The Churchill Observer-May 2018

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

thechurchillobserver.com

May 8, 2018

Volume 42 - Issue 7

A National Blue Ribbon School

CHS hosts MCR to vote for 2018-2019 officers

By Dani Miller News Editor Montgomery County Regional (MCR) SGA held a county-wide meeting April 18 in the CHS auditorium. Over 200 students attended the meeting from schools all over MCPS to vote for next year’s MCR officers.

According to the MCR SGA website, MCR is a countywide student government association that represents all 26 MCPS high schools.

MCR advocates for a variety of student-related policy issues before the MCPS Board of Education and Montgomery County Council, and they lobby for bills at the Maryland General Assembly.

“We are so fortunate to have our school system fund MCR to represent the student voice,” Pranav Tadikonda, Richard Montgomery High School junior and MCR Vice President-Elect, said. “This is a great way to learn about advocacy and how to voice your opinions as an MCPS student.”

Every year, students are given the opportunity to run for an MCR officer position, such as President, Vice President, Treasurer or Secretary.

Officer elections for the 2019 school year took place during the meeting at CHS. Among those elected are Ananya Tadikonda, Kennedy

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATE TINBITE.

Newly elected officers Nate Tinbite, Safwan Masood, Pranav Tadikonda and SMOB elect Ananya Tadikonda pose with past officers Michael Yin and former SMOB Matt Post.

High School sophomore Nate Tinbite, Paint Branch High School junior Safwan Masood and Richard Montgomery junior Isabelle Young. They were each elected Vice President, President, Treasurer and Secretary, respectively.

For all of the elected candidates, this win would

pay off for their years of hard work in student government.

“For me, winning MCR Treasurer serves as the vindication of my passion for the student voice,” Masood said. “I am fired up more than ever before about what we students can do.”

According to Masood, he

started MCR as a sophomore, ran for SMOB and spent the majority of his junior year serving in the MCR legislative affairs department.

Masood is not alone in his hard work. Tadikonda, Young and Tinbite all served in MCR before running for a position.

“I have a record of fighting

and advocating for students for the past five years,” Tadikonda said. “In MCR, I served as an officer where I worked towards creating lasting partnerships with organizations.”

One major criticism of government, whether it be on a school wide, county wide, state-wide or nation-wide level, is that it is inefficient.

Government is oftentimes considered synonymous with gridlock, which is the inability of a government to make significant changes because elected officials come from rival viewpoints.

MCR’s officer-elects have big plans to change that.

“Through MCR, I will make sure that legislators and policy makers come out to our general assembly and make sure that we have representation because we are the student voice,” Tinbite said.

Tinbite is not the only one with big plans.

According to Masood, he plans to reform grant programs to put more money towards clubs, and ensure that MCR reprioritizes their legislative goals so that they can testify on legislation that matters to students.

“As the MCR Treasurer for the 2018-2019 school year, I plan to hit the ground running hard before even being sworn in,” Masood said.

Md. education resource disparity causes teachers to strike

By Jenna Greenzaid Editor-in-Chief MCPS has a $2.519 billion operating budget for Fiscal Year 2018 to fund operations for the 204 schools included in the county.

While MCPS may be adequately funded, there are still alarming disparities within the county concerning planned distribution of resources to schools and funding for such resources.

“My impression is that, within the county, we actually do a pretty good job of routing more equal and more official funding from MCPS to schools in areas with greater need,” Blair High School teacher and Montgomery County Council

candidate Samir Paul said.

This disparity isn’t always the fault of unequal funding, but rather the fact that certain schools have a better ability to provide for their schools aside from money allocated from the county budget (such as with fundraisers).

“There are other ways in which schools end up with different amount of resources,” Paul said. “A good example of it is the fundraising capacity of the parents. At schools like Churchill or Whitman, the parents are good at [fundraising]—there’s a strong history there.”

Jump to page 2.

FEATURES

The states shaded in green denote where teachers’ unions have the legal right to strike. In Maryland, teachers’ unions do not have the right to legally strike, but teachers on their own do.

ARTS

SPORTS

Sun, fun, and great summer concerts close to home.

Bon voyage! Students travel abroad for imersion experience.

Page 10

IMAGE BY JENNA GREENZAID.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEHER KAUR.

Page 13

Point, shoot, and click. Never forget a game highlight with new sports app.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.

Page 15

PHOTO BY JOE RAAB.

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May 8, 2018

News

Adequate allocation of resources called into question Jump from page 1.

Still, it’s going to take more than just fundraising by parents and students to bring more funding and better resources to schools.

“The fact is, all of our schools are doing more with less and they have been ever since the 2007 financial crisis,” Paul said. “If we want to spend money on our schools the way they deserve, it’s going to take action at the state level.”

One course of action that teachers in under-funded counties in the country, such as W. Va. and Okla., is going on strike until members of Congress adequately address their needs. In the US, striking by teachers is illegal in 37 out of the 50 states, including Md. According to a March Education Week article, during the 1950’s and 60’s there were sometimes hundreds of strikes per year by teachers who were focused on getting school boards to recognize their right to bargain.

Strikes in the 1980s focused on staving

off budget cuts and defending teacher rights from previous years. Since the 1990s, striking by teachers has lessened substantially and since 2010, there has not been more than 13 strikes in a year.

Although striking is illegal in Md. and other states, teachers are still making sure their concerns are heard in whatever way they can.

On Apr. 4, teachers at Anacostia High School in D.C. walked out of school to protest the building’s conditions.

According to an April Washington Post article, Anacostia teachers said they readily work long hours each day to help their students, and a graduation scandal (which revealed 70 percent of the 2017 graduating class graduated in violation of city policies) paired with an evaluation system that ties teachers’ salaries to their performance already put enough pressure on them. Showing up to school with broken plumbing and little warning felt like another injustice.

