DANCE TILL YOU DROP! Who is Mael Timano?
MCPS UNMASKED MARCH 2022 EDITION
VE USI L C EX TLER TAT A Q&
inside
Alexa Givens
GROUTFIT HOT OR NOT?
BLACK HISTORY MONTH STUDENT SHOWCASE
ALL THE PHOTOS & DETAILS Social Studies Department spotted jetting off! (p.3 and p.11)
Lucille Kistner (p.6)
What’s
Zola Welch (p.8)
04 05 06 08 14
Inside?
ive exclus izzes, , qu s w e i v inter re! and mo
Editors-in-Chief
Nikki Mirala Carmen Lopez-Fernadez Karenna Barmada Kate FitzGerald Mimi Danzis Sammy Schuchman
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Art Editors
Photo Editor
Johanna Krejza Kathie Grove (p.12)
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off to now?
DANCE TILL YOU DROP on his journey of inspiring others
THE FASHIONISTA the outfits of tomorrow at her fingertips
THEIR ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE future madames in office
THE WAR ON UKRAINE it’s devastating impact on the homefront
SPORTS UPDATE basketball, poms, track, swim and dive
BREAKING UP WITH COVID-19 have
we returned to normalcy?
CHAOS IN THE COUNTY parking pass uproar and snow day upset
and...
at s w e n n o r Ba rg o . r e l t Even more t a t c c b
Charlotte Jiggins (p.9)
MOM ON THE GO where is she
whats in the news
Sydney Theis Nina Pollak Jack Clauss
ER TATTL F STAF
profiles
THE INS SCO IDE OP
Gabe Gebrekristose (p.25)
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READING AWAY THE STRESS
bringing back a classic way to decompress
THE DIGITAL SAT why it’s a waste of everyone’s time
WHO WORE IT BETTER? check out what’s on our style radar
QUIZ which B-CC hallway are you? Take our quiz to find out!
magazine’s
TRANSPARENCY TREATY Why a “TATTLE!” Edition? It’s simple, we do not know each other. This past year has led to a disconnect between the Barons, so we interviewed B-CC in hopes of becoming a closer-knit community. • From sports teams to high school sweethearts, our writers and editors chose a variety of B-CC Students, Staff, and Alum that we believe reflect various incredibly interesting parts of our school. • A main goal of the Tattler is to celebrate every kind of student in our pages. Without a range of study skills, after school activities, and preferred bathrooms for skipping classes, our B-CC community would be boring! • The “TATTLE” features REAL people. No actors in our pages! (Just a few clickbait headlines LOL) • The Tattler is here to listen carefully. If something in the magazine confuses you or makes you feel bad, we TOTALLY want to hear about it. • A lot has happened since we started this edition, and we want to honor the people affected by these tragedies. • To ensure that we don’t diminish the importance of these events, we will be creating a special edition highlighting them. •
Be on the lookout for it.
O X O X r e l t t -Ta
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MOM ON T
HE GO
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stephanie rizas
By Nikki Mirala
aving taught at B-CC for 15 years, Mrs. Rizas has become a beloved teacher by many. As a high school student she saw herself following a path of business and marketing, but that quickly changed after she attended her first business class in college. With a degree in Secondary Education and History from the University of Maryland, she was able to follow her true passion. She began her teaching career at Blair High School and at a charter school in Anacostia, DC. In 2007, she started teaching at B-CC. As a teacher of IB History, U.S. History, and East Asian History, Mrs. Rizas has familiarized herself with a wide range of students. In fact her favorite thing about B-CC is exactly that, in the sense that our school “has a demographic that gives students exposure to lots of diversity both in terms of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, interests, and talents.” As she engages with a plethora of students from such diverse backgrounds, Mrs. Rizas has made it a priority to give her students the opportunity to share their varying voices on the most pressing issues, dedicating class days to open discussions on current events.
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Alongside reading and spending time with family and friends, one of Mrs. Riza’s many hobbies include traveling—an interest which has not only provided her with enjoyable memories but also life changing experiences and lessons. She views traveling as “such an important part of learning as an adult,” adding how, “it’s one of the only experiences where you find yourself truly out of your comfort zone and have to focus and challenge yourself.” For 10 years she spent each summer traveling around Asia. While her travels all around that region, (including China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, and Tibet) have all been extremely memorable for her, she identifies her first trip to China or her last trip to Tibet in 2018 as the most life changing. Mrs. Rizas has continuously brought her travel experiences back into the classroom as she believes “it helps make my teaching of subjects such as modern China or Korea more tangible for students…It’s one thing to read about history and study it in school, and quite another to experience the culture and presence in a historical place,” she says,
“I wish I could take all my classes on international field trips.” She looks forward to the future of B-CC, especially in regards to the History department. Next year, a Sub-Saharan African History course will be added in addition to an Asian American Desi History course– “both areas that really haven’t gotten enough attention in the past.” Rizas has countless ideas for more courses she would love to see added, stating that “there’s just so much out there in the field of social studies that we don’t get to talk about in high school classes,” however she is incredibly excited for these two additions. Speaking of exciting futures, we would like to congratulate Mrs. Rizas on her pregnancy! On behalf of the Tattler staff and B-CC community, we wish you all the best through this journey!
