The Churchill Observer- February 2017

Montgomery County Public Schools Winston Churchill High School 11300 Gainsborough Rd. Potomac, MD 20854

thechurchillobserver.

February 21, 2017

Volume 41 - Issue 5

A National Blue Ribbon School

n o i t a g i t s e v n I t p m o r P s t c A e v i t c Destru

By Rebecca Jackson Online Features Editor Julia Lescht Social Media Editor

Police are currently investigating various incidents of vandalism that have been reported over the past month at CHS and Walter Johnson High Schools.

The initial vandalism incident at CHS was reported on Friday, January 27th when school employees arrived that morning to see profanity spray painted across the stadium, concession area and the sports field dugouts. A large amount of the graffiti contained anti-CHS and pro-WJ rhetoric, depictions of male genitalia, and other profane statements.

“A prank is one thing,” Principal Joan Benz said. “This was no prank. This was criminal behavior.”

According to a Feb. 7 Montgomery County Police Department press release, another incident was reported on WJ property, Monday, Jan. 30, followed by yet another

incident on the CHS campus on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

According to Benz, both schools’ administrations are actively investigating the vandalism, and if they find the student responsible then “there will be a police arrest and both principals will recommend expulsion.”

The Montgomery County Police Department is offering a tremendous reward of $10,000 to anyone who brings forth credible information.

Whoever committed the vandalism will potentially face criminal charges for the damage done. They will also be held responsible for the cost of graffiti removal and a new scoreboard for CHS. According to a Jan. 31 NBC Washington article, the graffiti resulted in almost 100,000 dollars worth of total damages at both schools.

So far, officials have been unsuccessful in finding those at fault, as neither school has security cameras outside or near the targeted areas.

According to Benz, the culprits did not park

their vehicles near CHS so the security cameras on Gainsborough Road were unable to identify any license plate numbers.

Although no evidence has been brought forward, CHS and WJ are continuously working to uncover more. “[Principal] Baker was extremely angry. It’s super embarrassing for her, as the students of WJ represent everything in the school, including administration,” WJ senior Bella Vasconcelos said.

“She [made] an announcement at dismissal letting the students know that WJ and CHS are working hard to find out who did it and that they will eventually find out who was involved.”

The CHS athletic department and sports teams worked with administration after the incident to enforce a zero tolerance policy—meaning that neither school will condone any inappropriate behavior regarding school spirit such as violent chants or gestures. Leading up to the varsity home basketball games against WJ, multiple announcements were made outlining acceptable ways

to express school spirit and warning that there would be consequences if these were not followed.

“At the basketball game against WJ, administration brought in extra security,” junior Sofia Camp said. She added that the crowd was kept calm by the extra adults in attendance.

According the MCPD press release, “Detectives believe that the vandalism are related to a sports rivalry between a group of students from both schools.”

Nonetheless, there is no definitive evidence that the crimes were committed as the result of a rivalry between either teams or individual athletes from the schools.

Officials are exploring all possibilities.

“I do not believe that this was an athlete versus athlete incident,” Benz said.

MCPD investigators are still seeking information and ask that anyone who has information contact the 1st District Investigative Section or report anonymously by calling Crime Solvers of Montgomery County.

New Programs Implemented to Close Achievement Gap

By Jake Herman Online Opinions Editor Maya Rosenberg Opinions Editor As a way of providing a space for student input and discussion about important issues in the school, CHS has implemented a student focus group program and the Minority Scholars Program (MSP).

MSP is an MCPS-based program that focuses on closing the achievement gap among minorities and is led in a focus group type setting.

“Although the program has the name ‘Minority’ in it, it is open for any MCPS student to join,” guidance counselor and MSP sponsor Makeyda Soriano said.

According to Soriano, MSP has been active in MCPS for 11 years, and currently exists

New Bulldog Logo

Find out how the new logo was chosen.

Sydney Brown

Junior’s writing featured for Spoon University.

Page 9

PHOTO COURTESY OF SYDNEY BROWN.

Sports

Swimming

Read about student athletes at metros.

Page 19

According to guidance counselor and MSP sponsor Puja Sharma, there will be a retreat at Northwood High School Feb. 23 open to all MCPS students interested in participating in MSPsponsored programs, such as TED talks and student-run workshops. Sharma hopes that CHS students attending the retreat will be able to lead these programs in the future.

According to Soriano, the students who are committed to leading the program now will help ensure its success in the future.

Although the MSP program is new to CHS, partcipants say that it is an important step towards making the school a better place for all students. “[MSP] is so necessary to create a community where all feel welcome,” Mangat said.

DEB

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSE SMITH.

Features

According to Benz, she hopes that by attending the meetings, CHS administration will increase their understanding of issues facing people of different cultures, as well as relate better with the students.

One of the most important goals of MSP is to bring minority students together across the county to share educational and leadership opportunities.

According to Soriano, MSP also aims to provide scholarship opportunities to students, including a college fair for historically black colleges.

In addition to providing students with resources and opportunities to discuss important issues to minority students across MCPS, MSP also seeks to equip students with the tools to lead these programs themselves.

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MSP student leader and junior Hana Mangat said. “Students work to decrease the achievement gap and develop an effective relationship with administration and staff.”

Students, teachers and members of administration attend MSP and focus group meetings. Their attendance and contributions to discussions are a key part of making sure student ideas are reaching all groups of the school. “[MSP] offers a safe space for students to give honest feedback and to create a community where all feel welcome,” Mangat said. “It is essentially a platform for student voices.”

While MSP is focused on decreasing the educational opportunity gap for minorities, the group is open to students of all ethnicities, races, and walks of life.

PHOTO COURTESY LINDSEY.

News

in 16 high schools. However, prior to this year, the program has never been implemented at CHS. CHS administration along with Superintendent Jack Smith have both pushed for the expansion of MSP and cultural proficiency focus groups throughout the county.

“The purpose of MSP is to enhance opportunities and promote communication in an exchange of ideas across the county for students of color,” Principal Joan Benz said. “[Superintendent] Smith is providing budgetary support for MSP in all [MCPS] schools.”

Even though funding is being provided by the Board of Education and MCPS, it’s the students who are meant to be the true leaders when it comes to planning schoolspecific programs.

“MSP is an incredible opportunity for students,”

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News

February 21, 2017

New Bulldog Logo Brings Unity to School Image

By Joe Raab Social Media Editor Athletic Director Jesse Smith released a new bulldog logo for CHS Feb 17.

The new bulldog logo will not only be used for all of the sports at the school, but will also be used by the school as a whole. The goal of having a uniform logo is to bring unity to the school.

“When I arrived, I noticed that there was no unity for the logos,” Smith said.

“Everyone was doing their own thing and there was nothing unique about what was used.”

In previous years, sport teams would design and use their own logo.

The different teams logos often differed from each other.

According to girls varsity head coach Haroot Hakopian, the committee which selected the logo consisted of seven people. The members included Principal Joan Benz, Smith, two parents from the Booster Club and two coaches including himself and former head football coach Albert Song.

By creating a new logo, Smith intends to bring the school closer together and have more uniformity throughout the sports.

“I think it is a good idea because we all come from the same school and the same logo will make us look more put together and more official,” junior Jimmy Rubino said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSE SMITH.

The redesign of the logo was put into place to unite the school even more. It gives the school and everyone in it a common logo to unite under.

“I think a consistent logo across all athletic teams as well as all other bulldog related items is a great idea because it helps unify the school,” Hakopian said .

Along with changing what sports teams use as their logo, the new design will also be used in new merchandise at the school store.

According to Tamara Greenspan, the Booster Club School Store Chairperson, all new merchandise including hats, sweatshirts, shirts and more will

incorporate the new logo.

There have been recent sales at the school store in preparation for the new merchandise to arrive. All items were on sale for ten dollars to make room for the new merchandise. The logo will be incorporated into the school and the school sports more as time goes on.

“The spring sports will be the first to use it,” Smith said. “They’ll be using it with their team gear that the purchase.

As teams get new uniforms over time, they will have the new logos incorporated into those uniforms.”

The new logo will be exclusive to CHS and anyone who is not affiliated with the school will be not allowed to

use it.

“This is a more college-based idea,” Hakopian said. “With a few exceptions, we have the same number of teams that most colleges have. I can’t think of a college that lets each individual sport choose its own logo. That does not make much sense.”

CHS has often lacked school spirit.

It is hoped that this new logo will be the start of a new attitude towards our school.

“It gives the school more unity if we have just one [logo],” Benz said.

Girls Ask Guys Dance Cancelled for 2016-2017 School Year

By Sophie Liss Photo Editor There will be no Sadie Hawkins dance this spring despite much anticipation from students.

The Sadie Hawkins dance is similar to homecoming, but girls ask boys to the dance and people typically dress less formally than they would for homecoming. After the Class of 2018 organized the first Sadie Hawkins dance at CHS in recent memory last year, many students were expecting the dance to become an annual event.

“School dances only happen a few times in one’s whole life so I think it’s a shame that one of ours is getting cancelled,” sophomore Lauren Hando said.

Despite support from SGA members and many students across the school, the dance was never officially on the school calendar. If students want to plan an event, they must do

so at the end of the previous school year so there is enough time to get a date, figure out the cost and plan for the event.

“Sadie Hawkins is set up for Feb. 29 every four years,” Principal Joan Benz said. “It would have to be at the end of Feb. or even pushed to the beginning of March and right now we have Mr. Churchill, the play and Blast, so if people don’t get organized and get a date approved and on the calendar, it just doesn’t happen.”

Classes work to raise money throughout the school year, and fundraising begins as early as freshman year to support senior activities such as prom and senior banquet. Although classes can host auctions and sell class merchandise, one of the most profitable ways to raise funds is by holding a school dance.

“Every class has a lot of opportunities to fundraise for prom and senior banquet,” class of 2018 sponsor Evan Rosenthal said. “But, I think that this would have been a big fundraiser, so we’re trying to develop new ways to make up for that.”

Students believe the Sadie Hawkins dance would have been a great way to elevate school spirit, which has been a priority of the SGA this school year.

Other activities such as spirit week, lunch games and cookouts before football games were implemented in an effort to increase school spirit.

“Having more school events would bring the school together,” Hando said. “Increasing social situations between students would lead them to want go to more school events which would increase school spirit.”

Even though the dance will not happen this year, that does not mean it is ruled out for future years. With effective communication and organization, Sadie’s can be an event during the 2017-18 school year and in the future.

According to class of 2017 president Max Smith, in order to ensure that the dance happens next year, students can ask their parents and teachers to chap-

erone.

Many students this year hoped the Sadie Hawkins dance would happen because they enjoyed having an additional opportunity to enjoy a dance with their friends after homecoming.

Also, students enjoyed that, unlike homecoming, there is a lot more room

to choose what they would wear.

“It is something that students this year were looking forward to,” Rosenthal said. “Next year we should absolutely have the Sadie’s dance because there should be more fun ways for students to enjoy school.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL WU.

Seniors Tyler Hirschon, Ellie Lavery, Michelle Kaufman, and Emily Moshyedi pose during last year’s Sadie Hawkins dance.

February 21 2017

News

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CHS Club Visited by North Korean Refugees

By Eliza Asbury Business Manager

Two female North Korean refugees who now live in South Korea visited CHS on Jan. 4.

With the help of the CHS club Building Bridges with Letters and the Jangdaehyun School in South Korea, the school the students attend, the students were able to visit the United States for the first time.

Building Bridges with Letters, started by junior Helene Cho, helped build the connection to the North Korean students and CHS. She and her sister founded the club after learning about North Korean refugee students and their experiences.

“During a family trip to South Korea, we heard about a school that was helping North Korean refugee students,” Cho said. “After listening to the Pastor at the school speak to us about some of the conditions these kids had lived in and what they were taught about America, my sister and I decided that we wanted to show the students what America was really like.”

Cho then decided that they would try to help the refugees. After getting in contact with the school that teaches North Korean refugees, she put in the research needed to start a club to aid the students.

“When we returned to the U.S. after our tip, we continued to learn more about North Korea and attended a conference, where we got to listen to experiences of older North Korean refugees,” Cho said. “When we returned to school, we started up the club to help students at the Jangdaehyun school communicate with American high schoolers and talk about each other’s respective cultures.”

