June 2017 -- Silver Chips Print by Silver Chips Print Online Edition

Montgomery Blair High School SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND

A public forum for student expression since 1937

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June 1, 2017 VOL 79 NO 7

MCCPTA missing funds

Frozen in time

By Isabella Tilley and Gilda Geist

An internal audit of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA)’s checking account in April revealed that $39,000 had been withdrawn and improperly disbursed between July 1, 2016 and March 31. Police are investigating the case, which was brought to them on April 10 by former MCCPTA President Paul Geller. Questions surrounding the MCCPTA’s finances began in late January, according to current MCCPTA President Lynne Harris. “There were concerns raised about the MCCPTA finances at that time, because there were some monthly officer’s reports that were presented that claimed the organization began the fiscal year with a $23,000 deficit, which was untrue. The organization began the year with about a $12,000-$13,000 carryover from fiscal year 2016,” Harris said. According to audit committee member Laura Stewart, a board member raised questions about unusually large gaps in the sequence of check numbers in a board of di-

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

DANCING THEIR HEARTS AWAY Senior Mariz Mossad dances with 2016 alum Sascha Newton-Mason at Prom. Upperclassmen danced all night to cap off their high school career with a magical night to remember, frozen in time. Red was a popular color among soon-to-be graduates displaying their Blazer pride one last time.

see MISSING FUNDS page A2

Blair mourns sudden loss of student By Serena Debesai

Freshman Mark Jean-Louis passed away suddenly on May 18 while in the hospital. The specific cause of death has not been formally disclosed. Blair students and staff were informed of Jean-Louis’ passing after an announcement made by Principal Renay Johnson on May 19. On May 26, several students attended the funeral of Jean-Louis at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Silver Spring. According to an email sent to parents by Johnson, the Jean-Louis family opened the service to the entire Blair community. Cards and monetary donations from students and community members were collected by the main office and presented to the Jean-Louis family at the funeral service. Many of Jean-Louis’ peers remember his vibrant and cheerful personality. “He was always in a good mood, and he would laugh at anything whenever you would speak to him,” freshman Jose Saquic said. Even students who were not close with Jean-Louis were shaken at the news of his death. “Even though I did not know him that well, I was still a little bit

shocked by it,” freshman Emmanuel Joanie said. “I am really going to miss him.” Grieving students and teachers were allowed to leave class to receive counseling services in the media center. “We had the open area in the media center for students that needed to be out of class to grieve or be with friends or meet with their counselors,” counselor Suzanne Bray said. “We had that space available for any student that needed it and that space was available throughout the entire day.” MCPS also mobilized resources to aid the counseling department. “We had counselors from a number of high schools and middle schools nearby come to help work with students as well,” Bray said. “We had school psychologists as well as employee assistance people here to deal with any staff that needed to process or talk it through.” Bray encourages any students who may be struggling to cope with the loss of Jean-Louis to visit the counseling office. “We definitely try to keep our doors open during those lunch periods, but students are able to come see us for that individual counseling anytime they need to,” Bray said.

Reﬂexión personal Creciendo sin padre y volviendo en una mujer fuerte. CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

NEWS A2

OP/ED B1

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

COURTESY OF RENAY JOHNSON

SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS Softball and baseball tean members pose after softball defeated Bethesda-Chevy Chase and baseball enjoyed a walk-off victory over Walter Johnson on May 17.

Spring sports ﬁnd postseason success By Henry Wiebe

Blair spring sports enjoyed especially successful seasons and deep playoﬀ runs. Baseball, softball, and boys’ and girls’ lacrosse all landed key victories in high leverage situations. Baseball beat Richard Montgomery, Bethesda Chevy-Chase,

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and Walter Johnson to set a school record for playoﬀ wins before falling in the Regional Finals to Northwest, the eventual 4A state champions. Softball also lost a close game to Northwest, who won the 4A state championship as well. Boys’ lacrosse also set a Blair record for playoﬀ wins this season,

making it all the way to the State Semiﬁnals before losing to Severna Park. Severna Park went on to claim the 4A Boys’ Lacrosse State Title. Girls’ lacrosse defeated Northwood, Springbrook, Paint Branch, and Eleanor Roosevelt before being bested by Severna Park in the State Semiﬁnals.

Sligo Gazette

13 Reasons Why

Non-binary athletes

A look at the student newspaper of Sligo Creek Elementary School.

Controversial depictions of suicide in new Netﬂix show encourage dialogue.

How gender nonconforming athletes navigate a sports world deﬁned by gender.

LA ESQUINA LATINA C1

SAMI MALLON

FEATURES D1

ENTERTAINMENT E1

COURTESY OF CLAIRE HIBBELN

CHIPS CLIPS E3

SPORTS F1

A2 News silverchips Montgomery Blair High School 51 University Boulevard East Silver Spring, MD 20901 Phone: (301) 649-2864 Winner of the 2015 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Winner of the 2015 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown

Editors-in-Chief: Alexander Dacy and Olivia Gonzalez La Esquina Latina Editors-in-Chief: Michael Hernández and Sofia Muñoz Managing News Editors: Gilda Geist and Leila Jackson Managing Op/Ed Editors: Serena Debesai and Erin Namovicz Managing Features Editors: Cole Greeberg and Isabella Tilley Managing Entertainment Editors: Emma Cross and Hermela Mengesha Managing Sports Editor: Henry Wiebe Ombudsman: Laura Espinoza Newsbriefs Editors: Gilda Geist and Leila Jackson Staff Writers Noah Chopra-Khan Elias Monastersky Executive Business Directors: Karen Depenyou and Ariel Zhang Business Staff: Julia Henderson Kanani Jiang Honor Kalala La Esquina Latina Writers: Bridget Laas Laura Mendez-Pinto Lourdes Reyes Valenzuela Managing Media Coordinator: Ben Miller Managing Photo Editor: Chaminda Hangilipola and Sami Mallon Photographers: Avery Brooks Jedediah Grady Elia Griffin Amarins Laanstra-Corn Hannah Schwartz Managing Art Editors: Carly Tagen-Dye Marissa He Artists: Jenny Cueva-Diaz Niamh Duecy Amy Krimm Aritra Roy Managing Design Editors: Hermela Mengesha and Isabella Tilley Puzzle Editor: Neal Sarkar Copy Editors: Divya John La Esquina Latina Advisor: Dianette Coombs Advisor: Jeremy Stelzner

Silver Chips is a public forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions. Unsigned editorials represent the views of the editorial board and are not necessarily those of the school. Signed letters to the editor are encouraged. Submit your letter to Jeremy Stelzner’s mailbox in the main oﬃce, to room 158 or to silver.chips.print@gmail.com. Concerns about Silver Chips’ content should be directed to the Ombudsman, the public’s representative to the paper, at silver.chips. ombudsman@gmail.com. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.

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June 1, 2017

MCCPTA audit finds missing $39,000 Police are investigating the improperly disbursed funds from MISSING FUNDS page A1 rectors meeting on March 2. Harris said that there were also questions about projected expenses and how they were being carried out. On March 28, an audit committee was formed, which included Stewart, MCCPTA Health Safety Subcommittee member Stefania Clerici, and MCCPTA recording secretary Oriole Saah. They reviewed the ﬁnancial activities of the MCCPTA since July 1, which was the beginning of the MCCPTA’s ﬁscal year, as well as the beginning of Lisa Betts’ term as MCCPTA treasurer, which ended when she resigned in March. From examining bank statements, the committee found that the $39,000 had been withdrawn from the MCCPTA checking account gradually since July 1. “The records were kept by the treasurer, and she was the one providing the bank statements, so when we formed the audit committee, immediately we asked for bank records that came directly from the bank,” Stewart said. Committee members found that the bank statements downloaded from the bank website did not match the bank statements that Betts had been presenting at board meetings. “When we actually saw

GILDA GEIST

the bank records that were downloaded directly from the bank, it was very clear that we did not have all the information from the board meetings when we were presented with bank statements,” Stewart said. According to Harris, despite

Betts’ claims that checks were missing due to damage, MCCPTA members found that the checks had been cashed. “Some of the members of the board of directors … noticed that some of the checks that had been allegedly damaged and destroyed had actually been

cashed for fairly large sums of money,” Harris said. The MCCPTA’s bylaws mandate that “funds may be withdrawn from these accounts over the signatures of two of three MCCPTA oﬃcers.” Before the audit committee discovered the missing funds, the designated signatories were Betts, Geller, and former Vice President of Programs Melissa McKenna. Geller and the vice president of programs are no longer signatories because new oﬃcers were elected in April. According to Harris, the improperly disbursed checks appeared to have the appropriate signatures. The MCCPTA is taking steps to prevent this from happening in the future, based on a series of recommendations from the audit committee, according to Stewart. The organization opened a new account and bank statements will now be viewed exclusively electronically. All three signatories—Harris, Treasurer Cheryl Peirce and Vice President of Programs Erin Clegg—have separate logins and will review bank statements monthly. According to a letter to MCCPTA members, the MCCPTA is working with its insurance carrier to try and recover missing funds.

Graduates charged for parking at Xfinity Center By Leila Jackson MCPS charged a $4,540 parking fee to schools whose graduation ceremonies are taking place at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland, College Park. These schools include Blair, Walter Johnson High School, Magruder High School, and Sherwood High School. Because of this fee, graduating Blair seniors each have to pay $7 regardless of whether they are parking cars at the ceremony. The payment covers all the cars that will be parked at Xfinity Center on graduation day. “That’s …

for as many cars as they want to park at Xﬁnity. It’s a blanket fee,” senior class co-advisor Roxanne Fus said. Principal Renay Johnson came up with the solution to charge graduating seniors $7 each to cover the fee because they had already paid their dues earlier in the year for graduation. “[MCPS] … sort of suggested that we could kind of take it out of senior dues but we’ve already collected that. That was collected back in December. We even overcharged the seniors for that money,” Fus said. The invoice for the parking fee

soapbox Seniors, how do you feel about the added $7 parking fee for graduation? “Horrible! Seniors have spent an extensive amount of money already, and graduation fees are already high, so we should not be charged even more!” — Yessie Portillo “It’s certainly not convenient for people who are paying for it, but since graduation is happening at a different location and there may be new costs associated with the change, I don’t want to complain about it.” — Nathnael Legesse “The seven dollar praking fee was distributed at such a late date that many people were unable to purchase promenade tickets.” — Ryan Bratton

SALLY ZHOU

came as a surprise to Fus and Johnson because of the amount of money billed. “We were sort of shocked by that because we weren’t expecting a bill for [$4,540],” Fus said. Johnson sent out an email notifying parents of the charge on Apr. 21. “We don’t have [4,540] extra dollars just sitting around to just pay that bill, so Mrs. Johnson calculated the price among … the number of graduates and just passed it along to the graduates,” Fus said. “We were just as surprised as everyone else.” The fee also cannot be waived unless a student has speciﬁc circumstances. “If you have a ﬁnancial hardship you would have to see Mrs. Johnson and she would have to waive it,” Fus said. She has not received any complaints from

students or parents because of the extra money owed. “We haven’t gotten any complaints and we asked parents if they could aﬀord to pay more to … maybe cover people that couldn’t pay, and parents have been pretty generous,” Fus said. This was as a shock to senior Vivian Bauer who did not know that she had to pay the $7 parking fee until she checked her obligations. “I never got a notiﬁcation,” Bauer said, although she said her parents might have gotten an email. For seniors like Bauer, even though the fee is relatively small, graduation fees can accumulate. “Graduation is already expensive,” Bauer said. “[The fee is] is not that high, but everything adds up.”

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June 1, 2017

News A3

Montgomery County school bus erupts in ﬂames

By Cole Greenberg

A Montgomery County school bus caught fire at the Crabbs Branch Way bus depot in Rockville at approximately midnight on Saturday, May 20. Firefighters arrived on the scene minutes later to extinguish the fire, but only after the flames had spread to two additional school buses, causing over $100,000 in collateral damages. No one was injured. According to Pete Piringer, spokesman for Montgomery County’s Fire and Rescue Department, investigators found nothing on the scene to suggest the fire was intentional. Piringer said that the investigators “believe the fire was accidental and most likely caused by electrical issues in the dashboard area of the interior of the bus.” Officials are still unsure of the specific cause, but have since closed the investigation. Fire and Rescue was alerted to the fire after a security guard on patrol noticed the flames and dialed 911. According to Piringer, it is likely that the fire smoldered on the inside of the bus before becoming noticeable. “By the time Fire and Rescue crews got there a few minutes later, the bus was fully engulfed in flame,” he said. Once on the scene, it took Fire and Rescue between 15 and 20 minutes to put out the fire, which had completely engulfed the vehicle and had begun to spread to adjacent buses. Responders remained on the scene for hours. According to Piringer, there have been similar cases with school buses and electrical issues in the past, but officials cannot make full comparisons without knowing the exact cause of the fire.

COURTESY OF PETE PIRINGER

FIRST RESPONDERS Fire and Rescue crews arrived at the Crabbs Branch Way Bus depot to extinguish the ﬁre.

Up and Coming

June 5 Graduation Rehearsal 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM

June 6 Graduation, Xﬁnity Center 1:30 PM

June 16 Last day of school for students

June 19 Last day of school for teachers

Student & Teacher Awards & Honors Seniors Sydney Acuﬀ and Cecelia Bauer placed ﬁrst in the MCPS United We Learn competition, with their art piece “Marching for Justice.” NSL teacher Allison Russell recieved the Takoma Foundation, Educator of the Year, Azalea Award. Robotics mentor Noemi Kedei recieved the Takoma Foundation, Coach of the Year, Azalea Award.

Teacher Kristin Cole received the Giant Outstanding Teacher Award. Coach James Schafer, senior Sambuddha Chattopadhyay, junior Ben Miller, and sophomore Anson Berns placed ﬁrst at the It’s Academic Championship and the InterCity Championship.

Tribal Dancers placed ﬁrst in the Dance Category at the Moco’s Got Talent Competition.

Teachers Vicky Shaﬀer and Jennifer Hiscock were honored as outstanding educators at the Montgomery County Council of PTAs Special Education Awards Ceremony.

eSenior Ethan Chen gities Symposium.

The boys and girls’ lacrosse team won the 4A South Regional Lacrosse Championship.

placed ﬁrst at the National Junior Science and Human-

The Chemathon Level 2 team placed ﬁrst at the University of Maryland’s annual Chemathon competition. The Level 1 team placed second in their division. Sophomore Sally Zhao placed second overall at the Congressional Art Show. The Chamber Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra, and Concert Orchestra received superior ratings at the Maryland Music Educators Association Festival.

The boys’ baseball team and the girls’ softball team were Sectional Champions. The boys 4x400 M relay placed second at the 4A West Regional Championship. Senior Thierry Siewe Yanga and junior Morgan Casey placed third and ﬁrst respectively in the 800 meter run. Senior Sambuddha Chattopadhyay placed third in the Physics and Astronomy Section at the Internationl Science and Engineering Festival.

A4 News

Newsbriefs

Blair artists highlight Strange Adventures Musical Festival III The Twin Moon Arts Collective will be holding its third annual Strange Adventures Music Festival on Friday, June 9 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday, June 10 from 12 p.m. to p.m at the St. Stephen & The Incarnation Episcopal Church in Washington D.C. They will feature many young local bands and artists from the D.M.V. (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area). Some of the bands, such as Cool Baby, Swan Song, Djembe Jones, and Bust off include Blair students and alumni. Blair alumni rappers Kasey Jones and Walakalala will also be performing. Ticket sales from Strange Adventures III will go to Positive Force D.C., Twin Moon Arts Collective, Earthjustice and Casa Ruby. According to the website, the festival will also have a book collection site for D.C. Books to Prisons. Strange Adventures III will have a “free swap,” where people can bring in clothes, art supplies, or other items to donate. The website says, “the festival is a mixture of indoor and outdoor space with two performance spaces as well as space for art displays, crafts, food, and just plain old hanging out,” and the rules are “No alcohol, be respectful, be nice.” Peformance and Ticket Info Friday: Sitcom, Cool Baby, Tomato Dodgers, Walakalala, Femme Flag, Rat Queens, Aethoes Saturday: Young Bull, Foggieraw, 8Hundred & Kasey Jones, Djembe Jones, Small Dad, Mike of Doom, Foster Carrots, Swan Song, Corbin Butler, Flowerbomb, Bust off, Bleary Eyed, Someday, The Skipps, and more Address: 1525 Newton St NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20010 Ticket prices - Friday: $7.00, Saturday: $15.00, or both days: $20.00

Fatal stabbing at University of Maryland, College Park campus

Richard Collins III, a 23-yearold Bowie State University student, was fatally stabbed by 22-year-old University of Maryland student Sean Christopher Urbanski on the University of Maryland, College Park campus at a bus stop on May 20. The FBI is currently investigating whether the stabbing was a hate crime. Urbanski is involved in an online Facebook group that posted racist memes, it was deleted a few days after the attack. He attacked Collins, who is black, with no provocation or reason, according to a Washington Post article. Collins was visiting two of his friends who are students at the University of Maryland. They were at a bus stop around 3 a.m. when Urbanski approached Collins. Urbanski “started yelling bizarre commands at Collins. He said to the victim, ‘Step left, step left if you know what’s good for you.’’ “It was then that (the suspect) stabbed the victim in his chest,” police said. Collins’s friends tried to resuscitate him before university officers arrived and performed CPR. Collins was pronounced dead at a hospital. Collins was a recently commissioned US Army second lieutenant who was supposed to graduate from Bowie State University later that week. Urbanski was charged with first- and second-degree murder and first-degree assault. It was a completely unprovoked attack, according to police. He is being held without bond, according to CNN. Newsbriefs compiled by Noah Chopra-Khan

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June 1, 2017

Home affordability program terminated

Aid of up to $40,000 helped families with down payments By Laura Espinoza Montgomery County created the Montgomery Homeownership Program in April to help first-time homebuyers afford down payments on their homes. Prospective buyers could receive a loan of up to 40 percent of their family income at a maximum of $40,000 from the program, which ran in conjunction with the Maryland Mortgage Program. The program officially ended on May 22. The program required potential owners to be first-time homeowners, have an income below $130,320 for a household of one or two or $152,040 for a household of three, and take a Homebuyer Education class. The program was slated to end either on Dec. 31 or when the $1 million allotted for the program was depleted. Matt Heckles, Assistant Secretary of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, said that 32 homes were purchased under the program, mainly by first-time homebuyers in their late twenties and early thirties. The county had budgeted for 25 loans. According to program guidelines, an approval from a lender required a credit score above 640, on the higher bounds of a “poor”

ELIA GRIFFIN

FOR SALE The Montgomery Homeownership Program allowed lowincome house buyers to receive up to $40,000 in home loans. credit score, because the program wanted to encourage purchasing homes in the county. “It was started to promote homeownership in Montgomery County, which can sometimes be tough for first-time homebuyers to save the required funds for down payment and closing costs,” First Home Mortgage loan officer Holly Hart said. The loan provided by the county did not charge interest and could only be used to cover down payments or closing costs,

which are fees paid when closing a real estate transaction. According to Hart, down payments are often three to five percent of the sale price, while closing costs are around four percent. Monthly payments to the loan are not required, and the money must only be paid back if the owner sells or refinances the property. Homes in the program had to meet home price requirements of a maximum of $429,620, or $525,091 in targeted areas, such as cer-

tain parts of Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Laurel, and Aspen Hill. Heckles said these towns have high rent prices but low home prices, and the county wanted to specifically increase homeownership in those areas. “Essentially, any home in Montgomery County [is eligible], as long as it’s under the sale price of $429,000,” Hart said. Locations where homes could be purchased were spread across the county, according to Senior Mortgage Banker Trish Broderick (Nationwide Mortgage Lending Standards Identification Number 199949) from Apex Home Loans. “[The homes] vary all over Montgomery County … There’s really no one set area,” Broderick said. More people were able to afford homes because the program was able to cover their down payments. With the termination of the program, prospective homebuyers will have to look toward other Maryland Mortgage Program products, such as a grant that offers four percent of the loan amount for the down payment or closing cost, or push the county to renew the program. “There’s always a possibility for them to renew programs. They do, often, it’s just a question of getting the funding,” Broderick said.

June 1, 2017

silverchips

Are elementary school magnet programs beneficial to students?

YES:

NO:

Magnet elementary school programs provide opportunities for kids from a young age. Educators agree that the early years are a critical time for children to enjoy and appreciate learning, though not all children learn at the same rate or respond to the same AVERY BROOKS teaching. Magnet programs in elEmma Cross ementary schools acknowledge these differences and challenge children who might otherwise feel bored at school. Education systems should be encouraged to find and motivate the high-performing children in a public school system. Not only do magnet programs encourage kids to excel in their areas of interest, but they also help increase success in the school system as a whole. Magnet programs are a privilege for students and can benefit both the students they serve, through increased access to specialized subject areas, and the public school system in general through increased test scores. According to the Los Angeles Times, students in the city’s magnet school performed better on tests, with the number of students that met or exceeded state standards in English jumping 26 percent. These high test scores can induce increased funding, potentially benefitting the entire school. Magnet programs also pose specific academic benefits for individual students. For students who are ready to be challenged, magnets start them on a path that will allow for higher achievement through their academic careers. Hemakshi Gordy, a freshman in the Communication Arts Program (CAP), a attributes her success in middle and high school to her experience in the Pine Crest Elementary School magnet program. “The teachers were really good, and being in a smaller program they could accommodate my needs more and I could go ahead as much as I wanted to,” Gordy said. Additionally, without magnet programs, kids eager to excel are bored in the classroom. Educators agree that a bored kid can be a disruptive kid in the classroom, and one way boredom may arise is if students are not challenged. At best, the student is switched off and disengaged; at worst, a student will become challenging and distract others. Gordy, who had to move to a math class above her grade level before being in magnet, felt that her elementary school non-magnet classes were too easy. “I was bored, I would finish my work early and just read,” Gordy said. Students’ potential development could be capped at a certain learning level if not given access to magnet programs.

Daniel Jones Senior

AVERY BROOKS

“No, you’ve got to let kids be kids. You’re putting so much pressure on them ... when they’re nine or ten.”

While magnet programs can be beneficial, it should be emphasized that successful magnet programs can segregate children from their peers. It must also be acknowledged that there are difficulties for underprivileged students to get into elementary magnet programs. Those with parents who are not familiar with the system and who have switched school systems, such as new immigrants, may lack knowledge of the documents, rules, deadlines, or special testing preparation involved with entry to a magnet elementary program in MCPS. However, there is a lot of merit to magnet programs, and the problems with access to them do not mean that the programs should be abolished. There are ways school systems can direct resources towards increasing access to these programs, and they need to work on including traditionally excluded groups as opposed to shutting down magnet programs. Organizations such as Black CAP strive to bridge this gap by encouraging younger students of color to apply for magnet programs. Junior Marley Majette, co-chair of Black CAP, says that the organization plans to make efforts to encourage minority students to apply to magnet elementary school programs. “It’s part of our long-term plan to hone in on the elementary track because we know that students are put on a certain track towards being in magnet programs from elementary school all the way through high school,” Majette said. At the very least, all parents should be made aware of advanced and magnet options for their children in far broader and better ways than the current system, such as through special events in neighborhoods and communities that traditionally have not enrolled children in magnet programs. Aside from encouraging people to apply, school systems such as Chicago Public Schools have seen success in integration by using applicants’ addresses to consider socio-economic status. Implementing socioeconomic factors into test scores could help bridge economic disparities. Other strategies to increase inclusion in magnet programs include waiving testing fees for entrance into programs or giving all children a chance to have access to material necessary for the test before testing. With these changes, magnet programs could provide more specialized education to all students. These opportunities for more advanced learning contribute to the success of MCPS and the individual students themselves, and otherwise would be gravely missed.

Jordan Wallace Sophomore

AVERY BROOKS

“Yes, some kids are really gifted and they get bored. In the magnet program they’re able to be more challenged.”