The walkout was not planned ahead of time, but rather it was a last-minute

decision motivated by harsh conditions in the school teachers saw that morning.

According to the previous April Washington Post article, the cafeteria was flooded and no toilets were functioning when staff arrived at 8 a.m., after which they decided to organize a walkout at 9:30 a.m. The staff and students were offered the option of using the restroom facilities at the neighboring middle school two blocks away, which increased frustration.

At CHS, it’s more unlikely that there would be a strike or walkout by teachers due to inadequate facilities or infrastructure.

According to Principal Joan Benz, if a parent or student saw anything that needed attention, support would be called for immediately.

Throughout MCPS, both money and resources are allocated to assist schools when issues arise.

According to Benz, MCPS is strong in its its infrastructure, especially with deteriorating buildings or utilities.

There is a “great system” for reporting a problem and having people come immediately on a crisis basis.

Still, there is more that could be done to provide for the well-being of schools, teachers and students county-wide.

“I think MCPS does a good job—not a perfect job—but a good job, of making sure our budget is equity-minded, but I think we need more resources for our schools,” Paul said.

Students have always looked to teachers to lead them in the classroom.

Now, students can look to their teachers to lead them outside the classroom as well.

“I’m really inspired by all these teachers across the country, particularly in places like Kentucky, West Virginia and Kansas, and it’s pretty powerful to see them stand up,” Paul said. “There’s a real need for teachers to lead in that way and you can see that people agree with them. Teachers have an important moral voice, so I think it’s really powerful.”

Visitors experience a blast from the past with 1950s nostalgia

By Eliza Asbury Online Editor-in-Chief

The Montgomery County Historical Society has opened an exhibit at the Beall-Dawson Museum in Rockville featuring the experiences of people in the county during the 1950s, which is designated to close later this year.

The exhibit, BOOM: The 1950s in Montgomery County, was opened Oct. 2017 and will be open until July 15.

“For some it is a trip down memory lane, the toys they played with, the music they listened to,” Elizabeth Lay said, who works for the Montgomery County Historical Society. “For others, it is the comprehension of the threat of the H-Bomb landing in Washington DC, while living within the 20 mile radius of the blast. Montgomery County lead the nation in planning suburban expansion.

We have covered many of these topics in this exhibition through the objects, the lectures and the events.”

A primary focus of the exhibit is to educate the public and allow people to explore the past in a detailed and firsthand experience. The museum is not only aimed at the older generation, those born during the 1950s, but it’s also aimed at the younger generation. With its interactive activities and antique objects on display, the museum appeals to a variety of people.

“Our pop-up typewriter exhibit is entirely hands-on,” Lay said. “Visitors can use the manual typewriters, some are more than 100 years old. During our current BOOM exhibit, visitors are invited to sit in a Hot Shoppe booth with their friends, much like they would have in 1955. We even encourage photographs.”

The MoCo Historical Society has been working on multiple exhibits in years past, and is currently planning for future exhibits to reflect the growth, diversity and vibrancy of the county.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETH LAY.

Visitors to the museum can feel like they travelled back in time while viewing 50’s memorabilia such as the diner booth pictured above.

“Our next exhibit will open in Oct. 2018 and celebrate our 75th anniversary with an exhibition of 75 objects in the collection which tell the story of our county,” Lay said. “It will include delicate things like a 1780’s silk embroidered waistcoat, and some frightening objects such as the noose used in the last public hanging in the county.”

The society has worked with various non-profit and volunteer organizations to accomplish their goals and bring recognition to the extensive history this county has to offer.

“Montgomery Historical Society began in 1944 and was driven by Lily Stone, along with a group of people who wanted to protect and preserve Montgomery Country’s rich history,” Lay said. “In 1965, they found a permanent home in a partnership with the City of Rockville at the Beall Dawson House. From the 1980s through 2015, it was a historic house museum with rooms decorated as they might have been in the 19th century.”

Some may question the relevance of the 1950s time period in today’s society.

However, the museum allows people to realize the commonalities between modern and past times, and learn from the history of the county.

“We face many of the same issues today: racism, urban expansion, concern for nuclear threats,” Lay said. “In other ways, we have moved forward and we see the roots of our lives taking hold in the 1950’s with desegregation, interstate roads, expanding communication systems and the very first computers.”

The hope of the museum, not only with the current exhibit, but the future and past exhibits as well, is that it is an educational and informative experience for people to understand all the aspects MoCo history.

“Our ongoing goal is to be able to tell a complete story of our entire county, both then and now,” Lay said.

CORRECTIONS In the April 12, 2018 issue (“CHS hosts TEDx talk” by Emma Chen), it was reported: “...very few people came to support these inspirational speakers.”

However, TEDx regulations state that TEDx events are supposed to be capped at 100 people. Thus, the Think Big club actually exceeded expectations with 150+ people in attendance. Additionally, it was reported: “...many students felt that the online accessibility...made this one pointless to attend.” While one student supported this sentiment, this broad statement does not reflect the views of the community as a whole.

In the March 7, 2018 issue (“Swim and dive team drowns private school record” by Riley Hurr), it was reported: “Macky… along with Steven Mendley, Sean Nguyen and Ziad Bandak, completed the Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay in forth place….” In actuality, John Nguyen swam in this race.

In the April 12, 2018 issue (“Athlete of the Month” by Eliza Asbury), it was reported: “...[Lizzie] Hsu [earned] 43 total goals during her freshman and sophomore season...” In actuality, Hsu 37 goals her freshman year and 43 goals her sophomore year, for a total of 80 goals total during her freshman and sophomore season.

May 8, 2018

News

Students log out of frustration and into email

By Brandon Li Copy Editor

Have you ever tried logging into your personal email on a school computer and realized that the email server is blocked?

