly would be getting home later than I already am on those days that I do those activities,” he said.

Glenn concluded that pushing high school start times back would not necessarily result in more sleep for students. “Do I think teenagers need more sleep? Yes, but shifting the time, I’m not sure, solves the bigger problem of sleep. I think it just shifts when they sleep,” she explained. If pushing start times later would not accomplish its goal of increasing sleep among high school students, then it would only worsen the situation. Instead of serving students’ health, it would cause unnecessary stress by scrambling after school schedules.

“I would oppose school times moving later because for students with a 9th period, a lot of us get home after four … so if school times were later, then we would get home at like 6:30 or 7 p.m.”

“I don’t think it should because I think that would make us stay here later, so I don’t want to be here at a later time.”

AUTUMN CRAY senior

LESLEE SANCHEZ freshman

SHRIYA KRISHNAN junior

think that high school start times should be moved later because studies have shown that growing adolescents of our age need more sleep and if the time was moved back then we’d have more time to sleep.”

MISHO PEHLKE sophomore

DAMI KIM

By Diego Santoro-Velez Staff Writer AN OPINION

In a digital age where teachers struggle to reel students in from internet use, GoGuardian offered a solution. It was a tool that allowed teachers to view the chromebook screen of every student in their class and crack down on academic dishonesty and disengagement from class instruction. However, amidst a shrinking budget, GoGuardian was rightfully put on the chopping block and eliminated from the MCPS budget for the upcoming school year. Along with saving money and having an already existing alternative that has similar functions to GoGuardian, the removal of GoGuardian will encourage teachers to interact with their students. GoGuardian had to be eliminated.

At a Jan. 23 Board of Education meeting Stephanie Sheron, the Chief of Strategic Initiatives in MCPS, announced GoGaurdian’s removal from the budget. Sheron said at the meeting that of the roughly 15,000 teachers in MCPS, approximately 6,000 utilized GoGuardian in the past year, and only 3,000 used it in the last month. Sami Saeed, the Student Member of the Board in MCPS, highlighted GoGuardian’s low number of staff use. “The biggest thing is that they found only 20 percent of teachers in MCPS were actually using GoGuardian, and only

Goodbye GoGuardian

40 percent have ever even logged into the application,” Saeed said in an interview with Silver Chips. With a need to make budget cuts and 90 percent of resources going towards teacher salaries and insurance benefits, non-essential factors had to be cut. There is no room in the budget to spend on programs that most MCPS teachers do not utilize.

In the upcoming school year, the budget is facing major constraints. “This year is a tight budget year for MCPS, which means we’re going to have to make some cuts this year,” Saeed said. “It was ac tually $500,000 that they were saving by cutting GoGuard ian.” Although $500,000 seems small relative to the whole of MCPS’s budget, it is still a valuable amount. “If I got 500,000 dollars, I could get three restorative justice specialists out in schools doing the key work that we need to do,” Lynne Harris, the Vice President of the BOE, said in an inter view with Silver Chips. “I could do a lot with 500,000 dollars.”

Additionally, an al ternative already exists for teachers to monitor student Chromebook activity. Canvas, a pro gram that teachers are required to use in the classroom, has a func

By Tharaa Izuagie Staff Writer AN OPINION

In the newest episode of Griselda, viewers tuned in eagerly anticipating the portrayal of brutal killings and harrowing crimes. This fascination with true crime narratives reflects a broader trend in contemporary culture, where stories of violence and tragedy are consumed as mere entertainment.

Yet, this is nothing more than an exploitation of tragedy and a dangerous glorification of violence that threatens to overshadow the voices of victims.

Producers need to emphasize the terrifying fact that these are real people and things that happened and should show more compassion.

JULIA ROBISON

True crime media’s popularity has grown significantly across platforms. A study conducted by Pew Research indicates that nearly a quarter of top-ranked podcasts in America are true crime stories. Streaming platforms like Netflix offer a plethora of true crime documentaries and series. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, a standalone series about the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, was the third mostwatched English show on Netflix, garnering over 115 million views and streaming one billion hours.

While true crime content may captivate audiences with gripping narratives and suspenseful storytelling, it often trivializes the suffering of victims and glorifies the perpetrators of heinous acts.

Julia Robison, Blair junior and

tion that informs teachers when a student opens a tab other than the exam. “If teachers need to monitor whether students who are doing an online piece of work or an assessment are going to other websites during the testing or the assessing time, there’s a function in Canvas that allows them to do that,” Harris explained. “Nobody seems to be acknowledging the fact that there is a utility that does not cost the school sys- tem half a million

GoGuardian as a tool to curb academic dishonesty. “If you’re taking a test on Canvas, which is where most of the tests are taken … it’ll tell teachers if you open a new tab. They still have that anti-cheating technology,” Saeed said.

Along with an existing alternative, GoGuardian will encourage teachers to interact with their students. “Teachers can get up and walk around and look at screens,” Saeed said. “If they’re walking around looking at screens, they’re probably able to answer more questions, help students out more, survey the classroom a lot more, and see where students are at.”

GoGuardian also poses privacy concerns for students. “I think GoGuardian is an invasion of privacy,” Blair junior Zachary Fleischer said. “Nobody should have the right to look at another screen of a Chromebook.” Blair freshman Pretoria Scott agrees with Fleischer’s sentiment. “Sometimes people use their computers to do other things, and they want their own privacy with it,” she said. Even if teachers worry about dishonesty on exams, a foolproof solution that has stood the test of time remains—tests on paper. Stu-

The crime in true crime

The ethical implications of true crime

avid true crime media consumer, said that true crime TV shows often distort societal perceptions by glamorizing notorious criminals. “It kind of warps [what society should think] about true crime, because instead of understanding that the serial killers are the criminals or bad people, the producers of the shows choose attractive actors to draw attention to them, like having like Zac Efron play Ted Bundy,” she said.

Robert Berkman, an assistant media studies professor at The New School specializing in media literacy and ethics, explained that media companies often prioritize emotionally charged content to maximize viewer engagement for profit. “The business model for any kind of media is grabbing people’s attention, and the way it’s shown to grab people’s attention is to have … something that really triggers people and gets them ex cited … like any good drama, sus pense or mystery,” he said.

These shows, however, are not just good drama; they are stories of tragedy and loss for victims and their families. Some fam ilies have reached out and attempted to halt the pro duction of certain true crime show adaptations, citing concerns about the exploitation of their loved ones.

In the case of the Dahmer se ries on Netflix, families say they were not contacted, which is not only ethically reprehensible but also disrespectful to those directly affected by the crimes.

dents are asking for it, and teachers should oblige.

“Tests on paper is a lot easier for me,” Scott said. “It’s a lot easier for me to understand, and it’s harder to get distracted that way. I feel like that’d be a good idea for people.” Paper is also a welcome reprieve from all day computer use.“Tests on paper will be better,” Blair freshman Ahoam Kemao said. “I’m on a computer all day. [A test] being on paper is a nice break.”

Nobody seems to be acknowledging the fact that there is a utility that does not cost the school system half a million dollars a year.

Most importantly, the removal of GoGuardian allows students to hold a higher level of responsibility. “[We need to] give students the option to make the right choice, and then ensure that they are making that right choice instead of just blocking out all the other options,” Saeed said. “All that does is say ‘We’re not giving you the ability to make the right choice, we’re forcing you to,’ and I don’t think that’s a good structure in general.”

Tatiana Banks, the daughter of Errol Lindsey, a 19-year-old man whom Dahmer murdered, told Business Insider that renewed interest in her father’s killer resurfaced painful memories for her. “That chapter of my life was closed, and they reopened it, basically,” she said. “[Lindsey] didn’t deserve this. I don’t deserve this. None of the victims deserve it.”

Robison said the industry should prioritize other ethical practices like consent from those involved. “I think that when done well, true crime can be a fascinating subject, but producers need to emphasize the ter- rifying fact that these are real

pened and should show more compassion, and [the] audience needs to have more compassion and humanity and understanding that these are real-world problems,” she said, This disregard for the perspectives and wishes of victims’ families highlights a massive problem within the true crime genre, where sensationalized portrayals of the crimes overshadow the human aspect of tragedies and center the narrative around the criminal instead of the impact of their actions.

Lindsey Webb, ex-public defender and associate professor at the University of Denver’s Durham College of Law, said that while the media claims to focus on understanding the background and motivations of criminals, there is a lack of genuine discussion. “In true crime media, to be like, ‘well, we’re talking about this person, so much, not to glamorize them, but rather to understand how they got there, and to understand what’s attributed to their brain development emotional experiences that would lead them to a place where they’ve committed acts like this.’That feels a little disingenuous to me a lot of the time, because there’s not a lot of conversations [and] and we don’t do anything to change that,” she said.

The portrayal of these crimes can also adversely affect its viewership. According to the National Institutes of Health, pro-

longed exposure to violent media can desensitize individuals to violence and can contribute to violence by reducing inhibitions against aggressive behavior and increasing the likelihood of violence through observational learning and priming of aggressive behavior.

The genre’s potential to desensitize individuals to violence ultimately detracts from its purported benefits.

The consequences of true crime media are further complicated by the genre’s lack of transparency.

When the line between reality and entertainment is dangerously blurred, audiences should be made aware of the potential discrepancies between reality and dramatization in these narratives. Berkman emphasized the need for clear disclaimers and acknowledgment of true crime. “Let people know that events have been dramatized or somehow say that this is a fictionalized account. So, be very clear about what kind of media you’re about to present,” he said.

Viewers need to recognize that where there is demand, there will always be a supply, and by limiting consumption of exploitative true crime content or being more selective about what they watch, they can promote more ethical and responsible storytelling practices instead of supporting ‘entertainment’ at the expense of others’ pain.

Content creators and media platforms like Netflix wield considerable resources and influence that should allow them to uphold ethical standards. They must prioritize the dignity and well-being of those affected by crime, utilizing their ample budgets to ensure true crime storytelling promotes awareness, empathy, and accountability rather than indulging sensationalism or exploitation. Anything less would be a blatant betrayal of their responsibility.

By Jay Clouse Staff Writer AN OPINION

Students fighting their peers to rise in the ranks, anxiety over every grade and score, over-competitive social groups, and pressure to be perfect for a slim shot of getting into Maryland state schools and the ever-elusive University of Maryland, College Park. This could be the future for MCPS students if the 10 percent bill is passed.

On Jan. 10, the senate department on Education, Energy, and the Environment first read a poorly thought out bill that would require Maryland state universities to accept the top 10 percent of students attending Maryland high schools. While the bill is still in the early stages of deliberation, Maryland State Senator Malcolm Augustine, who sponsored the bill, is presenting it as a way for students to get into college based solely on academic success and a response to the end of affirmative action. However, the bill could change the way high school students interact and engage with each other, hinder Maryland universities’ ability to accept students of their choice, and encourage students to manipulate the system by attending smaller schools or choosing easier classes simply to boost their grade point average (GPA).

Augustine sponsored the bill to give students with fewer opportuni-

Guaranteed admission is guaranteed to fail

ties a chance to get into the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

According to Augustine, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) would determine the top 10 percent without class ranking. “This bill would not require class rankings. MSDE would work on a case-by-case basis with school systems to determine which students fall within the top ten percent of students.” Tyler Brice, Chief of Staff for Senator Augustine, wrote in an email to Silver Chips.

While the Maryland bill would not require class ranks, it would place a value on students’ educational rigor and their success in those classes and encourage students to take classes that would get them into the top 10 percent instead of classes they might be interested in or challenged by.

A policy like this would not benefit MCPS, the largest school district in the state. If implemented today, around 70 out of around 700 Blair seniors would receive the guaranteed admission to Maryland state schools. Jasmine Delos-Reyes, the Blair College and Career Counselor, does not think that this bill would help Blair students, as there are already more than 10 percent of Blair students who have exceptional grades. “Blair has so many top students, Where’s the cutoff? Right, you know, top 10 percent because we have students with

Archives

Compiled by Maxwell Erlebacher Staff Writer

A Silver Chips PRO/CON on drug legalization from 1988

5.0 [weighted GPAs and] 4.0 [unweighted GPAs] … So it could be beneficial for smaller schools. But I think for Blair, where we are in the county, I don’t think it’d be as beneficial,” Reyes said.

The Maryland bill is similar to state laws in Texas and Wisconsin that admit a certain percentage of high schoolers to their state universities. Both Texas and Wisconsin require high schools to rank their students to determine who is in the top percentage.

The Texas class ranking structure puts unnecessary pressure on students to curate a good class rank. Sara Sadri, a former high school student in Texas, endured excessive stress in high school because of class rank. “I remember the first time class rank came out when I was in ninth grade, and I was just below the cutoff. The [University of Texas] class rate cut off was like 6 percent or 7 percent, and I was in the 8 percent or 9 percent or whatever. And I was devastated, I really thought I failed,” she said.

The 10 percent bill is too similar to the Texas bill and too close to harming students. Montgomery County has not ranked students for many generations of students. “I went to Montgomery County ever since I was in elementary school and grew up here. We’ve never ranked and for them to rank now really overrides the education system,” Reyes said.

Many Blair students worry that the bill will become a way to rank

GRAPHIC BY JAY CLOUSE | DATA COURTESY OF NAVIANCE

ADMISSIONS TO MARYLAND STATE SCHOOLS In 2023, 42 percent of Blair students were accepted into at least one state school but only 10 percent of those students decided to attend one.

students and that it will harm students. “I think that a class ranking would be harmful because it puts too much emphasis on trying to do everything perfectly, trying to avoid mistakes, and it would cause a lot of stress, so I don’t think it would be beneficial,” Gabe Andersen, a Blair junior, said. This proposed bill would ignore the students behind the grade and introduce policies that highlight systemic issues in education. The idea behind the bill is beneficial, but in application, it would destroy high school students’ self worth and motivation for learning and fail to benefit students in large student bodies like Blair.

End the war on drugs: legalize

By Samantha Magrath December 1988

AN OPINION

Since Richard Nixon’s presidency, American political leaders have been declaring “a war on drugs”. Now, in 1988, the war seems far from a conclusion. Drugs are readily available to all who want them, from adults to elementary school kids. Dealers fight among themselves, disregarding the police. Arrests are made and then dealers are set free again. Central American governments participate in smuggling drugs into the U.S. Police, armed with service pistols,

are gunned down by pushers wielding semi-automatics. Obviously, the government’s tactics in the war on drugs are failing. The time has come to implement a new strategy: legalization.

Often, the suggestion to legalize drug use is looked upon with horror and rapidly dismissed. In light of the present situation, described as a drug epidemic, legalization must be seriously considered.

By legalizing drugs, much of the crime associated with drug abuse would be eradicated. There would be no need for users to carry weapons as defense against police. Prostitution would drop as junkies could

obtain their fixes from free clinics or at least from the government at a greatly reduced price. The drop in the cost of drugs would eliminate the rich dealers and relieve the pressure to own expensive clothes and cars. This pressure has caused many to turn to dealing and has also led to murders for a radio or a jacket. There would be no need to commit armed robberies in order to afford drugs.

Opponents of legalization argue that drug use would skyrocket. Actually, this is extremely unlikely. The fact that drugs are illegal is not what keeps people from using them. Also, pushers would have no

Just say no to legalization

By Aaron Dabbah December 1988

AN OPINION

Light ‘em up boys and girls. Haven’t you heard about the latest liberal brainchild? Sit down, take a hit and let me tell you the story. The whole thing started with the almost honorable Mr. Ginsburg. He had a bad habit, and American society’s eternal adherence to moronic maxims figured what’s good for the judge is good for the jury. Suddenly, a previously unmentionable suggestion received an inordinate amount of attention. What about

the legalization of drugs?

The Marshall Plan for controlled substances: delegislate, devaluate, disseminate, but don’t advocate. Unfortunately the terms overdose and brain cells don’t put in a healthy appearance. How does the notion of temporarily psychotic junkies legally roaming the streets strike you? Probably with something heavy and blunt, but that’s another matter. The government can control the entire drug industry, but who can control judgmentally impaired individuals with several grams of paranoia-inducing, psychologically incapacitating chemicals coursing through their veins.

Don’t forget (you’re going to love this) according to proponents of government regulated drugs, legalization would make drugs cheap, eliminating much drug related crime. Overlooked is the fact that if they were legalized, drugs would become more readily available. Presently, it requires a steady source of income to support an addiction, but just wait, soon you could be a mindless junkie for mere pennies. What a bargain. Allow me to explain the logical progression. The more common the substance, the lower the value.

Take diamonds for instance. The demand is great and the supply is

financial motivation to get non-users hooked on drugs. In addition, users who want to quit drugs but are afraid to come forward for help might be more likely to go for treatment if drug use was not a criminal activity.

Legalization has also been condemned for moral reasons — drugs are mentally and physically damaging, and to legalize them would be to allow users to harm themselves. However, cigarettes and alcohol are also dangerous, yet they are legal. With legalization, government standards could be set up to make drugs safer, and information about the least harmful ways to use drugs

small. Basic economics. The lower the value, the wider the market. The wider the market, the more potential habitual users. What is the inevitable consequence? A substantially higher percentage of the population will use drugs then when it was unlawful.

By the way, to whom will drugs be accessible? Alcohol consumption is restricted to adults. We can only assume similar prohibitions must apply to drugs. Despite legalization measures, a black market on drugs will still exist. Dealers devoid of customers will have to expand activity among children and adolescents to compensate for

could be more effectively distributed, cutting death rates from overdoses. The government could also tax drugs and use this revenue in addiction treatment centers or drug education programs.

Decriminalization, although it may seem like a surrender in the war on drugs, would actually be a truce, with the terms benefitting both sides. The elimination of the crime and some of the dangers of drug use would be an immense improvement over the chaotic and deadly struggle taking place on city streets today.

the loss, resulting in increased drug use among the young. So much for drug detente. Let’s talk tolerance. A junkie accrues a tolerance to the drug of his preference, requiring increasing quantities in order to satiate pathetic impulses. If drugs are legalized, the government in the role of supplier will find it necessary to obtain escalating amounts of drugs for distribution. Imagine Panama as Saudi Arabia of the western hemisphere.

Advocates of legalization are no more than “parliamentary pushers.” Just say nay. Anyone who tells you differently is probably trying to sell you something.

El boicot de Starbucks, lo que los estudiantes deben saber

Esfuerzos del público y del sindicado crean un cambio social

Por David Goulding y Rose Kepka Escritores

En diciembre de 2021 la primera tienda Starbucks creó un sindicato en Buffalo, Nueva York. Hoy, casi 400 tiendas son parte de la organización de los trabajadores de Starbucks llamada “Trabajadores Unidos” (Workers United). Después de acciones de activismo laboral por la organización - como días de tazas rojas, un boicot de tarjetas regalos y peticiones en los campus universitarios - el 27 de febrero la compañía Starbucks anunció en un mensaje que va a colaborar con Trabajadores Uni dos. Anunciaron que van a dejar de luchar contra la organización y que van a restar propinas de tar jetas de crédito a los trabajadores sindicalizados (lo cual estaba pro hibido antes del anuncio). Traba jadores Unidos dijo por X (Twit ter) que este anuncio era “un gran paso adelante hecho posible por miles y miles de personas unién dose y expresando sus opiniones”. Otra noticia reciente sobre la compañía Starbucks es su contro versia sobre la guerra entre Israel y Palestina. Este conflicto ha sido uno de los asuntos más destacados y discutidos durante el último año. Hay gente que apoya a Israel y pi ensan que deberían tener el dere cho de protegerse frente al terror ismo, mientras el grupo terrorista ocupa a Palestina. Por otro lado, hay gente que apoya a Palestina, y ven un país que está sufriendo los ataques de Israel en sus intentos de erradicar a Hamas, el cual en el proceso ha matado a 28.000 personas, una cantidad que probablemente es inexacta debido a falta de cobertura y otros medios de vigilancia. Con ambas opiniones, protestas y boicots se han formado en respuesta al conflicto entre los dos estados. Uno de estos boicots era un boicot al consumidor de

Starbucks por alegaciones de que la corporación apoyaba a Israel. El 9 de Octubre 2023, Trabajadores Unidos envió un mensaje en la red social “X”, anteriormente conocida como Twitter, dando apoyo a Palestina. La compañía Starbucks criticó a la organización por el tweet y presentó una demanda en contra de la organización por usar su nombre para una declaración política. Trabajadores Unidos rápidamente rechazó el mensaje después de las críticas. Cuando el público oyó sobre la demanda,

corrió la voz por las redes sociales sobre el supuesto apoyo financiero de Israel por la corporación Starbucks. Starbucks ha dicho que no tienen ninguna opinión oficial sobre la guerra y que no le ha dado apoyo financiero a ningún país. A pesar de su posición oficial, muchas personas decidieron boicotear a la compañía. Es importante mencionar que la organización Trabajadores Unidos nunca promovió el boicot y no era un boicot laboral

oficial. Sin embargo, el boicot ha sido muy popular, especialmente con los jóvenes, incluyendo a estudiantes de Blair. Para algunos estudiantes esta ha sido su primera vez en participar en un boicot, para otros era uno de los muchos en que han participado. Este boicot introdujo a muchos jóvenes a este concepto. De estudiantes más anteriormente involucrados en los boicots y a otros que solo supieron sobre el asunto a través del internet y sus amigos, hubo gran variedad en conocimiento sobre el tema. Un alumno de Blair en el grado doce conocía mucho sobre la situación entre Israel y Palestina pero menos sobre cómo esta situación se refleja en Starbucks. Respecto a su nivel de participación en el boicot contra Starbucks, el estudiante dijo que “No, no lo he defendido de manera externa. Yo pienso que generalmente no voy a Starbucks. No es algo importante en mi vida”. Esta perspectiva fue compartida por los otros estudiantes que entrevistamos. Ellos apoyaban al boicot y generalmente no fue difícil o un esfuerzo abandonar los productos de Starbucks. Cuando se le preguntó sobre su experiencia en participar en los boicots, protestas y otras formas de activismo político como un conjunto, él afirmó que “definitivamente participé en boicots y protestas antes en mi vida”. Otro alumno en el doceavo grado en Blair también tuvo experiencia con las protestas pero no había participado en mucho tiempo y dijo, “ Definitivamente he participado en las protestas por la tubería que iba a destruir la propiedad nativa americana. Esto fue hace diez años”. Otros estudiantes entrevistados no tenían experiencia con las protestas, con excepción de otras corporaciones similares a Starbucks quienes están siendo protestadas de la misma manera.