Opinion B1

Magnet elementary school programs increase the achievement gap. From the outside, elementary school magnet programs seem like a great way to keep accelerated students engaged and learning on the level and pace AVERY BROOKS that is best for them. While Gilda Geist that is the intention, these programs, known in MCPS as Centers for Enriched Studies (CES), often end up segregating students of different backgrounds and favoring higherincome white students. Elementary school magnet programs foster academic, racial, and socioeconomic segregation and hinder the success of on- and below-grade level students. Although it is critically important to ensure that high-achieving students are challenged in the classroom, this should not be at the expense of other students. One of the largest problems with elementary school magnet programs is that they disproportionately place miTIFFANY MAO nority students on a lower-achieving academic track, thereby increasing the achievement gap. Privileged students of higher socioeconomic status, who are predominantly white and Asian, tend to be the students who have the opportunities that lead them to elementary school magnet. According to a study by MCPS, elementary school CES programs accept disproportionately high numbers of white and Asian students and low numbers of black and Hispanic/Latino students. These CES programs have acceptance rates of 8.9 percent for black applicants, 10.1 percent for Hispanic/Latino applicants, 21.3 percent for Asian applicants, and 22.3 percent for white applicants. Lower income and minority students can be negatively affected throughout the rest of their school career because they are less likely to get into elementary school magnet programs than their more privileged peers. According to Scholastic, Anne Wheelock, author of several books about ability grouping, said, “Once students are grouped, they generally stay at that level for their school careers, and the gap between achievement levels becomes exaggerated over time.” Another problem with magnet programs, elementary or other, is that the

way they measure so-called “giftedness” is largely arbitrary and inaccurate. “Tests are often culturally biased and may reflect ethnicity, socioeconomic status, exposure and experiences rather than true giftedness,” Carolyn Coil wrote in a CNN article. Coil has been working in education for over 30 years as a teacher and learning specialist. One other way that elementary school magnet programs increase the achievement gap is by giving a higher quality of education to the students who are already advantaged. According to a research paper written by Myron Orfield at the Institute on Metropolitan Opportunity, magnet students receive a superior education to other students. “Studies have shown magnet schools to increase student achievement, student motivation and satisfaction with school, teacher motivation and morale, and parent satisfaction with the schools,” Orfield said. One example Orfield gave was a study done by Adam Gamoran of magnet schools across America. According to Orfield, “Gamoran determined that magnet schools were more effective than traditional public schools as well as some private schools … at improving student achievement in reading and social studies.” This phenomenon could contribute to the achievement gap because students who are more privileged are more likely to get into magnet programs. “White and Asian students, who usually are higher achieving anyway because of opportunities [are] going into these programs where they’re going to get the better education,” junior Jaya Hinton, co-chair of Black CAP, says. Black CAP is a group at Blair that focuses on raising awareness of magnet programs to minority students in MCPS and diversifying the CAP curriculum. It should be a priority to make school engaging and effective for all students, not just those in magnet programs. It is impossible to meet the exact needs of every student, but it is possible to get closer to achieving this goal. School systems need to do more than separately enhancing the quality of education for on- and abovegrade level tracks. A new classroom model called Matchbook Learning is built to serve students at many different levels, all in the same classroom. Matchbook Learning starts all students off at their individual competency levels. From there, students go through a cycle of learning that includes four steps: learning and practicing a concept, conferencing with the teacher or other students, applying learned concepts, and testing for mastery. From as young as elementary school age, students are being segregated and minority students and students of lower socioeconomic status are getting left behind. It is true that high-achieving elementary school students deserve a learning environment that fosters their growth, but so does everyone else.

voicebox James McGhee Sophomore

AVERY BROOKS

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong ... as long as low-income families are well informed about them.”

Sky Bloomer Freshman

AVERY BROOKS

“No, It’s really extra and unecessary when you’re in elementary school.”

Ilcia Hernandez Senior

AVERY BROOKS

“Yes, it helped me think outside of the box”

B2 Opinion

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June 1, 2017

Legacy babies, the real recipients of affirmative action

Public institutions of higher learning should end unjust legacy preference policies By Olivia Gonzalez An opinon Amidst the vehement debate over the role of affirmative action in the college admissions process, one truth is often ignored: legacy applicants—those who are close relatives of alumni—have a significant admissions advantage. While this practice is understandable at private institutions, which are not funded by the government, there is no reason why legacy preference should be in place at public colleges and universities. Giving admissions preference to applicants with legacy status is a policy not based on merit, which disproportionately benefits white students and counters the foundational principles of public education. For one, legacy applicants are held to a lower standard than their non-legacy peers. According to a study of academically selective institutions—both public and private—done by sociologists at Princeton University, legacies, on average, have SAT scores 40 points lower than other applicants, yet are accepted at much higher rates. Moreover, legacy status is equivalent to a 160 point boost on the applicant’s SAT score, which is an immense admissions advantage in a process where SAT scores are so heavily weighted. The fact of the matter is that less-qualified students are accepted at higher

rates, solely because of their legacy status. Proponents of legacy preference often equate the process of granting admissions preference to that of recruited athletes, however, there is one key difference: athletes must, in some way, earn their admissions advantage through athletic skill. Legacies, on the other hand, just have a lucky last name. Well, don’t public colleges use legacy preference as a way to increase alumni donations? Nope. A 2010 study on the effect of alumni contributions on funding found that “there [was] no statistically significant evidence of a causal relationship between legacy preference policies and total alumni giving among top universities.” The study focused on the top 100 schools based on 2007 U.S. News rankings, most of which, including the University of Maryland, were public institutions. In short, the data shows that there is no notable financial benefit to having legacy preference at public colleges and universities. Additionally, a 2015 Pew Research Center analysis of higher-education funding found that the largest share of economic resources at public institutions came from state and federal taxes, also known as taxpayers. Despite the fact that all taxpayers devote an equitable proportion of their income to funding public colleges and universities, legacy preference

tips the scale, inhibiting all applicants from having an equitable admissions chance. The problem, however, has less to do with the fact that legacy students are admitted, and more to do with the fact that disadvantaged students are further underprivileged. This systematic advantage for legacies disproportionately benefits white students— legacy applicants are nearly 76% white—whose acceptance rates increase when legacy status is a factor in admissions. The acceptance rates of students of color, on the other hand, move slightly in the opposite direction, according to the Princeton University study. Legacy preference thus counters the effects of race-based affirmative action, and further privileges white students. Public institutions nationwide have to take a step back and evaluate whether their own admissions practices adhere to the foundational principles of public higher education: providing quality, affordable, and accessible education. If colleges and universities have any form of legacy preference in place, they are promoting a policy that disproportionately benefits already privileged students, and is unfair to taxpayers. While the founding beliefs of public education may have been in favor of education for all, legacy preference inhibits equal access to education.

MARISSA HE

soapbox Should legacy applicants be given preference in public college admissions? “I think legacies shouldn’t be given preference during the selection process because it is unfair to the other applicants who don’t have an ancestral history at the college but still have done better than the other applicants.” — Leoul Berhanu, freshman “I think legacy applicants should be equal with everybody else and not get the advantage. If they want to be considered better then they should work for it.” — William Castro, junior “No, because it’s not fair to the people who deserve it but can’t get in because they have no legacy.” — Lisbeth Avila, freshman

Shut up!

MARISSA HE

You’re infringing on my free speech By Noah Chopra-Khan An opinon Burning flags, flying rocks, and broken glass litter the streets. A woman being interviewed by reporters is pepper-sprayed in the face, while a man wearing a bright red Make America Great Again baseball cap is pummeled by violent protesters. This was the scene on the University of California, Berkeley campus, just four months ago, on Feb. 1, 2017. After a full day of student-led peaceful protests, riots broke out. Nearly $100,000 worth of property lay in ruins, all in the name of preventing right-wing speaker Milo Yiannopoulos from giving a talk on campus. Similar events also prevented conservative pundit Ann Coulter from speaking at Berkeley, propolice author Heather Mac Donald from speaking at Claremont McKenna, and conservative author Charles Murray from speaking at Middlebury College. The riots, protests, and violence at these campuses were a shameful affront to America’s democratic values, and are indicative of a growing culture of intolerance to different ideologies on college campuses. Ironically, it was Mario Savio, a student at Berkeley, and a leader of the Free Speech Movement in the 1960s who gave a speech in 1964 dubbing the university a place to “get together with complete honesty to bring the hard light of free inquiry to bear upon important matters.” Savio argued that the institution of the university should not be an adjunct to industry nor an indoctrination of specific ideologies. He called for universities to return to a time where students were encouraged to question, discuss, and criticize all viewpoints and ideas, liberal and conservative. A similar shift needs to be made today. In our current divisive political climate, differing ideas elicit visceral reactions. Institutions of higher education need to be the places where all ideas are examined, discussed, and criticized. They need to be spaces that are

free and safe for scholarly pursuits, controversial speakers, and honest conversations. I am not arguing against protesting or civil disobedience. Historically, protesting has been a powerful tool for speaking out against policies, lawmakers, and systems of oppression. Protesting was necessary at Berkeley in the 1960’s to secure students the right to be politically active on campus. After a substantial amount of political pressure generated by sitins, speeches, rallies and protests, the Berkeley administration relented, and in 1965 began moving towards more liberal policies. There are other more wellknown examples: Martin Luther King’s March on Washington, the 2017 Women’s March, and for Blazers, the Blair walkout. Protesting can be a very effective way to cause change. However, if the sole purpose of a protest or a riot is to silence someone, it is oppressive, chilling, and a sure sign of intellectual weakness. As Senator Bernie Sanders asked in an interview with the Huffington Post, “If you can’t ask Ann Coulter in a polite way questions which expose the weakness of her arguments, if all you can do is boo, or shut her down, or prevent her from coming, what does that tell the world?” The unfortunate message, whether it is true or not, is that while promoting a platform of tolerance, many young liberals cannot bear to hear ideas they disagree with. One of the core values of a democratic society is the freedom to assemble and to speak. The freedom to gather, and share and listen to ideas, even those we do not like. An unfortunate symptom of the divisiveness in this country and the decline in our ability to hear each other, is the willingness to sacrifice that hard fought liberty. In universities, colleges, and classrooms across these United States, students and teachers, conservatives and liberals, and anyone who believes in democratic ideals cannot let that happen; we must help to ensure freedom and safety for everyone to speak, especially the people we most disagree with.

Opinion B3

silverchips

June 1, 2017

My Blair: Personal Column Remembering Mark “Jeffery” Jean-Louis

By Adam Clay Guest writer

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

I was on a field trip when I got the text. Another teacher contacted me that one of my students had died. Shocked, I could only text back one word responses – “Who?” “When?” “How?” I immediately went back to school and went to the media center. Two girls who are in Jeffery’s class greeted me in tears. They have been friends with him since middle school or before and they were distraught. We sat down and I asked them what information they had as I was still trying to process this surreal experience. They told me he was hurt playing basketball. Basketball. I just could not believe it. Whenever a young person dies, it is tragic. It’s tragic because it is unnatural.

And Jeffery’s death is even more unnatural because he was so full of life. When I met Jeffery back in August, I remember thinking he was special. He had this engaging smile that makes you feel like you have known him for much longer than you have. He always made people feel like he genuinely was happy to see them. From my view, Jeffery seemed to be friends with everyone. Jeffery was a model student. He worked extremely hard and took tremendous pride in his work. Jeffery would attend my academic support sessions on a regular basis. He would come to ask a question or see if he was on the right track. He always strived to improve his skills and I loved seeing when a concept clicked with him – his smile would get even wider and he would say “Oh yeah . . . that makes sense.” Then, when we were done talking about English, we explored some other equally important subjects: sports and pizza. Jeffrey loved basketball; it was his passion. He played it daily, talked about it constantly, and even wrote about it when given the opportunity. He also was a loyal Ravens fan and wore his jersey with pride. I often laughed at him and his friends when they argued about the football game the previous Sunday or who was having a better season. I know I spent many of my Mondays when I was a freshman in high school having similar arguments. Arguing about and playing sports is natural.

Attending his funeral service, I learned a little more about Jeffery. I learned that he was heavily involved in Pathfinder Club, which is affiliated with his Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Several members of the club spoke about Jeffery’s faith; his work ethic; his love of life; and, of course, his smile. One of the members of the Pathfinder club said at Jeffery’s service, “While this is a day of sorrow, it is also a day of thanksgiving. We are thankful that Jeffery lived among us.” I am certainly thankful that I was able to know Jeffery even for such a short time. While I am still grieving from this unnatural death, I want to focus more on how he lived his life while he was living. He was kind to everyone he encountered. He worked hard to improve himself and strived to do the best he could, not allowing any obstacle to keep him down. And he worked towards his passion every single day. We all can learn from his example. If we follow his lead, we will remember Jeffery and smile.

AMARINS LAANSTRA-CORN

By Hermela Mengesha In first person

Want to submit a personal column? Email it to silverchipsprint@gmail.com! The Editorial Board will read through all submissions and determine a selection.

Losing time to standardized testing

By Avery Brooks Guest writer

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

Standardized testing for students has been an issue widely discussed for many years, and if you ask any teacher, student, or parent, they will say that tests suck. They are a waste of time, money, and frankly brain capacity. MCPS gloats about reducing standardized testing, but instead doubles the amount of exams we take; rather than giving students two final exams at the end of each semester, they’re giving out four RQAs—one at the end of each quarter. Because four is less than two, right? Moreover, MCPS gives RQAs to students who are simultaneously taking AP, PARCC, and HSA tests. Not only are these tests being pushed for three consecutive weeks for certain students, but testing is not stopping teachers from assigning tests, homework, and projects. Teachers still have to teach their subjects and don’t take into account the fact that students have 10 other tests to stress

about. And it’s not just students; teachers lose planning and grading time because they are forced to proctor and administer tests. While they are proctoring, teachers cannot do anything work related, which might be considered a testing violation. Dealing with both testing and regular schoolwork is inherently difficult, but most students have jobs, sports, and other extracurricular activities on top of that. I personally play softball for Blair and volunteer at a local elementary school. This means that my time is pretty much limited to school, softball, volunteering, and homework. Adding tests to that schedule takes away valuable time that I would spend doing homework in any one of my classes because even when I turn in my test, if I do anything other than twiddle my thumbs or nap, it’s a testing violation. I think these testing violations were created to try and give students more time to catch up on their sleep, because you can’t do anything but sleep in a testing location. On top of that, these tests are loosely based on the curriculum itself and they are more tedious than they are challenging. I find myself dreading sitting in a room for 100 minutes, bored out of my mind, much more than actually having to use my brain to take the test. This is particularly true for the PARCC test. The first time I took this test I was in eighth grade, and taking it was optional. The proctor had no idea what to do and there was too much time to answer a small amount of questions. Not much has changed taking it two years later in tenth grade, except now passing the test is a requirement to graduate. For students taking the tenth grade English

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PARCC, the test is four separate sections spread out among three days which totals up to seven hours of PARCC testing. How in the world MCPS sees this as less testing than previous years baffles me. Additionally, the tests are almost never on schedule and are always adding days to make up for the lost time. This test follows three days of HSAs and two weeks of AP testing. Standardized tests not only take an insane amount of time out of our lives, but they affect the students not even taking the tests almost just as much as the students who have to take them. It has been over two weeks since students have seen a regular school day where the schedule was not altered in any way. When testing is finished, it will have been three weeks of craziness that none of us will ever get back.

Corrections: April 2017

In the story “Waves of change: The evolution of ESOL,” Fridien Tchoukoua was mistakenly identified as “she.” Tchoukoua is a man. In the story “Community seeks action against educator misconduct,” Clovery Elementary School sent a letter to parents on June 27, 2016, not July 2016.

See a mistake?

Email a correction to silverchipsprint@gmail.com!

B4 Editorials

silverchips

June 1, 2017

Let’s respect Ramadan

Refusal to host celebrations is un-American In April, the White House lawn was covered with colorful Easter eggs and thousands of enthusiastic guests for the 139th annual Egg Roll. During Passover—the most widely celebrated Jewish holiday in the United States—a Seder dinner was held for White House staff. While the administration has thrown these lavish celebrations for prominent Jewish and Christian holidays, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has declined to host any celebration for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan—which takes place this year from May 26 to June 24. For the past two decades, various administrations have hosted iftar dinners on Eid al-Fitr, a three day celebration that marks the end of Ramadan. This year, Eid will be celebrated by Muslims from June 25 until June 28 in the United States, however the Trump administration will not host a celebration. Observing Ramadan is an integral aspect of the Islamic tradition; it is believed that this is when the Qur’an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad. Those who celebrate Ramadan partake in rituals throughout the month, namely daily fasting from sunrise to sunset. Fasting for many Muslims means abstaining from not only eating and drinking, but also from having sex, cursing, and acting unkindly. These expectations are in place to help individuals foster self-control over worldly desires, which goes hand in hand with the emphasis on developing patience and compassion during the month. After all of the Islamophobic rhetoric that has been perpetuated by Donald Trump since he first announced his candidacy for President, it is unsurprising that his administration has neglected to honor a holiday so central to Islam. Although declining to host

a celebration for Ramadan is not as outrightly offensive, oppressive, or contradictory as, say, a travel ban preventing millions of muslims from entering the United States, it sends a similar message. In a country that has historically prided itself on being welcoming of all religions, ignoring this holy month sends a message to Muslim Americans that their religion is not as valued or respected as Christianity or Judaism. If the Trump administration wishes to send a political message, this blatant disrespect is not the way to go about doing so. Even George W. Bush, a religious conservative, hosted a Ramadan celebration every year he was in office. Trump may claim that ostracizing Muslim-Americans is evidence of his deep love for socalled traditional Americans, but in actuality, it contradicts cherished American values of religious freedom and acceptance. Muslim students in schools should not have to live in apprehension of these aggressive moves by the Trump administration. Blair, and MCPS as a whole, has a responsibility to foster a welcoming environment for our school’s large Muslim population. NonMuslim students should also play a role by immersing themselves in Islamic culture, either by educating themselves or by attending events held by Blair’s Muslim Student Association. By further understanding Islamic traditions, we as a community can work to reduce anti-Muslim sentiment, and fight back against the prejudiced administration.

Editorial Cartoon

Comments? Questions? Email silverchipsprint@gmail. com!

CARLY TAGEN-DYE

Changes in Chips and in press freedoms By Laura Espinoza Are you sad that your frequent fix of Cole Sebastian’s picture is gone? Well, get used to this face. The face of Silver Chips is changing, too. With a new staff comes a new look, and we’re looking to make several changes to the paper next year that will give you, the reader, a better experience. Minor changes to the fonts and typefaces are being made for your viewing pleasure. Here on Silver Chips, we do not like weak fonts. Since Christian Mussenden is graduating in a few days, Henry Wiebe will be taking over the sports column. “Christian’s Corner” will become “Wiebe’s World” in this edition of the paper. We are confident that he can maintain the same high quality. On the paper, we want to elevate the voices of students who are not always heard in the school. This is why we are moving La Esquina Latina further up in the paper. Students should see this section sooner rather than needing to search for it at the end of the paper. We are also introducing a brand new column written entirely in Amharic for our large Ethiopian population. I encourage you to reach out to some students to keep up with what is being discussed. Here’s a small excerpt from this cycle’s column translated into English: “Although at home I speak

AVERY BROOKS

Ombudsman Laura Espinoza amharic more, my experience is still limited. So I ask that you to write in. Tell me what you want to hear. And if you are particularly passionate, you just might be able to take a crack at writing a column yourself.” Next year also marks the 80th year of Silver Chips’s existence, so we have some surprises in store. We may be getting old, but we are

still going strong. 80 years certainly is a long time, but why should you still care about our student paper? Why should you still care about journalism at all? The truth is, the news we report has few other outlets. We talk about our students’ achievements, but we also give them a public forum where they can express their opinions on real

issues that may not be newsworthy enough for local papers. Not only is the entire institution of a free press under verbal attack from important leaders in our country, but individual journalists and publications face physical assaults and real danger. In the past month, we started to see what happens when vicious rhetoric inspires action. Although

their names may not ring a bell, their experiences should still alarm you. An Alaskan state senators slapped Alaska Dispatch News journalist Nathaniel Herz, and a Montana congressional candidate body slammed The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs, solely because the two of them asked questions. On Tues. May 30, shattered windows were found at the Lexington Herald-Leader building. The suspected cause of the gaping holes? Small-caliber gunfire. Our country values its freedoms. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Freedom of assembly. Why do many forget that our constitution also guarantees the freedom of the press? We pride ourselves in being the land of the free, but when the highest offices in the government are mocking the press, they give others the permission to disregard and abuse journalists as well. What started as name-calling and banning outlets from press conferences has now turned into physical attacks and gunshots. How long is it before an American journalist dies in the line of duty? That phrase is often reserved for our armed forces, but news outlets play a very similar role in keeping our nation and its people safe from its enemies. Our enemies are sometimes among us, even at the local level. Supporting good journalism in any capacity, even Silver Chips, goes a long way toward helping us find and present the truth.

1 de junio, 2017

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La Esquina Latina

Silver Chips 1 de junio de 2017

Profesora latina es reconocida por su pasión y dedicación

Fundación del condado de Montgomery la galardona por su arduo trabajo Por Michael Hernández Cada año, la fundación educacional Marian Greenblatt reconoce a profesores y profesoras sobresalientes en el condado de Montgomery. Esta conmemora los esfuerzos de la Doctora Marian Greenblatt quien trabajó arduamente en la junta de educación del condado desde 1976 a 1984. La Dra. Greenblatt trabajó para elevar los estándares académicos para los estudiantes, eliminar cursos frívolos, disminuir el tamaño de las clases y aumentar los presupuestos de los maestros. Desde el año 1997 la fundación ha galardonado a educadores que llevan poco tiempo en la profesión como maestros pero que demuestran un gran potencial mediante el reconocimiento, “Rising-Star Teacher Award” por sus siglas en inglés. Este año entre las ganadoras de este reconocimiento está la profesora salvadoreña, Yesenia Morales quien actualmente enseña español en la escuela secundaria de Wheaton. Morales creció en los Estados Unidos pero se crio en un hogar donde le inculcaron la cultura latina. Los pilares que la han mantenido humilde ha sido la inﬂuencia de sus padres. Ella dice, “Todo lo que yo hago es para darles orgullo y para que ellos sepan que toda la lucha que ellos hicieron tuvo un propósito.” Sus padres emigraron a los Estados Unidos sin un centavo en el bolsillo pero sus ganas de luchar no dejaron que esto les afectara. Ella logró valorar la educación y tomar

provecho de las oportunidades que la vida le presentaba. No todo fue de color rosa, el proceso de entrar a la universidad fue muy difícil e intimidante porque ella sintió que no tenía el apoyo que necesitaba. Acordándose de los momentos difíciles, ella dice, “Pasé muchas

hablar español. Aunque fue un momento difícil, fue el momento en que nació mi interés de ser una maestra de español.” Años después tuvo la oportunidad de hacer su internado ﬁnal en Blair. El primer semes tre trabajó con la Sra.

CORTESÍA DE MCPS

ENFOCADA Sra. Morales inspira y motiva diariamente a sus estudiantes en Wheaton H.S. noches llorando y estudiando para lograr mis metas.” Morales desarrolló el interés de querer ser maestra de español cuando ella tomó un curso de español para hispanohablantes. Lógicamente como es de El Salvador hablaba un español salvadoreño pero su profesor, quién era un nativo de España, le dijo que su español no era un español apropiado. Morales dice, “El profesor me hizo sentir horrible y dejé de

González y el segundo semestre trabajó con la Sra. Galloway. Morales comenta que ellas son la razón que es la maestra que es hoy día y dice, “Ellas me apoyaron y me enseñaron muchas estrategias, las cuales uso con mis alumnos. Son maestras excelentes, las quiero y aprecio mucho.” Lo más importante que llevó de Blair es su pasión por ser una maestra. Actualmente en la escuela secundaria de Wheaton ella enseña clases

de español 1, dos clases de español 5 y una clase de español para hispanohablantes 3. Ella trata de conectar con los estudiantes mediante un cuestionario que da al principio del año. Los estudiantes comparten sus intereses y ella trata de utilizarlos en sus lecciones para cautivar su atención. Morales comienza sus clases con música de Latinoamérica mientras los estudiantes entran a la clase. Al ﬁnal, hay un boleto de salida para ver cuánto los estudiantes han retenido. Morales no solo contribuye su tiempo durante horas escolares pero también auspicia al club Wheaton Latina Dance. Muchos estudiantes que la tuvieron como profesora en Blair se acuerdan de la técnica que requiere que los estudiantes digan una palabra en la voz que llamarían a su perro. Con esto, es muy fácil poder descifrar la sílaba tónica y poner tildes en las palabras que lo necesitan. Es algo que Morales todavía inculca en sus estudiantes y dice, “Al principio, era la única llamando el perrito porque todos tenían pena. Después se dieron cuenta y lo usan mientras están trabajando en su escritura.” Morales agradece haber decidido ser profesora cuando ve que los estudiantes están aprendiendo y trabajando duro. Morales espera seguir siendo maestra con la pasión de enseñanza. Le gustaría adquirir más experiencia como profesora para poder ayudar más a sus estudiantes. Un consejo que ella recomienda es el aprovechar la educación y otras oportunidades para seguir adelante con la frente en alto.

