By Isabel Dibble Arjun Swaminathan News Editors CHS is among the top high schools in Maryland once again, according to the annual U.S. News and World Report High School Rankings released May 12. After being removed from the list last year, CHS reentered at second in Maryland and 69th in the nation. In 2013, CHS was ranked first in the state. “I am thrilled that we are ranked again because for so many years we were number one in Maryland,” Principal Joan Benz said. “I’m absolutely delighted that we’re back in the running.” According to a May 11 U.S. News and World Report article, the rankings are determined by a three-step process. The first step examines the ability of lowincome students within a school to perform better on standardized tests than what is statistically expected of them, the second compares these scores to the state average and the third measures which schools have the best colleg-readiness performance by analyzing Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) statistics. Last year, CHS was not listed as one of the best schools because it did not pass step one of the U.S. News evaluation process, with a large disparity between the performance of average and economically disadvantaged students.
Friday, May 22, 2015
A National Blue Ribbon School
According to an April 2014 Bethesda Magazine article, Sid Groeneman of Groeneman Research and Consulting, a Bethesda company that specializes in opinion, policy and marketing surveys, believes that the U.S. News ranking is misleading because once a school fails a step, it’s out of the running to be ranked. Groeneman suggests that the steps would be better used as components within the evaluation process and not thresholds to be passed. C H S administration continues to work on reducing the disparity between the performance of low-income and minority students and other students on state tests in math and reading. “We’ve looked at what areas students are having difficulty with and then we’re trying to build support in their foundations,” Benz said. The only school ranked ahead of CHS in Maryland is Walt Whitman High School, which is ranked at 55th in the nation.
“I wish we were still ranked first because that gave us bragging rights,” junior Marcos Rojas said. “Second is still really good, however.” For now, the CHS community will continue to strive for success and live up to its reputation as one of the 100 best high schools in the U.S. “Whitman’s number one and we’re number two and when you’re number two you have to try harder,” Benz said. “The goal for next year is first in Maryland once again.”
curriculum, as long as the training is based on a program from a nationally recognized company and follows the most current guidelines. In addition, the school districts will decide whether students will get CPR certification in addition to the instruction.
Association, in hands-only CPR, students will learn that when they see a cardiac emergency, they should immediately call 911. Then, they should push their hands into the chest of the victim to the beat of the 1977 song “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees. The AHA is working to make CPR education more accessible and easier to understand. By learning it at a young age, students’ chances of saving a life increase significantly. Freshman Gaurav Gandhi became certified in CPR because it was a requirement to become a lifeguard. “It wasn’t too hard to learn,” Gandhi said. “It’s good to have it because something could always happen.”
IMAGE BY SAM K LEE.
CPR now a graduation requirement
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Each year, over 420,000 outof-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States.”
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 70 percent of Americans feel that if they witnessed a cardiac emergency, they would not act on it because they either feel that they do not know how to help or that they would hurt the victim. However, hands-only CPR can dramatically increase the chance of survival for a cardiac arrest victim. Breanna’s Law states that school districts can decide what class CPR will be taught in and how to add it to the
Opinions Women on the $20
Important women deserve a place on the $20 bill.
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The song “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees has about 100 beats per minute, which is about the same rate that chest compressions should be given. ”
According to the MCPS Public Information Office, CPR will be taught in health classes as part of the safety and injury prevention unit. If MCPS decides to certify students, then the teachers who teach the class must be certified as well. Health teachers have already been trained on the use of the CPR and AED materials. “It all has to come from the county,” Principal Joan Benz said. “It’s got to be uniform, as far as curriculum and who it will be taught by.”
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Call 911 immediately after you see a teen or adult collapse.”
According to the American Heart
Features Teacher Retirements
Retiring teachers leave their mark on CHS.
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By Sai Sreenivasan Staff Writer Sofia Williamson Production Editor
Molecular Genetics teacher Ginny Brown recently received the Maryland 2015 Stem Educator of the Year award. Brown designed the Molecular Genetics course in 1999 that awarded students college credit while conducting a research project with Johns Hopkins and Rutgers. After 13 years as as medical technologist, Brown came to CHS in 1996 and taught Molecular Biology until she decided to develop a course that would allow students to experience the hands-on aspects of science while also learning material. “I went into teaching to make others excited about science,” Brown said. “If I’m able to do that, I’ve done my job.” Based on that ideal, Brown has worked with Johns Hopkins and Rutgers on a research project involving duckweed. Out of the 62 contributing schools, CHS is currently the second most contributing. Brown’s students appreciate her for all she does for the class. “She’s not only a great teacher but also an amazing person,” senior Ximena Tellez said. According to Principal Joan Benz many students contact Mrs. Brown to tell her about the impact she has had on their lives. “Not only does the award bring great honor to her but also brings honor to CHS for her achievement,” Benz said.
CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or even triple a victim’s chance of survival.”
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American
Heart
Maryland is the 13th state to require CPR education in schools. Benz is looking forward to the introduction of the new graduation requirement. “It’s certainly a valuable skill for people to have,” Benz said. “Hopefully, they’ll never have to use it.” PHOTO BY PETER DURAND.
Starting in the 2015-16 school year, all incoming freshmen will be required to learn hands-only CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) as a graduation requirement in all Maryland schools. The requirement comes from the April 2014 Breanna’s Law, which was named after a Maryland high school student whose life was saved by the use of CPR during a field hockey match.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WOMEN ON THE 20.
By Lauren Roseman Business Manager
Brown wins STEM award
Arts Livin’ the Sweetlife
PHOTO BY SAI SREENIVASAN.
Brown received the Maryland 2015 STEM Educator of the Year award.
Improved Sweetlife music festival is now 2 days.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.
Volume 39 - Issue 8
Opinions
Friday, May 22, 2015
theObserver
Obama’s humor keeps young people engaged By Ariel Levchenko Online Opinions Editor
Correspondents’ Dinner. In fact, it was his best joke of the night, which isn’t to say that he had a lot of bad ones, but the “These days, the House Republicans pop culture reference worked the best. actually give John Boehner a harder time Why? Because it made people laugh. than they give me, which means orange We don’t need a president who sits really is the new black.” sullenly at the top, sneering down at This was a quote from President the world and refusing to crack a joke. Obama’s speech at the 2014 White House A president who can be funny and can make pop culture references is better at getting young people informed, interested and involved. Before we go any further, I have to make the following disclaimer: I am not commenting on Obama’s policies or work as a president; I am saying that without a doubt, he’s the funniest one yet. Now, being funny isn’t exactly a prerequisite for being president, but then again, it sort of is. A President must be charismatic and able to inspire, PICTURE COURTESY OF THE WHITE HOUSE TWITTER. but over the years This Tweet, which references two popular shows, the presidency has Game of Thrones and The West Wing, is an example lost contact with one of the core
of the humor the Obama administration uses.
demographics of this country–young people. Young people don’t watch Fox, MSNBC or CNN, let alone something like CSPAN. They get their news from the trending timeline on Facebook, The Huffington Post and from various semi-comedic shows, like The Daily Show with John Stewart or the nowcancelled Cobert Report. It would seem this means that teens have no way of knowing world news and its impact, and just want to laugh, but the President going on the Colbert Report and doing “The Decree” is more than just funny; it’s informative and engaging. It gets young people, y’know, the ones who couldn’t care less about the political process if they tried, involved. According to a 2015 Gallup poll, trust in the government is some of the lowest it’s been in 70 years, with trust in the executive branch polling at 47 percent, and trust in the legislative branch trailing as well at 15 percent. A lot of teenagers don’t trust the political system or the media. They feel that they don’t have a voice, and they find the presidency uptight. So when the President goes on Between Two Ferns and spends 10 minutes exchanging jokes with Zach Galifianakis and insulting the Hangover movies, it makes his talk of the Affordable Care Act much more palatable, which in turn makes the government and politics seem less evil.
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The White House Twitter account, which was started in April of 2009–-just months after Obama was sworn into office–-has since garnered over 6.5 million followers, including large number of teens. According to the latest Gallup poll, Obama’s approval rating among 18 to 29 year olds, or Gen X, the people raised on pop culture, is at 62 percent, greater than any other age group. So, it really makes sense that he makes jokes and references to movies and YouTube. When the President went on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in October of 2012 and outlined why he was a better presidential pick than the competition in a witty, clear fashion, I cared more about the election and enjoyed it more than listening to a boring, structured debate with Romney. When Luther the Anger Translator (KeeganMichael Key, Key and Peele), came on for the Correspondents’ Dinner, gesturing wildly and ranting about global warming, I laughed, then I went and looked up what the President was actually talking about. Voila. Informed young man. Most teens are worried about partying and grades and having fun. They have stuff they’d much rather be doing than reading up on budget deficits. However, they still need to understand what’s going on in the government, because that government runs the country they live in, affecting their healthcare, jobs, national defense, trade and very future. So, if the President wants to crack a few jokes to get people informed, well then I’m on board.