Usually when a student, who already logged in once using their MCPS email, tries to switch email accounts to their personal account in order to retrieve certain emails, their access is denied. Now, thanks to a built-in function within Chrome, there is a way to log into two accounts on the same computer. By adding a second email instead of signing out of one’s school email, it bypasses the ‘blocked’ page that is normally displayed.

“Having a feature like this available to all students is a great addition,” junior Justin Chui said. “It gives students more time to work on any activities they have yet to finish in class.”

To add a second email, first log into a school computer with your school login. Then, once you open Chrome, click on the person icon in the top right (next to the minimize button), create a name for the second account (or use a guest account), then log into your other account. “[The feature] is convenient for students who are trying to send work home,” Chui said. “For example, sometimes when I run out of time in programming class, I would send myself an email containing the program, where I would then continue working on it at home.”

PHOTO BY BRANDON LI.

In the past, students were not able to log into two emails on the same computer, causing frustration.

By adding a second account, both accounts can be logged onto the same computer at the same time and the user can easily switch between the two. To switch between accounts, all one has to do is open the person icon, and then find their other account’s profile picture and click on it.

“I send everything to myself through Google Drive,” junior Bryan Fang said. “Because many assignments are done through Drive, sending code to yourself or unfinished

Photoshop projects allows you to have the opportunity to program outside of school.”

While this feature is viewed as a relief for those who use two email accounts, this feature only works on the CHS desktops; it will not work on the Chromebooks.

As for the reasons for restricting the usage of two different accounts, that still seems to be a mystery.

“Personally, the feature [of switching accounts] does not help me,”

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junior Shelton Zhou said. “Sometimes I am able to finish the program quickly, which means that I do not need to use the feature often.”

MCPS student email accounts can only send emails to other school accounts, not personal accounts; only emails sent to another one ending in ‘@mcpsmd.net’ will be sent, while all other email domains will result in an error message and bounce right back.

Other websites that are blocked or censored by MCPS include multiple social media outlets, such as Snapchat, certain YouTube videos and the livestreaming website Twitch. While teachers view this action as a way to keep students engaged in classroom activities, some students feel that watching a short YouTube video during non-instructional times allows them to decompress, and alleviate stress.

“I feel like it is necessary [to unblock these websites] in certain situations,” sophomore Ben Gumer said. “It can be useful to relax our minds when we have free time.”

While logging into both school and personal emails is a step in the right direction, other websites are still blocked. Whether MCPS lifts the restrictions on the aforementioned websites is entirely up them, so for now, we will just have to wait and see their decision.

“Being able to send assignments to myself via email helps me turn in assignments on time,” sophomore Clement Lee said. “I will continue to use this feature in the future, for sure.”

Drivers get the red light on illegal drop-off procedures

By Allison Jacobs Assistant Arts Editor In the distance, a car alarm sounds, there is crying and screaming, people are rushing around: they’re looking for help as a young student lays in the middle of the street next to two smoking cars. This is the worst-case scenario, though not too out of the question if parents and students continue to ignore the basic drop off rules that are set by CHS. A large problem in the mornings at CHS is drop-off. Parents choose to drop their kids off on Gainsborough Road, directly in front of the bus lanes, or down toward Victory Lane, instead of in the designated carpool lane. By doing this, parents are ignoring the signage that runs up and down the street, telling the drivers that they are not allowed to stop on the street.

“The school has a safe drop off area for students,” School Resource Officer Amy Homrock said. “It’s adjacent to the senior lot, by the senior doors.

Parents can drop students off right at the curb, right at the door, or on campus.”

This rule is constantly ignored by parents, which makes it harder for students and staff to get inside.

As parents pull over on the side of Gainsborough to drop off their children, they slow down and as more cars follow suit, a traffic jam begins to build up. Teachers have a hard time getting into school, and it is not safe for students to cross the street.

According to a 2016 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study, 104 pedestrians were killed in car crashes in 2016 and there were a total of 505 deaths related to traffic.

The traffic created on Gainsborough is very stop-start, with each car packed tight onto the street, pulling up only a

PHOTO BY ALLISON JACOBS.

Recently, school officials have been strictly enforcing the no drop-off procedure on Gainsborough. few inches before they stop again.

According to the Slate, 23 to 30 percent of all car crashes occur in the form of a rear-end. The stopstart environment that is created on Gainsborough is a perfect place to get into rear-ended collision.

Homrock has been working to stop the violators. Each morning, she stands under a sign that tells the driver not to stop. At the beginning of the school year, she stood outside for a month and if anyone ignored the signs, she would pull them over and explain the rules. The reactions from the drivers were not the greatest and would most likely end in her getting yelled at or lied to.

“The County Roads Division has done two audits; they come out in Jan. and Feb.,” said Homrock. “They spoke to school officials, school

administration, school security and myself and we explained to them the areas where traffic gets clogged up and where parents are not following the directions of the signs.”

Drivers play a key role in this issue but students must be careful as well.

Darting across the road early in the morning when there is a lot of traffic may cause a parent to stop short.

While this may not result in getting the student hurt, it might cause a crash for the person who stopped to let the student by.

“It’s very dangerous,” CHS mother Nancy Heshmat said. “A student can get hurt, hit by a car or get run over.”

Parents need to act responsible and demonstrate good behavior for their students, which includes following the rules. Some may believe that the traffic is just as bad in the drop off loop as it is

on Gainsborough, but they are wrong.

A simple task that applies to both the driver and the student can easily solve the problem of the morning rush.

“My advice to the parents is get here earlier,” Homrock said. “I monitor how it gets more and more congested as you go along and, of course, the closer you get to the start of first period, the worse it gets.”