La crisis en Venezuela: un país rico y pobre a la misma vez

Problemas políticos, económicos y sociales causan éxodo de pueblo venezolano Por Bridget Laas y Laura Mendez-Pinto Venezuela está pasando por una crisis que está causando condiciones de vida muy difíciles y los ciudadanos están sufriendo las consecuencias. La mayoría de la población no tiene acceso a recursos básicos como medicina y comida. Protestas oponiéndose a las acciones del presidente, Nicolás Maduro, llenan las calles diariamente y se están intensiﬁcando cada día. Se estima que el régimen autoritario se encuentra en sus últimos meses de existencia. El gobierno venezolano ha empezado a recurrir medidas drásticas para mantener el poder. Entre ellas se encuentran posponer elecciones, disolver la Asamblea Nacional (el cuerpo legislativo dominado por la oposición de Maduro) y ahora están tratando de reformar la constitución para asegurar la continuación de su poder. El Presidente Maduro tomó poder después de la muerte de Hugo Chávez y trato de seguir los pasos de su predecesor. Chávez ganó popularidad en los años 80 y 90 por sus ideas reformatorias. A los ﬁnes del siglo 20 muchos venezolanos se sentían desilusionados e ignorados por su gobierno y Chávez representaba algo diferente, algo contra lo normal. En 1998 Chávez postuló para ser presidente, prometiendo erradicar la corrupción política, nacionalizar la economía, mejorar programas sociales y redistribuir la riqueza petrolera. Durante los primeros años de su presidencia Chávez era muy popular pero su administración siguió tratando de aumentar su poder y autonomía. A consecuencia de esto el apoyo público empezó a disminuir. En la primera década del siglo 21 protestas contra el gobierno chavista llenaron las calles y el gobierno respondió con fuerza,

disparando a grupos de protestantes. Chávez escogió a Maduro como su reemplazo y Maduro tomó poder en el 2013. Los regímenes de Chávez y Maduro han tenido efectos devastadores en el país. La economía ha sido enormemente afectada. Por ejemplo, Venezuela tiene la reserva de petróleo más grande del mundo, lo cual produce casi todos los ingresos del país. Como

con el valor del dinero. Una inﬂación alta, como hay en Venezuela, causa que los precios de productos suban mientras el valor del dinero disminuye. Para ponerlo en perspectiva, una muñeca de Barbie que cuesta alrededor de $30 en los Estados Unidos cuesta $194 en Venezuela. Inﬂación crea una situación difícil para 76 por ciento de la población que está viviendo debajo de

CARLY TAGEN-DYE

parte de su ideas socialistas, Chávez nacionalizó casi todo el petróleo en Venezuela. Esto significa que su gobierno tomó posesión de las compañías independientes de petróleo. El movimiento de nacionalización ha bajado producción y perdido inversiones. A raíz de esto y de la caída de precios de petróleo en todo el mundo (el valor al presente de un barril de petróleo es casi 50 por ciento menos en comparación con el pasado) vienen las consecuencias como la pobreza, el desempleo y la inflación. En el año 2016 la inflación de Venezuela vio un aumento al 800 por ciento comparado a 2,2 por ciento en los Estados Unidos. La inflación es el cambio de los precios en comparación

la línea de pobreza, apenas ganando suﬁciente dinero para sobrevivir. Los ciudadanos tienen que esperar horas en largas ﬁlas cada día para recibir solo un trozo de pan. Los productos básicos como leche, huevos, papel higiénico y jabón son muy caros y las personas tienen que ir semanas o a veces meses sin estos productos. Al haber menos disponibilidad, los productos que hay son caros y mucha gente no puede pagar tanto dinero con sus salarios decrecientes. Lo peor de todo es que hasta ahora, Venezuela no ha recibido ayuda de nadie. “Venezuela está completamente sola” dice Valeria Durand Gonzales, una estudiante

venezolana del décimo grado. Recientemente Maduro pidió ayuda a las Naciónes Unidas para aliviar la escasez grave de medicina pero no ha especiﬁcado que ayuda está pidiendo y las Naciónes Unidas no ha declarado si van a ayudar al pueblo venezolano. Algunos países han hablado sobre la crisis pero ninguno ha tomado acción a b s o luta. El presidente Donald Trump ni siquiera ha hablado públicamente sobre esta crisis. La única cosa que ha hecho es enviar vía Twitter una foto de sí mismo con Lilian Tintori, la esposa de la ﬁgura de la oposición, Leopoldo López. El secretario estadounidense, Rex Tillerson, ha dicho que los Estados Unidos está preocupado que el gobierno de Maduro esté violando su propia constitución. Es decir que no permiten que la oposición de voz a sus opiniones ni que se organicen de una manera que exprese las opiniones de los venezolanos. En vez de ayudar al país en peligro los Estados Unidos, uno de los comerciantes principales de Venezuela, ha reducido importaciones de productos básicos venezolanos entre los años 2011 y 2015 por 27, 700 millones de dólares. Aproximadamente 84,7 por ciento de estas importaciones eran productos petrolíferos por sí solos. Debemos ayudar a los ciudadanos venezolanos que están luchando para que la situación de su país mejore. Somos uno de los países más ricos del mundo y cómo ello tenemos una responsabilidad de ayudar a los demás países. Valeria explica que, “Venezuela no ha recibido la ayuda idónea para la solución de esta situación, ni siquiera los países vecinos se han manifestado de forma contundente, que lleve a la solución actual del país.” Debemos ser el primer país en ofrecer esa ayuda idónea.

C2 español

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1 de junio, 2017

Canciones multilingües traen la cultura latinoamericana a EE.UU.

Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee y Justin Bieber colaboran para crear la canción del momento Por Sofía Muñoz La inﬂuencia latina se encuentra en muchos aspectos de la cultura americana. Unos ejemplos son la popularidad de restaurantes mexicanos, el uso de la piñata en los cumpleaños y la popularidad del fútbol que sigue creciendo. La música es uno de los aspectos que une las culturas y la música latinoamericana lo hace entre las personas latinas. Los diferentes estilos de música son partes de la vida cotidiana y son centrales a las celebraciones. Aunque muchas canciones han sido populares en Latinoamérica, muchas no logran tener popularidad en los Estados Unidos. El problema de no poder realizar la misma fama en los Estados Unidos puede ser debido a la diferencia de idiomas. Por esa razón muchos artistas latinoamericanos han incorporado el inglés en sus canciones, sea con otros artistas o ellos mismos cantando en otro idioma. Este cambio puede reproducir una audiencia más grande. Uno de los casos más famosos ha sido el de Shakira quien es una cantante colombiana que era popular en Latinoamérica. Cuando lanzó su canción Hips Don’t Lie en el 2006, en la cual canta en inglés y español, le ayudó formar parte del mercado musical en los Estados Unidos. La canción logró estar en el primer puesto del Billboard Hot 100, una lista prestigiosa que calcula las ventas y la música más tocada en la radio y en el internet para demostrar cuales son las canciones más populares del momento. Aunque este éxito ayudó a traer la música latina a la audiencia estadounidense, no fue un acto completamente histórico. La diﬁcultad que se presenta en tener popularidad en los Estados Unidos se demuestra en canciones que son exclusivamente en español. Artistas como Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias y Pitbull han logrado tener cierto nivel de

fama en los Estados Unidos pero con artistas o canciones que incorporan el inglés durante gran parte de la canción. Recientemente, la música latina ha vuelto a tener parte en el escenario americano. La canción Despacito ha crecido a ser una sensación en Latinoamérica y los Estados Unidos. La versión original con Luis Fonsi y Daddy Yankee estuvo por muchos meses en puestos altos en la lista de Billboard de canciones latinas.

inglés, lo cual se encuentra solo en el inicio y en ciertas frases. El noticiero The Atlantic nota que se volvió en la primera canción en español de haber llegado al primer puesto de la lista de Billboard Hot 100 desde la Macarena en 1996. Su fama llegó hasta los pasillos de Blair en donde estudiantes que no son latinos empezaron a escucharlo. Zach Dunne del onceavo comentó que, “Muchas personas querían que sea tocado en el baile de

AMY KRIMM

Como reportado en la revista de música Rolling Stone, Despacito consiguió el puesto de segundo lugar por el video que más rápido ha conseguido mil millones de vistas en YouTube. Hasta con tal fama, la canción Despacito se volvió aún más famosa cuando el artista canadiense Justin Bieber se juntó con Luis Fonsi y Daddy Yankee para crear una versión multilingüe. Sin ninguna forma de promoción antes de que lanzó, la canción se volvió un éxito en poco tiempo. La canción incluye mínimo

prom.” Despacito introdujo la música latina a la audiencia americana con la ayuda de Justin Bieber, mientras Bieber también fue introducido a la audiencia latinoamericana de Fonsi y Daddy Yankee. Un aspecto que ha atraído mucha crítica es pensar que Bieber creó la fama de Fonsi y Daddy Yankee. Cuando muchos artistas latinoamericanos tratan de introducirse al mercado americano muchos dicen que no lo pueden lograr sin pedir ayuda de un artista que canta en inglés. Cuando un artista cam-

bia de idioma, puede parecer que ellos no quieren seguir con sus raíces latinoamericanas. Por esa razón el noticiero de música Rolling Stone aclara que Bieber, “Estaba en un club en Colombia y escucho la canción, le gustó mucho.” Bieber decidió comunicarse con Fonsi y Daddy Yankee para que él tenga la oportunidad de crear una nueva versión. La inclusión de Bieber en la canción es muy distinta a otras canciones que integran a artistas latinos y personas que hablan inglés. En Despacito, Bieber canta en español por gran parte de la canción. El año pasado Bieber creó una versión latina de su canción Sorry con J Balvin. La canción es en gran parte en inglés, con algunas secciones en español de parte de J Balvin. Mientras Sorry fue el comienzo del trabajo entre Bieber y otros artistas latinoamericanos, Despacito muestra una mayor integración de la música latinoamericana. En ﬁn, aunque el esfuerzo de Bieber para cantar en español es sorprendente y diferente a otros artistas, hay unas preocupaciones de parte de miembros de la comunidad latina. Darien Price del onceavo dice que mientras es bueno que la popularidad de Despacito ha ayudado a expandir la cultura latina piensa que es, “malo si solo es para tener más atención y no la respetan.” Hay dudas que otros artistas van a tratar de utilizar la popularidad de canciones latinoamericanas para inﬂuenciar su propia riqueza y no por el amor a la música. Yasmith Ayala, estudiante del onceavo añade que, “No estoy en contra de esto pero pienso que lo están usando para conseguir más fama.” Es posible que otros artistas sigan los pasos de Bieber e incorporen estilos latinoamericanos en sus canciones, pero esperemos que lo hagan sin un acento americano cuando intenten cantar en español.

Evidencia cambia el caso de Reﬂección personal abuso sexual en Rockville H.S. Mirando hacia el futuro con una actitud positiva Por Michael Hernández El 5 de mayo tuvo lugar una audiencia con el propósito de evaluar la evidencia en el caso del supuesto abuso sexual que ocurrió en la escuela secundaria de Rockville. Preliminarmente la víctima, una estudiante de 14 años acusó a dos estudiantes, José Montano y Henry Sánchez Milián de haberla abusado sexualmente en un baño de la es-

CORTESÍA DE BETHESDA BEAT

AYUDA La abogada de Montano hace declaraciones luego de la audiencia que redujo los cargos de su cliente. cuela. De acuerdo a las acusaciones la policía interpuso cargos muy fuertes de violación en contra de ellos, desatando una polémica nacional por el hecho que los dos acusados eran inmigrantes indocumentados. En una conferencia de prensa, el abogado del estado John McCarthy dijo que en la extensa investigación que se llevó a cabo hubo una revisión de las entrevistas con los testigos, los archivos médicos, las 105 cámaras de seguridad de la escuela, la evidencia de ADN y la evidencia en los teléfonos celulares de los estudiantes envueltos en el alegado incidente. Los mensajes de texto fueron traducidos cuatro veces del español al inglés

para poder descifrar el contenido. Después de unos dos meses de investigación y mucha controversia, la fiscalía dictaminó que los cargos impuestos inicialmente no compaginaban con la evidencia. Los abogados de Montano y Sánchez Milián habían difundido públicamente que este encuentro entre las tres personas involucradas había sido con consentimiento y que no era como se estaba especulando. Precisamente la defensa de Montano en este caso, la abogada María Mena, pidió a la fiscalía que se introdujera el video y las fotos en el celular de su cliente como evidencia. Cabe mencionar que dicha evidencia estaba en las manos de la fiscalía y que la víctima no le había informado a los investigadores de la existencia de los mensajes de texto. Luego de este giro muy inesperado, la fiscalía decidió reemplazar los cargos mayores de violación con cargos menores de distribución y posesión de pornografía de menores de edad. En una entrevista con MyMCMedia, la abogada María Mena dijo, “Si ellos quieren poner cargos en contra de mi cliente, ellos también deberían poner cargos a la chica porque ella es la creadora y distribuidora.” A pesar de que los acusados fueron liberados inmediatamente, las autoridades de ICE los estaban monitoreando. El noticiero Washington Post confirmó que José Montano fue arrestado después de comparecer en la corte juvenil el 8 de mayo. Un portavoz de ICE se limitó a comentar por la edad del detenido. Lo cierto es que mientras Montano y Sánchez estén en el país, se les proveerá educación gratuita en sus casas pero no podrán regresar a la escuela secundaria de Rockville según lo indicado por Derrick Turner, un portavoz de las escuelas del condado de Montgomery. Este caso seguirá en los tribunales pero ahora con cargos menores, es muy importante no tomar conclusiones antes del veredicto final.

Por Franchezka Mendoza ¿Alguna vez te han preguntado sobre una persona desconocida y no has sabido qué, ni cómo responder? A mí las personas siempre me preguntaban, ¿Dónde está tu papá? ¿Dónde vive? ¿Dónde trabaja? Yo nunca sabía la respuesta pero les decía, “él está en las fuerzas armadas”, “él vive en Hawái” o incluso “él es el presidente de Nicaragua.” Yo me avergonzaba de no tener a mi papá a mi lado. Cuando era pequeña no sabía que otros niños tenían papás que pasaban tiempo con sus hijos. Pensaba que muchos padres no estaban involucrados en la vida familiar. En mi infancia nunca se me cruzó por la mente que yo era una de las desafortunadas que creció sin un padre. Mi mamá me tuvo cuando solo tenía 18 años y según ella mi padre tenía 19. Al preguntar mi mamá me explicó la razón porque se fue de nuestra familia. Ella me dijo que él no estaba listo para ser papá y asumir la responsabilidad. Yo entendí que él era joven y nunca me molestó no tener padre porque tenía a mi mamá y al resto de mi familia. Ellos me cuidaban y me han querido incondicionalmente entonces nunca sentí que me faltaba algo. La primera vez que la idea de no tener padre me empezó a molestar fue cuando cumplí 15 años y mi familia quería que celebrará mi quinceañera. Al principio quería una ﬁesta pero después me acordé de la tradición del baile de padre e hija. Para mi ese baile signiﬁcaba mucho pero en realidad solo mostraba que yo no tenía un papá que me quería y que mi familia estaba completamente deshecha. Nunca logré entender porque me sentía tan mal porque nunca me había molestado la idea de tener una madre soltera que asumiera los dos roles de padre. Después de pensarlo por una semana, decidí no tener una

quinceañera porque tenía vergüenza que mi padre no estuviera presente en un día tan especial. Comencé a tener rencor en contra de

HANNAH SCHWARTZ

mi padre por no estar en mi vida. Lloraba porque pensaba que yo era la razón por la cual él se había ido tan abruptamente de mi vida. Decidí esforzarme mucho en la escuela y en mi vida rutinaria para poder mostrarle a mi padre lo que su hija podía hacer. Mi meta era hacer que mi papá sintiera arrepentimiento por haberme dejado cuando era pequeña. Hoy tengo 17 años y mi padre todavía no es parte de mi vida. Aprendí que no es algo malo no tener una ﬁgura paternal porque hay muchas ﬁguras maternales que pueden llenar ese vacío. También aprendí que tengo que esforzarme por mi propio bien y siempre enseñar la mejor versión de mí. Este año me gradúo de la escuela secundaria y voy a seguir mi educación en la Universidad de Towson. Después de cuatro años en Towson voy a obtener un título en Antropología Forense y un título menor en lenguaje de señas americanas. No ha sido fácil pero he tenido personas que me han apoyado durante la escuela secundaria y durante mi vida entera. Todo lo que he logrado lo hice sin mi padre. La vida es difícil pero uno no puede dejar que alguien derrote tus sueños. La única persona que tienes que complacer es a ti mismo.

1 de junio, 2017

español C3

silverchips

Horas de servicio comunitario ofrecen experiencias valiosas

Anímate a completar los requisitos de horas de servicio comunitario este verano Por Lourdes Reyes Valenzuela

Hay muchos estudiantes que sin darse cuenta llegan al doceavo sin haber completado las horas de servicio comunitario estudiantil, más conocidas como “SSL hours” por sus siglas en inglés. Este es un requisito para graduarse de la escuela secundaria y obtener un diploma del estado de Maryland. Las horas de servicio comunitario estudiantil tienen una metodología de enseñanza que se destaca en combinar el servicio comunitario estudiantil con el aprendizaje basado en el currículum escolar. El estado de Maryland exige 75 horas comunitarias, siendo este el primer estado en la nación que lo requiere. Al escuchar “horas comunitarias” muchos estudiantes piensan que es algo aburrido o no satisfactorio, pero es todo lo contrario. Lo que el condado de Montgomery quiere es que los estudiantes colaboren, se integren y se diviertan en la comunidad. Es por eso que han decidido que estas horas de servicio comunitario estudiantil sean un requisito importante para poder graduarse. Lo bueno es que las horas permiten que los estudiantes ayuden en cualquier ámbito que se sientan cómodos. Unas opciones son el periodismo; el cual se puede hacer en las publicaciones de Infoﬂow o Silver Chips (para estas publicaciones los estudiantes pueden obtener las horas comunitarias si no toman la clase y donan su tiempo para ayudar), la educación, en hospitales y entre otros ámbitos caliﬁcados por la escuela. Hay varios lugares en donde los estudiantes pueden hacer las horas de servicio comunitario estudiantil. La escuela tiene muchas recomendaciones para que los estudiantes sirvan de voluntarios, por ejemplo en las bibliotecas del condado. Otra alternativa es ser tutor y ayudar a compañeros después de las horas regulares de la escuela. Cuando en duda es recomendado que se someta una

petición o más bien una solicitud para hacer una actividad que no está previamente aprobada por el condado. De no hacer esto uno corre el riesgo de que el servicio comunitario no sea aceptado por la coordinadora del condado y no poder contarlo como horas de servicio.

de abril del doceavo, precisamente antes de la graduación. Otro programa en la escuela el cual ayuda y muestra cómo los estudiantes han hecho sus horas de servicio estudiantil es el afamado “Capstone”. Este programa tiene una feria en la biblioteca que presenta los

CARLY TAGEN-DYE

Muchos estudiantes se sienten satisfechos de completar sus horas de servicio, como Joseph Guevara del décimo grado quien hace sus horas comunitarias en la clase de español para hispanohablantes 1 de la Sra. Davidson. Él dice, “Me siento muy cómodo ayudando en esa clase porque se habla y se enseña mi lengua materna, además de sentirme cómodo me siento muy feliz porque algunos estudiantes me preguntan cuando tienen dudas y se siente bien ver a una persona crecer en un idioma y queriendo corregir sus dudas.” Un dato que a muchos estudiantes les gusta sobre las horas de servicio estudiantil es que al realizar 260 horas o más pueden recibir el certiﬁcado por servicio comunitario estudiantil meritorio. Este se entrega el primer viernes

diversos modos en que algunos estudiantes completaron sus horas de servicio estudiantil y sus pasantías. En esa feria la estudiante Valeria Álvarez del onceavo llamó su presentación, ”Learning has no age” o en español “El aprendizaje no tiene edad.” Ella cuenta que, “Para hacer mis horas comunitarias daba clases de inglés a padres y adultos de habla hispana. Habían dos niveles: el básico y el intermedio. Me sentía bien al ver cómo ellos aprendieron y captaron lo que yo les enseñaba.” Así como estos estudiantes uno también puede aprovechar y disfrutar de completar las horas comunitarias durante este verano. Alguien que puede ayudar a buscar donde completar las servicio comunitario estudiantil es la Sra. Young. Ella tiene su

oficina dentro de la biblioteca y allí puede consultar los gustos de los estudiantes y ayudar a encontrar el lugar ideal. Todos los estudiantes en el condado pueden empezar a completar las horas requeridas después de haber realizado el quinto grado. Es importante mencionar que estas horas de servicio comunitario estudiantil se hicieron efectivas en el estado de Maryland en 1993 pero se comenzó a adoptar por el consejo de educación en 1992 y han seguido siendo implementadas años después. Antes de empezar a completar horas de servicio comunitario estudiantil, el condado recomienda que los estudiantes y padres visiten la página web www.mcpsssl.org para ver un video llamado “Give a Little Time, Make a Big Difference” (Dé un poco de su tiempo, haga una gran diferencia). Para encontrar lugares en donde se puede completar las horas de servicio comunitario estudiantil uno puede verificar en la página oficial de SSL del condado: www. mcpsssl.org. Las opciones que son aceptadas por el condado están marcadas con un icono de birrete de graduación. En una guía para estudiantes y padres de MCPS Jacqueline Deprey, una estudiante de escuela secundaria, captura la misión del programa de las horas de servicio comunitario estudiantil. Deprey dice, “El programa de SSL me ha brindado la oportunidad de hacer nuevas conexiones con distintos miembros de la comunidad con quienes no tengo la oportunidad de trabajar diariamente. De igual manera, el programa me expone a numerosas nuevas experiencias que no están disponibles en la aula.” El verano se apróxima y será un tiempo ideal para completar las horas de servicio comunitario estudiantil porque hay más tiempo libre ya que todos los estudiantes estarán en vacaciones. Es una buena opción para un verano de diversión y contribución.

silverc

June 1, 2017

Phoenix rises from

Kevin Burnes remembers introducing himself to his peers on his first day at the Phoenix S old farmhouse, familiarizing themselves with their new classmates through awkward intro typical first day of high school; at the Phoenix School, Burnes and his peers were seeking t Burnes attended Phoenix in the mid-1980s; the recovery school, which had campuses in Gaithersburg and Silver Spring, has been closed since 2013, but the recently intensified opioid crisis in Maryland is prompting officials to push for its reopening. In March, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency for the crisis and committed $50 million in funding over the next five years to enforce opioid laws, prevent addiction, and treat addicts.