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mael tima
DANCE TILL YOU DROP
By Naomi Kales
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n average day for Junior Mael Tima consists of waking up early, school, a club meeting during lunch, another one after school, a train ride to his dance studio, rehearsal, teaching a class, and finally returning home at around 10 pm. Tima is a competitive dancer and a part of the audition-only Tremaine Dance Performance Company (TPC). He became a member of TPC at Nationals in Orlando, Florida over the summer, where he placed first in his solo category, was a finalist for a
scholarship, and was given Dancer of the Year. As a member of TPC, he goes on convention tours several times a year and teaches dance classes. Tima will be participating in five conventions this year alone, traveling from Atlanta to New York City to Indianapolis. At conventions his schedule consists of rehearsals on Friday, classes on Saturday and Sunday, and performances in the faculty show at the end of the weekend. The B-CC choreographer focuses on a variety of dance styles, ranging from ballet to jazz. He notes that his main style is hiphop, and therefore primarily teaches hip-hop classes at his studio to children, teenagers, and adults. While Tima states that TPC is his greatest accomplishment, he is also incredibly involved in the Baron community. He is the B-CC Moves Assistant Choreographer and co-cap-
tain of B-CC Step, and he often attends meetings for B-CC for Change, Minority Scholars Program, Black Student Union, and Astronomy Club. He also plans on co-choreographing the B-CC musical this year. Although Tima has a packed schedule, he is happy to dedicate all this time to doing what he loves and hopefully making an impact on others dancers. Even after facing criticism for being a male dancer, he is unapologetically himself.
“Hopefully one day I can inspire a younger boy who’s afraid to dance.” 5
Profile
UP AND G N I M O C
lucille kistner By Hannah Troubh
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e’ve all experienced the tremendous glory of finding a perfectly fitting pair of jeans. We’ve also all experienced the pain of seeing every size but yours hanging on the rack. But what if you had the freedom to alter your clothes to a perfect fit? Lucille Kistner, B-CC class of ‘23, got her first sewing machine for Christmas when she was 7. Although cheap and barely functioning, the machine was enough to kick start her love of sewing. After
that she spent her summers at sewing camps, surrounded only by mannequins, fabrics, and seasoned designers. She learned exactly how to draw out and execute her ideas. At the start of the pandemic, she turned her talents into a small business and sold masks she handmade. “My favorite thing to do is up-cycle,” she says, “I love going to thrift stores, finding something I think has potential, and taking it home to sew.” Not only has Lucille found an outlet of per-
sonal interest, but she’s also found a way to creatively avoid fast fashion and be environmentally conscious. Lucille’s abilities range from bikini tops to formal dresses. She even made her homecoming dress. “I’m hoping to just continue making more clothes and gaining new skills,” says Lucille, “and maybe even get an internship in college. For now, it’s just a fun process, and I’d like to spend more time doing it.”
LUCILLE is sew c
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THE SINGER alexa givens
By Karenna Barmada
IVE S U L C EX Q&A!
Q: What got you interested in singing and making music? A: I’ve always sung, ever since I could talk. I began writing poetry in elementary school which morphed into writing songs. Music has been a safe haven, a best friend, a child, and companion for me. My family is my guitar, my piano is my voice and my creativity. When I saw what I was able to create there was no doubt in my mind that it was my future. I’m so in love with music and I always will be. Q: What’s one challenge you’ve encountered in pursuing music? A: The music business. Something a lot of people don’t know is that being a musician or singer is completely different from being a recording artist. It was a hard truth I had to face and a hard transition that I had to go through but it’s important to be knowledgeable about this career. This business is hard and not all make it, but you can survive, you just have to be smart and look out for yourself. Q: What’s your favorite thing about music? A: It’s new every time. There’s always something different. It brings people together, and I love how perfect and healthy of a vessel it is for working out your feelings and thoughts. Q: What advice do you have for students who want to pursue music? A: Know the business and manage your money well. Most artists aren’t making their money from spins or streams as they are through brand deals and endorsements, so manage that well, and don’t blow the first little bit you earn. Be confident in yourself and OWN YOUR MUSIC.
ALEXA t in
fiden n o c e B “ f!” yoursel
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THEIR ROA
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ting ting li
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By Nikki Mirala
s a member of 4+ clubs, SGA, the softball team, and the founder of various organizations, there isn’t much Junior Ting Ting Li isn’t involved in within the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School community. For as long as she can remember Ting Ting has been interested in advocacy, but her involvement grew in high school with new opportunities. Ting Ting credits her interest in advocacy to past challenging experiences she has faced and a drive to ensure that “others don’t ever have to go through what [she] has.” According to Ting Ting, enough change has yet to be made. She views advocacy as a chance to help change the present to ensure a better future. One club Ting Ting joined is Girl Up, a 8
United Nations Foundation Campaign focused on raising awareness and funds for adolescent girls in developing nations. As co-treasurer, Ting Ting helps with planning meetings, events, and activities. The club has been able to make a significant impact through encouraging representatives in Congress to pass various bills and creating care packages for women’s homeless shelters. She notes that most notable actions for her have been “lobbying and hosting panels, where I am able to witness and experience what we have worked hard on to create and accomplish.” Ting Ting is also making a substantial impact as an SGA officer. As treasurer for the class of 2023, she works and communicates with the rest of SGA and B-CC staff to host events, activities, and fundraisers
for her class. “Having attended different schools in different states, I always felt like student voices weren’t really heard by the school,” said Ting Ting. “I wanted to make sure that the student body was represented, so I decided to get involved in SGA as it not only allowed for students to speak up and represent student voices, but take the voices and change them to actions.” “It’s crucial that teens understand how politics operates, especially since we are able to register and vote as teens.” Advocacy has been such a focal part of Ting Ting’s life, and she believes it should be for others as well. “If teens don’t start getting involved with politics, they won’t understand how their voices can be represented and heard.”
T\HE WHITE
HOUSE zola welch
By Carmen Lopez-Fernandez
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lthough freshman Zola Welch is new to the B-CC Student Government, her political career stems back through her elementary and middle school life. At only 14 years old, she has been involved in many school campaigns, so the stereotype of the ‘popularity contest’ surrounding the SGA is evident to her. Still, Welch states that “it’s more than that, [students vote for] who they think will best represent them and their interests.” The freshman class agreed that was Welsh.