The Jangdaehyun School teaches the students English and helps them adapt to their new life in South Korea. Going to a smaller school can be an easier transition for them.

A goal of this trip was for these students to form connections with American students and dispel stereotypes.

“Their teacher, who is also a pastor, was telling us that they were taught

PHOTO COURTESY OF HELENE CHO.

Members of the Building Bridges with Letters club at CHS meeting with refugees. that everything that was good in North Korea is because of the North Koreans, and everything that is bad is because of the South Koreans and/or the United States,” Honors World History teacher Erin Brown said. “And so his big point was that one of the reasons they take their senior trip [to the US] is so that they can see and experience it for themselves and know that it is not a bad place.”

Students in Brown’s sixth period class had the opportunity to listen to the refugees share their stories about life in North Korea and what they had to endure trying to escape the country.

“The North Korean students mainly spoke about their experiences escaping from North Korea and their journey to South Korea,” Junior Josie Weinberg said. “One girl was only 15 the first time she tried to escape and was arrested and interrogated by the North Korean government. If she had been caught again she probably would have been executed.”

Due to security reasons, the North Korean students were not able to share exact details about their escape from

North Korea, but they were able to share some of their month and a half journey to Thailand, where they went before making it to South Korea..

According to Brown, the students told the class about the punishments people faced when they are caught trying to escape North Korea. For adults, the punishment would be public execution or humiliation.

However for young people, the punishment is usually a prison sentence.

One of the North Korean students shared her personal experiences of trying to escape the country the first time. Her failed attempt gave her a prison sentence, which was accompanied by interrogation and torture by the North Korean government.

“She was sent to jail, and this came from her through a translator, that when she was sent to jail she was questioned, and in the questioning, if there was an answer that she gave that was an unpopular answer, that they were actually questioned near a fire and if their response was not what

they wanted, they would actually then be beaten with sticks from the fire,” Brown said. When she wasn’t being questioned, she said that they were forced to sit in their cells, in the same position, and hold it all day long.”

Hearing the stories that the North Korean students shared, students realized what they often take for granted as these students were willing to risk death by fleeing to a new country.

“Ultimately, even though [one of the students] tried escaping twice, she was willing to do it again, even though if she got caught again she might not be considered a child,” Brown said.

“Perhaps the punishment would have been public execution. But she still tried again.”

The students also shared information to the class about the black market in North Korea, which sneaks information across the border, giving people a CD or USB of news from the outside world.

According to Brown, the students told the class that the closer you live to the border of China, the better chance you have of getting uncensored information from the black market.

One of the students apparently was able to get her hands on information, giving her somewhat of an idea that the things she was getting taught in school were just one-sided.

The students also shared some of their feelings about what it is like escaping a country that was once home, and the struggles that come along with that.

“They didn’t speak much about [being a refugee], but they did say it was difficult at first coming to South Korea because the education is so different and most of them left their families behind,” Weinberg said.

The North Korean students were able to experience life in America for the first time by visiting CHS and candidly sharing their stories, it gave students a glimpse into understanding what life is like in North Korea.

Physics Curriculum Change in Upcoming Year

By Nora Holland Contest Manager

As of next year, the Honors Physics course at CHS will be converted to AP Physics 1, making it an AP credited class with a slightly altered curriculum.

Recently the Maryland Board of Education (BOE) adopted the Next Generation Science Standards, which specify certain science courses that every high school student must complete in order to graduate. MCPS has also changed their standards to reflect the Maryland ones. This assures that students get the preparation they need to pass the new Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA).

“Because of this new test, MCPS is changing its requirements to match Maryland’s,” Science Resource Teacher Clinton Brown said.

The new standards will require students to be well-versed in biology, chemistry, physics and earth science to pass the MISA and graduate. This does not affect any current students, but will affect rising freshmen. CHS does not offer any earth science courses, so other science classes are being altered to include earth science to ensure students will learn the science topics they need in order to pass the MISA. “The content of the courses is being changed to include some of the earth

science concepts, reducing the amount of biology, chemistry and physics concepts,” Brown said.

As a result of the new standard, Honors Physics will become AP Physics 1, and the course will cover fewer Physics topics than the class did in the past. Honors Physics covered topics such as magnetism and optics, which the new Physics class will not have space for. Topics will also not be taught in as much depth as they were in Honors Physics. Although the content will change and an AP test and a month of test review will be added to the class next year, the level of difficulty will not differ drastically.

“Unfortunately we are going to have to leave out a lot of stuff that we have done in the past,” Honors Physics teacher Adam Fugal said. “Optics is off, magnetism is off, half of circuits is off, modern physics, nuclear physics; all of that is off.”

Despite these dropped topics, students are offered new benefits. AP Physics 1 covers required topics to help students’ performances on the state test as well as to be able to advance into more challenging physics classes such as AP Physics Mechanics and Electricity. It has the same workload as Honors Physics but will equip them with AP credits.

The shift from honors to AP sparked controversy among students currently

taking Honors Physics. Some students feel that it’s unfair that next year’s physics students will get to take an AP class of the same difficulty level as the current class while students this year only get credit for a honors class.

“I am upset that I will not get the AP credit since I took physics this year,” sophomore Katherine Wang said. “However, I will not have to take the AP exam so I am slightly relieved.”

Despite not getting the AP credit, other Honors Physics students are still grateful they took the course.

“I don’t regret taking Honors Physics,” sophomore Hannah Bush said. “I wanted a preview to see which science sparked an interest for me.”

However, students who took Honors Physics this year have the opportunity to take the AP test in order to still gain an AP credit for the class.

Unfortunately, students currently in Honors Physics cannot take AP Physics 1 next year and gain the AP credit because the same materials and tests will be used.

AP Physics 1 will allow students to learn almost all the content taught in Honors Physics while still obtaining the material needed to pass the MISA. Even though some topics will have to be left out, this new course will follow the rules of the county while still giving students their fair share of physics.

“Rather than not following the county’s rules, AP Physics 1 allows flexibility,” Fugal said.

PHOTO BY NORA HOLLAND.

Sophomore Emily Hnath completes her Honors Physics homework.

Opinions

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The Churchill

Observer

February 21, 2017

Responsibility to Report All News

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 Jake Herman Rebecca Jackson News Editors Thomas Atkinson Lauren Roseman Opinions Editors Maya Rosenberg* Sofia Williamson* 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 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 Mary Dempsey

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 CHS community.

CARTOON BY KEVIN HO.

As staff members of a hyperlocal student publication, some may wonder if we are sticking our heads where they don’t belong when we tackle national and political issues. There is not a clear consensus about whether the purpose of a school newspaper is to simply cover what’s happening inside the hallways, or if there is an additional a responsibility to inform our community about what’s going on in the world around us.

Recently, American society has been engrossed in a polarizing debate over the role and responsibility of the media. In the midst of this, student publications are left wondering where they stand. While some believe that student journalists should cover current events, many believe that these stories are too controversial and should be left to “the professionals.”

However, it is clear that as tensions in our country continue to rise, there has never been a more important time for us student journalists to cover national issues.

These national issues may seem odd for student journalists to take on, but they impact CHS students and staff just as much as anyone else. Therefore, we must cover them, as they pertain to our community.

Current events impact student’s personal lives as well as their academic lives.

It is necessary to explain how a cer-

tain executive order or legislative bill could impact students’ futures, and it is vital to address the student-led demonstrations constantly occurring throughout the country.

Our responsibilities as student journalists go beyond simply informing our school of local occurrences. We have the responsibility to inform the community of issues that impact their lives.

By Eugenia Cardinale Editor-in-Chief

joring in the sciences the advantage of not only having knowledge on lab procedures and scientific methods, but the experience as well.

According to CHS alumna and current University of Pennsylvania freshman Sydney Veator, Mol Gen helped her establish critical lab skills that have been useful to her in college as a nursing major. The experience she gained from the class helped her see how certain scientific processes, such as bacterial transformation, occur and gave her a great background for material she is currently learning in college.

The importance of crucial lab skills is the focus from day one in Mol Gen. The very first lab gives students the opportunity to practice and perfect their pipetting skills and ensure that they know the ins and outs of the professional scientific equipment.

For the type of learner I am, I do believe Mol Gen was the correct choice for me, because having the hands-on experienced has truly changed how I view the sciences.

While Mol Gen is not labeled as an AP class, it is still a challenging course.

However, coming from a humanities oriented student, I think the class truly makes the information accessible and easy to understand, and help is readily available.

Additionally, the opportunity to take a class that is solely taught at CHS is an opportunity that students should not take lightly. Mol Gen is not only a class but a true experience that cannot

BSERVER O OPINION Many people believe that teenagers are simply too young to be properly informed about politics and the world around us.

However, this type of thinking is simply irresponsible, as it is telling students that they should only care about non-school occurrences even though they are directly influenced by the world we live in. Teenagers have the capability to care about multiple things at once. One can be worried about school dances and science exams, and also be concerned about our current political climate at the same time. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Society tends to generalize young people as apathetic towards the world

around them. Our voices are either valued less or dismissed completely.

According to a May 2016 NPR article, millennials have the lowest voter turnout of any age group.

Promoting political literacy amongst teenagers not only increases their chances of voting, but it also increases their participation in all forms of government and civil engagement.

As our community’s newspaper, we can start these conversations now.

We have the power to arm young people with accurate information, nuanced perspectives and critical thinking skills that will be useful for the rest of their lives.

The Observer has consistently been a primary example of the change that high school students can create. Just last year, an editorial on the lack of transgender bathroom policies encouraged changes in county policy on the issue. As a student newspaper, we have the invaluable ability to influence and enact change.

It is fair to say that CHS is populated with some of the most academically intelligent teenagers in the country. Our hallways are filled with future scholars, senators, activists, journalists, artists, mathematicians and possibly the next president of the United States. It is our responsibility to strengthen our minds so the weight of the world can rest confidently on our shoulders.

Mol Gen Delivers Real-World Science

In December, The Observer published an article about how MCPS was considering a change in the science curriculum that would possibly cause cancellations of certain classes, including Molecular Genetics. However, despite confusion, the class will be available for the 2017-2018 school year.

Molecular Genetics (Mol Gen) is a double period college-level science class. The class, taught by Virginia Brown, is only available at CHS. Topics covered in the class include protein synthesis, DNA replication, bacterial transformation and much more.

The class is hands-on and lab-focused and is not only extremely valuable for science lovers, but for those who don’t feel that science is their strength as well.

I have never been a math and science person. I usually don’t enjoy those classes as much as I do English and Social Studies classes.

I took a chance when I took Mol Gen, because I wanted to push myself and try something new, and I’m very glad I did.

According to Brown, Mol Gen provides CHS students opportunities that are usually only available in a student’s third or fourth year of college, or possibly even as late as graduate school.

This gives students planning on ma-

be found anywhere else.

In the second semester of Mol Gen, students also have the opportunity to become published scientists. They learn how to fill out a laboratory notebook properly, and participate in a research project where all materials are legal documents.

This is another helpful real-world experience unique to Mol Gen, because it allows students to learn how to build professional relationships, since throughout the process the students’ work gets checked by the professional scientists.

Taking this class makes you a part of a small group of people who have pursued a challenging but remarkable course. It will truly set you apart from others when it comes to college applications, internship opportunities, or even science classes in college.

Cancelling the class would be a great injustice to the CHS community. It is among one of the special opportunities that are provided to CHS students, and dismissing the course would be deleting part of what makes CHS so unique.

For students who have sat in science classes and been interested, but have not felt inspired or connected to the content, Mol Gen is the way to go. The class is worth the double period time commitment and provides unique experiences not usually available to high school students. Afterall like Brown said, in Mol Gen you don’t just learn science, “you do science.”

February 21, 2017

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Opinions

Buzzfeed Does Not Provide Worthwhile News

By Bryan Fletcher Production Editor Laura Sneller Social Media Editor

Buzzfeed has become one of the most popular news and social media outlets online with over seven billion content views a month. Its vast influence reaches beyond a single website, as the company has a presence on YouTube, Snapchat and nearly every other social networking site. It is almost guaranteed to see something Buzzfeedrelated while scrolling through Facebook or Twitter.