A devastating history

Over the past decade, the opioid crisis has spread rapidly nationwide, and Maryland is no exception to the trend: The Washington Post reported that opioid-caused deaths in 2016 were up 62 percent from the same period in 2015. The addiction crisis has worsened in recent years primarily because of the low cost and widespread availability of opioids. According to a 2015 Washington Post article, a 100 milligram bag of heroin—a commonly abused opiate—costs $5 in Maryland, which is about $1.50 cheaper than the state price for a pack of cigarettes. While cigarettes are heavily taxed in Maryland, there are no financial regulations placed on the sale of heroin, making it widely accessible. Opiate addiction often stems from the over-prescription of opioid pain medications, like Vicodin and OxyContin. According to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) data on the opioid epidemic, over 650,000 opioid prescriptions are dispensed daily. Moreover, HHS also found that 80% of new heroin users started off taking prescription opiates.

Behind the crisis

When it comes to pointing fingers for the opioid epidemic, many blame Purdue Pharma, creator of OxyContin (the best-selling painkiller in the United States). OxyContin allegedly provides 12-hour pain relief, although a 2016 Los Angeles Times investigation found that its effects usually last for a much shorter period. In addition, the investigation found that Purdue often pressures physicians to prescribe stronger doses rather than more frequent ones, even though “research shows that the more potent the dose of an opioid such as OxyContin, the greater the possibility of overdose and death,” according to the report. When taken for their intended purpose of reducing pain, opioid medications attach to nerve cell receptors and give the user a sense of euphoria and pleasure, according to The National Institute on Drug Abuse. Needing more of the drug to achieve the same effect over time, users grow increasingly dependent and get trapped in an addictive cycle, which can lead to overdose and death. Although Burnes himself was not addicted to opiates,

he is familiar with substance abuse and the resulting loss of control. Like many teens, he began drinking alcohol because he was intrigued, but before long, he found himself doing it more often, and was compelled to try other substances. “I was curious, so when I opened the door, it was pretty much instantaneous for me. Initially, it’s fun, it’s a release,” he explains. “You just start to lose sight of your rationale, or maybe you justify things that you would or would not do. Maybe you start with drinking and think, well, I’ll never smoke pot. Then you smoke pot and say, well, I’ll never take pills. Then you try pills … For me, the door was open and there wasn’t anything off limits.”

Working towards change

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allocate funding to 29 states—Maryland included—in order to encourage opioid addiction treatment initiatives. The money from the CDC goes towards bettering prescribing practices, lowering overdose rates, and providing assistance to at-risk communities. In Maryland, the General Assembly passed the Heroin and Opioid Prevention Effort (HOPE) and Treatment Act on April 10. If signed into law by Governor Hogan, the HOPE Act will expand treatment in jails and prisons and mandate the enactment of an overdose protocol in hospitals, among other things. The Bill originally

The rise o

For students sufferin is currently no recover County once hosted the nix School. Phoenix, e with drug abuse to shak Burnes came to Pho ter spending three mon trol his addiction. “I’m homeless at that point, his brain did not regist his problem. “If anythin his parents found out a a therapist and a psych then the Phoenix progra Mike Bucci taught m 20 years. One of only t social studies teacher an ing room of the house a the basic subjects, but th in with each other,” he nix also boasted an ou students would particip teach responsibility. “I

Opioid overdoses killed mo nationwide than car crashe required an expansion of recovery schools and programs, but that section was redacted. According to BOE Member and Special Populations Committee Chair Rebecca Smondrowski, under the HOPE Act, Maryland public schools are required to have administrators, teachers, and nurses trained and ready to respond to an overdose. “The provision requires the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to establish standards for how teachers shall be trained in the field of drug addiction and prevention education,” she says in an email. “With those standards, instruction and a stand-alone unit is required in this field in third-fifth grade, sixth-eighth grade, and ninth-twelfth grade.” Additionally, nurses and administrators must be trained to administer naloxone, a drug that blocks nerve receptors in the brain to reverse the effects of opioids, in the event of an overdose.

you have to be respons somebody’s gotta clean Burnes found the sc sphere to be incredibly sically abstinence, so yo soever,” he explains. “I was really the whole po you were [before].” Phoenix was open un dardized testing in MCP programs ultimately le were doing well [on th in with the alternative p Bucci says. “One of the

Features D1/D2

rchips

m the ashes

School. The group gathered in the living room of an roductions and ice-breakers. But this was not just a treatment for their substance abuse issues.

of Phoenix

ing from addiction and substance abuse, there ery school in Maryland, though Montgomery he first of its kind over 30 years ago: the Phoeestablished in 1979, helped those struggling ake their habits and return to normalcy. oenix shortly before his fifteenth birthday, afonths in rehab, because he was unable to conm running away, I was 14 … so basically I was nt, sleeping outside,” he recalls. He says that ster that drugs and alcohol were the source of hing, it was … the closest friend I [had].” Once about his drug problem, Burnes was taken to chiatrist, where they placed him in rehab, and gram. math and science at The Phoenix School for three teachers—the others being the English/ and the psych coordinator—Bucci used the livas his classroom. “We shared these 20 kids and they also had a group therapy class, checking e says. In addition to traditional classes, Phoeoutdoor adventure program, through which cipate in activities like sports and camping, to “If you are camping with a group of people,

ore people es in 2015 VOX MEDIA

nsible for everybody, somebody’s gotta cook, n up, and so we did that,” Bucci says. school’s emphasis on creating a sober atmoly beneficial. “The idea of the school was bayou are not using any drugs or alcohol what“It really was a safe environment, because that point of the school, was to get you out of where

until 2013, until a newfound emphasis on stanCPS, followed by a centralization of alternative led to The Phoenix School’s demise. “[They] the tests], but the Phoenix kids were lumped e programs in terms of looking at test scores,” e things the superintendent initiated was that

all of the alternative schools [were combined] … and with the consolidation there was a loss of that kind of personal connection, and then the kids that were expected to remain sober and drug free … were in classes with kids who didn’t have these same expectations.” Over the past year, however, there has been a push from the community to reopen the school—or at least to emulate its recovery model—in response to the opioid epidemic. Smondrowski explained that she is working with local agencies to explore different recovery school options in Montgomery County and the area, and that she hopes that the funds needed will be budgeted by the end of the next fiscal year. “Reopening a program such as Phoenix is one of the things that’s been talked about, but there have been other options as well, such as the possibility of a regional center where we reach out to counties local to ours—DC, Virginia, Maryland area—and look at doing something collaboratively,” she says. “We [also] looked at co-locating a Phoenix program with something like Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents (RICA) or the alternative programs.” Local activist Patty Winters and her group Phoenix Rising are working to bring back the recovery school because “nothing’s really in place right now for [addicted] students.” Her group has been attending BOE meetings and presenting information in attempt to speed up the process. She is pushing for the school to reopen because historically, Phoenix was successful in helping addicted students, and she rejects the notion that recovery schools are too expensive. “People always say it’s hard to fund, but then my answer to that is hey, it’s not so much a funding matter as it is a priority, because kids are dying, and this program works,” she says. “It doesn’t get every kid, but it gets a lot of them.” Likewise, Burnes welcomes the attempts to reopen Phoenix, adding that his experiences there helped him to positively sustain himself as an adult. “I think I can say that the place saved my life, above anything. But, beyond that, it builds you up to be hopefully a better human. You’re in an environment where everyone’s helping,” he says. “That’s always stayed an important part of my person and the things I do day to day. I’m a musician. I teach throughout the week, and I think a lot of my [time is spent in] teaching or in giving back … I would say it had a pretty good, drastic effect on the way I am now and the way I view the world.”

Story By Alexander Dacy and Olivia Gonzalez Art by Marissa He Design By Hermela Mengesha and Isabella Tilley

D3 Features

silverchips

June 1, 2017

Getting an early start on the news cycle

The student-run press machine of Sligo Creek Elementary School By Cole Greenberg The newsroom buzzes with a certain kind of commotion found almost exclusively in the world of journalism. As always, there are stories to be outlined and bylines to be written. The sound of hurried keyboards emits from every corner of the room. Eventually, the last members of Sligo Creek Elementary School’s student newspaper club, The Sligo Gazette, arrive at their workstations. Stacy Miller, the paper’s adviser and mentor, immediately begins organizing the third, fourth, and fifth graders into project-based groups around the newsroom. “Friends, as you’re coming in and logging on, if you’re on the World Culture team, you guys need to get together and start writing your articles,” Miller announces to the room. “Salamander Stride team, you guys figure out what the important details are that you want to report to the entire school.” Most of the reporters, now halfway through their fourth and final edition of the year, already know the drill. Each Friday for one hour, the elementary schoolers transform the school’s media center into their base of operations, impersonating the bustle and hustle of the Washington Post or the New York Times. Fifth grader McKinley Jovanovic, the founder of the newspaper club, discovered her interest in starting a school paper after a journalism-related assignment in the third grade. Jovanovic, an ambitious student with the vocabulary of a young Charles Dickens, immediately began exchanging emails with Sligo Creek’s principal Diantha Swift about the possibility of starting the paper. Jovanovic

then recruited Miller to sponsor the club—approaching the teacher with a portfolio of ideas—and by the beginning of the 2016 school year, the student paper became a reality. The Sligo Gazette, a publication distributed only to Sligo Creek Elementary School students, is a six-paged, 8.5x11 inch sized paper complete with light blue headers that divide it into five separate sections: News, Opinion, Sports, French (courtesy of Sligo Creek’s French immersion program), and the paper’s Fun Page (on which the students like to publish cartoons and book reviews).

According to Miller, the vast majority of the paper’s content is decided by the students and tends to be school-event-related, like the front-page article covering Sligo Creek’s mock election last December. “I don’t want to make it too formal for them because this is theirs. I really just try to coach them in it and let it be their product. So they decide what to write about,” Miller says. In the name of self-sufficiency, Miller also encourages the students to peer edit each other’s’ articles and randomly selects a few fifth graders each cycle to manage the layout of the paper.

Although the reporters respond with tilted heads and a collective “ehhh” when asked about their ability to meet deadlines and use proper grammar, working on the paper has helped them to develop a number of skills. For each day of journalistic work, the club has a corresponding day of lessons where the students learn the techniques of interviewing, structuring stories, and finding sources. According to fifth grader Hayley Brewer, writing for the paper has helped her cultivate organizational skills and write with newfound efficiency—Miller requires the students to complete

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

WORKING A BEAT Sligo Creek Elementary School students Juliet Piacsek, Bridget Sweeney, and Sophie Alzona (left to right) collaborate on a newly assigned news story for the “Sligo Gazette”.

an outline and main idea organizer before starting each story. While the educational benefits of the club are plentiful, it is the encouragement and the recognition of being heard that drives the students to write more. As fifth grader Gillian Gilp puts it, “If your name is on the article and almost the whole school reads it, even if they don’t remember the name, they will remember the article.” The weight that journalism gives to writing is just as magnetic for these elementary schoolers as it is for full-grown adults. “I think the biggest thing for them is writing for a real audience, [with] a real purpose, instead of just [writing] because a teacher assigns something,” Miller says. “They know that their words are powerful and can affect people and that their voice is important.” As many of the paper’s original members go off to middle school and then eventually high school, almost every single one of them plans to keep writing. The students may be younger than the average reporter, but they leave a big legacy behind.

This story is accompanied by a digital copy of the Sligo Gazette. To read the paper, scan the code above with a QR reader app. Tea House, Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School Donated by Added Dimensions.

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Features D4

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June 1, 2017

A bold new look: natural The rise of the natural hair movement

By Hermela Mengesha

COURESTY OF CRYSTAL JOHNSON

HEALTHY HAIR TIPS Math teacher Crystal Johnson speaks to an audience about how to find products that are good for their hair.

Assistant principals leave their mark on the school

By Laura Espinoza Assistant principals serve a large role in the school community, often supervising hundreds of students and staff members across multiple departments. At the end of the 2016-17 school year, two of Blair’s three assistant principals— Suzanne Harvey and William Currence—will be leaving the school after years of hard work and commitment to educating young minds. After her daughter graduated from Blair in June 2001, Harvey began working at Blair as an English teacher. Before coming to Blair, Harvey was an assistant principal at Cabin John Middle School in Potomac but decided to transfer schools due to a long commute. Harvey eventually became an assistant principal at Blair after spending time as both an English teacher for one year and a Staff Development teacher for two years. Harvey enjoys the interactions and relationships she is able to form with members of the Blair community. “I thrive and get my energy from being around people because I’m an extrovert. People come first to me,” Harvey says.

this stage of my life,” she says. She plans on traveling, doing home improvement projects, and focusing on leading a healthier lifestyle. Assistant Principal William Currence, on the other hand, originally came to Blair in 2008 as a science teacher. After a brief stint as a testing coordinator, Currence was promoted to the role of assistant principal in 2013. Next year, Currence will work at Hallie Wells Middle School in Clarksburg as an assistant principal. “All of my experience in the county has been at Montgomery Blair, which is a high school. I want to be a principal one day, and so I need to get some more experience,” he says. Currence plans to experience schools and communities outside of the Downcounty Consortium (DCC) after leaving Blair. Although he enjoyed his time at Blair, Currence looks forward to working in a smaller school and interacting with students in a closer capacity. According to him, the large population at Blair often makes new initiatives difficult to implement. “It’s a lot going on when you have a new idea. It’s hard to fig-

“Natural is beautiful,” junior Beamlak Gebre says. It is such a simple statement, and yet she struggles to convey the magnitude behind those three words. For black women, loving the way their hair grows is a challenge that they have been tackling for years and continue to tackle with every afro and cornrow. Natural hair, once an oddity in a country where European features are considered the pinnacle of beauty, is hair that has not been altered by chemicals, such as relaxers, perms, or texturizers, which change the natural texture or curl pattern of hair.

just wore my hair in braids and let it grow out,” Johnson explains. From a young age, Johnson had virtually no relationship with her natural hair. “My mother relaxed my hair when I was three … The relaxer, although it might have made it easier for my mother to manage [my hair], it definitely was not helping me.” Chemically altering hair comes from not only a struggle to conform to Eurocentric standards of beauty, but also a desire to make hair easier to manage. “Natural hair is a lot to maintain,” says sophomore Ramatha Sesay. Sesay often finds herself wearing protective hairstyles. The challenges associated with wearing natural hair are also why

ELIA GRIFFIN

SUZANNE HARVEY

WILLIAM CURRENCE

Rather than focusing on paperwork and computer screens during the week, she prefers face-toface interactions with students and faculty members, and on Friday nights, Harvey stays at Blair to catch up on her administrative work. One of the biggest challenges Harvey faces in her career as an educator is helping students reach their full potential. “It’s always frustrating to me … to see kids who just don’t understand how important it is to them to just go ahead and graduate with their class,” she says. “You can’t take everybody across the stage with you.” After her retirement at the end of this year, Harvey is ready to take time off and relax. “I’ve decided I’m going to just kind of let retirement find me, and I want to sort of figure out who I am now at

ure out who’s available to help do something because everybody’s very busy, and [Blair is] just such a big school,” he says. Because Hallie Wells is a new addition to MCPS, Currence is excited to be a part of creating new programs and building the school from the ground up. With a couple of weeks remaining until the end of the school year, both Harvey and Currence prepare to say goodbye to the Blair community. During their many years in the school, both staff members saw enormous growth in students as they progress from freshman to senior year. “It’s been very gratifying to see the changes and see the growth and the maturity and the understanding of what they need … with students at each phase of their life,” Harvey says.

How-tos and updos

These days, one does not have to look far to see tutorial after tutorial on social media showing young black girls and women alike how to properly care for their natural hair. Not only that, but natural hair salons have begun to gain popularity. Johnson works at N Natural Hair Studio, just a few minutes from Blair, part time. “I love the challenge of feeling all types of hair,” she says. A black woman’s journey to natural hair can be long and ar-

COURESTY OF CRYSTAL JOHNSON

HARD AT WORK When she is not teaching math, Johnson is working with clients at N Natural Hair Studio. Like many other black girls, Gebre was initially nervous about wearing her natural hair. But seeing other girls at school or on TV wearing their natural hair gave her the push she needed to begin wearing her hair with confidence. To Gebre, the natural hair movement is about embracing who you are. “[It is about] telling the world that you’re beautiful just the way you are. You don’t need to perm it or put relaxers to look like the other people,” she says.

many take offense when black hairstyles are appropriated by other races, whether it be in a magazine or on social media. To Johnson, the problem is when the hair that grows out of a black woman’s head is deemed too unprofessional for the workplace, and yet becomes cute and trendy when worn by another race. “If for so long you have

A rocky start ELIA GRIFFIN

criticized me for having natural hair, why now is it cute when you buy the same type of hair and slap on a wig?” she asks.

Math teacher Crystal Johnson went natural at the start of 2008, and by the end of 2009 she had completely transitioned. Johnson had two options when she decided to go natural—the everdaunting “big chop,” which involves cutting off all of the hair that was altered by relaxer in one swoop, or slowly growing out her natural hair and cutting the relaxed hair in increments. While transitioning, many women wear protective styles such as braids, b a n t u knots, and twists. “I

AMY KRIMM

duous as she goes from product to product to find what works for her hair type. Studios, such as the one where Johnson works, provide consultations for women who are unsure of how to properly care and style their natural hair. Johnson enjoys working somewhere where women can walk in feeling at odds with their natural hair and walk out feeling carefree and cute. There are, however, some changes Johnson would like to see in the future. “Even though the natural hair movement is really popular now, what’s advertised most is the people who have the curlier hair, the l o n g e r h a i r , ” Johnson says. “You don’t really see the girl with the TWA, the Teeny Weeny Afro.” Johnson’s experience since going natural has been wonderful, filled with small things such as feeling the air on her scalp to being confident that her natural hair is professional. To those that criticize her natural hair, Johnson says: “God gave me these naps, I’m good with it.”

D5 Features

silverchips

June 1, 2017

Graduating from piggy banks to student loans

A beginner’s guide to personal finances and surviving as an adult Financing your future

By Erin Namovicz In order to graduate high school in MCPS, students must complete courses from a list of required subjects, such as math and English. Missing from that list is a class focused specifically on financial literacy. As a result, many graduating seniors feel unprepared to manage their personal finances after they leave Blair. If you are unsure where to start and are looking to ease your ascent into adulthood, take out a loan for college, or simply find a way to save money from your summer job, then take a glance at this guide.

First step, bank accounts

Remember last summer when you finally cracked open your childhood piggy bank to find that your years of dedicated savings have added up to a mere $37.85? This summer, whether you are working your first job at Five Guys or looking for a way to track your babysitting profits, a savings account is a must-have. If you do not have one already, go to your local bank (there are two within walking distance of Blair) and ask them to help you set one up. You can set up a checking or a savings account, or both. Savings accounts are useful if you want to save your money for an extended period of time and earn interest on it. Checking accounts do not always include interest, but they do make it much easier to use your money in day-to-day transactions. Keep in mind, though, that the average interest rate on a savings account is usually less than one percent. Money can be moved between these two accounts depending on how your bank operates, so remember to ask how this works when setting up an account. Also keep in mind that most banks require a minimum deposit, usually around 300 dollars, to open an account, and that some banks also have monthly fees or minimum balances to maintain accounts. However, some banks have student accounts that waive or greatly reduce monthly fees for

Do I have to pay taxes too?

Once you have income coming your way, you might start to get the queasy feeling that Uncle Sam is watching. Is it time to start paying taxes? When you get your first job with a paycheck, you have to give some of that money to the federal and state government. Up until now, you have probably only helped out

ARITRA ROY

And now, what might be the most timely financial issue facing youth: college loans. If you find that you are not able to afford a college you have gotten into, you may still be able to go there by taking out a student loan. Be sure to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms, which determine your eligibility for student aid from the federal government. These needbased government loans are often subsidized, meaning that they do not have the potential to rack up thousands in interest

Though these are available regardless of financial need, you or your parents must pay the interest on the loans yourselves. Some loans have the potential to rack up large sums in interest, resulting in more debt. According to Jennings, students must be careful not to take out so much money that it becomes a burden to pay back. “Sometimes you’re not really making any money in the beginning, when you first get out of college,” he says. “You gotta get your experience and get in that position that you want, but you know, you have to start paying for

like other loans because the government pays for their interest. Many colleges such as the University of Maryland use FAFSA when determining your eligibility for other grants, loans, and Federal Work-Study. You can begin submitting FAFSA October 1 of your senior year, if you plan to attend college the next year. Pay attention to your specific college deadlines. Still, the government will only give you so much money. Private loans from banks are also available, as well as from private organizations and some colleges, according to College Board. But these direct unsubsidized loans do not come without risks.

that college.” However, you do not need to start paying back these loans as soon as you graduate from college. Whether borrowing from the government or a private organization, you will usually have options to defer the payment of your loan if you continue into a graduate degree or other career training program, the military, or face extreme economic hardship. You may also be granted a six month grace period after graduation until you must begin paying back your student loan or go back to school, depending on the organization you borrow from.

ARITRA ROY

students enrolled in high school or college. After setting up a checking account with a debit card, you can download your bank’s mobile app to check your balance, and see a detailed report on where you have spent money in the past month. Take this opportunity to make a list of the things that you need to buy and those things that you could live without. Many banks also offer the opportunity to deposit checks via a cell phone picture. This is a quick and easy way to turn paper into cash, especially if your salary is not directdeposited. Always make sure to log out of your bank account when you close the app and keep your password to yourself. Uncle Sam through sales taxes, but now the government is withholding money directly from your paycheck. This money goes towards funding various government agencies, including paying into the social security system, which you will receive money from at a certain age. You can check to see how much money was withheld each pay period at the bottom of your paycheck. It should break down for you how much money was withheld by the state and how much was withheld by the federal government. If you just work a summer job, chances are you will not have to file a tax return in April, but it never hurts to check. According to Ronald Jennings, the board chairperson of the Coalition for the Advancement of Financial Education of Montgomery County, most children working summer jobs do not normally make enough money to pay taxes, but if they do, they must file taxes just like any adult. You can check your eligibility by filling out a 1040 form online, which will tell you if you qualify for a tax return. For single people under 65, you must earn a minimum of $10,350 annually to qualify, according to the Internal Revenue Service Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information of 2016.

ARITRA ROY

soapbox What do you wish you learned about financial literacy in school? “I wish we could learn how to get a job. Like what are the requirements, how much education you need.” — Mohsan Hussain, junior “You could learn about banking and after high school you could work in the bank and earn money.” — Zeenat Khatri, junior

Entertainment E1

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June 1, 2017

13 Reasons Why: Unsettling and inaccurate

Misrepresenting suicide in multimedia during the modern age

By Emma Cross 13 Reasons Why, a 13-part Netflix original series based on the novel by Jay Asher, tells the story of a teenage girl leading up to her suicide. However, the production and storyline not only fail to portray mental illness as the true cause of suicide, but glorify it by perpetuating the idea that suicide causes widespread regret and increased attention for the victim and enables the individual to get revenge. As a result, viewers are being told an inaccurate, and potentially dangerous narrative. Principal Renay Johnson sent out a letter warning parents about the potential dangers of the show after the series attracted millions of viewers, Blazers included. “We encourage parents to be aware of the mature content and have thoughtful conversations at home about these serious topics,” Johnson wrote. With so much controversy surrounding the way it depicted suicide, school administrators nationwide felt a strong need to take action. This has caused some to go as far as censoring the book in fear that it may convey a dangerous message to its readers, according to the Associated Press. As millions of teenagers binge-watch 13 Reasons Why, many are unaware of the dangerous mental health implications of the series. The series follows high school student Hannah Baker who, after experiencing horrific traumas such as rape and bullying, commits suicide. Before her death, Hannah creates a series of cassette tapes on which she explains the reasons, and more specifically the people, that contributed to her suicide. The show is organized such that one episode depicts one reason, or one side of a tape. Each tape is dedicated to one or more people and the story is told through the eyes of Clay Jensen, a friend of Hannah’s, as he listens to the tapes. After receiving the tapes, Clay listens to them one by one, slowly unraveling Hannah’s life, confronting the problems she faced leading up to her death, and his ‘contribution’ to her suicide. Clay and the audience are driven by the need to find out why Clay is on the tapes, due to his seemingly minor influence on Hannah’s life.