Welch is the B-CC ‘25 class president. She sees the SGA as a great way to get involved with the school, recognizing that their class’ “spirit needs a bit of work.” After a year in virtual school, Welch has set goals to re-connect students with their baron pride. “We want to make the student body more spirited and connected”. Even though Welch is only fourteen years old, she is an active participant and consistently brings novel ideas to administration. “I like being in control and coming up with ideas,” she ad-
mits. In the future, she is looking to organize “a big fundraiser for a charity and raise a lot of money.” The freshman class president has high ambitions for both her future at B-CC and the potential impact she could have. Despite her independence, as she promotes her leadership, Welsh is incredibly grateful for the community and teamwork she has been exposed to through the SGA. “I like the people in my SGA shout-out to y’all!”
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Profile
BOOLA BOOLA! ways, it’s way more fun, and it reminds me why I love swimming.” The pandemic brought a whole new 48 hours before the first day level of uncertainty to of school junior Nina Allen called up the college recruitment Coach Jason, B-CC’s swim and dive process for Nina. Despite coach. After a year at Holy Cross, this she was able to tour Nina was welcomed back to the blue about 20 different schools and gold with open arms. Nina says and narrow her choices “the team has made it such an easy down. “School and the transition and I feel like I’ve never college itself should come left, I’m so glad to be back at my first. I knew I didn’t want home and with my people on the a huge school or a really team.” The club season is rigorous. small school. I knew that They have 5-7 practices a week, I didn’t want to be the including on average 2 morning prac- fastest on the team, but tices (3-4:15 AM ). I also didn’t want to be “You’re racing for a team, the slowest. I love chasing not just yourself. If you feel like people and being at the you’re able to push yourself in new top really stresses me out
charlotte jiggins
seed at big international meets is really valuable. I’m just really glad to have found a family I can look forward to after high school.” Shortly after this interview with Nina, she broke her 2020 school record in the 50 free with a time of 23.15. Her time makes her the 3rd fastest performer in MCPS history. B-CC, and all of MCPS for that matter, can’t wait to watch Nina throughout the rest of her high school swimming career. After that, we will continue to cheer her on By when she’s e off at Katherin Yale! ones
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SKATING ON THE EDGE
At 4:30 in the morning B-CC sophomore Charlotte Jiggens is already awake, heading to the rink. “I do synchronized ice skating with my team, DC Edge. Synchronized skating is a discipline of figure skating where 16 skaters move through formations together,” said Charlotte. This specialized form of skating requires many skills. “Teammates have to work together to get each other across the ice and through the different formations. It’s very important to trust your teammates since you have to believe that they won’t fall or cause you to fall. My
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so having some people on the team that are faster and more developed than me was really important. At the same time however I didn’t want to constantly have to prove myself, so that kind of eliminated a lot of conferences like the Big Ten and ACC.” I asked Nina what really locked her into Yale. The very first thing she mentioned was the coaching staff, “You know my career hasn’t been linear, there’s been a lot of ups and downs especially in recent years. To know that they will always believe in supporting me, even when I’m no longer a national record holder or the top
nina allen
team has competed twice so far this year, and this March I’ll be trying out for team USA for the junior division,” recounts Charlotte. Skating demands Charlotte’s whole-hearted dedication, which makes her schedule crazy. “Training can get pretty hard, I’m always sore and tired by the end of the day. I have about 3-5 hours of training a day with both sports.” As if one intense sport wasn’t enough, Charlotte is also a dedicated rower on the B-CC crew team. “Crew and skating are very different. Skating is a performance sport, so
there’s a lot of artistry that has to happen and multiple different By Carmen scores that come into play when Torrecli la determining placement, whereas rowing is a race and the fastest boat wins.” Despite the differences, crew and rowing are similar in the importance of teamwork. Whether she’s skating on frozen ice or rowing through flowing rivers, Charlotte consistently embodies what it means to be a teammate.
mia cary
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M O R F L O O H C S G N I SHE’S DO After being online for about a year and a half, students were given the choice to stay online and attend the “Virtual Academy” or go in-person. Mia Cary, a sophomore at B-CC, is one of the students who made the decision to switch. Cary said “I decided to stay online because it made school easier for me,” and it also helped her focus in class without her friends or other distractions. While Cary is still doing virtual school this year, she says that the virtual academy contrasts from last year’s online classes in several ways. For one, classes are relatively small, and consist of students from all over
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Montgomery County. Cary added “we don’t really have tests because the teachers realize that they can’t really monitor what everyone is doing. Also I spend much less time on assignments after school than when I was in person because you really only have homework if you don’t finish
“I would like to stay online still. It is much easier for me to learn this way.” an assignment in class. The Virtual Academy is similar to
online school last year in that each class is extended past the usual 45 minutes. Even though she isn’t going to school with some of her friends, she is able to make new ones from her virtual classes. “I have made many friends with people who I would have never met if I wasn’t online and we have even met up outside of school a few times,” said Cary. When asked if she would stay online in the future if given the decision, Cary responded “I would like to stay online still. By It is much easier Olivia Rom for me to learn ano this way.”
FROM SCHOOL LUNCHES TO SOULMATES andrea & jamie gillespie
It’s not every day you hear a true B-CC love story! Andrea and Jamie met in 6th grade at Westland Middle School, and were friends for several years before they started dating in the summer of their junior year at B-CC. They enjoyed B-CC’s Sadie Hawkins Dances and beach trips as a couple, but they were at a crossroads when they committed to different colleges. While this splits many couples apart, it just brought Jamie and Andrea closer together. The years after college were a breeze for the pair. In 2008, they got married, with their best friends since middle school next to them as their wedding party. These friends saw their connection transform from puppy love to “in sickness and in health.” Today, the Gillespies live in East Bethesda.
You can catch them driving their daughter to Bethesda Elementary where Andrea herself attended elementary school. Or perhaps, at a B-CC football game where Jamie actively roots for the community he By used to play for. To the Katherine Jones left is a photo of them at Beach Week 1998!