However, the phrase “Buzzfeed news” is an oxymoron, since even after their relatively recent meteoric rise, the quality of Buzzfeed’s work has become almost embarrassingly desperate and unoriginal.

The social media company became successful because they gave an interesting take on comedy and news.

But now, their desire for fresh content has turned an interesting, millennialdirected multi-media business into a mildly entertaining train wreck that provides nothing for the people who bother to pay attention to it.

In the past several months, many videos have been uploaded to YouTube by people who previously worked for Buzzfeed. These videos generally follow a similar topic and discussion.

Most are titled something along the lines of “Why I left Buzzfeed,” and feature former employees explaining just that. In many of these videos, the “news” company is called out for prioritizing quantity over quality, and their revenue over the fair treatment of their own employees.

Buzzfeed’s Snapchat story high-

PHOTO BY BRYAN FLETCHER.

Buzzfeed offers many personality quizzes on its Community site. lights their desperation for clicks and views by continuously producing irrelevant and uninteresting clips. Other than the occasional informative story, their feed is a plethora of cringeworthy, “relatable” videos.

Most of Buzzfeed’s Snapchat story is not original content, and while they

give credit to the rightful owners, the obvious lack of ideas that make up their news output is regularly regurgitated. They start with the same generic title containing only some slight variation, such as “19 Pictures of Food That Will Make You Say ‘Whaaaattt?’” and put together an “article” of pictures

that other people took or edited. Then, they add some one-sentence comment reacting to the pictures, just to sprinkle the smallest amount of originality to give the “writers” a sense of productivity.

This lack of originality is especially detrimental to the many CHS students who often visit Buzzfeed’s main website or other outlets, as it displays that using the work of others is the right way to succeed in life. It sets a standard for viewers to settle for barely average results, with this idea only being exemplified by Buzzfeed’s consistent output of cheap news.

However, Buzzfeed does have its redeemable qualities, such as being inclusive of people of all races, genders and sexualities. They also make many videos and articles about pop culture, feminism and other controversial topics.

But oddly enough, for their profeminist stance, many of their videos include men attempting to do makeup, indirectly enforcing gender roles. The videos are meant to poke fun at men’s lack of makeup experience, but they instead only perpetuate that stereotype.

In addition, most of their Ladylike series, which is a group of women trying new things, revolves around themes of makeup looks, clothes and other superficial qualities, thus enforcing the idea that those are things women must be interested in.

Ultimately, if Buzzfeed does not improve their quality, their lack of innovation and depth in their work could filter down to CHS students. The value of Buzzfeed’s content is subpar, and it continues to show off their greed for popularity and views.

Body Piercings Are Acceptable Forms of Self Expression

By Julia Lescht Social Media Editor Only 50 years ago, homosexuality, feminism and flamboyant clothing were just “newfangled” topics in the U.S. Today in 2017 same-sex marriage is legal, and everyday clothing has grown more expressive. Society is increasingly revolving around themes of both individuality and inclusivity, so why shouldn’t piercings fall under this umbrella of modern conventions?

Body piercings should be socially acceptable in today’s society. They embody fashion and individualism—a mere visual component of one’s entire persona that is more than just trendy.

They should be embraced by society along with the other newly accepted fashions.

What one does with one’s body should be under their own discretion.

Everyone should have the right to express themselves however way they so desire—so long as it does not harm others.

According to a survey of 62 CHS students, about 97 percent of them said that piercings should be socially acceptable.

This goes for all places—including the workplace where nose rings and cartilage piercings were once deemed unacceptable. One person may not like someone else’s body piercing, but it does not grant them the permission to mock or criticize someone else’s choice of expression.

According to the survey, about 60 percent said that they think it is not okay to judge a person based on how they present themselves.

Piercings are merely a part of fashion. While less important to some, to others they are a medium through

PHIOTO BY JULIA LESCHT.

Sophomore Melissa Marks has two piercings on her earlobe and one in the cartilage of her upper ear. which they can visually express their individuality. If a nose ring is what makes one comfortable in one’s own skin, then by all means, they should wear it.

According to the poll, about 92 percent view body piercings as a form of fashion or expression.

There will always be people who disapprove of piercings, but our gen-

eration is the most accepting of them so far. In a community such as CHS, it is common for people to believe that employers and universities are less likely to hire or accept applicants who have various body piercings, although it is incredibly obsolete for such groups to make judgements and decisions based on those grounds. Just because a teacher hates the way a student dresses for school one day, is the teacher justified in purposely failing that student?

According to a 2010 Pew Research study, 23 percent of millennials (people ages 18-34) have piercings in places other than their ear lobes, which is the greatest of all the other generations surveyed.

Piercings are commonly associated with tattoos, which are sometimes deemed unprofessional or socially unacceptable. However, if someone gets a body piercing, unlike a tattoo, they can remove the piercing and close up the hole whenever they want.

Yes, body piercings can lead to various health issues, although the most common are minor and are usually caused by lack of proper care of the piercing or a mistake during the piercing. All someone has to do is take the proper care of the new piercing— which should be just as easy as maintaining proper hygiene and thus not too difficult.

According to research in a 2009 Skintherapyletter.com article, proper handling and caring of piercings reduces risk of infection, as well as avoiding physical contact through things such as sports. Complications with piercings occur in only 17-35 percent of piercings and usually are not problematic.

What you do with your body— however you choose to present yourself—is and should be solely in your own hands. Body piercings should be socially acceptable in today’s society.

6

Opinions

February 21, 2017

Feminism Movement Is Often Misinterpreted

By Rebecca Jackson Online Features Editor Jake Herman Online Opinions Editor

Amongst all of the protests, rhetoric and controversy that has engulfed America the past few weeks, one vital issue seems to have been lost in all of the chaos: the definition of feminism.

Feminism is, and always has been, a movement striving for equal opportunities for both genders in all facets of society. However, many Americans, especially men, don’t consider themselves feminists as a result of negative connotations surrounding the term itself.

Feminism is simply the idea that men and women should be equal. While, any educated man would most likely believe in the equality of the sexes, some still do not support the feminist movement.

The Women’s March on Washington Jan. 21 was an enormous success, bringing two million men and women to the streets of cities across the world to protest chauvinism and fight for feminism. However, this shining moment was brief, and resulted in backlash from those who considered it a waste of time that would not result in noticeable change.

Many of those who have voiced opposition to the women’s march and feminist movement simply don’t understand that the feminist movement isn’t about one gender over another gender or liberal over conservative.

According to feminist activist Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the World Economic Forum, nobody, man or woman, should be afraid to use the word feminist to describe themselves.

According to a 2016 survey by the

PHOTO BY DANI MILLER.

A sign from the Women’s March on Washington Jan 21. Many attendees consider themselves feminists.

Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit that provides information on policy issues, 60 percent of women in the US label themselves as feminists, compared to only 33 percent of men. Yet, in a survey of 34 CHS students, 94 percent believed that men can and should be feminists.

The disparity in self-identified feminists by gender could be attributable to the differences in how each gender views feminism. In many instances, a single adjective can drastically alter the way people perceive the feminist movement. In some cases, the legitimacy and merit of the movement is undermined by simple word choice.

The Washington Post study found that over 40 percent of Americans see the feminist movement as “angry” and believe that the movement unfairly blames men for women’s challenges.

Sweeping generalizations such as these characterize feminists as irra-

tional or not having real reasons to want change, which in turn perpetuates sexism. A woman being passionate about a cause that directly impacts her should not be skewed in a negative light.

One of the most common misconceptions made about the feminist movement is that it is anti-male, and that it gives women a victim card to play. However, that is categorically untrue. The goal of feminism is not to have women treated better than men, but to have women and men treated equally, free of gender-based restrictions.

CHS, as a microcosm of a generally liberal-leaning society, reflects both the support of the movement and its misunderstandings that remain in the outside world.

In the survey of 34 CHS students, 88 percent used the word “equal” or “equality” when asked to define feminism, and 47 percent said they have participated in political activism relating to the femi-

nist movement, such as the Women’s March.

Although sometimes overshadowed in the media, men are also treated unequally in certain situations, such as in connection with custody battles or paternity leave, where it seems that women receive preferential treatment.

People should support the feminist movement in order to protect the rights of all Americans, regardless of gender.

Men should be able to proudly say to their friends that they are feminists, and not worry about being made fun or feeling emasculated by those who say that feminism is ‘just for girls.’

It’s imperative that CHS students are well-informed about feminism and its goals so that their opinion of the movement is based on facts. Feminism is a movement that fights for equal opportunity and helps both genders overcome gender-based barrier that have traditionally been imposed upon them.

Teenagers Should Read for Pleasure More Frequently

By Sara Heimlich Features Editor When was the last time you’ve read a book? And I don’t mean a book for school, I mean a book you read for your own enjoyment?

According to a 2016 Smithsonian article, if the answer isn’t at least once in the last 12 months, you fall into the same category as one in four Americans who have not read a book in the last year.

According to an Observer survey of 100 students, if you would describe your reading pattern as “once during the school year at most,” 41 percent of your classmates at CHS do too.

Reading books is an essential aspect of being a well-rounded individual.

Though there may be a negative connotation surrounding reading among students, associating it with textbooks and school work, students need to remember the simple joy that it can bring.

Notably, reading can draw us out of a stress-filled world and pull us into one where the issues and conflicts are at least a relief from our own.

According to a Reader’s Digest article, in a study done to measure stress levels after an anxiety-evoking situation, participants who read afterwards experienced a 67 percent reduction in stress. The same patients experienced a less significant reduction when playing video games or listening to music.

Though sources of stress increase with age, reading has becomes an increasingly overlooked pastime as a person gets older. As kids, most of us read all the time, so what happened?

According to the Observer survey, 60 percent of students responded that they read every day in elementary school, while only 25 percent said they read every day as a middle schooler.

Only 16 percent said they read every

PHOTO BY SARA HEIMLICH.

Time students spend reading decreases as they get older, but studies show that reading for pleasure is benefical to all. day as a high schooler.

Yes, it may be hard to find room for a good book with the abundance of time students give to screen time and studies, but this downward trend in frequency of reading is detrimental to our generation.

According to Beverly Farms Elementary School media specialist Nancy Schure, the number of books checked out in the 2015-2016 school year was a whopping 27,097.

According to CHS media specialist Tracy Bottiglieri, there were a mere 10,032 books circulated during the 2015-2016 school year in CHS. Even more shocking, perhaps, is the middle school statistics. There’s a significant drop in total number of book checkouts even within these three grade levels.

At Herbert Hoover Middle School,

just this school year, the 6th graders have totaled 3,457 checkouts. The 7th graders, however, come in with a total of 1,819 checkouts this year.

Though schoolwork takes up hours a day and keeps students busy, this is the time in life to read. After high school, college work and internships hit, and after that comes a full-time job for most.

Reading can develop interests in readers, like career ideas or enlightening philosophy, and can create a more well-rounded society with expansive knowledge on many subjects from all different kinds of literature. There are books for everyone.

According to the Reader’s Digest article, reading also boosts one’s ability to empathize, an effect of learning to resonate with fictional characters in stories.

Besides, centennials could use a boost in attention span.

According to a 2015 Time Magazine

article, the average attention span has dipped from 12 seconds to eight seconds since the year 2000, coinciding with the world’s “mobile revolution.”

However, according to the Observer survey, 63 percent of students who considered themselves infrequent readers blamed a lack of time. Contrary to this belief, however, it’s easier to find leisure time than one might think: those 20 minutes before bed deemed “social media catch-up time,” the lazy Saturday morning dedicated to watching TV, or the three month summer break-- granted, the survey showed an increase in frequency of reading during this time period.

Can’t figure out where to find a good book to read? Try CHS’s media center, where the media specialists have made many attempts to help solve this problem. For example, for the month of February, they have set up their annual Blind Date with a Book program wherein books are wrapped and labeled according to subject matter. Students can choose a book based on its brief description and unwrap it for a surprise read.