Glorifying suicide

It is very difficult to depict suicide in television in a way that is informative and safe, a reality that leads mainstream media to shy away from trying. Talking about suicide in pop culture without carefully examining how it is portrayed runs the risk of glorifying the idea to those predisposed to mental health issues. Often, movies and television shows fail to inform the viewer of the reasons and measures to prevent suicide. Depiction of suicide in pop culture can also contribute to the problem by allowing men-

SAMI MALLON

ENTRANCED Teenagers spend hours binge watching Netflix’s Thirteen Reasons Why, leading many people to encourage discussion of the controversial concepts in the show. tally ill people to believe that suicide will provide relief for their problems. Despite the horrible things that the people on the tapes may have done, ultimately, Hannah is the only one responsible for her death. As seen in 13 Reasons Why, the extreme regret and feelings of guilt that follow a suicide can lead people to believe that suicide will bring them attention. After Hannah’s suicide, her accusatory tapes act as revenge on those who she believed contributed to her death. This revenge complex could be pleasing to those who are mentally ill and want to attribute their problems to others, but in reality, this idea is unhealthy and only further glorifies suicide. Psychiatrists and school districts alike are encouraging a dialogue in response to 13 Reasons Why, due to concerns that the series’ glorification of suicide will affect teens who are vulnerable or predisposed to mental illness. In conjunction, Montgomery County Public Schools psychologist Dr. Brenda Barbour feels that the show may glorify suicide to an unhealthy extent. “As school psychologists, we don’t recommend that teenagers, especially those who are vulnerable … watch the series. The storytelling can lead them to romanticize the choices that the character in the show made, and they may develop revenge fantasies of their own,” Barbour says. While Hannah’s intended purpose may not have been revenge, the audience perceives a narrative of vengeance due to the characters’ reactions in the show, including an additional suicide attempt in

soapbox Should TV shows and movies graphically depict suicide and/or sexual assault? “I think TV shows and movies should depict [suicide and sexual assault] because they are real/srious issues that should be talked about.” — Rosy Benitez, junior “TV shows and movies should sometimes show suicide or sexual assault very graphically in order to raise awareness on how awfyl something like that can be.” — Uzi Ramirez, junior “I think TV shows and movies should not graphically depict suicide or sexual assault. I don’t think it’s something they should show when thousands of teenage girls are watching.” — Yeymy Beltran, junior

response to Hannah’s death. Hannah’s suicide is also glorified in the sense that her tapes make her presence very prevalent, so much so that Clay often believes that Hannah is alive and back in his life. However, while people are remembered after they die, they will slowly fade from people’s everyday memories. If people believe they will be remembered eternally like Hannah is, they may consider suicide a solution to burdensome feelings of invisibility and depression. Additionally, the production of show contributes to the romanticization of Hannah’s suicide. The use of popular music and captivating videography, as well as the casting of good-looking adults to play young teens, all lessen the harsh idea of suicide and death. The production glamorizes suicide by portraying a very dark subject, suicide, as something cool and aesthetically pleasing.

A vulnerable audience

The high school setting and general portrayal of characters make it clear that the drama is aimed at teenagers, many of whom are not be able to fully understand these concepts—namely the underlying causes of suicide and the real-life experiences of individuals. Intentionally targeting a young audience, the makers of the show should have acknowledged that teenagers, especially those who are predisposed to mental illness, may not understand or know how to comprehend the idea of suicide subjectively, which could be dangerous. “Teenagers have been watching it without adult guidance, that’s what is raising the concerns with suicide experts … about the risks posed by the sensationalized treatment of youth suicide,” Barbour says. An influx of jokes on social media referring to the series only emphasize the show’s failure to have a serious effect on viewers. While the audience may be more at fault, trivializing an issue as serious as suicide shows that people obviously did not understand the unclear message of the show, indicating that despite even graphic scenes, viewers failed to become more educated on the issue. In addition, considering the show is being watched by middle and high schoolers, it contains a very graphic suicide scene. While some scenes, such as the rape scenes, should be graphic to display the reality and brutality of the event, other scenes proved unnecessary and frankly traumatizing. Sophie Gilbert writes in The Atlantic, “The fact that it’s aimed at teen audiences makes its burden arguably higher … Her suicide is shown in such explicit detail that it’s extremely hard to watch, unlike in the book, where it’s mentioned only that she ‘swallowed a handful of pills.’” Hannah’s suicide scene is problematic for multiple reasons. First of all, it is misleading in that most suicides are not done by bleeding out in a bathtub. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 49.8 percent of suicide deaths in 2015 were caused by firearms. The scene of Hannah laying in a bathtub full of her own blood is not only

traumatizing, but also very inaccurate. Although the show does not imply that Hannah’s method of suicide is common, the choice of such a brutal scene shows that that the producers were likely trying to dramatize her suicide. In Beyond the Reasons, a special featuring interviews that explain the show’s approach to suicide, screenwriter and show creator Brian Yorkey says, “We worked very hard not to be gratuitous, but we did want it to be painful to watch because we wanted it to be very clear that there is nothing, in any way, worthwhile about suicide.” While Yorkey claims that this dramatization is to emphasize the finality and brutality of suicide, there are other methods of conveying the same message that do not display unlikely and disturbing images. Also, the tapes themselves give Hannah a voice after death, which counteracts the finality of her suicide. These images can be very triggering for people with mental illness and could be especially dangerous to vulnerable teens. Such graphic depiction could also cause copycat suicide attempts. People with suicidal thoughts could be inclined to kill themselves in the same way as Hannah, which is not only dangerous in the sense that people may attempt suicide, but it is also dangerous due to the method of suicide itself. If a suicide attempt is not successful, the use of razor blades can cause extreme damage to the body, making recovery from a suicide attempt much more difficult, and the scene even more hazardous.

Acknowledging mental illness

One huge failure on the part of the show in portraying suicide was the negligence of Hannah’s psychological well being; her mental health history is not discussed at all. According to Suicide.org, “Over 90 percent of people who die by suicide have a mental illness at the time of their death. And the most common mental illness is depression.” While it is completely possible that incidents of bullying and rape contributed to Hannah’s death, the show fails to discuss the crucial mediating effect of mental illness on suicide. Bullying and sexual violence do not cause suicide on their own, but rather lead to depression, which ultimately contributes to suicide. According to Psychology Today, Anna Silman writes in Self, “Despite devoting 13 hours to the subject, 13 Reasons Why offers very little insight into the psychology of suicide … Who was Hannah Baker before everything fell apart, and why did the particular cruelties of high school hit her with such irreparable force?” It is this negligence that prevents 13 Reasons Why from correctly informing viewers of the causes and effects of suicide. The portrayal of the adults in the show is also misleading, specifically its depiction of the school counselor. When Hannah tells her counselor about her rapist, he tells her she can get over it. This portrayal is completely unrealistic, and it may cause victims of bullying or rape to reject the idea of approaching adults for help. This portrayal may have been an attempt to warn counselors and influencers to be careful when approaching issues, however, the producers failed to acknowledge the effects this would have on teens watching the show who are already intimidated by approaching adults for help. “Any student who is feeling vulnerable or has had those kinds of [suicidal] thoughts … needs to talk to a trusted adult,” Barbour said. Teens have the complete freedom to watch 13 Reasons, but in light of all the show’s mistakes, discussion is necessary. The audience needs to understand Hannah’s suicide, which can be very difficult for viewers to do alone. Conversation is imperative because it lets younger viewers, in particular, understand the concepts of suicide and rape, and allows them to process such a harsh reality without being overwhelmed with misinformation. It is essential that television does not glorify suicide, but rather increases healthy, accurate discourse, to improve viewers’ understanding of these difficult issues. Otherwise, continued misrepresentation could lead to consequences far worse than those represented on the show.

E2 Entertainment

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June 1, 2017

Teacher couples say “I do” to working together at Blair

Blazers of Note

By Leila Jackson

JEDEDIAH GRADY

Alison Russell Teacher

For CAP teacher Alison Russell, making an impact is a major part of her job. Russell’s goals were accomplished when she was awarded the 2017 Azalea Award for being the Takoma Park educator of the year. According to Russell, the award is based on votes, which made the prize even more special. “It’s an award based on votes … knowing that this is something that [students] feel strongly enough about to go and actually take the time to vote … meant a lot to me,” she says. The award was particularly special because she was nominated by her coworker. “Mr. Grossman nominated me, which meant that he took the time to write to them about why I deserved this award and that was very gratifying,” she explains. This award has also given Russell a chance to reflect on her teaching. “I try to improve and look at my teaching in different areas and different specifics every year,” she elaborates. “Certainly this [award] is not a reason to rest on my laurels and hopefully [I can] continue to improve.”

When Daniel Cole first met Kristin Werdann at Kennedy High School, he had her pegged as the “cool teacher,” who everyone knew and liked. As a result, she was, in his mind, unapproachable and unattainable. A few years later, in the first English Department meeting of the school year, newto-Blair teacher Daniel Cole introduces himself. “Mr. Cole,” he says, “Otherwise known as Mr. Werdann.” Werdann is now his wife, math teacher Kristin Cole. Despite Daniel’s initial reservations, he and Kristin Cole not only became friends, but got married over the summer and now also both teach at Blair.

First Encounters

Daniel and Kristin Cole first met when Daniel was a student-teacher at Kennedy in 2008. “I thought she was very beautiful and I knew she was into sports and coaching,” Daniel says. They were introduced to each other by his mentor-teacher, who was friends with Kristin. However, it was not until he came back to teach full time two years later that they became friends and discovered that they shared many interests, such as sports. Soon after they met, Kristin accepted a position for an algebra two teacher, which had opened up at Blair. A few years later, Daniel came to Blair as well for a change in his career. English teacher Sandra Jacobs-Ivey and social studies teacher Robert Gibb, who got married last summer, met through a student at Blair whom they both taught. “He was actually doing well in my class and he was doing poorly in most of his other classes and in her class,” Gibb says. “So she came to see me to go, ‘Why is he doing so well in your class and so poorly in mine?’”

Perks of working with your spouse Saving gas money is not the only perk that comes with being married to another teacher in the same school; when Daniel is

COURTESY OF KRISTIN COLE

TYING THE KNOT Teachers Daniel and Kristin Cole celebrate their wedding. absent, Kristin makes plans for his substitute teacher. “I was sick a lot this year … and she’d always make my sub plans and make copies and stuff, [so] that was nice,” Daniel says. The Coles both coach sports, which takes up a good chunk of their time, but working at the same school gives them more opportunities to see each other, even on busy days. “With both of us coaching, we don’t get to see each other a lot at home, if we were at separate schools, we really wouldn’t get to see each other,” Kristin says. “So it’s nice [that] every now and then we can have lunch together or help each other out.” Teaching at Blair makes it easy for Gibb and Ivey to work together, as the subject material that one of them is teaching often goes hand in hand with the other’s. “One of the biggest benefits is that we collaborate since there’s a historical aspect to English,” Ivey says. For instance, Gibb will sometimes come in and speak to Ivey’s students. “Anytime I want to do the social, cultural, historical context of a novel, sometimes I turn to him to offer some of that information,” Ivey says. The only issue the Coles face with work-

ing together at Blair is when students accidentally get their emails confused. “I get a lot of emails that should go to him and he gets a lot of emails that should go to me,” Kristin Cole says.

One big building

Because Blair is such a large school, both couples mentioned that they definitely do not have to spend all of their time together. “I didn’t want to be that kind of couple that spends every minute together,” Daniel says. His wife, however, reassured him that Blair was large enough that they would be able to spend time apart as well. Similarly, Blair’s size also allows Gibb and Ivey to maintain their own personal space. “Sometimes I’ll see him in the beginning of the day and at the end of the day, so, we may not get to interact during the day at all. So there’s closeness but there’s also [separateness],” Ivey says. While it may just be eating lunch together during their breaks, both couples cherish the moments that they get to spend with each other at school. “The stars align when we can spend a couple of minutes together here and there,” Gibb says.

Where have all of the flowers gone? Why humans suck, from the perspective of a flower By Erin Namovicz An opinion CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

Sydney Acuff and Cecelia Bauer Freshmen The past year has seen a new wave of social activism. Freshmen Sydney Acuff and Cecelia Bauer used this activism as motivation when entering the Montgomery County United We Learn competition. Their painting, which won first place in the High School visual art category, depicts famous activists from the past, leading people and pursuing social justice. After attending the Women’s March in January, Acuff and Bauer were inspired to paint their piece on activism. “We went to the Women’s March together so we thought it would be a good idea to do something about a march, and then we decided to have social justice activists from the past incorporated in the piece,” Bauer says. After experiencing success this year during their first competition, Acuff and Bauer plan on doing it again but have decided that they would like to spend more time on it in the future. “We definitely plan on entering the competition again next year because it was really fun,” Bauer says. “We would give a little more time next time because we really procrastinated on it,” Acuff adds. They were impressed by the competition but still ended out on top. “Everyone’s was really good, we were actually really surprised that we won,” Cecelia explains.

By Elias Monastersky

I thought for certain that Borris the Bee would visit me today. He has been buzzing by all week, foraging and pollinating my friends and me. I was concerned he had forgotten me when Beatrice buzzed by and told me the truth: Borris was dead. His whole colony was gone. See, Borris and Beatrice are wild sweet potato bees, who love to forage on the morning glory flowers that live in the sunny meadow to the east. Last week, though, some humans in hard orange hats came and poured asphalt over that meadow, and made it a parking lot for the new supermarket they are building. Borris’ hive was not destroyed, but with the flowers paved over, so too was his life’s purpose. Times like these make me realize how lonely it is to be a flower. Sometimes I see my picture walk by on hiker’s t-shirts with the caption “Maryland’s State Flower,” which makes my petals swell with pride! But what do these people know of the flower behind the pretty picture? My name is Susie Q. I am a native Black Eyed Susan, and even though my ancestors have been living here peacefully for millennia, lately I have noticed some disturbing changes. I knew something was off when I caught my first whiff of garlic mustard one day as some young hikers were having lunch. They were dining on a nice spread of pesto, which one human was boasting about having grown himself. He talked about how he planted garlic mustard, an exotic plant from the far reaches of Europe and Asia, in his garden. ‘Good for him,’ I thought, ‘cooking from his own back yard.’ The next day, a strange new flower popped up a couple feet from me, so I called over to it to ask its name. “Alliaria petiolata,” it responded, “But my friends call me Colo-

nel Garlic Mustard.” ‘How nice to have a new friend,’ I thought. Boy, was I mistaken. The next morning I awoke to hundreds of new so-called friends all around me, all of whom looked like Colonel Mustard. ‘How did they get there so fast?’ I wondered. Then it dawned on me. That hiker from two days ago must have had some seeds from his garden stuck to his pants and carried them over. I tried to adjust to these new neighbors the best I could, but soon it became clear that they were gentrifying the neighborhood. All around me, my indigenous friends Bee Balm and Pasture Rose found that these garlic mustard plants were monopolizing their sun, water, and other resources. They have no natural predators, so the rabbits and deer that usually terrorize us left them alone. While we stood petrified, praying to not get eaten, the garlic mustard plants were thriving. That reminds me: the other day, another one of my new neighbors, a crocus, leaned over to tell me her harrowing story from this February. She was filling me in on the fate of some of her close friends, and her own near-

NIAMH DUCEY

death experience that happened when I was but a small seed in the ground. See, Croatie keeps track of the temperature rather than the date to determine when to bloom. “It’s rather hard being trapped underground, not knowing when to emerge,” she said. “It’s dark and moist, and I’m yearning for some sunlight, so when I feel the soil start to warm up, I jump at the chance to feel some rays on my stem. Only once I came up, the trees looked at me in surprise. ‘It’s February,’ they told me. ‘You’re supposed to be sleeping!’ How was I supposed to know that? Because as you know Susie, I don’t have room for a calendar down there!” I was not too shocked to hear about Croatie’s confusion—see, I do not bloom until around June, as I require even higher temperatures than crocuses to entice me out of my seedy hibernation. But I have been having trouble determining when to bloom myself with these wildly swinging temperatures. I heard we have global warming to blame, some evil strategy the humans came up with to drive all us flowers insane. Still, I had no idea that these warm spells that screwed with our internal timing could be so damaging. Tentatively, I asked Croatie to tell me about the friends she lost. “Come the second week of March, the white stuff came falling from the skies, and the ground froze up,” Croatie responded. “All around me I heard the muffled screams of flowers giving way to wilting frost-bite. A couple weeks later, I was healthy again, but some flowers never woke up.” I wonder if the humans knew what they were doing when they paved over the morning glories that Borris needed to live, or when they introduced the garlic mustard that took over my neighborhood. I sure hope not, because that is rather mean. After all, we have never done anything to hurt them! Where will they get air to breathe when we are all gone?

June 1, 2017

THEN: 1947

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Entertainment E3

Archives

2017 marks the 80th anniversary of Silver Chips. To celebrate the occasion, we will be reprinting interesting articles from our past eight decades in upcoming editions. For this cycle, we are taking a look back at Silver Chips’ early years in the late 1930s and early 1940s. When the paper was founded in 1937, Blair’s student body only numbered 525 students. Silver Chips’ content reﬂected this smaller community, focusing more on club activities and day-to-day happenings. However, the paper was not afraid to tackle tougher national and international issues, especially World War Two.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, by E.M. And then you leak at night. Douglas, Dec. 16, 1941 By the spilling of your contents, You’ve made my clothes a sight, It is Christmas. We are at war. Yet though you have some ink to The whole world is a war. The Spirit of Christ, as exemplified by spare, You never even write. Christmas, seems to have faded from the earth. Another Dark Age is upon us. Civilization, painfully It’s no wonder I’ve been unhappy acquired through long years, is dis- Since, well, I don’t know when, But I can tell you here and now solving before the waves. In this dark picture there is one It’s because of that old pen. gleam of hope. From the ashes of BLAIR STUDENTS HAIL FROM every Dark Age in history a new SEVEN NATIONS, May 16, 1940 and brighter era has arisen. We in High School, as educated people, COURTESY OF SILVER CHIPS ARCHIVES Seven nations and thirty-six have the responsibility for keeping WILDLIFE CONSERVATION Industrious biology students worked with the Maryland Inland Fish alive during this period of darkstates are represented by students of Montgomery Blair High School. and Game Commission to build a refuge for muskrats, complete with lakes, bridges, and gullies. ness, the Spirit of Christ. True patriotism requires that we This information is a result of a surserve our Country by helping keep vey being conducted by the twelfth grade economics class under the down the hatreds and passions supervision of Mr. W. Day Mulengendered by the war, as well as by carrying out the duties assigned linix. The class is working under a new system of study whereby the to us by our government. This we students survey the community can do if we emulate the Spirit of and ask questions which are mainly Christmas. Christmas is here. aimed at ascertaining what jobs will PARALYSIS SCARE CANCELS be available for Blair graduates during the next few years. DANCE, Sep. 30, 1941 The survey-group working on the school’s population discovered Three class parties and one informal dance, boasting Max Cal- that it includes three students from laway’s Orchestra, planned for the Canada, two from Germany, and one apiece from China, Cuba, Iremonth of September, have been land, and the West Indies. postponed because of infantile Because of Blair’s peculiar situparalysis. These activities have not been canceled, but postponed until ation in a suburb of the nation’s capital, only about a third of its the latter part of October. students are natives of Maryland. There is one case of infantile paralysis at Blair and four students Another fifth of the students are from Washington D.C. The rest of are in quarantine. This disease is their respective states are distribnot as serious here as in several uted throughout the United States. other schools, but precautions are The numbers of students from being taken by postponing all social activities until the scare is over. Mr. states represented at Blair are as follow: Maryland, 227; District of Douglass also suggests that stuColumbia, 184; Pennsylvania, 47; dents refrain from visiting movie Virginia, 43; Illinois, and New York, houses and other crowded areas. 16 each; New Jersey, 15; Michigan TO A FOUNTAIN PEN, by Hylton and North Carolina, 14 each; Ohio, 13; Massachusetts 12; Connecticut Brown, Oct. 30, 1939 (poem) and West Virginia, 9 each; Missouri, 7; Iowa and Kansas, 6 each; Oh, curses on thee fountain pen, Minnesota and Washington, 5 each; You fill my life with woe, Indiana, Texas, and Wisconsin, 4 And cause me grief and trouble, each; California, Georgia, TennesNo matter where I go. see and Vermont, 3 each; Florida, Nebraska, North dakota, and OklaYou won’t let me be happy COURTESY OF ELIZABETH LEVIEN homa, 2 each; Colorado, Delaware, By ever working right. CLEANING UP THE CREEK AP Environmental Science students spent a sunny spring day Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Rhode You leak and leak the whole day fighting invasive species around Sligo Creek to help protect the area’s delicate ecosystem. Island, Utah, and Wyoming, 1 each. through,

& NOW: 2017

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June 1, 2017

College Courses. College Credits. College Park. ysp.umd.edu

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Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Innovation+X: Sustainability

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June 1, 2017 Summer

by Addie McDonough and Lucy Solomon

Chips Clips E5

silverchips Across

1. All-American dessert 4. Deep Creek 8. Poussey’s girlfriend at Litchfield 12. Forbids 13. Superstition 14. Forbidden after Labor Day 16. “To the ____, to the _____” 17. Watermelon leftovers 18. To dramatize 19. Paddle 20. Like most prime numbers 21. Sunny vacation spot 23. Neither or not 24. Surfer saying -y 26. Crooked 28. “___ to joy” 30. For ex. 31. “___ on down the road” 35. Home to the last day of school 38. Wander 41. Family ___ 42. “ To _ or not to__” 43. Star of “Girl Meets World” 45. Not applic. 46. Yes 48. Helium laser 49. Caesar’s month 50. Like theater kids 51. Something taken by

many students post-APs 52. Golf ball supporter 54. “Thats what ___ said” 56. French for study 60. Arrival time abbr. 63. Comedy skit 65. Moo go gai pan pan 67. “A man walks into a __” 68. AM/FM device 70. “We are going to need a bigger ____” 72. Knee high by the Fourth of July 73. Device not needed until September 74. Rihanna album 75. Garden ______ 76. Pincher at the beach 77. Campus Military org. 78. “___ a long story” Down 1. Praiseful ballad 2. Prefix with “red” 3. “C’___ la vie” 4. “____of the flies” 5. During 6. Barbie’s beau 7. Odds and ____ 8. Curse 9. Electrical Unit 10. Capital of Valias, Switzerland 11. “Beetle Bailey” Dog 12. Personal webpage 15. Always, in verse

20. Primordial 22. “Concentration” pronoun 25. Sushi topper 27. “Are we there ____?” 29. To __ is human 30. Bowie’s widow 32. Ancient Japanese 33. Wax stamp 34. Is, in Spanish 36. Lyft competitor 37. Tidy 39. _____ and aahs 40. Amazement

44. Catch 46. Your, slang 47. Have your say, abbr. 49. Boeing 747 51. Hawaiian necklace 53. Cry of disgust 55. Thermo-nucl. weapon 57. WWI vessel 58. Bar game 59. Coastal Raptor 60. Mesozoic, for one 61. After-bath powder 62. Month on the Hebrew calendar 64. Alpine transport 65. Light bulb unit 66. Auditory 69. Bank offering, for short 71. Yoko __ 72. Used to make monsters in L.A.

Sudoku (medium)

Submit your comics and art to Silver Chips! Email silver.chips.print@gmail.com

COURTESY OF WEBSUDOKU MARISSA HE

AVERY LIOU ARITRA ROY

F1 Sports

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June 1, 2017

A track coach’s journey to the 1960 Olympic trials By Elias Monastersky Mike Fleming is the Blair distance track coach. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, Fleming ran in the 1500 meter Olympic trial for which the top three finishers went to the Olympics and the rest went home. This interview looks at his running experience.

Q: How did you start running and why? A: I started in high school and I first wanted to play football, but then my brother and friend said, “Come out for track.” I first came out for cross country and I did really well. We had a city conference championship, and I was third, my brother was in front of me, and this guy from Patterson [High School in Baltimore] won. Then when outdoor track came along, I ran a 1:54:08, which was about the third fastest time in the nation that year in 1955 or 1956. I got a track scholarship to University of Nebraska, and I ended up winning four conference titles there: I won the mile outdoors, the mile indoors, the two-mile indoors, and a cross country title. I didn’t exactly like the coach, but he took care of me and all of the other good athletes.