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Profile
EVERYONE’S dadlani jaipal FAVORITE When you walk into a classroom and see Mr. Dadlani Jaipal you know it is going to be a good day. Mr. Jaipal, one of the most beloved staff members at B-CC, began his time here as a Special Ed Para-educator in 1999. He would work until lunch and help cover classes after as needed. Since 1999, he has continued to work at B-CC as a substitute teacher. However, throughout virtual learning not many teachers needed substitute
teachers, so he was not working with B-CC as often. Now that school is back in person, he currently works two or three days a week but hopes to work five days a week in the future. Mr. Jaipal has become a prominent member of the B-CC community and comes back to help out all the time. One thing that continues to bring him back to B-CC is that he loves how “everyone knows each other.” When asked how he feels about being the most loved substi-
tute teacher at B-CC he responded “I don’t know, maybe I am lucky.” Seeing Mr. Jaipal in a classroom can brighten up anyone’s day, even when he’s not your substitute he has a positive impact on the community. He once made hundreds of samosas for B-CC staff right before Thanksgiving break. “If you are nice to students then students will be equally or more nice to you,” Mr. Jaipal said. He continues to follow this philosophy every time he comes back to B-CC.
“If you are nice to students, they will be equally or more nice to you.”
HE’S BEEN HERE
By Mimi Danzis
john zehner
! ? G N O L W HO John Zehner is
a B-CC veteran. When Zehner started his freshman year at B-CC in 1979, he never would have expected that in more than 40 years he would still be spending his weekdays at his alma mater. After his graduation in 1983, Zehner returned to teach in 1991 and has continued to show his baron pride ever since. Zehner did not originally intend to teach at B-CC after he graduated. “It wasn’t a plan that I figured out when I was a youngster,” Zehner said. But a few years
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after college, Zehner moved back to the DMV and applied for teaching jobs in D.C., Virginia, and Montgomery County. Zehner had already started coaching on the B-CC Football team, and he also knew plenty of teachers at B-CC because his mother had worked here, his brother was a substitute teacher briefly, and from his time walking these halls as a student. Initially Zehner got a job at B-CC teaching one class a day, and substituting for the remaining class periods. Today, Zehner
teaches five class periods: two AP Economics classes, two AP NSL classes, and one Honors U.S. History class. Mr. Zehner is now the longest tenured teacher at B-CC, as this is his 31st year here. When asked about why he has stayed at B-CC so long, Zehner’s response was, in short, “I like B-CC.” Besides the subjects he teaches, one of Zehner’s favorite things about B-CC is the “cool mix of different groups of people.”
By Kate FitzGerald
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LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!
rosana pagán
By Grayson O’Marra
Coming off of a “lost year” due to the pandemic, Rosana Pagán, the teacher of B-CC TV, discusses the obstacles the crew has faced throughout the past few years. Pagán notes that it was hard for the new underclassmen members to be trained as usual during virtual school. “Normally, the underclassmen spend their first year helping out and learning the ropes, so by the time they’re upperclassmen, they are fully knowledgeable and capable. We lost that learning opportunity.”
kathie grove
Despite the training setback, B-CC TV staff has been able to overcome this issue with the help of past members. “B-CC TV is a community-centered class, and it’s nice to know that we’re always here for each other, and we’re always a team, even after graduation.” They have also had to operate the past few years with no school equipment, no production site, and no support from the school or any school organizations (PTSA, Boosters, etc). Even with all these major setbacks, the
B-CC TV staff was able to win eight student-lead-production Emmy’s with content that was developed over the pandemic– bringing their total to 12. Pagán says “our plan for the rest of the year is to put out the best possible content we can for our student body. We work really hard each episode to develop segments that will help build community in a time that we are relearning the importance of community and meaningful relationships”.
SEIZE THE CLAY!
“There is magic in clay!” Beams Kathie Grove. After teaching ceramics for 11 years, she still has the same love for the unique art form as when she first started. Graduating from college with an Art Education degree, Ms. Grove was taught a variety of different art subjects, everything except for ceramics. Even so, something about the porous sediment made her curious. “You can literally take something from the ground at your feet if you know what to look for and make something with it. The processes and techniques that you can learn are almost endless. “No other medium comes close to the versatility that clay possesses.” Although at that point she had little knowledge of the subject, 10 years ago Ms. Grove applied for the opening at B-CC to teach ceramics and got the job. Her passion for ceramics only grew. After building her skills for a couple of years at evening classes and workshops, Ms. Grove was able to create a portfolio and get accepted to a graduate
ceramics and sculpture program. She now participates in craft shows frequently and dedicates her summers to work on her pots for the shows. She also teaches adult ceramics classes twice a week and even sells her work on her website and through commissions. “I now have a masters degree in ceramics and sculpture, and the best job in the whole school.” So what makes the cracked hands and stained clothes all worth it? “My favorite part of teaching ceramics is when I see a student accomplish something that they previously believed was impossible. The sense of accomplishment and pride they feel means that I was successful in doing my job. It is very fulfilling. I have the privilege of teaching something I love to do.” When asked how she hopes her ceramics students will be affected by taking her class, she says that she wants students to “see clay as an outlet for creativity and stress relief, like therapy. It certainly is my By therapy.” owski
Ruby
Buczk
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Their Homeland Invaded
By Johanna Krejza
T
housands gather in front of the White House, shouting “President Biden, do not betray Ukraine! President Biden, the world is watching you!” Emotions run high as the people of Ukraine are being invaded by Russia. In the crowd, there is both courage and desperation, fear and pride, song and dance, which Gaby Karakcheyeva, a Ukrainian student at B-CC, finds comfort in. Ukraine, which was a part of the Russian Empire for centuries before becoming a part of the USSR, won independence in 1991. Tensions have been simmering since 2014 when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. On February 24, 2022, the world watched in horror as Russia invaded its neighboring country. Like many Eastern Europeans, Karakcheyeva says “I always knew that, by some means, Russia was the aggres-