Sin embargo, esto plantea la pregunta, ¿dónde encuentran esta información los estudiantes? Algunos de los estudiantes entrevistados usan medios de comunicaciones acreditados como el New York Times y el Washington Post Aparte de eso, todos los estudiantes entrevistados usan el internet y las redes sociales para buscar información y también reciben noticias de sus amigos y otros familiares. Un estudiante en el grado once usó recursos como “Roca news, Instagram reels y Youtube shorts”, mientras que otro estudiante en el grado doce dijo que, “Yo veo publicaciones sobre [Starbucks], pero normalmente no presto atención a ellas, pero luego mi amigo me dio más información y mi novio tambien”. Mientras el internet y las redes sociales pueden contener información pertinente, también hay gran cantidad de desinformación; lo mismo se puede decir sobre la información esparcida de boca en boca.

Aunque este boicot no era el factor principal que contribuyó al acuerdo entre Starbucks y Trabajadores Unidos y aunque algunos de sus participantes estaban mal

informados, los boicots son una táctica poderosa para crear el cambio social. Según el Washington Post, el precio de las acciones ha disminuido un 20% hasta octubre. A su vez, la compañía despidió más de 2.000 empleos en el medio oriente y Sudasia. Oficialmente, Starbucks dijo que lo hizo por problemas con la seguridad y los comercios en estos lugares, pero unas fuentes dicen que tiene relación con la pérdida de ingresos y las políticas de boicots globales. Estos boicots, en los EEUU y alrededor del mundo, han enviado un mensaje a la compañía Starbucks sobre los valores compartidos por muchos de sus consumidores.

Es muy importante que consumamos noticias y fuentes independientes y que escuchemos a los periodistas en el terreno Debido.

No se debe ignorar el impacto del activismo por las redes sociales. Aunque existe desinformación y propaganda por las redes sociales, donde este boicot se organizó, también existen periodistas y activistas confiables e influyentes. Ilse Ackerman, activista para la Libertad Palestina, dijo que es importante

“analizar las historias en los principales medios y comprender cómo los cuentos tienen prejuicios”. Ella elabora, “es muy importante que consumamos noticias y fuentes independientes y que escuchemos a los periodistas en el terreno Debido a que hay mucha censura en las noticias, los periodistas en Palestina e Israel no tienen plataformas en periódicos para compartir sus noticias. Además, los periodistas en estos países han sido blancos de violencia y más de 100 periodistas han sido asesinados en Gaza. En lugar de eso, muchos periodistas usan las redes sociales para comunicar sus mensajes. Para muchos, la red es su única manera de compartir sus experiencias en la guerra. Este boicot introdujo a los estudiantes de Blair a un nuevo tipo de activismo político. Un alumno anónimo describió cómo el boicot a Starbucks fue su introducción al activismo de consumo, “No recuerdo haber hecho ningún boicot hasta el boicot Starbucks”. Además del impacto económico y político de este boicot, también tuvo un impacto importante para los jóvenes. Este boicot posiblemente abrirá la puerta a otros tipos de activismo de consumo o otros tipos de acciones políticas en el futuro. Ha dejado una impresión cultural profunda en los jóvenes de Blair.

CLIENTES DE STARBUCKS consumen sus bebidas en el café.

FOTO POR ROSE KEPKA

ILSE ACKERMAN

ANGELA

MARTINEZ-GONZALEZ

Las semillas florecen al fin

Actrices latinas abriendo caminos para las que vienen

Por Marta Lucas Vasquez y Gisselle Villalobos Escritoras

En el mundo del entretenimiento, es muy usual que las actrices latinas sean retratadas como figuras de sensualidad y belleza. Salma Hayek, Sofía Vergara y América Ferrera son algunas de las actrices más populares en Hollywood quienes han experimentado este estereotipo. Además de eso, los papeles que se le ofrecen se estancan habitualmente en la categoría de comedia, donde se les representa como personas de poca inteligencia. La comedia está en la cuarta posición de géneros de películas más vendidas en taquilla pero de las que menos reconocimiento tiene. Quedarse en esta categoría reprime su habilidad de poder interpretar diferentes perspectivas de la cultura latinoamericana o de simplemente desarrollar su talento.

No hay mucha representación de latinos en Hollywood y tampoco en Estados

Unidos, entonces cuando escucho a algún actor hispano o latino me pone feliz.

ERIKA ROMERO

Por culpa de la falta de representación y los estereotipos, no se puede lograr mucho éxito en el cine latino en Hollywood. La limitación de variedad de caras y cuerpos en Hollywood también crea un obstáculo para que las actrices latinas puedan tener papeles más importantes. El maestro de fotografía y filme, Paris Bustillos, dice que, “Si una vez que haces ese papel, siempre vas a hacerlo, podría pasar porque eso es lo que lo que vende Hollywood, porque cuesta mucho hacer una película. Y si hay nuevas caras corren el riesgo de no vender y entonces ellos tienen que recuperar esos gastos”. Esto es un problema, no necesariamente con la productora sino con los espectadores. Sin embargo, hay que tener en cuenta que Hollywood ha contribuido a la escasez de representación de la cultura latina porque se sigue brindando está imagen de que los latinos solo son divertidos y no tienen más que ofrecer. Bustillos agrega que, “La verdad que cuando lo miras, todas se parecen, son casi igualitas”. Por esto, para actrices como America Ferrera, es increíble poder ser parte de la industria a pesar de que iba en contra de lo que Hollywood aspiraba, por la manera en la que lucía, sus fracciones no eran como las demás. También hay actrices como Jenna Ortega, quien explica cómo de pequeña rechazó cambiar el color de su cabello a rubio, pero sintió la presión de tener que aparentar como las demás actrices

para tener un lugar. Por esta razón, estas actrices buscan oportunidades en otros lados. Por ejemplo, Sofía Vergara, actriz colombiana quien después de años, encontró la manera de salir de ese papel de estereotipo de “latina” y logró obtener un rol completamente opuesto. En la serie Griselda, de Netflix, el mayor enfoque es el intelecto del personaje, no su acento o físico. Esto denota un cambio positivo para la carrera de Sofía, porque se logra apreciar su talento para interpretar diferentes papeles. Enfocarse solo en lo negativo o lo divertido también causa un impacto negativo en la expansión a un Hollywood diverso, porque entonces no se valoran los pequeños pasos que harán los grandes cambios. Estudiantes como Erika Romero, que son muy apasionados al cine, piensa que, “No hay mucha representación de latinos en Hollywood y tampoco en Estados Unidos, entonces cuando escucho a algún actor hispano o latino me pone feliz porque está representando, no exactamente mi país pero mi cultura”. Otras opiniones sobre lo que se podría hacer sobre esto, desde el punto de vista de Arturo Silva Santos, estudiante del grado doce, “No creo que pueda ser cambiado porque es lo que a la gente le gusta ver”. Con esta perspectiva, podemos darnos cuenta de la influencia del espectador. A pesar de esto, el trabajo de las pioneras ha abierto puertas para las nuevas actrices. Ahora existen

más oportunidades en Hollywood para las latinas de interpretar otros personajes y las nuevas actrices no necesariamente tienen que seguir el estereotipo de “latina”. Actrices de ascendencia latina, como Anya Taylor Joy, Zoe Saldana y Eiza González, han logrado triunfar en Hollywood con papeles importantes que no se centran en el hecho de que ellas sean latinas. Desde el punto de vista de la maestra de ELD, Jillian Villars “Creo que por un largo tiempo ha sido una imagen negativa o invisible,

pero ahora ha empezado a cambiar, estamos empezando a ver más historias diversas de parte de las actrices latinas”. Esto es algo positivo para las nuevas generaciones porque a pesar de que el camino no siempre fue fácil para las actrices latinas en Hollywood, es bueno saber que por fin están siendo reconocidas por su talento y no por su físico. Por lo cual se puede decir que la representación de la herencia latinoamericana está progresando y rompiendo límites.

Cuando la ayuda financiera fracasa

Por Jaleih Cruz y Naila Romero-Alston Escritores

Cada año millones de estudiantes llenan la solicitud de FAFSA, buscando ayuda para financiar sus estudios en la universidad, que ha estado aumentado en precio con los años. En 2024, los recipientes de préstamos estudiantiles en Los Estados Unidos deben en conjunto 1,74 billones de dólares en deuda de préstamos estudiantiles federales y privados. Según el recuento trimestral más reciente de la Reserva Federal, la deuda estudiantil en Maryland es de alrededor de 42.000 dólares. La solicitud gratuita de ayuda federal para estudiantes, FAFSA, es donde los estudiantes solicitan préstamos, estudio y trabajo y subsidios para su próximo año en la universidad. La solicitud de FAFSA es crucial para que muchos estudiantes puedan ir a la universidad y continuar sus estudios.

Este año, FAFSA ha cambiado por la ley de simplificación, firmada en 2020. A partir del año 2024-25, los estudiantes y las familias verán una medida diferente respecto a su capacidad para pagar la universidad y un cambio de metodología será utilizada para determinar la ayuda. Esta nueva forma estaba supuesta a hacer el formulario más fácil para los estudiantes y sus familias, pero este año el FAFSA ha tenido muchos retrasos y problemas. Cada año, el departamento de educación federal abre la solicitud de FAFSA el primero de octubre, pero en el año 2023 el formulario no se publicó hasta finales de diciembre.

Esta nueva fórmula vino con muchas dificultades técnicas, causando a muchos estudiantes y sus familias frustración y estrés. Los

estudiantes tuvieron que lidiar con los errores en el sistema además de navegar por un nuevo formulario. Dado que el formulario era nuevo, a los estudiantes les resultó difícil obtener ayuda de sus familias y sus maestros porque todo era nuevo para ellos también. La señora Delos Reyes, asesora de carreras de Blair, dijo que “la parte complicada es crear un perfil porque el sitio web siempre está caído y no es muy fácil de usar”.

He estado llamando a FAFSA, pero siempre dicen que me van a explicar y nunca lo hacen, nada ha pasado.

Por el error en FAFSA, muchas universidades han extendido la fecha límite para enviar el formulario para asegurarse de que los estudiantes obtengan su paquete de ayuda financiera.

Otro problema con FAFSA que no es nuevo es cómo el FAFSA afecta a los inmigrantes. Los estudiantes indocumentados no pueden completar el FAFSA y no pueden solicitar ayuda federal. Sin embargo, los estudiantes con padres que no tienen un número de seguro social ahora pueden completar FAFSA. Esto es beneficioso para las familias inmigrantes, pero este proceso puede ser largo; se debe verificar su identidad y esto puede durar semanas. La Sra. Delos Reyes dijo que, “la mayor dificultad es el proceso de verificación de su identidad, tienen que comunicarse con

un departamento de verificación, pero duran mucho para comunicarse con estudiantes y es difícil llamarlos por teléfono”. Ashley Zuleta, estudiante de Blair dijo que, “el problema que he tenido ahorita es llenando la información de mi padre porque él no tiene un social security”. Ashley explica, “He estado llamando a FAFSA, pero siempre dicen que me van a explicar y nunca lo hacen, nada ha pasado”. Si no se califica para recibir ayuda federal, existen alternativas como el perfil CSS, que se realiza a través de la College Board. Este contiene más preguntas y requiere más información, pero no todas las escuelas lo aceptan. Otra alternativa es MDCAPS, un sistema de ayuda financiera de Maryland que puede otorgar subvenciones, becas y exenciones de matrícula a los estudiantes de Maryland. MSFAA es un re-

curso para estudiantes indocumentados y tal como MDCAPS, es un programa de asistencia de Maryland. Además de eso, también hay escuelas que tienen sus propias asistencias financieras, como la Universidad Loyola de Maryland.

El proceso para recibir ayuda financiera para estudiantes inmigrantes puede ser difícil y largo, pero hay muchas opciones y recursos en Blair. Estos recursos incluyen a la Sra. Delos Reyes, que siempre está disponible para ayudar estudiantes y sus familias. Un estudiante de Universidad de Maryland, reciente graduado de Blair, Kevin, dijo que “ hablé con Ms. Delos Reyes y ella fue la que me guió y me ayudó en todo el proceso. La verdad sin ella no estoy seguro cómo lo hubiera hecho porque no sabía nada”. También hay sesiones sin cita previa con los asistentes financieros de Montgomery College y

organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro que tienen talleres virtuales. Es importante que los estudiantes indocumentados soliciten becas; hay muchas becas para inmigrantes y estudiantes indocumentados como el Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund y el Juanita Crippen Memorial Scholarship.

Pagar por la universidad es difícil, especialmente si no se califica para algunas ayudas financieras pero estar informado sobre la ayuda y los recursos agrícolas es útil para personas y sus familias. Ir y pagar la universidad es especialmente difícil para los inmigrantes y FAFSA no siempre está disponible para ellos, es importante tratar otras opciones. Los estudiantes estadounidenses adquieren miles de dólares de deuda para poder estudiar, por lo que para poder estudiar, por lo que la ayuda

ciera estudiantil es crucial.

finan-

ASHLEY ZULETA

FOTO POR ROSE KEPKA

RECONOCIENDO LA DIVERSIDAD Las diferentes caras de estudiantes que construyen a Latinoamérica en Blair.

Periodismo latino emergente

Compilado por Emmy Henrriquez Escritora silver

Cómo el periodismo latino impacta a las comunidades

Por Salomé Betancur y Beatriz Da Silva Escritoras

El periodismo latino ha ganado mucha atención nacional durante las últimas décadas. El reconocimiento a los periodistas latinos, como Stephanie Mendez, quien ganó Periodista Latina del Año 2023 y Melissa Gomez, quien ganó el Periodista Latina Emergente del Año 2023, ha sido crucial. Las perspectivas que periodistas latinos pueden comunicar, especialmente a sus propias comunidades, son inestimables. Aun así, en los años recientes, algunos periódicos grandes han despedido a sus periodistas latinos.

Varios periodistas latinos son afectados por los despidos periodísticos que hay en el mundo, pero el despido de decenas de periodistas latinos por parte de Los Angeles Times pareció ser un profundo cambio. Antes de eso, hubo recortes de personal en Univisión, CNN, NBC News, Telemundo, NPR y otros medios. Los Angeles Times se llevó el Pulitzer a las noticias de última hora por revelar una conversación grabada en secreto entre funcionarios de la ciudad que incluía comentarios racistas. Los Angeles Times son los que tomaron la decisión de eliminar

“Expertos en culturas”.

No es sorprendente que la comunidad latina en los Estados Unidos sea muy grande, siendo aproximadamente 20% de la población. Pero la falta de represent-

ación en los medios sigue siendo un problema, incluyendo en el periodismo. De acuerdo con Armando Trull, un periodista latino, “los medios en inglés sólo cubrirán temas latinos cuando crean que han ganado una audiencia latina lo suficientemente grande”. Los periodistas que no son parte de la comunidad latina no van a poder deducir correctamente sobre qué información se debe concienciar a la comunidad. Graciela Mochkofsky, la Directora del Programa de Periodismo en Lengua Española, dijo que “no podemos separar el futuro del periodismo latino del futuro de todo el periodismo estadounidense. Pero, la mayoría de los estudios y críticas de los medios “convencionales” ignoran regularmente el periodismo latino, así como casi todos los medios que sirven a las comunidades de color de Estados Unidos”.

El periodismo latino también tiene importancia en una escala más local. Dora Santiago-González, la fundadora de La Esquina Latina en Montgomery Blair, maestra y jefe del departamento de lenguas extranjeras en Blair, habló sobre la importancia del periodismo latino y el proceso de introducir una sección latina en el periodico de Silver Chips. González explicó que fueron los estudiantes quienes to-

maron la iniciativa, “Hace como veinte años creo, vinieron unos estudiantes de nivel 3 que me dijeron, “¿por qué no hay una sección en español en Silver Chips?” Yo les dije, “pues no sé”, entonces ellos fueron los que abogaron por que hubiera una sesión en español”. Ella también nos dijo que inicialmente, la esquina latina sólo traducía las historias de la sección de inglés, y no escribían sus propias historias. González explicó el cambio de traducir únicamente historias a escribir las suyas propias, “los estudiantes quisieron empezar a escribir cosas que las familias hispanas pudieran leer y que vieran cómo los estudiantes hispanos se reconocían los trabajos que hacían, los intereses

de los estudiantes hispanos que se vieran no solamente aquí en Blair o en la comunidad”. Además de eso, González habló sobre lo que ella quisiera ver en el periodismo latino; “Reconocer a las personas latinas por las cosas buenas que hacen y presentar la realidad es importante, porque también hay un lado negativo”. El periodismo latino ha dado grandes pasos, pero es fundamental que la cantidad y la precisión de la representación latina continúe aumentando . Poder comunicar información correcta a una de las comunidades más amplia de Estados Unidos es crucial, no solo en una escala nacional, sino también en las áreas locales. El periodismo latino es fundamental para todos, por medio de eso podemos estar informados día a día.

Blazer Destacado

de Blair sigue siendo insuficiente y faltan más voces latinas. “Yo fui uno de los que lo comenzaron a [involucrar estudiantes hispanos] y realmente quiero que sea una parte más involucrada en la comunidad de Blair”, Adán explica.

ADÁN GUZMÁN

PHOTO BY MAIA TURPEN

Adán Guzmán, un estudiante en el duodécimo grado en Blair, es conocido por su personalidad vibrante, su implicación en todas partes de la escuela y su amabilidad. Adán es el productor ejecutivo de BNC, un tutor para el programa de BLISS y un ayudante para múltiples causas en la escuela.

Como productor ejecutivo de BNC, Adán dice, “Creo que realmente ayudo a la comunidad latina, soy uno de los primeros [estudiantes hispanos] en esa posición en años, o creo que en toda la historia de BNC. Y realmente quiero dejar un espacio, para que los latinos se unan y crezcan el departamento de Infoflow en español”.

En Blair, hay muchísimos estudiantes hispanos, pero la representación de estudiantes hispanohablantes en el periodismo

“Viendo Infoflow en inglés, quise crear un espacio para los latinos y sé que nosotros tenemos una voz porque lo escucho todos los días. Tenemos bastantes opiniones que podemos involucrar en la comunidad de bastantes perspectivas interesantes también, pues creo que solo necesitan sentirse cómodos y no tener miedo de que les juzguen”, Adán dice.

Viendo Infoflow en inglés, quise crear un espacio para los latinos y sé que nosotros tenemos una voz porque lo escucho todos los días.

