The Churchill Observer- May 2014

A National Blue Ribbon School

Monday, May 19, 2014

Unranked status shocks community

By Fiona Asbury Opinions Editor Pablo Roa Production Editor Emily Wang Circulation Manager

To the surprise and disappointment of many students and staff members, CHS was unranked in the U.S. News and World Report’s annual ranking of the best high schools in the state.

For the past three years, CHS has been the number one high school in Maryland. This year, however, CHS did not even make the list, with Walt Whitman High School at number one.

“I am very disappointed because we have been number one before,” Principal Joan Benz said.

According to Robert J. Morse, director of data research for U.S. News & World Report, CHS was not ranked because it did not pass the first step of the three-step high school selection process.

In order to qualify for the rankings, high schools first have to perform better than expected on state reading and mathematics assessments based on the proportion of students who are classified as economically disadvantaged.

Since CHS has a relatively low number of

economically disadvantaged students, it needed to score very highly on state assessments.

“In other words, Churchill just barely missed passing step one,” Morse said.

Even if CHS had completed step one, it would not have made it past step two; high schools had to have performed better than the state average for their least advantaged students. CHS had an 11.4 percent gap in the difference between the disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students who received proficient or higher on state exams.

“When they say top school in the country, they mean for all students,” Benz said.

According to Benz, CHS’ economically disadvantaged students tend to not perform as well as the rest of the school on state exams, thus creating an achievement gap. However, she assures CHS will continue to work on decreasing the gap.

Other Montgomery County schools that were not ranked this year were B-CC, previously ranked sixth, and WJ, unranked for the second year in a row, both for the same reason CHS was not ranked.

Despite CHS’ absence from the rankings, statistics show that it is still one of the top schools in Maryland. If CHS qualified for the

By Pablo Roa Production Editor

IMAGE BY PABLO ROA.

After being ranked the number one school in the state of Maryland last year, CHS did not make the 2014 rankings. rankings and was ranked based on the statistics used by the U.S. News and World Report, the school would end up either first or second in the state.

While CHS was not ranked in the U.S. News and World Report’s ratings, the school still ranked highly on another list that it has

climbed in recent years.

The Washington Post’s annual “America’s Most Challenging High Schools” rating ranked CHS as the eighth most challenging high school in the Washington D.C.-area and the 122nd most

end of his basketball career,” junior Elliot Thaker said.

Thaker, who was among

Evan’s closest friends, had a particularly difficult time coping with Evan’s death.

“It was the feeling when your heart falls out of your chest,” Thaker said.

Since Evan’s death, the community has gathered to commemorate Evan and promote suicide prevention through the formation of UMTTR, an organization created by senior Erik Roberts with the support of the Rosenstock family.

The organization hosted a basketball tournament and Fun-day in September, and has raised close to $27,000 for suicide prevention. On the 20th of the month, students wear their UMTTR shirts to support the organization and remember Evan.

“It is hard to believe that it has been almost a year,” Mr. Rosenstock said. “Maybe you go a day, you think about him, remember good things that day, and nothing causes you terrible pain that day.”

See Ranking, 3

News Departing Staff As the 2013-2014 school year comes to a close, CHS says goodbye to several staff membrs.

PAGE 2

IMAGE BY JASMINE BATEN.

Rosenstock (top left, center) is fondly remembered by family, friends and community members.

Features

PHOTO BY JASMINE BATEN.

One year ago, CHS sophomore Evan Rosenstock took his own life, leaving his family, friends and the community with broken hearts and unanswered questions.

As the anniversary passes, the community remembers Evan.

“Evan had a remarkable collection of friends to lean on and share with,” Evan’s father Howard Rosenstock said. “It always seemed that he reached out to help people.”

When news of Evan’s death spread through social media, many learned that the young man who was always there to help others could not seem to help himself.

“I truly believe that Evan had such greatness in him for such a short time,” Evan’s mother Susan Rosenstock said.

Evan suffered from depression and anxiety, and after undergoing back surgery in February 2013, he realized that he probably would not be able to

play basketball anymore.

“He wanted to keep playing, but with the surgery he saw the

Summer Books The Observer’s advice on the best books to read while on vacation this summer.

PAGE 12

PHOTO BY DANIELLE KIEFER.

One year later, CHS still remembers

By Ana Faguy News Editor

Alum, U.S. Rep to speak

Arts Extra, Extra

Observer editor stars as extra alongside One Tree Hill star in local movie.

PAGE 13

Congressman Chris Van Hollen and CHS alumnus Ashwani Jain will speak at the Class of 2014’s graduation ceremony at DAR Constitution Hall May 27.

Van Hollen, a Congressman for Maryland’s eighth district, has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2002 and serves as the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

Prior to his election to Congress 12 years ago, Van Hollen served four years in the Maryland House of Delegates and eight years in the Maryland Senate.

“I was honored to be asked to participate in the graduation ceremony, and I look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of the graduates with the Churchill community,” Van Hollen said.

Jain, who graduated from CHS in 2007, will be sharing the stage with Van Hollen. After graduation, Jain attended the University of Maryland and worked in various leadership roles for President Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. Jain currently works in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.

Along with his work for the government, Jain volunteers for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which he has been involved in since he was diagnosed with NonHodgkin’s Lymphoma at 13.

“I understand the importance of knowing and appreciating where you come from, and I feel proud that I am able to give back to a community that has given me so much,” Jain said.

Class of 2014 President Amy Dalrymple believes that this year’s speakers will not only provide a unique opportunity for the graduating class, but will also provide a proper send-off for the seniors as they finish their high school careers.

“I think it is great that we can have not only a Congressman, but also a Churchill alum who has been very successful, speak at graduation,” English teacher and Class of 2014 sponsor Shelley Perrett said. “Hopefully they will leave a strong message for the seniors and inspire them to follow their dreams and succeed.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN SUETINGER

Volume 38 - Issue 9

News

2

Monday, May 19, 2014

theObserver

Teachers say goodbye to CHS after years of teaching

PHOTO BY GIL JACOBSON.

Gayle Jones

rant or hotel by the ocean, and I really hope she gets it because she’s probably one of the best teachers I’ve ever had,” junior and incoming Spanish Honor Society secretary Crystal Mehdizadeh said.

According to Jones, she will miss the classroom interaction with her students the most when she retires.

“That has always been the best part of the job,” Jones said. “Not the homework, not even the things you do with your colleagues, that’s what I’ve always enjoyed the most, and that’s what I will miss.”

While this is the end of her teaching career, Jones plans to continue working in some capacity post-retirement.

“I don’t have a specific plan at the moment, but I’m also not a stay-athome-person,” Jones said. “So I will definitely be working to supplement my income. I’m open to suggestions.”

By Gil Jacobson News Editor After 35 years at CHS, Spanish teacher Gayle Jones will retire at the end of June.

CHS hired Jones for her first teaching job in February 1979 after another employee was transferred.

“Spanish isn’t the only thing I’ve taught,” Jones said. “I was a double major in college so I’m dual certified in Spanish and political science. I have taught U.S. History and there used to be a course called Law-Related Education, and I’ve taught NSL Government and Spanish 1, 2, 3 and 4.”

Jones has also been involved with several extracurricular activities at CHS. “During my time here, I have also sponsored three different classes through their years at Churchill,” Jones said. “The Class of ‘82, the Class of ‘93 and the Class of ‘98.”

Jones is also the staff sponsor of “Los hispanocharlantes,” CHS’ chapter of the National Spanish Honor Society.

According to Jones, fellow Spanish teacher Kristin Beheler will be taking over that responsibility, along with the help of Spanish teacher Stacye Steele-Yue. “I remember she once told my class about how she wanted to open a restau-

Churchill,” Schilling said. “One of the best things that I have experienced here is the dedication and ability of the students.”

Schilling has a reputation for engaging his students in order to create a more comfortable learning environment that students remember and appreciate long down the road.

“My favorite aspect was the balance between entertainment and education,” junior Annie Fang said. “Mr. Schilling taught NSL in a distinct way that made it fun but simultaneously enlightening. Not only did he know the curriculum like the back of his hand, but he also went out of his way to ensure that every single student really understood the material.”

Though Schilling will be missed by students and teachers alike, the AP NSL community will suffer the most from his departure.

“Mr. Schilling has really developed the AP NSL program into something upcoming sophomores are excited to take,” AP NSL and Asian Studies teacher Lallitha John said. “He has a tremendous amount of knowledge and loves to teach this age group, and is very passionate about both. It’s hard to lose someone who has the same vision, as a colleague and friend.”

PHOTO BY ANA FAGUY.

Matt Schilling

By Ana Faguy News Editor

After 11 years, AP NSL and U.S. History teacher Matthew Schilling will be leaving CHS at the end of this school year.

Schilling will be moving Salt Lake City, Utah where he will teach government, psychology and geography at Alta High School.

“When I was talking to my wife about applying to schools, I realized that I would never find one like

PHOTO BY JULIA HEIMLICH.

Jeffrey Wolf

By Julia Heimlich Features Editor

After dedicating 14 years of his life to teaching at CHS, Jeffrey Wolf will

be retiring this June.

Wolf worked as a special education teacher in the Bridge program and also helped manage props backstage for CHS theater productions.

“If you’re going to work at a high school, you might as well work at Churchill,” Wolf said. “When September rolls around, I won’t be waking up early or writing lesson plans anymore, and I’m not sure how that’ll feel. Right now I’m doing everything for the last time.”

According to Wolf, he enjoyed working in the Bridge program with students who were more challenging to teach because of the students’ various needs.

“I relate to their challenges and struggles, so I’m able to help them maximize their abilities,” Wolf said.

Aside from working in an academic department, Wolf discovered his appreciation for theater shortly after he began teaching at CHS. “It’s amazing watching the transition of a production as it goes from getting the script, to collecting the props, and to seeing the actual performance,” Wolf said.

According to Wolf, some of his former students will contact him after they graduate and tell him how much he has influenced them, even after high school.

“The best part of being a teacher is having former students,” Wolf said.

“It’s hearing about what they’ve accomplished and knowing you must’ve done something right.”

After retirement, he looks forward to resting, traveling and volunteering at Black Rock Theater in Germantown.

He hopes to keep in touch with the students he taught.

“I like him mostly because he’s strict,” junior Max Sandler said. “It’s an odd thing to say because most students don’t like that about a teacher, but he reinforced the rules and kept things intact. I’ve learned to love him over the years, and I’ll never forget him.”

Technology teachers Dennis Bucci and David Hurless are also retiring but declined an interview with the Observer.

MCPS students march to close the achievement gap

By Alissa Li Observations Editor

A sea of black and purple t-shirts flooded the streets of Rockville April 27, each shirt branded with the words “United Are We.” Students marched through the streets, raising awareness of the achievement gap and a program to combat it.

The Minority Scholars Program (MSP) organized this march to close the growing academic achievement gap, a difference in academic achievements due to different students’ socioeconomic backgrounds, between Black and Hispanic students and their Caucasian and Asian peers.

“The March to Close the Gap was an unbelievable success,” said Michael Williams, one of the MSP’s founding members and a Walter Johnson High School teacher. “The event was inspiration, fun and informative. It definitely accomplished our goals of raising awareness, highlighting the successes of the MSP and garnering support from the community stakeholders.”

The MSP’s success, however, does not lie in the entire program itself.

It relies on the individual schools within the MSP, according to Williams. Currently, there are 10 MSP chapters in Montgomery County, and the program continues to expand

throughout MCPS. “Our real work at closing the gap is in the individual schools within the MSP,” Williams said. “Our student leaders organize college trips, speakers, do tutoring in the high school and feeder middle schools, encourage others to take high-level courses and actively get involved in student leadership.”

As MCPS schools and its students begin to rally for closing the gap, MCPS headquarters is also continuing its work to solve the problem of the achievement gap.

“There is much work to be done, but our investments continue our multiyear plan to increase student achievement for every single student and make sure they are prepared to thrive in their future,” said MCPS communication specialist Gboyinde Onijala. “The resources we have asked for in the FY ‘15 budget will enable us to continue our work to narrow and ultimately close the achievement gap and to create schools that provide the best possible education for every child.”

With the increasing awareness of the achievement gap, MCPS is working with the community to close the gap for good.

“Closing the gap positively changes the culture,” Williams. “It brings us closer to a nation in which all children are given full opportunity and access to succeed.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF HANNAH ADDIS.

Students held a march April 27 to protest the growing achievement gap.

Leaders viewed the march as a success and look to MCPS for support.

Monday, May 19, 2014

News

theObserver

3

Meet the candidates for District 16 delegate

By Emily Birnbaum Senior Writer Sammi Silber Editor-in-Chief

Candidates for District 16’s representative to the Maryland House of Delegates will square off in a primary election June 24.

The winner will move on to the General Election Nov. 4. With the Primary right around the corner, the Observer sat down with the two Democratic candidates.

Marc Korman

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK KORMAN.

Marc Korman, a Richard Montgomery alumnus and lawyer at Litigation Practice in Washington, D.C., hopes to solve many problems affecting the CHS community. He would like to primarily focus on helping Maryland’s economy.