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sor in a lot of situations, and that my country was being treated unfairly. After Crimea, I knew we weren’t safe.” “It’s scary to constantly live under the threat that your country might not exist tomorrow,” she says. Both of Karakcheyeva’s parents lived in Ukraine for decades before immigrating to the US. Her grandparents, aunt, and family friends are now living in the war. She says, “It's heartbreaking to have to sit on my phone and refresh the news, calling my grandparents, worrying about them, wondering if they’re alive. If they don't respond to me in a minute, I'm like, oh my God, they're dead. Watching my culture get destroyed in front of my eyes, watching videos of Russian rockets slamming into apartments that look similar to my grandparents’ breaks my heart.” Aili Ribulis, a European diplomat, also attended the protest. “I need to
show solidarity with Ukraine. It’s the least we can do, we should be doing much more politically.” Ribulis grew up in Estonia, a Baltic country in Eastern Europe, when it was a part of the Soviet Union. Echoing the posters saying “Who’s next?”, Ribulis believes there is a possibility that “Russia could be interested in restoring its own political control over the Baltic states,” although they are members of NATO, giving them a layer of protection that Ukraine doesn’t have. Although foreign troops can’t directly intervene, Ribulis says, “Ukraine has been benefiting hugely from all sorts of other support, including political support, economic support, military support, and so on. The European Union and the US have been imposing increasingly heavy sanctions on Russia in order to punish them for this behavior that is completely against any major
Profile international law documents.” These sanctions are already having drastic effects on the Russian economy: the ruble’s value is plummeting and inflation is soaring. Karakcheyeva has conflicting emotions about the political aspects of this conflict. While she is grateful for the support from the West, she thinks that “the sanctions, at least the way that they were approached at first, were very stupidly done. They just weren’t enough.” She feels frustrated with the overemphasis on the economic impact, saying, “it’s hard to watch everyone throw economics in the air and not actually do anything about the lives being directly impacted. I really hope that people start taking this war seriously and separate their economic impacts from the human cost of this war. What matters most is the people that are living in it and the people that are dying for it.” “I don’t see an end to this anytime soon,” Karakcheyeva says, “when you're in something, you can't really see a way out - I can't really see a solution to this.” Mirroring other protestors’ hopes, Karakcheyeva wants leaders to be held accountable, especially Mr. Putin. She says, “I would really just like to see the fighting stop as soon as possible. But I know that's probably not going to happen.”
Protesters in front of the White House on Feb 27, 2022 (left & above). Gaby Karakcheyeva (right). All photos by Johanna Krejza
More from our interview with
Gaby Karakcheyeva “I call my grandparents every day. They made the decision to stay put, which I understand and respect. We offered to fly them out to the states before the invasion began, and they declined. I pray for them every day. I hope to God they never have to be defenseless, I hope they continue to stay safe.” “Ukraine is not Russia. It was never Russia. While I grew up speaking Russian, as per being in the more Eastern part of Ukraine, I have never identified with Russian culture. I have always had this identity crisis as a result of not knowing Ukrainian, yet being a Ukrainian. My language has always been a mix of pride and shame for me, a part of the reason is because people in my daily life always just grouped the two countries together, just as Russia is attempting to do now.” “Ukrainians are very brave and very passionate about their country. There is nothing like being Ukrainian, I hold great pride in my heritage. We are strong, resilient, and powerful.”
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Profile
E
CAPTAIN COMPOST
than Weiss, a senior at B-CC, has been fighting hard for composting in MCPS. According to the EPA, in the past year the United States has produced close to 250 million tons of garbage. This environmental crisis is what propelled Wess to take action in his own community. Composting, the process of using decomposed waste from plants and food as fertilizer for plants, has become a practical and viable solution to this garbage epidemic. While recycling has been largely peddled as the best response, composting is more sustainable
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ethan weiss
and realistic. Weiss, along with fellow seniors Micah Schuchman and Jack Clauss, launched Capital Compost, a composting group that both advocates and implements composting practices throughout MCPS. Through some incredibly diligent efforts, they were able to secure a $48,000 grant from the World Wildlife Fund to cover two years’ worth of composting costs for eight schools within MCPS. These programs, sponsored by Capital Compost, are primarily focused on elementary schools, where the habit of compositing can more easily be installed. In
an audit of an elementary school cafeteria’s trash, Weiss noted that “only 10% was legitimate trash while over 80% was compostable/ liquids and the rest was recyclable.” Weiss makes clear the importance of community effort, stating that “Jack, Micah, and I hope that once we graduate the reins can be passed onto other motivated students. The realization of our goals is only possible with the help of B-CC and MCPS students as we show our local government the need for composting and push for new legislation.” By Joshua Garber
TAKE YOUR MARK...
Sports
By Paul Fine and Lola Nordlinger
T
he 2022 indoor track and field team was a success, with five schools- B-CC, Churchill, Whitman, Wootton and Walter Johnson- competing in the “polar bear” meet this year (the name comes from the freezing conditions the runners are met with). The meets were conducted exactly as an indoor one. The distances are the exact same, but the race takes place on a 400m outdoor track as opposed to an 200m indoor track. Though scores and places are not awarded, the meet is a good measure as to how a team is doing as they get ready for regionals and states. Regionals took place indoors on February 11th at Hagerstown community college. The B-CC team practiced daily with hopes of dominating regionals in order to qualify for states, which took place on February 26th at Armory in Baltimore. Runners must finish in the top 4 places of their event at regionals in order to qualify. Five runners qualified for the state meet. The team’s undeniable spirit has helped them persevere through this “less than ideal” season, as senior Kieran Fitzgerald puts it. The team has felt the repercussions of COVID-19, from having to find a new meet location after their main one was repurposed to be a testing center, to several meets being canceled. Great job to all of our track stars on an amazing season!