ADÁN GUZMÁN

Habla sobre su experiencia como un estudiante hispano, “Yo quiero que los maestros entiendan que no todos [los estudiantes hispanos] tenemos la misma historia, pero también tienen que aprender cómo involucrar a esos estudiantes

NOTICIAS BREVES

Bye Bye, Enrique Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias se retiró de la música el primero de febrero, con el lanzamiento de su álbum “Final (volume 2)”. Con una discografía que va atrás más de 25 años y giras musicales a través de todo el mundo, Iglesias ha vendido más de 137 millones de álbumes en todo el mundo, haciéndolo uno de los artistas más reconocidos del mundo hispanohablante.

Enrique Iglesias tiene un gran impacto en la comunidad hispana y ha donado más de 200 mil dólares para programas de alfabetización para niños en El Salvador, Perú, y Guatemala. También ha apoyado la Ciudad de la Esperanza, Ayuda para los Héroes, Olimpiadas Especiales y más. Después de tantos años en la música, Enrique Iglesia tomó su decisión de retirarse. Ha tenido un gran impacto en la comunidad latina y quiere ser recordado como alguien que marcó una diferencia.

Haití está abrumado

El 80% de la capital de Haití está controlada por las pandillas. Algunos estadounidenses en Haití están siendo secuestrados por dinero de rescate. En los últimos 12 meses, 2.400 personas han sido asesinadas en la capital.

EVIE ORCUTT

Por Alma Elizabeth Florian Duarte y Zoë Kaiser Escritora y Editora en Jefe

a escuchar sus opiniones y entender sus historias [en vez de] cambiarlos”.

Además de su posición cómo productor ejecutivo, Adán es un tutor para estudiantes de EML a través del programa de tutoría de BLISS en Blair. Adán dice, “Realmente me aseguro que si algunos de los estudiantes tienen una pregunta que no le pueden hacer al maestro o maestra, que puedan sentirse cómodos, hablar conmigo”. El apoyo de un estudiante bilingüe sirve a los estudiantes que no pueden hablar demasiado inglés. “Recientemente tuve una una conversación con un estudiante que no se sentía cómodo con la materia de la clase porque hablaba español y ella se sintió cómoda hablando conmigo para asegurar que ella tuviera éxito en la clase y eso es lo que yo quiero ver”, explica Adán.

Su tiempo en Blair también afectó la práctica religiosa de Adán, un cristiano, “Aquí en Blair es cuando realmente comencé a enfocarme en mi religión. Me bauticé. Soy un maestro en la iglesia, pues, de edades elementarias y soy responsable de planear, de hacer las clases. Y aunque es frustrante a veces para los niños, es muy divertido”. Su dedicación a la comunidad de su iglesia y la de Blair, se puede ver en el tiempo que Adán dedica a sus pasiones.

Por otro lado, como un estudiante con una condición médica que causa barreras físicas, Adán ha tenido desafíos durante su carrera escolar. “Me gustaría decir que yo soy una persona amable, chistosa,

que no tengo miedo de hablar con los demás. Esto casi es debido a mi condición médica, porque más en la escuela me he enfrentado a muchas dificultades, porque no soy casi igual a todos los otros. Pues trato lo mejor para tratar a todos de la misma manera”.

Algunos me dicen que soy un buen líder, pues realmente quiero poner eso en práctica.

ADÁN GUZMÁN

Adán quiere compartir su espíritu ambicioso con los demás, “quiero ser como un ejemplo a otras personas con mi condición médica o con un tipo de condición médica, porque me he dado cuenta que bastantes que tienen un tipo de condición médica se no se motivan tanto, se pierden, o no tienen, o piensan que no tienen, un grupo de personas que les puede apoyar y seguir más adelante”. Adán sigue persiguiendo sus pasiones, “algunos me dicen que soy un buen líder, pues realmente quiero poner eso en práctica”. Su legado en Blair no se termina después de graduarse, como un líder en la comunidad sus contribuciones siguen inspirando a otros estudiantes hispanos.

En estos días, miles de prisioneros han escapado de las dos prisiones más grandes de Haití. El gobierno de Haití anunció un estado de emergencia por 72 horas para controlar la violencia.

La policía informa que más de 12 personas han fallecido por causa de esta violencia.

El siete de julio de 2021, el ex presidente de Haití, Jovenel Moise, fue asesinado en su residencia en Port-au-prince. Desde ese día hasta la actualidad, Haití no ha tenido un presidente que se haga responsable por todo lo que ha pasado en este país durante estos años. Aunque este país tiene tanta violencia todavía hay gente que tiene esperanza por un mejor futuro para Haití.

Río declara estado de emergencia

El cinco de febrero, Brasil llamó a un estado de emergencia a causa de una epidemia de dengue, que ha infectado a más de un millón de personas en lo que va del año. El virus del dengue es transmitido por un mosquito llamado Aedes aegypti, que normalmente se encuentra en áreas cálidas y húmedas, por lo que Brasil es el país perfecto. Este virus puede provocar fiebre, dolor de cabeza y vómito. Esta enfermedad puede ser mortal si no se trata rápidamente. El dengue ha causado que haya muchos problemas, como la cancelación del Carnaval de Río. El virus se ha extendido a otros países como México, Perú, y Nicaragua, con más de 200 mil casos de dengue en cada uno de estos países.

Estereotipos entre estudiantes

Nombres como “no sabo” y “whitewashed” son frecuentes en comunidades latinas

Por Kyara Romero Lira y Jason Youm Escritores

Muchos términos estereotípicos giran alrededor de los idiomas y las culturas. El concepto de ser “whitewashed” o un(a) “no sabo” kid es uno que se burla de hispanos que no pueden hablar español con fluidez. Estas palabras pueden disminuir la confianza de un estudiante en su propia cultura hispana para que cuestione su identidad. Con los avances de las redes sociales y la mezcla de culturas en aumento, estos estereotipos se han vuelto más populares en los últimos años.

Sin embargo, sus historias se remontan a muchos años atrás. La palabra “whitewashed” literalmente significa “encalada” cuando la traduce en español. Origina de un artículo de 1961 en el New York Times sobre un actor blanco que hizo el papel de un personaje japonés en la película Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Hoy en día, el significado de la palabra ha cambiado para describir una persona que se comporta de manera más “blanca” debido a la asimilación. Comúnmente, se utiliza de una manera despectiva para decir que alguien está desconectado de su cultura.

Génesis Pineda, una alumna en Blair del undécimo grado, ha sido llamada “whitewashed” muchas veces por sus amigas porque

la esquinalatina

LA ESQUINA LATINA

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Zoë Kaiser

Giselle Zelaya

LA ESQUINA LATINA WRITERS

Lukas Barbieri

Salomé Betancur

Jaleih Cruz

Beatriz da Silva

Alma Elizabeth Florian Duarte

Axel Henrriquez

Emmy Henrriquez

David Goulding

Rose Kepka

Jamie Lozada-Mcbride

Naila Romero-Alston

Kyara Romero Lira

Maia Turpen

Marta Vasquez

Gisselle Villalobos

Dylan Warren

Jason Youm

MANAGING LA ESQUINA

LATINA ART EDITORS

Yahaira Barrero

LA ESQUINA LATINA

ARTISTS

Margarita Contreras Amaya

Maria Espinal

Angela Martinez-Gonzalez

Evie Orcutt

Kimberly Solis

Jaime Lozada-McBride

Cindis Hernandez

LA ESQUINA LATINA

ADVISER

Maria Eugenia Tanos

comparte gustos con muchas estudiantes blancas de la escuela.

“Supongo que desde entonces mi estilo ha cambiado. La gente ha notado que prefiero lo que … hacen las chicas blancas”, ella dijo. “Me llaman mucho ‘whitewashed’, especialmente mis amigos si compro algo que se parezca principalmente a algo que usaría una chica blanca de la escuela”.

Otra frase similar es el “no sabo kid”, un hispano que no conoce bien el idioma español. El término se origina de una manera incorrecta de decir “no sé”. Estos términos estereotipados no sólo son utilizados por las generaciones más jóvenes, sino que también se utilizan por las personas mayores. Deanna Earl, profesora de ciencias en Blair, ha sido llamada una “no sabo” por sus primos porque no habla español con fluidez aunque tenga linaje cubano. Afirma que nunca se ha sentido tan conectada con su raíces cubanas, como sus raíces jamaicanas que se han convertido en una gran parte de su identidad. Earle siente que no hablar español con fluidez “no [ha impactado] tanto mi autoestima, sino absolutamente mi identidad. Soy una mujer negra orgullosa, pero me resulta incómodo reclamar cualquier otra [cultura]

sabiendo que tengo esa desconexión”.

Estos estereotipos pueden ser dañinos e insidiosos, según la profesora de recursos de EML Theresa Hiller. Dijo en una entrevista que “estudiantes especialmente con una barrera del idioma… suelen autoaislarse.” Ella subraya que “solo porque alguien parezca hispano no significa que hable es-

pañol o inglés con fluidez … suponiendo cosas así realmente puede dañar su confianza”.

MARIAESPINAL

Por Maia Turpen Columnista

La rica geografía de Bolivia abarca desde la exuberante selva amazónica en el norte hasta los picos nevados de los Andes en el oeste y desde los áridos desiertos del altiplano hasta las vastas llanuras del oriente. Esta variedad de paisajes contribuye a una biodiversidad excepcional, con una amplia escala de flora y fauna única en cada región.

En la Amazonía boliviana, se encuentran selvas densas habitadas por una diversidad impresionante de especies vegetales y animales, incluyendo jaguares, monos aulladores, y una gran variedad de aves exóticas. Por otro lado, en el altiplano, donde se sitúa el famoso Salar de Uyuni, la vegetación es más escasa, pero especies como las vicuñas y flamencos se adaptan a

las duras condiciones de este ecosistema extremo. El pueblo boliviano es igualmente diverso, compuesto por una mezcla de culturas indígenas, mestizas y europeas. La riqueza cultural se manifiesta en sus tradiciones, música, danzas y artesanías como la Saya y la cueca, que reflejan la herencia histórica del país.

La Saya es una música y danza que se originó en Los Yungas-Chicaloma, Bolivia. El nombre de la forma de arte proviene del término Kikongo ‘nsaya’, que significa trabajo comunitario dirigido por una voz cantante, similar a una canción de trabajo. La instrumentación y la danza de Saya también reflejan la influencia de la música tradicional andina. Además, las costumbres y la música de esclavos africanos se fusionaron con las culturas nativas dando lugar a mezclas cómo la Saya.

Las festividades coloridas son vivos ejemplos de la vitalidad cultural de Bolivia. Una fiesta como ninguna otra, el Carnaval de Oruro es la atracción turística más buscada de Bolivia y atrae multitudes de hasta 400.000 personas al año. Este festival único presenta espectaculares bailes folclóricos, trajes extravagantes, hermosas artesanías, música en vivo y hasta 20 horas de fiesta continua. Si bien el carnaval se celebra en la mayor parte del país, la ciudad de Oruro es sin duda la más popular y ofrece una experiencia memorable para todos los involucrados.

Mucho antes del asentamiento

Debido al aumento de la popularidad de esta tendencia, las blancas, especialmente las mujeres jóvenes, han comenzado a adoptar esta tendencia. Debido a que es menospreciado, la gente hace cambios en su apariencia para que sea más aceptable socialmente o menos ruidoso y extra. Aracelli Ramirez una estudiante del décimo grado en Blair que explica cómo los blancos suelen “copiar y robarse otras, [como] identidades y culturas [y lo que sea] y luego no lo reclaman como suyo…Es como si estuvieran robando… y no reconociendo de dónde proviene”.

Para los hombres la tendencia que se ha vuelto popular es el estilo “takuache”, o “Edgar”. Un mex-

Las redes sociales recientemente han aumentado este aislamiento social que menciona Hiller. Por ejemplo, nombres como “hot cheeto girls” se han vuelto populares debido a los influencers de Tik Tok virales como Adam Martínez en 2019. El término “chica cheeto caliente” se usa para burlarse de la mujer ruidosa, extra y a veces grosera que usa grandes aros, uñas acrílicas chillones, largas pestañas postizas y comen cheetos calientes. Esta tendencia no solo la siguen las latinas sino que también es seguida por algunas mujeres afroamericanas.

español, la antigua ciudad de Uru Uru (el nombre prehispánico de Oruro) era un destino religioso para los pueblos aymara y quechua de los Andes. Los lugareños adoraban a las deidades andinas, rezaban por protección y agradecían a la Pachamama. El pueblo Uru también veneraba a sus dioses celebrando a Ito. La comida boliviana es una fusión de influencias indígenas y españolas, con platos emblemáticos como las deliciosas salteñas, las humitas, y el famoso plato nacional, el pique macho. Este plato tiene varios mitos sobre su origen. La creencia más popular es que se remonta al año 1974, al Restaurante Miraflores, de los esposos Honorato Quiñones Andia y Evangelina Rojas Vargas. El pique macho fue una creación colectiva de los comensales que frecuentaban. Sencillamente, pedían carne picada con papas fritas y locotos cortados transversalmente qué aún no era un plato distinto. Ahora se conoce como un plato suficientemente grande para compartir entre amigos o la familia, que es un reto comer solo. Si quieres el mejor pique macho, lo encontrarás en Cochabana, una área conocida por este plato. Los sabores auténticos se disfrutan mejor en los mercados locales, donde los aromas de las especias y la frescura de los ingredientes crean una experiencia culinaria inolvidable. Las tradiciones en Bolivia están arraigadas en la historia ancestral de sus pueblos indígenas. Lugares sagrados como Tiwanaku y testigos de antiguas civilizaciones precolombinas son recordatorios de la rica herencia indígena que continúa moldeando la identidad boliviana. Recientemente, las protestas lideradas por comunidades indígenas contra proyectos de desarrollo y la explotación de recursos naturales han ganado atención internacional, destacando la lucha continua por el respeto a los derechos ter-

icano-estadounidense que conduce un camión grande, usa botas, cinturones grandes, vaqueros y tiene un cierto tipo de corte de cabello llamado un corte taper o también conocido como corte de pelo Edgar. Creado a partir de una imagen de un joven adolescente en una camioneta robada en Colorado para luego convertirse en un meme en línea, este estilo ha ganado cada vez más popularidad entre los hombres latinos.

Muchos estudiantes en Blair se visten como “takuache” debido a su influencia en las redes sociales, pero otros se sienten cómodos con esta vestimenta como Prenyn Flores del undécimo grado. “No me siento identificado con ese tipo de personas. Solo me gusta vestirme así o lucir así porque me siento bien. Pero no me causa inseguridad ni nada por el estilo”, dijo Flores.

Muchas personas, incluyendo la gente de Blair, han sido llamadas con una de estas palabras estereotípicas tantas veces que han llegado a normalizar, y eso puede llevar a que las personas cuestionen su propia identidad y dañen su autoestima. Para combatir estos problemas, Hiller piensa que ser responsable de tus propias palabras puede recorrer un largo camino.

“Al término del día, todos los estudiantes de Blair deben tratar a los demás con respeto,” dijo Hiller.

ritoriales y la protección del medio ambiente en Bolivia. Estas movilizaciones son un recordatorio de la importancia de escuchar y apoyar a las voces indígenas en la búsqueda de un futuro más equitativo y sostenible.

En este contexto, el Salar de Uyuni, el desierto de sal más grande del mundo, se convierte en un símbolo no solo de la belleza natural de Bolivia, sino también de la necesidad de preservar su patrimonio ambiental para las generaciones futuras. El Salar se formó como resultado de transformaciones entre varios lagos prehistóricos que existieron hace unos cuarenta mil años pero que se habían evaporado con el tiempo. Ahora, está cubierto por unos pocos metros de costra de sal que tiene una extraordinaria planitud con variaciones de elevación promedio de un metro en toda el área del Salar. La corteza sirve como fuente de sal y cubre un charco de salmuera, excepcionalmente rica en litio. La razón por la cual el Salar está en peligro es su cantidad concentrada de litio. El litio es crucial en la construcción de baterías y hay varias ofertas para su extracción de Uyuni. Bolivia es un país que enfrenta desafíos complejos pero que también alberga un espíritu de resistencia y cultura encantado en sus comunidades indígenas y en comunidades que luchan por un futuro más justo y brillante. En un mundo cada vez más consciente de la importancia de proteger nuestro planeta y promover la diversidad cultural, Bolivia sigue siendo un ejemplo inspirador de la belleza y la fuerza de la naturaleza y el espíritu humano.

Explorando algunas de las supersticiones en el mundo hispano

Por Henry Bonilla y Axel Henrriquez Escritores

En Latinoamérica existe una abundancia de mitos y supersticiones. Puede ser algo aparentemente pequeño como tener mala suerte si caminas debajo de una escalera, o puede ser algo como una mujer que está buscando a sus niños por el resto de su vida. A continuación, exploraremos estos y otros mitos y vamos a averiguar la razón por la que piensan así las personas.

Muchos de estos mitos vienen de nuestros países, por eso en la cultura hispana hay muchas personas que creen en los mitos.

MOYSES DÍAZ

No te vayas a dormir con el pelo mojado. No abras un paraguas dentro de tu casa. No te bañes durante el mero día de Semana Santa. No, no y no. Estos son algunos ejemplos de creencias que las personas ponen en sus vidas para defenderse de malos augurios. Creencias, supersticiones y mitos son sinónimos de lo mismo: ideas que la gente tiene sobre algo, que en muchos

casos se transmiten por siglos en la misma familia. Hay muchas definiciones de mitos, supersticiones y creencias, pero para este artículo lo vamos a dividir en tres diferentes tipos de categorías. Hay mitos sobre la salud, hay supersticiones fantásticas y hay creencias para la suerte. En algunos casos, la gente puede creer en partes de las ideas o en diferentes formas de ellas, no hay un mito que sea 100% aceptado por todos.

Un niño grita para su mamá, la mamá va corriendo y le pregunta “¿Qué pasó?” La madre advierte que su hijo está sangrando de sus rodillas. “Me raspé la rodilla cuando me caí”, le dice el niño con una mezcla de mocos y lágrimas. “Yo tengo la respuesta”, dice mamá con confianza y saca el Vicks. Esto es un claro ejemplo de una creencia popular sobre la salud.

Un estudiante del décimo grado de Blair, Moyses Díaz, deci que “mi mamá me ponía Vicks cuando yo me lastimaba y por eso

JAMIE

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yo creo que Vicks puede sanar las heridas”. Él también comenta que la razón por la que los mitos son tan prevalentes en nuestras vidas es que “muchos de estos mitos vienen de nuestros países, por eso en la cultura hispana hay muchas personas que creen en los mitos”.

Un día por la noche había unas personas en un parque y se escuchaba que alguien estaba llorando y haciendo ruido. Las personas fueron hacia donde se escuchaba el ruido y se encontraron con la llorona, quien gira su cabeza y grita, “¡mis niños!”. El cuento de la llorona es usado por los padres como una forma para espantar a los niños y motivarlos a que se porten bien, como otra forma que “te va llevar ese hombre”. Marta Chumil, de undécimo grado, dice, “Yo creo en lo que es la llorona, sí existe, sé que unos no lo creen pero yo sí porque mis abuelos me decían lo que ellos habían visto, también escucharon cuando lloraba. Entonces yo sí creo en eso”.

Complete el crucigrama

Estás caminando por el vecindario y llegas a un punto donde debes caminar debajo de una escalera. Alguien frente a ti camina debajo de ella y se golpea los dedos de los pies, con un grito mexicano, salta teniendo su pie, ¿qué haces? Te das vuelta y encuentras otra ruta. El estudiante Leonel Osorio, de duodécimo grado, dice que, “Caminar abajo una escalera, eso en muchas ocasiones, me dijeron [mi familia] que es malo que supongo que creo que es mala suerte”. Él comenta que, “Creo que todas las experiencias te hacen ser tú mismo, creo por lo que ves y sientes no por lo que te dicen y te hacen. Supongo que es una gran idea saber los comentarios y experiencias de los alumnos”. Una persona cuya familia está bien conectada con este otro mundo es la señora Guerrido, quien cuenta que “mi mamá practicaba santería y tenía una reputación en el vecindario de saber hacer, no voy a decir brujerías, pero saber ayudar a gente con hierbas y cosas así”. Esto le afectó más aún, “creo que yo vi un fantasma, estaba en una grama en Puerto Rico y de veras lo vi y lo vio mi familia, quienes huyeron y me dejaron ahí, por eso es que me recuerdo, me dejaron ahí parada

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Complete el 3 4

y yo lo mire, me dejaron y solita. Nunca me olvido de eso”. Alguien que tal vez no cree en estas cosas pero aun así les presta atención es la señora Hiller, quien comenta que son “leyendas urbanas y de la misma manera que cualquier otro mito o cuento fantástico, se transmite en la cultura, es como un juego de teléfono, se elabora y embellece un poco a medida que se cuenta, pero en realidad hay una explicación científica detrás”. Las creencias fueron hechas para dar información a las futuras generaciones para que ellos no necesitaran intentarlo todo, por esa razón hay muchos que van al ritmo de no, no y no. Como el estudiante Miguel Rodas de décimo grado, quien explica por qué las supersticiones son tan populares, “porque son conocidas por muchas gentes de Lati- noamérica”.