“I believe the most important issue

Jordan Cooper

is sustainable economic growth and prosperity,” Korman said. “To thrive economically we need to maintain our strong schools and improve our transportation network.”

If elected, Korman hopes to focus on improving education, transportation and the environment in District 16.

According to Korman, though the MCPS system is the largest and fastestgrowing school system in the state, making up 17 percent of the state’s schools, it receives only about 11 percent of state school construction funds.

“We must allocate more state dollars for local school construction,” Korman said.

Korman has also pledged his full support of Superintendent Joshua Starr’s recent announcement in support of later start times for high school students, and he would also like to address the need for increased resources in the special needs and ESOL programs.

Korman hopes that environmental reform will come with his campaign.

According to Korman, he hopes to “increase the generation of renewable energy,” making it easier for “home and business owners” to have their own “renewable energy projects.”

Jordan Cooper, a Walter Johnson alumnus, serves as the president of the Luxmanor Citizens Association and a member on the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board. He also served as a legislative aide, or staffer, for a delegate of the Maryland General Assembly in 2003.

“I am the only candidate who was born and raised in District 16,” Cooper said.

In terms of educational reform, Cooper supports increased school construction to provide for the rising population in many schools, including CHS, and to end MCPS’ reliance on portables.

“The growing rate for CHS is high,” Cooper said. “I want to address overcrowding to ensure room for every

child in every classroom.”

In addition, Cooper would also like to expand language immersion programs for elementary students, increase funding for art programs, increase public service job opportunities for high school graduates and bring voter registration drives to MCPS schools. Cooper also promises that he would pay special attention to the CHS arts department.

“I’d like to support funding for the arts, making sure those aren’t cut,” Cooper said.

If elected as Delegate, Cooper has also envisioned a public service project to help high school graduates find employment directly after college. For those who choose to not go to college or pursue a gap year, Cooper plans to create a voluntary public service corps.

According to Cooper, the service corps is for all Marylanders under age 26 with certain qualifications that would provide 18 months of internships with state contractors working on state infrastructure projects. The program gives high school and college graduates “opportunities to serve the country and the state” while it also “developing the future work force.”

Finally, Cooper supports reducing the achievement gap, raising employment opportunities for Marylanders and most importantly, reducing costs of health care.

“I think it is the most vital measure of a high school that can be done nationally, since the AP, IB and AICE programs are available to all schools,” Matthews said.

“Previously, schools have been rated by test scores, usually the SAT, but that is much more a measure of the average incomes of the school’s parents than the quality of the teaching at the school.”

This year’s ratings not only ranked CHS highly at the local level, but they also place it in the top 1 percent nationally, an accomplishment that Principal Joan Benz credits to the school’s hard-working students.

“Churchill students are very serious

about taking challenging courses in high school,” Benz said. “Our students are amazing because they have foresight in that they are doing very well here, and that they are also preparing themselves well for college admissions.”

Despite ranking highly in the ratings and beating out schools such as B-CC, Wootton and Whitman, Benz expects CHS to continue to climb the rankings as students challenge themselves more and more each year.

“In the last few years, we have increased the numbers of AP courses and exams taken by CHS students, and that is why our students get into great schools,” Benz

said. “We are always aiming to improve because we are a very competitive school.”

Although this is not the first time CHS ranks near the top of a national high school ranking list, the Post’s ratings show how CHS students have been challenging themselves more in recent years, as the school has jumped ten places in the ranking in the last six years alone.

“Churchill is going to be a great school in any case because its families are so committed to education,” Matthews said. “I think it is even better because it is so determined, like all Montgomery County schools, to reach its average students.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDAN COOPER.

Eighth most challenging high school strives to be best From Ranking, 1 challenging in the nation.

According to the Post’s website, schools are ranked based on a “Challenge Index,” which is determined by dividing the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year by the number of seniors who graduated that year. While there are several different ways to rank high schools, according to Washington Post writer and rankings creator Jay Matthews, the ratings provide a more holistic approach to evaluating schools.

4

The Churchill

Opinions

theObserver

Monday, May 19, 2014

Observer Editors

Editors-in-Chief Katie Gauch Sammi Silber Chief Production Manager Katie Clem News Editors *Ana Faguy *Gil Jacobson Opinions Editors Fiona Asbury *Alissa Li *Emi Cardinale Observations Editor *Alissa Li Features Editors Julia Heimlich Danielle Kiefer *Ross Tananbaum *Kim Rooney *Emily Raab *Nathan Deychman Arts Editors Madison Hurr *Austin Kim *Hannah Yasharoff *Eugenia Cardinale Sports Editors Michael Fox Julia McDermott *Julia Heimlich *Thomas Atkinson *Pablo Roa *Ana Faguy Photography Editors Jasmine Baten *Pablo Roa Fact Checkers Eugenia Cardinale Ariel Levchenko * Production Editors

Managers

Advertising Manager Sophie Ascher Business Manager Daniel Miyares

Circulation Managers Emiliana Cardinale Emily Wang

School rankings neglect true performance

ILLUSTRATION BY AUSTIN KIM.

According to the U.S. News Best High Schools list, 95 percent of CHS students scored at the proficient level in English, 97 percent of students scored proficient in Algebra and CHS received a score of 85.2 in college readiness. As for our overall ranking, zero. Unranked and unrecognized, CHS is found at the bottom of the list.

Comparing our statistics to other schools in Maryland, we should have been at least in the top three, as we have been in first place for three consecutive years.

Our test scores haven’t suddenly plummeted, and we still have a huge number of students who sit for AP exams each year. In fact, our ranking has less to do with our achievements and more to do with our demographics. This skewed way of ranking schools adds to the increased focus on areas that do not directly relate to education.

It’s no secret that “richill” is a part of an affluent community.

It is also known that those with a higher socio-economic status tend to perform better in college readiness evaluations. However, when a school’s overall ranking is penalized due to the number of students with free and reduced

price lunches, there is a problem.

U.S. News sets different bars for different schools to clear based on their proportion of low-income students, and CHS just missed the high standards. While the underprivileged students at CHS performed exceedingly well, with 85.6 percent proficient overall, the 11.4 percent gap between advantagedstudentsanddisadvantaged students was also enough to cause a disturbance. However, holding a school to a much higher standard purely because of the economic status of its population is unfair. Not every student who can afford to buy his/ her own lunch is going to score high on a standardized test.

According to U.S. News director of data research Robert Morse, CHS is a very high performing school when it comes to college readiness, but it just did not meet the requirements for “performance index”—the score given based on demographics.

When looking at the list, one should expect to see the top performing schools in the college readiness category. Instead, one will see an assortment of schools at multiple levels of performance. Is a student coming

from an underprivileged school that had to meet much lower standards more prepared than a CHS student?

In most cases, the answer would be no. Our statistics prove that CHS students are getting high levels of education. A ranking that claims to present the “best high schools” should be rewarding schools that educate their students the best, no matter the students’ background.

After all, isn’t education the primary focus of a school?

For the record,

by U.S. News’ standards, four percent of students at CHS are underprivileged. The entire student body at CHS was unranked because four percent of the student population did not meet the unattainable bars set by our low percentage of need. Since the ranking pays special attention to underprivileged students, this four percent of students was deemed “more important.” Not only does this put more pressure on those students, it also takes away from the 96 percent of other students.

Granted, the “achievement gap,” or the disparity between the performances of economically disadvantaged students in

BSERVER O OPINION

College admissions shouldn’t favor race

By Katie Clem Contest Managers Production Manager Nathan Gertler Arielle Gordon

Public Relations Thomas Atkinson Nathan Deychman Hannah Yasharoff Adviser Kelly Knarr

Our Policy The Churchill Observer is published monthly by the students of Winston Churchill High School, 11300 Gainsborough Road, Potomac, Md. 20854.

Advertising and subscription rates are available by e-mailing churchillobserver@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 assure 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.

The Observer is a public forum for the purpose of expressing the views of and informing the Churchill student body.

relation to their peers, is a pressing issue in education throughout the country. However, if “closing the achievement gap” means giving extra resources and aid to the group of students at the bottom of the spectrum, so be it.

It does not make it acceptable to forget about the students on the opposite end of the spectrum. If the gap is closed, let it be by pushing the bottom half reach the top, rather than by pulling both ends to meet in the middle.

In the meantime, CHS should work on improving in order to become eligible for the ranking next year.

According to Principal Dr. Joan Benz, CHS will continue to work on closing the “achievement gap,” what she sees as the main reason for the de-ranking of CHS. Ultimately, schools still need to be looking to the future. They should be aiming to create students who are prepared for college and career success, and must be evaluated as such. Reminding top students to continue to strive for success is just as important as helping those on the bottom reach the top. A school that can achieve this needs no ranking to know it is the “best.”

Fifty years ago on July 2, the iconic Civil Rights Act was passed.

This act was the first and most well-known attempt at creating equality among people of different races. However, three years before that, the first mention of affirmative action was in John Kennedy’s Executive Order 10925.

Affirmative action is a policy enacted in hope of improving the opportunities for those who suffered discrimination in the past. This policy, though passed with good intentions, is both outdated and unfair.

Over the past 50 years, the United States has seen discrimination deemed unconstitutional, the poll tax eliminated and a Black president elected.

We have come a long way since the first mention of affirmative action, and at least in Maryland, special privileges for minorities are not necessary anymore.

This assumption is grossly unfair to minorities who are supposed to be protected by this policy. Instead, they are subjected to the stereotype that minorities have their positions handed to them.

However, affirmative action is also biased against majorities.

In a 2003 Supreme Court Case, white student Abigail Fisher

PHOTO BY KATIE CLEM.

Factors like gender, race, ethnicity and income are all factors that are considered in college admissions that shouldn’t be. sued the University of Texas for her rejection. Fisher’s academics did not meet the university’s expectations for White and Asian students and was rejected, even though her scores far exceeded those for African American and Hispanic students.

The court ruled that the decision based on race was made in “good faith” which explains why affirmative action is still used today. The case, overall, revealed the cracks that affirmative action has in its exterior. It was originally meant to create a more equal playing field, but the ground is obviously tilted, and not in anyone’s favor.

For all of this, the April 22 Su-

preme Court decision to eliminate affirmative action in Michigan’s college admissions is to be applauded. It will finally take away a major factor that was keeping the admissions process unbalanced.

According to the Supreme Court’s official ruling in the Schuette v. By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) case, University of Michigan’s undergraduate admissions plan’s use of racebased preferences violated the Equal Protection Clause.

Some people might say that colleges need to take affirmative action into account because racism is still a problem and that the ruling was both unfair and racist

because there should be more diversity on campus.

However giving special treatment to minorities is not the correct way to establish a more diverse student body. A diverse culture needs to be established through more than the color of one’s skin.

Although this decision is a start, there are other factors besides affirmative action that should be eliminated if Michigan and states alike want to keep things equal.

Issues like legacy also give some students an advantage over others.

According to a March 2013 Stanford Daily article, legacies can mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection.

There are some colleges that might argue that accepting students with legacy will give their freshmen a sense of “connection” with the school, but it is really just a way to get their alumni’s donation checks each month.

Overall, for the college process to be totally fair, factors like how loose daddy’s pocketbook is, should not be taken into consideration when admitting a student or not.

There are many other reasons for students to receive help when being admitted to college such as financial problems and conflicting family issues, but admission into college should primarily be based on achievement.

A

N

B

O

C

P

D

Q

E

R

F

S

G

T

H

U

I

V

J

W

K

X

L

Y

M

Z

Monday, May 19, 2014

Opinions

theObserver

5

Jake’s Law blames texting drivers for wrong reasons

By Greer Smith Senior Writer Imagine someone going out, knowing very well he will be drinking. He gets drunk, drives home, and hits another car, killing someone. Now imagine a teenager driving who hears his phone buzz and sees “Mom” flash on the screen.

The teen glances at the phone and hits another car, killing someone.

Though both unfortunate cases of irresponsible drivers, one is irresponsibility on a grander scale and yet with the new Jake’s Law, the punishment for such acts will foolishly be the same.

According to a March 20 article on Herald Mail Media, an online news source, the Senate had passed Jake’s Law, which would give three years in prison and up to $5000 in fines to a driver who causes serious injury or death to another while texting and driving.

The law was inspired by the death of a 5-year-old named Jake, who was killed in a texting-while-driving accident in 2011.

Texting while driving is stupid, no doubt, and those who partake should face punishment. Still, it is a spur of the moment decision. It can even be reflex fueled by an

addiction.

According to a March 2013 Psychology Today article, some people have addictions that involve withdrawals and cannot wait to answer their text messages.

When one has such an addiction, it is hard to just ignore his or her phone.

Rather, one feels a constant urge to be on it and will not necessarily have the instinct or ability to ignore it when it lights up, even while driving.

According to a July 2013 Huffington Post article, one in five people check their cell phone every 10 minutes.

Though addiction is not an excuse for irresponsibility, it does explain why people make the rash decisions they do to text and drive.

They have a psychological dependency and do not even realize the situation they are creating.

W h y should someone suffering ILLUSTRATION BY GREER SMITH . from an addiction be lumped in with someone who

went out without a designated driver, got drunk and drove home, knowing they were doing something dangerous instead of being sent to seek help?