If getting to CHS early is too hard, there is another option. Staying back one block, going ahead one block or even driving one block into the neighborhood is better than stopping on Gainsborough.

“What I have been doing is dropping my kids off as I turn onto Georgetowne Drive, where there is a crosswalk,” Heshmat said.

While it is not an ideal situation, due to the preferred drop off area, it is better than ignoring the safety precautions. On the other hand, there are better options left than dropping the students off on the side of the road.

“I would be interested to find out how many of the kids that are being dropped off actually can take the bus,” Homrock says, which is another solution that would clear up some of the morning traffic. “If a good portion of the kids being dropped off actually take a bus home, just having them take a bus would alleviate [congestion].”

There are many options to stopping a dangerous situation that could affect many students at CHS. However, one thing is clear: parents and students must both follow the rules.

Drop offs on the side of Gainsborough are not acceptable now, nor were they ever. There are many other options that would be much better than some choose to use. Safety is a number one priority and it must be enforced. By abiding to the rules, it will be.

Observations

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TOTM: Stacye Steele-Yue

By Max Kandel News Editor Crediting her childhood growing up all over the world—from Columbia to Peru to Spain and to Mexico—this month’s Teacher of the Month, Stacye Steele-Yue, is able to teach her students Spanish culture in ways that they never could have imagined.

A member of the foreign language department, Steele-Yue teaches AP Spanish Language and loves changing student mindsets about the class. Initially, some students take the course just for AP credit; however, by the end of the year, many students often become extremely passionate about Spanish and Hispanic culture.

“Each year, [my students] become my children for a short time and I truly treasure all of them,” Steele-Yue said. “It gives me joy when they let me know that they plan to continue studying Spanish and might even double major or minor in it.”

Throughout her 22 year teaching career, Steele-Yue has continued to find innovative ways to motivate her students and help them succeed.

“Having a strong rapport with students and being able to relate to them on a personal level makes it much easier to motivate them on days when the material is tough or just a bit boring,” Steele-Yue said.

While Steele-Yue teaches AP Spanish Lang, she is able to teach any level of Spanish due to her extensive cultural background in Spanish culture. Originally in the business world, Steele-Yue decided teaching was the direction she PHOTO BY MAX KANDEL.

wanted to go in.

“Growing up and moving so much led to two things: my love for the Hispanic culture and an ability to adapt and build relationships easily,” Steele-Yue said. “I believe [my experiences] have made me a more well-rounded teacher who is able to draw on those experiences when preparing my classroom lessons.”

Steele-Yue’s bubbly personality and wide-range of knowledge definitely has an impact on her students. While SteeleYue gives credit to her students, her students give all the credit to her.

“Ms. Steele is always so helpful and does such a great job preparing us for the AP exam,” junior Jobeth Liss said.

Because of the rigorous course material and anxiety leading up the AP exam, Steele-Yue always tries to add humor and talk about current events (in Spanish, of course) to liven up the class.

“Over the years [my students and I] have laughed together and we have shared the sorrows of what has happened in the world. Their kind words have lifted me up and, in return, I hope I have touched their lives,” SteeleYue said.

Because of the many languages offered at CHS and the high- level of Spanish Steele-Yue teaches, many students will not have the privilege of her being their teacher. Still, she is thankful to all the students that have had her for showing their appreciation and recognizing her for the award.

“It is truly an honor to receive this recognition, especially as I work with so many teachers who are dedicated and passionate about this profession as well,” Steele-Yue said. “Gracias por el honor.”

Girl Up clubs join forces and rise up

By Sophie Liss Editor-in-Chief On Apr. 27, Girl Up clubs from CHS, Walt Whitman High School and Walter Johnson High School hosted an advocacy night to promote female empowerment and women’s rights.

The event featured a showing of the movie “Hidden Figures” and a presentation by employment lawyer Rani Rolston about sexual harassment in the workplace and equal rights relating to the #MeToo campaign. Those in attendance also discussed women’s rights in the United States and around the world.

This event, along with other Girl Up events, are open to all CHS students.

“Girl Up is open to students of all grades,” Girl Up PR Director and CHS sophomore Reima Mannan said. “Students who are dedicated and want to make a difference and help girls around the world are encouraged to join.”

The club raises awareness and funds for girls in developing countries who do

not have access to equal rights; the goal is to help impoverished and abused girls gain access to education, safety, healthcare and jobs in their home countries.

“The club allows you to make a direct impact on a girl’s life,” Girl Up President and senior Allison Wachen said. “Last year, we donated 10 bikes to girls in Guatemala so transportation would not be an educational barrier.”

Overall, the event was a success and students enjoyed having meaningful discussions about current issues.

“In my group, we had an honest conversation about women in society and the workplace,” Girl-Up Co-Vice President and junior Nicole Bratton said.

“I thought the night was a success and all of our hard work planning it was worth it.”

In the future, the club plans to make advocacy nights an annual event.

“There will be advocacy nights every year,” Mannan said. “We will watch films related to women empowerment and then discuss women’s rights.”

PHOTO BY JULIA LESCHT.

Members of the Girl Up club held a movie night and presentation to promote and discuss female empowerment.

May 8, 2018

One last time

Bzzzz! Hauschild clocks out

By Ethan Miller New Staff Liaison Change is always present in high school sports, whether it be the players or coaches making game-changing decisions. However, for the last five years, Kevin Hauschild has been the glue in the operations of CHS sports as the clock operator.

CHS alumnus Hauschild has decided to hang up his timer for the last time at the conclusion of this spring season to pursue a career as a police officer.

“I first started doing this just as an after-school activity,” Hauschild said.

“But, once I realized that I was actually good at it, I decided that I would continue and possibly make it a career,” Hauschild said.

Although Hauschild has manned

the clock for some of the most historic games in CHS sports—including countless senior nights, rivalry games and homecoming fixtures—one game in particular stands out.