Q: How did you get to be so good? A: I always felt that I had to compensate. I felt like I was a skinny kid and I felt like I wanted to put some muscle mass on me. I started lifting weights and started doing push ups. I got pretty strong and I’d always ride a bike everywhere I went in Baltimore. I think all that contributed to it, plus the fact that I had that desire to improve myself. I wanted to excel at something, so when I got hooked on track, I got hooked on track, period. I graduated and I started teaching in the

county in 1964 and I haven’t missed a track season ever.

Q: What led up to the race and how did you get chosen to run for it? A: They picked six NCAA athletes, six AAU athletes who were not in school, and one person from the all-service team. It was between me and another runner for the allservice team spot. The Army guy beat me by about six inches, but it was so close and we both had such good times (our 1500 meter time translated to a 4:02 mile) that they said to take both of us.

Q: Describe the race that you ran in the Olympic trials. A: It was the U.S. men’s Olympic 1500 meter trials in 1960 in Palo Alto, California. The top three finishers made it to the Olympic team to go to Rome, and I finished seventh. My teammate who I beat all year, Pete Close, got third because he was looser than I was; I was a little bit tight. Either way, it was a great experience competing against some of the top milers or 1500 meter runners in the United States. I really enjoyed that.

Q: After the Olympic trials, where did your running career go? A: I went back to the Marine Corps. We trained through the summer and then we just waited for cross country season. We would travel to New York and we would run different races up and down the east coast. The best part was, we had all the training facilities, the trails, the golf courses, and the wooded areas. I think what really got me in shape was running with the other team members at a pretty high pace all the time

COURTESY OF THIERRY SIEWE YANGA

Running Past Track coach Mike Fleming poses for a picture next to runner Thierry Siewe Yanga. Before coaching at Blair, Fleming ran at the 1960 Olympic trials. through the trails. They were just really good, steady, fast, long runs that got us in shape.

Q: When did you start coaching? A: I started coaching when I started teaching at Parkland Junior High School in 1964. I went out one day during spring break and I took some tape and a measuring device. We had a big field and I put down a 400 meter track and I had the kids line it so it looked like the real thing. We incorporated that into our P.E. curriculum. You could have track meets competing with the other junior highs, and it worked really well.

Q: How do you think that com-

peting at that level helped you become a better track coach and a better runner?

A: The experiences I had and knowing that you can always raise your crossbar of expectation and you can always do better helped me become a better track coach and runner. You need that top level of competition to really excel. And that’s what these kids [on Blair track] are going to be exposed to in the regional meet, the county meet, and now the state meet. They will be able to hold their own up there, and I hope they do well.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Like oil and water, some teams just don’t mix Taking a look at some of By Serena Debesai A throng of students in bright red erupts into cheers that echo across the field as the Blazers score yet another touchdown. It is only the first quarter and the scoreboard shows Blair with a sizeable lead. Although it is the first away game of the season, the Blair crowd is electric, rivaling Northwood’s fans in size. For many Blair students, driving a few minutes up University Boulevard is worthwhile to see Blair football square off against their rivals at one of the most important games of the year: the Battle of the Boulevard. Baseball fans have the Yankees and the Red Sox, football fans have the Redskins and the Cowboys, and every Maryland basketball lover feels their blood boil at the mention of Duke. Rivalries are an essential part of sports culture, even at the high school level.

Getting the competition started

Some Blair rivalries have been around for what may seem like forever, and they have become integral aspects of Blazer sports. The most notable example is the Battle of the Boulevard, where Blair and Northwood’s football teams face off. Blair has claimed the Boulevard for the last four years. As the record shows, the Battle of the Boulevard is not exactly a highly contested title. According to Special Teams Coordinator and Running Backs Coach Daniel Cole, Blair’s developed coaching staff and program has provided the team with a competitive edge over a relatively weaker Northwood team. “We are further advanced as a program … and [Northwood] has had trouble getting some players.” While the football coaching staff tends to treat games against Northwood the same as if they were playing any other opponent, Cole feels that the rivalry increases the intensity for players. “I don’t think that we as a

coaching staff take a different approach … but for the kids, [there is] probably a little more edge to it because they know the [opponents],” he says. The football team usually manages to focus once they are on the field against Northwood, though. “The intensity maybe is a little bit different for the students for the first few minutes … but otherwise I think it is pretty routine for them,” Cole says. In contrast to the Battle of the Boulevard, other Blair rivalries have taken shape more recently. This year marked the beginning of a new feud between the Blair and B-CC softball teams. Before the first Blair-B-CC face-off of the season, a confident group of B-CC softball players purchased beta fish for every member on their team in a preemptive celebration for what they thought would be a win against Blair. The Blair girls’ proved their dominance, however, winning all three of their games against BCC in a mercy rule. Senior and softball captain Izzy Lott describes the rivalry as rather light-hearted; the team wasted no time in coming up with creative fish-related jokes. “It has been not so much of a rivalry but a joke to be against B-CC,” Lott says.

Blair’s biggest athletic rivalries

“We started making all kinds of fish jokes and fish puns … before we play BCC we tell everyone to be e-fish-ent, and like stuff like that.”

Friendly competition or fierce hatred?

While the Battle of the Boulevard is not always competitive, it is almost always a crowd-pleaser. This season, the game drew a sizeable crowd despite the fact that it was not on the Blazers’ home turf. “The size of the crowd was very massive compared to our other games,” senior Mohamed Abdelaziz says. “We really like to show up at the Battle of the Boulevard to show who owns the boulevard.” For the most part, there is little animosity between Northwood and Blair, according to Cole. “It is friendly at least for the coaches. In my one year on staff, we have had no incidents of players fighting,” Cole says. According to Boule, the rivalry has never translated to any sort of physical conflict, though the two schools do take certain precautions due to the large crowd the game draws, such as scheduling the Battle of the Boulevard on Saturday, as opposed to a Friday evening. “We do change the game time because we know it is a well-attended game, so we don’t make it a Friday night, but nothing has ever happened be-

TIFFANY MAO

cause of the increased rivalry, ” Boule says. Much like the football team, the softball team places sportsmanship first, even when competing against rivals. “Obviously we have to keep it very sportsmanlike. We aren’t teasing anybody, we aren’t like hazing anybody or anything like that,“ Lott says. Unfortunately, not all rivalries are as friendly as the Battle of the Boulevard or Blair versus B-CC softball. In fact, junior Joey Merrill considers Blair baseball’s rivalry with Whitman to be anything but good-natured. The two teams are in the same section and division, meaning they often meet in the playoffs and regular season. Although both teams are strong and strive to consistently beat the other in highly competitive games, neither team is particularly dominant over the other. The back and forth has intensified the rivalry, according to Merrill. “We beat each other every year and that makes us hate each other more,” he says. The tension between the two teams has manifested on the field; Merrill was even involved in a minor verbal conflict with a Whitman player during a game this season. The conflict stemmed from a relatively small issue—Merrill felt that a player had tagged him too hard—but the situation quickly escalated into a swearing match. Merrill feels that the disagreement would have most likely been avoided in any other game. “If it wasn’t Whitman I probably would not have gone up to him as intensely,” he says. Despite the fact that multiple athletic teams have their own rivalries, no one school stands out as Blair’s central rival. Boule attributes this to the stratification of Blair’s many sports teams amongst multiple divisions. “All of our sports can be in different divisions and play against different levels of competition … so we don’t have that one school where no matter what sport we play, it’s a huge game,” Boule says. But make no mistake; while Blair’s rivalries may not be up to par with the Redskins versus the Cowboys, they do add another exciting dimension to sporting events.

Sports F2

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June 1, 2017

Somewhere in between The experiences of gender non-conforming athletes

By Isabella Tilley A gun goes off, and the yelling begins. It is cold, cloudy, and gray, and hundreds of JV track and field athletes have packed into Albert Einstein’s Titan Stadium for the County “B” Meet. The County “B” Meet was designed to allow the dozens of JV track and field athletes to compete in large races with student-athletes from all over the county; essentially, the point is to include as many athletes as possible. And yet, many students are still excluded from competition: the gender nonconforming students who do not fit neatly into the categories of “boy” and “girl” that are inherent in track and field, as well as countless other sports.

The “blinders” of the gender binary

For as long as women have been competing in organized sports, there have been two categories: male and female. The average man is larger and stronger than the average woman, so, in the late 1800s, athletes were categorized by gender. “We could organize sports in all kinds of different ways, but we’re so tracked to think of things as boys or girls,” Susan Cahn, a researcher who studies the history of gender in sports at the University at Buffalo in New York, says. “It’s like having blinders on.” The binary gendering of sports did not anticipate a future in which people openly expressed that they were not simply “male” or “female.” Cahn explains that sex and gender are only a few factors among a plethora of natural advantages that contribute to athletic talent and ability. “There are other physical traits that give athletes advantages that we don’t restrict or penalize … like Michael Phelps has loose joints and long feet, so his kick is more like a flipper, and there’s athletes who can have higher levels of oxygen in their blood,” she says. Testosterone levels, as well as height, weight, and muscle mass, vary between members of the different sexes. These different traits may be more relevant to certain sports, and Cahn sug-

“There are other physical traits that give athletes advantages that we don’t restrict or penalize.” -Susan Cahn, Ph.D. gests that sports be separated by these more pertinent factors, rather than only gender or sex. In wrestling, for example, competitions are already split up between diﬀerent weight classes. Senior Nyx Ennis believes that allowing more sports to be coed would better accommodate the athletes who do not conform to the traditional binary genders. He thinks that this would be a particularly good solution for team sports. “If you’re worried about somebody who has testosterone or is pretransition being better at a sport than other people on a team, if it’s coed you don’t have to worry about how much testosterone the team does or doesn’t

COURTESY OF CLAIRE HIBBELN

EXTRA-OAR-DINARY At the Head of the Occoquan Regatta, Blair rower Aiden Mattke sits near the stern of the novice boys’ boat. have,” he says. Ennis helps his siblings play allied softball at Watkins Mill, and observes that gender does not play a significant role in the way the athletes play their sport. For sports like running and swimming that only test an individual’s athletic ability, the solution seems a bit more complicated. This past summer, controversy stirred over South African track runner and Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya’s right to compete with women. Semenya, an intersex woman, has higher testosterone levels than her average competitor. Intersex people are people whose anatomy or endocrinology do not fit into the neat categories of “male” or “female.” Many, like British athlete Lynsey Sharp, felt that Semenya had an unfair natural advantage over the rest of the field. After placing sixth in the 800 meter 2016 Olympic race, a tearful Sharp told reporters, “The public can see … how difficult it is [to compete against Semenya].” According to Cahn, there is a long history of sexism in sports that encourages spectators and participants to question the gender of successful female athletes. Since sports are considered to be “masculine,” she says, many believe that women can only be successful in athletics by possessing “manly” qualities. “There’s always been suspicion that women who … are good at sports were manly, that sports would make either make them into men … or that only masculine women could succeed in sports.” This separation based on only two genders is “ridiculous,” according to Ennis. “It’s just a lot of different perceptions that are kind of baseless or incorrect just because of how we’re raised,” he says.

Exclusion persists

Even though the decision to categorize sports competitions and teams by gender was made over a hundred years ago, the effects of that decision continue to affect athletes today. Sports teams at nearly all levels of competition are separated into “boy” teams and “girl” teams, although not all athletes feel comfortable with either one of those labels. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association (MPSSAA) do not have a policy in place for transgender or gender non-conforming athletes, although they do offer “guidance” to local school systems. According

to an August 2016 version of this guidance, “Participation should provide for the opportunity for all students to participate in interscholastic athletics in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on a student’s records.” Blair Athletic Director Rita Boule says that MCPS policy allows students to compete with whichever gender they identify with. MCPS developed this policy based on the “need to provide a safe and secure environment for all of our student athletes,” according to Boule. Even though the MPSSAA and MCPS have policies in place to accommodate transgender athletes who identify as male or female, neither one has any policy in place for gender nonconforming athletes. “That’s a new one,” Boule says. “There’s no speciﬁc policy for that right now.”

Breaking the mold

For John F. Kennedy freshman Caden Jacobs, a tall athlete with a cropped haircut, this means competing only with girls in cross-country, swimming, and track, even though Jacobs is genderﬂuid. Even in the occasional coed crosscountry or track race, runners are still scored based on their performance relative to other members of their gender. Jacobs is not entirely happy with this, but accepts it nonetheless. “Sometimes I would like to compete against guys as well,” she says. “But I’m okay with competing only against girls.” Jacobs sometimes experiences gender dysphoria—dissatisfaction or discomfort with the sex she was assigned at birth— especially when she swims. “Being in the bathing suit … if I identify as more masculine that day … can be kind of hard,” she says. Like cross-country, track, and swimming races, most crew competitions are separated by gender. Sophomore Aiden Mattke, a lanky, blonde rower for Blair’s crew team who uses they/ them pronouns, says that they were assigned to the boys’ boat without being asked about their gender identity. “[The decision] was kind of made for me,” they say. “Just in terms of hormones, I have a lot more testosterone so in terms of my build it’s kind of unfair … but also [the coach] just threw me into the boys’ boat.”

The NBA is destroying basketball. The lack of passion, pride, and motivation is palpable any time you watch a professional regular season game. It makes sense; why would players who are set to make tens of millions of dollars per year for the next decade have any reason to try? Well, that’s not entirely a fair point. Late in the playoffs, a few teams manage to muster the energy to maybe play their hardest, but even then they stand little chance against the dominating powerhouses. So called “super teams” make the regular season irrelevant and playoffs predetermined. Before the whistle is even blown to start the game, the fans, the coaches, the players, and even the referees have already decided who is going to win and who is going to lose. It seems as if the best players on the best teams always get the borderline calls, and there are very few upsets. When was the last time a Cinderella team made the NBA Finals? March Madness, on the other hand, is the most thrilling tournament in sports. Top seeded teams fall in early rounds all the time to low seeded teams who win games simply out of pure grit. When you watch a tournament game, it becomes readily apparent that the stakes are sky high for every single one of the players. And this not only manifests itself in the nature of the game, but in the results as well. The last three tournaments have featured two seven seeds and a This lack of accommodation turned Ennis, a demiboy, away from participating in schoolsponsored sports, even though he enjoys them. “I really liked volleyball and did wrestling in middle school but since our team is really ‘male’ and I was still figuring out gender and am perceived as female a lot of the time it did make me afraid of trying to join.” As a demiboy, Ennis is mostly male, and falls on both the transgender and nonbinary spectrums. Even though athletics may be inherently exclusionary to gender nonconforming athletes, Jacobs and Mattke say that their teammates are accepting and supportive. “I haven’t really come out to a lot of them about it, but if I were to, I would say most of them would be pretty accepting,” Jacobs says.

Resisting pressure

For both Mattke and Jacobs, the exclusion of gender nonconforming athletes is not enough to turn them away from the sports they love. “I just like the feeling that you get from [running], especially for cross country when it’s an open course so you just run around,” says Jacobs. “And then for swimming I just always liked the water.” When she does experience dysphoria during races, Jacobs says that she tries not to think about it. “I usually just push through it and focus on the actual race rather than the feeling.”

ten seed in the final four. Additionally, NBA players have a tendency to sacrifice their respect for their fans—and even themselves—in order to benefit their own interests. Most recently, Kevin Durant turned his back on his best friend, Russell Westbrook, and the already successful Oklahoma City Thunder in order to “chase a title” and “to make history” with Golden State. LeBron James pulled the same stunt in 2010, leaving his hometown team to join Miami. While this happens with an alarmingly high frequency in the NBA, college players who choose to abandon their team for purely selfish reasons are very rare. North Carolina’s Joel Berry II, for example, decided to bypass a year of professional sports and a surefire first round draft selection in order to return to his school for one more year and try to win a national championship. I’ll admit, players like Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving, and LeBron James make it clear that the most impressive personal athletic performances occur professionally, but watching college players cry tears of joy as they victoriously cut down the net in March Madness epitomizes what basketball should represent. For the most part, the NBA has the talent, but the NCAA has the heart. “Wiebe’s World” is a monthly column where sports editor Henry Wiebe expresses his opinions on current events in sports. Mattke echoes a similar sentiment. They love crew because of the team aspect, and when racing, do not think about gender. “You’re working hard so you’re not really thinking about the whole society of it and how it affects you,” they say. “Sometimes looking back on it … it’s kind of like, well not the greatest at times, but also, in the grand scheme of things, we had a great season.” Even though Jacobs and Mattke try to avoid thinking about gender when they are playing sports they love, Jacobs believes that dealing with gender does ultimately make it more difficult for transgender and gender nonconforming athletes to compete. “If you’re … gender nonconforming … and you’re placed into the male or female category, it can be more intimidating than it would for a cisgender person … it also takes more strength for trans people to be able to fight past the feelings of dysphoria or being uncomfortable or not feeling accepted just to do a sport that they enjoy,” she says. “I feel like t h e y should get a little more recognition for that.”

MARISSA HE

F3 Sports

silverchips

June 1, 2017

The most exciting week in mens’ sports

Overview and predictions for the NBA and NHL Championships By Henry Wiebe Between the NBA and the NHL Finals, the next few weeks of sports should prove to be action-packed and exciting. The Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James who is returning to the finals for the seventh straight year, are set to face off against Steph Curry and the uber-talented Golden State Warriors in a rematch of last year’s Finals. On the ice, the Nashville Predators will battle Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins for a shot at the prized Stanley Cup.

The GOAT?

“Before anyone ever cared about where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio,” LeBron James wrote to fans in a letter announcing his return to Cleveland back in 2014. After being drafted first overall out of high school by his hometown team, the Cavaliers, James spent his first seven seasons cementing himself not only as a powerful force in the league for years to come, but also as the franchise player for a young Cleveland team. He then dramatically left the Cavs to “take his talents to South Beach” and join the starstudded Miami Heat team. He led his new team to the Finals in each of the four seasons he played in Miami, winning the championship twice. Then, in 2014, James returned to Cleveland with his sights set on winning a championship for the city “that holds a special place in [his] heart.” He has made the finals in each of the four subsequent seasons with Cleveland. This year, he hopes to defend his 2016 title by bringing home another trophy. James’ name is always tossed around with Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain in conversations about the best player in the history of basketball. But LeBron isn’t the only playmaker on the Cavs. Kyrie Irving was the hero of last year’s Finals, making the winning three pointer in game seven. Kevin Love is always a dominating presence in the paint, and guards J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver provide the team with sharpshooters from beyond the arc. The Cavs have only lost one game so far in the playoffs, as they swept both the Pacers and the Raptors, and beat the Celtics in five games. With James at the helm, absolutely anything is possible for the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

The Warriors’ displayed solid performances in all aspects of the game this year, but the reason why they were able to produce such success is obvious: their offense. With four all-stars in their starting lineup, the Warriors were almost unstoppable on the offensive side of the court, where, according to ESPN, they led the league in points per game, assists per game, and field goal percentage. In last year’s finals, they lost games five, six, and seven to blow a 3-1 series lead. This year, they look to wipe the slate clean and reclaim their title as best team in the world.

Prediction: Cleveland will win in seven

No matter how many incredible players Golden State has, LeBron James is the best player on the planet, and he will find a way to pull out the victory. He has not only managed to average a whopping 32.5 points per game, but he is also eighth in the league in assists, an extremely impressive number for a forward. He is able to factor every one of his teammates into the offensive plan, and he makes everyone around him a better player through his unmatched court presence and high basketball IQ. But the Warriors will not fall easily. In the past three regular seasons, the Warriors have averaged only 13 losses, and the team just seems to keep getting better. With perhaps the most highly touted starting lineup in all of basketball, the Warriors will make winning the Finals a very difficult task for Cleveland. Throughout the playoffs, the Cavs have been throwing their opponents off guard, adjusting their approach, and coming up clutch. Since the beginning of the season, the goal of the Cleveland Cavaliers has been to win another championship. They even rested their best players at the end of the regular season, making sure players have the physical and mental stamina for playoffs rather than worrying about securing the first seed in the Eastern Conference. Because Golden State is such a worthy opponent for the Cavs, I foresee a very close series. Both teams are almost unbeatable at home, which will make it very hard for either team to win decisively in a four or five game series. I predict that the teams will split the first six games, with each team winning all three of their home games. HENRY WIEBE

DATA FROM ESPN

MARISSA HE

The offseason signing heard around the world

Forward Kevin Durant shocked the basketball world last summer with his decision to leave Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder to join forces with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green by signing with the Golden State Warriors. Without Durant, the Warriors had one of the most impressive concentrations of talent in history, beating the ’95-‘96 Bulls single season wins record by tallying 73 regular season victories last year. With the addition of Durant, a former scoring champion and perennial all-star, Golden State seems unstoppable. Although they did not match their win record from 2016 season, this year they established themselves as a clear favorite to win the championship, along with earning the top seed in the Western Conference.

inside SPORTS

Although the Warriors have a potent offense and the home field advantage in game seven, I predict that they will just fall short of the title; it is very easy to imagine a classic game seven where the Cavs come from behind once again to secure their second championship in a row. In the end, the Warriors will be unable to overcome the challenge that the Cavaliers present, and “the King,” as LeBron James has been affectionately nicknamed by his fans, will reign once again.

the Pens have a good shot at accomplishing this goal; their offensive lineup should pose a big problem for the Predators. Their defense, however, has been marred with injuries during the playoffs, the result of a long schedule in a very violent sport. Pittsburgh will have to play without their best defenseman, Kris Letang, who is out wih a neck injury. Despite the setbacks that the team has endured, the Penguins’ backups have stepped up and performed well, helping their team to push past Columbus, Washington, and Ottawa in the playoffs.

The unlikely underdogs

This year’s Stanley Cup Finals could prove to be not only a very competitive matchup, but a historic one as well. If the Pittsburgh Penguins win, it would be the first time in 20 years that a team won backto-back NHL championships. Led by all-star centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin,

Just as the Penguins seek to make history, so do the Nashville Predators. If the Predators win, it would be the first time that a 16-seed wins a title. The true strength of the Predators is their elite, league-leading defense. Highly touted defensemen P.K. Subban and Roman Josi are among the top defensive players in the league, and have made it very difficult for opposing offenses to score throughout the playoffs. However, the Predators have had their share of devastating injuries as well, most

High school sports rivalries

Gender non-binary athletes

see page F1

see page F2

Chasing Lord Stanley

CARLY TAGEN-DYE

notably to their top center, Ryan Johansen. It is crucial that the replacements at the center position challenge Crosby and Malkin early in the series in order to give Nashville a fighting chance. Otherwise, the matchup at center might simply be too difficult for the Predators to overcome. One of Nashville’s assets that has gone under the radar throughout the playoffs is their head coach, Peter Laviolette. Arguably the best American ice hockey coach in the history of the sport, Laviolete has masterfully run the bench throughout his entire career. He could be the “X-factor” that could ultimately win the championship for Nashville.

Prediction: Nashville will win in seven

Everyone loves a good underdog story, right? Despite a grueling playoff schedule and countless injuries, this Nashville squad possesses the strength and resilience to emerge as victors. The series will really come down to a single factor for each team. Will the Penguins star centers simply overpower the Nashville defense? Or will the Subban and Josi combo manage to stop the future Hall-of-Famers in Crosby and Malkin? During the regular season, the teams split the two games they played, each team winning game in a decisive fashion. Because they were so evenly matched during their previous encounters with one another, I predict that this matchup will result in a very close series that will come down to the wire. Although they dropped game one, the depth of Nashville’s bench and their defensive fortitude will lead them to victory.

Montgomery Blair High School SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND

A public forum for student exploration since 1937

silvertrips Presi(lver)dential trip

June 1, 2017 VOL 007 NO 1

Seniors hit the sand By Georgina Burr(bad)os

GRIFFIN O’REI(GON)LLY

FROM PRINCIPAL TO PRESIDENT President Renay Johnson departs from Air Force 1 after completing an educational trip to Europe. Below the steps, Blair students greeted her with fanfare.