Though the results may be the same, the road to getting there is not.

Someone who is at a shooting range and accidentally shoots somebody is not going to get the same punishment as someone who fires a gun in a mall and hits someone. Both events result in a shot person and both involve recklessness, but one involved someone knowingly putting others in danger, and the other is a moment’s mistake. The comparison of these situations is similar to that of texting while driving as opposed to drinking while driving.

Something needs to be done to stop texting while driving, but sending someone with a common addiction to prison is not the answer. Rehab, community service all for the same amount of time are better ideas. This way, one can learn to work through one’s mistake instead of having one’s life ruined for something potentially as simple as texting Mom.

‘Observer’ writer reflects on her time in ‘The J’

By Emily Birnbaum Senior Writer

Everything I need to know, I learned in Room 243.

I have been a part of this paper ever since I was a freshman, and let me tell you, I can’t think of a single force in my life that has been as influential or as beneficial. I owe so much of my personality and my happiness to this class. I don’t write this article as a plug. I write it as an act of charity. All I want to do is spread the gospel: Journalism is the only elective that has the ability to change your life.

I meandered into Mrs. Knarr’s J1 class on my first day of ninth grade as a shy, anxious and soft-spoken 13-year-old.

Internally, I knew that I had a lot to say, but middle school had instilled in me the idea that my words weren’t welcome. I couldn’t raise my hand in class to ask questions. I couldn’t make friends outside of my quiet niche. I swore to myself that I could feel my classmates judging me even as I just passed them by in the hallways.

I joined Journalism because I loved to write. I found peace in the expanse of a blank page when I couldn’t find peace anywhere else. However, most of the people I know didn’t join Journalism for a nerdy reason like mine. Some joined because it was the only elective course they knew of that balanced real work with real fun. Some joined because they recog-

nized that news-gathering and reporting are foundations our society can’t function without. Some joined because they really weren’t great at writing and knew that the class could whip them into shape.

It didn’t matter. Every single day of first semester, all of the J1s would skitter into Mrs. Knarr’s room ready to go.

The first semester of journalism is what we like to call “Boot Camp,” which is much, much easier than its name implies. During Boot Camp, all the new mini-journalists learn the basic skills necessary to be effective reporters. They ace stylistic rules, study all the moral standards that journalists must hold themselves accountable to and watch Shattered Glass, one of those movies about human immorality so awful you can’t keep your eyes off the screen.

J1s can start writing for the newspaper by second semester. By the time that fated first day rolled around, I was convinced I was completely unprepared. I could barely talk to my own teachers.

How could I be expected to just walk up to random people and ask them questions out of the blue?

But here’s what Journalism does. It makes it easy to approach people. The more you do it, the more you realize how truly unthreatening and human the people around you are. Simply the interviewing aspect of the paper can change sociallyanxious teenagers into teenagers proud of who they are, teenagers who are fear-

PHOTO BY EMILY BIRNBAUM.

The Journalism elective not only teaches you how to write but also teaches you how to have fun while creating an award-winning newspaper.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY BIRNBAUM.

Journalism students have opportunities to attend national scholastic press conventions in places like New York City and San Francisco. less in whom they approach and why.

Journalism made it so much easier for me to connect with people, make new friends and own my own skin.

Beyond this comes the less ickycheesy stuff. Here’s something that anybody who has ever been in the job market for 10 seconds has told me: no matter what you do with your life, you are going to have to know how to write. No matter what you do, you’ve got to be able to articulate your thoughts onto a page in a way that is clear and concise. Without this vital skill, climbing the ranks in any field becomes difficult: How is anybody supposed to know how smart you are if you can’t explain your ideas to them?

Anybody who’s been in Journalism for even one month can tell you that writing an article every month improves your writing skills tenfold.

In Journalism, you quickly—and almost subconsciously—learn the importance of word choice in conveying facts correctly. You learn “less is more.” Journalism takes a daunting task—writing—and makes it almost secondhand nature.

The Journalism staff is a machine.

We all need to fulfill our role in the assembly line: the writers, the editors, the production editors and the adviser (Mrs. Knarr, the loveliest lady in the world) all need to do their work quickly and on time. Being a part of this machine teaches you what it feels

like to have other people depending on you, making you a more effective team player.

Not only do you learn how to work with others, but you also become a part of a tight-knit community. There’s no feeling like it.

The friends you make through Journalism are closer than those you make in any other class because you feel a sense of oneness and connection that other electives just can’t provide. It helps you to step outside of your niche as well, because most of the time, the people you meet in Journalism aren’t from your core group of friends. By the end of your time in Journalism, you will find yourself close with people you never would have imagined yourself being close with.

Journalism appeals to almost every type of student. Shy students can come here to find their voice.

Outspoken students can come here to find an outlet for their opinions and charisma. Students who love sports can come and support CHS athletics by writing articles detailing the behind-the-scenes tales of heroism that take place every day on the field. Students who love music can come and write articles about their favorite band’s newest album.

Journalism is for students who love to learn, love to challenge themselves and love to open their eyes to the world around them.

6

Observations

theObserver

Monday, May 19, 2014

CHS Student Congress What’s Online?

By Alissa Li Observations Editor

Juniors Jordan Janis and Katie Kidney were selected to attend the 2014 Student Congress at the Henry

Clay Center in Lexington, KY where they will attend a week-long program.

The Student Congress only accepts 50 students: 16 from Kentucky, 32 from all other states and two from other foreign countries.

Robotics Club excels

By Alissa Li Observations Editor

The Robotics Club continues to excel as it placed fourth in both the Double Elimination Rounds and the overall 2014 Greater D.C. Regional Botball Tournament.

“Placing fourth this year was a big success for the club since it helped motivate and encourage next year’s participants to do better,” senior Jesse Pai said. “The club also showed its newer members that despite having no experience whatsoever in robotics, they are still able to succeed as long as they work hard and put effort into learning the skills required for robotics.”

@ www.thechurchillobserver.com

Opinions: CHS bathrooms can be disgusting, but how can they clean up their act?

News: CHS receives improved financial audit from previous school year.

The Observer is updating its online content EVERY DAY! Check it out on www.thechurchillobserver.com!

ASL Gallaudet Field Trip

By Alissa Li Observations Editor PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSE PAI.

Robotics Club Members: Jason Spriggs Jesse Pai Diana Grant Jacob Cooper Jeffrey Yin Matthew Suh Michael Hung

CHS American Sign Language students visited Gallaudet University April 24 to have a hands-on experience in signing. Their sole method of communication was signing to each other and their guides at Gallaudet.

“It was an amazing experience, and I was glad I went on this trip to see [how well we could sign],”

PHOTO COURTESY OF RISA SHARIFF.

junior Tiffany Russo said. “It was an eye-opening trip for me.”

National Honors Society CHS Community Day

By Alissa Li Observations Editor

Carly Kabelac

The following students were inducted into the National Honor Society May 12.

Danielle Kieffer

Elina Kapoor

Andy Kuo Hannah Lee

Megan Armstrong

Julia McDermott

Victoria Chang

Katherine Michael

Kaitlin Cruz

Daniel Miyares

Michelle Dan

Emily Raab

Katie Gauch

WeiAnne Reidy

Christina Hnatov

Kyle Solomon

Kyle Hwang

Lucy Srour

Gil Jacobson

Cecilia Wallersedt

Erik Johnson

Michelle Yuen

By Emi Cardinale Production Editor

The CHS Community Day of Service took place May 2 from 2:30-5 p.m.

The CHS Character Education and Student Life Committee sponsored this event where students made sandwiches and packed other snacks for SSL hours.

The CHS volunteers made approximately 1,000 sandwiches that went to Martha’s Table, a D.C. organization that feeds the homeless and hungry.

PHOTO BY EMI CARDINALE.

CHS Literary Magazine

By Eugenia Cardinale Production Editor

The CHS Literary Magazine will be released May 21. The magazine consists of CHS students’ artwork and literature and is completely student produced.

The magazine will sell in color for $25 and in black and white for $10.

An announcement will be made on the Daily Dose with information on how to buy the CHS Lit Mag. “Expect great artwork, more complicated designs and a variety of artists and authors,” Lit Mag advisor Christin Nixon said.

In addition, Literary Magazine will be offered as a class next year.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Features

theObserver

7

Jake’s Law hopes to put an end to texting and driving

By Danny Gordon Staff Writer In an effort to stop texting while driving, the Maryland Senate passed Jake’s Law March 20.

The law is named after the death of five-year-old Jake Owen, who was sitting in the backseat of his mother’s car when they were rearended. The other driver, 23-yearold Devin McKeiver, was using his cell phone and never even hit his brakes. After being taken to court, McKeiver was fined $1,000.

“It is important to pass this bill so tragedies suc h as that which struck Jake and his family are less likely to happen,” Maryland Delegate Luke Clippinger said.

The new law aims to increase the penalty for cell phones while driving. Punishments can range from heavy fines to jail time. To make it easier for police to investigate, drivers involved in fatal crashes will be required to provide cell phone information to the police.

People opposed to the law believe that allowing the police to check cell phones is a major invasion of privacy and a violation of the fourth amendment.

“I disagree that handing over the phone is the solution,”sophomore Dishawn Thiran said.“That will not solve anything because the person is still dead, and the car is still totaled.”

However, according to Owen’s mother Susan Yum, who is quoted in a March 2014 Washington Post article, texting while driving “is the new drunk driving” and violators of the law should be treated in a similar fashion. Therefore, checking cell phone records, similar to blood testing suspected drunk

PHOTO BY DANNY GORDON.

Although it kills thousands, texting and driving is a habit where drivers value texts over the road. drivers, should be legal.

“Texting and driving is distracting and can cause injury or death,” junior Kyle Zonghetti said. “As a driver, I would not want to be on the road with someone who texts and drives.”

Students in favor of the law think that the only way to stop their friends from continuing to text and drive is with the full en-

forcement of Jake’s Law. A major criticism of the law is that it is more reactive rather than proactive. Although violators of the law will be punished, the law may not necessarily prevent accidents from occurring.

According to Thiran, a more effective solution to the issue would involve car manufacturers and phone companies working

together to prohibit drivers from using their phones by disabling them while the car is in motion.

Other students believe that the punishments are too extreme and do not fit the crime.

“Although it is a good law because it can prevent a lot of careless driving and accidents from occurring, the punishment seems too harsh,” junior Kyle Solomon said.

Features

8

By Jasmine Baten Photo Editor AP tests are done! Students have worked so hard and studied so long.

Stacks of flashcards have dwindled; studying is over. Basically, students are recovering from the AP apocalypse. But how do you know you haven’t fallen and become one of the studying-dead?

You can see the sunshine.

Students are finally getting outside.

For the most part, that fresh air has been tainted with the foul stench of oncoming APs and the endless hours of studying that come with it. Now CHS kids can soak up that sunshine without worries of wasting precious study time.

You’ve stopped making cheesy references.

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. And if you can’t pitch hissy fits about the unfairness of life and all the exams it contains, then joke about it. Now, students can put those references behind them and move on to making non-school related jokes. Or they can always keep making them!

You actually have a social life.

In their determination to study their eyes out in order to succeed, students’ best friends have become their review books, flashcards and textbooks. Social agendas have been tossed out the window in favor of the five at the end of the tunnel. But with AP testing over, friends are available to hang out and have a good time.

You’ve stopped walking around like a hunchback.

Ususally, students’ backpacks are moderately stuffed, but with APs, they are bursting with papers and study materials, resulting in obese backpacks and sore shoulders. Textbooks, review books, flashcards and the mass of papers needed to study weigh down on a student’s shoulders like the weight of the world. The end result—the Hunchbacked Students of CHS. The best thing for students to do now is to empty those backpacks.

You don’t cry yourself to sleep.

APs require dedication, commitment, hard work and studying. Even though teachers advise students to “get a good night’s sleep” before the exam, everyone knows that will never happen. But

theObserver

that’s in the past now, right? Sleepless nights and countless energy drinks are no longer necessary with APs done and over with.

Better yet, you’re actually sleeping.

Finally! Or, of course, you’re still a CHS student and therefore required to get three to five hours a sleep per night no matter what. After all, we weren’t ranked for our academics this year, but we all know that CHS students rank #1 in stress and lack of sleep. But at least with AP weeks being a thing of the past, you have a chance.

You’re recovering from “writer’s wrist.”

On AP tests, the written part gives students a chance to show the AP graders just how much they know. But all of that knowledge comes at a cost: the “writer’s wrist.” Let’s add up all those practice essays and handwritten flashcards from review week, then the 45 minutes to over an hour chunk of writing for salvation. The end product? Hopefully a five, and a lovely sore wrist.

Your hands don’t “phantom flip” through packets anymore.

Throughout the year, the most

Monday, May 19, 2014

common form of note-taking and learning takes place in packets. Multiple ones. What’s the point? Basically, when students go back to review, they have to start flipping those pages. Skim the page, flip the page, read for a while, realize that the last page didn’t actually make sense and flip back again. The repetitive motion becomes involuntary after the 13th packet, but now students can relax a bit. The packets can go away, and so can the “phantom flip.”

