Montgomery County Public Schools Winston Churchill High School 11300 Gainsborough Rd. Potomac, MD 20854
thechurchillobserver.com
Volume 40 - Issue 7
Friday, April 29, 2016
A National Blue Ribbon School
Best Buddies Friendship Walk Promotes Awareness By Julia Lescht Public Relations Editors Best Buddies is hosting their Friendship Walk May 7 at the University of Maryland’s Xfinity Center Pavilion in College Park to raise awareness for the support of people with disabilities. Best Buddies is an international volunteer organization dedicated to advocating support for the social integration of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). Schools across the country, including CHS, have Best Buddies clubs that contribute to its cause by encouraging and creating friendships between students with these disabilities and students without. The walk is key in funding local programs such as CHS’s Best Buddies Club and spreading awareness in the community. “The walk is primarily to raise awareness, promote inclusion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and as a fundraiser for Best Buddies,” said CHS Best Buddies vice president senior Griffin Myers. “For our club in particular, it’s a chance to meet members of other chapters, get to reach out to the larger community beyond Churchill and have fun with Buddies and Peer Buddies within the club.” The walk itself starts at 10 a.m. followed by different Friendship Games and activities for participants to take part in such as kickball and basketball and other interactive games where buddies can work together and get to know each other. These activities aim to unite all the Best Buddies programs
PHOTO BY JULIA LESCHT.
The Best Buddies Club at CHS uses friendship building activities in order to unite students with their buddies. throughout the state of Maryland. According to Autism teacher and Best Buddies adviser Jenell Gillette, there is still much work to be done for the inclusion of students with IDDs at CHS. Even when these students do go to mainstream art and physical education classes and socialize with their buddies, the social aspect is difficult for them. “It’s really hard for some of our students to make friends because of their disabilities,” Autism teacher John Hall said. According to Gillette, the students do have difficulty in interacting with their mainstream peers, but the problem also lies in other students’ inability to
understand how exactly to interact with the IDD population. IDD students may behave differently than other students and may not understand social cues, to which general education students may not know how to respond. That is where Best Buddies comes into play; the goals of the CHS Best Buddies club are always first and foremost inclusion. The club meets every other Thursday and its members participate in simple activities such as playing sports or eating lunch with their buddies. These activities both expand the social circles of the buddies and peer buddies, help the buddies with social skills and
decrease negative associations and prejudices about students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. According to Hall, Best Buddies is trying to establish an environment where special education students can create friendships with general education students to “expand their horizons,” “work on communication” and “feel good about themselves overall” amongst other things. The club’s warm and welcoming atmosphere makes for a lasting impact that stretches beyond the buddy members to their peer counterparts. It is an easy way to make friends and interact with other students who are also interested in social
CHS Community Mourns Loss of Junior By Thomas Atkinson Lauren Roseman News Editors
Junior Anna Castillo (Maya Castle) passed away April 16 at the age of 16. She is survived by parents Daniela and Victor Castillo and extended family members. Maya’s legal name was Anna Castillo, but she preferred to be called Maya Castle. She was especially active in the CHS Art Department. “Maya regularly put others in front of herself,” art teacher Jacquelyn Washam said in the eulogy she delivered for Maya. “She would stop in my room and ask if I needed help with anything. She constantly lent me a helping hand,
whether it was preparing for a class, organizing art materials or cleaning out paint brushes. It was these small acts of kindness that made her a joy to be around.” Sophomore Kara Baird recalls how Maya often made jokes and was upbeat. “My first impression of her was that she was a down-toearth person who always had a smile,” Baird said. A memorial service for Maya was held April 23 at the Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Bethesda. “I’ll miss her red hair that I saw every day, the drawings she made on her hand, the way she listened to my problems, but mostly I’ll miss her smile,” Maya’s friend junior Isabella Esparza said. “She was like
family to me and my other friends.” Maya also had a powerful effect on her teachers. “She was a free spirit and had a really creative mind,” said Maya’s Honors English 11 teacher Jeffrey Savett. “In the classroom she always had some interesting perspective.” Those impacted by Castle’s passing are encouraged to talk to their counselors. Students who are struggling emotionally should also go to a teacher, counselor or contact the Montgomery County Crisis Center (240-777-4000), which is available 24 hours a day. “She was one my greatest friends, and she was always there when I needed her,” Esparza said. “She was a
shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, and someone to laugh with and have a good time with.”
inclusion. “My buddy Ariana is nonverbal, but I have learned more from her than she would have learned from me,” CHS Best Buddies president junior Maxie Wiener said. “I could be having a bad day at school, but when I walk in and see Ariana, my whole outlook changes.” The Best Buddies club plays an active role in raising awareness for students with IDDs. “No matter how many pledges people sign or how many fundraisers or posters there are, social and cultural inclusion of people with IDDs won’t happen unless people are actually interacting with them,” Myers said.
Page 3 News Snow Waiver
School year extended by one day to June 20.
Pages 10,11 Features CHS Bucket List PHOTO COURTESY OF FINEST HOURS.
What seniors should do before graduating.
2
News
April 29, 2016
Students Respond to Lack of Transgender Policy By Tatiana Hewitt Senior Writer Megan Park Business Manager Though the state of Maryland has had a law in place since 2014 that protects the rights of transgender individuals, MCPS has yet to implement any specific policies regarding transgender students. At CHS, there is a community of transgender students who have legally changed their name and gender, but there are no finalized policies regarding transgender students’ preferred bathroom use. “Primarily, it’s up to the student and what stage they are in,” said Principal Joan Benz. “If they are vocal, the student has the right to choose the bathroom they would like to use. In some cases, if the student chooses neither, they can choose a private bathroom in the nurse’s office.” Senior and president of the Straight and Gay Alliance Club (SAGA), Azariah Kurlantzick, believes a major reason MCPS has not finalized any policy regarding transgender students is because it can be hard to make one policy to apply to a community with a wide range of backgrounds. According to Gboyinde Onijala from the MCPS Public Information Office, the county doesn’t have a separate policy because they believe transgender students are protected by the policies that deal with unbiased treatment for all students. As the county looks over the current regulations and policies, they
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.
MCPS does not have a specified bathroom policy for transgender students. try to make the necessary updates to reflect that. “All principals have received guidelines regarding student gender identity matters that set forth the system wide expectation that discrimination, stigmatization and bullying (for any reason) will not be tolerated,” Onijala said. “We continue to work directly with
our schools and families to ensure that students who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming feel comfortable expressing their gender identity.” A main problem for transgender students across the nation is the bullying, whether intentional or not, that many transgender students face on a day-to-day basis. “Most of the bullying I have seen
Post article, the original waiver request argued that because Prince George’s County received a state waiver that allowed for a 178-day school year, Montgomery County should receive equal treatment. However, the state claims that because PGCPS converted a Feb. 12 professional day into a school day, this was an incorrect presumption on MCPS’s behalf. According to Principal Joan Benz, CHS is palling on using this extra day as an exam make-up day. According to a March 31, 2014 MCPS public announcement, a similar situation occurred in 2014 when Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Lillian M. Lowery denied the request of former MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr for a waiver of one day. The state had already granted exemption from five days to all Maryland school districts, but MCPS had six lost snow days. This caused the last day of school in June to be moved from June 12 to June 13. According to the letter sent from Lowery to Starr, the state rejected the waiver because MCPS failed to “demonstrate an effort to modify the school calendar to make up for lost time.” This is the same reason for which the waiver this April was originally denied by the state. According to Benz, when similar situations have occurred in the past, families seem to “move on with their plans” and teachers who have summer positions have to leave school and hire substitutes. These students then needed to schedule early exams with their teachers.
Students, on the other hand, were hoping for an earlier summer vacation. I was hoping to hang out and be free of exam stress,” sophomore Alison Wachen said. SMOB candidate Alex Abrosimov started a Change.org petition April 7 called “Snow Petition 2.0: Save Our Summer Vacation.” The goal of the petition is to encourage the State Department of Education to acknowledge the county’s waiver and give
here has been out of ignorance more than malice,” said Kurlantzick. “It doesn’t seem like bullying from the outside, but it’s hurtful when people keep asking you ignorant questions, even if it’s only because they genuinely want to know the answers. My trans friends and I are also often misgendered, and while it’s not often on purpose, it feels awful.” Another issue that arises is the name the transgender student prefers to be called in specific school-related situations such as in the yearbook or when teachers or substitutes are taking attendance and do not realize the student prefers a different name. According to yearbook adviser Naomi Ratz, the name the students go by in the yearbook is their birth name and cannot be changed due to legal reasons. Similarly, students who prefer to go by a nickname cannot have their adopted name changed in the yearbook and any school related system unless their name is legally changed as well. Here at CHS, many students feel MCPS’s efforts to stand up and help the county’s transgender students have been minimal. The students are frustrated and are hoping that MCPS will do something to try and help to alleviate their daily struggles. “I feel pretty disappointed that there seems to be no progress in creating and implementing policies regarding transgender youth in MCPS,” said a current transgender who asked to remain anonymous. “It shows that despite the rapid changes and increased policies protecting transgender students across the county, MCPS has not fully grasped how beneficial it would be to create transgender friendly policies.”
MCPS Extends School Year by One Day Due to Snow By Sofia Williamson Online Opinions Editor MCPS extended the 2015-2016 school year by one day, making the last day of the school year June 20. The request for the oneday waiver was approved by the Maryland State Department of Education April 19. State officials originally rejected an MCPS-requested waiver March 30 to disregard the two days lost during January’s snowstorm due to a state claim that the county did not adjust its calendar to make up for missed instructional time. According to MCPS Department of Public Information Director Derek Turner, the Maryland State Department of Education requires a 180-day school year. Each county in Maryland typically has four snow days built into the school year. However, MCPS took six days off for snow this winter. Interim Superintendent Larry Bowers submitted a waiver request to state education officials March 16 to request that the state simply ignore the two extra days that were not in the allotted snow days. Although the waiver was temporarily rejected, the county appealed. “MCPS is exploring our options to address this decision and is looking forward to working with the state to resolve this as quickly as possible so that our families will know when the last day of school will be,” Turner said after the state’s original rejection of the waiver. According to an April 6 Washington
students back their days of vacation. So far, the petition is about halfway towards its goal of 500 supporters. “I began the petition just to raise some immediate awareness,” Abrosimov said. “I’m satisfied that some people shared it on social media.” However, Abrosimov says he is “pretty satisfied” with just one day being added rather than two.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NINA AKSENTIJEVICH.
Sophomore Nina Aksentijevich enjoys the snow during January’s blizzard.
News
3
April 29, 2016
CHS Students Travel to Cuba By Lauren Roseman News Editor
CHS students went on a trip to Cuba from March 25 to April 2. They visited Havana, Santa Clara, Trinidad and Cienfuegos, and Miami in Florida. According to AP Spanish Literature teacher and trip sponsor Kristin Beheler, CHS students were able to travel to Cuba using a group visa. “We had to submit an itinerary proving that we were not tourists and that we went to learn about the people,” Beheler said. “We visited dance and music schools, a library, senior center and daycare, and we learned about the structure and programs there.” After over 50 years of a trade embargo, masses of tourists are rushing to Cuba before they believe that Americans will westernize the lively Cuban culture that demonstrates a snapshot of life in the 1950s and 1960s. “A unique part about Cuba is that it feels frozen in time,” senior Audrey Case said. “There are no chain stores or brand new cars.” According to a March 2015 Washington Times article, there has been a large influx of tourists in the past year. There was a 16 percent increase in the number of tourists in January 2015 in comparison
to the previous year. Cuba is expected to see 600,000 American tourists yearly, a majority of whom are CubanAmericans visiting family or wanting to understand more about the culture and heritage. “I decided to go on this trip because my grandma was born in Cuba and lived there until she was 8,” sophomore Maya Arnold said. According to the Washington Times, Cuba is known as a “time-capsule” nation because pieces of Cuba’s history are still apparent in everyday life. “Cuba is unique because it is untouched by today’s Americans,” Arnold said. “They have all the old Ford cars kept in good condition.” According to Beheler, the Cubans received the American tourists positively. “They were excited to share their lives, their jobs, their schools with us,” Beheler said. “It was really eye-opening.” However, according to an October 2015 Guardian article, Cuba’s buildings may not be ready to support all of the tourists. “Cuba isn’t quite ready for all the tourism it’s getting,” Case said. “It doesn’t have the infrastructure to deal with the explosion of people visiting.” According to Beheler, the Cubans see the communist leaders more positively than she believes Americans see
them. There were signs of these leaders’ presence all throughout Cuba. “Billboards and the sides of buildings are painted with propaganda messages like “Viva la Revolucion” (“Live the Revolution”), often alongside the faces of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and other communist leaders,” junior Lydia Laub said. According to Laub, the students enjoyed interacting with Cubans and seeing them in their daily lives because they saw how different life is in comparison to the United States. “One of the most bittersweet moments of the trip was not actually planned,” Laub said. ¨As we were waiting for our tour bus, I saw a group of teenage girls looking curiously at us through a barred window overlooking the sidewalk. I struck up a conversation with them and learned that they were all pregnant and that the building that they were in was a sort of live-in hospital for high-risk pregnancies. One of the girls was 14 years old.” Overall, the CHS tourists agree that it is best to visit Cuba before America westernizes it. “Part of the magic about Cuba is that it feels like you’re traveling back in time,” Beheler said. “It’s important to visit sooner rather than later because Cuba will change because of American tourism.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTIN BEHELER.
CHS students are among the first to visit Cuba after the trade embargo was lifted.
INFOGRAPHIC BY EUGENIA CARDINALE.
After passing in the Senate, the New Voices Act was approved by Governor Larry Hogan on April 26.