To be fair, most teenagers do read everyday, scrolling through Twitter, clicking on an article or two, or stopping to glance at a post on Facebook.

However, this type of “reading” cannot replace the pleasure of curling up with a good book and concentrating long enough to turn some pages and enter a new world.

The importance of reading is farstretched and wide-ranging; it’s not only beneficial to health and character, but the joys it brings are often hidden under a cover of textbooks and forced assignments. As we continue to grow up and make room for everything else in our lives, let’s not forget all that reading can do for us.

February 21, 2017

Observations

7

Senior Holds Concert Poms Team Holds Camp

By Vicky Gunawan Contest Manager

By Eliza Asbury Business Manager

The CHS Poms team held a mini camp Feb. 15-16 to give first to eighth graders an opportunity to learn how to dance.

The camp is something the poms team has hosted in the past. After a two years hiatus, the team decided to start it up again this year. The team choreographed a dance number and split the dancers into two groups from first to fifth grade and sixth to eighth grade. After the two clinics, the participants performed at a

CHS basketball game.

“Mini Camps are fabulous because not only do they promote poms and recruit talent, but they also provide a sneak preview that gets younger girls excited about dancing and trying out for the team once they’re in high school,” senior and poms captain Tatiana Teixeira said. “I love seeing their eyes light up when we’re teaching: it’s really cute and touching.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ETHAN SHRIER.

CHS senior Ethan Shrier and Marshall High School, in Virginia, senior Allison Park held a benefit concert on Jan. 29 to raise money to help continue music programs in public schools.

The CHS musician played several pieces of music, including “Fantasy No. 1” by Georg Telemann, and “Meditation” from the opera “Thaïs” by Jules Massenet. Additionally, Shrier and Park performed an original piece for cello and trombone by Shirer’s friend Michael Stevens, who attends East Islip High School in New York.

All proceeds from the concert were donated to VH1’s Save the Music

Foundation. This foundation is dedicated to keeping music classes and programs in public schools across the nation, and to help students or schools afford instruments to purchase.

“It was great to see a close friend of mine performing his talent outside of school,” senior Joel Goldstein said. I know how passionate he is about music so it was fun to see him in his element. Raising money for music programs is important and often times music can be a release for many kids and offer them opportunities they can’t get in their academic classes.”

New Orleans Band Trip

PHOTO COURTESY OF TATIANA TEIXERIA.

Senior Wins Design Award

By Eli Gordon Production Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF GARRETT GOLTZ.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SEAN XIE.

A restaurant view of the French Quarter taken by a student on the trip.

By Megan Park Business Manager CHS Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, Orchestra One and Chamber Orchestra Two visited New Orleans from Jan. 12 to Jan 17.

The student musicians traveled via bus for twenty hours in order to arrive in New Orleans. During the trip, they travelled to places such as the French Quarter, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral and went on a riverboat cruise.

“I felt like the trip was a great overall experience and an opportunity to bond with friends away from school,” sophomore Sean Xie said. “The river cruise on the Mississippi River was definitely the highlight for me because we were able to embrace both the culinary and musical culture of New Orleans as well as take in the sights.”

CHS senior Garrett Goltz won the Wheaton Arts Parade poster competition for his digital art poster Dec. 21.

The goal of the project was to make a poster symbolizing art in the Wheaton area. His design will be shown on pa-

rade posters, programs, banners and other marketing materials. In addition to his poster being displayed, he received a prize of $200.

“I was surprised; I didn’t think I would win,” Goltz said.

Booster Club Fundraiser

By Eli Gordon Production Editor

The CHS Booster Club had a fundraiser Saturday Feb. 11 at Bar Louie in Rockville.

Tickets to participate cost $75 and include food and drinks. All proceeds go to the Booster Club. The Booster

Club provides money for field maintenance, transportation to games, medical supplies for the athletic trainer and much more.

“It is the largest fundraiser of each year to support CHS Athletics, we hope to raise a significant amount of money to help support and improve CHS Athletics, ” Booster Club president Leslie Janis said.

8

Features

February 21, 2017

Good Reads Can Alter Our Minds, Studies Show

By Jenna Greenzaid Circulation Manager

Getting lost in a book is not just a common idiom people say; it’s something people actually do.

This feeling comes from becoming attached to and forming a bond with a character. At the same time that readers get lost in the words of a book, they subconsciously adopt the persona of the character they are reading about. The concept of developing the traits and beliefs of a fictional character is a phenomenon known as “experience-taking.” “[Experience-taking] absolutely changes the way I think about books and in general, I can say that it really makes me feel insightful about myself,” media assistant Tracy Bottiglieri said.

According to a May 2012 Medical Daily article, Ohio State University (OSU) conducted a series of six experiments on 500 participants wherein they discovered that this so-called experience-taking can lead to temporary real world changes in people’s personality.

Losing yourself in a character is experienced psychologically as well as emotionally. Readers often feel they are similar to the character after immersing themselves in the character’s storyline and fictional life. Adopting the fictional persona comes from the reader subconsciously retaining the traits of the character’s personality.

According to a May 2012 OSU re-

“Most of the time when people identify with a character, it’s part of who they already are and that’s what comes out. To a certain degree, it magnifies who you already are.” -Kevin Brown search article, people unconsciously felt the emotions, thoughts, feelings, beliefs and internal responses of characters they read about, as if they were their own. In one experiment several days before the 2008 Nov. presidential election, 82 registered undergraduates eligible to vote were assigned to read one of four short stories about a student enduring obstacles on Election Day. When questioned later, 65 percent of the undergraduates reported they had the highest level of experience-taking and ended up voting on

PHOTO BY JENNA GREENZAID.

Readers may find themselves taking on the traits of their favorite characters due to a phenomenon called “experience-taking.”

Election Day. It’s not just the reader’s subconscious doing all the work on its own to conduct experience-taking. One of the contributing factors is whether a story is told in first person point of view or to third point of view.

According to the OSU article, the experiment’s results showed that participants who read short stories written in first person had the highest level of experience-taking compared to other participants who read stories written in third person.

“First person is more inclusive,” junior Hadas Sandalon said. “Even if you don’t like or relate to the main character, you’re being thrown directly into their narrative, giving you a pair of eyes in their story. If that character is really biased about something, it’ll affect the way I view that something. I like knowing what’s going on with all characters all the time [in third person]. It’s less personal, but gives you a less biased look at the situation

and allows you to see more of how each character fits into the plot.”

Readers become attached to characters as they read and the result of that connection is also a connection to the books. The characters become a part of the readers, and it’s hard to let those parts go.

“I think that’s why now, with young adult books especially, there are sequels,” Bottiglieri said. “You become attached and you want to know more about them and so it needs a continuation.”

After being connected to a book for so long, there’s a sudden shock of reality that comes after being caught up in not only the book, but also in the character’s life and emotions.

“There are times where I’m sad when I’m approaching the end of a book because I know it’s going to be over and then I’m not going to know what hap-

“Everyone likes characters that are relatable to them. When I can relate strongly to a character, I might find something that I aspire to be, or possibly discover something about myself while reading.”

-Hadas Sandalon pens to the characters and everything after I’m done reading,” Bottiglieri said.

There are a multitude of sides to adopting a character’s personality. Even though the OSU experiment supports the theory that people adopt the traits of a fictional character, some still believe that people are not adopting traits at all or there’s not enough evidence to support it.

“Most of the time when people identify with a character, it’s part of who

they already are and that’s what comes out,” English teacher Kevin Brown said. “To a certain degree, it magnifies who you already are. I don’t think that people that read ‘The Great Gatsby’ are automatically going to start feeling very wealthy or people that read ‘Into the Wild’ are going to be inspired to go live in the woods if they never thought about breaking away from society before.”

Understanding and feeling emotions for a character, compared to actually having experienced the character’s emotions, plays a role in the level of enjoyment of a book and what is taken away from it.

According to Brown, sympathy versus empathy details the difference between having one’s own traits come out as one reads compared to actually adopting a character’s traits. Sometimes, readers feel something along the lines of sympathy or ‘I get this character’s feelings’ and other times, they feel something along the lines of empathy or more specifically, ‘I am that character.’

Finding similarities between oneself and a character can bring out their underlying personality and force people to confront who they are. Finding similarities can also contribute to their real-world understanding of conflicts.

“It really just amplifies the characteristics that you already have and that makes you feel comfortable being whatever it is that you feel that you are,” Brown said. “If I read a Chuck Palahniuk book, I get this weird disatisfaction with life and a striving to do something better and I think that’s partly contagious.”

Aside from bringing out underlying personalities, books can help people

“Going off into a different world and taking a break from ours has become more therapeutic in addition to exciting. Reading fiction gives me an escape and ... keeps me on the edge of my seat wanting more.”

-Sandalon find someone they relate to, even if they are fictional.

“Everyone likes characters that are relatable to them,” Sandalon said.

“When I can relate strongly to a character, I might find something that I aspire to be, or possibly discover something about myself while reading.”

Nowadays, fictional characters are seen as role models instead of imaginary people in books that people read for entertainment. Characters like Hermione Granger, for example, are looked up to by girls of all ages.

“I would be a different person if I didn’t read Harry Potter,” Sandalon said. “Hermione Granger in particular helped me discover what kind of person I wanted to be. I was inspired by Hermione’s character and she was a sort of fictional role model.”

People can adopt or relate to characters’ personalities in all genres of books, but fiction specifically creates a multitude of connections.

“Going off into a different world and taking a break from ours has become more therapeutic in addition to exciting,” Sandalon said. “Reading fiction gives me an escape and an outlet to put my feelings in. If the book I’m reading is especially good, it’ll keep me on the edge of my seat wanting more.”

February 21, 2017

9

Features

Junior Pursues Passion of Food and Writing

By Becky Wolfson Online Arts Editor Rebekah Sklute Online News Editor Pasta and punctuation. Tuna and Times New Roman. Seasonings, sauces and sentences. What do these things have in common? Food and writing, two passions of CHS junior Sydney Brown, both of which she has managed to successfully mix into her articles for Spoon University’s high school team.

Spoon University is an online food publication that posts a multitude of recipes, restaurant reviews, health articles and other food-centered information. The website includes cooking videos, ways to eat healthy, tips and tricks for navigating college dining halls and provides specialized recipes for a range of meal times and occasions.

“Sydney’s ambition, drive and dedication to what she loves have propelled her to be successful so far,” Sydney’s mother, Robin Brown said. “She took the initiative to apply and was quickly accepted to the High School Spoon University team [this past August].”

As a part of Spoon University, Brown writes two to three articles a month on various food-related topics. Some of her past articles include “Winter-Approved Granolas to Enjoy This Holiday Season,” “The 5 Most Influential Food Writers in the World,” and “How Being a Food Writer Is More Than Just Writing About Food.”

“I started to become interested in food around the age of 5,” Brown said.

“In the summers, my siblings went to camp and I wasn’t old enough yet, so I stayed home and cooked with my parents.”

Brown has never taken any professional cooking classes, but learned

“The most rewarding part of cooking is [making others happy]. It’s amazing to see people come together for a meal or some quality time and be so genuinely happy after a strenuous day.”

-Sydney Brown through observation and practice with her father. “[Sydney’s father] has fostered her passion for cooking by spending many

weekends cooking with her for family meals and teaching her much of what she knows,” Robin Brown said.

Brown has been inspired by her father because despite the fact that he never went to culinary school he has a natural talent for cooking.

“My dad doesn’t restrict me to anything when we’re cooking, which allows me to try a lot of new recipes and perfect a lot of cooking skills,” Brown said.

For Brown’s 15th birthday, her parents arranged for her to work in the kitchen as a master chef for the day at Nora’s, a restaurant in D.C. “I helped clean vegetables, prepare pastries and watched the chefs work all day in the kitchen,” Brown said.

“The best part of it all was when they made lunch for me. It was definitely a birthday to remember.”

For the past two years, she has vigorously watched the Food Network, read various recipes, and kept a cooking journal and recipe collection to expand her skillset.

According to Brown, her favorite dish to make is roasted chicken and vegetables, despite its long and labor intensive preparation. Brown’s family especially loves her tuna tartare, shrimp summer rolls, sauces, glazes and salad dressings.