You’ve stopped thinking of life in terms of multiple choice options.

Who knew that there were more than five options in life?

For weeks, students have been thinking of life in terms of five choices.

To succeed, students reason their way through key words and specific phrases.

They use process of elimination and sometimes random guessing (pardon, educated guessing).

You’ve started to study for exams instead.

Well, that’s all folks. AP season’s over; it’s done.

Time to relax, right? No! Time to start studying for finals. Good luck CHS!

Middle schoolers look forward to becoming Bulldogs

By Julia Heimlich Features Editor

As eighth graders approach their final days as a middle school student, they are faced with one of their biggest challenges yet—transitioning to a bigger, and at times, scarier, school.

When the start of the school year rolls around this fall, these future high schoolers will decide for themselves whether their favorite teenage-focused television show accurately portrays the typical high school hallway.

“I’m going into high school with a positive outlook,” eighth grader Gabriella Baker said. “I’m a little nervous about being the smallest kid in the school again and about being able to handle the workload and more advanced classes, but I’m pretty confident I’ll be able to balance everything.”

In addition to having harder classes, being a CHS freshman also means taking on a whole lot more responsibility in other schoolrelated areas.

According to eighth grader Sheerin Naimi, it may be difficult to get rid of her middle school habits like “getting to school late” and “leaving

homework for the last minute.”

“I have to face it sooner or later that college is coming, so I definitely need to work harder,” Naimi said.

Quite a few incoming freshmen are flooding in from various private schools around the county.

After spending elementary and middle school at a private school, eighth grader Maddy Kramer feels she is ready to take on attending a public school for the first time.

“I’m nervous about the adjustment in size because it will be significantly larger compared to Norwood,” Kramer said. “But I’m really glad to finally go to high school because it’s one step closer to the future.”

Many fear that the rigorous course load and various extracurricular activities that are often taken on at the start of high school will make for a difficult transition.

According to eighth grader Sydney Jackson, balancing her academics with her activities may be troublesome.

“It’s going to be tough keeping track of my homework, tests, and grades, while also keeping up with all my extracurriculars,” Jackson said. “I’m going to have so many more choices in classes and afterschool activities, so I’ll have to learn

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARA HEIMLICH.

Incoming freshman coming from Cabin John and Hoover are excited to go to CHS, and they hope it is not too big of an adjustment. to manage everything.”

Adjusting to an earlier schedule will also be a more challenging transition for many incoming freshmen.

Eighth grader Michael Wolf enjoys taking his time in the mornings before middle school and does not want to

“have to wake up super early.”

Despite the struggles, middle schoolers are ecstatic for CHS. “It’ll be a long and demanding ride leading up to senior year, but I’m excited to take it,” eighth grader Hana Mangat said.

Observer patrons, thank you for your support!

Meredith Asbury Berinstein Family Deborah and Jeffrey Birnbaum Julia Birnbaum Monique and Pablo Cardinale Cathy and David Certner The Chang Gang Yichun Chung Lisa Clark Lesley Cooper Criswell Family Debbie Demske Mr. and Mrs. Don Demske Robert Demske Sue Demske Doherty Family Danielle Fang Andee and Jon Forster Harry Fox

Jennifer Fox Julie and Jeremy Fox Rhoda Galembo Julia and Gary Gertler Janette Gilman Holly Gladd Donna Goldberg Alex Gordon Judy Gordon Karen and Liran Gordon Steve Gordon Dick and Gerry Gox Laura and Joel Greenzaid Winny and Tim Hurr Roberta Jacobson Richard Karyo Kelly Knarr Nancy Kolodin Irina Lerchenlso

Ellen Lescht Beth and Peter Maser Julie and Daniel Miller Peggy Miyares Fitz A. Morrison Faye O’Brien Pereles Family Raab Family Susan B. Reagan Ritter Family Andres Roa Patrick Rutledge Salzberg Family Maria I. Sarria-Roa Patricia Schaltz Deborah Schaumberg Suzanne Singer Jon and Courtney Spaeth David and Stephanie Srour

Al Steinberg The Sun Family Linda Suvalsky Anu Swaminathan Elham Tabassi Patrick Umah Tete and Josephine Acan Julie Dobson and Chet Thacker Barbara Thomas Dr. Barbara Tilly Nick and Sylvia Visnich Sara Beth Watson Kathi and Ed Whitman Mr. and Mrs. Irving Whitman Howard Wiener Eden Williams Nancy and Joe Yasharoff Susan and David Zankman Rachel Zankman Taryn Zimmerman

Monday, May 19, 2014

Features

9

theObserver

Powered alcohol: an easier way to sneak a drink?

By Emily Raab Production Editor Alcohol in a powdered form may seems like a dream come true for a rebellious minor: it’s such a simple way to sneak a drink into a school dance or a party, right? Well, not exactly.

Mark Phillips originally created powdered alcohol, or “Palcohol,” as a lighter and more compact alternative to carrying alcohol on his hiking and camping trips. The powder is set to hit store shelves in Fall 2014.

“A product like Palcohol would make it easier for students who make bad choices to sneak illicit substances into school functions,” assistant principal John Taylor said.

However, doing so would not be as easy as one may think. With proper use, Palcohol has the same effect on a person’s behavior as liquid alcohol, so it would be obvious when a student has consumed the product.

“With any mind-altering substance, the easiest way to tell someone is using it is by their odd and erratic behavior,” Taylor said. “It really doesn’t matter the form the substance was in before— the behavior is the giveaway.”

In addition, Palcohol will not be very accessible to students because of its cost and bulky packaging, making it difficult to hide.

“Palcohol should have no effect on high schoolers,” a representative from Lipsmark, Palcohol’s parent company, said. “A packet of Palcohol is four inches by six inches, which is quite large, so it is not easy to conceal. A 50 milliliter bottle of liquor is much smaller and less expensive,

so there would be no reason anyone would choose Palcohol to sneak into anywhere.”

According to an April 2014 CBS News article, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved Palcohol’s product labels earlier in April, but later revoked its decision because of safety concerns. The company is working on resubmitting the labels.

There are several health concerns over the powder, mostly dealing with the possibilities of overconsuming or inhaling the product.

The Palcohol website strongly discourages users from attempting to snort the substance.

“If alcohol were snorted, the alcohol would enter the blood stream and be taken to the brain without any being broken down by the liver first,” said Dr. Aaron White, Program Director for College and Underage Drinking Prevention Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “This could lead to bigger and more dangerous impairments in brain function.”

In addition to the risks associated with inhaling the product, Palcohol carries the same safety hazards as normal liquid alcohol.

“Like the liquid form of alcohol, powdered alcohol can affect the brain in ways that increase the chances of getting injured or injuring other people,” White said. “As with liquid alcohol, if a person consumed enough powdered alcohol they could shut off the parts of the brain that keep the heart beating and keep us breathing, which could cause death.

Powdered alcohol could be particularly dangerous if a person is unaware that they are eating food with powdered

alcohol in it or if they added too much of it to a drink.”

Although it is lightweight and portable, Palcohol is not as accesible to high schoolers as one may initially be led to believe. It will be sold just like any other alcoholic beverage, and

its consumption will be monitored just like any other type of drink.

“Like with any change in use and abuse patterns, we will educate our security team and staff and develop protocols for checking and searching for the new substance,” Taylor said.

Meet a charming, intellectual significant other.

What better way to meet your potential soulmate than in a building filled with books?

Easy access to book suggestions.

Librarians are very knowledgeable when it comes to literature, and will happily give recommendations based on your past reads.

They’re always a refreshing temperature.

Getting out of the heat is no easy task. Libraries are guaranteed to be air-conditioned and cool.

No battery issues.

E-books just don’t give you the same feel as opening the pages of a novel and taking a whiff of that distinct library smell.

Check out the book sales.

The majority of libraries have an extensive selection of used books, movies, CDs and magazines for sale, most of which cost less than a dollar.

They remind you of the good old days.

Walking down to the media center to check out books was without doubt a strong highlight of elementary school.

PHOTO COURTESY Of FLICKR.

Palcohol, scheduled to hit shelves later this year, may seem safer and easier in its form, but it produces the same affects as regular alcohol.

10 Reasons public libraries should still be a thing

By Julia Heimlich Features Editor

They save you money.

Go use those $15 to buy yourself a nice meal. No need to spend your money on something that can easily be borrowed.

They give you a chance to get out of the house for a while.

Let’s face it; we all need a home away from home every so often (and maybe a potential hideout to avoid certain people).

Never again do you need to stare at the same boring selection of books that are most likely collecting dust on the shelf in your room at this very moment.

The library offers an enormous collection of literature.

Take advantage of it. Switch up your inventory.

Stay focused.

Libraries are meant to be kept quiet, and many have an additional sound-proofed room for studying.

Students say ‘Thanks’ with presents, homemade gifts

By Arielle Gordon Staff Writer

The end of a school year means excitement and celebration for students.

However, in the rush for summer vacation, they should not forget to appreciate all that their teachers have done throughout the year.

Showing appreciation for a teacher does not have to mean spending an entire wallet full of cash. For Spanish teacher Gayle Jones, nothing means more than receiving a hand-written note or thank you card from a student.

“A card with a nice sentiment means more than anything,” Jones said.

Thanking teachers is easier than ever; as the CHS Character Education and Student Life Committee is sponsoring the Lots of Thanks (LOT) program again this year, providing an inexpensive way to thank teachers for all of their hard work. All students have to do is fill out an anonymous form with a message for a teacher, and it will be delivered for them.

Expensive gifts, while they may call for a trip to the mall, do not necessarily mean more than something homemade, but some

students do prefer to give thoughtful storebought gifts to their teachers.

According to freshman Ayumu Nishimura, she “usually spends $15 to $20 per teacher,” for gifts.

However, not every student needs to feel that he or she must buy teachers an expensive gift. In fact, there is a limit to the price of gifts that teachers are allowed to accept.

According to an October 2012 Board of Education Memorandum, any school official, teachers included, may not accept an unsolicited gift worth more than $20 at one time or $100 worth of gifts in one calendar year.

Store bought gifts can be appreciated as well. Some teachers appreciate gift cards that they can use to purchase items of their choice, and some teachers also enjoy personalized gifts.

According to A.P. U.S. History teacher Amanda Marshall, she really appreciated a set of personalized stationery that she received from a student. It showed that the student put thought into getting her the gift, and she could use it in school or at home.

There are many ways to thank CHS teachers for all of the hard work that they do everyday, and any amount of gratitude that can be expressed is appreciated.

The ‘Observer’ asks: What is the best gift a student has ever given you?

PHOTOS BY ARIELLE GORDON.

“A set of personalized stationery. It shows thought, and I could use it at home or at school.”

-AP U.S. History teacher Amanda Marshall

“A manicure/pedicure at the end of the year.”

-NSL teacher Joan Zuckerman

“A sweet pair of Dallas Cowboys socks. It showed that they took time to show their appreciation.”

-AP Psychology teacher Evan Rosenthal

Features

10

theObserver

Monday, May 19, 2014

Senior becomes “Shark Puncher”

By Noah Salzberg Online Features Editor A typical reaction upon hearing a story about a kayaker who was chased by a shark would likely either result in laughter or fear. Senior Micah Green, however, decided to react by designing his own app, Shark Puncher, which will be available on the App Store in late May. The game is a multiplayer racing game where Facebook friends can race against each other in a competition to see who can “punch” the most sharks.

“It sounds silly, but after putting some more thought into the incident, I realized there was potential for a game of some sort,” Micah said. “Once my parents said that they would fund me, I quickly got to work and started designing the app.”

Coding and designing an app requires not only a great deal of time but also an immense love for technology.

“Micah discovered his passion for technology some time in middle school,” said Jeff Green, Micah’s father. “Since then, he has taken a very meticulous approach to his work and is very motivated.”

When Micah put a great amount of work into Shark Puncher but still needed more help, he enlisted the assistance of many others.

“At first, I couldn’t program well at all and had no artistic skills whatsoever,” Micah said. “My mom’s work friend recommended that I check out sites like Freelancer and Odesk. com to find programmers. When I posted the project, I was flooded with bids from developers around the world who came from places such as Silicon Valley, China and India.”

The process of developing the app and balancing schoolwork was a tough challenge for Green, as he had to go through all the legal red tape of creating a business in addition to applying for college.

“Balancing school work was very hard, considering that starting a new business takes a ton of time,” Micah said.

Micah is grateful for the support not only from his family but also his peers.

“Personally, I think that Micah is doing a great job,” said Micah’s

friend and senior Kevin Jiang.

“He is definitely working hard on Shark Puncher, and it’s a solid app.

It feels like it’s programmed by professionals, and it’s fun.”

The application itself is also charitable: 25 percent of the profits from Shark Puncher will be going toward purchasing Malaria treatments and providing preventative education about the deadly disease.

“I became really passionate about Malaria after doing a project for AP Human Geography,” Micah said. “After finding out that it was the deadliest preventable disease in the world, I wondered how we could let so many people die when there are treatments out there. Malaria has a cure, and the only issue is that millions around the world do not have access to the cure.

My goal with Shark Puncher is to save thousands, if not millions, of people.”