Governor Makes New Voices Act a Law By Eugenia Cardinale Editor-in-Chief The Maryland House voted 130-6 April 9 to pass the New Voices Maryland Act, and Governor Larry Hogan signed the Act into Law April 26. This Act grants student journalists in high school or college the right to exercise freedom of speech in school publications, regardless of whether or not the school financially supports the publication or if it is produced as part of a class. “The main effect of the New Voices Maryland Act will be to make the First Amendment real to students for the first time in nearly three decades,” said Gary Clites, President of Maryland-DC Scholastic Press Association. “Journalists deal with decisions related to responsible journalism every day. Those decisions are what real journalism is all about. This bill will again put student journalists in the position to make those decisions,
giving them a real journalistic experience for the first time in as long as most of us can remember.” According to Executive Director of the Student Press Law Center Frank LoMonte, the bill has received overwhelming support from both parties. However, according to Clites, opposition came from one lobbyist for the Maryland Board of Education concerned about the censorship of obscenities, which was added to the bill. After being passed with minor amendments in the House 130-6, the Senate approved the amended Act with a vote of 37-9. Now that Hogan signed it into law, the act will become law in October. “We need to help Governor Hogan to see the importance and value of the bill so he will choose to sign it into law,” Clites said before Hogan’s signature. “We are in a good position to make this happen.”
SOS Community Day Expected to Boost Morale After Troubling Times By Fiona Asbury Senior Writer Thomas Atkinson News Editor CHS will host a Community Day sponsored by the Sources of Strength (SOS) club Monday, May 16 to bring the community together for a nonacademic day during what is usually a stressful time of year. Instead of attending classes, students will rotate through seven stations, each lasting 40 minutes, that represent a student’s seven sources of strength. “This event will help to build community in the school and build awareness for the basic components of Sources of Strength that consist of friends, family, mentors, mental
health, healthy activities, generosity, spirituality and medical access,” junior SOS member Emily Moshyedi said. The national SOS club planned the Community Day, while peer leaders in the CHS branch planned the activities for each station and the day’s schedule. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) also helped to organize the event. According to SOS Sponsor Jamie Frank, the goal of the event is to have a day in which students are not stressed when coming to school and can form relationships with their peers and teachers instead. “Students should know that in times of adversity, they can rely on the seven sources of strength,” Frank said. “If we focus on building these strengths, they are more likely
to rely on them.” One station will focus on wellness, including mental health and medical access. A panel of two Wootton students will talk about their personal experiences using their sources of strength to help with their mental health. Following the panel, there will be a breakout session to develop these skills. Another session will promote generosity by having participants write thank-you cards to veterans and get-well cards for sick children. To emphasize healthy activities, there will be a field day held in the stadium and yoga on the field hockey field. “I’m really excited for the healthy activities station because students will learn to be healthy in different ways,” senior SOS member Michael
Hughes said. To promote positive friends, participants will have the opportunity to engage in friend “speed-dating.” “Positive friends will offer students a great opportunity for kids to make new friends and know that there is always someone to talk to,” senior SOS member Jack Wathieu said. Finally, to make students more aware of who their mentors are at school, there will be a faculty trivia for students to try to guess littleknown facts about CHS staff members. Since May 16 is before the seniors graduate, all students are welcome and expected to attend. According to Principal Joan Benz, this is the biggest SOS event of the year.
PHOTO BY FIONA ASBURY.
The courtyards at CHS are overgrown and off limits. Students will spend time improving the courtyards, which will then be open. “The more successful the day is, the more it shows the school how important mental health is to the students,” Frank said.
Opinions
4
The Churchill
April 29, 2016
Observer
Editors Editors-in-Chief Eugenia Cardinale Arielle Gordon Online Editor-in-Chief Nathan Deychman
Chief Production Manager Emiliana Cardinale Production Editors Camila Camp Eli Gordon Will Hyland Dani Miller Sofia Williamson News Editors Thomas Atkinson Lauren Roseman * Opinions Editor Maya Rosenberg* Observations Editor Sai Sreenivasan Features Editors Sara Heimlich* Emily Wang Arts Editors Sarah O’Brien Balbina Yang Sports Editors Ben Dross Kyle Emery Fact Checkers Bryan Fletcher* Ethan S. Miller Matthew Sun Social Media Editors Jake Herman* Julia Lescht Laura Sneller* Drew Ingall Anna Baranko* Joe Raab Sophie Liss
*also Production Editor
Managers
Advertising Manager Max Kandel Business Managers Eliza Asbury Megan Park
Circulation Managers Brandon Li Jenna Greenzaid* Contest Managers Vicky Gunawan Nora Holland Adviser Kelly Knarr
Our Policy The Churchill Observer is published monthly by the students of Winston Churchill High School, 11300 Gainsborough Road, Potomac, Md. 20854. Advertising and subscription rates are available by e-mailing churchill.observer@gmail.com. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of staff, faculty or the student body. Every effort has been made by the staff to ensure that the news is accurate and free of bias. Editorial opinions are those of the Observer staff, and personal commentaries and cartoons reflect the opinions of their writers. Letters to the editor must be signed, and assertions must be documented upon request. Send letters to the editor to churchill.observer@gmail.com The Observer is a public forum for the purpose of expressing the views of and informing the Churchill community.
MCPS:No Policy is Not A Policy
CARTOON BY KEVIN HO.
MCPS: a county filled with rules and regulations, boards and committees and almost every kind of administrative policy. Yet, with all of these governing bodies that address numerous issues within the county, there is no clear cut policy written by MCPS addressing transgender students’ use of gender specific facilities. MCPS must create a clear policy regarding transgender students’ use of gender specific facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms. Without a clear countywide policy, individual schools are left to make their own choices regarding the issue, which causes confusion and inconsistency. In addition, a countywide policy is long overdue, and the longer MCPS waits to release their verdict the more problems will arise. CHS is directly impacted by MCPS’ current policy of no policy. According to Principal Joan Benz, there are very informal procedures that the CHS follows, and administration handles each student individually. According to a transgender junior who wished to remain anonymous, her experiences with administration and the implementation of those so called informal policies have been dismal. According to her, when she first arrived at CHS, there was confusion over what bathroom she was allowed to use. When it was finally straightened out, she had to use the unisex bathroom in the nurse’s office. In order to get there she had to walk halfway around the school, and missed at most eight minutes of class time from her furthest class. Not only did she miss a substantial amount of instructional time, the bathroom is also closed during sixth period, so she could not use the bathroom like other cisgendered students did during that time.
According to the student, it took her six months of having to use a unisex bathroom before she was able to use the girl’s bathroom, and she was only able to do so because she threatened a lawsuit against the school system. This situation could have been completely avoidable if a clear, countywide policy was put in place. There would be no confusion between students and administration over what bathrooms to use, and both groups would have a straightforward policy for what rules they could follow.
BSERVER O OPINION
These informal measures taken that change from student to student are CHS’ “procedures,” but many schools all around the county might not have the same procedures, or even any procedures at all. This is because there have been no clear guidelines that have been set by the county. The families of transgender students want their children to feel as comfortable as possible at school, whether that means allowing them to use the bathroom that aligns with the gender that they identify with, or a separate one entirely. Both parents and students want the school to accommodate their needs. Hopefully, a school’s administration should want to do the same thing, but they might not be able to as it is unclear how they are supposed to act in ordinance with the county. Is the school supposed to allow a transgender student to use the locker room designated for the gender that they identify with, or not? And if so, what if there is parent or student back-
lash at the administration? A county policy specifically addressing MCPS’ stance on transgender student use of bathrooms and locker rooms would allow all MCPS schools to have a consistent policy, and end confusion. In addition, the policy is the policy, and all schools must follow it. If parents are upset with a countywide policy, they must take it up with MCPS, and not the individual school. If more than one school is impacted by the same policy, MPCS will have to address it wholistically. According to the anonymous junior, the state of Maryland has released guidelines for the school systems, and MCPS is supposedly attempting to create their own policies. But the only things she has seen happening are conversations behind closed doors and no changes being made. MCPS guidelines on transgender use of gender specific facilities are long overdue. It is 2016, and LGBTQ issues have been a dominating issue for the past ten years. There is no excuse for not having a ruleset on this issue, and the longer MCPS waits to issue their policy, the more confusion and frustration will occur. While MCPS has not spoken out about what they would say in a hypothetical policy (they were contacted for this story and did not respond), this piece is not advocating for what the MCPS policy should be, only that it needs to exist. Not having a policy can not serve as the policy. Without a county policy regarding this pressing issue, students who need it most are left in the dark as to what their choices are to use the facilities that make them feel most comfortable. Shape up MCPS, and give your students the policy that they not only desperately need, but deserve.
MCPS Should Recognize Valedictorians By Arjun Swaminathan Peter Durand Senior Writers At countless schools around the country, individuals are recognized for their academic achievement by being named valedictorian, and are given the honor of addressing their class at graduation. In MCPS, this is not the case. MCPS does not allow schools to honor a valedictorian, a student with the highest weighted GPA. This is not fair to individuals who have worked tirelessly to maintain their excellent grades in difficult classes. Consider the difficulty of taking over 10 AP classes as well as a multitude of other grueling honors and advanced courses throughout high school, and sustaining “A” grades in all of them. Despite the strain that accompanies such course loads, some students are able to accomplish this feat. However, no one is individually recognized for their exceptional academic performance outside of simply being named as one of many members of the academic honor roll each
semester and receiving an invite to a dinner for being in the top five percent of weighted GPAs, neither of which receives the level of acknowledgement that a valedictorian deserves. According to an Observer poll of 79 CHS students, about 57 percent of students believe that CHS should recognize a valedictorian. According to the poll, a majority of students also believe that if a valedictorian were to be recognized, they should speak at graduation. A valedictorian would be just as deserving of speaking at graduation as SGA members. Although these officers have earned the recognition they receive through their own contributions to the school, it is not fair that they are the only students given the tremendous honor of speaking to their grade while an outstanding individual whose selection would be based directly off merit is excluded. According to Principal Joan Benz, MCPS doesn’t let schools such as CHS recognize a valedictorian because it would involve nearly 20 students, and there is not enough time for so many speakers since graduation cannot last
longer than two hours. However, such an issue could be rectified easily by comparing specifics regarding the students’ course loads and extracurriculars, such as the number of advanced classes they have taken, their Student Service Learning (SSL) hours and their leadership positions in clubs and groups both inside and outside of school. MCPS should change its policy immediately and recognize a valedictorian, as well as allow them the honor of delivering a farewell speech at graduation this May.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HANA YEN.
Currently, only SGA officers deliver speeches during graduation.
April 29, 2016
5
Opinions
A Vote for Clinton is Not a Vote for Feminism
By Julia Lescht Public Relations Editor
Feminism: the belief that men and women should be equal in all aspects of life. Contrary to popular belief, feminists do not advocate for female superiority. The gender equality movement has come a long way, as more women are taking on roles historically deemed “manly.” The 2016 presidential election race holds significant potential for this movement, as Hillary Clinton is running for president, and has the chance of becoming the first woman to hold the office. However, many women disagree about whether they should vote for her, and though her gender is important, the fact that she is the first woman to come this far in running should not be the sole influence for one’s choice this fall. Policy is more important than identity. It is ignorant for women to vote for Clinton solely because she is a woman since it defies the feminist values that both women and men have fought for throughout the last century. According to the Huffington Post opinion article “I’m Voting for Hillary Clinton Because She’s a Woman” by Jillian Gutowitz, Gutowitz contradicts her own title when she says that while it is ignorant to vote for Clinton because she is a woman, women are greatly underrepresented in government and it is necessary for Clinton to be elected president. According to Gutowitz, it is necessary to burn gender bridges with the election of a female president, as little girls are ridiculed in schools for aspiring to be president. Currently, it seems as if gender is less important to voters, but this is not the reality. The public sees Clinton’s gender as a reasoning for voting for her and supporting her campaign. Yes, it would be incredible if a woman were elected, but it is not true feminism to put her in office just to make a statement. If women only vote for women,
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.
Clinton beat Sanders in the Maryland Democratic Primary April 26. then such actions justify men only voting for men. This can question how far society has truly come. There is a large ideological gap between younger and older generations of women, with the latter being mainly in their 40s and older. These older women grew up during the first feminist wave for in the 1960s. These women watched Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in federally funded high school and collegiate programs, come into play and saw older women of their generation face adversity due to their gender. Meanwhile, younger generations were born and raised in a post-Title IX America, where equality is practically the norm. For these younger generations, a woman working full-time is nothing out of the ordinary. Unlike older generations, a way had already been paved for them to succeed.
According to a February Wall Street Journal/NBC/Marist College poll, only 35 percent of Democratic female voters under 45 years old supported Clinton, while 64 percent supported the other Democratic presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders. What younger women seem to be looking for most in a candidate is their policies and beliefs, not their gender. Older generations of women hold the cause of equality so dear to their hearts that all they want is a woman in the White House— whether or not they agree with all of her policies and actions. Is it more important to make history by electing the first female president? Or is it significant enough that women are choosing to overlook the candidate’s gender, and are focusing primarily on the candidate’s platform?
Feminists are simply advocating for complete gender equality. Hence, a woman voting for another woman just because they the same gender does not give her qualification as a feminist; in fact it discriminates against the candidate’s opponents simply because they are male. Men can in fact be feminists too—Sanders, Clinton’s democratic counterpart, claims to be a feminist. According to the New York Times editorial “My Undiplomatic Moment” by Madeleine Albright, who served as the first female Secretary of State, women need to support other women in order to break down gender stereotypes and to continue to expand a woman’s rights and roles. She claims that if a female president is not elected during this opportunity to elect one, then all the gains women have made could begin to dissolve. In addition, Albright has a phrase that she has repeatedly used over the years: “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other.” However, as society is continuously evolving, it has become increasingly more acceptable for women to make their own choices without the judgment of others, especially other women. Albright and other women who were part of the first wave of feminist movements still view women as judgmental to their own gender. To them, because women have come such a long way, it is their responsibility to vote for and support Clinton as the first woman president. Although Albright’s comment claims to preach feminism, her ideas actually encourage discrimination against the male candidates and the women who support them. Her comment makes it appear as if just because one woman does not agree with another woman, she is not a feminist. Each person is entitled to voice their opinion in this country, regardless of their gender. If one disagrees, then they disagree. It is not Albright’s duty to shame women into voting for Clinton. Each person should choose what candidate to vote for purely based off that candidate’s politics—not their gender.