Brown has also found inspiration in Ina Garten, a celebrity chef, because she cooks to make other people happy.

“The most rewarding part of cooking is [making others happy],” Brown said. “It’s amazing to see people come together for a meal or some quality time and be so genuinely happy after a strenuous day.”

Brown both enjoys the stress relief that comes with cooking and the joy others have from eating her food.

“I think it’s really enjoyable to wake up on a Sunday morning and cook all day long,” Brown said. “It’s really cool while cooking to see something change from absolutely nothing at all to something utterly incredible.”

A common misconception about students who are a part of Spoon University is that they want to be chefs when they grow up. Though Brown loves to cook, she wants to pursue a career in writing.

“I don’t like when people assume I want to be a chef when I grow up, because I’m not that fond of the restaurant life,” Brown said. “I love restaurants, but I don’t think I’d want to work in one.”

For now, Brown is enjoying her time writing for Spoon and gaining future career experience from it.

“Writing for Spoon is fun and I tend

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Junior Sydney Brown currently writes for Spoon University, a foodbased web publication. to use it as an outlet for my creativity,” Brown said. “In school, we sit still most of the day, and only really pay attention to the subjects provided to us, but Spoon lets me write about one of my favorite things: food culture.”

This past winter break, she visited the Spoon headquarters in New York City’s West Village for a holiday cookie swap.

“Food writing is cool because most of it takes place in big cities, and all of the offices are really lively,” Brown said.

In the future, Brown hopes to write for

“Hunger is a huge issue in the world, so I feel that it would be really awesome if I could help conquer it.” -Brown

a food magazine and is also considering traveling abroad to spread information about food and nutrition.

“I would love to travel to countries that have extreme hunger issues and are maybe more uneducated about food, and teach them about properly utilizing resources,” Brown said. “Hunger is a huge issue in the world, so I feel that it would be really awesome if I could help conquer it.”

Brown’s success so far stems from her passion for her craft and the support and encouragement of her family.

“I can’t wait to see Sydney accomplish all of her dreams,” Robin Brown said. “I’d love to see her on staff at Food & Wine magazine, Bon Appetit or working at Martha Stewart Living.”

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February 21, 2017

Features

10 To: My fellow Class of 2019 From: Anonymous Message: You should never feel alone because there will always be someone there for you to converse with and connect. These ideas are what people, in my point of view, take for granted. They impact who you are and who you will become. Imagine if you lost them, how would you truly feel? Cherish every moment in high school and accept situations that you do not have control over, as well as laugh and smile. All in all, I just want to say Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone in the class of 2019. Live your life to the fullest and relax, breath, reflect, and observe where you have triumphed and where you have fallen.

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To: Mariam Hashem From: Betsy Message: Dear Mariam, You’re a really good friend!

Happy Galentine’s Day.

To: Areya Campbell-Rosen From: Eugenia Cardinale Message: Areya, I’m so incredibly proud of you. You’re so strong and kind and beautiful and you deserve the world. You don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re so great and I love you so much.

To: Bradley Furgerson From: Anonymous Message: Happy Valentine’s Day, Dracula, even though I’m not your Valentine.

To: Satchel Rush From: Anonymous Message: It really brightens up my day when I see your smile. I’m really grateful to have you in my life!!!

To: Arjun From: Anonymous Stay classy ya goose :)

To: Mrs. De Oro From: Eliezer Kraiman Message: Thank for your fun and engaging English classes. I always look forward to your class. Everyday you turn learning into a fun and enjoyable experience, while showing love and appreciation for all of your students.

I truly appreciate your hard work. Happy Valentine’s day.

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To: The Observer Itself From: A Concerned Reader Message: Last year’s messages were full of typos, please double check these. Love you.

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February 21, 2017

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Features

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Features

February 21, 2017

The Observer Highlights Lesser-Known Clubs

By Arielle Gordon Editor in Chief

and dear to my heart,” sponsor Sara Nemati said. “I love student activism in general and I enjoyed participating in causes when I was a student myself.

I love it when students want to ‘be the change’ they want to see in the world.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY CHANG.

Environmental Club members work to decrease wastefulness at the school.

CHS has more than 95 official clubs for the 2016-2017 school year. The Observer has talked to a few more of the school’s lesser-known clubs to find out what they are up to. This is the second installment of a story that ran in Jan. Cause for Paws Junior Isabel Hertz-Miñoso’s three rescue dogs are never far from her mind and inspired her to help local dogs in need of homes.

Hertz-Miñoso, along with a few friends, founded Cause for Paws late

last school year. In its first year at CHS, Cause for Paws has begun to work toward its goal of helping animals at local shelters.

“I wanted to bring CHS into the sphere of helping animals,” HertzMiñoso said.

During lunch Jan. 27, Cause for Paws and Key Club made dog toys to donate to the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation. Cause for Paws is also planning to hold fundraisers and volunteer at pet adoption events.

“It’s been nice to sponsor a cause near

Environmental Club Most of Environmental Club’s work takes place after the school day ends but that does not stop them from helping recycle paper and plastic and beautify the courtyards at CHS. “Every Monday, we take the recycling bins from around classrooms and take them to the big bins at the back of the school,” club president Jeremy Chang said.

According to Chang, the many posters and announcements they have made around the school over the last several years have improved the recycling around CHS. In addition to helping with schoolwide recycling, Environmental Club works with Gardening Club to maintain the gardens in the courtyards by removing weeds and caring for the plants.

“We are trying to open a courtyard for students to use at lunch,” Chang said.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes For the first time in three years, CHS has a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) chapter. Senior Jonathan Shyy was inspired to bring FCA back to CHS after volunteering at a FCA power camp last summer.

According to the FCA website, their goal is to inspire high school, college and professional athletes to serve their communities through religion and sports.

“I was involved in FCA when I was in high school and then I continued my involvement through college and now

volunteer at different FCA events and camps,” paraeducator Daniel Lethbridge said.

Meetings during lunch aim to give students time to relax and socialize as well as discuss the meaning of bible passages.

“My favorite part is watching people of various backgrounds come together to relax and get away from all the stress,” Shyy said. “It is great that CHS students would be willing take time out of their lunch to learn more about Christianity.”

Red Cross Club Now in its second year at CHS, the Red Cross Club, founded by juniors Will Chai and Brendan Tan, works along with the national Red Cross to help people in need.

Examples of their events include raising money, running a clothing drive and informing students about how to prepare for a disaster.

“Right now, we are in the middle of planning free CPR lessons that will be offered to all students and staff members in CHS,” Chai said. “We will attend fire canvassing events with the local fire department when the weather gets warmer.”

Chai and Tan started the club to better our community and have continued to work with the Red Cross and grow the CHS club.

“We stay involved because we feel that being with the Red Cross and helping kids register and bringing them out to help makes a much greater impact on our community,” Tan said.

If there is a club that you would like to see featured, please contact us at churchill.observer@gmail.com

Tips For Second Semester Seniors Lacking Motivation

By Balbina Yang Arts Section Editor Emily Wang Features Section Editor It’s that time of the year again. The winter cold ushers in a new semester alongside a familiar disease: Senioritis.

Every year, seniors are afflicted with this academically-fatal disease. Among the symptoms is a loss of motivation and vigor, which eventually leaves behind shells of formerly-dedicated students to wander (or sometimes, not show up at all) in the hallways.

Although there is no known cure for senioritis, there are ways to prevent the lethargy. For some however, it’s already too late.

“Senioritis struck me after first quarter,” senior Enoch Li said. “Because of the new grading system and the fact that I got straight A’s in first quarter, I didn’t put much effort in second quarter, which really showed in my grades.”

After completing time-and-soulconsuming college applications, many seniors are left without tasks to channel their efforts into and lack a sense of purpose.

“Senioritis has definitely been with me since the beginning of the year, but until recently, I always had college apps to do during my free time,” senior Sheila Gaur said.

Yes, seniors deserve their wellearned rest. After all, we’ve made it through almost four years. We’ve sludged through the dreaded college application process -- filling out forms, writing essays and attending interviews.

Even with college acceptances un-

der way (and for some, already done) and the onset of a new semester, now is not the time for seniors to slack. Here are some tips from fellow seniors to keep senioritis at bay : 1. You’re Never Too Cool for School Sure, maybe you already got into the college of your choice and you’re ready to stop showing up to school, but think again. Colleges still care about your senior year grades and will rescind acceptance letters. Finding out the summer after graduation that your acceptance has been rescinded due to poor academic performance would be devastating.

“I got into my early decision school,” said Gaur, who will be attending University of Pennsylvania this fall. “I was always going to get senioritis, but it just brought it on a little bit sooner.”

Time management is key. Letting assignments pile up because you don’t have the motivation to tackle them will only make them harder to do in the future. You will turn into a couch potato, and no one wants that. Now is the time to take the advice that teachers have been giving you for years -- get all the work done as soon as possible so you can go out and HAVE FUN (and sleep too)!

2. GET PUMPED! Guys, we’re seniors! We made it!

It has been four long years—four years of nonstop studying, going in for lunch and stressing over grades. We are at the top of the chain and nothing can, or should, stop us—not even senioritis.

Yes, we have four months left to go, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be giving it our all. In fact, we should work harder because we will never experience high school again. Ever. So

IMAGE BY BALBINA YANG.

let’s enjoy it while it lasts as best we can.

Soon we’ll be at the bottom of the hierarchy again. Make this semester count so you won’t have any regrets when you start the new phase in your life. And if you already have regrets (which we’re sure you do), then you definitely don’t want to add to them by not enjoying the final tidbits that high school has to offer.

“I’m a very sentimental person, so things will come as a shock ending like cheer did, but I’ll appreciate every moment I have left doing things I won’t get to do again like Blast and being a part of the close-knit Churchill choral music department,” senior Nadia Narnor said.

3. Enjoy the ride Because we are second-semester seniors, we have more time on our hands than the other grades. Instead of whil-

ing away nights on YouTube or Netflix, find something new and exciting to do like joining a club or a team -- anything to add some semblance of busyness in an otherwise mundane week.

“It’s all about the memories man, you know once you’re into college and all, the school work is still obviously important, but in the end you’re not gonna remember that 50 percent on an AP Lit chapter four reading quiz, you’re gonna remember [the fun you had] with your friends for the last few months,” senior Corey Eisenberger said. “That’s what’s memorable.”

Don’t give in seniors! Graduation is coming up and the weather will soon change to the summer we are all waiting for. While we freeze on these snowless mornings, keep up the morale and don’t succumb to this crushing illness because once you do, there’s no turning back. Literally.

February 21, 2017

Student Art Spotlight: Precious Melchizedek and Calissa Park

By Sai Sreenivasan Observations Editor This year’s CHS Talent winners are the dynamic duo, juniors Calissa Park and Precious Melchizedek. They performed a mash-up of “Hotline Bling”

by Drake, “Needed Me” by Rihanna and “Too Good” by Drake and Rihanna. Both sang and Park played the guitar.

Park first became interested in music during the first grade while playing American Idol with her classmates. She started playing the guitar when she was 13.

“Music has always been a hobby and if I’m not playing the guitar, piano or singing, I’m usually searching for new music,” Park said.

According to Park, being part of organizing CHS Got Talent encouraged her to participate in the show this year.

“I really love it when people take songs and remix them to sound different so that’s what I tried to do with our performance,” Park said.

Although music is an important component of her life, Park is involved in other CHS activities, such as lacrosse and leadership. She has played on the girls lacrosse team since freshman year. This past year, Park also joined leadership to foster school spirit.

“She has an amazing work ethic and positive energy that encourages others to always do their best to improve and work hard,” senior varsity lacrosse player Jenny Langerman said.

In terms of the future, Park is undecided but wants to take everything in stride and experience life to the fullest.

The other half of the dynamic winning duo is junior Precious Melchizedek. Melchizedek has a passion for music and has been singing since the fifth grade.

“I was so proud of all the acts and definitely surprised that we won, but we had a great time out there,” Melchizedek said.

The student body cheered on the duo throughout their performance and appreciated the level of sophistication of their piece.