Micah will be attending Cornell University next year and hopes to continue his work in the field of technology through Cornell’s unique business incubator program.

“I’m applying for a business incubator called the eLab at Cornell University,” Micah said. “I am hoping to grow the company and expand the team while there.”

In addition to creating Shark Puncher, Micah was one of 30 students selected from around the country to participate in a social entrepreneurial program sponsored by the Harvard Innovation Lab and Ashoka Youth Venture, an organization dedicated to inspiring and assisting youth in their business ventures. At this program, Green and his team developed software called School Scoop, a database for all school events, and they have presented it to venture capitalists.

“Micah’s team presented School Scoop to Principal Joan Benz and the MCPS Board Of Education in hopes of getting MCPS to use the software,” Jeff said.

Micah’s hard work and dedication, along with his passion for technology, are gaining admiration from not only his parents and peers but also from international entrepreneurial programs.

“I am very proud of Micah’s drive, motivation, creativity and his passion for success,” Jeff said. “I am and will continue to be 100 percent behind him in his goals as an entrepreneur.”

Monday, May 19, 2014

‘

Features

theObserver

11

When it comes to apps, CHS keeps it simple

By Daniel Miyares Business Manager Freshman Srikar Kolla settles into his seat on the bus ride home. Bored and with a few minutes to burn, he turns on his iPhone, and the now-famous pixelated, yellow Flappy Bird begins its flight on his phone.

Kolla, along with many others in the CHS community, has fallen victim to the Flappy Bird phenomenon. However, the iconic game’s spread is not isolated. Other simple mobile games and apps, such as 2048, Don’t Tap the White Tile and Candy Crush Saga, are all competing for the attention of students and adults alike.

“You want something to play, forget about it, come back and play it later,” Kolla says, echoing the sentiments of many CHS students and staff.

Impact on students According to an Observer survey of high school students, over 90 percent of students have played at least one of the aforementioned games recently.

Of these, 2048 and Flappy Bird are the most popular, with 2048 being the overwhelming favorite as of late.

For some students in particular, these games are appealing not only due to their addictive nature, but because they can be played practically anywhere, including out of the teacher’s view.

“If students are playing during class, these games are something they can pick up and play without drawing too much attention to themselves,” junior Kaitlin Cruz said.

On the contrary, AP Psychology teacher Evan Rosenthal is dismissive of these games, claiming they are nothing new.

“Students are always looking for anything exciting to do during class or anything that is not the work that needs to get done,” Rosenthal said.

juniors surveyed have a negative view of the simple apps that seem to be everywhere they look.

“I played Flappy Bird, enjoyed it the first week, but then wanted to throw my phone against the wall,” Kolla said.

Kolla is not alone; even CHS teachers share this app-induced pain and frustration.

“I actually hated Flappy Bird; the game’s impossible,” Rosenthal said. “A part of me was angry I didn’t master it.”

However, the same aggravation that leads some to abandon games like Flappy Bird and 2048 can deepen others’ resolve to beat the game.

According to senior Kalika Likhi, the “frustration” of failed attempts makes people “want to keep going and try to win.”

Why so popular?

Just a fad?

Exactly why these games have caught on among the general public is up for debate. Some, such as U.S. History teacher Amanda Marshall, claim that their popularity comes from people’s desire for immediate fulfillment.

“We have gotten used to everything happening so fast,” Marshall said.

“People thrive on instant gratification, and that is what it is.”

Several students seem to confirm Marshall’s assertion and enjoy the ease and simplicity of the games.

“They are so easy to learn and easy to play for hours,” sophomore Lily Lin said. “It makes it more fun because you know how to play right away, and you are never confused.”

One word was repeatedly mentioned when asking for students’ opinions about the games: addicting. As it seems, several members of the CHS community find themselves obsessed with games that last two minutes at the most.

“When you get an award or beat your high score, you just want to keep playing,” Lin says. “I know for a fact some people find it difficult to stop playing, but you have to know when to stop.”

Backlash Many students, however, have a not-so-positive view of these games.

For example, 71 percent of high school

The popularity of the simple apps may be indicative of more than a fleeting craze.

Paper Toss, which came out in 2011 to popular acclaim, is as simple as swiping on the screen twice to throw a virtual paper ball. According to Rosenthal, Paper Toss’ popularity serves as a sign of a larger trend.

“The simpler, the better,” Rosenthal said. “When you are playing these games, you are bored. You just want to sit back, pull and flick.”

However, the various pressures of high school life can also impact students’ need for an outlet. Phones, which seem ever present in CHS students’ lives, make this outlet readily available.

“Because students are more addicted to tech and are under so much pressure, they want to distract themselves and escape to another, happier place,” Likhi said.

Whether these games and the time spent playing them are causing any damage is difficult to discern.

However, concerns about the dangers this popularity presents to students may be warranted.

According to a 2012 Michigan State University study, the use of smartphones and multitasking have been linked to anxiety and depression, especially in teens.

In any case, these games seem to be here to stay. The trend’s continued popularity means huge profits for aspiring game developers.

“My advice: make one of these

games,” Marshall said. “You’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.”

Console vs. Mobile Despite the frustration they cause, these mobile games are still gaining traction, frequently at the cost of console gaming.

While roughly four out of 10 students surveyed had played a traditional video game recently, more than 90 percent of those surveyed had played a game on their phones over that same span of time.

According to a 2012 BBC article, there will be more than 10 billion mobile devices, many of which are gaming enabled, by 2016. The number of mobile devices such as phones or tablets already outnumbers the amount of people on Earth.

Furthermore, mobile games are much easier to pick up and play, unlike the more complex video games of traditional systems.

“Some people will not play games on the Xbox, will not even touch it, but everyone plays a mobile game at least once,” Kolla said.

However, many students, including Likhi and Kolla, view mobile gaming as inferior to console gaming, despite the former’s popularity and accessibility. “[Console gaming] is much more immersive than just playing on your phone,” Likhi said.

12

Features

theObserver

Monday, May 19, 2014

Hate summer reading? Not with these books

By Danielle Kiefer Features Editor

Nothing can ruin a summer faster than required summer reading assignments.

However, reading during the summer doesn’t have to be accompanied by a groan and a sense of dread. The Observer brings you a list of must-read books for this summer—essays optional.

Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger and Son. 12-year-old Jonah lives in a seemingly perfect world, without fear or pain.

Each person in the society is assigned a role, but when Jonah receives the position of Receiver of Memories, he struggles with learning the horrible truth about his world. Be sure to finish the book in time to see the screenadaptation hit theaters Aug. 15.

An Abundance of Katherines

by John Green

Dark Places

by Gillian Flynn

John Green, best-selling author of books such as The Fault in Our Stars, tells the story of Colin Singleton, a boy who has dated a lot of girls named Katherine—19 Katherines, actually. And he’s been dumped a lot by girls named Katherine—19 times, actually. An avid lover of anagrams and a former child prodigy, Colin sets out on a road trip the summer before college with his best friend.

The two soon find themselves in a small town in Tennessee, where Colin decides to create a mathematical theorem that can predict the future of all relationships.

Written by the author of New York Times best-seller and soon-to-be movie Gone Girl, Dark Places is a similarly haunting and intense crime thriller. At the age of seven, Libby Day witnessed her family’s murder in what came to be known as “The Satan Sacrifice” and later famously testified that her brother was the one who killed them. Years later, a club that’s obsessed with famous crimes finds Libby and begs her for details.

As they try to find evidence to free her brother, Libby begins to question if she made the right decision long ago and finds herself on the run from a killer yet again. Dark Places is a gripping pageturner sure to keep readers up at night.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns)

by Mindy Kaling Actress, comedian and writer Mindy Kaling’s autobiography includes hilarious observations on topics such as the amount of selfies on her phone and her love of men with chest hair, along with laugh-out-loud advice (“Sometimes you just have to put on lip gloss and pretend to be psyched”), that will make every reader want to be her best friend.

This hysterical book is a perfect, quick read for squeezing in while you’re trying to finish binge-watching the last season of The Office or The Mindy Project.

Kaling herself wrote, “This book will take you two days to read. Did you even see the cover? It’s mostly pink. If you’re reading this book every night for months, something is not right.”

PHOTO BY DANIELLE KIEFER.

Reading doesn’t have to be a chore with these sure-to-please Observer picks.

Hope in a Jar

by Beth Harbison Hope in a Jar is the story of two estranged best friends, Allie Denty and Olivia Pelham, who see each other at their 20th high school reunion for the first time since graduation.

The two reunite to stop their mutual friend from marrying a “mean girl” from their class. Written by New York Times bestselling author and CHS alumna Beth Harbison, Hope in a Jar is sprinkled with references to Potomac, including CHS itself, Montgomery Mall and Tallyho Swim Club.

Attachments

by Rainbow Rowell Set in the year 1999, when emails were still somewhat of a novelty and Y2K suspicions were running high, Attachments follows Lincoln O’Neill as he begins his new job as an

“internet security officer” at a newspaper, which requires reading over all the employees’ emails for inappropriate content. Despite it being against company policy to send personal emails, Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder can’t help updating each other on every detail of their lives through a neverending chain of emails, and Lincoln finds himself unable to keep from reading their hilariously entertaining messages. When Lincoln finds himself falling for Beth, he knows that reading her email means they could never have a relationship—and he wonders if it’s possible to love someone without ever having met them.

The Giver Series

by Lois Lowry Fans of the Divergent or Hunger Games series will enjoy this quintessential dystopian series: The

What Alice Forgot

by Liane Moriarty Twenty-nine-year-old Alice Love has a perfect life: a loving husband, an amazing sister and a baby on the way.

But that all changes when she wakes up one day on the floor of a gym and discovers that it’s actually ten years later, and she can’t remember anything that’s happened to her in the past decade.

Her once-perfect life is now nothing like she imagined—she has three kids, her husband is divorcing her, her sister won’t talk to her, and she’s become the kind of person she used to hate. While trying to recollect the memories of her life, Alice has to decide if this accident is a tragedy or a chance to start over.

Arts

Monday, May 19, 2014

13

theObserver

‘Observer’ writer stars as extra in local movie

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN SUETTINGER.

A Year and Change, starring Bryan Greenberg, is based in Maryland. be the perfect setting for this movie,”

By Danielle Kiefer Suettinger said. “The story takes place Features Editor As I scrolled through Twitter this past December, I discovered that an actor, Bryan Greenberg, from one of my favorite television shows, One Tree Hill, was filming a movie in Maryland. After much Internet stalking, I found out that the movie was being filmed on a street where director Stephen Suettinger grew up-the same street where a friend of mine lives. After contacting Suettinger, we were thrilled to be able to be extras in the background of the movie.

Suettinger recently finished filming his first film, A Year and Change, shot on location in Maryland. Suettinger is the co-writer of the film, which is co-produced by his company Pebble Hill Films and producer Emily Ting’s Unbound Feet Productions.

A Wootton alumnus, Suettinger grew up in Potomac, so he chose to set his movie in Maryland, including several locations in Montgomery County.

“I always felt like Maryland would

over a year, and I wanted to be able to capture the changing of the seasons in the movie. Montgomery County was a perfect backdrop for the characters.”

According to Suettinger, he tailored some events and places in the movie to his own experiences of growing up here.

“Though the script didn’t necessarily take place here when I first read it, I ended up ‘Maryland-izing’ the script to tailor it to this specific area,” Suettinger said. “The setting absolutely influenced the movie. I think shooting here gives an authenticity to the movie that we would not have been able to achieve had we shot on a backlot or on a sound stage somewhere else.”

According to a December 2013 Gazette article, Ting was impressed with Maryland’s film scene because of its hospitality and professionalism.

“We may not be in Los Angelos or New York, but there is ‘access’ to the industry here in Montgomery County,” Suettinger said. “The crews here are as

professional as you’d find there.”

A Year and Change follows a year in the life of Owen (Bryan Greenberg, One Tree Hill), a vending machine proprietor who decides to change his life after falling off of a roof at a New Year’s Eve party.

The film also stars Claire van der Boom (Hawaii Five-0) as Owen’s love interest as well as T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy), Marshall Allman (True Blood) and Jamie Chung (The Hangover Part III).

When I was called to be an extra for a scene in a duckpin bowling alley in Silver Spring, I experienced the filming of a movie first hand. As an avid One Tree Hill fan, I was ecstatic to be able to meet Greenberg and watch him act in real life, and I did my best not to swoon every time he looked my way.

Something that surprised me the most about filming, besides the shock that came every time I remembered that I was being filmed in the background of an actual movie, was the amount of time that each shot requires. Because they needed to film a scene from all different angles, just a few

minutes of the scene took several hours to film. The process made me feel a bit like I was watching a movie stuck on repeat.

Being an extra, it turned out, was not too difficult and even came with some perks. For one thing, I had access to unlimited bowling—although, after six hours, duckpin bowling can lose some of its appeal. During one particular scene, I was instructed to sit at a table and to continue studying while the camera was rolling. I am confident that my Spanish teacher will thank me if my textbook makes it onto the big screen.