CHS’s Current Fire Drill Plans Need to be Reevaluated By Ariel Levchenko Senior Writer So here’s a problem that has students burning up—what’s up with the fire drills? Students may remember the fire drill that they were forced to suffer through on the freezing morning of April 5, as that unexpected, hated bell rang out, disrupting class and summoning both students and teachers outside to fulfill their sacred duty: standing outside in the winter weather. Now, before someone explodes with righteous anger and derision, nobody is disputing the need for fire drills. They’re a good idea; people must be prepared for the unexpected. But the question arises; must they always be scheduled on a day with sub-Arctic weather? Unexpected fire drills exist to train students and teachers to be ready, at the drop of a hat, to stop what they’re doing and get out of the building in a quick, orderly and safe fashion. However, they accomplish much more than that. Many students, upon entering the hallowed halls of CHS decide that they’d rather not lug around their coats, scarves, gloves and other paraphernalia of the cold, and instead decide to deposit them in the handilyprovided lockers or simply just don’t
bring outerwear appropriate for the weather. The problem with that is that the entire purpose of an unexpected fire drill is that people…aren’t expecting it. They aren’t allowed to go to their locker and get a coat, they can’t grab a warm hat and a scarf, they’re essentially forced to go outside into the freezing cold with usually nothing more than a cotton tee-shirt and some jeans. Now, some students choose to carry their coats with them, but some teachers won’t even give the chance to put it on, instead hurrying them to get out the door as quickly as possible. What possible argument could there be for this? That it acclimates students to the cold? There are other ways of doing that, such as when the school blasts the AC on days that are already cold enough. According to assistant principal Maniya Jules, the administrator in charge of scheduling fire drills, there are two types of fire drills - the announced ones, which are made known to teachers, administrators and sometimes students (depending if the teachers tell them), and the unannounced ones, which are known only to administration and security. Jules said that she tries to plan the announced fire drills to occur during winter, which would seem to give students a chance to get their warm clothes in
the times that are coldest, but it’s easily evident that almost every year, March and April can still be extremely cold. That isn’t to say that spring fire drills must be announced, but they should be planned better, with consideration for the cold weather that happens almost every year at that time. But this problem is uneven, because certain teachers are aware of the supposedly unexpected fire drills, and inform their students of it, thereby giving them the chance to go and retrieve their warm clothes. How is this fair or just? It’s neither, and it utterly defeats the purpose of an unexpected drill—these students aren’t being caught off-guard, they’re prepared, so the drill isn’t preparing them for anything at all. Additionally, other students drive
PHOTO COURTESY OF ARIEL LEVCHENKO.
Pep rallies are scheduled for nice days, why not fire drills?
to school and park on the side of the road next to CHS. When students go outside to turn into meat popsicles, the lucky few (mostly seniors with a sprinkle of juniors) go to their cars, turn on the heat, and start blasting “Burnin’ Up” or the soundtrack from Frozen. Now, these fire drills are decided upon at the beginning of the year, before anyone knows anything about snow days, cold days or any other unforeseeable event. According to Jules, changing a planned fire drill would require too much reorganization and create logistical problems, since teachers plan around the drills when setting up their lessons. It could also be costly if science students must evacuate the school in the middle of time-sensitive experiments. However, this past drill was a teacher-unannounced fire drill, and there are other departments in the school besides science. The administration’s actions seem to suggest that they care more about their bureaucracy and money than the schedules of the entire teaching body and the safety and well being of the students, which should be their primary concern. Fire drills are important. Students should be prepared for the unexpected. But maybe, just maybe, try to plan them so as to not have over 2,000 students quadruple their chances of getting pneumonia? Just a thought.
6
April 29, 2016
Opinions
To Unlock or Not to Unlock? That is the Question Apple Was Right to Refuse Unlocking Keeps Us Safe By Jake Herman Video and Public Relations Editor Investigating terrorists, such as the San Bernardino shooters, is essential for the FBI and other federal agencies to strengthen national security, but just how far is too far when the privacy of citizens is in question? Apple was correct when they refused to assist with FBI and Department of Justice requests to unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s encrypted iPhone, as it would have set a dangerous precedent regarding privacy had they complied. According to a Feb. 16 letter to customers from Apple CEO Tim Cook, the backdoor software designed to unlock the iPhone proposed by the FBI would circumvent several important security features and would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone’s physical possession. Essentially, the software would function as a “master key” which would have the possibility to unlock any phone someone has at any time. Although the software has a chance of helping the FBI attain information that would help them combat terrorism in the short term, the creation and use of this iPhone “master key” software puts Americans’ basic rights to personal privacy in long-term jeopardy. According to a Feb. 25 motion filed by Apple to the Central District Court of California, which had previously encouraged Apple to assist the FBI, the company questioned the safety and legality of unlocking the phone, citing Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights that could be violated by the software and the disastrous precedent that it would set. Apple’s lawyers also warned that an avenue for criminals could be created with the decrypting of the phones. If the government were able to access the cellphones of all those involved in court cases, the Fourth and Fifth Amendments would could be cast aside as people would be subject to unreasonable searches and seizures of their devices. This would also diminish the protection that pleading the Fifth Amendment gives to those involved in court cases as prosecutors could simply use data on someone’s cell phone to speak for them. Student’s cell phones could one day be accessed by administration at schools nationwide, including CHS. It seems extreme, but all it would take is one precedent to be established to set the ball rolling in this dangerous direction. It’s scary enough to think about the government being able to access anyone’s iPhone at any time, let alone the catastrophe that could
occur should the “master key” fall into the wrong hands. That situation, though both frightening and appalling, is completely avoidable by simply never creating the software in the first place. While the FBI is fighting for the common good by investigating the San Bernardino shooters, Apple was right to stand up for the right to privacy for average Americans such as CHS students. Rather than obstructing justice, Apple obstructed the government from invading Americans’ privacy in the future.
By Eliza Asbury Business Manager The FBI found a third party to unlock an encrypted iPhone which belonged to a suspect of the San Bernardino terrorist attack, without the help of Apple. The FBI should have the right to open locked iPhones because it is their job to keep the country safe from threats with thorough investigations. IPhone users should be aware that when they purchase their phones some of their information could be shared if
FACE OFF
Unlocking Controversy
it is in the interest of public safety. The FBI asked Apple to help them open the locked iPhone, but Apple refused to comply. The iPhone had a possibility of holding critical data that related to the San Bernardino shooting, which could help the FBI investigate the case. With the potential information held on the phone, the FBI could have more knowledge about the actual case, protecting the country from the danger at hand. Unlocking iPhones will also help keep America safe from other threats in the future. The knowledge of how to open locked iPhones could spread to CHS administration, which could help keep the CHS community safe. If a student or the community were in danger, the administration, with the help of local law enforcement, might be able to access the phone, for investigative purposes only. According to Principal Joan Benz, if a student at CHS were putting themselves or others in danger, then administration should have the right to access and unlock the student’s iPhone. In this day and age, everyone knows that what gets put on the Internet is public and that the government can see whatever is posted online, therefore the government seeing what is on a phone is no different. Many teens know that their privacy isn’t always guaranteed on the Internet, so if people take that risk online, why is it so much different with the information on a phone? Apple should set up a special software, one that will prevent hackers from breaking the encryption on all iPhones, that will also allow the FBI to have special access that permits them to enter the phones for legitimate purposes only. However, many people are protective of their personal privacy, and believe that having their own personal information being accessible to the FBI is an invasion of that privacy. In addition, some argue that a new code allowing the FBI to access unlocked iPhones would be breaking protective encryption initially set on every iPhone to keep out hackers. However, the software could be attached to only a single phone, therefore protecting any phone that is not under investigation. The ultimate result of the case came down to national security and customer privacy, but the FBI should have the right to access personal information if that access can prove to be imperative to national security and keeping Americans protected.
Observer Presidential Survey Results
April 29, 2016
7
Observations
Senior Gymnast Places By Max Kandel Advertising Manager
Senior Cameron Jones and her gymnastics squad from Xtreme Acro won fourth place at the 2016 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Putian, China March 27-30. The squad was selected to represent the U.S. National Team and then went on to world trials to see if they would qualify for the world competition. At the World Championships Jones and her squad beat 27 other teams from around the world in her category. “It feels really good to be able to say we got fourth in the world,” Jones said. Our goal was just to make the top eight and go to the finals, so it’s really nice to have accomplished that goal.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAMERON JONES.
Photo Contest Winners By Emily Wang Features Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF ATHENA LEWIS.
Senior Athena Lewis displays her third place winning artwork.
Photography students sophomore Aleta Kibler and senior Athena Lewis recently placed second and third at the county level in the “Woman’s Club Youth Art Competition and Exhibition” hosted by the Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase. Cash prizes were awarded, and Kibler received a prize of $100 and Lewis $75. “I feel really proud of myself,” Kibler said. “I was really happy I got $100.” CHS photography students participate in the contest every year, but only the higher level classes are required to enter. Photography teacher Amy Gilbert is extremely proud of her students’ fantastic photos. “I’m honestly still surprised that I won,” Lewis said. “I never would’ve expected that my photo would actually place.”
Students Place in UMD Engineering
By Lauren Roseman News Editor
Congratulations to seniors Brandon Lieuw, Ben Eisner, Dorothy Hu and junior Joseph Primmer for placing fifth out of over 30 teams in the 2016 UMD High School Programming competition. In addition to placing in the competition, they won $400.
According to Hu, after a practice round, the teams were given three hours to solve nine problems that increased in difficulty. All of the solutions were then coded in Java. “We were good at delegating problems to one another, communicating problems, spotting each other’s errors, and deciding which problems had more priority,” Hu said. “I’m very happy that we were able to place.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MADISON HURR.
The second annual TEDx event was held April 16 in the auditorium.
Second Annual TEDx By Max Kandel Advertising Manager
The Think Big club organized a TEDx event April 16 in which seven speakers discussed the theme of “Pathways”. This event featured speakers such as entrepreneur and businessman Mark Bucher, science journalist and serial social entrepreneur Al Hammond, investigative reporter Tisha Thompson, 17-year-old advocate for gender equality Sara Hesterman, news broadcaster and producer Monika Samtoni, vice president of drug delivery and device development at MedImmune Anand Subramony and nurse and policy con-
sultant Susan Pereles. “We know that being exposed to a wide array of perspectives and ideas is crucial in being a well- informed and empathetic adult,” senior and Think Big co-president Bradley Lawrence said. In addition to the presentations were interactive activities such as a speaker question-and-answer period, Italian ice and TEDx activities such as a chalkboard for the audience to write out their own ideas. “I had a great time and was very inspired,” said senior Kimia Zarbian. “I was also really impressed that my own classmates were the ones who made this event possible.”
PTA Reflections Winner By Emily Wang Features Editor Junior Alexandra Ballance’s dance piece “No Limits,” placed second and received the Award of Excellence in the high school state division of the dance choreography category of the 2016 Let Your Imagination Fly-themed PTA Reflections contest. Ballance was awarded a certificate, a ribbon and $50 for her accomplishment. This is her first time entering the contest as a high schooler, but the fourth time she has entered total. “It is an honor to win second place,” Ballance said. “I am always very thankful for any recognition I receive for my dance creations.” Ballance started formal dance training in third grade in the Youth Dance Ensemble at Joy of Motion Dance Center. Since then, she has performed and competed in all different venues, including at a Department of Education event hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXANDRA BALLANCE.
Alexandra Ballance “No Limits.”
performs
“I have received many awards over the years, and I am grateful for all of them,” Ballance said. “In life, you often don’t get first place. You have to be dedicated, committed, and push yourself to the limit to achieve your goals.”
Sophomore Wins Service Award By Max Kandel Advertising Manager PHOTO COURTESY OF DOROTHY HU.
Junior Joseph Primmer and seniors Ben Eisner, Dorothy Hu and Brandon Lieuw pose with their certificate and cash prize.
Science Honor Society Takes Field Trip By Arielle Gordon Editor-in-Chief
Twenty-three Science National Honor Society (SNHS) students took a field trip April 8 to the David Taylor Model Basin, a ship design facility operated by the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The students took a tour guided by two engineers who work at the Model
Basin. The students asked the engineers questions about their work and viewed one of the model pools that is five-eighths of a mile in length. “I learned about different career paths for mechanical engineers, and how important they are for keeping Americans safe,” senior and SNHS president Bradley Lawrence said. “My favorite part of the trip was when we went into an underground testing facility of model ships.”
Sophomore William Zhenzhou Chai received the President’s Volunteer Service Award March 21 for his volunteer service throughout this year. The award was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community, which honors students for their outstanding volunteer service on behalf of President Barack Obama. Chai, while being in the American Red Cross club at Churchill, also volunteers for an organization called the Chinese American Parent Student Association (CAPSA) everyday after school. Chai tutors for CAPSA in a low-income community in Gaithersburg and helps Chinese immigrants with their schoolwork while forming personal bonds with them. “Recognition for what I’ve been
PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAM CHAI.
doing is great, but it’s not about me, it’s about the kids,” Chai said. “People shouldn’t do community service just for the awards, but it’s nice if you get them.”