“Park and Melchizedek had an amazing performance and deserved

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PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL WU.

Juniors Calissa Park and Precious Melchizedek perform during CHS Got Talent Jan. 26. to win,” junior Faith Kean said. “Their voices complimented each other really well, and I loved their renditions of popular songs.”

Melchizedek also spends her time hanging out with friends and family as well as cooking. According to Melchizedek, her speciality dish is

shrimp fried rice.

Melchizedek is also a dedicated academic. Her favorite classes are AP World History and Honors Chemistry.

“I love science and I also enjoy learning about the past and how it relates to the present day,” Melchizedek

said.

For the future, Melchizedek hopes to pursue a career in medicine, specifically being an orthopedic surgeon.

Congratulations to the dynamic pair for their win, and we look forward to more in the future.

New ‘Fantasy’ Sport Appeals to Hopeless Romantics

By Ethan S. Miller Fact Checker Fantasy sports, an industry that is traditionally dominated by football, baseball and basketball, has introduced a new sport that has infiltrated the halls of CHS: Fantasy Bachelor.

The Fantasy Bachelor game, in which contestants earn points for a combination of weekly predictions of what will occur on each episode, and a seasonlong tournament that predicts which contestant will receive the final rose, is based on the hit show The Bachelor in which one man dates anywhere from 20 to 30 women in hopes of finding their soulmate at the end of the season.

“It is so much fun to play Fantasy Bachelor,” sophomore Nicole Bratton said. “I’ve never really been into fantasy leagues, but I now get the appeal.”

According to Front Row, a website

by ESPN, Fantasy Bachelor’s appeal to fantasy players has remained the same even though the target audience and aesthetics of the game might be different.

For many who are just now being introduced to fantasy sports, The Fantasy Bachelor has helped to make every monday night more enjoyable than ever.

“Playing fantasy bachelor has defi-

nitely added to my experience when I watch the show,” Bratton said. ”[My sister and all of our friends] pick every week who we think will get sent home at the end of every episode and we predict who will win it all.”

While for many, this new feature has revolutionized the way they watch their favorite T.V. show, some traditional watchers find that this new experience does not appeal to them.

“I don’t play fantasy bachelor and honestly I think it’s kind of silly, but funny at the same time,” sophomore Lexi Heard said. “I know a lot of people who would [play it] but I just wouldn’t do it myself.”

In addition to the many Bachelor viewers who participate, the game has also helped to connect a community of year round fantasy players who can apply their extensive Fantasy knowledge to this new game.

“You have to think like a [television] writer: what entertains, what’s realistic and what are these women really going to do?” said junior Elijah Zack, who was 100 percent correct for his first week of picks in the Bachelor season.

Although the Fantasy app has attracted players who previously played fantasy, there are many still that doubt the merit of this new feature.

“I personally have no interest in betting and watching a bunch of people dating a guy for the purpose of fame, I have nothing against anybody who does, I just find it weird,” sophomore Jackson Baer said.

In ESPN’s effort to combine sports and entertainment, it has helped to bring friends and family like Bratton’s together every monday night in front of the TV for two hours of pure, unadulterated fun.

“The Bachelor is always the highlight of my week but playing along makes it even more entertaining,” Bratton said.

IMAGE COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.

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February 21, 2017

Oscars Are Taking A Step in the Right Direction More Work Still Needed to Increase Diversity in film

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.

Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson and Janelle Monae at a press confrence for “Hidden Figures.” The movie is the highest grossing film of 2016.

By Dani Miller Production Editor After two years of disappointing and insensitive award shows, the Academy Awards has finally responded to the overwhelming criticism about the lack of diversity in their nominations. However, a full year after the #oscarsowhite campaign, representation in Hollywood still has a long way to go.

2016 was a great year for representation in cinema. Movies like “Hidden Figures” broke box office records weekend after weekend, while stories like “Moonlight” captured the hearts of both America and the Academy. Animated films about racism and female empowerment, like “Zootopia” and “Moana,” enticed entire families. For the first time in years, a person of color is nominated in every single acting category at the Academy Awards, a stark contrast to last year, which included no people of color nominated in any acting categories.

In addition, the Academy has since made an effort to celebrate diversity behind the camera. For the first time in Oscar history, three non-white writers, Barry Jenkins, August Wilson and Tarell Alvin McCraney, were nominated for best screenplay. Joi Mcmillon became the first black woman to be nominated in the editing category for her work on “Moonlight,” while Bradford Young became the second black creator to be nominated in the cinematography category for his work on “Arrival.”

Both celebrities and activists alike have celebrated the diverse Oscar nominations. However, many other people still don’t understand why it is so important that Hollywood celebrates

more diverse people and stories in the first place.

One of the major criticisms of last years #oscarsowhite campaign was that celebrities and activists alike hadn’t put enough effort into far more urgent and necessary humanitarian causes than the Oscars. After all, does anyone really care about award shows when there are far bigger issues to worry about?

The answer is yes: millions of little boys and girls around the world care.

This is why representation is so important.

Historically, minorities have been represented horrendously on TV, in the news, and in most professions, particularly academically-focused ones.

Asian people are often portrayed as the white protagonists’ nerdy and socially awkward friend; storylines centered on women rely heavily on the presence of a male; and black and Hispanic people are portrayed as thugs and prisoners. If we perpetuate these stereotypes, in real life, people will live what they’re told to be true. Life imitates art.

We have a responsibility to all the boys and girls watching to celebrate diverse stories, and that we reward a diverse group of actors. Imagine the millions of young black girls around the world watching the true story of black women excelling at math and working at NASA. Imagine the awe on young South Asian boys faces when they see Dev Patel accept an Oscar in front of millions of people.

Representation matters because by telling these particular stories and showing these people in a positive light, the boundaries set by harmful stereotypes are erased. Yes, black women can put an astronaut on the moon.

Yes, Polynesian girls can save an entire

island. Yes, young boys from South Asia can travel the world in search of their family using modern technology.

Representation matters.

In fact, representation is not only vital to how someone sees their own selves, but also how we see each other.

It is human nature to have internal biases about outside groups of people.

Film has the ability to introduce us to people we have never met and shape our opinion of them completely.

According to author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 2009 TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” her move from Africa to America for college brought on certain challenges because people had this preconceived notion of what African people were like. On the first day of college, Adichie’s roommate asked her to play her tribal music, even though she only had Mariah Carey on her iPod. A single story shapes the assumptions and stereotypes we have about a person. If Hollywood continues to tell the same type of stories about the same type of people, these people will only be seen in a shallow, limited lense.

In the past, the Oscars have been known to only award movies about the black experience that centered around slavery and segregation, such as “12 Years a Slave” and “The Help.”

However, this single story is outdated, and no longer the reality of so many black people today. By awarding films such as “Moonlight,” “Hidden Figures” and “Fences,” the Academy is not just awarding a single story, but rather all different types of people living all different types of lives. True diversity lies in the stories being told, and this year, in the spirit of “Fences,” the Oscars knocked it out of the park.

Unfortunately, the Academy’s new found celebration of diversity is not representative of Hollywood as a whole.

According to The Center for Study of Women in Television and Film, women only account for 13 percent of writers, 13 percent of directors and 9 percent of cinematographers.

According to a 2012 Los Angeles Times study, 94 percent of Oscar voters are white and 77 percent are male. Black and Latino people make up less than 4 percent of the academy.

Although, these numbers may have improved slightly since the studies were taken, the Academy Award Nominations do reflect them relatively well.

No women were nominated for directing, and no Hispanic actors or Middle Eastern actors were nominated in a major acting category either. Only one Asian actor, Dev Patel, was nominated for a major acting role. Clearly, as far as we’ve gone, we have even farther to go.

This is the root of the Oscars diversity problem. The Academy Awards are representative of the year’s best cinema, and they cannot nominate or award diversity if the films of that year do not themselves represent diversity.

The movies of 2016 have officially debunked the myth that films centering on the stories of marginalized groups are not marketable, yet the opportunity to tell their story is still rarely afforded. Hollywood has to continue to buy scripts from women and people of color, and they have to continue to tell their stories.

Whether or not the Academy Awards represent a societal shift or not, one thing is clear; In the words of Academy Award winning Actress Viola Davis, “[one] cannot win an [award] for roles that are simply not there.”

February 21, 2017

Arts

Netflix Remake Portrays Latinos Accurately

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By Eugenia Cardinale Editor-in-Chief Emiliana Cardinale Production Manager

“This is it. This is life. The one you get.”

The new Netflix original series, “One Day At a Time” (ODAAT), took the Netflix universe by storm Jan. 6. The show, which is a remake of the 1975 sitcom by the same name, is about three generations of a Cuban-American family living in the United States. It tells the story of a single mother, who is a war veteran and a nurse, as she raises her two kids.

The show tackles a broad array of topics from immigration to quinceaneras.

As Latinas watching the show, we feel that the show fairly represents Latinos in a quirky and fun manner without belittling the serious issues that plague the world today. Particularly, in today’s political climate, negative stereotypes about Latinos and other minorities are still prevalent in both the news as well as entertainment.

“I feel like usually Latinos are represented in the media in a negative way, usually as drug dealers or gang members,” senior Augusto Iglesias said.

“I would like to see them as educated human beings who are capable of being leaders and much more.”

Shows like ODAAT are important because they help portray Latinos in a more positive light. Showing the everyday lives of Latinos humanizes us.

Instead of just being a blanket group of people, we are actual human beings and stories like the one in ODAAT shows that to the viewers.

While humor is a common thread throughout the show, ODAAT does a wonderful job of keeping the humor sensitive and conscious.

For example, the daughter, Elena’s (Isabella Gomez) friend, Carmen, has parents who are undocumented immigrants, and while that storyline is not dramatically tragic, it doesn’t under-

PHOTO BY EMILIANA CARDINALE.

“One Day At A Time” premiered on Netflix Jan. 6. It is a modern remake of the 1975 show of the same name and tackles many hard-hitting issues of today. mine the pain and suffering that many deal with when it comes to immigration struggles either.

ODAAT highlights the differences between generations in immigrant families. While older generations tend to hold on to their native culture more, first and second generation immigrants create their own identity by combining parts of their native culture with those of American culture.

Elena embraces the parts of her

Cuban identity to which she relates, while also being very American. This is a common struggle for those who are multicultural. One learns to embrace the parts of their cultures that they like while also forming their own culture.

As Venezuelan immigrants who grew up in the United States, we, too, struggle with the mixing of two cultures. We have grown up learning American culture, but still try to maintain our Venezuelan roots.

ODAAT is also fantastic with how it deals with LGBT issues. Realistically, not everyone is going to be react well to a family member coming out, especially typical Catholic-Latino households. The show portrays Elena’s coming-out process in a very organic and realistic way.

The show naturally portrays Latinos accurately and respectively while integrating important conversations and topics. We would recommend the show to anyone looking for a feel-good, but emotional show to binge watch.

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February 21, 2017

‘Series of Unfortunate Events’ Delights Viewers

By Nora Holland Contest Manager

If you are looking for a new way to relieve stress after a tedious day of school, look no further than “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” the newest binge-worthy show on Netflix.

Jan. 13, “A Series of Unfortunate Events” arrived on Netflix. Based off of the well-known young adult book series by Daniel Handler under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket, the eight episodes follow the Baudelaire children: Violet, played by Malina Weissman, Klaus, played by Louis Hynes, and Sunny, played by Presley Smith, as they encounter one tragedy after another. “[The show] follows the books very well though it sometimes goes overboard with its style,” senior Maxim Goohs said.

The story begins when the Baudelaire’s house is mysteriously destroyed in a fire, leaving them parentless and in the hands of clueless banker Mr. Poe, played by K. Todd Freeman. The children are then put into the hands of Count Olaf, played by Neil Patrick Harris, a mischievous actor determined to get his hands on the Baudelaire fortune.

The original 13 book series was published from Sep. 1999 to Oct. 2006. Each book focuses on the children’s many adventures as they escape from Count Olaf and live with countless strange relatives. Throughout the series, secrets and mysteries present themselves, including murder and secret codes, suggesting a secret organization whose purpose is never revealed. Snicket narrates the story and seems to have many secrets of his own, such as a connection to the Baudelaires..