Another scene required me to walk across the set and sit down at a booth behind the main actors. This role, which I had to repeat many times, I took with intense seriousness and hoped my pantomime skills could put a Broadway star to shame. When the day of filming was over, I returned home ready to embrace my superstar status, eager to see myself in the background of the film.

A Year and Change will be released in 2015.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN SUETTINGER.

Features editor Danielle Kiefer was an extra in the movie A Year and Change.

Upcoming movies project action-packed summer Optimus Prime and the Autobots try to save the world again in another sequel of the famous Michael Bay franchise. When Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg, The Departed) discovers his new truck is a Transformer, he becomes involved in yet another fight to save the planet.

By Ross Tanenbaum Production Editor Summer time is the time of year when some of the most anticipated movies are released. These movies tend to be the highest-grossing movies, as a lot of them are sequels, reboots or movies based off books.

With summer being the best time to catch new movies on the big screen, the Observer is here with a list of movies that you should see before school starts.

Movies that will make you laugh until you cry: Neighbors, R

Released May 9 In this hilarious comedy, Mac Radner (Seth Rogen, Knocked Up) is a man who has recently moved into a new suburban home with his wife, Kelly Radner, (Rose Byrne, Bridesmaids) and their new baby.

However, when Teddy Sanders, (Zac Efron, High School Musical) and his local college fraternity moves in next door, the couple worries about what will happen to their new, perfect lifestyle.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLICKR.

22 Jump Street, R

Releasing June 13 Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Channing Tatum (Magic Mike) are back as two young cops who go undercover as teenagers. The two officers, Jenko (Tatum) and Schmidt (Hill) attempt to make another drug bust in the sequel, however, this time around, they are going to college.

Guardians of the Galaxy, PG-13

Releasing Aug. 1 Marvel brings a new superhero team out of the comic books and onto the big screen. Chris Pratt (The Lego Movie) plays Peter Quill, an American pilot who joins an unlikely team of intergalactic heroes as they try to stop a new foe and his villainous scheme.

Releasing June 13 DreamWorks is releasing the sequel to their hit movie about the conflict between vikings and dragons. The new movie will follow the story of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel, This is the End) and his trained dragon, Toothless.

The story will take place five years after the events from the first movie., but now Hiccup discovers there may be something that will turn his world upside down.

Movies that will have you hanging off the edge of your seat: Godzilla, PG-13

Released May 16 The famous monster finally makes it s r e t u rn t o t h e b ig screen. A s Godzilla returns, the world will have to defend itself against the gargantuan reptile. Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass) star in this brand new reboot of the classic film.

A Million Ways to Die in the West, R

Releasing May 30 In this cowboy comedy from the creative mind of Seth MacFarlane (Ted), MacFarlane plays Albert, a farmer who falls in love with the girl next door, Anna (Charlize Theron, Young Adult). He decides to prove his worth when her husband, Clinch (Liam Neeson, Taken), arrives into town.

How to Train Your Dragon 2, PG

Transformers: Age of Extinction, PG-13 Releasing June 27

TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles,NYR

off the animated TV series, Movies that will make you feel theBased movie will follow April O’Neill like a kid again: (Megan Fox, Transformers) as she Maleficent, PG meets the turtles and helps them fight Releasing May 30 Based on the Walt Disney animated classic, Maleficent brings a dark twist to the famous movie.

Angelina Jolie (Salt) plays the famous Disney villain Maleficent, who reveals the dark past behind her wicked ways. The new film will reveal the truth about what makes Maleficent so ominous and why she resides in the shadows.

crime in New York City.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR.

Stephe n Colbert

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR.

This rapidly growing mobile game, where the objective is to tap the black tiles and avoid tapping the white tiles, has spread like wildfire through CHS. The game is similar to other top apps such as “Don’t Step the White Tile” and “Don’t Tap the White Tile.” The only difference is that with Piano Tiles, the relaxing sound of a piano plays in the background with every tile that is touched.

Piano Tiles

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR.

The Observer sifts through the hype and the hip to bring you topics worth talking, Tweeting and texting about.

The unique clothing brand, which many students at CHS adore, recently opened a new store inside Nordstrom at Montgomery Mall. The store released its new, highly anticipated Kate Moss clothing line.

Women of all ages have flocked to the expeditiously growing store to update their wardrobes and try on all the latest trends in the world of fashion.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR.

TopShop

Chipotle comes to Village

By Madison Hurr Arts Editor

Ask teenagers what their favorite chain restaurant is, and they’re bound to answer “Chipotle.” The perfect complement to the Starbucks Coffee next door, Chipotle Mexican Grill is replacing Chicken Out Rotisserie in Potomac Village this summer. It is every food-lover’s dream come true.

Founded in 1993 by Steve Ells, Chipotle started out as a small chain of 16 locations in Colorado. It started branching out after McDonald’s Corporation invested in it in 1998 and grew to over 1,600 locations nationwide.

The Chipotle craze is spreading like wildfire and will soon bring its delicious cilantro-lime rice and guacamole to the Potomac community.

“I go to Chipotle about three times a week,” junior Jason Cho said. “I’m glad it’s replacing Chicken Out because it’s more of a hip place for teenagers to hang out.”

CHS students excitedly tweeted a plethora of pictures of the new Chipotle sign that was put up in April. The same burning question was running through their minds: When will it open?

According to a Chipotle Customer Service Consultant, the Potomac Village restaurant will open in July if all goes well. Although there is still no exact opening date, this is definitely something to look forward to this summer. It will be open in time for the incoming seniors, who will have another option for open lunch next year.

“I live close to the Village, so it will be more convenient for me,” Cho said.

“Having it open in July is such a long wait.”

Iggy Azalea has emerged as one of the top female hip hop and rap artists in the world over the past few months.

Her hit single, “Fancy,” featuring Charli XCX has taken over radio stations worldwide with its catchy lyrics and addicting chorus. She is also featured in Ariana Grande’s popular single, “Problem.”

Additionally, Azalea released her second studio album, “The New Classic,” which has already eclipsed 50,000 sales.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR.

By Nathan Deychman Production Editor

Talk show host Stephen Colbert, famous for Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report, was recently chosen to replace David Letterman on The Late Show when Letterman retires next year. His time hosting The Colbert Report has helped grow his career, and many see him as a perfect fit to replace Letterman and continue the legacy of The Late Show.

Monday, May 19, 2014

theObserver

Chipotle serves as a haven for food connoisseurs and fast-food lovers alike.

It usually only takes a few minutes to create your very own burrito, salad or burrito bowl. You can choose from a variety of all-natural and locally sourced ingredients, all equally appetizing and low in calories.

“I love Chipotle,” sophomore Emile Ravenet said. “It makes fast food healthy.”

Students and staff here at CHS all have their favorites at Chipotle. Some also venture into ordering a “quesarrito,” which, by request, Chipotle employees will make a cheese quesadilla and wrap it around your burrito.

“I usually go to Chipotle five or six times a month, and I have a thing called Chipotle Sundays,” junior Ximena Tellez said.

Four years ago, a group of CHS distance runners created the “Burrito 8-Miler,” which entails running from CHS to the Chipotle on Old Georgetown Rd, eating a burrito with at least four ingredients, and running back to CHS. Social studies teacher Paul Jacobson enjoys participating in it every summer, and currently holds the record time of 56 minutes.

“At Chipotle, I like to order a chicken burrito with brown rice, pinto beans, salsa and cheese,” Jacobson said. “I ran the Burrito 8-Miler after eating a Chipotle burrito and set the record for it two years ago.”

This year, the fifth annual Burrito 8-Miler falls on May 30. Who knows?

Maybe by next year the burrito run will be to Potomac Village.

X-Men: Days of Future Past Marvel’s upcoming film portraying some of its most popular and powerful heroes and villains is one of the most anticipated films of all time. Set to be released May 23, the film has gained a lot of attention due to the success of the previous X-Men movies. Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) and Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games) star in the exhilarating film about a group of mutants who have to save the world and themselves from extinction.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR.

Iggy Azalea

Arts

14

Monday, May 19, 2014

Arts

theObserver

15

Mouth-watering Instagram account goes viral

By Katie Gauch Editor-in-Chief Jordan Janis Online Editor-in-Chief

A golden-brown waffle: crispy on the outside, fluffy and white on the inside.

Hot chocolate sauce filling each crater and drizzled across the plate. Four ice cream scoops: two creamy French vanilla and two rich chocolate circling the breakfast dessert. Whose mouth wouldn’t water?

Run by CHS juniors Jessie Gloger and Marci Weiss and Wootton High School junior Sydney Burger, foodporndaily1, an Intstragram account, capitalizes on teenagers’ obsession with food by providing them pictures of deliciouslooking meals throughout the day.

“I adore food design and can’t pass up a great restaurant,” Burger said.

“Since I’m known as a foodie, people always ask me where to eat and what to get, so by creating this account I allowed people an easy route to find the best food locally and on vacation.”

Burger began foodporndaily1 last year because of her love for food, inspired by food-writer Amanda Simpson’s website, foodporndaily.com.

Weiss and Gloger joined this account at the beginning of this school year.

“We originally got the inspiration because we saw the foodporndaily

website and thought we would do something similar,” Weiss said. “We have always been obsessed with the presentations of different foods.”

Burger, Gloger and Weiss initially took all of the food pictures themselves, but now they receive pictures from avid fans. They discuss which photos to post by considering color, design and subject and potential to attract the most food lovers. Posts often include the restaurant and name of the dish, and give credit to the photographer.

Despite criticisms that they do not post all submitted photos, foodporndaily1 receives many compliments from its fans.

“I am constantly told that our pictures have a lot of variation and that they are the perfect blend of savory meals and desserts,” Burger said. “People love the fact that they can find new places to eat and discover ‘trendy’ foods like the ramen burger or the cronut.”

When first starting up, it was difficult to get a wide audience because not many people knew about the account.

However, it now has 2,300 followers and is gaining more every day.

“Our viewership used to solely be people in the area, but we have expanded to people from California, New York, Florida and even overseas,” Gloger said.

Students have become obsessed with checking the account and looking

PHOTO COURTESY OF FOODPORNDAILY1.

Burger, Gloger and Weiss’s love for food inspired them to begin foodporndaily1, which has gathered 2300 followers and counting. at these mouth-watering photos. Even Weiss and Gloger have their favorite posts, including the chocolate and marshmallow-filled s’mores pizza or any pizza in general.

“My favorite post is the prosciutto and

chicken pesto pizza because it looks very fresh and authentic Italian cooking,” Gloger said. “I also love the Dominique Andel— it’s a famous cronut place—because it’s a doughnut on the outside and soft and airy like a croissant on the inside.”

5.SkittleRiceKripsieTreats

wait. Combining a lunchbox-favorite treat with one of the most renowned candies, Skittle Rice Krispies are perfect for those of you with a sweet tooth.

Although junior Burke Niner would probably rather “eat fruit or a granola bar after an exam,” he loves Rice Krispie treats but is not sure how it would taste if you “ruin them with skittles.”

These five foods create the perfect recipe for success during exam week. Although they might not be the best brain foods, the will definitely comfort your through the hard times.

For specific recipes, ingredient amounts and other information, go to www.allrecipes.com.

Five foods to help you survive exam week

By Katie Gauch Sammi Silber Editors-in-Chief

Final exam week is quickly approaching, becoming the only obstacle we have to overcome before our stress-free, sun-filled summer vacation. Drop the textbooks because the one thing that will get us through these strenuous exams is food.

There is no better feeling than finishing an exam and coming home to a quick, filling snack and a long nap. While studying can become tedious, snacks can throw some zest into exam week. The Observer is here with the top five foods to turn to for comfort and a break from the exam week anxiety.

1. Pizza

A classic for people of all ages, pizza is one of the most popular comforting foods out there.

Whether it’s delivered straight to your house or cooked to perfection in the oven, the warm, gooey cheese and the chewy, doughy crust provides just the right amount of deliciousness to melt away your frustrations. Domino’s and Potomac Pizza are just some of the popular pizza restaurants in the area.

“Domino’s is my favorite pizza because their crust is really soft and delicious,” sophomore Elizabeth Kan said.

2.Cookie Butter Cookie butter is a hidden delicacy that should be in every pantry.

With the consistency of peanut butter, this smooth spread is made purely from gingerbread cookies.

While you can eat it straight from the jar, you can also put a new twist on cookie butter and smash it between Oreo cookies, leaving you with a chocolate cookie sensation. You can find different flavors of cookie butter at Trader Joe’s including original, chocolate swirl or crunchy.

3.Funfetti Puppy Chow Do not let the name deceive you; this is not dog food but one of the tastiest, sweetest and possibly most addictive snacks. A no-bake turn on bland Chex cereal, all you have to do is make Funfetti batter and combine it with butter, Chex cereal and sugar in a large Ziploc bag and shake. Once you take a bite, you’ll forget all about your long day of testing.

4. MicrowaveNachos Nachos are a pure Mexican d e l i g h t that can be topped with anything desirable.

While cheese is the main ingredient that makes these jazzed-up tortilla chips so famous, salsa, guacamole and beans on top will create a fiesta in your mouth. All you have to do is sprinkle cheese on top of tortilla chips, add other toppings, put it in the microwave for 90 seconds and enjoy.