8
Features
April 29, 2016
What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up? CHS Students Hold High Career Aspirations
By Sara Heimlich Features Editor
From the time we were little, people always asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As a little kid, most of us answered “ballerina, football player, president,” or all of the above. Now, “when you grow up” seems just around the corner, and the majority of us squirm at that dreaded dinner table discussion. For some CHS students, however, there is an answer ready to fly off the tongue. Here are some students who know exactly where they are going, and how they plan on getting there.
PHOTO COURTSY OF BILL WU.
Freshman Josie Bourelly Q: What career are you considering pursuing? A: I want to be an actress. Q: How long have you known this is what you want to do? Was there a certain time or event that made you realize your interest? A: I’ve known since I was 8 after I had performed in my first show at Adventure Theatre during the summer. Q:What have you been doing up to this point to prepare for that career? A: I’ve been taking acting classes, auditioning for film and shows and participating in multiple straight acting and musical theatre performances. Q: What do you plan to do in the future to prepare for it? A: I will continue taking classes and improving on my technique so that when job opportunities arise I will be well prepared for them. Q: How has CHS helped you prepare for this career? A: CHS has helped me prepare by giving me opportunities to apply my acting knowledge to live theatre.
PHOTO BY SARA HEIMLICH.
Sophomore Josie Monson
Q: What career are you considering pursuing? A: I want to go to Johns Hopkins for six years, undergraduate and graduate school, to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. Q: How long have you known this is what you want to do? Was there a certain time or event that made you realize your interest? A: Yes and no. Yes, because I’ve been wanting to go into the medical field for my entire life, but for the past two or three years I’ve done a lot more research to look into different jobs, opportunities and colleges. No, because the main reason I started looking into it seriously is because my father got diagnosed with stage four cancer and got surgery last year. When that happened, I realized being a medical professional was something I wanted to do because when they helped my father, it showed me what a difference I could make in someone’s life. I love children, which led me to pediatrics. Religion is a huge part of my family’s life, and I believe God heals people, but I find it really respectful that medical professionals dedicate their lives to helping others. We need to do our part instead of just waiting for help from God. We need to do what we can. Q:What have you been doing up to this point to prepare for that career? A: I’ve been taking a lot of science courses and have been doing a lot of research on the colleges available. I’ve also been trying to get in touch with people who have similar professions to find expertise. Q: How has CHS helped you prepare for this career? A: CHS has a wide selection of courses especially within the sciences that have helped me better prepare for courses down the road and college. Because CHS is such a good school, it looks pretty good for colleges, too.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALIYA KLEIN.
Sophomore Aliya Klein
PHOTO COURTESY OF JACK WATHIEU.
Senior Jack Wathieu
Q: What career are you considering pursuing? A: After graduating from law school, I would like to become a foreign diplomat or international lawyer. I want to work with people from different countries and spend time in different cultures or environments. Q: How long have you known this is what you want to do? Was there a certain time or event that made you realize your interest? A: Starting in seventh grade, I knew I loved foreign languages, so I decided I wanted to pursue a career possibly regarding French or maybe another language. In high school, I developed an inclination toward culture and government studies, as those two topics also interested me on an international level. Because of that, I decided I wanted a career in international law. Q:What have you been doing up to this point to prepare for that career? A: I am going to be in a French immersion program this summer, and in school I’ve taken four years of French as well as two AP social studies courses. Next year, I want to take AP Comparative Government to build upon my knowledge of global economies and political systems. I plan on participating in Model UN, and joining the French Honors Society. Q: How has CHS helped you prepare for this career? A: CHS has been a very unique starting point for me. I’ve met all kinds of different people and learned how to work diligently and frequently while managing other important tasks. While the class curriculums currently in place are not necessarily extremely beneficial to my career path, I feel as if CHS has been key in guiding me to mastery of time management skills, experiences with culture and different backgrounds, ability to balance social and academic lives and most importantly, given me a taste of what my adult life may resemble based on my decision making.
Q: What career are you considering pursuing? A: With a career in architecture, I think my primary goal is to find a place to keep being ambitious and to keep experimenting with the boundaries of the profession. I want to create space that is an extension and interpretation of people’s culture and needs. Q: How long have you known this is what you want to do? Was there a certain time or event that made you realize your interest? A: I first thought about it when I was 8, visiting various cities and towns in Europe, and seeing a lot of famous buildings with my aunt and uncle, both of whom are architects. Q:What have you been doing up to this point to prepare for that career? A: I’ve read about thousands of buildings, read a lot of theoretical work and drawn a lot of buildings. I have also had an internship at a local architecture firm since the 8th grade. I also am the president and founder of the Architecture Club. In the future, I want to write a lot of theory, and study the subject in depth. I also want a general liberal arts education at some point, so that my interpretation and work can be more relevant in society. Q: Do you have a role model? How does this person help drive your aspiration? A: I have a few role models, which include Steven Holl, who is my favorite architect, Peter Zumthor Lebbeus Woods’s theory, Alejandro Alavera’s work, and Thom Mayne’s thinking methodology. I also like the energy Bjarke Ingles has. Q: How has CHS helped you prepare for this career? A: CHS has helped me in some ways. I use what I learn in certain classes to drive some of my thinking on architecture. These classes have included math, English, and Biology. Art classes also helped me develop drawing skills.
many years, but my kids were young how much they enjoy the emails. and I only had time to do a little bit of “I love the fact that I can find out magazine freelance writing.” about updates on things around me,” According to Heimlich, Store Re- said CHS sophomore Maddy Kramer, p o r t e r , who subwhich ofscribes to “I thought people would be interested ficially Store Relaunched in porter. in reading about the places where they 2014, focusBy offershop and dine” es only on ing infor-Cheryl Heimlich, Store Reporter Founder local busimation on nesses, and, new ownerlike oldship, openfashioned newspapers, covers what is ings, closings, and even menu changes, important in the community. people may become motivated to try To kickstart the business in 2014, something new. Heimlich sent the emails to 200 per“I try all the new restaurants that sonal friends. Today, it has over 7,000 they mention that I wouldn’t know subscribers in the local area, as well as about otherwise,” CHS parent Mina 1,063 likes on the Store Reporter Face- Torabi said. book page. The service also helps local business According to Heimlich, she has “a owners keep up with the competition loyal following,” and many readers and provides updates for the area. write to her weekly, telling her that According to Torabi, who is an own-
er of local restaurant Cafe Shawreen, Store Reporter informs her about other eateries in the area, as well as special deals and offers and who is moving in or moving out. According to Max Devens, the general manager of local gourmet market Potomac Grocer, Store Reporter has ¨helped to get the word out to consumers who did not know what we do.” Though the majority of Store Reporter subscribers are parents, many tell their children about what they read in the Store Reporter emails. The retail and restaurant scene in our community changes daily, and thanks to Store Reporter, it is all available at the click of a button. “It’s free, you will be very wellinformed, and you’ll also have the chance to enter contests [to win] dinner giveaways and movie tickets and find coupons to some of the places where you eat and shop,” Heimlich said.
Store Reporter Site Keeps Potomac Community Informed
By Drew Ingall Social Media Editor
Ever wonder what new restaurant will be coming to Potomac or what new retail store will be opening at Montgomery Mall? Store Reporter is a website and weekly emailing service that spreads the word of retail and restaurant news in Potomac and Rockville. The newsletter is sent every Thursday with occasional extra issues, and is scaled back to once a month during the summer when readers are traveling. The women behind the curtain is CHS parent Cheryl Heimlich, who is the creator, writer and manager. “When we moved to Potomac in 2003, I was surprised at the lack of local news coverage and I thought people would be interested in reading about the places where they shop and dine,” Heimlich said. “I had the idea for Store Reporter in my head for
April 29, 2016
Features
9
College Roomate Search Similar to Speed Dating By Michael Fox Senior Writer With today’s ever-increasing advancements in technology, the college roommate search has been transformed from a simple random selection process, in which students feel indifferent about the roommate they are assigned, to a complex social media outlet which allows students to match themselves with the perfect roommate. For many high school seniors across the country who plan on attending college next year, the search for the perfect roommate can be explored in numerous ways, ranging from Facebook college groups to online school compatability tests or asking friends for connections with someone attending the same university. “The roommate search has become more personal because you are able pick and choose which qualities you want in a roommate,” senior Janna Rudolph said. “In the past, with random assignment, you weren’t able to choose what kind of person you wanted to live with; you [and your roommate] were just thrown together.” Although Rudolph has not begun searching for a roommate yet, she will keep in mind the many resources like Facebook that have captured the attention of incoming freshmen in need of a roommate. Social media allows students to post descriptions of themselves in hopes of getting the attention of a potential roommate. In each of these Class of 2020 Facebook groups, students have adopted a multitude of ways of presenting themselves to their peers, whether it be through the use of humor or pure details about one’s personality and interests. “I actually met a girl in the University of Maryland [Facebook] group who I had a lot in common with, so we texted a little bit and we are planning to meet up or at least video chat to so-
lidify our rooming plans,” said senior and future Terp Lucy Bedewi. An alternate resource for roommatesearching at UMD is the app Terp Findr, which can be purchased in the iTunes store and allows incoming UMD freshmen an opportunity to search for a roommate in a speed-dating type manner. In my own testing of Terp Findr, the app requested that each user create a profile that includes a name, description, list of interests, the user’s gender and a picture. Once users accomplish this, they are allowed to scroll through the numerous profiles of other users and decide whether they want to swipe right, meaning they are interested in the person’s profile, or swipe left, meaning they want to skip that roommate option. If two people swipe right on each other and have a “match,” they are then able to start a conversation. UMD students are not the only ones with this online compatibility option, but all students going to college next year can access sites such as roomsurf. com, which provide roommate compatibility tests. According to roomsurf.com, the website is designed to help students from universities across the nation find a roommate from their respective college with similar interests. Users are required to provide and update correct and true information about themselves, whether the user chooses to provide it themselves, or through their Facebook page. “I have gone through Facebook groups and messaged a few people and used a similarities quiz on roomsurf. com to match me with other people who are going to Penn State,” senior Zach Ruvo said. If students are not interested in using social media or a matching website, they can always use the friend-of-a-friend approach. “My best friend’s roommate’s camp friend was going to Towson [too],” senior Maggie Nardi said. “She chatted
me on Facebook and then we became good friends and talk everyday.” While some students are okay with being randomly assigned a roommate, others go the extra mile to search for their roommate. It should be noted that these previously stated methods of looking for a roommate only deal with students who either do not want to “go in blind” to a university, meaning they do not want a random roommate, or do not want to room with someone they already know. “I personally wouldn’t mind having a random roommate; I don’t have much of a problem meeting new people, or think that I would hate having a random roommate,” senior Paul Mengucci said. “That being said, I decided to room with somebody I already know, but it wouldn’t have mattered if I ended up with a random roommate.” At some schools, students are limited in their roommate requests. Senior Meredith Srour, who plans on attending Dartmouth College next year, does not have the chance to use these roommate matching resources. According to Srour, the roommate process is random and each student responds to a questionnaire which factors in personal qualities and behavioral attributes when matching roommates together. “I’ve heard that searching for a roommate can be a stressful process, which is part of the reason why I am happy with my school’s policy,” Srour said. “I have also heard that random assignments often work out, so I have no complaints.” It is safe to say that students are moving away from the random roommate selection process, and opening themselves up to the many new resources when looking for a roommate. “I would not do a random roommate because it scares me to not have
any idea who I would be living with,” Ruvo said. According to senior and future UMD student Giancarlo Estrada, he is against the random roommate assignment process because there are too many risks and possibilities that he will not like his roommate, and it might hinder his social life in his first year of college. “[The roommate search] is pretty hard considering I’m in a specific program at UMD where I can only room with certain people,” Estrada said. Overall, the college roommate search has evolved from an underappreciated, optional thing to do in college to a task that is strongly encouraged and at times, difficult to navigate. “The search can be tough,” Mengucci said. “Unless you personally know your roommate, it’s hard to know exactly what they’re like until you really meet them.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAGGIE NARDI.
Senior Maggie Nardi and her future roommate at Towson met through a friend-of-a-friend.