As the the clock winds down to 2:30pm on May 26 all of the seniors are just waiting to be released into the wild to partake in the everlasting tradition of beach week. Before you head out,it is important to remember some crucial details for your days of sun, sea,and boardwalk activities! The first tip is to remember your sunscreen. Remember, sunburns are not an enjoyable experience! Whether it is SPF 5 or SPF 700, you’re going to need some protection against the harsh rays of the sun because a flimsy beach umbrella won’t do you much good. The sun is out to get you. Second, be sure to watch out for the jellyfish. They are everywhere. Even if you’re a fan of the little guys, (who are actually 98% water by the way, which is crazy), they sting and the last thing you want during a fun week with friends is to be pelted with tiny creatures

who are angry at large groups of teens for invading their water. Thirdly, do not forget your beach essentials. And by this, I do not mean your swimsuits or towels (which are still a prerequisite)-I mean sand buckets and shovels! Seeing little kids on the beach building little forts will make you miss your ability to make a convenient sand castle for your new found friend the hermit crab! And since the earth needs some saving, rent a bike! Save the earth! I’m not saying bike all the way to ocean city, but you will feel a lot better heading to the beach with the wind running through your hair on a bike than in the overwhelmingly sticky insides of a polluted box on wheels! And lastly, the most important topic: footwear. Silver Chips largely supports sporting socks and sandals, more specifically, socks n’ stocks, but the texture of sand between your toes is pretty disgusting. Don’t forget to pack flip flops!

Ridin’ high on amusement park coasters By Julian Brown, Grady Johannesburg, and Cole Sebass-tian Cole and his friend, Grady, were headed to the amusement park for the day. It had been Grady’s birthday, and his Julian promised him a day at the amusement park with a friend. The boys were so excited to try the whirl around ride. Then, it would be the rollercoaster. Grady talked his Julian into going on the rollercoaster too, but he was so scared all he did was scream! The Ferris wheel had always

been Cole’s favorite. He liked to be high. He especially liked it when the seat came to a stop at the top and rocked back and forth. The boys were hungry so Julian gave them tickets to get cotton candy, hotdogs, and some popcorn. While getting the food, Grady saw a boy about his age standing at the whirl around ride. He just stood there and stared. “That boy was standing at the whirl around ride when we were on it,” said Grady. “I wonder why he doesn’t go on the ride?” asked Cole. “Maybe he’s scared.” The boy was by himself and

looked poor. His shirt and jeans were torn and dirty. Even his hair was messy. After the boys ﬁnished their food, they walked over to Julian and told him about the boy. “Can we do something to help him?” asked Grady. “What do you want to do?” his Julian asked. “Let’s give him the extra tickets we have, and we can give him a ticket for a hotdog.” Grady and Cole went over to the boy and said they had some extra tickets, and he could have them. The boy gave them the biggest smile and said, “Thanks that would be great!” “We have some extra food tickets too.” “Wow, I would really like a hotdog,” said the boy. He said his name was Chaminda and that he comes to the amusement park often, but he doesn’t have the money to go on the rides. “I just watch everyone else and wish I could go on all the rides.” Julian came over and told the boys it was getting late. “This is Chaminda,” said Grady to his Julian. “It’s nice to meet you Chaminda.” “Well boys, we need to head home.” “It’s been a long day.” They said goodbye to Chaminda and left. Julian told the boys what they did for Chaminda was very special. “You both brightened a boy’s day that is less fortunate than you.” “I’m proud of you both.”

GRIFFIN O’REI(GON)LLY

SCREAMS OF JOY Seabass-tian, Brown County Indiana, and Johannesburg ventured to King’s Dominion and met a special person.

SASHA MARQUEZO CITY

Coastal competition winners are in By Brianna Fort Lauderdale On May 20 and 21, thousands of people gathered at numerous beaches along the East coast to participate in the highly competitive beach sporting events hosted through the East Coast Beach Coast surfboard company. The weekend started off with an exciting bang, as the competitors for the sea glass collecting competition sprinted along the beach at 4:00 a.m. Although the lighting was not ideal and many competitors mistook sand crabs for sea glass, morale among competitors was high. After three hours of intense searching, the buzzer rang. The final score was incredibly close, but the Sandy Sandollar was victorious with a final count of 1,500 pieces of sea glass. Her collection included a very rare piece dated back to 200 B.C.E., as well as five turquoise pieces of glass! After the scintillating sea glass competition, the next event for Saturday of the East Coast Beach Coasts’ Atlantic Coasts Championship 2017 was the sandcastle building competition. There were two

categories, one was judged based on creativity and design, while the other category was judged based on height and structure. In the creativity and design category, Shelly Shells took an early lead with her design of a shark getting chased by a stingray. In the height and structure category Shelly Shell’s partner, Donald Dolfin, was a machine. He started his sand castle off with a circular base that was 20 feet in diameter. The sand castle quickly became a tower as Dolfin built stairs out of sand to help reach the sky, and Dolfin ended up with a new record of 200 feet high. The final event started Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m… The 10K crab run! The first place finisher, first time crab runner from New Hampshire, Sherry Sharkey, arrived at the finish line a whole hour before the original record, at a time of 54 minutes and 43 seconds. In the senior category, 104 year old Delphine Dunes just barely snatched first place with a time of three hours and 33 minutes. And with the exciting crab race over, the East Coast Beach Coast’s Atlantic Coasts Championship 2017 concluded.

insidetrips CONDUCTOR SHETTY

NEWS A1

Fake out

Lost in paradise

Unnamed honors English 12 teacher fakes sick for week, travels to Bahamas.

Freshmen go missing after trekking up to Blair’s fourth ﬂoor.

OP/ED B1

ALICE CENTRAL PARK

FEATURES C1

GRIFFIN O’REI(GON)LLY

ENTERTAINMENT D1

Rocky Mountain High

Jules Verne would be proud

Blazers take a class trip to the Mile High City.

Varsity cross-country team runs around the world in 80 days.

GRIFFIN O’REI(GON)LLY

SENIOR DESTINATIONS 4-6

F5 TRAIN DEPOT 8

June 1, 2017

Opinion B2

silverchips

Are trains or planes a better method of transport?

YES:

NO: Planes.

Trains are much better. Rolling hills flicker by. The sun is setting to the left, casting a halcyon glow on the upholstered seats ahead of you. The gentle rocking motion of the train lulls you into a trance. It’s warm and quiet and you drift off into a restful sleep. Change scene. The airplane cabin is too cold. GRIFFIN REILLY You shiver and pull the thin Conductor Shetty cotton blanket tighter around your shoulders. “Excuse me ladies and gentlemen.” The captain comes on over the intercom. “Shortly, we will be entering an area of turbulence. Please fasten your seatbelts at this time.” Not again. You sigh, and squirm in your seat, trying to find a comfortable position on the hard cushion. There are only trash movies on in the airplane. Your stomach rumbles. Why don’t they feed you on domestic flights? A wise traveler often asks herself what the best way is to get from Point A to Point B. If there’s one thing the modern world has succeeded at perfecting, it’s a multitude of transportation options. You can drive or bike or walk or ski or ride a horse. You could take a taxi or an Uber, or hitchhike. You can take a bus, or a plane… or a train. Trains are hands down the best form of a transportation. First introduced in the 1800’s, they dramatically changed the course of history forever, singlehandedly enabling expansion into the American West, and permitting the first large waves of unforced immigration not sparked by war, famine, or religious persecution. In this day and age, riding a train makes you feel the company of the millions of train riders who came before you. It’s also a convenient, comfortable, and cool way of traversing the country. Trains are convenient because they are easy to buy tickets for, unlike planes, and don’t require the same extensive security checks. It’s so easy to head over to your local train station and jump aboard, and you don’t have to leave your liquids over three ounces at the door. Trains are also super comfortable. Sleeper trains are perfect for getting from one place to another efficiently, and you don’t need to pay for a hotel in addition to your transportation! Also, have you ever tried to sleep on airplane? Most uncomfortable experience ever. On a train, there are no “Seatbelt on” signs, which means you’re free to walk up and down the aisles to your heart’s delight. Need something to eat? Head over to the dining car whenever you please! Lastly, trains are cool. You get to enjoy the local flavor of all the places you pass through by just glancing out the window.

Sure, in planes you get to see the clouds, but those are boring and look the same all over the world. Only from a train can you experience all the little communities you pass through without ever getting up from your seat. In conclusion, trains are by far the most superior form of transportation, and I will not let anyone tell me otherwise. All aboard!!

RolLiNg HiLls fLiCKer By. ThE Sun iS SetTiNg tO tHe LefT, CaStiNg a HalcYOn gLoW on The uPhoL-

GRIFFIN REILLY

Pilot Fernandes

SHIVANI MATTIKALLI

stERed sEAts aHeaD oF yOu. THe gENtLe RocKiNg MotIOn oF tHe TrAiN LuLlS yOu iNtO A trAncE. iT’S warM and QUieT And yoU dRiFT Off into a ReStfuL sLEeP. cHANGE ScENe. The AIrpLanE cABIN is toO ColD. YoU Shiver aND pULl the Thin cOtton BlANkeT tIghTer AROuNd youR shoULDErS. “exCUsE mE lADies aND gEntlEMen.” thE CApTAin coMes oN OVEr THe IntERCOM. “sHoRTly, WE WilL bE EnterIng An ArEA OF TUrBulEnCe. Please fasteN YoUR SEaTbeltS aT THIs tIMe.” NOT agAIN. You sIgH, and sQUIrm IN YOUr sEAT, TRYInG tO FIND a cOmFOrtaBLE POSItion on THE HARD CuSHiON. TheRE Are only TRaSH mOvies ON In tHe aIRpLane. YOuR sToMACH rumbLES. why dOn’T tHEY FEed You On DomEsTIC fLighTS? a WiSE TraVELeR OFtEn aSkS HeRsElF wHAT the bEST WaY is To gET From poINt a TO pOiNt b. if THERe’S oNE tHInG tHE MOdeRn wOrLD has suCCEedEd At pERfECTiNg, It’s a mulTITUDe OF TranSpoRtatIoN OPtIoNs. yoU cAN DRIvE OR BIKE OR wALK oR sKI or RIdE A hoRSE. YoU COUlD taKe a TAXI or aN uBeR, or hITcHhike. YOU caN takE a bus, oR A pLanE… or A traiN. trains ARE hANDS dOWn the beST foRm Of a TRanspoRtATiON. fiRsT iNTRoduceD iN THE 1800’S, thEY DRaMatIcAlLy CHANGEd tHe CourSe OF hiSTOrY FoREvER, SInGLEhanDedly ENabLING eXPAnsIoN INto the ameRIcAN WesT, ANd perMIttinG tHe fIRST lArgE WaVES of unFoRCEd immiGRATiOn NoT SPARkeD bY wAR, fAMiNE, or ReLiGiouS perSEcutiOn. in tHIS DAY aND age, rIding A Train MaKes yoU FeEL THE compaNy oF THE MiLliONs oF trAIN RiDerS wHO cAme BeFoRe yOu. it’s aLso a cOnVeNIent, coMfORtaBle, aND COOl way oF TrAvErSiNG thE coUNtry. trAIns are cONVEnIeNt BEcAuSE theY ArE eaSy tO bUY TiCkeTS FOR, unlIke PlanES, AnD doN’t reQUiRe THE saME exTENsIve SecurIty ChecKs. iT’S SO eASY TO hEAd OvEr to yOuR lOCAL TRaIN sTaTion ANd jUmp AbOarD, AND you Don’T hAvE tO LeAvE YoUr liQuIDS oVER THreE OUNceS aT ThE doOR. tRaiNs ArE ALSO supEr cOMforTaBLe.

SleePer TraIns are pErfeCT for geTTing fRoM one pLAce to aNOTHeR efFICIENtLy, and yoU doN’t nEED To PAY fOr a hOTel In ADdItIOn To YOUr TrAnSPORTAtIOn! ALsO, HavE YOU EvER TRieD To SLEeP ON aiRPlanE? MOST UnCoMForTaBLE EXpeRieNce eveR. on A traIN, THere are nO “sEATBelT oN” siGnS, whIch meANs yOU’re fREe to wAlK up aND DOWN the AISleS TO YouR HearT’s DELIghT. neeD sOmetHing TO EAT? hEAd oVEr TO THe dININg car WhEnEvEr you PlEAsE! lASTLY, TRAINS ArE cOoL. yOu get to ENjOy the LoCaL FlAvor oF All the pLaCEs you pAss ThrOUGh bY JUSt GLAnciNG OUT The wINdOW. SuRe, In plANES You get To SEe The cLOuDs, But tHOSe are bOring aND LOOK thE Same ALL oveR THe WORld. ONly From a TrAIn CAn YOu eXpEriEnce alL The LItTle coMmUnitIes YOU pAss ThrouGh WIthOUt EVER GEttINg Up froM YOur SEaT. in CoNClUsioN, TRAiNs are bY faR thE MOsT sUPerIor foRM OF TRaNsPORTAtIon, AND I wIll NoT LEt anyone tELL mE otHErwise. all ABOard!!

Reading Mean Tweets This is an unrelated video produced by Ben Miller in the style of Jimmy Kimmel’s segment. Scan the QR code below or use this link: https://youtu.be/HGLEsdYiuMU

voicebox Diesel 10 Junior

Molly Mack 8th grade

Lightning McQ Freshman

Coal Sebastian Super Senior

SmallTown Girl Sophomore

BEN DOGGETT

“Are you serious?!?!”

“Uhh.”

“Neither. Why fly when you can DRIVE? KaCHOW!”

“Yes to trains, no to planes.”

“When I was living in a lonely world, I took a midnight train. Changed my life.”

June 1, 2017

silvertrips

SENIOR WILLS We, ALEXANDRA MARQUEZ and ALICE PARK, of sound minds and hot bods do hereby bequeath: To Alexander and Olivia: Our beloved kingdom. May your late nights have endless page drafts, productive headline sessions, relay races, and all the comfort food. We leave you the contact information for Jose Andres’s assistant; may your pursuits be fruitful. Take good care of our extensive family tree, and we can’t wait to see you rock the paper next year from afar! <3 To Leila and Gilda: Perfectly timed breaking news and fabulous layout. May your potlucks be full of cauliflower, and may dinner never be ordered before you return from sports practice. To Erin and Serena: The power to take on Big Sugar (and call out MCPS on its BS). To Lil Cole and Isabella: Punny subheads, stories under word count, and plenty of chivalry to go around. To Emma and Hermela: Fun fun fun! The ability to make Blazers laugh, cry, and crave bubble tea and pumpkin spice lattes-- all in one section! To Henry: The energy to return to veganism, your true calling in life. To Laura: The extraordinary power to connect with the masses. To Noah and Elias: Speedy transcripts and perfect attendance. May you find stories you’re passionate about and write them on time! <3 To Ben: Plenty of space for your QR codes, not-so-mean tweets, and survey responses galore! To dear Chaminda: Publishable photos of couples and pizza every week. I, ALICE PARK, do hereby bequeath: To Olivia: My love for coffee and all things Chips. Don’t stress too much and remember we have a Keurig for emergencies! To Serena: The spirit to keep investigating a certain magic material lab (and other sketchy business). May senior year bring perfectly formatted

drives, very strange practice jingles and the over-all love of fhocking To Maya Hammond: All my I, GERRIT ANTONISSE, love to my favorite world bequeath: To Kanani: I leave the coveted traveler. head of sales position in Silver To Olivia Amitay: Ripping the water, nailing your optionals, Chips. fighting dave, and of course To Ariel (and Karen) : I leave bumping in the hot tub after the fate of business staff in the breakfast shuffle your hands. To Eli, Sami, Jacob, the better To Honor: Good luck forcing Eli, and Willis: people to go to the farmers Donuts, chocolate milki, and markets. very strange snapchats. NOSOTROS, CAMILA Y I, ELIZABETH COVE, do I, SHIVANI MATTIKALLI, CARLOS dejamos: hereby bequeath: hereby bequeath, El futuro la Esquina Latina To Business Staff: All the en las capaces manos de Somoney in the world! Keep the To Tarun Mattikali: Enjoy fia y Michael. Sabemos con cash flow rollin in #nodaysoff. high school while it lasts! Take care of Simmi and keep gran certeza que realizaran To Sammie Grant: Parking her out of my room! un excelente servicio en LEL. passes, homework vlogs and Con orgullo esperamos ardua- fun at Stroke and Turn. I, VIVIAN BAUER, bemente ver como representan a To Marike and Honor: the queath: la comunidad latina de Blair. birds and the bees that are in To Honor: I leave you everyEsperamos que logren todo the trees. Hold down the fort thing. You are my everything. lo que nosotros no pudimos and protect the crease. To Cece: Thanks for being lograr. Les deseamos lo mejor To Grace Hildebrant: indoor lame. Also for being the best en su futuro chicos. ¡Nuestros voices, senior night balloons sister ever. increibles editores, los vamos and lonliness surivial tips. To Honor, James, Jansi, Johna extrañar un monton! To Brenna: all the best w ny, and Liam: I leave you the Con amor, Brenna’s Makeup Co. best radio show ever. Don’t Camila y Carlos. And to all my little laxers: screw it up! endless stick juggling comI, BRIANNA FORTE, do petitions, goals, and the best hereby bequeath: of luck next season. Long live I, CLAUDIA BURLINSON, To Emma and Hermela: huBlair girls lax 2017. Go defend bequeath: To Grace Hildebrant: I leave mor and a chill attitude to the regional championship! you with the lacrosse team continue the legacy of enterand legacy to carry on. I know tainment being the funnest I, ANKIT BHARGAVA, beyou will be an amazing capsection! queath: tain and will do great things To Caitlin Forte: I will no lon- To Gabel: You made me senext year! Love you so much ger make you late for school. riously consider repeating dumpling! Have fun midget! senior year, so if you see me To Holly Greenleaf: Make in 1st period next year… sure Blair swim and dive Anyway, you have the kindest I, ELLIE BURLINSON, bedoesn’t fall apart. And have heart of anyone I know, never queath: To Brenna and Mikaela: Evfun at morning practice! let that slip away. erything. Come visit me. To Brenna: No one cheered I, RUDI EILEEN, bequeath: me up when I was feeling To Ariel: You’re going to miss down quite like you did. Find I, GRIFFIN REILLY, bequeath: me rambling about KPOP me at Michigan if you want The future of Blair Men is To Kanani: I am not going to some gluten free pumpkin yours, Sami. Take the reins. miss your yelling :) bread! To Julia Bliss: I’ll never forget To Sami: I leave you my imyou. Cheers to my best years I, CHRISTIAN MUSSENpeccable fashion sense. Stay ever to the best girl ever. DEN, do bequeath: flat moe, and make sure you The corner to my protege get enough exercise (a walk I, GEORGINA BURROS, Henry Wiebe. everyday during 7th or 8th bequeath: To Will Donaldson: My unof- should do even if I’m not The role of entertainment edificial younger brother, I wish there). tors to Emma and Hermela. I limitless yeeting, a couple of more championships for your I, MARIANNE BENYAMIN, hope you guys have as much fun as Bri & I did-enjoy every MyPlayer, and overall the best hereby bequeath: cycle :) for the next two years. To Maya, Marike, Laura, and To Zach Dunne: Hyehehhehe- Lea WC: The spirit of Blair CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 hehehehehehehehehehehhh. Field Hockey, really good SRP papers and speedy runs. To Isabella: The strength to continue crushing the patriarchy and designing beautiful layout, all while dressed to the nines. To Henry: A joyous time alone in Comp Religion with DWhit. To the juniors: My string lights. Treat the red bendy chairs well. May the next year be full of Wall of Fame moments!

Jokes aside, I love you buddy. You’ll have a blast next year.

silvert

June 1, 2017

Ibsitu Abadiga Unknown Sophia Abbad Mount St. Mary’s University Mohamed Abdelaziz Unknown Shima Abdulla University of Maryland, Baltimore County Wonder Abor Montgomery College Alula Abraham University of Maryland, Baltimore County Ajith Abraham Thomas Unknown Timothy Abrahms Pennsylvania State University Alyxza Abrams National Guard Yeabsera Abreham Towson University Zenab Abubakari University of Maryland, College Park Anita Acha University of Maryland, Baltimore County Gelila Aderaye Towson University Amira Adino Montgomery College Najat Adino Montgomery College Joshua Agu Ohio Wesleyan University Edwin Aguilar Howard Community College Diana Aguilar Portela Montgomery College Enrique Aguilon Vicente Unknown Suyaib Ahmed University of Maryland, Baltimore County Razan Ahmed Ali University of Maryland, College Park Rebecca Aitken Binghamton University David Akpan, JR Unknown Ibrahim Alami College Maynard Alami Lackawanna College Andres Alberto Lopez Montgomery College, working Henry Aleman, JR Montgomery College, working Saron Alemseged Towson University Fatima Ali Unknown Alfayed Ally Montgomery College Eduardo Alvarez Reyes Unknown Edwin Alveno University of Maryland, College Park Alyssa Amaya Military Daniela Amaya Hernandez Gap year John Amaya Romero Carrol University Shraddha Anand Wellesley College Elijah Anderson United States Marine Corps Gerrit Antonisse Northeastern University Ali Anwar University of Maryland, College Park Yonatan Araya Unknown Hanna Arefeayne Towson University Bisrat Arega Montgomery College Bethany Argueta Montgomery College Alessandro Arias Salazar Unknown Javier Arizmendi Ruiz Unknown Jessica Armenta Montgomery College Monica Armenta Montgomery College Michelle Armstrong-Spielberg Macalester College Bisrat Asfaw Montgomery College Feven Assefa Chaka University of Maryland, Baltimore County Julia Aviles-Zavala Montgomery College Helina Awayehu St. John’s University Amanuel Ayano University of Rochester Mihretab Ayele Working Ryan Bacchus Unknown Griﬃn Badalamente University of Chicago Kellyn Barber University of Maryland, College Park Kevin Barboza Hernandez Unknown Mary Baremore McDaniel College Kevin Barrera Gap year, working Anna Barth Harvey Mudd College Vivian Bauer Macalester College Caleb Bauman Drexel University Nolan Bay University of Pittsburgh Alexander Beard Montgomery College Selam Befekadu University of Maryland, College Park Dawit Bekele Unknown Hana Bekele Towson University Haset Belay Mount St. Mary’s University Sened Belay University of Rochester Mekilt Belete Montgomery College Alex Bellgowan St. Mary’s College of Maryland Sean Bellgowan Salisbury University Yeymy Beltran Montgomery College Aaron Benda University of Maryland, College Park Deysi Benitez Trinity University Marvin Benitez Unknown Ricky Benitez Unknown Marianne Benyamin University of Maryland, College Park Mekedelawit Berhanu Marymount University Amanuel Berhe Montgomery College and working Benjamin Beriss Brandeis University Naveh Berner-Kadish Northeastern University Eyobed Beyene University of Maryland, College Park Lalise Beyene University of Southern California Ankit Bhargava University of Michigan Edgar Blanco Canales Montgomery College Jasmine Blassingame Valparaiso University Alannah Blount University of North Carolina, Charlotte Nathaniel Blower University of Maryland, College Park Malik Blythers Montgomery College, working Meherate Bogale Mount St. Mary’s University Adiel Bolanos Unknown Isaac Bonilla Montgomery College Aaron Boris Montgomery College Jeﬀerson Boror Meda Unknown