“I will definitely eat nachos with salsa and cheese during exams,” junior Janithra de Silva said. “It doesn’t require much effort to put together, and it’s just a nice treat.”

If you want to taste the rainbow and snap, crackle and pop at the same time, Skittle Rice Krispie Treats are the food for you. This easy recipe is quick and fun; all you have to do is melt butter, mix with marshmallows, add Rice Krispies and Skittles, mix it all together, put it in a pan and

16

Sports

Autism Speaks races to reach fundraising goals

theObserver

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSAN PERELES.

Monday, May 19, 2014

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSAN PERELES.

Autism Speaks members junior Grace Pereles (second from top right) The winning team stands with their coach and proudly displays their medals. and freshman Noah Pereles (bottom left) speak out for Autism research.

By Julia McDermott Sports Editor When a relative was diagnosed with Autism 14 years ago, the Pereles family decided to start a 5K race to raise money and support Autism Awareness.

In that first year, before the Autism Speaks Foundation had even been created, the race was composed of over 600 participants, including walkers and runners. It has since become an annual event held on July 4 in Potomac Village. Last year’s race gathered more than 1,500 runners and 600 walkers.

“My mission has always been to make it a family friendly event and to raise as much money with this event as possible,” founder and director Susan Pereles said.

The support for the cause has grown as the number of people who are impacted by the disease continues to increase. When the race began in 2001, only one in every 500 children were affected by Autism, but by 2013, the numbers had risen to one in every 62 children and one in every 42 boys.

“At this point, the event is a community tradition,” said Grace Pereles, CHS junior and Autism Speaks intern.

“People come from all over the Metro D.C. area to participate.”

Consequently, the Autism Speaks Foundation has made great strides in bringing this disease to the public’s attention. It has donated over $160

million to the cause, and has been a major factor in the push for recognition that lead President Obama to enact a stimulus grant for over $1 billion towards medical and scientific study of Autism. The “Light it up Blue” campaign has taken hold nationwide and in 35 other countries across the globe.

“The goal of Autism Speaks is to improve the lives of all of those living with Autism,” Grace Pereles said. “We raise money for research for better treatments and a cure, advocacy, awareness and family services.”

Participants can join one of the over 100 teams that compete in the annual race, including the Churchill Running, Potomac Swim and Dive and Eldwick Sharks teams.

The teams fundraise together, and can win prizes for most spirit and most money raised. All profits go towards reaching this year’s fundraising goal of $300,000.

“The race is really fun, and the spectators have a ton of spirit,” sophomore participant Meredith Srour said.

“Throughout the course there are always people standing on the sides cheering for you, and there are a lot of festivities both before and after the race.”

Besides running the 5K, people can volunteer at the race or participate in the virtual 5K if they will not be in town that weekend. Runners can register for the virtual 5K and receive a shirt so that they can run, spread awareness and fundraise wherever they may be.

Registration is open now until July 2 at events.autismspeaks.org/AutismSpeaks5K.

Women’s crew brings victory home for CHS

By Thomas Atkinson Production Editor

In an astounding victory for CHS, the women’s novice rowing team won first place in the Maryland State Championships held April 27 in Chestertown, Maryland.

The women’s four boat won its qualifying heat by a staggering margin of 10 boat lengths, which is equivalent to 420 feet. The president of the team, Bill Snider, expressed a concern that the rowers should have saved some energy for the final race,

but these women, in their first year in the sport, dominated again in the finals, taking first place by 15 seconds.

“People thinks crew is easy, but it’s not,” freshman Dominique Simpson said. “There are so many challenges like any other sport.”

Head coach Cindy Cole praised the hard work the girls have put in during the season.

“We were really together,” freshman Lindsey Levy said. “It was like we were just floating on the water.”

Monday, May 19, 2014

Sports

17

theObserver

Cracked track and spotty footing cause injuries

PHOTO BY THOMAS ATKINSON.

While freshmen Becca Clem and Julia Reicin and junior Paula Kleinman run on the track, they risk injuries that could affect their running careers.

By Arjun Swaminathan Online Arts Editor The number of injuries suffered by CHS running athletes participating in cross country and track and field continues to increase each year, but recently it has reached worrisome totals.

The rapidly deteriorating CHS track is a problem for both athletes and the community because of its danger and ability to affect sports performance. However, it seems that MCPS believes that it is less of a priority than other school’s tracks, even though it is worn out, peeling

off and full of clearly visible holes.

The condition has deteriorated to the point that track and field head coach Scott Silverstein has mandated that the team avoid running in the first lane during practice.

Undoubtedly, the awful quality of the track is a problem that must be dealt with because it is dangerous to athletes, hazardous to the community and has a negative effect on athletic performance.

According to Silverstein, the track team has suffered more stress-related injuries this year than in his first five or six years of coaching at CHS com-

bined.Injuries can be debilitating to an athlete’s ability to participate in physical activity. In some cases, an athlete may be permanently affected, causing problems in both competitive events and daily life. Track-related injuries include stress fractures, shin splints and runner’s knee. CHS athletes, including junior Lucy Srour and sophomores Mitchell Welter and Michelle Su have been kept out for extended periods of time this season because of stress fractures and runner’s knee. Welter, Su and Silverstein believe that the quality of the track has led to the injuries.

According to senior Zach Lippman, who has suffered two separate stress fractures in his foot and soft tissue damage over two years, running on uneven footing leads to stress-related injuries by putting unnecessary pressure on the feet.

In addition to posing a threat to CHS athletes, the condition of the track is a problem for the community. The track is open to visitors, meaning that people make use of the same torn-up ground as CHS runners. Therefore, community members face the same risk of injury as student athletes.

According to Silverstein, the condition of the track is a “lawsuit waiting to happen.”

While track quality is a health issue for both student runners and community members, it also pro-

duces negative effects regarding the performance of Track and Field athletes in competitive running events. Spotty footing, unevenness and exposure to concrete only serve to slow down participants by throwing off their balance and causing discomfort. It is unfair for athletes to be placed at such a disadvantage because it inhibits them from performing at their best.

According to junior Brendan Fagan, the condition of track directly relates to his worse performance in meets.

According to junior Artoro Woodward-Montes, the track’s relatively subpar condition makes CHS the laughingstock of other schools in MCPS. MCPS does plan to power wash the CHS track and fill up its holes later this year.

According to Silverstein, the effect of this MCPS renovation would hopefully last two years before any further action can be taken.

CHS must deal with this problem by requesting that MCPS allow for a complete, lasting resurface of the track, instead of the scheduled temporary cleanup. Poor track quality corresponds to the number of athlete injuries, increases the potential hazard to community members who use the track and places runners at disadvantages in competition. Every person who uses the CHS track deserves a brand new state-of-the-art running surface. There is no safe or fair alternative.

Age limit increase better prepares NBA athletes

By Jake Certner Cristian Edwards Staff Writers

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently said his top priority is to increase the minimum age of players in the NBA from 19 to 20 in order to encourage college basketball players to stay in school longer and improve young talent. The repetition of college freshmen leaving for the draft is hurting both the NBA and the NCAA, and provisions need to be made to fix it.

The top high-school basketball prospects have spent one year at their Alma Maters and then declared for the draft in an attempt to avoid college and get to the NBA. Names like former draft picks Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and upcoming draft picks Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid are living proof of this pattern. This continues to happen despite the NBA and NCAA advocating against the rule.

Something must be done to keep these players in school longer, so the NCAA will have more veterans and the NBA will have more seasoned rookies.

According to an April SportingNews.com article, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver believes that increasing the age limit from 19 to 20 will benefit both the league and the careers of the young athletes.

By increasing the age limit, the NBA will be keep college basketball players in school until they finish their freshmen and sophomore years, which would increase both the talent level in the NCAA and the experience of rookies in the NBA. For a lot of these athletes the NBA salary is the driving force behind their college. However, the money will mean nothing to players when they are not educated about how to handle it wisely.

According to a March RedEyeChicago.com sports column, even though the rookies will be receiving at least $507,000 annually, an education is worth more because there is no guarantee as to how long these swollen checks will continue to roll in. Many players—like the New York Knicks’ Eddie

Curry—in fact have gone bankrupt.

Even one extra year of college can make a massive difference in an athlete’s performance at the pro level. One more year is one extra year of maturity both mentally and physically. These young adults would have an entire extra year to improve their basketball skills for the world stage and prepare themselves for the abundance of attention and income to come.

The promise of a six-figure salary seems like endless money to many of the prospects who have been playing for nothing since they started, and it is an unbelievably tempting offer for student-athletes who have lived in poverty. However, the problem is not that the NBA is paying too much, but that the NCAA is not covering the expenses of players properly.

According to an April ESPN.com article, Silver admitted that the only way the age limit will change is if colleges start covering the expenses of top athletes better than the simple scholarship.

Subsequently, although Silver said they have not been working on a plan to give financial incentive to the players who stay in college, he said it is an option they have discussed.

The leagues are aware of the difficulty in trying to change this rule, but it is in the best interest of both the NBA and the NCAA to raise the age limit in order to improve the environment of the leagues and appease the fans.

According to a poll conducted of 50 CHS students, 56 percent of students believe that college basketball players should stay in college for at least two years.

Obviously, it is not only the two organizations that believe in raising the age limit, but also the fans. This is clearly the move that everyone wants to see done correctly, and swiftly.

When players like Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird each stayed in college for at least two years, they still went on to become two of the greatest players that the NBA and NCAA had ever seen, and there is no reason the young talent today shouldn’t do the same.

INFOGRAPHIC BY CRISTIAN EDWARDS AND JAKE CERTNER.

observer

Winston Churchill High School 11300 Gainsborough Rd. Potomac,MD 20854

the churchill

flipsi

de

www.thechurchillobserver.com

Volume 38 - Issue 9

Monday, May 19, 2014

CHS takes Boston Strong

PHOTO BY JONATHAN GREENZAID.

Jacobson’s personal running experience makes him a role model for the students he coaches on the CHS track team.

Jacobson completes fifth marathon

By Jonathan Greenzaid Online Sports Editor

Fifty-year old head cross country and track coach and history teacher Paul Jacobson ran in the 2014 Boston Marathon April 21. Before the race, Jacobson set a goal to finish the grueling 26.2 miles of his fifth marathon in under three hours; however, to his disappointment he crossed the finish line in three hours, four minutes, 29 seconds.

“I knew what was coming when I reached the finish line,” Jacobson said.

“I was disappointed, but I got over that pretty quickly because just to be there in Boston was great. The atmosphere in Boston was amazing. I am a competitive person, and I never wanted to say I got over a three hour time, but sometimes things just don’t go your way.”

A year after the Boston bombings shook the city at last year’s marathon, the 35,671 runners participating in the race were set to “take Boston back.”

The race was a symbol of the continuous heart and grit of the city to get back up off its feet.

“You really wanted to do well for the fans cheering,” Jacobson said. “It was special for me to be a part of history to take Boston back.”

According to Jacobson, he “hit the wall” at around the 20-mile mark as multitudes of people passed him at this point.

“The spirit was willing but the body was weak,” Jacobson said.

Jacobson started running at Einstein High School after he was cut from the soccer team in grade 10. He started off

pole vaulting, but soon found out he was a better distance runner. Jacobson is currently in the Einstein Hall of Fame for athletes, and during his senior year he was part of the school’s State Championship track team.

Jacobson later went on to run at Montgomery College and then the University of Maryland.

Prior to the Boston Marathon, Jacobson ran 70 to 80 miles a week, and some days he ran as many as 22 miles, with most of his long runs on the C&O Canal.

“Somehow, I need to prove myself,” Jacobson said. “I feel bad when I don’t push myself everyday. There is always someone training harder than you, and it takes effort and dedication in order to become successful.”

Jacobson has run at least 75,000 miles in his lifetime. Additionally, in the metro area 50-54 age group, he is ranked fourth.

“He never stops,” head track coach Scott Silverstein said. “Sometimes he even pushes a little too hard. He has the craziest work ethic for running I have ever seen.”

Jacobson’s experience and dedication as a runner have also helped him become a better track coach.

“He knows the pain and the effort that it takes for an athlete to complete his events,” junior track runner David Fitzgerald said. “Mr. Jacobson has helped me become a better runner because he knows how to run.

He has become a great mentor to me, and I have great respect for him.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF LARRY CHLOUPEK.

Larry Chloupek, ‘79 alumnus, recently ran in the Boston Marathon with a time of five hours and 20 minutes.

Challenges can’t stop Chloupek

By Hannah Yasharoff Public Relations Manager

The greatest sports stories are the ones that inspire others and prove that through hard work and determination, anything is pos sible. The story of Larry Chloupek is no exception.

C h l o u p e k , a 1 9 7 9 C H S a l u mnus, recently completed the Boston Marathon with one leg, on crutches. Yes, you read that right.

On crutches.

“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Chloupek said.

“The crowds were so vocal and supportive. They pushed me until the end.”

Chloupek, who lost his left leg to bone cancer at age 7, urges teens to continue participating in sports, despite any obstacles that may arise.

“In many sports, there is a modification that would allow you to continue to play the sport that you enjoy,” Chloupek said. “Never give up.”