2 es una plomada que se usa para sanar enfermedades

5. El es una bestia que toma la sangre de cabras en áreas rurales

6 Sopa de cura a la gente cuando está enferma

8 Cuando alguien es tan feo que quiebra el

9. El tiene un equipo en la NFL nombrado después de él, con el pájaro reportando la muerte

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2 es una plomada que se usa para sanar enfermedades

1 Los son situaciones positivas que nadie puede entender por qué o cómo suceden

5. El es una bestia que toma la sangre de cabras en áreas rurales

3. Si uno se con pelo mojado se va a enfermar

6 Sopa de cura a la gente cuando está enferma

4 La chica del apartamento tiene una pulsera roja para prever el

8 Cuando alguien es tan feo que quiebra el

9 El tiene un equipo en la NFL nombrado después de él, con el pájaro reportando la muerte

7 El gato da mala suerte

CINDIS HERNANDEZ

AXEL HENRRIQUEZ

Defining lines in the ‘People’s Republic’

Exploring Takoma Park’s distinct housing culture

Located on the southwest side of Takoma Park, the Historic District is famed for its Victorian style homes, family businesses, and small town atmosphere. This tight knit community has evolved to become a highly sought after progressive Washington, D.C. suburb. However, an ingrained practice of housing discrimination, community activism, and a commitment to preserving history has greatly impacted affordable housing opportunities and community dynamics in Takoma Park.

In 1883, developer Benjamin Franklin Gilbert established Takoma Park as one of the first railroadaccessible neighborhoods in the Washington, D.C. area, offering a suburban paradise to residents working in the capital. Since the Takoma Metro station was established in 1978, it has been an active stop along the Red Line which connects Glenmont to Shady Grove and travels through Washington, D.C.

Susan Kern, Director of the University of Maryland’s historic preservation program, explains the development of streetcar suburbs for inner-city business owners. “In the late 19th century, you get these streetcar suburbs, which are … mid to upper-level income. Generally, white people, who may be factory owners or factory managers, they [were] the ones moving from wherever the shops or workplaces [were], out to suburbs,” Kern says.

The effects of housing discrimination

Like many cities across the U.S., discrimination plays a large part in the racial makeup of Takoma Park residents. Racial covenants—specific clauses in housing deeds—prevented land from being sold to or occupied by non-white residents. A study conducted by Montgomery Planning found racial covenants in Takoma Park deeds as far back as 1912 in the Hillcrest neighborhood. The deed for the land specified

that the Hill-crest subdivision could not be sold to, rented, or occupied by African Americans. “The hereinbefore described land and premise shall not be rented, leased, sold or conveyed in any manner whatsoever to any colored person or one having the blood of the African race in him or her,” the deed states. The practice grew overtime, and between 1873 and 1952, at least 41 percent of the 1,763 subdivisions surveyed inside the Capital Beltway had racial covenants. In Takoma Park, 18 percent of subdivisions had definite or possible racial covenants written into the housing deeds during this time.

the diversity of homeownership in Takoma Park. Kern explains how this exclusionary practice affected the local area. “We’re in a region here in Maryland, where there was often redlining that prevented Jewish people from living in certain neighborhoods, prevented African Americans from living in certain neighborhoods, [and] other immigrant groups from living in certain neighborhoods. Sometimes the appearance of those neighborhoods, either the ones that are being redlined out of, or redlined into, then take on this historical significance,” Kern says.

every single month, and I think that’s a testament to the community. I thought maybe one person would want to host a People’s Book book club, and it turns out everyone in Takoma Park wants to host a book club.”

On my street, even now, it’s still pretty white. Honestly, the reality is that those covenants and those attitudes persist generation after generation.

While the U.S. Supreme Court deemed racial covenants unenforceable by the courts in 1948, people continued to write them into deeds and socially enforce them to deter homeowners of color. Eventually, in 1968, the Fair Housing Act outlawed racial covenants. While these clauses are no longer in effect or enforceable by any means, many Takoma Park neighborhoods still have racial covenants in their deeds today.

Historical redlining—the discriminatory denial of services such as mortgages and loans to certain areas based on race, ethnicity, or religion—has also affected

JENNIFER MARTIN

Takoma Park’s history of exclusionary housing practices has affected the diversity of residents today. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Takoma Park residents are 43 percent white. Historic Takoma Board Member Jennifer Martin describes the effects the covenants have had in her community. “On my street, even now, it’s still pretty white. Honestly, the reality is that those covenants and those attitudes persist generation after generation,” Martin says.

The rising costs of historic housing

In 1976, the Takoma Park Historic District was officially recognized in the National Register of Historic Places, authorized by the National Historical Preservation Act of 1966. In an effort to preserve the visual historic beauty of the area, residents are supported with information on the care, preservation, and restoration of their homes. Additionally, residents who abide by historic housing practices receive tax credits and benefits. “If an area, community, region, or a block can get a historical designation, the people who have committed to [a historical designation] can get tax credits for work they’re doing on their houses to preserve them,” Kern says.

The historic tax benefits can then influence housing market prices and increase the demand for homes in the Takoma Park Historic District; the average price of a home in the district in 2024 was $740,000.

In other areas of the city, the average housing cost is $552,000, but some houses can cost upwards of $1.5 million. “Most people I know [who are] over 45, they own their own homes. They say the same: ‘I couldn’t afford to buy a home now,’” David Eisner, a longtime Takoma Park resident, says. On average, the iconic Victorian-style homes in Historic Takoma stay on the market for only 13 days, while the average in the state of Maryland is 41

However, these in-demand, high-end homes were not always the established culture in Takoma Park. Resident Pierre Viger discusses how the city has changed since he moved to the area in 1986. “There’s a particular culture here that is definitely upper or middle class, it’s expensive. It ain’t a place you can kind of roll into and hang out like it used to be 30 years ago,” Viger says.

In the mid-to-late 20th century, the city was known as working class and one of the more affordable suburbs of Washington, D.C. Martin describes Takoma Park during her childhood as rundown and neglected.

“When we moved here, it was pretty shabby in a lot of streets … you would go past a bungalow, and there’d be six mailboxes on the front porch,” Martin says. “There were slumlords who had subdivided the properties. Sometimes just using things like cardboard, to divide walls and build dwelling space for lots of different people in the houses.”

The environment Martin describes is in stark contrast to Takoma Park today, where rising living expenses have caused some residents to be left behind. “Expenses have gone skyrocketing … to the exclusion of many people that used to live here, maybe many people who call this place home,” Viger says. “Sometimes I think the people in this area sort of forget that the real resource of this area is the people because there are people from all around.”

the racial divide in Takoma Park and the impact of districts on housing. “Housing does change, [in] my neighborhood, it’s just all apartments, and then when you go up there [the Takoma Park Historic District] there are bigger houses, there I don’t see any apartments,” Kebede says, “I guess there is a pretty big divide. In my community, it’s people of color. If you go up the hill, [the Takoma Park Historic District] is where all the white people live.”

Community connection through activism

Takoma Park was once predominantly considered a hub of social activism. Diana Kohn, president of Historic Takoma Park Inc., a non-profit organization founded to preserve the heritage of Takoma Park, describes how the community came together when advocating for change. “One of the things that brought Takoma Park together between the old people who had already been there and then newly arrived people, was this effort to stop the freeway from going through Takoma Park,” Kohn says. “Part of the reason I think that it was successful is [because] a lot of the people in Takoma Park had experience about how to put pressure on the government.”

In the 1960s, World War I veteran and Syrian immigrant Sammie Abbott catalyzed the movement against the North Central freeway expansion which would have cut through Takoma Park and forced hundreds of families to relocate. Abbott famously led this movement with the slogan, “No white man’s road through Black men’s homes.” Following his successful movement, Abbott ran for mayor of Takoma Park and was elected in 1980. During his five year term, he led similar socially progressive movements, and the city earned the nickname “People’s Republic of Takoma Park.”

a lot more opportunities to have direct and more frequent interaction with our local staff and our local officials, to advocate for ourselves … and just have a lot more input into the process,” Honzak says.

Most people I know [who are] over 45, they own their own homes. They say the same: ‘I couldn’t afford to buy a home now.’

DAVID EISNER

Takoma Park’s rich history and community activism are some of the driving forces of attraction to the ever-expanding city. Honzak believes that the shared values of Takoma Park residents define the character of the city. “I think that [Takoma Park’s history of community engagement] served as a magnet for people who get energized around those ideals and move here because of that,” Honzak says. “That centers to me on a history of … a deep belief in the power of democracy, and an active, vibrant, engaged, civil society.”

There is a pretty big divide. In my community, it’s people of color. If you go up the hill, [the Takoma Park Historic District] is where all the white people live.

Angela Martinez, a server at Takoma Park’s Olive Lounge and Grill, emphasizes how the sought-after small town atmosphere comes in part from the locally-owned businesses that line the streets. “It does have a vibe to it because we do try to keep just like mom and pop shops … the city really tried to not have chain restaurants … they do really focus on community as opposed to chains and corporations,” Martinez says. The focus on community is what makes Takoma Park a coveted place to live. “I think what’s neat about it and kind of more unique is that it does have that small town feel,”

Megan Bormet, owner of People’s Book in the Takoma Park Historic District, says. “We actually have 13 book clubs right now that happen

The lack of middle income housing has implications for Takoma Park’s highly valued community atmosphere. Takoma Park Councilmember Cara Honzak believes that the city’s housing costs are starting to divide the community. “We don’t even have much of a middle class living here in our city. And it creates very unusual dynamics, not having that middle class here and present … There’s not as much local upward mobility as there should be. It affects all relationships across the community,” Honzak says. As a result, an apparent divide is displayed in the Takoma Park area. Much of the affordable housing units and apartment complexes are located on Maple Ave. This area is referred to as the Takoma Park Master Plan boundary—originally introduced in 2000, 132 acres of land along Maple Ave. and Flower Ave.—designated in partnership with the county and the city to improve the quality of land and guide future development. Initiated in 2021, the Master Plan is currently going through a minor amendment process, aimed at increasing efforts to reach boundary goals. In contrast, many single-family homes are located surrounding Carroll Ave. in the Takoma Park Historic District. Tsion Kebede, a Blair senior and Master Plan boundary resident explains

Story by Rabira Dosho and Carina Nicodemus

Art

by Sophia Li

Photos by Raffi CharkoudianRogers

Design

by Greta Andelman and Diego Santoro-Velez

Takoma Park is a municipality, which means that it has its own mayor and city council, allowing residents to make localized changes. Honzak believes that having a localized government makes it easier for citizens to hold their city responsible. “It gives us so much more opportunity to help ensure that our local governance is the kind of super accountable, transparent government that we want, expect, and deserve,” she says. The benefits from a localized government is part of what sets Takoma Park apart from other Washington, D.C. suburbs such as Silver Spring and Wheaton, where governance comes from Montgomery County as a whole.

Hozak explains that the municipality also allows residents to be more involved in their community. “[Being incorporated] allows us to have

Though Takoma Park is recognized by its residents for all of these traits, the city’s history of discriminatory practices still permeates division. Kohn hopes to see city officials bridge gaps in the community. “It’s some- thing that we’re gonna have to work on. It’s not an easy fix,” Kohn says.

TSION KEBEDE

Gen Z’s changing relationship with religion

By Laila Andelman and Tharaa Izuagie Staff Writers

In a generation characterized by rapid advancements and shifting social norms, the religious profile of Gen Z is no exception.

34 percent of Gen Z is religiously unaffiliated, indicating a deviation from the religious affiliations of previous generations. According to the Survey Center on American Life, 29 percent of Millennials are unaffiliated and 25 percent of Gen X are unaffiliated.

Knowing all of these different practices, and then being able to pick and choose which ones [I] feel best suit [me] has been wonderful. LILY BLACKMAN

Many of today’s youth navigate diverse beliefs, including atheism and secular viewpoints. At Blair, personal convictions lead some students to distance themselves from organized religion. For Blair junior and atheist Lily Scheckner, the decision to distance herself from religion stems from her observation of conflicts historically justified by religious beliefs. “Religion is the root of so much violence for something that’s supposed to advocate for joy and peace … I just never wanted to identify with that,” she says.

Shyna Kashi, an Iranian-American junior at Blair, shares similar

sentiments, particularly in light of religion’s susceptibility to exploitation, something Kashi has noted in her parents’ home country. In Iran, the Islamic regime persecutes individuals who may not follow its interpretation of Islam, resulting in imprisonment, torture, and in some cases execution. “Seeing all the conflict that has occurred in Iran has made me less inclined to be part of a religion,” Kashi explains. “That’s what I’m more wary about when it comes to religion, just how people use it to exploit other people.”

Blair junior Hana Asfaw, who is religiously Orthodox Christian and culturally Jewish, feels that the judgment she has experienced from religious communities has deterred her from more traditional observance. “I had an experience one time when I went [to church.] You’re supposed to cover your hair when we go to church, I had a shorter cover and I heard some of the ladies talking about it, so I felt uncomfortable going,” she says.

Asfaw adds that the lack of representation of diverse identities within some organized religions can discourage people from trying to participate more. “People are more likely to get more involved in something when they know that there are people like them, people who accept them, and so going into a very religious community and not seeing much of a community for yourself [makes it] harder to ease back into it,” she says.

For Jewish Bethesda-Chevy Chase freshman Lily Blackman, the ability to explore and determine which practices were meaningful to her has empowered her to develop deeper connections with her faith.

“I feel like when I was little, I didn’t really want to be at Temple that much just because it was something I was forced to do,” she says. “But later in eighth grade, the topic of that year was ‘Reformed Judaism is informed choices.’ Knowing all of these different practices, and then being able to pick and choose which ones [I] feel best suit [me] has been wonderful, and I feel like that’s kept me [at synagogue].”

We’ve noticed that Gen Z in particular has this really unique . . . ability to hold particularism and universality at the same time

DENA SHAFFER

Social media is another way for students to foster a deeper connection to their religion. Hindu Blair junior Meenal Goyal shares that social media has increased her appreciation for her faith by connecting her to other Hindus. “I never really had a community before social media because not many friends of mine are Hindu or follow a non-Abrahamic religion. So I never really had a community that I fit into,” she says. “It just felt really relieving to find people preaching the religion instead of saying things like it’s demonic.”

While some view religion as rigid, many faiths encourage individuals to question, which often motivates people to seek a deeper understanding of their faith. “[Is-

lam] doesn’t say ‘believe just because.’ It gives evidence and calls people to reason and use critical thinking … Islam is a very rational religion, that’s why me and a lot of other people are compelled to practice it,” Blair senior Elhadj Seck says.

This curiosity is not just confined to those who are religious. Though many members of Gen Z do not identify with one religion, many still explore faith outside of a particular denomination. “There’s not a decline of religion, [rather] a decline of religiosity in terms of attending and giving money and being formally attached to one faith or another . . . but most kids are looking and are curious,” Blair Comparative Religion teacher Kevin Moose says.

Rabbi Dena Shaffer, the Director of Education and Learning for the Jewish Teen Funder Collabo-

rative, notes that Gen Z’s ability to hold their own identity but also value other perspectives sets it apart from past generations. “We’ve noticed that Gen Z in particular has this really unique . . . ability to hold particularism and universality at the same time, which previous generations did not have the ability to do,” Shaffer says. “I think it has something to do with how well connected Gen Z is, and how globally minded people are.”

Regardless of religious observance, many values are universally practiced by both religious and secular people. “A lot of religions emphasize kindness and being kind to the people around you, and spreading love wherever you can,” Blair junior and atheist Mira Lindsay-Folkers says. “I was raised with those beliefs, but it just wasn’t related to religion.”

A flowering future

How Chris Brown’s businesses build community

By Emily Kretshmer Staff Writer

In 2016, Chris Brown quit his job as a science teacher at Blair to create his own restaurant, Takoma Beverage Company. Now, eight years later, Brown is a founder of several businesses across Takoma Park and Silver Spring: Takoma Beverage Company, Soko Butcher, Motorkat, and Zinnia—the closest to Blair.

The quaint tavern-style eatery is adorned with a large flower symbol and located just down the street from Blair, on the corner of Colesville Road and Dale Drive. Designed to be a family-oriented

restaurant with a variety of offerings including brunch, high tea, and dinner, Zinnia serves a diverse range of people and interests. “The nicer restaurant, the tavern, the gardens, there’s kind of something for everyone, whatever type of person you are,” Marijke Friedman, a Blair alumna who has worked as a hostess at the restaurant for almost two years, says. “A lot of the families love to come and sit in the garden, and then older people love to come to the brunch, and we have a high tea service on the weekends now too, so that draws in a whole other crowd of people.”

In addition to its numerous services, Zinnia stands out from other restaurants in the area due to

the various dining locations on the property. “All of our dining spaces [make Zinnia unique] because we have two upstairs main dining rooms, and we just opened seating in our parlor room, which is a smaller room off to the side, and we also have the tavern, and the patio when it’s warmer,” Blair senior Emily Mallon, who has been working at Zinnia since September, says.

Brandi Pundzak, an English teacher at Blair, is a Zinnia regular and appreciates all of the different places that one can eat and drink at the restaurant. “The bar upstairs is cute, the bar downstairs is cute, the outside [too], they just have really done a good job,” she says.

Zinnia opened after Mrs. K’s Tollhouse, which had been open for 90 years, closed during the pandemic. After purchasing the property, Brown put an emphasis on preserving the historic building and grounds as much as possible, encouraged in major part by his former colleague and longtime friend, Charlie Demma. Demma, a biology teacher at Blair, is a co-owner of Zinnia and grew up just down the street. He spends much of his free time there, whether doing odd jobs to help out, or just eating. “I love sitting at the upstairs bar, having a fancy cocktail at night, looking out over the garden, all the lights, especially in the spring,” he says. “I like to watch football games and eat chicken wings in the tavern. I like to go visit my friends who work there. I like to go outside in the garden, drink some beer with family.”

Zinnia has become a popular restaurant for families in the Silver Spring area. “[Zinnia has] a lot of Blair families that come in and teachers to dine that I recognize … it’s definitely really connected with the Silver Spring community overall,” Mallon says.

[Zinnia is] definitely really connected with the Silver Spring community overall.

EMILY MALLON

Elise Pressma lives just a couple of houses away from Zinnia with her husband and children, and appreciates the benefits it brings to her community. “[In Silver Spring] there’s lots and lots of young people who are single and want to have a good time, but then the surrounding community is single family homes. These are families with children, and we need restaurants too, and I think that’s lacking completely in downtown. So to us, [Zinnia] is a huge asset, it is super valuable,” she says. Pressma enjoys visiting daily to buy coffee. Takoma Beverage Company, Brown’s first business, is also wellknown for their coffee, as their business model was intended to be geared towards drinks and breakfast-style food. “[Takoma Beverage Company is an] all day cafe, focus-

ing on mostly coffee and breakfast, but also really good sandwiches and lunch and we do have a bar,” Brown says. Eleanor Moose, a Blair alumna, works at Takoma Beverage Company and has a deep passion for their coffee. “Honestly, [they make] some of the best coffee I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot of coffee,” she says.

In addition to Zinnia and Takoma Beverage Company, Brown founded Takoma Park restaurant Motorkat in 2023, which mainly serves dinner. “Motorkat is more seafood-focused, there’s a raw bar, so we have oysters and shrimp and scallops and rockfish, octopus, etc. It’s more fresh and from-the-sea driven,” Brown says.

Overall, the regularity with which Blair families visit Brown’s businesses has brought him joy. “I think that that connectedness through the Blair community and then also through seeing these families in the restaurants has made this connection that makes me feel like you’re just really part of the community which makes the job so much more rewarding,” Brown says.

To Pressma, Zinnia has proven to be a welcoming, community-based location. “[It’s] all around enjoyable. Your community is there; you meet people; you enjoy the grounds; the waitstaff are fantastic, friendly, and knowledgeable; and you enjoy the food. For all reasons you should really check it out,” she says.

PHOTO BY FIONA BONDAREV

ZINNIA The Silver Spring eatery features two main dining rooms, a parlor room, a tavern, and an outdoor patio.