10
Features er mest d e s cond urney, an y e s u o as f yo a long j ht, it’s e ys. o l l n a da sig ee To it’s b h line in the final ny it, : s r senio the finis g away e may de once n with art wishi uch as w h school e the to st ver, as m miss hig well mak year. Howe going to might as e school izing e h we’re ne, so w left of t r maxim o : o s it’s g of what’ e tips f schooler t mos are som as a high Here last days your
much you ity: w r o h ia il w m o n fa k e, the ily and family ing at hom iends, fam t your friends and v fr li e e t b l ia ’l c u e st o r App last year y ffort to le , and the la e y e a a th d tr y is x r e e it v , e n ll ith. d pets After a Make a siblings an hang out w love them. to d to n e y a d m a o te e h r or ia e c d appre h that guy able to com d buddies nearby an it e w b n l o ’l ti u a o s y petty dhoo conver last year et. Resolve of your chil e hallway and make e ll m a e to v a t r h o ff u’ve year to iends in th made an e d times yo o fr r o e r g v u e e o n y th u to o ll llege, but y Say hi about a iends in co interesting fr reminisce s d w m e n e e a n s f s o o d t h n girl w ole se ith frie aking a wh d drama w m n a r e ts ft a ic fl n n e co e ev er, becaus ones. had togeth s your old is m to g in to get em!): you’re go d thank th s were out r n e (a h c s a r e te h ave r c ought you ons and h h your tea ti th it n w e te v e a in h t im a t y e ). Take Spend had gr you ma ve always ow much continue to a h l h il r y e w e tt d a th to n , m (a d No ushing you y workloa d success p v n , a a d e g h in in e m e r th -b u ing yo ur well you with for expand d about yo s e r r e a h c c a ly e te see t in genu ey love to k your pas grow. h n u T a o . y th o g to to in e s lp r e some tim ool teache get, they’v ent and he r h d c fo s tu s ’t le r n e d o tt d id e all. become a b es elementary and m awkward stage, and tter how sm a m o d r n u lu , o c y y a in This some w n from e today in r ou’ve grow a y u h o c y u o m h how hape w ly helped s d te leave: io b u o d n u efore you kles, the R b in s r t p o S p e s b n y etow Or ma Park, vorite hom , Hadley’s &O Canal? fa C m r u e u e o s th y u to M it h g Revis e a day wit and Space k always goin ir a p A T u ? e n w th u o , s r r g ere. r Dine e DMV Did you ’ve made th enter, Silve ywhere else under th u C o y n s ia ie n r to o g m , or an Washin eat me all stadium r all the gr e tb b o m fo e S m H e ). r C the them later o back and te g ia c to e s r d p n p a ie you’ll your fr of photos– ts lo e k ta steak d (An illy cheese h P e h T : e ? ia g it Philadelph ak challen wouldn’t be up for e to t g s e in s iv e r e d h , e day back Who Philly c inning of th urse), and making it challenge? g e a b e d n th t .a a .. l Food e, of co g schoo ag a pictur tails leavin n n s e e d g n n (a e ll h a ch lunc heesesteak to have a c me for the last bell. ti r! Let to school in college gea n o p u k c ext to college: start the n next fall, s r to to fo d ff e d o e it c p e x ’r e m re you e and Get pu you’ve don ecided whe t d a e th ’v u ll o a y f o e HS d Onc ver hurts. out your C ou’re prou e b y n a t t it a e ir g th r p s n fo l w 20 to e, don’t le schoo it be kno prom May all the tim r life. A litt r to u a t o e y g u f o e o g e e r ll m fore te o o chap al time be n pping the c nd senior banquet, c e fi r e e ’r th u r o y While 2016 fo fast a nior break e Class of e s th r h e it ft w A . s spirit r year e past fou th te a r b le ce . graduation
April 29, 2016
By
its, the rig College vis ose colle th Remember olistic re “h n sessions o guided tou h it w e d lu c con ie r college fr to visit you session ca nal informatio ur locker Convet yo of blue and Hundreds world may them? The c storing sna perfect for stop by Ca no need to lock, and turn of the your past s will thank snack food perishable n colate. If o chips, cho f your c Step out o be skyd Whether it stargaze all night to do but n wanted to oking, ph pilates, co it museum about. Vis or appl a mountain be yo May pursuing. llege is a dislike). Co
h you Don’t touc w tha We all kno one” w we’re “so d all of th remember t, give y and for tha nd clu readings, a ch, an hit the cou
: top to bottom Right side, ,a en iv cr S e si son Hurr, Jo :S p to bottom Pictured, to n, M an tm el W inson, Blake e Lukin, Josi and Matthew r Anat Sch he ac biology te e ft to right: S Pictured, le tia ms, Sebas Vivien Ada
April 29, 2016
Features
Hurr n o s i d a M ter Senior Wri
on e informati h T ? r a e y junior s that ght way: id during culty ratio d fa u o to y t s n it ds e ege vis and stud ear weeken , y s r e r io o n c e s s T e e som g an eview,” SA is time. Tak – somethin th fe t li o e .n g .. e h ll a o real c urs? Ye a taste of t e g d n a s end e. an’t provid ver use students e ’t : n y r o t d n y a h nt, p into a e halls. W d convenie th n e a n s li u s io r c e a k e so sp There’s d green loc r all, they’r ing Chemistry class. e ft A . w o ick n r never k eed is a qu hungry du n t e u g o y u o ll y A . n s. You nymore cks for whe nt of snack e for lunch a a tm ll r ti o r s o s T a onalifornia be a wide uggested n l S il . w u o u y o e y v , potato available to s: your friends will lo , trail mix s r a u b n o in B . te r al, pro self late anola, cere ... r g : e d lu c ds in erated were refrig s r list: e k c lo ly n ur bucket o y ff o s m ut k more ite camping o c r e o h l c a v d ti n s a one ays music fe comfort z t you’ve alw e, a ttending a a th , g s g in in iv d those th , danc diving, cliff ass guitar time to try b t a in e r s g s ate a la c e, now is be passion . Take a ’d to u e o y m ti k e in b th else you th ngers, clim a never had g tr in s h th y it n w a k of y, or ations hotograph up convers ouldn’t normally thin d e ik tr s d n a you w like (an ms, go out ip in a field ourself and what you h s n r te in tart? ly for an o about y et a head s g tw t o r o n g y h in w th a self, so ou’ll learn know your to g in tt e g rve it: all about , you dese x la e r t s , u J zy, we skip (at least). la e y a ’r e d e W n . o a k for stigm . Just ur backpac ond-semester senior ly justified te le p m , o c c se and rewrote nioritis is e s te at familiar o f r o w it u b o y A little tbook ay drafts d tests, tex with it all. e college ess iz e d r th a d d n n a to, ts e sta b some gela a r he late nigh on the back. All thos G . w o n at a break . yourself a p ou deserve y ly e about it all r u ty s il u … g s l g e n fe ti ON’T ub mee tflix. And D e N n o n r nd tu
yton, MadiHurr, Lily Pa on is ad M n, isto abelle Hum Robtesy of Ann edi, Jennie : Photo cour urr nnie Moshy en A iv n, cr to S H is in on st um yon, Agu and Madis nnabelle H lson, Lily Pa orng, AP gie Nardi, A ge H ag ie Fo M h an rs oa ph io N Sen ema, ndaria, Ste , Mehar Che ui Jenna Kha Matt Lipson , Zoe Glick, and David S m Waller, go ov ar in V at e R at K ny , ia ho ill en nt W iv A , cr z, ay S e -Madri ndra Conw ndrea Mejia rant, Alexa G b co chwartz, A Ja , on Hurr) wn Thiran os by Madis eniors Disha xler (all phot re D in ol C , an Freije
Quit com high schoo plaining a have l a lim , and let i bout hom t sink ited n ewor Take k an u d throu a deep br mber of in that yo days u onl eath gh th le y a reme mber e halls an nd soak it ft at CHS : d how a a ll tha ll in. arou m Bulld uch you’ t you’ve b nd campu Walk ve gr o own een throu s and spen g. Go bac wh gh an d k d or th lunches o to that be ile being a CH e bas n wit nch y S ke h that o game tball cou your old u used to rt wh boyfr one.. .last. winning shot. ere you s iend, ..tim e. cor Take it all ed in,
11
12
Features
April 29, 2016
Who was CHS’s Namesake, Winston Churchill? Nine Nuggets of Truth about British Prime Minister By Emily Wang Features Editor Balbina Yang Arts Editor
Sir Winston Leonard SpencerChurchill is the namesake of CHS, yet many students were unaware of the holiday Winston Churchill Day April 9. Churchill became the first of eight people to be bestowed the title of honorary citizen of the United States on April 9, 1963. Yet, do CHS students really know much about this man, other than the fact that our school is named after him? According to junior Enoch Li, he had no idea that Winston Churchill Day existed, and only knows that Churchill was the British Prime Minister during World War II. Here is the key list of things you probably did not know, but should know about Winston Churchill. 1. Fact or Lisp? Churchill was known to have a lateral lisp, in which air escapes over the sides of the tongue and can lead to “wet” or “slushy” sounding speech due to the sound of saliva. After years of practice and special dentures, he could firmly state that his speech impediment was not a hindrance. According to the Churchill Centre and Museum, the majority of records show his impediment was a lateral lisp, while Churchill’s stutter is a myth. 2. Totally Lit in Literature Churchill won a Nobel Prize in 1953 for Literature, not for one specific piece but “for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values,” according to the Nobel Organization. 3. Beaches and Beer After giving his popular 1940 “We shall fight on the beaches” speech to the
IMAGE BY EMILY WANG.
House of Commons in 1940, Churchill reportedly remarked to a colleague, “And we’ll fight them with the butt ends of broken beer bottles because that’s bloody well all we’ve got!” 4. Ermahgerd “OMG” was first used 100 years ago
in a 1917 letter from Lord John Fisher, the retired head of the British Navy in World War I, to Churchill. Fisher helpfully defined OMG as “Oh! My God”, but he neglected to explain the meaning of the phrase following it, “Shower it on the Admiralty”.
5. “I Will Survive!” When Churchill was held POW in South Africa during the Boer War as a newspaper correspondent, he escaped and made a 300-mile journey from Pretoria, South Africa to Mozambique by jumping freight trains at night and hiding during the day. 6. “I’m Yelling Timberrrr!” During the 1911 Siege of Sidney Street, Churchill once ordered the fire brigade to allow the house in which two robbers were trapped to burn down, killing the two men inside. He thought it would be better to “let the house burn down rather than spend good British lives in rescuing those ferocious rascals.” 7. Au Naturel On visit to the White House in 1941, Churchill allegedly told President Franklin Roosevelt, “the Prime Minister of Great Britain has nothing to hide from the President of the United States,” after Roosevelt went to Churchill’s room and caught him naked. 8. 21st Lancers At age 23, Churchill rode with the light cavalry regiment, the 21st Lancers, who made the last important cavalry charge in British history at the Battle of Omdurman in Sudan in 1898. The regiment suffered heavy casualties, and Churchill only managed to survive due to the fact he was armed with a pistol rather than a sword because of an old shoulder injury. 9. A Brainy Quote-r Churchill is famous for his wit: “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
Bringing Birds to Class Helps Sophomore Spread Wings By Isabel Dibble Senior Writer During a normal day at CHS, many students encounter their fellow classmates or teachers when walking around. However, recently, some students may have heard chirps in the hallway. Sophomore Ariana Carbonell brought her parakeet, Soleil, to school the day before spring break, raising eyebrows at its unusual appearance. Carbonell is a animal lover who has another baby parakeet named Inigo, and two cats. Soleil and Inigo help Carbonell manage her anxiety disorder, hence the reason she brought Soleil to school. “I have a pretty severe anxiety disorder, and having one or both of my birds with me really helps keep my stress levels from getting overwhelming,” Carbonell said. Carbonell is now in the process of getting her birds registered as Emotional Support Pets, a type of service animal. According to the National Service Animal Registry (NSAR) website, an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is a pet that is a part of the treatment program for its owner and is designed to bring comfort and minimize negative symptoms of the owner’s emotional disability.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARIANA CARBONELL.
Carbonell hopes to get her birds registered as Emotional Support Animals in order to bring them to school on a more regular basis. For Carbonell, getting her birds registered validates her reasoning for bringing them with her to school and other public places.
Due to the amount of time together, Carbonell and her two baby parakeet birds have a close relationship. “As strange as it may sound, my
birds are pretty much my best friends,” Carbonell said. “I take them with me wherever I go, if the temperature is nice enough. I get stopped a lot by people on the street when I take them out for ‘walks.’ They’re really social and sweet, and I love seeing how happy they make people.” During school, many students have reacted positively to the presence of Soleil. “My classmates and friends thought it was pretty cool that I brought Soleil to class the day before spring break,” Carbonell said. “For the most part, my teachers really loved him and NSL assistant teacher Howard (Carter) Gilliams has even recommended that I bring it back one day.” Junior Jimmy Stempien loves the birds and thought it was great that Carbonell brought Soleil because they are a lot of fun, especially to play with at lunch. According to Carbonell, both of her birds’ wings are clipped so they cannot fly. However, she understands that the fear of birds that some people have is a legitimate concern. “While Inigo and Soleil are really friendly and gentle, I always bring some sort of cage to keep them in,” Carbonell said. “I’ve already come to the realization that although my birds help me, not everyone may be as comfortable around them.”
April 29, 2016
By Emiliana Cardinale Production Manager
Arts
Student Art Spotlight: Anthony Ratinov
Senior Anthony Ratinov began playing piano at the age of 4, and his grandmother has been his teacher ever since. He started playing because his grandmother noticed he was singing along to the piano and decided to give him lessons. “My biggest inspiration, not only in music, has probably been my grandma,” Ratinov said. “Her persistence at achieving her dreams has inspired me. In Russia, she was discriminated against due to her being Jewish, and Russia was very anti-Semitic when she was growing up, so she was denied the opportunity of being a concert pianist, even though she was extremely talented. So she became a teacher, and never gave up despite the discrimination she faced.” Piano has been a crucial part of Ratinov’s life ever since he was little because it provides him with a way to connect to his family and a way to balance the stress in his life. “I enjoy piano because it helps me find an equilibrium in life,” Ratinov said. “It helps balance all the academic courses I take. I de-stress, and constantly listen to music while I work. Music is an integral part of my family, so it is something that we bond over, and it keeps our relations strong. I also love the wide-application of piano—I can play almost any genre and any song.” Despite the fact that Ratinov is not planning to study music in college, he wishes to continue pursuing it in other ways. “My main musical aspiration is to never forget music and to keep it as a fundamental part of my life,” Ratinov
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTHONY RATINOV.