True to his word, Chloupek has been involved in sports throughout his entire lifetime. In high school, he was manager for the football, basketball and baseball teams. He also coached CHS baseball for 15 years. Now, Chloupek plays soccer and lifts weights, in addition to running.

“I got involved in running as another form of getting my cardio in,” Chloupek said. “I have been running close to 20 years, primarily

*AS OF 5/12/14

TEAM rECORDS* boys: 10-2

girls: 8-2-1

Baseball 6-10

Softball 9-7

Tennis 8-1

completing 5k and 10k races.”

Chloupek, who ran the Boston Marathon with his wife, Jenn Elswick Chloupek, also runs some of these races with his stepson, junior Colton Neubauer.

“For my first 5k, my stepdad beat me by a lot,” Neubauer said.

“This motivated me to get fit, and I ended up dropping my time by nine minutes.”

Chloupek has also run several half marathons in the past few years and ran the D.C. Rock and Roll Marathon last spring, which was his Boston Marathon qualifying race.

According to the Boston Marathon website, the qualifying time for the mobility-impaired portion of the race is eight hours, but Chloupek completed the D.C. Marathon in just five hours and 37 minutes. He then went on to complete the Boston Marathon in five hours and 20 minutes.

Chloupek’s decision to run the Boston Marathon was based partially on last year’s bombing.

“I wanted to show the new amputees that life does not stop once you have a disability,” Chloupek said.

In addition to the bombing victims, Chloupek has also inspired Neubauer.

“Larry has proven that with hard work and perseverance, any goal is achievable,” Neubauer said. “He never makes excuses for anything, so why should we?”

coed 9-2

boy’s 7-4

TRack

Girls: 3-2 Boys: 2-3

Sports

Monday, May 19, 2014

Junior Alan Yan

Spring Sports Updates

PHOTOS BY PABLO ROA.

Boys Volleyball

Junior Edmond Lee

Coed Volleyball

By Balbina Yang Staff Writer The boys varsity volleyball team ended its regular season with a 7-4 record, placing ninth in the county.

The Bulldogs were victorious in their final regular season game, beating Poolesville, 3-1, April 28. However, the team lost in the quarterfinals of playoffs against Wootton, 3-0.

“For me, this is the best that my team has ever done in my high school career,” senior captain Brian Chen said. “We take what we have and grow in adversity, making us better players and better people overall.”

Returning players hope to polish up on specific areas for next year.

“We could still improve on our offense,” junior Charles Yang said.

“We’ve been trying to run more plays recently, and hopefully that will give us an edge next season.”

Overall, the team is pleased with how its season turned out.

“I’m very proud of how hard our team works,” coach Erika Eastham said.

“Working with athletes who work hard towards a goal makes me, as a coach, work just as hard.”

19

theObserver

Junior Jared Spiegel

Senior Nora Cleary

Tennis

Softball

By Katie Clem Production Manager

By Julia McDermott Sports Editor

After a long season, the boys tennis team finished its season strong with a record of 9-1.

Its season consisted of many shutouts, winning 7-0 against teams like Damascus, QO, RM, and Seneca Valley. The team also finished third in counties May 7, losing to rivals Whitman and Wootton.

“Overall it was a good season,” junior Elliot Thaker said. “A lot of our guys showed a lot of improvement, and even though we didn’t end up quite where we wanted, it was definitely a good year of development. Next year we’ll be as ready as ever to win counties.”

Finishing with a 9-7 record, the girls softball team completed the regular season with a winning record for the first time in five years.

In the postseason, the strong fielding team focused on improving batting and cutting down on errors. The Bulldogs won the first round of playoffs 9-2 against rival Whitman May 8, but ended the season with a 7-1 loss against Blair May 12.

“Also a huge strength of ours is working as a team,” senior captain Alex Votaw said. “There are no divas, and everyone is really a team player which helps tremendously with our chemistry.”

By Emily Wang Circulation Manager

The coed volleyball team finished its regular season 9-2 and postseason 1-1.

The Bulldogs played their first game in the playoffs against Wheaton and won 3-0, May 1. They then went on to lose to Northwest, 2-3, May 6.

“I think a lack of concentration and composure were to blame in the end,” captain Kaitlyn Hillard said.

However, the team is still satisfied with its season.

“We are division champs,” Hillard said. “I couldn’t ask for a better senior year team.”

The team will be losing seniors Katherine Liu, Daniel Liu, Raymond Roxas, Alex Wang and Kaitlyn Hillard to graduation.

Junior Marshall Rhodes Junior Paula Kleyman Junior Emily Rindner

Track

PHOTO BY MICHAEL FOX.

Girls Lacrosse

By Michael Fox Sports Editor The girls lacrosse team ended its season after a playoff loss to WJ, 11-12, May 9.

Although the team did not make it as far into the playoffs as planned, the program still managed to complete a good season.

The Bulldogs finished the regular season with an 8-2-1 record, beating rivals Wootton, 12-11, April 24.

According to sophomore Annie Moshyedi, the team is upset that they were knocked out of the playoffs, but the players are proud to have played for such a great team.

Dawg Data

By Nathan Deychman Production Editor

Senior Zach Thibodeau

Baseball

By Michael Fox Sports Editor The team concluded the regular season with a loss to Wootton, 11-0, May 5, and lost in the first round of the playoffs to RM, 3-10, May 9.

The baseball team finished the regular season with a 6-9 record.

Although the season did not go as expected, senior Matt O’Lone was proud to play as a Bulldog.

According to O’Lone, the team did not expect for the season to end so quickly, but it still managed to be enjoyable.

.340

Senior and varsity baseball captain Matt O’Lone’s batting average on the season.

2:00

The amount of time it takes junior David Fitzgerald to run 800 yards for track and field.

By Julia McDermott Sports Editor

The track and field team concluded its mediocre regular season with the girls finishing 3-2 and the boys finishing 2-3. However, the team still has regional and state championship meets coming up for a chance to salvage their sub-par season. At county championships, both teams did exceptionally well, with the finishing eighth and the girls finishing ninth. Several athletes also qualified for regionals.

Standout athletes on the team include sprinters freshman Jalen Hill and senior Emma Coleman, and junior distance runners David Fitzgerald and Lucy Srour.

“Our season has been going pretty good so far, but I know that our times could be better,” said Hill, who was an All-American for indoor track.

48

Number of points sophomore Annie Moshyedi had in girls varsity lacrosse’s first eight games.

Boys Lacrosse

110

After starting the regular season strong with an eight-game winning streak, the boys lacrosse team faced tougher opponents later in the season, losing 6-14 to Wootton April 26 and 1017 to Landon April 29.

Last season, the team won its second straight regional championship and the 4A South County title. This year the team has had success in playoffs with wins against Whitman, 13-2, May 10 and WJ, 6-4, May 12. They fell to Wootton 14-12 May 14.

“We had our up and downs,” junior captain Louis Dubick said. “A lot of the time we struggled to show up for the first half and dug ourselves a hole to dig out of in the second. Most importantly I think that we gained a lot of experience from the close games and adversity we faced.”

21

Winning margin for the boys varsity lacrosse against Einstein HighSchool.

Speed in mph of junior Elliot Thaker’s serve for boys varsity tennis.

18

Sports

theObserver

Monday, May 19, 2014

Capitals shock fans with mediocre season

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR.

The Caps fired George McPhee and Adam Oates after their worst season in years. were in first place in the entire NHL,

By Owen Hall scoring 318 goals in a season and only Staff Writer Washington Capitals fans walked out of the Verizon Center April 13 with complete disgust on their faces after a devastating 1-0 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Why did the Caps not make the playoffs? They have qualified for seven years straight. What did the Caps do wrong?

Four days earlier, on April 9, the team was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

According to a April 28 Washington Post article, the team’s problems began in the 2009-2010 season when the Caps

losing to the Montreal Canadians in a seven games series.

Over the next several years the Caps changed coaches, starting with Bruce Boudreau (2007-2011), then Dale Hunter (2011-2012) and finally Adam Oates (2012-2014), all with different playing styles. Under Boudreau, they played a wide open, high scoring game. After not achieving the playoff success that was expected from the Caps, Boudreau was fired and the new coach, Dale Hunter, implemented a strict defensive and shot blocking strategy. This system allowed the Caps to win one playoff series, but also relegated star player Alex Ovechkin to a minor and limited role on

the team.

After Hunter quit, Adam Oates was hired to get Ovechkin going in the right direction and to achieve the playoff success that had long eluded them. During his long Hall of Fame career of 1,337 games in the NHL, Oates scored 341 goals and dished out 1,079 assists. People widely consider him to have a brilliant hockey mind.

He used his experiences to turn Ovechkin’s game around. Ovechkin scored a league-leading 51 goals this year. However, Ovechkin also had -35 +/- rating, which means his defense was horrible. The rating is determined by giving a player +1 when he is on the ice when a goal is scored, and -1 if he is scored upon.

The team’s other great player, Nicklas Backstrom, was eighth in the league in scoring, finishing with a -20 for his +/- rating.

According an April 18 Washington Post article, while Ovechkin and Backstrom’s point production was strong, their lackadaisical effort on defense caused them to lose a lot of close games. Some of the team’s other top forwards, Johansson and Laich, also underperformed, which made the situation even worse.

One of the other areas of great concern is the Capitals’ defense. Top defensemen Mike Green had another off year this year, often times making bad plays that resulted in the opposing team scoring several goals.

Numerous other top defensemen were injured, which meant that inexpe-

rienced rookies were called up to play.

According to an April 17 Washington Post article, the Cap’s biggest weakness this season was its play in its own end. Often, the players were unable to clear the puck, which caused the team to be trapped in its own zone.

This problem resulted in too many turnovers and ugly goals being scored against the Capitals.

A final reason for the Capitals not making the playoffs was that the goalie play was uneven at best. The Caps used goalies Braden Holtby, Michal Neuvirth, Philipp Grubauer and Jaroslav Halak, and none of them were able to string together consistent, confident performances that are needed to build a strong foundation for defense.

According to an April 21 Washington Post article, it was a year of upheaval at the net as the Caps rotated through four goalies over course of 82 games, each having a mediocre season at best.

All of these factors contributed to the Capital’s early exit this year.

The owner, Ted Leonsis, recently cleaned house by firing both the coach Adam Oates and the 17-year general manager George McPhee.

Caps fans face more indecision as to who will lead the team next year and what style of hockey they will play. All they can do is hope that the new management can light a fire under the talented players on the roster and turn them into Stanley Cup contenders.

C H S s t u d e n t s g e a r u p f o r Wo r l d C u p

By Nathan Gertler Contest Manager Every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except for in 1942 and 1946 due to World War II, the FIFA World Cup has brought the world an exhilarating four weeks of soccer in the middle of the summer.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup will start in Sao Paulo, Brazil June 12.

Kicking off its quest for a record sixth World Cup win, Brazil will play its first game against Croatia in the tournament opener.

“The World Cup is very special because it’s been around for a long time, and it’s only every four years,” sophomore soccer fan Sepehr Hoghooghi said. “It’s one of the biggest sporting events because soccer is watched and enjoyed by everyone.”

According to a July 2011 ESPN. com article, at least 1 billion people watched the 2010 final between Spain and the Netherlands.

Thirty-two teams from 32 separate countries will be competing in the World Cup this summer in Brazil. The first qualifiers for the World Cup begin about three years before the tournament starts. All teams, except for the hosts of that year’s World Cup, have to qualify from their own regions in order to make it to the tournament.

The World Cup will be extra special this year, not only because it is expected to be the most viewed World Cup in history with over a billion people watching, but also because it is going to be held in Brazil, the nation with the most World Cup wins.

“The World Cup is always special but because it’s in the most decorated country in soccer the

Brazilian National team will have a lot of pressure to make it more special,” Hoghooghi said.

Many other students are excited for the World Cup, and some are even traveling to Brazil to experience it first-hand this summer. Sophomore varsity soccer player Nicholas and former soccer player and fan Michael Yazdani are two people from CHS who will be attending.

According to the Yazdani brothers, they are not only extremely excited to be going to the World Cup to see the intense competition of the sport, and support Iran and the United States but also to be traveling through exotic Brazil.

“The World Cup is one of the most -watched sporting events because anything can happen,” Michael said. “Upsets and great goals occur throughout the entire tournament.”

The U.S. Men’s National team will be heading into the World Cup in June with high confidence after finishing at the top of its group for qualifying in North America. It also reached the knockout stage out in the World Cup in 2010, the first time since its quarterfinal run in the 2002 World Cup. The team’s run in the 2010 World Cup should give them the extra confidence that they need in the competition this summer.

One major obstacle for the U.S. National team is the “group of death” it is in. Their group consists of heavy favorites, Germany, Portugal, which has one of the best players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ghana, the team that eliminated the US four years ago in South Africa.

“The U.S. team will have a tough time making it far in the tournament because of the group they are in, but I believe they still have the skill to make an upset,” Nicholas said.

PHOTO BY NATHAN GERTLER.

Sophomore varsity soccer player Nicholas Yazdani sports an Iran jersey and plans to support the team at the World Cup.