Chickens roost in local yards

By Sohccem Ruphael and Norah Wilson Staff Writers

On an early spring morning, Blair junior Aila Piazza is awakened by her chickens and their non-stop clucks—Piazza goes into her backyard, opens the coop, and is greeted by chickens running out. Piazza then feeds her chickens their pellets and some oatmeal with mealworms. While they fill their crops, their eggs are collected and brought back into the house for breakfast.

Chickens have become a common pet among residents in the Takoma Park and Silver Spring area. One reason why people own chickens is their steady supply of eggs, which are more nutritious than store-bought eggs. Piazza explains that by owning their own chickens, her family does not have to worry about buying ethically-sourced eggs. “It’s really nice to have home eggs … and [know] where they’re sourced from,” she says.

Angela Shen, Blair senior, prefers her chickens’ eggs over store-bought ones. “The [backyard chicken] eggs are a lot more delicious than the store-bought ones and we often give them to our neighbors and friends,” she says.

Backyard chickens also consume unwanted food scraps, which helps many households significantly reduce food waste. Piazza’s family often gives her chickens leftovers instead of throwing the food away. “It’s nice to know that a lot of our food that we’re not eating is going to something else and not the

trash,” she says.

A Philadelphia study conducted by chicken-keeping teacher and backyard chicken researcher Maureen Breen found that a backyard chicken consumes approximately 83.2 pounds of food scraps per year. With a flock of four chickens, the expected amount of food scraps consumed per year would be 332.8 pounds—more than the amount of food the average American wastes per year according to Recycle Track Systems.

Along with their environmental benefits, chickens can be just like any other pet, in that they have their own fun personality. “Each one of [our chickens] has a different way that they live their life. Some really like hugs, some don’t, and that’s okay … we love them all,” Blair senior Akiva Rosenzweig says of his chickens. Juliana Andonian, a Takoma Park resident and chicken owner, explains that while chickens need to be cared for every day, they are worth the effort. “I think [chickens are] delightful and I think they’re beautiful. I think they’re very satisfying pets,” she says.

Regulation of owning chickens varies depending on location. Montgomery County does not regulate how many chickens a household can own, but there are coop zoning laws in place. The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services states that backyard chicken housing must be a minimum of 25 feet from a lot line and a minimum of 100 feet from a dwelling on another lot. Cities in Montgomery County enforce their own permit laws and regulations on how many hens and roost-

ers residents can own. Silver Spring requires permitted ownership to possess up to six hens with a 2,500 square foot lot minimum. Owning roosters in Silver Spring is prohibited. However, in Takoma Park, a permit is not required, there is no limit to how many chickens a resident can have, and roosters are legal.

Roscoe, the famous rooster mascot of Takoma Park lived and roamed the streets of Takoma Park for 10 years before being killed in a car accident in 1999. After his death, Takoma Park residents commissioned a statue of Roscoe, which can be found on Laurel Ave. Because of Roscoe, many Takoma Park residents share a love for chickens. Andonian remembers Roscoe’s beauty and uniqueness from when she was younger. “I remember seeing him in the alley and in front yards and he was very proud and glossy and he belonged to no one,” she says. “That was the great beauty of Roscoe … he would fight the alley cats and wake everyone up with his crowing. And he wasn’t anyone’s pet, he was just his, which is I think why Takoma Park loved him.”

Backyard chickens offer owners something unique and different from a traditional pet. “When discussing with my parents what kind of animal we wanted to get, we were like ‘we don’t have to be like everybody else and get cats and dogs,’” Rosenzweig says. “We thought that chickens would be something cool, they seemed cute, fluffy, and they give you eggs … and we ended up really liking it.”

The pick of the crop Farmers markets foster connection

By Eloise Carter Staff Writer

Smiling faces, reusable bags, and fresh produce are all signs of a farmers market in action. At the Saturday Downtown Silver Spring Farmers Market and the Sunday Takoma Park Farmers Market, people can be found milling about, shopping for fruits and vegetables of every color.

Farmers markets serve as a social space for many people. “I think it gives people a place to come and meet. [Many] parents come with their kids and see their friends and have hour-long conversations,” Lucy Holland, a market manager for the Takoma Park Farmers Market and Blair sophomore says.

In addition to being a fun place to hang out and shop, farmers markets pose many benefits for the community. Patrick Cole, a vendor for Clear Springs Farm, explains that the markets provide an opportunity for people to get fresh food. “It gives access to fresh and actual quality produce and meat and dairy products for people that might not have access,” he says.

In Washington, D.C. and other urban areas, often the only access to fresh and local produce is through farmers markets. “A lot of people are kind of surprised that our farm is so close to where they live and [most of] the food that they eat, they don’t really know where it comes from, so it’s really cool for them to see that,” Elena Hundertmark, a vendor for The Farm at Our House, says. Farmers markets also offer a more personal approach to purchasing produce.

“I like that it’s a place where people actually farm and make the food and come and make money off their efforts … and it’s important that you keep that real farming tradition alive for the quality of food,” Renatto Especia, a vendor at Grassfed Griddle—a stand that sells hot meals made from fresh ingredients—says.

David Hochheimer, who owns Black Rock Orchard with his wife, finds that farmers markets at their core are there to support local farmers. “We have a small farm so if you have a small farm, you have to sell direct to the consumer. That way you cut the middleman out and then that way you can make enough money to make a living,” he explains.

Farmers markets also offer new

opportunities for vendors. Barbara Jumper, a vendor for Blue’s Coffee and Tea, explains that working at farmers markets serve as many vendors’ second careers. “A lot of these people probably didn’t start out doing these kinds of things, but it’s something kind of a passion that they bring together at the farmers market,” she says.

In general, both customers and vendors are able to find a strong support network at farmers markets. “I love the people because it’s kind of like a community. They come in and are like ‘we want to support these people, we want to be involved.’ And it’s just very nice to be out here and feel that energy, feel that love,” Jenny Villeda, a vendor at Metro Microgreen, says. Vendors also form close rela-

tionships with each other. “Everyone knows everyone. We are a very close knit community. There is a bond between the vendors. I think that is a really nice thing,” Bella Kyle, a vendor for Keswick Creamery, adds.

A lot of people are kind of surprised that our farm is so close to where they live and [most of] the food that they eat, they don’t really know where it comes from, so it’s really cool for them to see that.

Many customers find a routine in coming to the farmers market every weekend. “I come to [the Takoma Park] one every week,” Larry Haller, a frequent farmers market customer, says. As a child, Holland used to visit the market with her family. “We would come here and I would get chocolate milk and a chocolate croissant and then we would go play in the park. We did that every single Sunday,” she says. Another way that many farmers markets work to benefit the community is partnering with federal programs to accept peoples’ food benefits and expand access to fresh food. Laura Barclay, the Takoma Park Farmers Market market ad-

ministrator, explains how the market is able to match the money of peoples’ federal food benefits to a max amount of $30 to spend at the market. “The market gets grants to provide additional free money, if you will, to people that come and spend their benefits at the market.

So people who participate in those programs will come here and use the money and then the market matches it up to $30,” she says.

“If they take $30 out from their card that they have from the government, we give them a free $30 match so it doubles their access to fresh local food as well.”

The Downtown Silver Spring Farmers Market participates in the government voucher program as well. Camellia Wahl, a flower vendor at the Downtown Silver Spring Farmers Market, believes that this system is helpful. “I’m not real familiar with the coupon voucher system, but they do take them here for people in need. That’s got to have a great impact,” she says. The Takoma Park Farmers Market vendors also give leftover food at the end of each market to non-profits Shepherds Table and Small Things Matter to help feed those in need in the community.

Beyond their efforts to feed the community, farmers markets play a positive role in the community and vendors appreciate any support.

“Support local. Come take a look, don’t feel pressured to buy, it is just a fun time,” Villeda says.

PHOTOS BY ROSE KEPKA

MEET THE HENS Chickens graze on household scraps in a local backyard coop.

ELENA HUNDERTMARK

TAKOMA PARK FARMERS MARKET Vendors sell fresh produce at the Sunday market.

PHOTO BY ROSE KEPKA

Busy Graham: advocating for the arts since 1995

By Maxwell Erlebacher Staff Writer

On a Friday night at the Burtonsville Recreational Center, an audience gathers for Carpe Diem Arts’ Cultural Heritage Celebration. Busy Graham, the organization’s founder, opens the event by introducing a diverse lineup of artists. Munit Mesfin, a soloist, starts her performance with various Ethiopian folk songs and one original. She finishes with the Bob Marley classic, “Three Little Birds,” before handing the stage off to Yaya Patterson and Miles Spicer, who together make up the musical duo Spice Cake. The two perform a wide musical repertoire, ranging from blues music to folk singing to jazz classics, all while the audience claps and sings along.

Some of these kids would never dream of owning their own instrument, and they start to think of themselves as musicians and songwriters.

BUSY GRAHAM

Graham, a former musician turned advocate for the arts, has sponsored these cultural heritage concerts scheduled four times at four locations per month from February through June. According to

Graham, events like these are pivotal to introducing the arts into the community, while promoting equity and diversity. “The mission is really to bring the arts into schools and communities, special needs centers, senior centers, [and] wherever the arts can have an impact,” she says in an interview with Silver Chips. “Having seen firsthand the value of those experiences, it can truly be transformative and life changing.”

Graham, who is 72-years-old, has been involved in music her whole life, taking an interest when her grandfather taught her piano at 8-years-old. As a teenager, she had the unique opportunity to meet several famous musicians of the time, bolstering her passion for music. “My Aunt Sue wound up marrying Charles Mingus, the great jazz composer [and] bass player,” Graham says. “I had the great pleasure and privilege of spending a weekend at age 13 with Paul McCartney … so that also drew me into music.”

At age 12, Graham moved to Tunisia with her father, where she immersed herself in a new culture and learned different forms of art.

“I think having that very formative experience at a young age was tremendously important,” Graham says. “It provided that base appreciation for diverse cultures and traditions.” In college, Graham explored various genres, including jazz, classical, and chamber, though ultimately found her calling in folk music. After graduating, she taught music and dance in Vermont, North Carolina, Denmark, and France, before founding her

first non-profit, Class Acts Arts, in 1995.

As the director of Class Acts Art, Graham aimed to bring culturally diverse arts education to under-resourced communities throughout the Washington, D.C. area. “Class Acts Arts came about because I saw a great need for equality and diversity of programming in our

and multiculturalism in the arts. “We … are placing a lot of importance on addressing social justice issues through the arts and bringing about social change wherever we can,” Graham says. “We do that through in-school programs, after-school programs, summer arts and language immersion camps, the monthly community dances

schools,” she says. “Especially in the D.C. area [and] in Montgomery County, it just felt like a missed opportunity that we had such a wealth of talent from so many different countries and traditions … [We needed] to find a way to bring those programs into our schools to enhance education and help build community.”

In 2005, Graham founded Carpe Diem Arts, her biggest campaign yet, to advocate for equity

that we do in Silver Spring with live music, and various concert series.”

Carpe Diem Arts sponsors many activities, including the Ukes on the Move initiative, which teaches ukulele to elementary school students in Montgomery County. “Each of those kids gets to take home their own ukulele at the end of six weekly sessions,” Graham says. “We think of it as a springboard for a lifetime of music making … Some of these kids would never dream of

owning their own instrument, and they start to think of themselves as musicians and songwriters.”

Another Carpe Diem Art program is their Daily Antidote of Song, which invites a recording artist each day to perform a piece of music over Zoom. Graham started the program early in the pandemic to connect the community to music in a time of much isolation. “That program is something that we’re very proud of,” Graham says. “Everybody’s muted, but you can see that they’re participating and singing … and it does support better health and certainly better spirits.”

Participants in Carpe Diem Arts’ programs found them to be involved and rewarding. “For two years, I was there for summer camp …. once you get involved with them, they definitely extend many opportunities to you going forward,” Blair Junior Sophia Butler says. “I’ve done the Labor Day Parade and Thanksgiving Parade with them playing ukulele and other different performances that they’ve asked me to do.”

Graham has dedicated her whole life to learning, teaching, and advocating for diversity and equity in music. “Realizing the incredible positive impact that the arts can have on all ages and all stages of life and all walks of life, regardless of socioeconomic situations, it just [speaks] to the importance of providing access to the arts for all people,” Graham says.

A Smart Approach to Real Estate

BUSY GRAHAM Arts advocate Busy Graham in her Takoma Park home.

PHOTO BY ANAGHA BHUVANAGIRI

A lifetime of story-telling Dina Kraft’s journey to reporting in Israel

By Naomi Andelman and Sela Colavito Staff Writer & Culture Editor

In the early ‘90s, a young American college student stands in front of a tombstone in an ancient cemetery next to the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The grave belongs to her great uncle, who abandoned his family in Austria to move to Palestine in 1920 and become a Zionist. A corner of the tombstone is missing, representing that the buried man’s life was cut short by suicide. The young woman carefully brushes away the years of dirt from the stone, revealing a gruesome devil’s face.

To this day, Dina Kraft has not discovered a concrete answer as to why the face of a devil is on her great uncle’s grave. Nonetheless, her fascination with Jewish and Israeli-Palestinian history has led her to spend years investigating the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians. Presently, she is a New York Times Bestselling author and award-winning journalist stationed in Tel Aviv.

Kraft’s journalism career began at Blair after joining Silver Chips as a staff writer in her sophomore year in 1986. Kraft developed a passion for human interest stories, leading her to become Associate Features Editor as a junior, and by senior year, she had become Co-Editorin-Chief.

After graduating, Kraft attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she joined the University’s paper and majored in History. Along with a love of history and journalism, she developed an ongoing curiosity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after witnessing student demonstrations in response to the First Intifada, a Palestinian uprising in the late 1980s. “[After the First Intifada], campus was sort of awash in lots of protests and speakers and that piqued my interest,” she says.

To better understand and learn about the conflict, Kraft decided to spend her junior year abroad in Jerusalem. “[I thought] ‘I need to go to Jerusalem. I need to figure out what’s happening. I need to understand why this is making such waves on my campus,’” she says.

During Kraft’s year abroad, she began to explore her great uncle’s life, including the community of

Jewish people residing in Palestine that he belonged to, called Bittania. The group struggled adapting to the new environment of Palestine, encountering harsh living conditions, isolation, food shortage, malaria breakouts, and often described themselves as being on the edge of madness. Fascinated by the history of communities like Bittania, Kraft chose it for the topic of her senior thesis. “My thesis was an attempt to show a darker side of what it meant to prove when someone’s spirit was broken by [a] place,” she says. This story was one of many that Kraft would decide to investigate over the coming years.

After graduating from Wisconsin, Kraft began working for the Jerusalem Post. Although she came back to the U.S. to earn a master’s degree from Stanford University in History, she returned to Jerusalem and began reporting for the Associated Press (AP). She was later posted to AP’s Johannesburg Bureau where she covered issues in Southern Africa. Later, she became a correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor as well as Haaretz English, an Israeli liberal newspaper that co-publishes with the New York Times International Section.

[Haaretz helps to] reflect and create the conversation of all the controversies and all of the news and [provide] interpretation analysis of what’s going on in this really historic and very dark moment.

DINA KRAFT

Along with reporting, Kraft ghost-wrote the New York Times Bestseller “My Friend Anne Frank,” which was published in June 2023. The memoir recounts the story of Hannah Pick-Goslar, Anne Frank’s childhood best friend, and her experiences during the Holocaust.

Kraft’s connection to Pick-Goslar’s story began at Takoma Park Middle School. “I was in the sev-

enth grade and we were assigned to read Anne Frank’s diary,” she says. “I connected to her and her sort of mischievousness. She’d always get trouble in class for speaking too much, like I always did, and she really loved writing and she wanted to be a journalist.”

To write the book, Kraft conducted numerous interviews in what would be the final months of the 94-year-old’s life. “It was intense … she told me her story and then I digested it and then had to supplement it with reading other diaries and … other first hand witness accounts,” she says. “The writing was hard because … I had to become Hannah.”

Kraft has found connections between Goslar’s story and her own life in light of the ongoing war in Gaza. “One thing Hannah talked to me a lot about was it was almost like she couldn’t believe the Holocaust happened … Even though she’d spent more of her life talking about it and digesting it than she had before it happened,” Kraft says. “I think that [a] life changing in a flash is something I think about a lot … There’s still so much uncertainty that remains.”

Soon after writing the book, Kraft became Opinion Editor of Haaretz English in early 2023, just after the Israeli government introduced judicial reforms. “[I started] just after [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu [and his] very far right wing, extremist government came to power and within about two weeks they decided to launch what they would call ‘judicial reform’ … basically an attempt to sort of gain a power grab for themselves and take power away from the Supreme Court,” she says.

The judicial reforms, along with the war in Gaza, created a momentous year for Haaretz, emphasizing for Kraft the importance of journalism serving as a resource to its readers. “It’s been a really crazy year to be an opinion editor of one of the most influential papers in Israel,” she says. “We’ve seen our subscriptions double since the war began. [Haaretz helps to] reflect and create the conversation of all the controversies and all of the news and [provide] interpretation analysis of what’s going on in this really historic and very dark moment.”

Along with editing stories about Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, Kraft

experienced the events of the day firsthand. “A rocket had landed about 20 feet from our building and it landed in a huge ficus tree [that had] taken the brunt of the blow,” she says. “I feel like in some ways, [the tree is] a metaphor for what’s happened ever since Oct. 7. Everyone’s standing still—not everyone’s standing, [we] lost a lot of people in Israel and of course, even more people in Gaza—but people are functioning, but there’s something that has died inside for everybody.”

The events on Oct. 7 compelled Kraft to begin a new project. “[I am] talking to Israeli and Palestinian activists … during the war and what they’ve been doing on the ground to affect change and to keep things

a little bit more human,” she says. Kraft has previously explored Israeli and Palestinian relationships with her podcasts “The Branch,” which explores friendships between Palestinians and Israelis, and “Groundwork,” which highlights Israeli and Palestinian Grassroot activists.

Throughout her life, Kraft has devoted her career to bringing an aspect of humanity to her journalistic stories. As for the future, she only hopes to continue this through additional journalistic roles. “Right now my vessel for [communication] is in a role of Opinion Editor and … shepherding other people’s voices. But I would like also one day to get back to telling stories,” Kraft says.

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Jennie Guilfoyle and Mark Swartz - Susan Euling - Pamela Coffey - Matt Kaiser - Chris Moriarity

Mitch Warren & Joanna Slaney - Amy Schwenkmeyer and Rolf Reichle - Joseph Kowal - Timothy Ernst and Grace Manubay - Hester Baer and Ryan Long - Kurt and Dot Kasik - Mark Amarel - Bonney Family - Paul B. Ellis - Tara Smith

Nina Schwartz - Hans Riemer - Jason & Jamie Fasteau - Maria Velez - Tony & Elizabeth Pegg - Kathleen Caviston - Chip Somodevilla - Karen Heavey - Nicholas Jovanovic - Gary MacDonald - Larry Lian - Ellen Gadbois - JoAnn Volk - John L and Carol Clouse - Troy Jacobs - Reemberto Rodriguez - Erin and Matthias Kretschmer - Marina Deane-Gonzalez

PHOTO COURTESY OF DINA KRAFT

Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center hosts MerMagic Con

The Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center opened on Feb. 23. The 120,000-square-foot facility is home to several pools with diving boards, slides, an aquatic rock climbing wall, and a splash area. The facility also has dance studios, a basketball court, a gymnasium, social meeting rooms, activity rooms, exercise and weight rooms, a culinary arts kitchen, and a café. Since its opening, the facility has already served as a venue for community programs and events, including MerMagic Con, the largest mermaid convention in the world. The convention was held on Mar. 2 and people of all ages came to learn to swim like a mermaid and hear mermaid stories. The mermaids at MerMagic Con have established themselves as professionals in the field and many work jobs in related fields as diving or swim instructors, teaching emergency response classes, or being a mermaid at other events.

PHOTOS BY ROSE KEPKA

La audiencia asombrada de Sankofa Sankofa: more than just a performance

from SANKOFA page A1

Mientras las luces del auditorio se atenuaban y la audiencia reducía el tono de murmullo reinante, los maestros de ceremonia empezaron a contar la historia de Sankofa. En el idioma Twi de Ghana, Sankofa se refiere a un ave con su cara mirando hacia atrás y sus pies hacia adelante. El espectáculo de Sankofa en Blair representa el mismo mensaje: A través de una historia que se centra en el pasado, pero también en el futuro de los afroamericanos.