Senior Anthony Ratinov has been playing piano since age 4. He has performed at the CHS Arts Festival, Strathmore and the Kennedy Center. said. “Despite majoring in engineering in college next year, I plan on actively engaging in musical extracurriculars and ensemble groups. I want to keep playing as long as I can.” One of Ratinov’s greatest accomplishments was winning the arts competition at CHS last year. He was selected for a Reward of Excellence for the National Society of Arts and Letters specifically for the Washington DC young artists competition. “It really served as my introduction into the musical world at school,” Ratinov said. “As a result, I became involved in various orchestras and performing groups this year that I was not a part of last year. I was extremely honored to have been selected as the win-
ner last year, and it was great seeing all the talented musicians and artists from Churchill come together and perform.” The young artists competition is open to all juniors in the area. Teachers nominate students for the competition after an audition process in which teachers interview the student about how art plays a role in his or her life. Art teacher Brendan Roddy was part of the panel that nominated Ratinov for the competition. “When we had him perform during the Arts Festival, I teared up watching him perform,” Roddy said. “It’s moving to watch someone do something they love, and it evokes emotion. I appreciate that being a fellow artist.” Another major accomplishment for
13
Ratinov has been achieving a balance between his passions, particularly science and music. “It was sort of difficult to explain to my grandma that I did not want to be a professional pianist, but we talked it through, and it was a very important step in my musical and scientific life,” Ratinov said. Ratinov has a wide range of pieces he enjoys to perform. “My favorite solo pieces to perform are Liszt transcendental etudes, any piece by Rachmaninoff or Scriabin, and various Chopin pieces such as his ballads, polonaises, or scherzos,” Ratinov said. “I also love performing pieces with a group. I recently performed with Young Artists of America at Strathmore, being mentored by Stephen Schwartz, the composer of Wicked, and playing his piece, ‘Children of Eden.’ It was one of the highlights of my life—we nearly sold out Strathmore, and working with the talented musicians and singers was an incredible opportunity that I feel so lucky to have been a part of.” Ratinov performed at the Kennedy Center April 25. Last year he was selected as the winner of an arts competition and went to the ceremony at the Kennedy Center. According to Ratinov, winners from last year are welcome to perform for this year’s selections, so he was selected to perform at this year’s ceremony. “I am extremely excited for my upcoming performance at the Kennedy Center,” Ratinov said. “I still cannot believe that I was selected from last year’s winners to perform at this year’s ceremony, and I am extremely thankful to music teacher Kris Sanz and Roddy for involving me in this program. I have never performed solo at the Kennedy Center before, so it is definitely exciting and nerve-racking.”
14
Arts
April 29, 2016
‘Zootopia’ Applauded for Tackling Social Issues By Jasmine Baten Senior Writer It’s a zoo over here. Disney’s Zootopia was released March 4, starring Ginnifer Goodwin as bunny cop Judy Hops and Jason Bateman as hustler fox Nick Wilde, alongside guest voice Shakira as pop singer Gazelle and Idris Elba as stern police chief Bogo. The movie revolves around animals who have adopted the lifestyle of everyday humans, including Judy Hops, the first rabbit police officer, who is determined to prove herself a competent cop. Even after only a few weeks in theatres, the movie has earned over $850 million in the box office and received an 8.4/10 rating from IMDb and 98 percent from Rotten Tomatoes. According to Forbes magazine, in terms of storyline and audience engagement, Zootopia is the best Disney film since Beauty and the Beast. High praise indeed. So what’s this movie done to deserve it? Disney’s done more than give audiences dazzling graphics and breathless, wide-eyed, literal bushy-tailed characters. It’s worked numerous social messages into the movie, making it one of the most progressive movies the company has produced yet. “The movie deals with stereotypes, discrimination, prejudice and the like,” senior Enoch Lee said. “It tackles social issues that are very relatable to our lives.” The film’s social messages refer to multiple aspects of prejudice within everyday society ranging from sexism to racism to classism. Though Zootopia doesn’t draw explicit parallels between certain animals and a particular demographic, the general concept is powerful.
IMAGE BY JASMINE BATEN.
“I don’t think it deals with one specific kind of social issue—you can’t draw an equal sign between “Zootopianism” and a single one of our problems,” Lee said. “This movie lets us see how, in general, prejudice and discrimination affect society, and I think it does a good job of it.” In the movie, the prey are the majority, though are usually treated as the weaker animals, and the predators dominate, reflecting the way racism appears in human life, where the dominant Caucasian race makes up less than 30 percent of the world’s population. Females in Zootopia are placed in subordinate roles, with female prey animals in the least rewarding/beneficial situations, mirroring the concept of multiple levels of injustice for those who must battle with being included in more than one discriminated-against group. The main characters represent clear “types”—a hopeful cop and a conman—one who is fighting everything she is told she should be to become everything she wants to be, and one
who has stopped believing in anything he wants to become everything he is told he is. Zootopia reveals the good and bad in multiple characters; subtly suggesting the radical idea that race and gender have very little to do with a person’s personality, abilities and degree of “goodness” or “badness.” The film is another step in the direction that Disney has been taking towards creating material that tackles social issues. Its princesses are becoming more diverse in race and body type, and now movies like Zootopia are only getting bolder about gently criticizing our society. “I’m down 100 percent for Disney making more of these kind of movies,” senior Lindsey Tait said. “Zootopia was a great example of how Disney can take serious issues and mold them into something younger kids can understand, but also makes these films more intriguing to an older crowd who can pick up on these themes more easily.” And this ongoing trend of addressing social issues is important. Even though
we think that we’ve left behind the worst of racism and sexism, prejudice is outrageously clear in everyday workplaces and interactions. Zootopia highlights those interactions in such a way that it becomes glaringly obvious just how prejudiced our society can be. “Honestly, people tend to overlook or purposely ignore important issues such as racism and stereotyping, and movies like these are a great way of making people pay attention to them,” Tait said. Still, not all the whimsical sparkle is gone. Just like every Disney movie, the graphics are stellar and the atmosphere is magical. “I loved the amount of detail that went into the graphics of the movie,” Tait said. “They created over 60 different kind of fur textures for all the different animals in the mo vie.” Beyond that, it’s still appropriate for kids. Despite its deeper themes and messages, Zootopia is primarily a Disney movie, which means that at its core, the movie is a children’s movie. “The messages in this movie are about sensitive topics but are handled in a way that doesn’t make them seem out of place,” Lee said. “I didn’t expect to like this movie more than my younger siblings, but I did. I guess I shouldn’t judge a movie based on its marketing.” That seals the deal. Zootopia is a family movie, with a solid story for younger audiences and a healthy dose of social messages for more mature viewers. “Both kids and adults can enjoy this movie, and both should learn from it. The movie shows how how a little bit of social prejudice and fear can divide and ruin a community of a “utopia” where everyone, big or small, supposedly get along,” Tait said. So take a ride on the wild side and watch Zootopia, CHS.
Slam Poetry Club Allows Students To Express Themselves By Jonathan Greenzaid Senior Writer Fresh, expressive and passionate, slam poetry, a new form of art, is filling the halls of CHS. Junior Lauren Hassan formed the Slam Poetry Club last September as an outlet for students to express themselves in a new way. “It gives you a chance to get really angry and passionate on a subject,” Hassan said. “You get to vocalize your emotions. Most writing stays on the page, but slam poetry takes the words
off the page.” Hassan was a member of the slam poetry club at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy in Kansas. However, when she moved to Potomac she was shocked to learn that there was no such club at CHS. “I was surprised that CHS didn’t have one,” Hassan said. “Every school should have one because it’s a really unique way to express yourself.” The club meets every Thursday at lunch to perform slams, talk about upcoming events and work on writing activities. “It gives students an outlet to express themselves and practice public
speaking,” club adviser Christin NixonBrown said. “It’s a great way to gain an immediate response to your writing.” The club’s ultimate goal is to send poets to local slam competitions next year and to give students a channel to express their emotions. “It allows me to be more free and express my feelings in ways I usually can’t,” junior Sara Miller said. The club meets in Mrs. NixonBrown’s room and is open to everyone at CHS. “There are seven to eight constant members, and the room is usually filled to capacity with additional walk ins,” Nixon-Brown said.
PHOTO BY JONATHAN GREENZAID.
President junior Lauren Hassan delivers a slam poem.
Adult Coloring Books Gain Popularity as a Method of Stress Relief By Laura Sneller Public Relations Editor After a stressful week of tests and homework, students typically unwind by napping or watching Netflix. Now, there is a new relaxation method that increases artistic ability while relieving stress—all you have to do is color. Adult coloring books are spreading through the nation as more people use them to relieve stress and fight anxiety. Coloring books do this by getting people to focus on the coloring and not their problems. “It’s just calming and there isn’t a lot of thought required,” sophomore Palma Price said. “It’s almost meditative for me.” Adult coloring books have complexyet-relaxing patterns and pictures that captivate buyers and help them to destress by giving them a nostalgic feeling.
According to a March 2016 Seattle Times article, an estimated amount of 12 million copies of adult coloring books were sold in 2015. According to a 2014 Huffington Post article, coloring also produces a calming effect because when doing it, the colorer uses their imagination and journeys back to childhood, a time of low stress and low anxiety. Along with purchasing coloring books, the sale of art supplies, such as colored pencils, crayons and markers, have increased. According to the Seattle Times article, the sales of colored pencils have shot up 26.3 percent, a sharp increase from the previous years. The coloring books are not limited to just adults; CHS students can use adult coloring books to relieve anxiety and take a break from their bustling life. “I love drawing and art in general,” junior Maria Escobar said. “Adult color-
ing books are really convenient. You can focus on that one thing and take your mind off of stress. And they are really inexpensive.”
PHOTO BY LAURA SNELLER.
Freshman Emma Gray relaxes with an adult coloring book.
The relaxing effect of adult coloring books can also help students focus on schoolwork by clearing their heads so that they can concentrate on studying. “They really helped me during exams,” Price said. “They helped calm me down so I could study better.” Another benefit of adult coloring books is that there is no certain time that you must do them; you can color whenever you can find the time. Gray usually colors once a week before bed after she finishes all of her homework so that she can relieve the stress that built up during the week. Adult coloring books are the new frontier for relaxation techniques for teenagers and can be found at stores like Barnes & Noble for about $10 or on Amazon for about $8. “You can do whatever you want with them and basically have fun and relax,” Gray said.
April 29, 2016
15
Arts
CHS Alumni Continue in their Arts Exploration By Sarah O’Brien Arts Editor
All students take some form of art class at CHS, yet most do not continue once they graduate. The Observer has contacted a few recent graduates who have continued their passions in art after their life at CHS. Adam Settlage Adam Settlage graduated in 2014 and was a member of the show choir and participated in the plays, musicals and Blast. He is currently enrolled in Emerson College and is planning on majoring in musical theater. “I go to Emerson college because all of the pieces of the puzzle just sort of fell into place at the right time,” Settlage said. “They had the perfect program for me in one of the best college cities in the U.S., and I got a scholarship that sealed the deal.” Settlage credits his ex-choir teacher Carlos Barillo for pushing him to become a dancer. “I was not a confident dancer or person when I came to CHS, but Barillo gave me the opportunities to dance and perform, which pushed me out of my comfort zone and showed me what I loved to do,” Settlage said. “Beyond dancing though, all of the arts teachers really helped me grow into the performer I am today.”
Mackenzie Testa After releasing her single “Pulling on my Heart Strings” during her sophomore year, the 2015 CHS alumna continued to sing and dance after high school. For three months, Testa took classes at The Broadway Dance Center in New York City. She currently lives in Potomac and works with a producer to create her first EP, which according to Testa, will be a mixture of EDM and pop. While in high school, Testa choreographed many dance numbers, including those for Blast. She has also performed with Showstoppers and has remained close to the friends she met then to his day. Testa also credits CHS with helping her develop into the person she is today. “I believe the Arts program at CHS is one of a kind,” Testa said. “My experiences with the Choral Music Department and Blast are irreplaceable, and I think it is an awesome school for students like me with a passion in the arts.” Testa currently has three songs on iTunes “Free My Mind,” “Date Tonight” and “Pulling On My Heartstrings,” which also has a music video on YouTube. Kristina Hann Singer and songwriter Kristina Hann graduated from CHS in 2014 and is enrolled at Belmont University in Tennessee. Hann’s singing style ranges from rock to alternative to pop; her favorite type of music to sing, however,
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTINA HANN.
Alumna Kristina Hann works on her music in a recording studio. Hann is currently studying Music at Belmont University. is country. Hann performed in Blast and during her junior year, she won Churchill’s Got Talent by singing her original song, “Fly With You.” “I did Blast all four years, and most of my favorite memories from high school are from those rehearsals, performing on stage and goofing off backstage,” Hann said. “There were days, especially when opening night was right around the corner, when we’d all be at school until nighttime and we’d all complain about it, but those were some of the most fun times I’ve ever had.”
According to Hann, she always knew that she wanted to perform. “I knew from a pretty young age that I wanted to sing and be on stage,” Hann said. “But before high school, I don’t really think anyone took that seriously. People just thought I was a naïve little kid, and that I’d never actually pursue music, but Blast, Jazz and Churchill’s Got Talent really solidified those dreams for me.” Hann is currently focusing her studies on Music Business with a Production emphasis at Belmont University. .
amount allowed for one school. The project required more collaboration from student artists than usual when creating a piece. “We normally make projects individually, and it was really fun to work with other people on this project,” senior Sharanya Suresh said. Furthermore, having the ability to work closely with several other artists for most of the school year brought many groups closer together than they may have initially anticipated. “The best part was working with my awesome teammates and building the friendship we all have today,” junior Frannie Phillips said. Additionally, while ceramics may seem strictly an art-related field, student artists have come to realize that precise mathematical calculations are essential to the construction of a large ceramic sculpture. “I learned about the mechanics of art, and that art really isn’t all about just throwing together an abstract piece to look cool; it’s about making precise measurements to ensure the structure of your piece will withhold force of
nature,” Phillips said. “There is a whole science behind art that I never knew was there until I started this project.” The project is still ongoing but is expected to end by the end of the school year. According to Art Resource Teacher Brendan Roddy, the artists are putting the “finishing touches” on the scultures this month.