“My favorite game was when the boys lacrosse team won a double overtime thriller in the 2015 playoff semifinals,” Hauschild said. “It was a crazy experience and nothing will ever top that.”

As Hauschild starts the clock on a new chapter of his life, he looks to apply the lessons and memories of his time as a clock operator toward becoming the best police officer he possibly can.

“Operating the clock has not only given me unforgettable memories I will always cherish, but it has also taught me patience and communication skills that I know will benefit me as a police officer,” Hauschild said.

PHOTO BY ETHAN MILLER.

Kevin Hauschild prepares for a lacrosse game. Hauschild managed clock operations for many CHS sports and looks to apply the lessons he has learned from this experience to a career as a police officer.

THRIVE club brings peace to CHS

By Jordyn Green Assistant Online Editor

CHS can be one of the most stressful places there is, so it’s often hard to find a place to relax.

The THRIVE club, whose main goal is to make CHS a more positive environment, decided to hold a lunchtime meditation Apr. 20. The meditation was led by guidance counselor Makeyda Soriano, who meditates daily.

“Meditation is a great opportunity to relax and collect oneself when going through a stressful period,” Soriano said.

This meditation was independent, as opposed to what people normally think of when they think of meditation.

The meditation was very guided in the beginning, but then loosened up towards the end. The auditorium was dark and everyone laid on the floor, as peaceful music played in the background.

Because April is Stress Awareness Month, the THRIVE club decided to hold the meditation this month.

“AP tests are right around the corner, so we thought this would be the most useful for students,” THRIVE Club member and freshman Kelly Yu said.

There were 15 people in attendance, but the club hopes that the attendance rates will go up. They want to create posters and advertise on the Daily Dose so that more people show up to the next session.

“We want to make more events and promote them more so more people come to them,” Yu said.

“Meditating makes me feel very relaxed and calm,” sophomore Vicki Ye said. “I even momentarily forgot about all the stress of homework and AP tests.”

In May, the THRIVE club plans on doing another meditation.

“I’m excited to attend again,” Ye said. “That was the best twenty minutes of my life.”

PHOTO BY JORDYN GREEN.

Caitlyn Jennings, Maya Simon and Kiley Greiner (the officers of the new THRIVE club) after the club’s first meditation session, held by sponsor Makeyda Soriano.

Opinions

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May 8, 2018

The Churchill Observer Staff Editor-in-Chief Jenna Greenzaid Sophie Liss Production Manager Bryan Fletcher Copy Editor Brandon Li Online Editor-in-Chief Eliza Asbury Julia Lescht

CHS, reevaluate make-up work policy IMAGE BY KEVIN HO.

Assistant Online Editor Jordyn Green News Editor Riley Hurr Max Kandel Dani Miller Observations Editor Vicky Gunawan Assistant Observations Editor Emma Chen Caitlyn Jennings Opinions Editor Nora Holland Assistant Opinions Editor Miranda Chung Anna Kronthal Features Editor Bradley Furgerson Jackson Resnick Fatima Yazdi

Arts Editor Laura Sneller Assistant Arts Editor Sapna David Allison Jacobs Sports Editor Eli Gordon Joe Raab Assistant Sports Editor Andrew Chan New Staff Liaison Ethan Miller Advertising & Subscriptions Manager Kathy Hu Benjamin Pham Photo Manager Quinton Curtis Cherri Tung Promotions Manager David Malament Ohio Meshanko Adviser Laura Zitnik

Our Policy The Churchill Observer is published monthly by the students of Winston Churchill High School. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of staff, faculty or the student body.

Every effort has been made by the staff to ensure that the news is accurate and free of bias.

Editorial opinions are those of The Observer staff, and personal commentaries and cartoons reflect the opinions of their writers. Letters to the editor must be signed, and assertions must be documented upon request.

Send letters to the editor to churchill.observer@gmail.com.

The Observer is a public forum for the purpose of expressing the views of and informing the CHS community.

Have you ever missed one day of school and felt like you have to spend the next week making up all the quizzes, tests and worksheets you missed?

The CHS makeup policy is supposed to help students handle this extra work, while still balancing their current school work. The current policy is that a student has however many days they missed plus one to get all of their makeup work turned in. But, this can be very difficult as many teachers expect students to make up all the work they missed in class and homework, while still keeping up with what the class is currently doing.

The current system is not effective because it causes more stress for students and makes making up work extremely difficult.

Missing just one day of school means making up around 45 minutes of classwork per period, as well as two nights of homework (one for the night they missed and one for the current night).

If a student is taking six academic classes out of their seven periods, this could mean hours of homework. This is too much for a student to juggle at once, especially if they

are getting over an illness at the same time.

Because of the flaw in the policy, many students who take rigorous courses are very reluctant to take days off of school because they fear facing the makeup work. This causes kids to come to school when they are sick or otherwise under the weather, which can cause other students to catch viruses and in turn threatens the safety of CHS students’ health. Coming in sick also causes students to under-perform and lead to further health issues.

According to a Jan. 2 2016 New York Times article, “... doctors increasingly see children in early elementary school suffering from migraine headaches and ulcers.

Many physicians see a clear connection to performance pressure.”

Making up assessments is yet another reason missing school can cause students intense stress. A few years ago, the CHS administration put the assessment schedule in place to prevent any student from having too many as-

sessments on any given day, so students will not have to make up multiple tests from missing just one day of school.

However, this schedule does not fulfill its purpose.

Of course, there are overlaps within testing days, but if a student was taking three science courses and a world language, both of which have testing days on Fridays, they could very well have four summative assessments on any given day.

Teachers from various departments sometimes schedule tests on the same day, and others are not as liberal with the extended time and require students to make up assessments the day they come back.