Where is the class of Amy Borton Berry College Benjamin Bradshaw University of Maryland, College Park Ryan Bratton Salisbury University Theonia Bremmer Montgomery College, working Danielle Brooks Unknown Julian Brown Johns Hopkins University Kasim Brown Unknown Thomas Brown de Colstoun Montgomery College Claudia Burlinson Ithaca College Ellie Burlinson University of Massachusetts Amherst Georgina Burros American University Daniel Busis Carleton College Christopher Butler Shepherd University Alliyah Byrd Working, online school Astrid Cabrera Montgomery College Michael Cales III Navy Cristian Canales Trade school, working Fernando Cantu Montgomery College Esvin Cardona Sanchez Montgomery College Cliﬀord Carter Lackawanna College Maria Carter Catholic University of America Jade Castillo Montgomery College Carlos Castillo-Martinez Catholic University of America Sabrina Cauton University of Maryland, College Park Wayra Cerda-Santamar National Guard Roberto Ceron Unknown Nathaniel Chappelle, Jr Missouri Valley College Ari Charles McGill University Sambuddha Chattopadhyay Harvard University Jorge Chavez Rauda University of Maryland, College Park Brenda Chavez Sanchez Unknown Keva Chawla University of Maryland, College Park Jessica Che University of Maryland, Baltimore County Daniel Chen Stanford University Ethan Chen Columbia University Richard Chen University of California, Berkeley Maya Chudamani University of Maryland, College Park Britney Chung University of Maryland, College Park Malik Chung Montgomery College Michael Clark Case Western Reserve University Julius Cobb Stevenson University Camila Colan Unknown Desmond Colby Frostburg State University Andre Colon Georgia Gwinnett College Eleanor Cook Yale University Kevin Cooley University of Maryland, College Park Demetri Cooper Montgomery College Jessica Corea Espinal Unknown Maria Coreas Catholic University of America Jessica Corvera Quintanilla Trinity Washington University Elizabeth Cove Wake Forest University Alexander Coy Cornell University Jamal Cozier Unknown Lucas Craig McDaniel College Juan Cruz Unknown Anthony Cuellar Working Daniel Cujcuy Quina Working Kaleb Dagne Montgomery College Noah Dalbey Americorps, College of William & Mary Rohan Dalvi Georgetown University Urjita Das University of Maryland, College Park Sandeep David University of Maryland, College Park Mark Dawit Towson University Bradley Dayhoﬀ University of Maryland, College Park Kusal De Alwis University of Maryland, College Park Faith Degroat Montgomery College Ponce DeLeon Shepherd University Abel Demiss Montgomery College Zoe Denton Spelman College Sami Deribew University of Maryland, Baltimore County Nourdine Diallo Georgia State Brayan Diaz Lopes Gap year, working Malachi Dinkin Montgomery College Dawson Do University of Maryland, College Park Thong Do University of Maryland, College Park Benjamin Doggett Frostburg State University Kendall Douglas Montgomery College Ruby Drizin-Kahn Vanderbilt University Estefelin Duarte Guerra Working Kyle Dunkley Montgomery College Steven Dunne University of Maryland, College Park Samuel Ehrenstein Case Western Reserve University Mateo Elezi University of Maryland, College Park Natalie Elias-Alfaro Unknown Rudaelle Elien Towson University Kobe Elston University of East Michigan Isabel Emsfeld Middlebury College Nyx Ennis Mount St. Mary’s University Jennifer Escalante Escobar Montgomery College Martha Eseme Temple University Rahele Eshete University of Maryland, College Park Allen Esibe Towson University Brayan Estrella Gonsalez Montgomery College Jonathan Esubalew Montgomery College Stephy Faho Ngassa Montgomery College Sherry Fan University of Maryland, College Park Annie Fang University of Maryland, College Park

Jessica Fang Carnegie M Pedraam Faridjoo American Shuayb Farooq Montgome Nicholas Fechner-Mills Gap year, E Leul Fekadu University Joshua Fernandes University Camila Fernandez Manrique G Isabel Fetter University Gabriel Field University Yoseph Fikru Unknown James Finley Kenyon Co Nancy Flores Unknown Oscar Flores Escobar Montgome Osmin Flores Lainez Working Kevin Flores-Arias Gap year Brianna Forté Florida Ins Alisson Fortis Sanchez Gap year Siena Fouse University Noah Friedlander University Ariel Fromm Wesleyan U Lauren Frost University Carlos Fuentes University Kimani Fullerton Frostburg Krissia Funes Martinez Unknown Nauman Funyas Montgome David Gabay Montgome Jeremy Gagnon Worcester Scott Gahart University Osmin Galdamez Alfaro Unknown Luis Galeano Baquedano Unknown James Gao University Oscar Garcia-Villatoro Montgome Edward Garner, III University Ismael Gaytan Rivera Montgome Jeﬀrey Ge University Meheret Gebre Trinity Wa Abeselom Gebreyesus University Miglanche Ghomsi Nono University Clayton Gibb University Amy Gilbert University Ronee Goldman Ithaca Coll Brittany Goldstein Worcester Callie Gompf-Phillips Kenyon Co Kelton Gonzalez Undecided John Gorman Washingto Annelore Gossin Unknown Arielle Gottlieb AmeriCorp Reilly Grant Skidmore C Trevor Gray Unknown Tesien Greene Unknown Ezra Grimes New York Thitna Gruga University Melissa Guardado Unknown Ahmadou Gueye Unknown Theresa Guirand Montgome Raymond Guo University Rebecca Gutema University Maniza Habib University Nasir Hackett University Lily Haeberle Clemson U Hilina Haile Unknown Eleni Hailu Montgome Leta Hamilton Unknown A’Nya Harripaul Montgome Lindsay Harris Spelman C William Hartmann Johns Hop Akosua Hawkins Towson Un Remzi Hazboun Loyola Ma Liza Hazelwood Virginia Co Nicholas Healey University Spencer Helsing Embry-Rid Tyrie Hendrix-Jenkins Unknown Marcos Henriquez Montgome Shane Henson Montgome Randima Herath University Amy Hernandez Gap year, M Ilcia Hernandez University Jesus Hernandez Unknown Leslie Hernandez Montgome Malik Hill Ohio Wesle Dylan Holmcrans Undecided Addiskidan Hundito University Edward Hunter Temple Un Ryan Interiano Air Force Christopher Isaac North Caro Ameen Islaw Montgome Kalton Ivahat Stevenson Niarah Jackson University Benjamin Jacobsohn University Daniel Jacobson University Julia Jacobson Salisbury U Grady Jakobsberg University Medret Jalloh Bowie Stat Charmaine Jenkins Unknown Rebecca Jenkins Colorado S Sabrina Jiang University Emma Jin Carnegie M

Destinations 4/5

rtrips

f 2017 jetting off to?

Mellon University n University mery College , Eckerd College y of Maryland, Eastern Shore y of Maryland, College Park Gap year y of Vermont y of Pittsburgh n College n mery College

nstitute of Technology

y of Maryland, College Park y of Chicago n University y of Maryland, College Park y of Maryland, College Park g State University n mery College mery College r Polytechnic Institute y of Maryland, Baltimore County n n y of California, Berkeley mery College y of Vermont mery College y of Maryland, College Park Washington University y of Maryland, Baltimore County y of Maryland, Baltimore County y of North Carolina, Asheville y of Minnesota, Twin Cities ollege r Polytechnic Institute College ed ton University in St. Louis n rps, University of Maryland, CP e College n n k University y of Maryland, College Park n n mery College y of California, Berkeley y of Maryland, College Park y of Maryland, College Park y of Maryland, College Park University n mery College n mery College College pkins University University Marymount University Commonwealth University y of Michigan iddle Aeronautical University n mery College mery College y of Maryland, College Park , Montgomery College y of Maryland, College Park n mery College sleyan University ed y of Maryland, College Park University

rolina A&T State University mery College n University y of Maryland, College Park y of Maryland, College Park y of Maryland, College Park University y of Vermont ate University n State University y of Maryland, College Park Mellon University

Jayna John Junior John Johnson Michelle Johnson Vickace Johnson Daniel Jones Jalesa Jones Jarrell Jones Shayla Jordan Patrick Kam Raphael Kanner Sara Kassahun Dagem Kebede Samuel Kebede Yabesera Kebede Kye Keely Mikiyas Kefyalew Lucy Kelliher Garret Kern Christopher Khan Rehmat Khatri Matthew Kiefhaber Aidan Kimani Benjamin Kirch Maxwell Kittner Austin Kokkinakis Ami Konou Fatu Kposowa Caleb Kracke-Bock Joshua Kuﬂu Sola Kwon Lizbeth Labastida Derek Lamb Belinda Langton Christopher Larkins Kiana Lassiter John Lathrop Cynthia Lauredan Kayla Lavern Aurora Lazo Majano Hau Le Tatiana Leconte Malik Lee Nathnael Legesse Madeleine Lemen Nayman Leung Francisco Leventhal Simin Li Lailah Lindsey Olivia Lindsley Caitlin Little Calvin Liu Sophia Liu Eriyanna Long Jordi Long Cristian Lopez Manuel Lopez Ruby Lopez Victoria Lopez Eliezer Lopez Arevalo Ervin Lopez Diaz Evelyn Lopez Juarez Pablo Lopez-Arze Charles Lott Isabel Lott Yang Lu Juliana Lu-Yang Monica Luna Adrian Ly Alex Ma Allison Mackenzie Josue Madrid Orellana Korine Makenmou Olivia Malcolm Beza Mamo Dagmawe Mamo Salimatu Mankajang Anisah Mansaray Zayda Marcia Ventura Alexandra Marquez Diana Marroquin Elia Martin William Martin Jessica Martinez Doris Martinez Castillo Joseph Martinez Cruz Sandra Martinez Flores Elvis Martinez Garcia Esther Martinez Garcia Tatiana Martino Makrina Masale Abraham Mascio Claire Maske Dominic Massimino Jesse Matthews Shivani Mattikalli Conor McCague Julia McGee

University of Maryland, College Park Unknown Montgomery College Unknown Bridgewater College Unknown Undecided Morgan State University University of Maryland, College Park University of Wisconsin-Madison Unknown University of Maryland, Baltimore County Sewanee: The University of the South Unknown University of Arizona Unknown DePaul University Brown University Montgomery College, working Traveling to India Salisbury University Temple University University of Delaware University of British Columbia University of South Carolina College Towson University Purdue University Montgomery College Unknown Montgomery College University of Pittsburgh School in Portugal University of Redlands Unknown University of Maryland, College Park Montgomery College Montgomery College Montgomery College, working Towson University Unknown Unknown Regent University Goucher College University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Maryland, College Park University of Maryland, College Park Dickinson College DePaul University Salisbury University University of Maryland, College Park University of Maryland, College Park Montgomery College Carnegie Mellon University Montgomery College Unknown Montgomery College Montgomery College, working Working Working, Montgomery College Gap year, Montgomery College Montgomery College Furman University St. Mary’s College of Maryland University of Maryland, College Park Stanford University Montgomery College University of Maryland, College Park Vanderbilt University Haverford College Working Gardner–Webb University University of Maryland, College Park Loyola University of Maryland Unknown Montgomery College Unknown Montgomery College, working University of Maryland, College Park N/A University of Maryland, College Park Grove City College Washington Adventist University Unknown Working Unknown University of Maryland, College Park University of Maryland, College Park Notre Dame of Maryland University College University of Pennsylvania Skidmore College, studying in London Occidental College University of Maryland, College Park University of Maryland, College Park Montgomery College James Madison University

Nerrisa McKoy Montgomery College Wilmer Medrano Jimenez Unknown David Medrano Rodas Working Angie Mejia-Urquizo University of Maryland, College Park Peter Melinchok University of Maryland, Baltimore County Aracely Mendez Jimenez Unknown Alexandra Mendivil-Villafuerte Army National Guard Bianca Mendoza Unknown Franchezka Mendoza Towson University Karen Mendoza-Sandoval Montgomery College John Merlo-Coyne University of Maryland, College Park Wilber Meza Rogel Unknown Alex Miao University of Pennsylvania Matthew Michel Unknown Amanda Micheo Mount St. Mary’s University Shanice Miggins Unknown Ian Miles San Jose State University Iris Miranda Unknown Kevin Miranda Marine Corps Suad Mohamud University of Maryland, College Park Oreena Monrose University of Maryland, Baltimore County Jason Monroy Unknown Araceli Montes Peguero Montgomery College Lily Montgomery University of Michigan Fernanda Morales Unknown Giselle Moreno University of Maryland, College Park Zoe Moreno Salisbury University Paul Moser Delaware State University Jamila Moses University of Georgia Ayzia Mosher Air Force Reserves Mariz Mossad University of Maryland, College Park Leandra Moukoudi NdokoUnknown Geraldine Murillo Unknown Abigail Muro University of Michigan Aidan Murphy SUNY-ESF Marcus Murphy Working Willa Murphy University of Maryland, Baltimore County Christian Mussenden St. Mary’s College of Maryland Lori Nambo Gap year Karuna Nandkumar University of Michigan Heidi Narvaez Temple University or Hilsboro Andrew Navarro College Kiara Navarro Unknown Jacqueline Ndjib University of Maryland, College Park Alvin Nelson Unknown Jessie Nelson University of Maryland, Baltimore County Kayla Nelson Community college in Virginia Debora Netcliﬀ Unknown Dana Neufville Bowie State University Romell Neufville Unknown Brandon Neves Montgomery College Rolf Ngana Lycoming University Portance Nganamodei Unknown James Nguy Montgomery College Amy Nguyen University of Maryland, Baltimore County Zedan Nguyen Working Kadidjatou Niare Montgomery College Jacqueline Nickel Montgomery College Thomas Nieto Hood College Alyssa Nino Unknown Brandon Njinjoh Frostburg State University Thomas Norris Temple University Isaq Nur Montgomery College Joelle Nwulu Towson University Sankara Olama-Yai Pennsylvania State University Daniela Osorio Hernandez Unknown Enoch Owumi Wesley College Kathryn Ozeroﬀ University of Maryland, College Park Sandy Pacheco Flores Montgomery College Johanna Padilla Montgomery College Eber Parada-Maldonado Montgomery College Alice Park Yale University Shyaer Parvez University of California, Berkeley Nikita Patel Temple University Alicia Pearson Unknown Cameron Pelham Unknown Gabriela Peralta Ramirez Working, college Julian Perez-Garcia University of Maryland, College Park Danvi Pham University of Maryland, College Park Minhanh Pham Towson University Peter Phan University of Wisconsin-Madison Andrew Phillips Washington Adventist University Leah Phillips Gap year Ramida Phoolsombat University of Southern California Luc Picone AFDA, The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance Candyce Pierce Montgomery College John Pietanza, Jr. Salisbury University Jefry Pineda Romero Unknown Egypt Poindexter Gap year, working, Montgomery College Yessie Portillo-Lopez Montgomery College Maia Pramuk School of the Art Institute of Chicago Brittany Price Unknown Kendall Price University of Maryland, College Park Madeline Puesan Montas Howard University Justice Pusey Unknown Itcenia Quezada Montgomery College

6 Destinations

silvertrips

June 1, 2017

Senior Destinations, continued

Sonia Quintana Franco Unknown Gisell Ramirez University of Maryland, College Park Karla Ramirez St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University, New York Diego Ramirez Ostorga Traveling to El Salvador Keyri Ramirez Paz Montgomery College Mahmood Rashid Traveling Pratik Rathore University of Maryland, College Park Keith Rattigan Unknown Griffin Reilly University of Oregon Alison Reynolds College of William and Mary Seung Joon Rhee University of Maryland, College Park David Rice Gap year Asha Richards Virginia Wesleyan College Gabriella Richardson McDaniel College Eric Rivas-Hernandez Unknown Alicia Rivera University of Kentucky Carlos Rivera Montgomery College Michael Rivera N/A Diondre Roane Montgomery College Caleb Robelle University of Maryland, Baltimore County Erik Robles Unknown Vianka Rodriguez Montgomery College Jose Rojas Montgomery College Sherry Rollins Montgomery College Sona Roman Working Haren Romero Fuentes Unknown Rayne Rooths Unknown Matthew Rought Army Abigail Rowland University of Southern California Kinjal Ruecker Georgia Institute of Technology Jack Russ University of Pittsburgh Marco Saah Loyola University New Orleans Suyapa Sabillon Amador Unknown Camille Saint-Cyr Notre Dame of Maryland University Syndi Salazar Montgomery College Anthony Salgado-Aquino Bowie State University Marina Salinas-Canas Towson University Julie Salmeron Unknown Kayla Salmon Trinity Washington University Meghna Sambathkumar University of Maryland, College Park Johnny Sanchez University of Maryland, Eastern Shore Michelle Sanchez Working, traveling Aranza Sanchez-Huitron Montgomery College Yuchabel Sanon Towson University Kevin Santos Moving to New York Yuvisa Santos Dubon Working Suriya Saravan Kumar Unknown Giovanni Saravia Montgomery College Neal Sarkar Vanderbilt University Isha Sarr Bowie State University Alexander Sarri-Tobar University of Maryland, College Park Sebastian Sartor University of Maryland, College Park Leah Savage University of California, Los Angeles Jasmine Scott Spelman College James Sebastian Gap year, New York University Christian Segovia Montgomery College Veronika Seider University of Miami Ruth Serpas Montoya Unknown Faith Sharp Towson University Sydney Sharp University of Maryland, College Park Aditi Shetty Yale University Haleluya Shewakena Montgomery College Caitlin Shi University of Maryland, College Park Lara Shonkwiler Massachusetts Institute of Technology Carroll Shumpert Unknown Alon Sidel Pennsylvania State University Thierry Siewe Yanga Virginia Tech Jack Smirnow Salisbury University Maya Smith University of Maryland, College Park Miriam Smith Clark University Rourke Smith University of Maryland, Baltimore County Naod Solomon Montgomery College Eli Solorzano Unknown Donghyeon Son University of Maryland, College Park Jorge Sorto Washington Adventist University Roxana Sorto Hernandez Unknown Grace Sperber-Whyte Drew University William Stacy Unknown Alana Stalvey Unknown Talia Stern Eckerd College Danie Stewart University of Maryland, College Park Samuel Strongin University of Maryland, College Park Nisha Subedi Montgomery College Seamus Swyers Montgomery College Fatoumata Sy Towson University Feven Tadesse College Noah Tadesse College Brian Tamara Quinteros University of Maryland, Baltimore County Sabrina Tan University of Maryland, College Park Sean Tan McGill University Travis Taylor Wilkes University Franck Tchamegueu Deumou Montgomery College Ines Tchienga Salisbury University Christory Teah Notre Dame of Maryland University Yared Tebabu Montgomery College Kebron Tefera Montgomery College Hermiela Tegenaw Montgomery College Oscar Tejada Cruz Bowie State University

Rediat Temechache Unknown Yohannes Terefe Montgomery College Eshan Tewari Harvard University Geniya Thompson Towson University Kaleb Tola Montgomery College Camille Torfs-Leibman University of Vermont Fadouba Toure Unknown Judy Tram University of Maryland, College Park Marie Tran University of Maryland, College Park Jasmine Trejo George Mason University Lesly Treminio Montgomery College Benjamin Trunk Montgomery College Eyob Tsegaye Stanford University Selamawit Tsegaye American University Gabriel Udell Pomona College Maximilian Ulbig Barbieri American University Wellington Uzamere, JR Salisbury University Elieser Valdez Montero Unknown Cynthia Valladares Unknown Laszlo Van Straelen Guilford College Cameron Vanderwolf University of Delaware Skylar Vanderwolf Eckerd College Franklin Vargas Montgomery College Jennifer Vargas Montgomery College Cindy Vasquez Ave Maria in Nicaragua Cesar Vasquez Lopez Unknown Perla Vega Eastern Nazarene College Jenniffer Vega Garcia Montgomery College Emely Velasquez Stevenson University Hannah Verschell Skidmore College Kevin Vicente De Leon Montgomery College William Victoria Northeastern University Jose Villatoro Montgomery College Kenia Villatoro Montgomery College Angeline Vilmar Virginia State University James Vinson California Institute of Technology Osman Vural Montgomery College Thomas Wachter Teaching in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Madison Waechter University of Wisconsin-Madison Christine Wan University of Maryland, College Park Richard Wang University of Maryland, College Park Grace Weissman Gap semester, Middlebury College Sylvie Weissman St. Olaf College Halle Welch University of Maryland, Baltimore County Lewie Weldegiorgis Montgomery College Jenna West Unknown Krystine White Montgomery College Miles White University of Maryland, College Park Sophia White McGill University Devon Williams Undecided Khadijah Williams Morgan State University Nkosi Williams Morehouse College Oliver Williams Unknown Abigail Wilson Tufts University Eric Xiao University of Maryland, College Park Yoas Yacob University of Maryland, College Park Angela Yang University of Maryland, College Park Mika Yatsuhashi Concordia University Richmond Yeboah Montgomery College Kalkidane Yesuf Towson University Lulaa Yohannes Towson University Benjamin Yokoyama Davidson College Nicholas Yonkos University of Kentucky Hiyori Yoshida University of Pennsylvania Aidan Young St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College of Maryland Jason Yu Montgomery College Joshua Yuan University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Linden Yuan University of Maryland, College Park Daniel Zavarce Working Uriah Zekarias Towson University Zhaxi Zerong Gap year, studying in Tibet Eric Zhang University of Maryland, College Park Minie Zhang University of California, Los Angeles Lawrence Zhao University of California, Berkeley Eric Zokouri Monmouth University Marc Zolotarev University of Maryland, Baltimore County Fausto Zurita Yale University

June 1, 2017

silvertrips

MORE SENIOR WILLS I, ADITI SHETTY, bequeath: To Erin and Serena: B1 through B6. It is a powerful section, and I know you are going to make the most of it. To Serena and Ben: Factchecking. It will be tedious, but I hope you two bond over the struggle as much as Josh and I did. Best of luck. To Ariel: The corner of the lab below the clock. Never stop smiling, kid. To Kanani, Chaminda, and Richard: Mr. Hinkle’s 4th period class. Live it up. To Mengming: Gosset’s sketchy proofs and all the cashews and almonds you need to survive period 7. WE, JULIAN BROWN, GRADY JAKOBSBERG, and COLE SEBASTIAN, do hereby bequeath: To Henry, Elias, and Cole, the title of BIG CHOON CREW

in the hopes that they use it as an excuse to do stupid things in the name of the paper. Our one request is that you, at some during the year, do the Canada Challenge as it is the one challenge we were never able to attempt. WE, COLE SEBASTIAN and JULIAN BROWN, do hereby bequeath: To Isabella and Cole, the features section of the newspaper in the hopes that you are not as mean to next year’s juniors as we were to you. Actually, nevermind, go ahead and be meaner. WE, ALICE PARK and ADITI SHETTY, of spirited bodies and minds, do hereby bequeath: To the Stone Cold Foxes: SPIRIT and all the ice cream your stomachs can handle.

Junior Superlatives Most likely to lose her keys in a puddle: Erin Namovicz Most likely to write children’s books: Hermela Mengesha Most likely to be mistaken for Jamie Raskin on the street: Alexander Dacy Most likely to slide tackle a Big Sugar rep: Olivia Gonzalez Most likely to chase a Congressman down for a quote: Laura Espinoza Most likely to write a viral tweet: Isabella Tilley Most likely to find his wife on Bumble: Cole Greenberg Most likely to make millions selling mac & cheese: Serena Debesai Most likely to talk herself through a stressful RQA: Gilda Geist Most likely to become an organic farmer: Leila Jackson Most likely to request a Luke Bryan song at prom: Henry Wiebe Most likely to whip out photos of Scottish canons to ease an awkward silence: Emma Cross Most likely to become an ESports world champion: Elias Monastersky Most likely to become White House Press Secretary: Noah Chopra-Khan

MAD DOG MAL

silvertrips

June 1, 2016

A guide to the graduating trains, planes (and boat) of Room 165

Silver Chips Seniors 2017 (from top left to bottom right) 1. Alex Moldova 2. Grifﬁn O’Re(gon)ielly 3. Megna Sam(oa)kumar 4. Benjamin Doggetaway 5. Lindsay Hondurris 6. Shivani “Djibouti” Mattikalli 7. Cole Seabass-tian 8. Julian Brown County Indiana 9. Georgina Burr(bad)os 10. Rudaelle EliEngland

11. Grady Johannesburg 12. Caleb Stern & Bowman 13. Gerrit AntoNice 14. Carlos Fuente de Vida Eterna 15. Pilot Fernandes 16. Elizabeth (Pirate) Cove 17. Alexandra MarQuezon City 18. Marianne BenYemen 19. Alice (Central) Park 20. CaMilan “Fashion Week” Fernandez

21. Elia Sankt Martin 22. Conductor Shetty 23. Christian Musscow-enden 24. Niki Patel-a-viv 25. Dawson Do(minican Republic) 26. Brianna Fort Lauderdale