Student Art Projects to be Displayed around the County
By Arielle Gordon Editor-in-Chief
Youth Art for Healing Members of the CHS Art National Honor Society created eight “Under the Sea” themed paintings for the pediatric triage and hospital rooms at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD. The artists will be honored at a ceremony at the convention center in Silver Spring May 3, and their artwork will be displayed May 4. “The best part of the project was seeing the finished products and what everybody was able to create,” senior and group leader Emilie Butchko said. “I learned that it is difficult to be the leader of a group, but that it is rewarding to help people.” The student artists have been working on the paintings for most of the school year. With such a long time dedicated toward the project, each member was able to contribute to and work cohesively with the rest of the team. “My favorite part about making the paintings was seeing the collaboration of work among groups,” senior and Art
Honor Society president Carly Rosenfeld said. “Everybody came up with at least one or two characters or objects that ended up on the painting and it came together very nicely.” Additionally, the long time span of the project enabled the members of each team to take leadership roles to help finish the projects on time. “I was really impressed with a lot of people during this project,” Rosenfeld said. “A lot of kids stepped up and became leaders for their groups, and it helped so much with getting the paintings finished.” Strathmore Hall Metro Sculpture Project As a part of a competition created by MCPS, Metro and Strathmore Hall, students in Advanced Ceramics have been working on creating six large totem pole sculptures that will be permanently displayed outside Strathmore Hall and the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station. Student artists are working in six groups, ranging from individual artists to teams of five, to construct the statues. CHS had six designs selected for fullscale building, which is the maximum
MORE LIKE
GUAC PARTY. From fajita bars to burrito parties, California Tortilla’s catering services provide the perfect way to spice up your upcoming graduation gathering!
Call us at 855-CAL-TORT or visit CalTort.com/catering for more information.
IMAGE BY CARLY ROSENFELD.
Seniors Josie Scriven, Jessica Dibble, Carly Rosenfeld and Sophia Kim paint sea creatures.
Enjoy Prom Dinner Right Here In Potomac! ***
Churchill High School Prom Friday, May 20, 2016 ***
Large Groups Welcome! CAL TORT CABIN JOHN 7727 Tuckerman Lane Potomac, MD 29854 301.765.3600
Contact Kim @ 301.983.8838 popovers.com
April 29, 2016
Arts
‘Change’ is Coming: Music Dept. Holds Concert By Matthew Sun Fact Checker
The CHS Music Department will end the school year with a themed concert. The theme is “Change” and their goal is to make a unique impression on the audience. The Instrumental Music Gala will take place April 29 from 7 to 9 p.m., and will feature two chamber orchestras, a select group of band players and three choirs. The music groups will perform separately but will present the same theme. During the concert, special backgrounds and clothing will be used in order to pull off a greater effect. According to music department head Christopher Sanz, the costumes will be kept secret until the performance to heighten the excitement and suspense. “The concert is going to be a musical representation of how society has changed,” Sanz said. According to Sanz, the CHS music department sets high standards for its students, but he is confident that the concert will exceed even his own expectations. “We always try to give our best during class,” freshman Dylan Fan said. “Our chorus is pumped and feel that we will be prepared.” The Instrumental Music Gala is free, open to all, and is one of the largest collaborative concerts CHS will put on this year. “We’re completely prepared and confident we’ll do well,” Freshman Ian Wang said.
16
PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTHEW SUN.
Sanz prepares the Orchestra for the Music Gala.
Students Turn to Online Videos to Recreate Tasty Food By Jasmine Baten Senior Writer Food for thought indeed. Over the last few months, Buzzfeed’s Tasty videos have been adding some zest to the Internet. spicing up YouTube channels and Facebook walls everywhere. The one-minute video recipes show viewers how to create various dishes for every course of a meal, from Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Pinwheels for dessert and Ratatouille Boats for appetizers to Super Spicy Szechuan Chicken for dinner and Baked Egg Benedict Cups for breakfast. According to Tasty’s YouTube channel and Facebook page description, the videos show “food that’ll make you close your eyes, lean back, and whisper ‘yessss.’” Buzzfeed started its Tasty channel in December 2015, and in four months, the YouTube channel already has almost 250,000 subscribers and the Facebook page has over 50 million likes. There will always be trends and fads on social media, but this one seems to be sticking to the roofs of our mouths. Why? Tasty’s channel and page description claim that it has “snack-sized videos and recipes you’ll want to try,” which is likely a reason for its rise to success. On average, Tasty video dishes require between four and seven ingredients, most of which are commonplace kitchen ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, chicken and onions. That ease, combined with the relatively simple steps needed has made the dishes appealing to even those who don’t normally cook or don’t have the time. “When I first saw the videos on Facebook, I was so intrigued by how easy they looked to make, and once I tried making, it I realized that it is super easy,” senior Ethan Kaufman said. “So I liked the page and always watch the new Tasty videos when they are posted. I love to cook too, so these videos give me more inspiration and fun ways to spice up a dish.”
PHOTO COURTSEY OF JASMINE BATEN.
Tasty offers a variety of short videos showing how to make different recipes, both savory and sweet. Oftentimes, the hardest part of cooking is coming up with an idea of what to make. Figuring out the recipe is an entirely different venture. Tasty’s simplistic guides provide a solution to both issues. Many intricate-sounding dishes like the Black & White Mille Crepe are clearly detailed in just a few steps. But sometimes they’re not. “I made red velvet cupcakes once,” junior Elizabeth Mihai said. “When I was making them, I guess they skipped a step in the video, because the batter had a watery part in the middle where it shouldn’t have. I was upset—I love baking.” Sometimes, it’s easier said than baked. But it’s not uncommon for people to avoid actually making the recipes because people think they may be too difficult. “I bake Tasty recipes anyway because it looks easy to do,” Mihai said.
“And they’re fast.” Part of the appeal of Tasty videos could also lie in the “eye-candy” aspect. The videos are fun to watch, as they tend to involved different colors and movements and result in dazzlingly delicious dishes. But it’s also clear that social media platforms have had a huge effect on Tasty’s budding fame. Cooking and baking Tasty recipes make for great Snapchat stories, whether it’s hilarious that the creator has messed up completely or wonderful that the dish looks exactly like that of the video. Not to mention the number of guaranteed likes on Insta for a naturally-lit picture of some DIY Frozen Yogurt Lemon Bars. Even beyond that,Tasty videos were made for social media platforms like Pinterest and Twitter. Buzzfeed has been strategic in its decision to post videos on social media outlets rather than
directly on its parent website in order to maximize its viewing audience. According to a January Fortune article, Tasty videos take advantage of Facebook’s autoplay feature, which starts playing videos without the sound on. This means that one could see a full minute guide to creating Chicken Chow Mein Nests in public without having to make the effort to turn any sound on or even click on the videos. Aside from their appetizing effects, the videos seem to be inspiring a renewed interest in cooking. They’ve made seemingly complicated dishes seem accessible to people at home with only a few ingredients and utensils. So whether people are drawn to the videos because of the recipes’ easyenough steps, Insta-worthy results, or because of a constant state of hunger, the fact remains that Tasty is becoming more popular than sliced bread.
April 29, 2016
17
Sports
Pro Sports’ Gender Disparity Evident at CHS
By Dani Miller Production Editor
Recently, five members of the U.S women’s national soccer team, Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn, sued the U.S Soccer Federation for wage discrimination. This lawsuit has made headlines for further exposing the disparity between how female and male athletes are treated. Unfortunately, wage discrimination is only the tipping point of the struggle for female athletes. Sexism in sports manifests itself through disregard to safety, negative stereotypes and less popularity. However, these issue of mistreatment for female athletes isn’t just occurring on a national level, but also right here at CHS. Mistreatment and inequality in women’s sports was first addressed on a federal level in 1972, through a law called Title IX, stating that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Despite the opportunities that this law has granted for women, negative stereotypes surrounding female athletes are so prevalent throughout society that they affect every aspect of a woman’s sporting experience. According to March 2016 Time Magazine, regardless of holding a better record than the U.S Men’s Soccer team and bringing in more revenue, the women on the U.S. Soccer team make a mere 40 percent of what their male counterparts make. Many factors have to be taken into account when one looks at the wage disparity between male and female athletes. In addition to pay per game, individual athletes make money through sponsorships and television appearances. According to the Time Magazine article, the highest paid female soccer player in the U.S, Alex Morgan, who has endorsements from major companies such as ChapStick and McDonald’s, still makes less money than the average male player makes exclusively from playing games. “There is no logical justification for
PHOTO COURTESY BUCK PHILLIPS.
Before a game, the varsity girls soccer team huddles around their coach, Haroot Hakopian. Despite finishing third in the state, fewer CHS fans attend their games compared to the boys soccer games. this,” girls varsity soccer coach Haroot Hakopian said. “When even famous male soccer players are coming out and saying his is wrong,’ the problem has to be addressed.”Last year, the U.S women’s national soccer team also spoke out against the safety risks that accompany having to play on turf fields. According to a December 2015 New York Times article, turf fields can cause players to trip, burn themselves when they slide and dive, or cause an even more serious injury. Despite the serious safety issues accustomed to turf fields, the women’s team still played eight out of their ten games on a turf field during last summers Women’s World Cup while the men’s team were rarely required to play on turf. Female athletes also constantly have the pressure of disproving negative stereotypes that are prevalent in our society, one major one being that
women are less skilled and overall inferior to men when it comes to all sports. A popular catchphrase imbedded in society is the phrase, “like a girl.” When someone is trying to insult someone else’s skills, they will often put whatever they play in front of the phrase “like a girl” to imply that that person is not good at whatever they are trying to do. The implication of this catchphrase is that girls are generally not as skilled athletically, which further reinforces the stereotype that girls are weak and less valuable in sports. However, one only has to look as far as our girls varsity soccer team to realize that this stereotype has no merit. “Whenever I hear people use that phrase, I challenge them to go to one of my practices,” Hakopian said. “Usually, they can’t do it.” Wage equity may be a unique problem for the professionals, but for female athletes at CHS, the repercussions of this stereotype are manifested through
the lack of people who show up to games. According to the athletes and coaches at CHS, people prefer to go to boys sporting events more, regardless of who has a better record. “I don’t get to go to very many boys games, but when I do, they are always more crowded than the girls games,” girls varsity basketball player Cat Correa said. Although the bleachers at the girls soccer semifinals game were crowded, they were not completely full. According to Hakopian, if the boys varsity soccer team made it to the state semi-finals like the girls varsity soccer team did, it’s guaranteed that the bleachers would have been completely packed. “The girls dread having games on nights when there’s a football game,” Hakopian said. “Because no matter how good we play, people will always go to the football game instead.”
Students Doubt Success of New Arena Football Team
By Ethan C. Miller Staff Writer
Last month, Monumental Sports and Entertainment announced its acquisition of an Arena Football League team that will begin to play during the 2017 season. Arena football is similar to regular tackle football, with the biggest exceptions being that it’s played on a smaller field and played indoors. The AFL’s ninth team is set to play its games in the Verizon Center, which is also home to the Capitals, Wizards and Mystics. The team will be owned by Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis. According to a March 10 ArenaFootball.com article, AFL commissoner Scott Butera believes that the new Washington team is the AFL’s first step in rejuvenating the AFL brand presence in American sports. The new team is a high risk for the AFL due to the history of arena football teams in D.C.. The Washington Commandos played in D.C. starting in 1987 but folded in 1990. The D.C. Armor played in 2009 but folded after only one year because of poor attendance at their 10,000-seat venue, the D.C. Armory. In spite of this, Butera and local fans are still confident that the market will be good for the team. According to Butera in a March 10 Washington Post article, the market in Washington fits the AFL’s strategic plan. He believes that Washington is a great football town and it should be very
supportive based on the support the Redskins receive year after year. However, in a survey of 23 CHS students, just over 52 percent of the students said they would be interested in the new team. One of the students interested in the team includes sophomore Aidan Liquorie. According to Liquorie, he has “watched [AFL games] on Friday nights when there is nothing else on.” He plans to attend games at Verizon Center if the quality and skill of the Washington team is good. Although interested in the team, Liquorie does not believe that the fan base could become as strong as other D.C. teams. The usual sell-out crowds commonly seen during Capitals and Redskins games may not be as common for the AFL games. “The stadium would be half-empty,” Liquorie predicts. With the history of the past D.C. arena football teams having poor attendance, this would not be surprising. However, there are still reasons to give the AFL a shot. During the last NFL season, rule changes were implemented to make the sport safer. However, these new rules and sometimes-questionable officiating often aggravated many fans. “With all the crazy and bland rule NFL rule changes, the AFL will be more interesting,” sophomore Bradford Wood said.
PHOTO COURTESY CREATIVE COMMONS.
Washington is the newest home to an AFL franchise, which would play in a stadium similar the one above. The team is set to debut in the 2017 season.
April 29, 2016
Sports
18
CHS Athletes Named to Post’s All Met Team
Junior Zack Einhorn received an honorable mention for the boys swim and dive team. By Ben Dross Sports Editor Twelve CHS athletes were named to The Washington Post All Met winter teams for their respective sports. The All Met teams represent the top talent from both public and private schools in the D.C. Metropolitan Area. CHS had three boys make the All Met swim and dive team, four girls make the All Met swim and dive team, one girl on the Moco
4A South all division team and four boys selected to the All Met ice hockey team. The CHS boys swim team came in second in the state championships. Junior Zack Einhorn, received an honorable mention for the boys swim and dive team. He led the boys relay to a second place finish in states, and won the 200 yard freestyle as well. “It’s an honor to be among the fastest swimmers in the area, and I’m proud to represent CHS,” Einhorn said.