This could also cause students to have to make up multiple assessments at once for material they might have missed, multiplying their stress.

It can be said that a strict absence policy is necessary because students could easily abuse a lenient absence and makeup policy. The fear of makeup work encourages

students to not miss school unless absolutely necessary.

If it were easy to get excused from tests and quizzes, then students would skip classes where they had an assessment, and just get excused from it.

However, a more lenient policy would do more good than harm. If the policy strictly enforced that students have a certain amount of days to make up any work they missed, this would significantly lower the stress and pressure students face from missing school.

It would also prevent students from abusing the rule and skipping school to avoid tests because they would still have to complete the work one way or another. It would just give students more time to recover and learn what they missed.

It is normal for students to come to school with fevers because they have a test or cannot miss a certain class. In order to effectively encourage ill students to stay home and recover, the makeup policy needs to be implemented so that students do not have to face impossible levels of stress when they return to class.

By Anna Kronthal Assistant Opinions Editor

ey to put towards the event.

This would translate to a nicer venue, better food and better music, giving students the best prom experience possible. If we are going to spend our youth looking forward to prom, we should make it the most extravagant night that we can.

Simply making the CHS prom a junior and senior prom could do all of this.

The monetary benefits of allowing juniors to attend prom would relieve monumental stress from the SGA, who constantly worry about fundraising enough money so that they will not end up hosting prom in the school’s cafeteria.

Not to say that the cafeteria is not every high schoolers dream prom venue, but having prom in the same room that students go into to get a plastic fork is not exactly the ideal dance.

Certainly, many students would feel that adding another grade level to prom would make the event less special and more like a second homecoming than a prom. Prom is supposed to be the last hurrah in a student’s high school career; inviting other grades to enjoy the experience would strip it of its original purpose.

However, adding another grade level would accomplish exactly the opposite. The more

people attending prom, the less the dance seems like a 6th grade middle school mixer.

Seniors are usually not the only grade level at the event, anyway; many seniors take students in lower grade-levels as their dates.

This may be the result of putting so many expectations on one night alone. The fact is, senior prom might not live up to its acclaimed fame, but if prom was for seniors as well as juniors, students would get a second chance.

According to a 2014 YouGov survey, 59 percent of Americans think prom is overrated.

Attending prom as a junior would allow for students to really do the dance right as a senior. Their whole prom experience would not be dependent on the time frame of a couple hours.

We need to consider the addition of juniors at the CHS prom, because not only does an invitation benefit them, but it also benefits the seniors, the SGA and the overall experience. For a school that prides itself on including all, a prom with only 25 percent of the student body is just not acceptable.

BSERVER O OPINION

Junior class deserves own night to remember Prom deems itself the be-allend-all of high school: a night where students can celebrate the fact that, despite four years of stress, homework and tears, they finally made it—they survived. The freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors all have reason to celebrate, yet only a quarter of the school has an invite.

The CHS senior prom, which is May 18, is a day many seniors have been looking forward to since the start of high school.

But why should they have to wait four years for an endof-year dance? Georgetown Prep, McLean High School and Georgetown Day School all have a junior and senior prom.

Wootton has a senior prom, as well as a junior banquet.

However, at CHS, we do not have a junior banquet, a junior and senior prom or an inclusive end-of-year dance. We only have senior prom. CHS prom should not leave students feeling left out.

Including other grades in prom would mean higher ticket sales and more overall mon-

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.

The senior class always host their end of the year prom after AP testing week. This year’s prom is May 18.

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Opinions

May 8, 2018

Celebrity relationships lead to false expectations

By Nora Holland Opinions Editor

Some people say that all good things come to an end—maybe they were on to something.

The beginning of Apr. marked the unfortunate splitting of celebrity couple Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan after nearly nine years of marriage. The news quickly spread through the media like a wildfire as more and more people mourned the loss of one of Hollywood’s most famous couples. Tatum, known for his acting roles in Magic Mike and 21 Jump Street, and Dewan, known for her character in Step Up, released a public statement Apr. 2 to clear the air and destroy any rumors about why they split. Still, their split raises quite a few questions: How could such a powerful couple such as Channing and Dewan split? What hope does that leave for the rest of us? Is love even real?

Tatum and Dewan are just one of the many celebrity power duos that have broken up recently, leaving fans shocked. These pairs seemed so happy on screen and in the media, but behind the spotlight they most likely had festering issues, unbeknownst to the public.

Many of these couples are idolized by teenagers; it is not uncommon to hear kids comparing their relationship goals to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. But, these celebrity relationships are flawed, and although what goes on in their lives is not fully displayed to the public, teenagers should not idolize celebrity couples use them as models for their own lives because they are never what they seem.

According to a 2006 University of Calgary research study, the majority of young adults admitted celebrities influence their personal values and beliefs

IMAGE COURTESY OF DANIEL SELIGMAN.

Many fans of this Hollywood couple, Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan, felt personally affected by their recent break-up. towards certain aspects of life, including relationships.

Celebrities already play a huge role in the average teen’s life. Popular actors or musicians are used by companies and organizations to attract the attention of young adults and introduce them to a product or event. While this is just a marketing strategy, celebrity influence goes from harmless to hurtful when their public relationships are used as a model for teens.

These couples are often highlighted by the media and sugar coated to seem as perfect as possible. One of the most famous celebrity couples was Angelina

Jolie and Brad Pitt. After falling in love on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the couple had three children and adopted three more, tying the knot in 2014. This couple had the media head over heels; they seemed unstoppable in every way. Their breakup seemed like the end of the world.

If their love couldn’t last, there might as well be no hope for the rest of us.