The books were very popular around the time they were published. The first book in the series won awards such as the Colorado Children’s Book Award, an award created to encourage children’s involvement in reading, and the Nene Award, an award which promotes reading and the discussion of literature.

“I really liked the little clues the

PHOTO COURTESY CREATIVE COMMONS.

The new Netflix show “Series of Unfortunate Events” is based on the popular book series of the same name. books had in them that alluded to the next book in the series,” Goohs said.

The show itself focuses on the first four books in the series. The plot strays from the books in order to keep viewers guessing what unfortunate twist the story will take next. Well-known actors make appearances in several episodes including Will Arnett and Joan Cusack as Father and Justice Strauss and Daniel Handler as a fishmonger.

“My favorite character is probably Count Olaf, just because I think he

would be a difficult character to play and Harris does such a great job at him and all his disguises,” senior Jeremy Durman said.

The music in each episode aligns perfectly with the rise and fall of the show’s action. The music is goofy but haunting, flawlessly matching the dark humor of the show. The theme song, sung by Harris, foreshadows what is going to happen in each episode and changes every time.

According to a Jan. 19 Business Insid-

er article, Netflix has not yet confirmed whether or not “A Series of Unfortunate Events” will have a second season, however Handler has begun writing it.

Directors Barry Sonnenfeld and Harris are also in favor of one.

“I would definitely be down for second season,” Durman said. “The show draws you in and easily makes you want more.”

The Observer’s Must Read Book Recommendations

By Jenna Greenzaid Circulation Manager Sai Sreenivasan Observations Editor

When it comes to finding a good book to dedicate yourself to, there is an overwhelming number to choose from. We’ve narrowed down the list with suggestions, from staff and students alike, of books that you’ll be sure to enjoy.

“Legend” by Marie Lu Although dystopian novels have become commonplace, “Legend” has been distinguished from the pack as a 2011 New York Times Bestseller. Lu tells of a dystopian future in which a military prodigy named June and wanted criminal named Day cross paths. Their connection begins a tale full of action, suspense and a hint of romance.

According to a Dec. 2011 New York Times article, “Legend” delivers a

PHOTO BY JENNA GREENZAID.

Copies of these reccomendations can be found at the CHS Media Center.

thrilling yet believable adventure.

“I liked legend because it was really well written and had a unique storyline,” sophomore Jessie Ma said. “I would recommend it to anyone who liked the ‘Divergent’ and ‘The Hunger Games’ series.”

“Everything Everything” by Nicola Yoon “Everything Everything,” is about the coming-of-age of 18-year-old Madeline Whittier. Whittier suffers from Severe Combined Immunodeficiency which renders her incapable of leaving home. She doesn’t dare leave her home, that is, until her new neighbor, Olly, moves in. This novel is a 20162017 Black Eyed Susan nominee.

“How it Went Down” by Kekla Magoon Kekla Magoon draws her readers in with a relevant narrative of a teenage shooting in which 16-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds. “How it Went Down” draws upon current and past racial tensions to form a captivating yet heart-wrenching novel.

The novels centers around the the shooting and the questions it raised.

It is told through the perspectives of Johnson’s close friends as well as the person who shot him. Magoon’s novel brings to light the aftermath of such an event in a close knit community.

“Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas “Throne of Glass” is a gripping fantasy novel that satisfies the wants

of those interested in a confident and independent heroine. Throughout the Novel, Maas details daring assassin Celaena Sardothien’s life as well as her struggles, which end up residing with readers for quite a while after the book is over. Sardothien’s guile and wit, specifically during the King’s competition for a champion to do his bidding, adds flair and adventure to both the character and the novel.

“The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown Dan Brown draws in readers from his first words. In “The Da Vinci Code,” Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon embarks on a quest to learn the truth about a secret society that is moments away from being lost forever to history.

“I really like this book because there is so much history while still being a fiction book,” sophomore Lena Mojsiak said. “It’s a very fast-paced and exciting story. The suspense is ongoing and makes you eager to read more.”

“Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be” by Frank Bruni In this work of nonfiction, Frank Bruni reassures not only students and parents, but people of all ages that the craze brought by college admissions does not define a person’s future and, in fact, means much less than other factors that contribute to a person’s life.

“It’s a must read for juniors and seniors,” AP Literature teacher Jeff Savett said.

February 21, 2017

Sports

17

Coaching Continuity Strengthens CHS Teams

By Will Hyland Production Editor With a combined 12 titles over the past decade, the CHS ice hockey, girls soccer and boys lacrosse teams have been three of the most successful teams at CHS. The reason for the success, however, isn’t entirely due to an overflow in all-met talent.

All three teams have found success through lack of change in their coaching staffs.

“Maintaining continuity in an athletic program of any kind is vital to its long term success,” boys lacrosse head coach Jeffrey Fritz said. “For the coaching staff, we all understand each other’s abilities and work as well with each other off the field as our players have to on the field.”

Varsity I ice hockey head coach Ray Mckenzie echoed Fritz’s sentiments, emphasizing that retaining a similar staff from past seasons is vital to the team’s success.

“All of our coaches are on the same page as far as teaching the kids how to play the right way, what we expect of the kids both on and off the ice, what systems we use which are the same through all three teams,” Mckenzie said. “The kids are familiar with the coaching styles and what we expect, so it makes things run smoother for sure.”

Keeping his staff together has worked wonders for Mckenzie, helping CHS dominate competition over the past decade.

According the Montgomery Student High School League, CHS has been to six state title games, winning five of them, during Mckenzie’s 12 year tenure. Both of those totals are by far the most of any other school over that time span.

Girls soccer head coach Haroot Hakopian, who completed his 15th season as head coach this past fall, believes that although retaining the same staff

does help, there are other factors that contribute to the team’s success.

“It is important to maintain continuity in a coaching staff but it is even more important to have a well established foundation and expectations that go beyond simply the people who coach a team,” Hakopian said.

Girls soccer has been highly successful over the last four years, compiling a 43-7-5 record and reaching the Maryland 4A state semi-finals in 2015.

Fritz, who is entering his 25th season as head coach, has also enjoyed a

great deal of success helping CHS become one of the top teams in state over the last few years.

According to a May 19 Bethesda Magazine article, CHS has won four Class 4A/3A West Region titles over the past five seasons, reaching the state championship game in 2015.

However a prime example of how lack of continuity in the coaching staff can negatively affect the results on the field is varsity football.

According to the Washington Post, CHS has compiled a 3-16 record over

the past two seasons and has just hired their third head coach, former CHS defensive coordinator Willie Williams, in as many seasons after head coach Albert Song stepped down for personal reasons.

In contrast, Fritz hopes to continue to maintain the stability hoping it may lead to a possible state championship.

“This continuity will help future teams and hopefully bring us a state championship,” Fritz said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZACH JACOBS.

Senior Andrew Kurapov skates toward the goal in a Jan. 27 game agaisnt Wootton. The Bulldogs won 6-3 and clinched first place for the playoffs.

Sports

18

February 21, 2017

Wrestling Team Sets CHS All-Time Record

By Ethan C. Miller Online Sports Editor The CHS varsity wrestling team is making history this season after starting the year with a 16 match winning streak, a CHS record.

The team has enjoyed an outstanding season thus far, with 13 wins and two losses in county play as of Feb. 9.

Their only losses came on Jan. 24 and Feb. 8, both against Damascus, the defending state champion. CHS was able to defeat Northwest at the 4A/3A west dual wrestling meet before falling short against Damascus.

“This season has gone excellently,” senior and captain Liam Yilma Lehr said. “I’m very proud of this team.

Every week we are setting records, making CHS history.”

Although the team’s season has gone well so far, assistant coach Tony Howard believes that the team is capable of taking their game to the next level.

“This year, the team has performed well, but not to our full potential,” Howard said.

Howard’s goals for the team this year include winning the division and sending as many wrestlers to states as

possible. The team has met Howard’s first goal by winning the 4A/3A west division and is aiming to achieve the second.

Junior MacKenzie Ballman agrees with Howard that despite the team’s success, they still have a lot to work on in order to keep their momentum going.

“As a team we have been doing extremely well, but almost all of us have individual losses,” Ballman said. “We can be happy about what we accomplished as a team, but we all take those individual losses very seriously and work extremely hard to better ourselves from each loss.”

Although each wrestler receives an individual score, the team’s strength has allowed them to focus less on individual victories and instead on the performance of the team as a whole.

“Knowing that you have a strong group of guys on your team can really make all the difference on the mat,” junior Chris Ervin said. “It makes your own individual match less stressful, because you know that everyone else on the team is able to go out on the mat, and do what they need to do to win. I feel like that trust in each other has helped us start this year off strong.”

Along with Lehr, junior captains Jack Connolly and Andrew Welch have positively impacted the team this season with their strong leadership and performance on the mat.

“One of the most impactful people this year has been Jack Connolly, who has proven himself to be an excellent leader as well as an excellent wrestler,” Lehr said. “Andrew Welch is another wrestler that comes to mind as an impactful leader with his con-

sistent strong finishes and charisma.”

In addition to the team’s performance, the success of this season can be equally credited to the tight bond that the team has formed over the course of the season.

“I’d have to say that my favorite part of this year’s team is how close we all are,” Ervin said. “It’s the perfect blend of respect and friendship that has made this team really fun to be a part of.”

P H O TO C O U RT E S Y O F D A N A L P E RT.

Junior Andrew Welch wrestles in a recent meet. He is credited as a team leader by fellow wrestlers.

Club Teams are Different Experience than School Sports

By Nathan Deychman Online Editor-in-Chief

PHOTO COURTESY OF KARIS LEE.

Karis Lee runs for her club team, in addition to sprinting for CHS. Richard Ying flies down the ice looking to make a play. He fires towards the goal and scores his eleventh goal of the season. Ying, a versatile contributor to the CHS Varsity I hockey team as a senior, is in his first season playing for CHS in over two years due to club team obligations, and it has been hugely beneficial for the Bulldogs.

Being a talented athlete can be very rewarding, allowing student-athletes to play for club teams outside of school, providing the opportunity to get better and gain more exposure from the higher levels of their respective sports.

“I get to compete amongst some of the fastest girls in the country with my club team,” sophomore Karis Lee,

a sprinter for the CHS Track & Field team, said.

Some athletes like Lee compete for club teams in the offseason in order to stay in shape, but the level of competition can also be much higher, making the sport more competitive. Club teams also provide the opportunity for athletes to play with other teammates and friends.

“It is very cool to be able to play on the school team and play with my friends at the same time,” sophomore Michael Janis, a varsity basketball player, said. “I am lucky to have the experience of playing with both teams.”

Ying found that it was difficult to keep his energy levels up playing for multiple teams, but also believes that it helped him improve his game.

“Playing for two teams made me play better because of the extra practice and exposure to the ice,” Ying said. “However, at times it was kind of exhausting having practices in the afternoon and then again in the morning the next day. I did not get much sleep during the week.”

Competing for club teams can help athletes increase their opportunities to play at a higher level and compete against stronger competition than they may face on their respective school teams.

“I have to miss some practices and games for my school team because of commitments to my club team,” senior Andrew Kurapov, a hockey player, said.

“If there are ever conflicts, my club team comes first.”

On the other hand, athletes can injure themselves while playing for other teams, putting their school seasons in jeopardy. While there are risks and sacrifices that come with competing for teams outside of school, it is beneficial to play for multiple teams, as in the long run it helps the athlete improve and in turn, contribute more to their respective school teams because of that club exposure.

“I do not like to think that I get exhausted because I love playing, and when I’m on the ice, I could stay there forever, so I love playing for multiple teams,” Kurapov said.

Vandalism Destroys School Property, not Athletic Performance

By Ben Dross Sports Editor Graffiti has often been used as the coward’s tool for inciting trash talk. In light of the current graffiti incidences which occurred at WJ and CHS, it is finally time to put this method of taunting to rest.

It all began on Friday Jan. 27, when CHS students arrived at school to find some choice words painted on the track and all over Sheperd stadium. The graffiti included tags related to a group called “The Madcows.” A few days later the WJ campus was also vandalized.