Este año, la producción se enfoca en la resistencia y triunfo afroamericano. El escenario constaba de dos áreas. La primera con un fondo negro donde los actores interpretaban poesía, bailes, y cantos, mientras que por detrás había un decorado donde se desarrollaba el argumento central que transcurre en una barbería. Ambas partes se entrelazan durante el espectáculo para hilar una historia de esperanza y poder.

En el primer acto, vistiendo camisetas amarillas con el ave Sankofa estampada al frente, varios actores cantaron el himno negro nacional en homenaje a Pamela Bryant-Hollins, la directora del evento en años anteriores, la cual falleció en enero de este año. Para esta edición, la señora Roark es la directora de la gran obra en honor del Mes de la Historia Afroamericana.

La obra, igualmente divertida y educacional, permite que la información sea accesible para todos.

En palabras de Jace Fenel, uno de los estudiantes que vio la obra, “lo importante es que pone de manifiesto los retos a los que nosotros, los afroamericanos, nos enfrentamos, y los muestra a los que no son afroamericanos o los que no están familiarizados con estas experiencias. Es como echar un vistazo a nuestra vida cotidiana, lo que puede provocarles empatía”. Las experiencias que se reflejaron en el escenario son universales, pero cada quien reacciona de forma personal a las mismas.

El fondo del escenario central era hermoso y vibrante. La barbería es una empresa central en la comunidad afroamericana, donde no solo ofrecen cortes de pelo, sino también un ambiente de fraternidad a donde se acude para reforzar el sentimiento comunitario. En contraste entre lo tradicional y lo moderno, los cuadros anaranjados estaban cubiertos con arte de estilos actuales.

El argumento central se desarrolló en torno a Caleb, un pe-

luquero local y un aspirante a actor. Cuando recibe un correo de una empresa en Broadway, tiene que escoger entre sus propios sueños y los sueños que sus padres tenían para él. La historia se enfoca en temas de comunidad y esperanza. Mientras Caleb hace frente a su lucha interna, la comunidad afronta diversos problemas que afectan a todos.

Cuando su mejor amiga, Lauren, vuelve de África a su barrio, inmediatamente se enfrenta al sexismo en la barbería, ya que un colega no cree que ella pueda cortar el pelo porque es una mujer. Con el tiempo acabaron aceptándola, cuando ella demuestra que sí puede cortar el pelo. En la obra esto se representa con un ágil y divertido movimiento en que se quita la peluca para revelar un corte instantáneo.

Más tarde en la obra, una empresa exige a una amiga de la peluquera que cambie su pelo para poder trabajar con ellos. En un trazo de brillantez, alguien recomienda que deben hacer una petición, usando el CROWN act para disputar esta imposición. Aunque pasa exitosamente en la prueba, decide no aceptar la posición dada a la falta de respeto en la compañía. Intermitente, las obras de baile, poesía, y canto añadían un ambiente de esperanza y unión comunitaria. En una canción, una mujer con camiseta blanca y pantalones negros de cuero, con tres bailadores en el fondo, cantó “everything has got to get better”. Este mensaje y otros similares que se expresan en la obra conecta con muchos miembros de la audiencia. Uno de los espectadores, el señor B, asegura que este espectáculo “ayuda a los individuos a sentirse mejor consigo mismos, dentro de su piel y entendiendo sus orígenes, sin miedo a expresar su cultura y lo que se deriva de la misma. En ese sentido, me encanta”. Uno de esos mensajes habló de la doble conciencia de los afrolatinos, con un orador afrolatino que persigue la sombra que representa su cultura negra. Esta noche tan feliz y triunfante tocó los corazones de la audiencia con una obra cautivadora y hermosa. Los temas que nos enseña son importantes en nuestra comunidad tan diversa. Al final, las luces brillaban y la audiencia se puso de pie para dar una larga ovación tras la que los actores saludaron al público. Aunque las cortinas ocultaron rápidamente a todos los actores, las reverberaciones de la obra persistieron a través de las innumerables expresiones que bailaron cara a cara en el público cautivado.

Including these traditional African dances allows many cast members to experience and connect to identities beyond the U.S. Blair junior Susae Shiferaw Uzman, who is half Habesha— an ethnic group found around Ethiopia and Eritrea—finds that performing these dances allowed her to better relate to her family’s culture. “Doing the Ethiopian and Eritrean dance was such a nice way to connect to my roots,” she says. “Learning the dance [has] made me more comfortable doing Eskista [a traditional Ethiopian dance], and it’s made me feel more connected to my Habesha side.”

Ensuring that diverse parts of the African diaspora are represented is an important part of Sankofa planning. “Something I love about Sankofa is [that] sometimes we bring in different kinds of artists to represent Afro-Latina and Afro-Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean and Indo-African [cultures] … I appreciate that this year we focused on [both] east and west Africa, not just west Africa,” Germain says.

Sankofa Student Director and dance department head Siri Laney, who is a Blair sophomore, explains that the dances also put

a spotlight on their performers’ talent. “Sankofa is a showcase of African American talent, and dancing is just one of the many, many talents we have within Sankofa,” Laney says. “While some, like African [dance] … and step are meant to inform about the cultures of dance within the African American community, a lot of the [dances are meant] to showcase all of the talent [that] Sankofa has.”

In addition to putting their skills on display, Sankofa fosters connections between Black students. “We really get a sense of community. I remember for my freshman year, I did not know many people of color, and so it was really awkward and I felt [like

an] outcast,” Coly-Boateng says.

“But then when I did Sankofa, I met all these people of color and suddenly I had a new family … and so many more people to meet.”

Sankofa dancer Madina Kante also notes this sense of community. “With Sankofa, we like to think of ourselves as a family … whether you want to or not, it’s a forced thing—you’re gonna be together every day after school, and towards the end of the week, we’re here [from] three to seven [o’clock],” she says. “Helping … uplift each other and show our confidence is what starts to [bring] together the family ties. Even when Sankofa’s over, I see a lot of my newfound bonds still intact.”

PHOTOS BY MARGOT BUEHLER AND DYLAN WARREN

SANKOFA 2024 The theme of this year’s performance was “Black Resistance and Triumph.” The production included poetry, songs, traditional dances, and step interspersed within a storyline.

IN THE BARBERSHOP Play scenes from Sankofa focused on the role of hair in Black resistance.

Por Lukas Barbieri y Dylan Warren Escritores

By Greta Andelman and Diego Santoro-Velez Staff Writers

The smell of freshly cooked samples, the colorful hand-drawn signs revealing astonishingly low prices, and the warm smile of an employee bagging produce are all common practices to see at the beloved grocery store Trader Joe’s (TJ’s). Walking down the aisles of TJ’s, shoppers can find their favorite items decorated with bright, funky fonts and creative titles. The positive sensory abundance that TJ’s provides is one of a kind in the grocery industry, and with an estimated 2023 revenue of $20 billion, it is one of the most successful retailers in the business.

Not your average Joe

This cheerful environment has become the chain’s trademark, as it continuously cultivates an upbeat and quirky atmosphere. With employees wearing hibiscus-accented apparel and shoppers chatting amongst themselves, TJ’s is the antithesis of a cold and monotonous grocery store.

Michael Lewis, who has been a crew member at TJ’s Silver Spring location for over 17 years, explains that this happy atmosphere that customers are exposed to is an extension of the ambiance TJ’s employees build. “We try to create a fun environment among us coworkers, and also to bring the customers into that same experience, so we try to create a good place for people to feel comfortable when they come to TJ’s,” he says.

The shopping experience is further enhanced by Trader Joe’s employees, who always take the time to engage with customers. “[We] really make it a point to reach out to people … there are people who are friends [to me] now that started as customers,” Lewis says. Employees’ exceptional service fosters a community at TJ’s, making the store feel like a local shop rather than a national chain. “We want it to feel like this is your neighborhood store … the store is decorated also [with] familiar landscapes that are painted on the wall … [to] make people feel like this is their local place,” Lewis says.

Another factor that plays into the shopping experience is the uniqueness of the products themselves, which never fail to delight customers. From novel flavor combinations like “Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Pesto Sauce” to distinctive product names like “This Pumpkin Walks Into a Bar,” TJ’s is filled with unconventional yet appetizing options—another reason for its dedicated fan base.

In addition to the quirky items, many shoppers enjoy the smaller size of the TJ’s store. With the average Trader Joe’s being roughly a third of the size of a regular grocery store, the company deliberately maintains limited shelf space. Instead of carrying a wide array of products and brands, the store almost exclusively offers the TJ’s brand, which narrows down the range of choices.

Rosellina Ferraro, an Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Maryland’s Smith School

of Business, explains that while of ten thought of as a deterrent, the lack of options can be helpful for customers. “There’s this phenomenon called choice over load … [where] people say they like a lot of choices, [but] people might put off making a decision if there are too many choices.

Trader Joe’s makes it easy … [since] they’ve put in the work to curate the options,” she says.

Daisy Yang, a frequent customer at TJ’s, adds that the lack of name-brand items is a factor that draws her to the store. “What I like about [TJ’s] the most is the fact that it’s all TJ’s brand … I don’t have the consumer choice dilemma … and I can trust their products,” she says.

Additionally, having the store brand helps ensure the items’ quality, as TJ’s products do not contain synthetic colors, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial preservatives.

“Some of the same companies that are making the products that end up at [other] stores … make it to our specifications with things like no preservatives, no additives, no artificial colors or flavors … if it has a Trader Joe’s name on it, then it has all those qualities,” Lewis says.

In addition to quality control, manufacturing the store brand cuts out the middleman, which helps to reduce costs. Although sometimes considered more expensive, the chain boasts lower prices than

many of its competitors. While the store-brand organic whole milk sold at Whole Foods is $3.39 per quart, Trader Joe’s organic whole milk is $2.50

LIN

ilarly, while fers bananas for 29 cents each, Trader Joe’s sells the same product for just 19

Especially when compared to other stores that provide alternative meat or dairy products, TJ’s provides products of the same quality but at a lower price. “They’re really good about having dairy-free [and] gluten-free stuff that’s much more affordable than Whole Foods or Wegmans … I love that it provides good, healthy food at a pretty affordable price, and that’s why I love shopping there,” Blair social studies teacher Morgan Patel says.

With an Instagram following of three million users, it is clear that TJ’s has secured a dedicated fan base, and it is easy to see why. Along with a large variety of products and competitive pricing, TJ’s specially curated vibe and community are hard to beat. “It’s a completely different kind of … experience than any other store,” Lewis says. “It’s just definitely one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.”

Celebrating 25 years of ‘The Blair

Witch Project’s’ impact on cinema

By Viveka Sinha Opinions Editor

Unless you have been standing in a basement facing the corner since 1999, you have heard of “The Blair Witch Project.” The 25th anniversary of this ground-breaking horror mockumentary will be on July 30. Widely considered one of the most successful independent films of all time, “The Blair Witch Project” utilizes a “found footage” style to tell the story of three film students attempting to produce a documentary about strange and terrifying murders that take place in unidentified woods of rural Maryland. In reality, the film was shot in Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, just 20 miles from Blair, and in the small town of Burkittsville, Maryland, which the film claims was formerly known as Blair.

“The Blair Witch Project” was directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the latter being a Wheaton graduate who was a student at Montgomery College (MC) during the movie’s filming. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999, the movie quickly garnered attention for its innovative approach to storytelling and its chilling, realistic portrayal of supernatural horror. Filmed in only eight days, “The Blair Witch Project’s” budget was initially between $35,000 and $60,000, an astonishingly low figure by industry standards—the average film production budget in 1999 was above $30 million. Nearly 25 years later, “The Blair Witch Project’s” timeless intrigue and persistent popularity has sustained the film as one of the most profitable horror flicks ever.

One of the film’s most influential strategies was the way directors marketed the legend of the Blair Witch as a real event. “It was built as a documentary. We thought it

was real,” Blair literature and film teacher Michael Horne says. “It was a brilliant advertising campaign because I think all of it was kind of free. It’s word of mouth.”

Caetlin Benson-Allott, a horror film professor at Georgetown University, believes the ad campaign contributed to the viewer’s experience. “There was this real synchronicity with this layer with projects between how they advertised it and the movie experience itself. They deserve a lot of credit for that,” she says.

It was the first found footage horror movie in over 20 years. I don’t think we would have had the subsequent American found footage horror cycle without it.

Horne believes the financial constraints surrounding production and the actors’ improvisation make it all the more impressive. “It was shot on a shoestring budget … they were MC students who kind of basically made the whole thing for less than a cheap used compact car. They didn’t really have a script,” he says. “I teach a film class and we talked about [how] the technology that they have on a cell phone is better than what those kids had … I applaud their imagination and their creativity and their spirit in moviemaking.”

Rob Lloyd, a film student and Film Club president at the University of Maryland, who grew up near Burkittsville, is also inspired by the filmmakers’ adaptability under financial constraints. “Every now

and then I think about how they didn’t even own the cameras they shot on, they literally bought the two cameras they shot on and then returned them for a full refund. So as far as the whole production goes, I think it’s admirable,” he says.

The “found footage” style of the film turned the horror genre on its head, adding to the authenticity of the film and leaving a legacy for years to come. “It was probably the scariest movie I’ve seen in a long time. I was really impressed by how scary they made it with almost no on-screen violence. Part of what does [that] is that you just feel so close to these people and their fear,” Benson-Allott says. Danielle Coly-Boateng, a Blair junior, believes the first-person perspective adds to the relatability of the characters. “You’re constantly putting yourself in the position of the characters so it’s much easier to get scared. Horror is scarier when you can relate to the people in it,” she says.

Additionally, the film was authentic due to the treatment of its actors, who weren’t made fully aware of the storyline to evoke a more genuine response. “[The directors] deprived [the actors] of sleep to really get them irritated with each other. Part of the beauty of cinema is that you can capture things that aren’t really acting,” Lloyd explains.

Many feel that the film left a lasting legacy on the media that followed. “It was the first found footage horror movie in over 20 years. I don’t think we would have had the subsequent American found footage horror cycle without it,” Benson-Allott says.

Part of the film’s legacy is its influence on film marketing, specifically its use of the internet. “What we really need to remember was how innovative the campaign was. The Ring used this idea: instead

of fake missing posters, they were dropping off copies of tapes at random video stores,” Benson-Allott says. “But also, it was one of the very first American films to have a website and to have a digital first ad campaign, [which is] another historic precedent that just changed movies forever.”

“The Blair Witch Project” will

remain legendary, not only to its initial viewers, but to the film industry as a whole. “Was it the greatest film ever made? No. But it was influential in that it did start a lot of the internet campaign and the shaky cam and the first person. It revitalized the found footage genre. It was groundbreaking,” Horne says.

PHOTO BY MADELINE GOLD

ROAMING THE AISLES Trader Joe’s has garnered a dedicated fan base from its unique products, low prices, and community atmosphere.

SENECA CREEK STATE PARK “The Blair Witch Project” was filmed in Gaithersburg, just 20 miles from Blair, and in Burkittsville, Maryland.

PHOTO BY FIONA BONDAREV

CAETLIN BENSON-ALLOTT

ALLISON

By Sophie Yohannan Culture Columnist

In addition to a robust political scene, foodie culture, and spring cherry blossoms, D.C. is known for its beloved Smithsonian museums. A visit to one of these museums can be the perfect way to spend a weekend, and there is no charge to enter. This cycle, I’m heading to three Smithsonian museums: Natural History, American Art, and the American Indian Museum.

First, I stopped by the National Museum of the American Indian. What initially struck me was the museum’s architecture. The building’s curved, fluid form invites a connection with the environment and almost imitates a natural rock formation. Inside, I was impressed by models of real kayaks and canoes, recordings of spoken indigenous languages, and an exhibition of an original treaty between an indigenous population and the U.S.—one of many real treaty docu ments that rotate through the mu seum every six months. The exhibit I found most captivat ing was “Ameri cans.” It features a room with walls decorated with countless real-life examples of how Native iconography and names pervade our daily lives, from sports teams mascots to town names to food logos. In just the couple hours I spent at this museum, I learned so much more about Native cultures and history than I had in all my years of school. The Smithsonian’s American Indian museum is a must-visit that presents the rich cultures and critical historical events associated with Native Americans—an understanding that many Americans, including myself before my visit, are missing.

ities of people depicted. By far, the most memorable display was “Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii”—a giant map of the US made of neon light tubing that overlays a mosaic of TV screens playing a cacophony of videos relevant to each state. The interior architecture added to the experience as well. The Greek-inspired building includes palatial columns, vaulted ceilings, ornate tiling, skylights, and warm ambient lighting. We took a break inside the expansive, serene atrium with botanical displays. This museum offers more than a vast collection of artwork; it’s a lovely location for a serene walk in good company.

My final visit was the Natural History Museum. A visit to this famed D.C. institution as a kid is a shared experience for many of us, including myself. But I believe it’s worth a revisit. Contrary to my expectations, the wonderland that is this museum doesn’t lose too much of the magic from childhood to now.

Following

How Michelin restaurants earn their prestige

By Auden Seigel Staff Writer

Behind a frosted glass facade, subtly positioned in the center of Downtown Washington, D.C. lies Chef Eric Ziebold’s two Michelin star-winning restaurants, Kinship and Métier. As customers enter the building, they are met with Kinship, a clean, elegant restaurant with hanging light bulbs and bleached white tables. Beneath Kinship, customers can access the more intimate Métier, featuring candlelit tables looking in on Ziebold’s brigade kitchen through a pair of black french windows, where a team of chefs prepare food for both restaurants.

Dining establishments such as Kinship and Métier have received the highest culinary award—the coveted Michelin star—and take pride in making dining an immersive experience rather than a daily routine.

The Michelin Guide was created by the French tire company, Michelin, in 1900 to encourage drivers to explore French destinations laid out in their guide, such as hotels, gas stations, and restaurants. The original theory was that an increase in driving would in turn boost tire sales, but after introducing a team of anonymous critics to dine around France in 1926, the prestige of the star gained momentum.

restaurants, and The Inn at Little Washington as the sole three-star restaurant.

Stars are awarded after a comprehensive evaluation by a team of Michelin inspectors that includes multiple visits at multiple mealtimes to a prospective restaurant.

Tim Carman, a food reporter at the Washington Post explains that the famously anonymous inspectors are well-qualified, according to Michelin, but this claim is not verifiable. “It’s a rather opaque process,” he says. “Michelin Guide says it hires experienced critics, most of [whom] come from the food industry.”

“[Receiving the Michelin star] was a huge gain for our sustainable mission and proved that even an organization like Michelin is paying attention to the future of food and the importance of sustainability,” Rubba says.

Pricing at restaurants with Michelin stars often reflects their earned prestige and even Oyster Oyster, a restaurant seemingly looking to redefine luxury dining, starts at $135 per person.

My next stop was the American Art Museum. Subdued evening light and the faint chatter of other visitors welcomed me in. Here, there truly is something for everyone. The museum’s exhibitions—sculptures, paintings, photos, folk art, media art, and so much more—cover three centuries of American visual art and culture.

I found myself drawn to the many works where artists captured simple, familiar visions of everyday life, such as a painting of the inside of a subway car and a photo array of diverse American faces. During my visit, my friends and I would try guessing a painting’s title or interpreting the personal-

Maryland 2024

view of the iconic towering African elephant statue, alluring displays and dynamic spaces compelled me to explore every corridor and exhibit. There were interactive elements at every turn; colors and sounds pulled me this way and that. A winding path meant to simulate a time-traversing history of life on earth chronicled evolution, and brought me to a window looking into an actual lab of paleontologists pouring over fossils. In the ocean-themed space, awash with cool blue light, a colossal whale hangs from the ceiling. The atmosphere here was a far cry from the more hushed ambience of my first two stops. This museum was bustling with families and field trippers. The museum’s expansive floors would’ve been enough to spend a whole day wandering.

Throw your preconception of the stuffy, antiquated museum out the window. A visit to one of these institutions is a prime way to enjoy and connect with our lovely Capital. And the three I saw were just the tip of the iceberg; whatever it is you’re into, D.C. probably has a museum for it. Our local museums hold worlds of history, science, and entertainment (for free if you opt for a Smithsonian). And they’re all just a Metro ride away.

Today, Michelin stars are international, awarded to restaurants in 37 countries and multiple U.S. cities with thriving food scenes. Tom Sietsema, the Washington Post’s food critic, believes Michelin stars are so highly sought after because of their global acceptance. “There are other prestigious awards around the world like the James Beard Awards in the U.S., but so far none has acquired the clout of Michelin,” he says. “It’s got worldwide recognition and it has history on its side.”