Even though their relationship was put on display to the general public, there is a lot that was kept in the dark. There was never any news regarding the fights they might have had, disagreements that were never settled, family problems and other issues that could have led to their eventual

Thank you Kevin Ho!

split. It makes it seem as if the break up was out of nowhere, when it is quite possible that it was coming for a long time.

Teenagers should know that disagreements are normal and are actually a big part of a healthy relationship. Just because the negatives are not reported does not mean they are not there; celebrity couples are only viewed by how they are portrayed by the media. The whole story is never shown.

According to a June 2016 article from Time Magazine on research proven ways to make a relationship last, arguing is a sign that the relationship is healthy because it shows communication. No relationship is trouble free and communication is known to be the best way to solve problems.

It can be said that there are some celebrity couples or rather aspects of couples that are worthy for teens to look up to and serve as a good example of a healthy relationship. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds can often be heard in the media talking about how much they love and support one another. They probably disagree sometimes, too, but their vocal expressions of love are inspiring as well as incredibly adorable.

Nevertheless, celebrity relationships should not be used as standards and guidelines for teenage dating.

Everyone handles love differently and in the end the best thing to do is to stay true to yourself and treat your significant other like royalty, communicating with one another when something is wrong. Tatum and Dewan might have parted their separate ways, but love is still alive and thriving.

IMAGES BY KEVIN HO.

As many of our readers are already aware, Kevin has contributed his art to our Opinions section during his time at Churchill. His pieces have illustrated our monthly Observer Opinion, the top article of the section expressing the views of our writers. Kevin creates art that draws our audience in to these important editorials. While not an official member of our staff, we would like to recognize him as an honorary member.

We appreciate all you have done for our publication, Kevin!

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Features

May 8, 2018

ASMR proves therapeutic to CHS students

By Bryan Fletcher Production Manager Fatima Yazdi Features Editor Most people in our generation probably have that one friend who will not stop talking about how relaxing playing with slime is or their obsession with acting out role plays, but what exactly is all this newfound hype about?

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is the term used to describe the calm, tingling sensation caused by hearing soft sounds, such as tapping or clicking noises. Recently, videos of artists recreating stimuli that trigger ASMR have found their way into the mainstream. Many young adults and teens, including CHS students, have sparked a new interest in the strange phenomenon.

“When I have a lot of things on my mind, I love to watch slime videos,” sophomore Enaya Saleh said. “When I watch them, I don’t think about anything else and it calms me. It’s like getting a massage for my mind.”

This fascination-turned-obsession, with using slime and other tangible sources for relaxation, has quickly become a staple among millions of teenaged fans of this oddly satisfying social trend.

The sensations associated with ASMR can be derived from almost any source, but recently these videos have become divided and categorized based on the social media app with which one is watching them on, with videos on each platform having their own respective themes and triggers.

“I first found out about [ASMR] from a YouTube video,” junior Katie Brown said. “But I know that others have gotten into it through Instagram accounts featuring people using slime or kinetic sand.”

Although most fans enjoy watch-

ing the smooth, glossy colors of moving slime, ASMR comes in a plethora of different forms. Acting videos in which the artist plays as specific characters or roles designed to intrigue and immerse are most commonly uploaded on YouTube, while stimulation recordings, including arts and crafts projects, are often found on Instagram and Facebook.

Some of the most popular ASMR stimuli are whispering, tapping and even chewing. Mukbangs, a form of ASMR in which people eat and record the sounds of chewing food, has grown to become surprisingly popular on YouTube. Though Mukbangs can be eccentric and bizarre, many enjoy watching the food that is featured and find the sounds quite interesting.

While viewers can enjoy ASMR for a variety of reasons, it is also used as a form of therapy to reduce stress and anxiety. Due to its practical use, ASMR has become widely advocated by students who experience stress from their busy schedules and heavy workloads.

“I am always stressed with school, and these type of videos help to calm me down,” Saleh said. “Once you get into [ASMR], you find yourself enjoying it [more and more]”.

Potentially, the biggest cause for the rise in popularity of ASMR has been through the dedication of ‘ASMRtists,’ the pioneers who have made a career out of reducing the stress in the lives of others. Some of the most notable people in the field right now include the YouTube channels “Gentle Whispering ASMR” and “ASMR Darling,” both of which have amassed over a million subscribers each.

The videos on these channels serve not only to calm and relax viewers, but as mediums of entertainment and social activism intended to be shared among friends.

“They are definitely making certain

PHOTO BY FATIMA YAZDI.

Two CHS students participate in Mukbanging, a common form of ASMR, in which people eat and record the sounds of chewing food.

ASMR has become popular among teenagers on social media. anxiety-relieving techniques more popular and socially acceptable,” Brown said. “It will help people to feel more comfortable talking about it with their friends, because having that conversation starter can help us speak more openly about mental health.”

Whether it be in the form of slime play or Mukbanging, ASMR has

grown to be one of the most popular internet trends among students and teenagers across the globe.

“I think ASMR is something that will remain popular because it is free, easy to enjoy and without controversy,” Brown said. “Those aspects will allow it to persevere through the years.”

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Features

May 8, 2018

By Jenna Greenzaid Editor-in-Chief Almost every school dance starts the same way: making plans with a group for a limo and dinner, picking the perfect outfit and finding the right spot for pictures— nothing seems to deviate from the norm, or so we think.

While it may not seem like it, the differences between prom today versus prom 20-some years ago make for a substantially different night, yet there are still key similarities between the two.

“You should be present for prom,” Honors US History and SMAC teacher Kevin Doherty said, who graduated from CHS in 2008.

“It's a high school experience no matter where you live. You should focus on seeing the people you'll probably never see again.”

Of course, an obvious change in the dynamics of prom years ago compared to today involves access to social media and the increase in technology present in society.

“There’s more attention on social media,” Doherty said. “It wasn’t really around when I was there. You might have taken a picture or two with your friends but now there's a lot more social media attention.”