Divers juniors Parker Johnston and Moury Gold also received honorable mentions,. Gould won the Metro Meet, a meet for all of the divers in the DC Metro area, and Johnston came in third. The girls team received accolades as well, with two swimmers, junior Emily Wang and senior Hannah Lindsey being recognized. Wang received an honorable mention, while Lindsey was named to the first team. Lindsey is a two-time Metro and three-time state
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEB LINDSEY.
champion in the 100m backstroke. The Wisconsin commit’s time of 55.08 is the fastest of all swimmers eligible for the All Met team. “I’m honored to be named first team All Met, and proud to represent the Bulldogs for the last official time as a Churchill swim and dive swimmer,” Lindsey said. Divers seniors Elaina Faerber and Bridie Dunn also were named as honorable mentions. Dunn finished third in the Metro meet while Faerber
finished fourth. CHS’s basketball team had an impressive 18-5 record, and a big part of the success was junior point guard Coco Kuchins. Kuchins was recognized as the point guard for the All-4A/3A South team. Her 12.8 points per game helped bring the team to the next level. “I think this year was a major breakout season for me, with being able to step up and be a key player out on the court,” Kuchins said. The ice hockey team’s spectacular season puts it in the conversation for one of the greatest teams in Maryland hockey history. The Bulldogs finished 211-1, outscoring opponents an astounding 168-20 and winning the state championship 11-0. The Bulldogs became one of two teams to represent MD in the USA Hockey National Tournament, and became the first Maryland school to place, finishing third in the nation among public schools. The team was well represented, with senior goalie Markus Hurd and senior forward Trevor Dixon receiving honorable mentions, junior forward Andrew Kurapov being named to the first team, and senior forward Phil Satin being named player of the year. Kurapov led the team with 43 goals, including seven in the state championship. Satin broke the career points record for the Maryland Student Hockey league with 211, with 40 goals and 66 goals coming this season.
April 29, 2016
Sports
19
Underclassmen Bring New Life to Baseball Field By Ethan S. Miller Fact Checker On varsity baseball, an influx of new, young players is not only propelling the team to a better future but is creating a new dynamic in the clubhouse. A third of the Bulldogs starting nine is made up of underclassmen, including starting left fielder, freshman Michael Janis, starting first baseman, freshman Ben Nardi and starting third baseman, sophomore Jordan Freeman. This is an unprecedented number for a varsity team and bodes well for the years to come. “CHS baseball is positioned for a great future, and I feel very confident in saying that,” Freeman said. “Even though we are off to a slow start, we are improving every game and starting to move to an easier part of our schedule.” The youth movement will also have a major role in the present; the underclassmen are an integral ingredient in baseball’s recipe for success. “Some of the underclassmen have become our most productive players,” senior captain Jacob Storch said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDAN FREEMAN.
Sophomore Jordan Freemen starts at third base for the Bulldogs. Freeman is one of three underclassmen starters on varsity baseball. “As a captain I couldn’t ask for anything more out of them.” According to the Maxpreps website, which collects stats for high school sports games, in CHS’s 8-6 loss to Walter Johnson, the trio of Nardi, Janis
and Freeman combined for half of the team’s RBIs and helped to make the game a close contest. While some may be surprised to see such an immediate contribution from underclassmen, the transition to varsity
has been eased by the previous leadership experience of its underclassmen including Janis, who was a JV football captain and Freeman, who was a JV basketball captain. “I tell the freshman on the team, ‘You know how to play,’” Freeman said. “They need to know they were put on the team for a reason and they have already earned their spot and they have nothing to worry about.” With such a willingness by underclassmen like Freeman to take on a leadership role in the clubhouse, the team is not just ready to make a push for the playoffs this year, but also in the years going forward. “Even though there is some pressure on us and everyone else, our future is definitely bright and we are constantly improving,” Janis said. With a great future in sight, the team does not look at this year as a bridge to the future, but rather an opportunity to win it all. “Failure is not an option for us; we work hard every day to make that a reality,” Storch said. “I believe in every single one of us, and I’m looking forward to proving ourselves in the future.”
With No Seniors, Softball Captains Step Up to Lead the Team By Kyle Emery Sports Editor Jake Certner Senior Writer
On any varsity team, it is almost a given that the heart and soul of the team revolves around senior leadership, four-year players who know the ropes and are looking to make an impact on their final season, but what happens to a team void of this presence? The varsity softball team does not have a single senior this season. While the team is filled with strong talent, they are devoid of the classic senior leader. “Having no seniors negatively affects the program due to the fact that we lack experience as a whole,” sophomore captain Brittany Lew said. “However, we have a lot of hard workers and each player is always looking for ways to improve.” Along with junior Eva Conley, captains now include junior Kailyn Groisser and sophomore Erin Huang. Despite the untraditional feel, non-senior captains not only provide a unique opportunity for the players this year, but will build leadership skills for the girls’ future
seasons that unlike seniors, these ladies will have a chance to still be a part of. “I think regardless of age, this year’s captains have done quite well despite the missing seniors, and that’s most important,” Conley said. Regardless of the fact that they are not seniors, the returning players from the previous varsity softball season can still use their experience to help new teammates build a successful team along with implementing new strategies. “We all encourage each other to sustain our strategy to get better during practice, at games and at-bat every time we step on the field,” Lew said According to Huang, despite having no seniors, the team plans on practicing hard at each practice as well as leaving everything on the diamond at each game. The team is currently trying to find the best position for each of their players throughout this season. The team is off to a 2-8 start, but they have been thrown right into mix facing established opponents such as Blair (whom the team lost to in the playoffs last year), and the defending state champion, Sherwood. As the girls get more experience and deeper into their season
it will be far easier to evaluate the team. “This year will most likely be a rebuilding year due to the fact that our team is young, so our expectations aren’t as high going into this season,” Huang said. Conversely, head coach Sharon Morris strongly believes that her young team will not only benefit the program in the future, but be just as effective as any other team in the league this year. Despite not having the seniors, she feels confident that both sophomores and ju-
niors alike can excel in leadership roles. “The juniors on the team who are our captains have done a fantastic job of stepping into a leadership position and have done a tremendous job leading the team so far,” Morris said. With or without the presence of current seniors there is no doubt that the Bulldogs will be putting everything they have into this season, and will be able to build off their accomplishments and learn from their failures for years to come.
Varsity Softball features two sophomore captains and two junior captains in place of seniors. The team is off to a 2-8 start. PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL WU.
Allied Softball: CHS’s Newest Spring Sport Welcomes Members By Sophie Liss Socia Media Editor CHS has introduced a new sport for the current spring season—allied softball. The team was created for students who are interested in playing co-ed softball with their friends and for students in special education programs at CHS. Students who participate in allied softball receive a varsity letter. “I would recommend the team to anyone,” freshman Ariel Derby said. “We just try our best to have fun, and even when we lose, the kids on the team are just happy to play for Churchill.” According to an MCPS document titled “Procedures for Adding a New Interscholastic Sport,” to add a sport to the county, it must fit many guidelines. The criteria includes schools having available facilities and students across the county being able to afford the expenses of the sport. “If a new sport is considered being added, cost and available space are major factors,” athletic director Scott
Rivinius said. “Schools are encouraged to field as many county offered sports as possible.” Modern World History and AP World History teacher Christopher Forney is the head coach. “I thought it would be fun to get back into coaching as I coached softball and basketball for close to 10 years when I was a middle school teacher,” Forney said. “I always enjoyed working with
students outside the classroom too.” Unlike other athletes at CHS who practice and have games every day after school and on weekends, allied softball only has one practice and one game per week. “I was looking for something that didn’t require a five- or six-day time commitment,” Forney said. To encourage students to play allied softball, there was an announcement on
PHOTO COURTESY OF ADEN AHMAD.
The Allied softball team is announced at the pep rally April 15.
the Daily Dose prior to the beginning of the season as well as other methods of advertisements. “The challenge of getting a team together involved asking some of the players who played bocce and handball, making posters and making an appeal to my own students too,” Forney said. Any student at CHS can be on the Allied Softball team, regardless of skill level or experience with the sport. Games started at the end of March, and while the team has lost its first four games, the players and coach are looking forward to the games ahead. The team’s next game is a home game against Rockville High School April 29 at 3:30 p.m.. “It doesn’t matter whether we win or lose, as long as we play together,” freshman Frederieke Schmidt said. While it is only in its first year at CHS, players are already looking forward to next year on allied softball. “I hope to do it next year and encourage others to join as well,” Derby said. “I hope that this new sport will continue to grow next year.”
Montgomery County Public Schools Winston Churchill High School 11300 Gainsborough Rd. Potomac, MD 20854
thechurchillobserver.com
April 29, 2016
Volume 40 - Issue 7
By Ben Dross Sports Editor For some, running is a chore. It’s just something you do to get into shape. For Mitchell Welter, it’s the opposite. From cross
country in the fall to track in the winter and spring, Welter runs year round. Welter ran cross country and indoor track this year, and now is running outdoor track. Welter’s key to a great race is keeping himself calm.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MITCHELL WELTER.
Welter sprints towards the finish line in indoor track.
“Honestly my pre-race rituals are pretty standard, warming up 45 minutes to an hour before I race, doing drills and stretching,” Welter said. “I think the biggest thing that I do different from everyone is that I just try to have fun with it. So many people take the sport too seriously and put too much pressure on themselves to do well. I like to try to have fun and enjoy competing, which makes it a lot less stressful.” Welter garnered praise from his head coach, Paul Jacobson. Jacobson relies on Welter as one of his top runners, and is impressed with his dedication to the sport. “Mitch is the best distance runner,” Jacobson said. “He loves the sport. He knows more about the best runners than I do. He even went to New York to watch the indoor championships.” Along with his fifth place finish at counties, Welter came in second in the East Coast Regional 5K in North Carolina this November. He has cut almost four minutes off his 5K time since freshman year, going from a 19:54 to a 15:59. “Cross country is definitely more of a team sport than track,” Welter said. “You depend on the other runner on your team doing well in order to win an invitational or dual meet.” Welter’s season continues into the winter, where he runs indoor track. He put up several impressive performances this season including running a 9:57 3200m at the state cham-
A National Blue Ribbon School pionships, good for 6th place. He finished in the top five in five other 3200m races over the season. Welter finishes off his year with outdoor track. He also is a big part of the 4x800m relay. In the relay’s last race, he ran a 2:02 800m, his personal best. “The biggest goal we have for this outdoor season is winning the state meet in the 4x800,” Welter said. “Our relay is almost all seniors and we’ve come such a long way since freshman year. “It’d be really cool to get first. Also that second place finish during indoor really had our guys hungry for gold.” The team has bigger goals in mind for the relays as well, looking to be remembered at CHS for years to come. “Qualifying for Penn relays in the 4x800 in late April is another huge goal our team has,” Welter said. “There’s also a small chance we can get faster enough to try and set the school record, but that would most likely happen towards the end of the season.” Welters is part of a group known as “The Wolfpack,” which includes seniors Welter, Thomas Winkert, Michael Hughes, Jason Shefferman, Josh Freilich and Jacob Grant, as well as junior Matthew Goldsmith. The seniors have been running together since they were freshman. With members performing at high levels throughout their running careers, and improving in wide margins, it has definitely served as a great incubator for
Welters talent. “He has a great team around him in the Wolfpack,” Jacobson said. “He has guys that run with him day in and day out. That’s what makes him great.” Welter, also a captain of outdoor track team, is beginning to inspire the next generation of runners. “He’s definitely passing along his wisdom,” Jacobson said. “The next group his ready to take over.” Welter’s CHS career ends after the spring season, but he will still continue running. “I think he could be a collegiate runner,” Jacobson said. “I hope he tries to run at Maryland. I think he could be a Walk-On in college.”
standards as the academic programs and having the best coaches for every sport. “My goal as an Athletic Director is to make sure that my student athletes are getting coached by outstanding coaches and developing incredible values, and then of course, I want to see them competing for state titles,” Smith said. Smith is inheriting an athletics program that is successful in part due to the hard work of people like Rivinius, and he is eager to keep that success going. “I’m so excited to get to CHS in order to start meeting all of my coaches and student athletes,” Smith said. “I want to get to know them all and get to work on making CHS athletics the envy of the state.”
8:05.20-
CHS Hires New Athletic Director Nathan Deychman Online Editor-in-Chief After three years as CHS’ Athletic Director, Scott Rivinius is stepping down to allow more time for his family. “My wife and I are having our third child this May, so I will need to be home more in the evenings,” Rivinius said. Rivinius enjoys being able to see teams perform at their best and has dedicated a lot of time to ensuring that CHS athletes were given many opportunities to succeed. “Mr. Rivinius is by far has been the best AD I’ve worked with,” boys lacrosse head coach Jeff Fritz said. “He is always available and does every possible thing in his power to help coaches get what they need to
make sure our athletes have the best possible experience and results on the field.” Starting this summer, Jesse Smith, the current Assistant Athletic Director at Northwest, will take over as CHS’ Athletic Director. Smith is looking forward to the new opportunity and has high hopes for the development of those on CHS sports teams as both people and athletes. “I’ve been an Assistant Athletic Director for some time but I always knew I would only leave that job for the right Athletic Director position,” Smith said. “I wanted a school that had great academics, athletics, and a strong staff with outstanding administrative support. When I saw the CHS position open up, I knew that
it was the job I would want as it fit all of those criteria and potentially more.” Smith has spent the last three years as Northwest’s Assistant Athletic Director and previously served as Seneca Valley’s Assistant Athletic Director for six years. Smith also has coaching experience, spending 15 years as a football coach, including time as the Assistant Head Coach at Seneca Valley. Smith was also an indoor track and field coach for two years. “That coaching experience has given me a great understanding of what coaches and athletes go through on a daily basis in order to be the best at their sport,” Smith said. Smith has high hopes for CHS athletics, including holding athletics to the same high
TEAM RECORDS* Girls: 3-1 Boys: 2-2
1-8
Coed: 5-2-1 Boys: 3-5
1-6
Girls: 5-2 Boys: 9-0
DAWG DATA 0- Number of losses for boys varsity lacrosse this season
6-
the number of games boys varsity lacrosse has won by 12 goals or more
21- Margin of
victory for girls varsity lacrosse against WJ the time the varsity 4x8 team ran at the Viking Invitational.
4:27-
Jacob Grant’s mile time, fastest in the school
12-
Number of CHS athletes named to the Washington Post All Met team
*AS OF 4/27
Boys: 5-1-1