G ! T By Katherine Jones
he Barons swim and dive team is back and better than ever this year! They entered the championship season with a great regular season record (2-3). The group was more than ready to take on this season. Senior Captain Ailey Gold emphasizes how important it was for morale to be high, saying “we were doing well in meets and had a lot of camaraderie considering how we lost out on the last season. We hope to continue swimming well into the postseason and hopefully place high at metros and win states!” B-CC Junior and Yale swim/dive commit Nina Allen was also super excited about how this year the team focused on rebuilding this season. “The underclassmen suddenly found themselves as the leaders, with a whole new dynamic and so many new faces. Just being able to show up every Saturday and put our best foot forward was really rewarding for everyone. As the weeks passed I think we got really good at learning to swim for each other as well as for our own personal goals.” B-CC ended the season with a second palce win at states for the girls. Congrats to everyone!
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Sports
THE BAR N-BALLERS By Bennett Galper
This season (2021-’22) marked the Barons’ first full basketball season since 2019, where the boys amassed a record of 10-15, but the girls had an astounding record of 23-10. After a resiliency-filled victory over Whitman a couple nights prior, the Barons failed to keep their winning streak alive, losing to Churchill, the number three ranked team in their state class (68-55). The Barons plan on coming back stronger and better next season. After the girls capped off an accomplished regular season with a win against WJ (64-28), finishing with a record of 12-4, the Baron’s season came to an abrupt end, losing their first playoff game to Churchill (41-51). Luckily, the Barons are a young team, so their future is looking bright.
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Sports
R
LL POMS
By Grayson O’Marra
T
he B-CC winter sports season is in full swing, yet B-CC Poms is just getting started, so far only performing in two competitions. In those two competitions, however, they have dominated. They placed 1st overall in the Northwest Invitational and 3rd overall in the Springbrook Invitational. Along with these two impressive performances, they performed at the halftime show of the Washington Wizards game on January 12th.
NTIES 2/5/22
RE COU POMS BEFO
Senior Ariana Shannon touched on the team’s first place performance at the Northwest Invitational, “As a team I believe we performed really well. We had a lot more energy throughout our performance and it looked clean and cohesive.”
S
enior Ever Lanter talked about how performing at the Wizards game made her “less stressed than a regular performance.” It was less intimidating to Lanter and the team; the ambiance of the large stadium and crowd did not get to the team, as they were able to maintain their composure and put on a superb performance. B-CC poms had their last competition of the season, Counties, on February 5th, placing 3rd overall. Congratulations on a great season, Barons!
GO TEA
M!
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h t i w p u g n i k brea COVID-19 ink we’re h t I e m i t ore. Every e done. At first, it m y n a t i e k r e’r . I can’t ta s time I mean it. W s. Things were neve g n o l o o t going on into my life. Thi d to be a two-week n e e b s a h s Thi ng back that was suppose i m -distance o c g p n e o e l k t r u u u o b o , started . When done, y eah kinda fun I r . a e e s i y r a s u n a y was new, o get this serious. Months to more th the tension betweenly dissipated. Soon . supposed t turned to months to in-person, I felt the school seeming turned. s Week ed back resence around at every corner I ns began hurtn o i t i s n a ere ip tr actio our p relationsh ant from you as y around and you wknown when your es after Thanksgiv t s to feel dis inter came creepingut you. I should’ve spur of positive ca ng a mess in your enough, w one warned me abo d ones. The suddencting out and leavi d Every t my love ove. You’ve been a u b , e back an e m m a c y l u m n o e o y r t ing no was an immatu ou, but 22, what a playy m o r f e c 0 ing break ded distancases in January 2 if at least 5% of the e e n h c u wake. provided m play out. 52,000 o online learning ize things weren’t k a e r b r e t l Win evenge olicy to switch t r r e t rted to rea t i a t b s r n u p e o h a y t e I d I could se CPS implemente ey later withdrew. witch to s d l u o w M e h , . w er. Then ed positive which t s whether re, any sign of you et. I a w k a e t r s b s r school te ut between us. fter winte r any sign of closuook effect, I was up a n o i t o a s g r t fo workin ot topic of conve checking no plan for closure ouldn’t. y l t n h a e t h s T hen u, I c tancing, e. as con W o s . w i y e d e e r l m n o a o r i n o y c f r g o e i a S v n virtual. E st too much dram h MCPS decided to itely you, not me. is work, but I’m do You were juu gone. Even thoug as to end. It’s defins I made to make th you at parties or e wanted yo toxic relationship h ere all compromise till occasionally se anently. I need you This vents w t I know I will s from you, perm e d e l e c n a dc art , bu ly. Our re . e masks, ane started to dwindle more than 6-feet ap t a i d e m ffective imo our separate ways e Cases hav ts, but I need to be l a n o i t p o s are now t it’s time we both g k school evenlife. s a m e h t u t out of my MCPS decided tha of my memories, b t Now ays be par w l a l l i w lationship
, D I V O C Dear
20
la, l i c e , r y r l o e r T e en m Sinc r a C , i z iz Lily Capy lse e e n o r e and ev
News
THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS: THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE
The fear of contracting COVID-19 while still attempting to continue with our lives is a struggle we are all dealing with. How is our community handling it, and what do key members have to say? By Nathaniel Schrader
“We had notice of [the spread of COVID-19] before Thanksgiving. Yet MCPS clearly had no contingency plan for a case spike. “We had notice of [the spread of COVID-19] before Thanksgiving. Yet MCPS clearly had no contingency plan for a case spike. I hesitate to even say they had a policy, because their directions changed almost every day” says Lyric Wynik, president of the B-CC PTSA. MCPS was clearly taken by surprise. In response to fear expressed by students and staff for their safety, MCPS issued an ominous 5% policy, saying that schools could face closures and potential returns to virtual learning if they surpassed a 5% COVID-19 positive threshold. There was still confusion about this policy, as it turned out that MCPS had the final say on school closures if a school did pass the threshold. Like many other students, Nathan Schriver, a junior at B-CC, was under the impression the 5% line was definite and unchangeable.“When they made the 5% threshold and then quickly redacted it, it made it seem like
MCPS doesn’t care about student and health safety.” Unfortunately, almost no new information was provided or action was taken by MCPS upon return from winter break. For many parents and teachers, this (lack of) response was not enough, and petitions were created. A student-led petition to go virtual was also created and quickly spread, fed by students’ shared fears of contracting COVID-19 at lunch or during classes. The county soon announced that multiple elementary schools were going virtual since they had more than 5% of students or staff test positive. Many students thought B-CC would go virtual as well. “When they were releasing school covid percentages every day, I thought we were definitely going to go virtual the week after all the snow days,” said Miles Harjes, a Junior at B-CC. In addition to the closures, after the break stricter safety guidelines were imposed on school athletic teams. Including no spectators and a 10 day shut down if three or more students on the team test positive for COVID-19. MCPS decided not to issue any statements except that they would stop posting and tracking the percentage of cases in schools. The one piece of information that did go out was that MCPS was going to issue KN95 masks to all stu-
dents and staff, as well as supply them with take home COVID-19 testing kits. Shortly after that, it was announced that schools would close on a case to case basis. MCPS has made many mistakes while responding to rising cases of COVID-19 due to the Omicron variant. One mistake includes making school administrators also work as contact tracers. “That was barely acceptable when there were 1-3 cases. But once cases rose above that, and particularly to above 10 cases, that policy should have stopped. It should have become a public health department issue.” Lyric Winik stated.