Women deserve to be on the face of U.S. currency By Jasmine Baten Opinions Editor
If time is money, then 100 years must be pretty valuable. The 100year anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, will be in 2020. So how much are these past 100 years worth? Surely at least the rise above the sexism and prejudice that’s plagued the United States as long as “all men are created equal” has been around. The best way to do so is by putting a woman on U.S. currency. It’s time that women are represented in U.S. currency because they make up an integral part of the country today and have done so since the birth of the nation. Women on the 20 is an organization aiming to put the face of a recognizable and influential woman on the $20 bill that started during President Obama’s first term in office. Critics ask why. We’ve lived so long with our currency the way it is, it almost seems blasphemous to suggest a change. And to put a woman on a bill? Laughable. But it shouldn’t be. According to a 2011 article by global management consulting firm McKinsey and Co., women went from holding 37 percent of all jobs in the US to 48 percent, making up over 25 percent of the economy’s GDP. That’s a pretty big chunk of money. In $20 bills, it looks like even more. Why the $20? A whole slew of reasons, ranging from the significance of the number 20 to who’s on the bill now. Numbers speak louder than words, or at least they do when they’re in block letters in the corners of green paper. Seeing as 2020 will herald 100 years of women’s suffrage in the U.S., the number 20 is pretty significant. The 1920 Amendment gave women the right to vote, and now it’s time to amend our money to give women the right to representation in day-today society.
PICTURE COURTESY OF WOMEN ON THE 20.
Harriet Tubman was voted as the candidate to replace President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Currently, yes, there are women represented in U.S. money. Sacagawea is on the gold dollar coin, and Helen Keller is on the back of the Alabama quarter. But in comparison to the number of men on every other bill and coin, that’s pretty pathetic. Think back to the last time you pulled a gold dollar coin out of your wallet. Nope, I can’t remember either. A woman on the face of a bill consistently used throughout the nation would mean a true first step towards gender equality and representation rather than a hesitant two-step. Speaking of equality, the change for accurate representation would mean taking Andrew Jackson off, who’s synonymous with the phrase “universal white male suffrage.” As much of a breakthrough as the right to vote was for the “common man” when Jackson was in office, it no longer represents the United States and the rights and liberties for all of its citizens. Given the fact that now, U.S. citizens can vote regardless of race, gender, religion or wealth, Jackson’s memorable
leap forward seems like one small step for Americans in comparison. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center’s 2012 Voter Turnout Report, over 126 million people voted in the most recent presidential election. That’s a bit of an improvement from the 1,148,018 who voted in 1828. Thanks for the push forward, Andrew, but it’s time to acknowledge universal suffrage for all eligible U.S. citizens now. More importantly, though the seventh president is celebrated for opening up opportunities for the “common man,” he is also notorious for the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the resulting Trail of Tears and the deaths of over 4,000 Native Americans. For those who think that such a change is unfeasible, think again. It’s not as hard as one may think to legally start circulating a woman’s face. According to 1929 US Code, Title 31, Section 5114 (b), which details the process for changing currency’s appearance, there are very few steps and limitations as to
the possibilities on our green paper. According to the Code, the figure whose face will be plastered on a bill must be widely recognizable and deceased for at least two years. Easy enough. A few rounds of voting limited the list of initial candidates to four women: Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Cherokee Nation Chief Wilma Mankiller. The results came in May 10—Harriet Tubman is the fan favorite, winning over one-third of the voters. From here, the movement will create a proposal that announces the people’s choice to the President and petitions for the change. And this isn’t just talk. Getting a $20 bill with a woman’s face on it is quite doable, given that despite its seemingly all-important role, the appearance of money is not a regular discussion within Congress. According to the Code, the Secretary of Treasury can approve a change in currency appearance without Congressional approval. So there it is. Women need to be put on U.S. currency, and the $20 bill is the way to go.