The total cost of the damage to both schools totalled over $100,000.

The vandals have yet to be identified and it has not been determined who they were or what their motives were. Regardless, the whole situation is ridiculous, and the unprecedented graffiti attacks are ineffective. This kind of behavior has no place in high school

sports, and this should be the last time this kind of disrespect occurs.

Vandalism is a crude, illegal, and quite frankly expensive way to attempt to show superiority over an opponent.

The vandalism attacks are also ineffective. Prior to a football game against Whitman, some WJ students vandalized their track as well. This did not seem to have an effect on the Whitman football players, however, as they proceeded to thrash the Wildcats, 34-7.

Some spray paint on a field that is not even in use this season is not going to accomplish anything. I guarantee the athletes aren’t the slightest bit bothered.

If anything, both schools athletes will probably be even sharper now, in an attempt to defend their honor against the graffiti damage that was caused. In fact, in the basketball games that the vandalism is considered to be linked to, CHS won both games by double digits, with the boys varsity team winning 67-56 and the girls varsity team 76-40.

This proves that the vandalism does not impact performance.

There are ways to be good rivals without destructiveness. Other, better alternatives include loud noises and elaborate cheers when a large amount of fans show up to games. Due to the vandalism however, both schools have their students under watch, bringing heavy security presence to games. While extra precautions are necessary at times like this, such tight security can make games less enjoyable for students and ultimately dampen school spirit.

Some schools have developed creative methods to display school spirit.

For example QO has a “red army” that travels with their teams, and it has correlated to success. This is the name for their intense student section, with many spirited students supporting sports teams across all competition. Their basketball team has a record of 17-1, best in the county. Maybe WJ and CHS should take a page from their book.

If both schools could instead prioritize fan engagement and increase their spirit, it could incentivize a more effective and positive environment for

both teams. It’s always tougher to win on the road, so building a positive and spirited homecourt could be the answer for both teams.

P H O TO B Y B E N D R O S S.

Vandalism on a sign leading into Shepard Stadium at CHS.

19

Sports

February 21, 2017

Swim and Dive Finds Success at Metros Meet

By Kyle Emery Sports Editor

Coming off a successful 4-1 regular season, CHS swim and dive team plans to utilize their previous momentum in order to battle against some of the toughest teams from both private and public schools in the Metros Division One meet.

Metros, one of the most intense competitions in the area, has CHS swim team planning to compete in hopes of achieving one of the top rankings for both boys and girls.

“Both our boys and girls teams have a realistic chance to place in the top three at Metros,” head coach Christopher Tappis said. “Considering all the private schools that participate in this meet, that would be a tremendous accomplishment.”

With the addition of incoming freshmen to the roster this year, captains and seniors Hanan Bandak, Zack Einhorn, Matt Tiberino and Emily Wang have all been attempting to make this transition as smooth as possible for the team. The captains focus not only on introducing new strategies, but working on communicating with all the swimmers, in order to create potential bonds and friendships.

“I tried to get to know the new teammates’ names and talk to them as much as I could in the beginning,” Tiberino said.

Often, teams find themselves in a pickle between finding new swimmers to fill the void left behind by graduating seniors from the previous season, but for the swim team, this wasn’t a problem.

“We have had a really good team this year,” Einhorn said. “The team gained a bunch of new freshmen this year, so we are a lot better.”

As far as strategies go for the team, Tappis has allowed certain swimmers to compete in more than one event

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEB LINDSEY.

Senior David Chang swims butterfly at Metros. The boys team placed second and the girls came in third. this year. This helps to create a varied approach against different teams they faced throughout the season, as well as giving swimmers an opportunity to swim in different events that they usually aren’t assigned to.

“A lot of our swimmers are very versatile,so I can put them in different events each week,” Tappis said.

“This makes it difficult for other teams to prepare for us because they don’t know who will be swimming what.”

During the regular season, the team dominated a majority of the county, with one loss against the defending state champions, Richard Montgomery for the boys and a loss against Walter

Athlete Commits

By Kyle Emery Sports Editor Senior Kendall Hamilton has committed to play soccer for UNC Charlotte starting next year.

Hamilton completed her second year on the CHS soccer team, prior to playing at Albert Einstein, this past fall, and has used both her success at CHS and her current club team, Maryland United FC, to account for the offer she received.

“I owe my coaches from my old club Bethesda, my c u r rent club, Maryland United FC, m y high school coach, and all of my teammates from all of these teams a huge thank

you,” Hamilton said. “Everyone I have come in contact with has bettered me in some way and has helped to shape the player and person I am today.”

The stakes

are high when competing at the college level and for Hamilton, this set of new challenges she will face when playing at UNC Charlotte will only help to improve her, both physically and mentally.

“By the time I furnish my college soccer career, I want to be in the best physical shape of my life,” H a m i l t o n said.

“I will

strive for my highest athletic, technical, tactical potential. As a player I just want to improve and learn the game better than I do now.”

Senior Kendall Hamilton committed to play soccer for UNC Charlotte, starting next year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BUCK PHILLIPS.

Johnson for the girls.

“We’re not going to be able to beat our top opponents by huge margins, so every point counts and every swimmer contributes,” Bandak said.

Prior to the conclusion of the regular season, the team was able to then evaluate strategies that were both deemed successful or unsuccessful, in order to take further advantage of success and correct their mistakes when preparing both physically and mentally for Metros.

According to Tiberino, the biggest competitors for the team during Metro’s includes Gonzaga, which won Metros last year, Richard Montgom-

ery, last year’s state champions, and Georgetown Prep, another major competitor.

“It’s a pretty fast meet, so I hope to see some best times and some excited cheering,” Bandak said. “The goal for the girls and boys teams is to win Metros, but it’s going to be very close and every swim is going to count.”

Overall, Metro’s was a success for both the boys and girls teams. With their collaborative effort, the boys team finished second, with a score of 324, 50 points behind Gonzaga. The girls team finished third with a score of 273, behind both Sherwood and Walter Johnson, the first place finisher.

Montgomery County Public Schools Winston Churchill High School 11300 Gainsborough Rd. Potomac, MD 20854

thechurchillobserver.com

February 21, 2017

Volume 41 - Issue 5

By Sophie Liss Social Media Editor Nine years ago, junior Jack Connolly became a wrestler, a long-standing tradition in the Connolly family. Today, he is ranked third in the Washington Post’s All-Met wrestling team for his weight class and recently won first place at the Jan. 23 Paint Branch tournament, in addition to being named the tournament’s “outstanding wrestler.”

Connolly’s dad wrestled in Illinois, and his grandfather and uncles also wrestled.

“I started wrestling in second grade,” Connolly said. “It’s been in my family forever, so it was kind of inevitable for me to start.”

Earlier this year, Connolly won tournaments at both Richard Montgomery and Chantilly High School in Virginia. Connolly added these impressive achievements to his already outstanding resume from last year, which included finishing fourth in his weight class at the 4A-3A tournament, and being runner-up in both the county and state tournaments.

Although Connolly has had tremendous success throughout his CHS career, it has not come easily. He has fought major injuries over the past three years, which have only

made him more determined to reach his future wrestling goal of winning states.

“I missed my entire freshman season so I have to work a lot harder to achieve the goals I want,” Connolly said.

Connolly has faced numerous obstacles, but always with enormous poise and concentration.

“What impresses me the most about Jack is his intense focus,” senior captain Liam Lehr said. “He knows exactly what he wants and everyone in

his way finds that they don’t want to be there.”

Though he has a unique determination in striving towards his goals, this characteristic is only one of his strong suits. It’s the combination of natural ability and hard work that makes Connolly such an advantageous wrestler.

“Jack’s strengths are his extensive knowledge of the sport and his ability to maintain an intense physicality the entire match,” Lehr said.

“Jack never tires. When his opponent is gassing, he looks ready for another match.”

In addition, Connolly works hard during practice in order to be prepared for matches, always giving his best effort, compelling his teammates to work just as

A National Blue Ribbon School hard as he does.

“At practice Jack challenges himself by wrestling guys 20 to 30 pounds heavier,” head coach Timothy Lowe said. “He also always gives 100 percent effort.”

Though he has already successfully wrestled for three years, he will continue to compete for throughout the remainder of his junior year and into his senior year.

“Jack has proved himself every year,” Lehr said. “His consistent improvement doesn’t seem to have met its peak yet.”

Connolly will use his previous experience from last year’s state championship and MCPS tournament to guide him.

“My approach hasn’t changed too much,” Connolly said. “I just worked hard in the offseason to fix any imperfections to do better this year than last.”

DAWG DATA

1.33

Goals allowed per game by Varsity (I) goalie and junior Alex Plastrik, the best mark in the MSHL for any goalie.

8

Length of boys varsity b=asketball’s winning streak spanning Jan. 10 to Feb. 3, propelling them to a tie for second place in their division, as of Feb. 14

17

Average margin of victory for girls varsity basketball this season. The team is 16-3.

18.8

Points per game scored by senior guard Brad Leventhal this season.

He leads the team in scoring.

32

Points scored by forward and senior Andrew Kurapov this season, leading both CHS Varsity (1) Hockey and the MSHL.

+82 P H O TO C O U RT E S Y O F J A C K C O N N O L LY.

Junior Jack Conolly wrestles an opponent to the ground. Conolly was named “outstanding wrestler” in a tournament againt Paint Branch.

Goals differental for Varsity (I) hockey during the regular season, earning them the number 1 seed in the MSHL playoffs.

Willie Williams Named New Head Football Coach

By Max Kandel Advertising Manager Ethan C. Miller Online Sports Editor

CHS named former defensive coordinator Willie Williams as the new head varsity football coach Jan. 27, after former head coach Albert Song’s resignation.

Williams is a former NFL cornerback with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks. In 2006, he won Super Bowl XL with the Steelers.

Williams had two sons who attended CHS and both played football, with one currently playing on the Towson University football team.

“I believe in my ability to make a change in the football program,” Williams said. “Not just the football side of it but

* Re c o r d s as of 2/15

also making a change in the kids lives and the community.”

After having only four wins over the past two seasons, Williams is ready to turn the team around and get it back on the road towards success. His first goal as head coach is to have a winning record.

“The only way we can accomplish this, is how our players approach the off-season workouts,” Williams said.

“There’s an old saying: ‘Champions are made in the offseason.’”

In addition to emphasizing off-season workouts, Williams wants to shift the focus and mindset of the team for the upcoming season.

“We will definitely change things up for 2017,” Williams said. “Our practice tempo will increase, we will become more physical and we will be a more confident football team.”

Boys: 14-7 Girls: 17-5

P H O TO C O U RT E S Y O F C H U C R H I L L AT H L E T I C S.

Defensive Coordinator Willie Williams will take over as Head Football Coach.

The job opening left by Coach Song allowed first year Athletic Director Jesse Smith to interview and pick a new head football coach. The job opening gained a good amount of interest from the community.

“We had formal inter-

views with six candidates, but we received over 25 applicants for the position,” Smith said.

In the search for the new head football coach, Smith looked for someone who exemplified what it means to be a bulldog each and every day.

“We wanted a coach with varsity football experience and a coach with excellent character and who would promote high quality character onto our players,” Smith said. “We wanted a coach that was committed to our school and community.”

While the football team may not have been the most successful during Coach Song’s tenure, they were certainly taking steps in the right direction.

“I expect Coach Williams to continue to expand what Coach Song started and take it to the next level,” Smith said. “I believe Coach Williams will bring not only a winning tradition to the

14-2

program, but he will also bring a tradition of being involved in the community and making CHS proud.”

Along with Smith, the team itself is looking forward to the changes that coach Williams will implement next season.

“Everyone loves coach Williams, so I think the adjustment will be really easy,” junior Jimmy Kloke said.

With one of Coach Song’s assistants taking the helm, the transition expects to be very smooth.

“Since Coach Williams has been part of the CHS football program for so many years, I am sure the transition will be easy,” sophomore Michael Janis said. “Having Coach Williams as our head coach brings continuity and great experience that will help us to continue our growth.”

V1: 13-0-1 V2: 0-11-1