“When they made the 5% threshold and then quickly redacted it, it made it seem like MCPS doesn’t care about student and health safety.” The problem is above a whole course load of work we are forcing administrators to have even more work. If they wanted to go into public health they would have chosen that as a career a long time ago. 21
News
Black History Month Showcase
Ready for the World to Shake spoken-word By Charlie Williams
Ayour attention please.
ttention! Attention! May I have
Listen closely to the words I am about to say. Let’s talk about our history The one others try so hard to forget. They murdered our people for something so out of our control. They held us back from being great so when I talk loud, don’t silence me. They left us hanging, whether from a tree or from the shake of a hand.
It was almost like we were a disease that spread like wildfires over the coast of Cali. Like we were the cheese touch, what ignited so much fear within our youth.
heads… knowing they were pointing the caliber towards the bright red targets placed on our backs, crying for dear life, but somehow they want me to act like they saved us?
But they were monsters.
Let's talk about how police were created to keep black people below, rocking brown uniforms resembling a skin color they seemed to despise.
With N words flying from their mouths like venom, throwing us around like the asymmetrical rocks they once used to kill. They still don’t seem to get it… Get how we fought from the depths of hell with our hands behind our
Let’s talk about the people shot and killed for refusing to be manhandled by those who claim to protect us. This is not a dig at the white community because I know not all are bad, but if you feel uncomfortable. Good. Now you’ve felt a sliver of what black people have had to feel. We accept and appreciate our allies, but don’t confuse the bare minimum for heroism. Thank you to those who marched and gave me the right to vote. Thank you to those who allowed themselves to be held captive in a jail cell so that I can walk the streets freely. Thank you for being the hero. As the black youth it is our turn to be the change. It is our turn to make a difference. When we get loud, don’t silence us. When we raise a hand, don’t leave us hanging. And when we put our foot down, be ready for the world to shake.
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Photo By Johanna Krejza
News and Opinion
What’s going on at B-CC and MCPS?!
IS IT RIGGED?!
Nina Po
llak
able to have a car on campus is just really inconvenient for me and I can’t afford to park at Waverly every day, even if I need to. The lottery system needs to be changed.” As I glance out the windows of the F-wing this semester, I notice a lot of the exact same cars parked in the student lot from first semester. Once again, the administration has failed to prioritize the needs of students; I only hope they can re-evaluate this system for younger students to enjoy as Seniors.
S(NO)W DAYS OFF
By Bennett Galper Is waking up in the morning to a beautiful snow coated ground, and the magical words of your parents telling you, “no school today, it’s a snow day” a blast from the past for MCPS students? With the new snow day policy, those days may now be behind us. During the COVID shutdown, students and teachers across the country transitioned to online learning in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Pursuing online school during the global pandemic showed MCPS that despite not being able to physically attend school, students can still engage in lessons virtually. On February 2nd, MCPS sent an email out to students, teachers, parents and administrators announcing that “[MCPS] will consider a transition to
virtual learning on days when schools are closed due to inclement weather… These are days when the district would otherwise determine that a system closure would be needed for safety reasons.” In the future, MCPS students will be required to attend school virtually in the event of a school closure due to “inclement weather.” No more playing in the snow with friends, or drinking hot chocolate while watching a movie, just Zoom classes until 2:30 pm. MCPS is scheduled to have 182 school days this year - two over the Maryland state requirement (180), which account for snow days. As of now, MCPS has had five snow days this school year, meaning they must make up three of them in order to reach the state requirement. They
ics by
there were 134 applicants for the second semester. As a Senior class we have had so many traditions taken from us due to COVID-19, it is truly enraging that the administration decided to strip us of another tradition. Underclassmen may be wondering, well if it’s a completely random draw how is it unfair? What Seniors soon realized is that students who got lucky the first semester were still able to submit a new application and be re-entered for another pass second semester. Many Seniors have gotten a pass both semesters, yet have no need for one over students who have never gotten one. Senior Gaby Karakcheyeva shared her frustration, “I have a job 15-minutes away from school and it’s very inconvenient for me if I get scheduled right after school. Also, being an Editor-In-Chief for the yearbook I stay late hours at school, sometimes until 8 or 9 PM. Not being
Graph
By Abbie Bobeck Historically, at B-CC, being a Senior means having free periods, standing in the front at sporting events, storming the school dressed in blue and gold, graduating at Constitution Hall, and most notably having a parking pass. While it’s true that not every past B-CC Senior had a parking pass (remember Mr. Levine’s nostalgic daily announcements), there used to be a more established system for granting passes. In years prior, parking passes were allocated based on need, where students who were contributing a plethora of hours to B-CC were rewarded. Over the summer, Dr. Mooney and Admin changed this to a “random draw lottery.” There were 75 spots, however, any internship, dual-enrollment, or child development students were offered year-long passes. This limits the spots in the lottery to only 30 for 2 semesters;
will make those days up by either cutting into summer, or getting rid of some of the days we’re scheduled to have off. With the new policy, MCPS will no longer have to worry about scrambling to fit the 180 day requirement since the virtual school day will still count as school.