Alexander Bazan, the general manager of Causa, a new addition to the 2023 D.C. Michelin Guide has noticed that since the recognition from Michelin, Causa has experienced a skyrocket in customers. “The Michelin star has definitely increased people’s interest in coming and checking [Causa] out,” he says.

Ziebold, whose restaurants have both held one star since 2017, believes keeping a Michelin star requires the utmost effort. “[Maintaining] the Michelin standard is a commitment to striving towards excellence,” Ziebold says.

Restaurants can earn up to three stars defined by the Michelin Guide; one star: ‘high quality cooking, worth a stop,’ two stars: ‘excellent cooking, worth a detour,’ three stars: ‘exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.’

In the 2023 Michelin Guide, 25 out of the 3,471 Michelin star restaurants in the world are located in the D.C. area, with 21 onestar restaurants, three two-star

Carman explains that inspectors analyze multiple categories when assessing a restaurant. “There are five criteria that the Michelin judges use: quality of ingredients, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, personality of a chef represented in the dining experience, harmony of flavors, and consistency between inspectors visits,” he says. Few restaurants meet the high expectations of Michelin inspectors, however some chefs are able to gain recognition for their establishments through innovative approaches.

Rob Rubba, the 2023 James Beard “Outstanding Chef” award winner and creator of the D.C. vegetarian restaurant Oyster Oyster, holds a unique spot in the Michelin Guide. Unlike many fine dining restaurants that have historically enabled environmentally unfriendly practices, such as food waste and supporting farms that use pesticides and exploit animals, Oyster Oyster is built around the ideals of sustainability. “All the caviar and truffle is great, but if we don’t have a connection to where [ingredients] come from there’s a loss of value and an impact on the environment, shipping [those luxury ingredients] around the world,” Rubba says. Oyster Oyster runs on locally-sourced food and has eliminated all single-use plastics.

With his growing list of accolades, Rubba hopes to inspire others to continue to make luxury dining better for the environment.

To recognize quality dining that is more accessible, the Michelin Guide also awards a ‘Bib Gourmand’ to more affordable restaurants. In the latest guide, D.C. has 29 Bib Gourmand restaurants. Blair junior Mia Brown recently paid a visit to the 2021 Bib Gourmand restaurant, Succotash.

Brown was amazed by the experience and felt it was well worth the $20 per person bill. “It was delicious,” Brown says. “I had a fried chicken sandwich—best fried chicken sandwich I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

There are other prestigious awards around the world like the James Beard Awards in the U.S., but so far none has acquired the clout of Michelin.

Though Michelin stars symbolize culinary excellence and are a prize many dream of, chefs like Ziebold see the real prize as the creation of a distinguished restaurant that serves the people. “We don’t have any of our awards or accolades hanging on the wall.

Because once you’re here, the fact that we have a Michelin star doesn’t matter because if you don’t have a Michelin type experience … then you’re not going to come back,” he says.

PHOTO BY IAN GLEASON IN THE KITCHEN Chef Eric Ziebold is the owner of Michelin-rated restaurants Métier and Kinship in Washington, D.C.

SOPHIA LI

By Abby Greenberg and Chloe Pegg Staff Writers

Eric Saul is no stranger to Takoma Park’s petty grievances regarding local issues, but it was only in 2019 when he decided to make his opinions public. The issue at hand? A local parking lot being replaced with a building. “It was very comical in itself to sort of hear people blow up over something like, a parking lot was gonna turn into a building,” Saul says about his inspiration. “I just wrote one article kind of making fun of that building in a parking lot, just to be totally facetious, and goofy.” Unaware of the future attention the piece would attract, he posted the article to Facebook under the moniker the Takoma Torch.

“I think if the first article wasn’t successful, I probably wouldn’t have kept going,” Saul admits. But, luckily for Takoma Park residents and the larger Washington, D.C. area that the Torch makes fun of, his article was a hit and Takoma Park’s first satire newspaper was born. Over its five-year run, the Torch has received recognition from big publications, including the Washington Post and the Washingtonian Magazine.

The Torch is part of a small community of satire papers in Montgomery County including The Silver Splinter, The Snitch, and The Montgonion. Satire newspapers vary in many factors, including size, language, and audience, but they all have one thing in

Hilarity ensues

A look into satire newspapers

common: a desire to make people laugh.

Satire has a long history, tracing its origins to ancient Roman critics and appears in many forms, including newspapers, TV shows, and plays. Currently some of the most well-known modern examples include The Onion and The Daily Show.

The Onion, self-described as “America’s Finest New Source,” was founded in 1988 as a weekly print newspaper by two humor-minded classmates at the University of Wisconsin. It has since become a nationwide success. Jordan LaFlure, The Onion’s managing editor, describes the paper’s appeal as a daily news source for the public. “If The Onion is breaking news, then something horrible has happened,” LaFlure says. “We do timely coverage, but we also do just slice of life, you know, quiet referential references to daily life.”

People will allow [themselves to] be disarmed by satire jokes just long enough for a little kernel of truth to slip through.

JAMES LEE

Satirical publications like The Onion inspired B-CC senior Wren Buehler to begin crafting her own articles. In the height of the pandemic, Buehler stumbled across The Snitch, B-CC’s emerging sa-

tirical newspaper. “I found this stuff super captivating,” she says. Buehler has risen up the chain of command to Editor-in-Chief and hopes to continue writing satire at Vasser, where she will attend college next year.

From the influence of The Snitch sprung the Silver Splinter, Blair’s very own satirical newspaper. “I would say the biggest inspiration was that my brother went to B-CC, and they had a similar paper,” Justin Rosentover, founder and editor of the Silver Splinter, says about The Snitch.

It is evident among all satire papers that comedy is serious business. To be successful in the satire newspaper business, practice and collaboration are key. “I would tell a more junior satire writer that the expectation that a joke you’ve spent a lot of time on is perfect and in need of no notes, is naive,” LaFlaure says. “You benefit a lot from collaboration, by design, a satirical endeavor that has been contributed to by many will be superior than a singular vision.”

Satirical newspapers can also offer valuable commentary on society. “People will allow [themselves to] be disarmed by satire jokes just long enough for a little kernel of truth to slip through. Often people will hear a joke where they refuse to even hear an alternative point of view if it’s made in a serious context,” James Lee, an editor of the religious Christian satire site Babylon Bee notes.

Lee also emphasizes that satire sites can offer a healthier alternative to keep up with current

Le carnaval

By Alayne Lopez Rodriguez Guest Writer

Cette fête de costumes vifs et de grands festins se célèbre partout dans le monde. En fait, le carnaval existe depuis l’Antiquité. À l’époque, les Grecs et les Romains se déguisaient pour honorer certains dieux. Pendant ces fêtes, les citoyens pouvaient oublier les structures et hiérarchies sociales en portant des costumes. Par exemple, on pouvait voir les pauvres déguisés en rois ou les hommes en femmes. Puis, l’Église a finalement décidé d’adopter le carnaval. Donc, le carnaval tombe juste avant le carême, qui est une période de pénitence pour les chrétiens. Avant ce jeûne de quarante jours, les chrétiens mangent beaucoup de nourriture grasse. Alors c’est possible que le mot “carnaval” vient des mots latins, “carnem levare,” qui signifie le retrait de la viande.

Comment le carnaval est célébré dépend du pays. Si on va en Italie, on voit les gens

porter des costumes élégants et des masques mystérieux. Par contre, le Brésil est connu pour ses grands défilés avec de la musique samba, des costumes à plumes, et des performances exceptionnelles. Alors qu’en France et aux États-Unis, par exemple, les défilés sont très similaires. Les gens portent des tenues vives et chantent pendant les défilés. Pour fêter le mardi gras le 13 février, on a eu plein d’activités pour les étudiants de Blair. On a décoré des masques, peint des visages, pris des photos, mangé des beignets, et plus. En général, quelle est l’importance d’apprendre sur le carnaval? Il est évident que chaque région a créé sa propre version du carnaval en prenant de l’influence de sa culture. En appréciant les différentes façons de célébrer le carnaval, on peut reconnaître l’unité du monde. Si vous cherchez des similarités entre une culture avec la vôtre, vous pouvez vraiment vous sentir plus proche avec le reste du monde.

events. “It allows you to keep up with the news, but not to let it have power over you in the same way,” Lee says. “When you can laugh at things, it reduces people’s fear about them.”

However, not everyone appreciates satire newspapers’ sense of humor. In 2022, the Babylon Bee was suspended on X, then known as Twitter, over a joke misgendering U.S. Assistant Health Secretary Rachel Levine. According to Lee, the site is frequently the target of fact checkers. “Our reach gets reduced by fact checkers labeling us as misinformation, even though it’s clearly satire, we label ourselves as

satire,” Lee says.

More recently,

The Torch has been a target for its satire jokes. On Feb. 21, Saul was awoken in the middle of the night by police.

The Montgomery County State’s Attorney is moving to criminally charge Saul for a satirical tweet he posted to the Takoma Torch’s X account poking fun at Ryan Miner, a local public figure and founder of “A Miner Detail.”

While as of Feb. 26, Miner has formally requested to withdraw the criminal harassment complaint he initiated against Saul, the decision to proceed with or dismiss charges ultimately rests with the State’s Attorney.

Even with controversy, satire brings a special understanding to every joke. Lee explains how jokes can be sentimental and meaningful. “The reason I like it is because you can interpret it in different ways. I think underlying a joke can actually be a lot of sweetness. So a kind of awkward tension between the surface interpretation and the actual underlying sentiment, [it’s] really beautiful and funny,” he says.

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Chips Clips

Nonograms

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

Five friends bought concert tickets to shows coming up in the next few months, but the ticket service mixed them all up! Use the clues below to help them sort the tickets back out so everyone can get to their concerts. Mark the grid to the right as you figure out which things go together. For every matching pair that you figure out, fill in the 1x1 box in the column and row that matches the pair. Then, cross off all the other 1x1 boxes in the same row and column within that bolded 5x5 box.

The April concert ticket cost $40 less than Javi’s ticket.

The Coldplay concert is not in July.

The ticket to the concert in May cost $20 less than Evan’s ticket. Zora’s ticket didn’t cost $60.

Chris’ ticket didn’t cost $100.

The Coldplay concert is either the one happening in March or the concert Javi is going to.

Of the concert Zora is going to and the concert in April, one cost $40 and the other is the TV Girl concert.

The concert Evan is going to, the Kacey Musgraves concert, and the concert with the $80 ticket price are all different shows.

The Drake concert cost $60 more than the concert Evan bought a ticket to.

The March concert ticket cost more than the Kacey Musgraves ticket. Hayley did not buy a ticket to the Hozier concert.

The May concert ticket cost $60 less than the June concert ticket.

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

Jigsaw Sudoku

In each column, each of the digits 1–9 appear once.

In each row, each of the digits 1–9 appear once.

In each bolded “jigsaw piece”, each of the digits 1–9 appear once.

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

Musical Mess

MADELINE GOLD

MADELINE GOLD

MADELINE GOLD

JOSEPHINE BRUNN LAKE

Passion, predictions, and punishments

The culture of fantasy football

By Sohccem Ruphael and Abigail Greenberg Staff Writers

The laxative mile, loser tattoo, and one chip challenge are all popular public humiliations for people who finish last in their respective fantasy football leagues. The widely known game was first introduced in the 1960s by a man named Bill “Wink” Winkenbach and his friends while they were visiting New York City with the Oakland Raiders, now Las Vegas Raiders. Since then, fantasy football has taken the public by storm.

It became really interesting when I was doing it. It’s just really fun to organize the team and trade with people.

During a disastrous Raiders (113) season in 1962, Winkehnbach, minority owner of the Oakland Raiders, came up with the idea to establish the first fantasy league, the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League. In the league, Winkenbach and his friends managed their own teams and drafted players to see whose team would perform the best in actual NFL games. At the time, players could only win points for touchdowns and field goals. Today, players can also win points

for passing, receiving, and rushing yards. Winkenbach constructed the rules in a Manhattan hotel with Bill Tunnell, the Raiders’ Public Relations Director, and Scotty Stir ling, an Oakland sports writer. A year later, the first draft took place in Winkenbach’s home.

The first public fantasy football league debuted in the late 1960s at a bar in Oakland. The community grew immensely through the de cades, but experienced its biggest boom following the creation and advancement of the in ternet and smartphones. In 2022, 29.2 million people in the U.S. played fantasy football.

In a fantasy league, each person is the general manager of their team and they “draft” NFL players based on how they think those players will perform statistically throughout the season. During the season, each person selects a lineup for every week and different members of the league are matched up. For every run, pass, catch, and touch down, fantasy points are added to the team’s score. The team with the most fantasy points by the end of the week wins that week. This cycle continues each week, up until the playoffs. The overall winner of the league is awarded a prize based on the guidelines of the league,

while the loser awaits their punish with her husband to have a suc-

cessful season in the league. “I let my husband do the draft. We are a team together. He’s the [general manager] and I’m the coach. So, I do the weekly lineups and he does the drafting and the trading and all that stuff. We manage it pretty well together,” she says.

For many, the post-season is the most exciting fantasy football stage of all, as it involves preparing punishment day. Prior to the start of the NFL season, many leagues decide on a punishment for the person who finishes last place at the end of the season. Mclaughlin’s league decided on a ruthless punishment.

“The loser had to eat a bowl of chipotle, take laxatives, then run a mile,” he says. Punishments motivate players to craft a thriving team and stay invested in their team all season. “[Punishment] makes [the league] even more intense, especially in the last week when the two worst teams are playing against each other. [You] have to win, [you] have to go all out,” MclaughSocial media inspires many extreme fantasy football punishments, some of which have gone viral on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. “I’ve seen the cage, where people throw flour on them and dump sauces and jams,” Blair

senior Gabe Marra-Perrault says. A group of Blair juniors opted to take inspiration from social media for their fantasy group’s punishment. “We were going to do [the cage punishment], but then we saw another punishment that was more fun, which is where we record really cringy videos and post them on Instagram so everybody can see,” Blair junior Elliot Kleiner says. Although it is only Kleiner’s first year in the league, he quickly enjoyed the game. “It became really interesting when I was doing it. It’s just really fun to organize the team and trade with people,” he says.

[Punishment] makes [the league] even more intense, especially in the last week when the two worst teams are playing against each other.

The draft picks, strategies, and punishments all add to the excitement and appealing social environment fantasy football creates. “I just enjoy beating [my] friends and talking about it at school and over text. Especially when you have one of your players that just pops off and has a great week. It’s just fun to see and [it] makes football much more fun to watch,” Mclaughlin says.

Beyond the whistle High school referees face challenges head-on

By Keelin Pegg and Auden Seigel Staff Writers

On a cool December afternoon in 2019 at Blazer Stadium, a championship soccer match between two United Premier Soccer League semi-pro teams was abandoned moments before halftime. It was not because of threatening weather or a critical injury, but because an enraged assistant coach ran onto the field and hit the referee, Paul Seiberlich, in the face. Seiberlich suffered a detached retina and a concussion. The assailant had also verbally and physically assaulted another referee at a soccer match the previous week.

I [had] no protection and 35 guys with baseball bats [were] behind me.

The incident is not an outlier. Nationwide, physical and verbal abuse of referees has become an increasingly urgent problem. In a 2023 National Association of Sports Officials survey of almost 36,000 sports officials from across the nation, responses showed that over 50 percent of all respondents feared for their safety at some point in their career and nearly 70 percent felt sportsmanship has been worsening.

T.C. Cameron, a National Fed-

eration of State High School Associations and National Collegiate Athletics Association certified referee, who officiates in Maryland and D.C., notices real examples of these findings in his career. Cameron was involved in a frightening incident in 2006 where he feared for his safety. After he made a correct officiating decision that won a small college baseball team their conference championship, an angry fan and the losing team’s players stormed the field and blocked Cameron from leaving the stadium.“I [had] no protection and 35 guys with baseball bats [were] behind me. [The fan] raised his hand and a fight ensued,” Cameron says.

14 years later in 2020, the incident led Cameron to testify for Maryland State Bill 1034, which proposed that second-degree assault against a sports official be considered a felony. In Cameron’s written testimony, he stressed the rapid increase of aggressive behavior from coaches and spectators against referees. “Today, there’s at least one parent or coach at every football or basketball game I officiate who goes from unfiltered to unglued as fast as a Corvette goes from 0 to 60, while modeling behavior that was considered obscene 15 years ago,” he wrote in his testimony. “Today, it’s commonplace.”

Refereeing at all levels can be difficult. A professional soccer referee, who prefers to stay anonymous, acknowledges that the challenges do not just disappear. “At the professional level, we’re held to very high standards, right, even though we’re not being paid nearly as much as the players are. The standard that people expect is that

you’re perfect,” they say.

In addition to safety concerns, another challenge for officiating associations is the referee shortage. Numerous factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, aging officials, and the uptick in aggressive spectator, coach, and player behavior have led to many referees taking on a heavier workload as others leave the profession.

What the biggest challenge is across the nation with officials is that we are losing officials.

For Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) Coordinator of Officials Ken Zazmarek, grappling with the referee shortage and its repercussions is the hardest part of his job. “What the biggest challenge is across the nation with officials is that we are losing officials,” he says. “We’re having a growing number of older officials who are still officiating, but we’re not having many young officials coming in to replace them. So there’s a pretty bad attrition problem.”

Kazmarek explains that every referee must complete a training process that is several weeks long to ensure that they are prepared to make the right calls and take control when games get out of hand. “It can run between seven and nine weeks in preparation to become a high school official,” he says. The

former basketball official explains the process’ two main parts: a few weeks of classroom instruction to double down on game rules and a few weeks where referees-in-training are walked through game-like scenarios to learn the correct positioning and signals.

Keiara Avant, a basketball referee in the DMV area, notes the specific challenges being a referee has. “Most people on a day to day basis do not have to deal with the taunting and disrespect coming for them simply showing up to work,” she says.

Quinn Stofa, Blair varsity football quarterback and lacrosse defender acknowledges that despite many criticisms, referees play an important, difficult role. “Don’t take what people or what the fans say to heart, because at the end of

the day we need refs. We can’t play games without refs,” he says. “I respect what they do.”

Charles Schedler, an MCPS basketball referee, wishes more people understood that while referees face tough challenges, passion for the game drives them. “We all make mistakes, and we learn from our mistakes. And that’s the best thing about officiating,” he says. “I just think people just need to take a step back and just let the players play. Let the coaches coach and let the officials officiate.”

In Cameron’s case, the challenge of refereeing is what draws him most. “It’s a challenge to walk in the gym and say ‘I can do this. I can make sure this game comes off without an incident.’ It’s that challenge that keeps me coming back,” he says.

ELLIOT KLEINER ON THE COURT Referees take a break and speak with each other during halftime.

PHOTO BY IAN GLEASON

T.C. CAMERON

KEN ZAZAREK

By Eliza Warren Sports Columnist

March Madness season is upon us and it must be celebrated. With betting, pools, and odds galore, what better way to commemorate the iconic month than with a look back on a few of the greatest moments, games, and March Madness runs in history.

University of Pennsylvania’s 1979 Final Four Run

Ivy league schools are typically known for their brains rather than their brawn, so when an Ivy League makes it deep into March Madness, it is already a big deal. As the University of Pennsylvania’s (Penn) 1979 Final Four run marks the last time an Ivy League made it to the Final Four, their story is one to hear.

When Penn showed up on the March Madness bracket for the eighth time in 10 years, nobody blinked an eye, yet they caught the sports world’s attention as they began to take their opponents by storm. They started the tournament with a 73-69 win over eighth-seeded Iona University, before defeating

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the first-seeded University of North Carolina (UNC) in a dramatic upset with a score of 72-71. They then went on to claim victory over both Syracuse University and St. John’s University before shocking the world with a trip to the Final Four.

The championship game was in sight, but first, they had to face off against the ultimate Goliath: Michigan State University and their star, Magic Johnson. Unfortunately, Penn was unable to pull it off and lost with a dramatic score of 10167, but their run will be considered one of the greatest NCAA Cinderella stories for the rest of time.

Villanova University’s 1985 upset victory over UniversityGeorgetown

In 1985, the first-seeded Georgetown University Hoyas consisted of five future NBA players, including Patrick Ewing. The team was unbeatable. Except, the eighth-seeded Villanova Wildcats beat them and a classic David versus Goliath story was born.

Georgetown went into the 1985 March Madness final against Villanova with a record of 35-2. Villanova had entered the tournament with a 19-10 record. Two of those

losses had been at the hands of the Hoyas. The odds were stacked against the Wildcats, and Villanova coach Rollie Massimino said before the game that his team would need a perfect game to win. Luckily for them, that’s exactly what it was.