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Feature
Reading Away the Stress Senioritis: enough sleep is a rarity, homework is in abundance, attendance is a struggle, and the unknown of the impending future is all consuming. Time is of the essence! And yet, many of the Senior girls have been seen carrying around a new facet- no, not college acceptance letters quite yet- but books! Extracurricular books. Reading for fun, a concept lost on most after elementary school has made a comeback. Authors such as Colleen Hoover, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Lois Lowry, and several others are becoming household names amongst the Senior girls. These authors have written a variety of books such as fiction, romance, and thriller, all of which have been indulged in. Senior Abbie Bobeck explained how in elementary school she was “an avid reader….but [she] hasn’t read
as much in high school because [she] hasn’t had free time with schoolwork and activities. In the past year [she’s] rekindled [her] passion for reading and has taken time out of [her] day to read because it brings me joy and improves my mental health!” Ever Lanter, another Senior, describes her reasoning for her increase in reading for it is,“a good outlet to get away from the world: the stresses of social media, school, and college. Especially with the stress at the end of the quarter, reading has been a great escape.” It’s not uncommon for two girls to walk into the same class with the same book in hand, which is an automatic conversation starter (and perhaps class disrupter). The phrase, “put your phones away!” has phased into “this is not reading time!” in some classes.
Some of the overall favorite books are: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid It Ends With Us, Ugly Love, and Verity by Colleen Hoover Check them out and join our unofficial book club! They will not disappoint. Sidenote: we recommend the app “Good Reads” to check out what your friends are reading and see the incredible array of books that are out there! Read on!
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By Lola Nordlinger and Grayson O’Marra 24
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Feature
The Digital SAT
why this now all electronic test is a waste of everyone’s time BY ELYAS LAUBACH
On January 25, College Board announced that the SAT will be moving completely digital by 2024. While students will still have to take the test at proctored testing centers, they will do so on their computers. The exam will be shortened from three hours to two hours, since reading passages will be shorter and have fewer questions. Students will also be able to use their calculators on both math sections. This announcement comes amid claims that requiring SAT/ ACT scores on college applications is unfair because people who cannot afford expensive test prep courses are at a disadvantage. Others have advocated for shorter exams to reduce
student stress and anxiety. Over 1800 US colleges, including Harvard, are already at least test-optional, and the California system is completely test-blind. The new Digital SAT is a waste of everyone’s time. The exam is becoming so watered down that it is no longer an accurate measure of a student’s skills—which many say it never has been. Colleges will place even less emphasis on test scores when considering applications, and therefore more institutions will move test-optional and eventually test-blind. This makes the new SAT useless for students too, as they will have to focus on other factors in developing a more well-rounded appli-
cation, and yet still prepare for a test that likely won’t impact their admission chances all that much. For many students, especially those with already packed after-school schedules, this makes it harder to get into the schools they want to attend. With the admissions process moving towards testblind policies, College Board tried to re-imagine the SAT and adapt to the changing times in a lastditch effort to preserve what has been a huge source of their revenue for the last 70 years, but only increased the burden on students. 25
Josh Garber
WHO WORE Gabe Gebrekristose While the average viewer would comment on his clean Jordan 1’s, we at the Tattler respect the beauty of his groutfit.
Never caught without the matching Nike groutfit, this Junior bleeds grey AT LEAST once a week.
Liza Cichy
With a light grey zip up, grey sweats, and black boots, this Senior serves her groutfit goodness with pride.
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IT BETTER? Michael Shapiro
Rocking a Nike sweatshirt, gold chain, and most notably, lacrosse helmet, this Junior pledges his allegiance to the groutfit and everything it stands for.
Roan Duggirala
With a full Champion sweatsuit, Junior Roan completes his grey ensemble with a gold chain and Air Force 1’s.
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QUIZ!
W h i c h B - C C H a l l w a y A r e Yo u ? F in d o u t w h ic h o f th e p a th s to c la s s is most you!
a pep-rally. Do you… 1. There’s election season at B-CC. Do A. Fight for a front row seat 4. It’s 7. you… B. Spend those 45 minutes talking A. Run for school-wide president B. Help your friend’s campaign C. Forget to vote
to friends/spaced out C. Ditch and go to Starbucks
2.
The school bell rings at 7:45. It’s 7:40 and you are… A. In your 1st period class chatting with your teacher B. Talking to your friends in the hallway C. Just waking up
new Tattler edition is being 5. Apassed out. Do you… A. Ask for one immediately B. Take it and leave it at the bottom of your backpack C. Avoid eye contact
forgot your lunch at home. 6. 3. You Do you… A. Use the B-CC student discount to buy lunch at Brown Bag B. Go to the school cafeteria C. Get your friends to drive you to Chipotle
F-2!
Be honest. Your favorite B-CC Athletic Season is… A. Fall. Go football! B. Winter. A nice break from studying! C. Spring. Celebrate the end of the school year!
A-4!
MOSTLY A’S Spirited, pas- MOSTLY B’S School is sionate, and always the first to the ticket sale; F-2 is the epitome of the Baron.
where you thrive! You’re studious, organized, and always up for a challenge.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home from school? A. B-CC is your home B. Start your homework C. Take a nap
8.
Your B-CC Mascot of choice is… A. The BARON B. The Pinetree C. Don’t care.
9.
It’s Baron Time! What is your favorite B-CC TV Segment? A. Sports Recap B. Weekly News Update C. Bartist
C-1!
MOSTLY C’S School isn’t
usually high on your list of priorities, but when it is, you’re sure to be the class clown.