The Wildcats went 22 of 28 from the field, including nine of 10 in the second half, and went 22 for 27 from the free throw line. Despite 17 Wildcat turnovers and the lead changing more than eight times, the Wildcats came away with a win of 66-64.

The 1985 Wildcats remain the lowest seeded team to ever win a national championship and left a legacy behind in the Villanova bas ketball program.

George University’sMason2006

Final Four Run

Everyone enjoys a good Cinder ella story and George Mason Uni versity’s March Madness run to the final four in 2006 is up there with the best. The Patriots, as the team is known, did not qualify for the tournament through an automat ic bid. However, they entered as the 11th seed and took the sports world by storm.

The largely unknown team had no star players and little experience competing against such highly re garded names in college basketball. Yet, at the beginning of the season, senior co-captain Lamar Butler told a sports psychologist that his team would go to the Final Four, and that’s just what they did.

George Mason began tourna ment play with a 75-65 win over the sixth-seeded Michigan State Uni versity, who had reached the Final Four in the previous year. They then went on to beat third-seeded UNC and seventh-seeded Wichita State University before meeting the University of Connecticut (UConn) in the Elite Eight. By this time, the Patriots’ fan base had grown expo nentially. Their title as a Cinderella

team was solidified when they came back from being down 12 points in the first half against UConn to win the game 86-84 in overtime.

Despite their loss to the University of Florida in the Final Four, the Patriot’s 2006 run is one for the history books.

Louisiana State University women’s 2023 Final against

The final also saw a match-up between two up and coming women’s basketball stars, LSU’s Angel Reese and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. During the game, Clark broke the record for most individual points scored across a National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) tournament with 191. Buoyed by Clark’s increasing popularity and her unstoppable efforts during the tournament, the game also broke the record of the most television viewers for an NCAA women’s basketball game. A record 9.9 million viewers tuned into the Unfortunately, if I were to mention every glorious March Madness moment, there would be no room left for anything nately, new moments are soon to be made in the 2024 women’s and men’s ments. Tune in starting on March 19 for the nament and March 20 for the women’s tournament and watch them occur in real time. Be sure to fill out your brackets and get excited for this year’s Cinderella

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Rigorous athletic schedules lead to burnout

By Nikki Tjiputra and Sasha Vesensky Staff Writer & Features Editor

“It was probably two in the morning and I was still working on some homework. I realized I had practice the next morning and I just broke down and I ran to my dad and I woke him up … I was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” ex-swimmer Dorothy Smith says about the moment she quit competitive swimming. Smith, a junior at BASIS charter school in Washington, D.C., is one of the many high school students that experience burnout due to a rigorous athletic schedule.

On Jan. 22, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a clinical report detailing the effects of overtraining on young athletes. According to the report, burnout is most common during the transition from middle to high school, with 70 percent of children quitting sports by age 13. Burnout—a result of continuous stress due to a sport—is one of the two primary causes for waning athletic vigor, the other being injury. This stress can be caused by many factors, including overtraining, a packed schedule, additional academic stress, and excessive pressure from coaches, teammates, or parents. Smith explains that she struggled to balance swimming with academics, which took a toll on her health. “It got to the point where

I could not sustain both because I wasn’t getting enough sleep. I wasn’t taking care of myself,” she says. “I wasn’t doing the things that I needed and my physical and mental health was really [depleted] so I needed to choose.”

While focusing on one sport can be strenuous, putting too much energy into several sports increases stress on high school athletes. Since sports are separated out into seasons for high school, many athletes choose to play two or three sports a year, meaning that they almost always have practices before or after school. Blair junior and three-sport athlete Ainslie Curran-Ng’asi expresses difficulties in managing all of her sports’ practices. “I’m conflict[ed] right now because my club coach is wondering if I’ll be able to come to more soccer practices, because basketball season is coming up, but I’m not sure yet because lacrosse season is starting in two weeks. So, I think it does cause more burnout because it’s harder to manage overall.” she says. According to the AAP report, students should not participate in more than one sport per day, and must be able to take several months off from playing sports in order to

prevent burnout. Parents are often a huge influence in whether their kid specializes early on. Some parents push their kids to join a competitive team with hours of weekly practice while still in their first years of elementary school. Blair Assistant Athletic Specialist and softball coach Kristin Cole believes that children should be able to direct their future without their parents forcing

them into a sport they may not want to do. “I think it’s really important to let the child, the athlete, choose what path they want to go in and what they want and not [to live] vicariously through your children,” she says.

Pressure from enthusiastic parents to perform well can exacerbate burnout in student athletes. Blair junior and two-sport athlete Nigisti Asmerom has felt stressed when she felt she did not perform as well as she expected. “It’s the expectations really that are held. Parents keep their kids to such a high expectation … and sometimes when you fail to meet those expectations … you’re like, ‘oh, I didn’t score this amount of points. My parents are getting mad at me. I suck,’” she says. “That continues with the next practice and the next practice, and you just have to keep going at it. If you get in that negative zone, it’s hard to get yourself out of it.”

The effects of burnout do not go away after athletes quit their sport. It can take months or years for an athlete to recover and find a new routine after constant stress and a repetitive schedule.

“I think it takes [retired athletes] a while to find who they are [after

Dangerous gains Examining adolescent steroid use

quitting their sport] because a lot of times the burnout comes from playing that one sport and playing it all year round and that becomes your identity,” Cole says. “So when you stop playing that sport, you kind of lose who you are and it takes time to figure out who you are again before you move on to new activities.”

I think it’s really important to let the child, the athlete, choose what path they want to go in and what they want and not [to live] vicariously through your children.

There are several ways to reduce burnout but most importantly, taking a break can help reset an athlete’s mindset towards their sport.

Cole emphasizes the importance of having other activities and interests outside of sports. “Take a break. Rest. Take some months off from the sport,” she says. “Sometimes trying a new activity, whether it’s another sport or picking up a different hobby [will] kind of balance the offset and the burnout.”

By Emily Kretschmer and Chloe Pegg Staff Writers

In 2017, the National Institute of Health (NIH) published a study showing that “between 1% and 12% of high school boys and 0.5% and 3% of high school girls report use of anabolic steroids.” When applied to the Blair community, in the 2022-2023 school year as many as 245 students are predicted to have used PEDs in a bid to improve athletic performance. While the true figures are impossible to know, as people who take such substances are unlikely to reveal their usage, experts agree that steroid use among high schoolers is an ongoing and potentially increasing problem. “It’s serious, I’m shocked by the percentage of kids that are abusing steroids in schools.” Ashley Ward, a licensed pediatrician who has been doing oncology research for the past 11 years, says. “Nobody talks about it but if you look in the literature, it’s around 10 percent. That’s a lot.”

Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of testosterone that can be taken orally, injected, or applied as a gel or cream. They fit under the umbrella of PEDs—substances that athletes and non-athletes use to enhance performance or to become leaner or more muscular. Although teenagers represent over 75 percent of steroids users overall, as of now there are no official screenings for steroids or PEDs among Montgomery County students or student-athletes.

Blair junior Leo Morales, who weight lifts and wrestles, believes that while PED and steroid use

is addressed in health and weight training class, it should be talked about more, as many people are likely motivated to take such drugs.

“There’s definitely more people considering taking it,” Morales says. “I’ve heard many people consider taking it and not consulting with doctors, or they say, ‘Hey, I found this guy who can hook me up with something.’”

If you go into any gym, you’re going to find people addicted [to steroids].

Physical aesthetic and low self esteem are two reasons why teenagers take PEDs. Blair junior Adam Bregman powerlifts in tested competitions but believes that insecurity plays a large role in those deciding to dope. “I’d say the main driver of steroid usage would be a feeling of inadequacy in oneself,” he says. “You want to be bigger, you want to be stronger, you want something that these steroids are being used to enhance.”

Often the motivation to look a certain way comes from social media. “Online, people post that they have really good physiques,” Morales says. “And they set a really high expectation that young people think they have to meet.”

This peer pressure only serves to create harmful spaces . “Sometimes people can go down this rabbit hole of … just really toxic

spaces where it doesn’t do anything to help their body dysmorphia,” Bregman explains. “It just kind of furthers negative images of themselves, which just by creating that toxic self image, it furthers just a toxic environment in general.”

Weightlifters can get addicted to their training because of the adrenaline and appearance changes that come as a result of using steroids. As such, the negative environment Bregman described is often found in gym culture. “If you go into any gym, you’re going to find people addicted [to steroids],” Robert McMahon, a Blair weightlifting and physical education teacher says.

Pressure to perform offers another explanation for steroid use. “At a big high school like Blair, where you really have to be incredibly gifted in order to even play on a team, the pressure for kids is just through the roof,” Ward explains. Increased muscle mass can provide a boost to students desperate to make a team or get playing time, but these “improvements” come with a cost.

While doing her residency, Ward saw the dire consequences that can occur when teens abuse steroids. “[I treated] a patient who was admitted to the hospital with psychosis [that] was found to have been caused by illegal steroid use,” she says. “Illegal steroid use tends to make people more aggressive. It can also cause, in some severe cases, psychosis, like I saw in my patient, where people have hallucinations and can be very manic or very aggressive and unable to control their outbursts.”

While teens who abuse steroids and other drugs may recognize the short-term consequences, they of-

ten do not consider the long term ones. “You could be using steroids in your 20s and not see anything wrong with your health until your 50s,” McMahon emphasizes. “There’s an attitude of, well, I don’t want to live forever. When I’m 50 or 60, I want to die anyways, you know, it’s too old.”

Steroid use can have lasting impacts on one’s health, especially regarding reproductive organs.

“There can be permanent impacts on fertility, that can result in users not being able to have children lat-

er and permanent changes in sort of sexual and reproductive function,” Ward says.

Performance enhancing drugs such as steroids only feed on concepts of toxic body expectations, as they can be the most straightforward way to achieve the “perfect” figure. “We all know that, the pressure to look a certain way comes from our peer group … and in our culture, the standard is for men to be muscular and for women to be thin and I think drugs are the easiest way to do that,” Ward says.

ESTIMATED STEROID USE AMONG BLAIR STUDENTS These values are estimates based on Blair’s 2022-2023 school year data of 3204 students, and a 2017 study published by NIH titled “Performance-Enhancing Drug Use in Adolescence.”

GRAPHIC BY EMILY KRETSCHMER

ROBERT MCMAHON

Changing the rep

Making space for women in weightlifting

By Doris Wang and Norah Wilson Staff Writers

In fitness centers globally, the historically male-centric weight room is experiencing a notable increase in women. Social media lifting accounts and clubs focused towards women’s weightlifting are becoming more and more popular.

Male-dominated gyms have often kept women from feeling comfortable while working out. “There are a lot of guys [at the gym]. It’s pretty rare for me to see a girl, especially a girl around my age. I usually go in the morning on the weekends and [there are] like almost all old

men [there],” Blair sophomore and weightlifter Mackenzie Lyons says. “It can be really intimidating.”

Girls That Lift, a Blair club that meets in the weight room every Tuesday and Thursday during lunch, aims to increase accessibility to weightlifting at Blair. Edie Boyar, a resource teacher at Blair, started the club as a place for girls to weightlift in a safe environment.

“We decided to create a space where girls felt comfortable just being themselves and being in an environment with just all other girls,” she says. Along with the club becoming more popular with female students, more female teachers have become interested in the club.

Girls That Lift is now sponsored by Blair staff members Leslie Blaha, Angelique Bosse, Kallie Haas, and Wanda Johnson.

Blair senior Josie Gleason started weightlifting this school year in

Blair’s weight training class and has learned to enjoy it despite initially struggling with the lack of women’s representation. “It’s kind of hard to get into, especially since you see a lot of men do it, so it’s a little intimidating at first, but once you learn, it’s fun to get into and it’s also fun to do with friends,” she says.

It’s kind of hard to get into, especially since you see a lot of men do it, so it’s a little intimidating at first, but once you learn, it’s fun to get into and it’s also fun to do with friends.

Given that weightlifting is often viewed as a predominantly male activity, there are many stereotypes on women who weightlift. However, the increasing female presence in the sport has begun to lessen stereotypes. “[More women weightlifting] gets rid of the stereotype that when girls weight lift, they get really muscular and beefy, which is less feminine. I think it allows people to see that you can still be strong and not giant too,” Gleason says.

Competitive Maryland powerlifter Mariela Olivares started competitive weight training when she was 40 and has weight lifted since high school. Olivares notices the negativity many women weightlifters face online. “[Some people]

don’t think that somebody small and a woman could be strong … I’ve seen it online [and with] other people I know. [I see the] negative commentary that if a woman decides to be strong and to have muscle mass, then it’s masculine,” she says. “I don’t understand why that’s a negative thing.”

In the past, societal expectations have steered women towards forms of exercise that are less intensive than weight training, but with the rise of women’s weightlifting expectations are changing. “I think just in the past year-ish at my gym, I’ve seen more women and more girls my age going into the weight room mainly. I feel like in the past I’ve seen a lot of women on the cardio machines rather than in the weight section. It’s really cool to see that transition,” Lyons says.

[Weightlifting is] so customizable, you can customize it to fit your likes, you can train as hard as you want, you can train as light as you want, [and] you can decide what you want to do on a certain day.

Although only 20 percent of American women weightlift, weightlifting has many benefits for both men and women. Weight-

lifting can increase metabolism and improve body composition, strengthening bones while helping to maintain muscle. “I’ve seen better sports performance [and] I get injured less because of weightlifting. I play frisbee and I had stress fractures [from it] so being able to lift was still a way to maintain some level of fitness without putting impact on those [fractures],” Lyons says. Similar to many other forms of exercise, weightlifting offers various physical benefits, including the release of endorphins, which can alleviate pain and boost mood.

Along with the benefits weightlifting has on the body, many enjoy that it can also be personalized to fit their exercise habits. “[Weightlifting is] so customizable, you can customize it to fit your likes, you can train as hard as you want, you

can train as light as you want, [and] you can decide what you want to do on a certain day,” Lyons says.

The increase in female students at Blair taking up weightlifting is also noticeable for male students.

“I definitely support women in pursuits like sports and lifting,” Blair sophomore James Attis says. “I’m on the wrestling team and in the last couple of years there’s [also] been an uptick in girls that wrestle.”

Weightlifting allows those who do it to boost their self-esteem.

“[Weightlifting increases] body confidence plus mental confidence. We all have to feel good in our skin at the end of the day, so I recommend anybody trying any type of exercise, but particularly weightlifting,” Boyar says.

JOSIE GLEASON

PHOTO BY ANAGHA BHUVANAGIRI

MACKENZIE LYONS

FEMALE STUDENTS Weightlifting in Blair’s weight room

A monumental move D.C. teams announce relocation to Virginia

By Jay Clouse and Ethan De Brauw Staff Writers

On Dec. 13, Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced that the Washington Capitals hockey team and Wizards basketball team agreed to move their arena from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. to a new arena in Alexandria, Virginia in 2028. The nonbinding agreement, which still needs to pass the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate, is expected to cost nearly $2 billion. The deal recently took a hit in its hopes of passing the Virginia House, as leading lawmakers removed the arena from Virginia’s fiscal budget.

The deal has upset many Washington fans. Many see Leonsis’ move as a purely profit-motivated decision, as he is expected to profit off the new $2 billion arena. “You already have a ton of money. So why make this move? You know, it’s crazy because it’s all about money. In the end, it’s all about money,” lifelong Capitals fan and Blair teacher Douglas Wilson says.

Danilo Azcerate, a junior at John F. Kennedy has lived near Washington, D.C. his whole life and grew up attending Capitals games at the Capital One Arena. “I live fairly close to Capital One Arena, so I go to many games, [I have made] many friends [there], many birthdays spent in that arena,” he says. “[The Capitals] won a Stanley Cup Championship there, we celebrated [the] World Series there, so there’s a lot of great, fun moments there for me and my family.”

Azcerate was also inspired by the Capitals to get more involved in hockey himself. “I’ve played on the ice arena with the caps, I’ve played [the] mites on ice [kid’s event],” he says. Upon hearing that the team was moving away from Washington, D.C., Azcer-

ate was overcome with emotion. “I thought it wasn’t real, then when I realized it was real, I got really pissed,” he says. “I’m still kind of in denial I just didn’t of it. It just like it was gonna be a possibility. ”

the fact that the Capitals are leaving, Azcerate plans to keep going to games and support ing his team, albeit in a reduced manner. “I mean

I feel like I will [keep go ing to games], because I support the team. I’m not gonna go as frequently, and if I go, it’ll be more of a special occasion,” he says. “I’ll probably go to like two games a season, or so, as opposed to like 10 games.”

new [general manager] and I think a new team president. They finally traded their two best players which I thought was good,” Paschane says. they kind long, and they’re tanking in now, the top draft picks aren’t supposed to be really good … They suck, but at least -

Elliot Paschane, a senior at Blair, has been following the Wizards for his whole high school career, and has noticed the team’s poor performance in recent years.

“Years of mediocrity, frustrating mediocrity, the team refused to sell their good players and rebuild so that kind of got them stuck,” he says.

I think moving the [Wizards] when they’re getting good again … that could really hurt their connection with their fans ... Ted Leonsis, please stay in D.C.

In May 2023, the composition of the Wizards front office staff changed. “Last summer they got a

Then the Wizards decided to move, and now Paschane is unhappyfect me that badly, but I am sad to see it happen,” Paschane says. “It is unfortunate that if I continue to live in this area it will be a lot harder to go to the games.” Paschane also feels the move is a detrimental choice for a team that is already in a tenuous position. “The Wizards are in a very fragile situation right now, where they’re rebuilding and they’ve sucked for a long time, and they have a lot of disillusionment from their fans, so I think moving the team when they’re getting good again … that could really hurt their connection with their fans,” Paschane says. “Ted Leonsis, please stay in D.C.”

The decision to move states also conflicted with new legislation. On Dec. 13, Muriel Bowser, Washington, D.C. Mayor and Phil Mendelson, Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, announced legislation that would renovate the Capital One Arena that was unanimously supported by the D.C. council. When Leonsis made it apparent that he was more interested in land in Virginia compared to D.C.’s renovation offer, Bowser prepared to

fight the move. Bowser’s office reminded Leonsis of a pre-existing lease to have the Wizards and Capitals play in D.C. until 2047. The mayor’s office continues to remind the Capitals and Wizards of their success in the D.C. area. “I think the Monumental sports teams, the Wizards and the Capitals playing in their downtown arena is the best thing for fans, the best thing for the region, and I actually think is the best thing for Monumental because they have been partners of ours for decades. They’ve been very successful there, and we think they’re making a huge mistake with their brand to go through this process,” Priscilla Thomas, Press Assistant in the Office of Communications for the Mayor, wrote in an email to Silver Chips. Leonsis had already secured funding from Virginia to build a new arena at Potomac Yards along the Potomac River.

Capital One Arena started as an idea from Abe Pollin the former owner of the Washington Capitals and the Wizards, then Washington Bullets. In 1994, Pollin proposed building an arena for his two pro fessional teams. Wash ington, D.C. agreed to give Pollin five acres between 6th and 7th streets Northwest. In 1997, the Capital One Arena opened in the struggling Chi natown district. Since then, the arena has boosted the area’s econom ic growth. According to a February 2023 Gallery Place - Chinatown corridor study, Capital One Arena visitors generated approximately $22 million in gross tax revenues.

local businesses. “When you think about Capital One Arena having 250 [to] 300 events per year, I mean, that is an incredibly robust and active facility. And anytime you think about losing something like that, you’re going to lose tax revenue, you’re going to be worse off in the city,” Washington Post sports journalist Sam Fortier says.

I’m still kind of in denial about it, because I just didn’t see any signs of it. It just didn’t seem like it was gonna be a possibility.

Bowser has started planning for the Capitals and Wizard’s departure, releasing a plan to revitalize downtown D.C. on Feb. 26. Bowser’s plan “identifies a set of targeted initiatives and a detailed roadmap for the reimagination of Downtown D.C.” The plan is focused around public safety, improving business, developing residential areas, prioritizing public transportation, and setting their plan

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With the threat of the Capitals and Wizards leaving, there are expected to be severe economic implications for

Despite the announcement to move, it is not a done deal. The relocation is still subject to change. “I mean, it’s a rapidly evolving, incredibly dynamic situation … I would say the odds of this thing working out are much closer to 50/50 than people realize. It’s going to be a huge fight in Virginia,” Fortier says.

ALLISON LIN

ELLIOT PASCHANE