Laura Zitnik (top left)- Mercy HS, 1995; Erin Brown (top right)- The Academy of the Holy Cross, 1999; Curtis Hart-Southworth (middle right)- West Anchorage HS, 1980; Robert Roos (bottom left)- High Point HS, 1980; Shelley Perrett (bottom right)-Niles McKinley HS, 1992

May 8, 2018

For Honors Algebra 2 and Honors Precalculus teacher Christopher Tappis, who graduated from Sherwood High School in 2005, he got more than he bargained for when asking his date to prom; he met his future wife.

“We started dating the summer before senior year of high school,” Tappis said. “I went to her prom and she went to my prom [at Sherwood].”

Prom, while often being about the pictures, is now also all about the glamour, especially in the city of Potomac.

“We had a big limo bus for prom,” Tappis said. “For Homecoming, though, we drove ourselves which was pretty normal. Most people drove themselves to homecoming and only got limos for prom.”

At CHS, many students rent limos or group buses for homecoming and prom, but will drive to smaller events, such as the Sadie Hawkins dance or GLOW. Another new component to prom today is something all over your social media feed.

“Promposals: not a thing when I was in high school,” Tappis said. “I don't know anybody that did anything like that. You just asked ‘would you go to prom with me,’ no grand display at all, and certainly not for homecoming. I remember the first time I ever saw a ‘promposal’ was on the television show Laguna Beach

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Features

and I remember thinking ‘what is this,’” Tappis said. “There was no social media and [students today] do this so you can post on facebook, but there was no facebook.”

Reserving a location for prom always seems to be one of the first components in planning. This year, CHS’s Class of 2018 is hosting their prom at one of the Marriott hotels.

According to Microsoft’s webport MSN, proms in the past were commonly held in schools gymnasiums, while today’s proms are held in off campus locations like country clubs, banquet halls, hotels or ballrooms.

At CHS, both prom and homecoming bring abuzz hallway conversation about who’s wearing what and the best hairstyles to wear.

According to a 2015 article from Forever Twenty-Somethings, hairstyle ideas and prom dress options would come from teen magazines like Seventeen, while today’s hairstyle ideas come from Pinterest or from celebrities’ Instagrams.

Between promposals and the glamourous traditions students attending prom nowadays celebrate, prom has always been a celebration of the closing of a chapter for seniors.

“The kids like that they have their own indepence right,” Doherty said.

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Features

May 8, 2018

Fashionistas cash in with Instagram re-sell shops

By Laura Sneller Arts Editor Usually, when students want to buy new clothes, they go to the Montgomery Mall or browse online stores. Recently, there’s been a rise in a more convenient way to shop: on Instagram.

Instagram is a social media platform that can be used to post pictures with friends, showcase the latest Starbucks latte or see what the top celebrities are up to. Now, however, people are using Instagram to do more than just post pictures—users are creating separate accounts for their personal closet on which they sell their clothes to their followers.

“I opened a closet account because I wanted to get rid of clothing but also profit from it,” junior Hillary Davis said.

There are a few apps and websites that specialize in users selling items, such as Depop and eBay. Instagram, however, provides an easier and faster method to sell one’s clothes. Most teens already have Instagram accounts, and the clothes are generally cheaper there than on an online store. Additionally, some girls limit their followers to just friends, so you know that the quality of the clothes can be trusted and returned.

Clothes bought from online shops can take weeks to arrive, whereas Instagram sellers can usually deliver it to their customer in the span of 24 hours.

“The beauty of an Instagram store is that you get to buy clothing gently-used

PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDYN PEGUES.

Jordyn Pegues poses in front of her bathroom mirror as an advertisement for a dress she’s selling on her Instagram clothing and accessory shop.

that you see your friends wearing and you like,” junior Jordyn Pegues said.

“With one click, you can spruce up your wardrobe for an affordable price.”

After taking a picture of the clothing, one must simply post the photo to Instagram with a caption detailing what they are selling and the price. Buyers can message the person or comment on the picture, showing their interest in purchasing the item. After that, the two students can decide how and where to meet.

Selling clothes on Instagram is a more genuine and convenient way to shop for new outfits, since you do not have to use a credit or debit card (as most online shops require), and you don’t have to wait a set amount of business days for shipping.

“I think buying from Instagram is better than the mall because you know where you are getting your clothes,” Davis said. “It’s also nice because you can bid on prices and the quality is nice.”

In the fast-paced society that we live in today, trends and styles change all the time, especially for teens. So, why not empty your closet of clothes you have not touched in months while also making some money off of it?

“By opening up my online closet boutique, I’ve made more profit and have donated 10 percent with each purchase to charity because of it,” Pegues said. “Through the uproar of online shops, we have started a community of girl bosses in CHS.”

CHS senior goes global with cultural immersion trip

By Julia Lescht Online Editor- in-Chief

Yeah, we all take at least two years of foreign language instruction within the walls of CHS, but how many people travel all the way to a foreign country to learn its language by living completely immersed in its society and culture?

Senior Hana Mangat is participating in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) summer program in which she will travel to Morocco to learn Arabic and experience the Moroccan lifestyle for six to eight weeks.

“It’s a program with the State Department,” Mangat said. “It’s a language initiative to encourage Americans to learn more languages.”

While the program offers various trips and excursions for the students to participate in, the students are also free to explore the city of Rabat after classes.

According to the NSLI website, the program’s main goal and purpose is diplomatic: to improve Americans’ ability to communicate with people of different ethnicities, to create a population of Americans possessing advanced linguistic skills and cultural understanding that will enable them to improve international relations, to incentivize foreign language learning by providing study abroad opportunities and to ignite a lifelong interest in foreign language and culture among Americans.

“I’ll be staying with a host family,” Mangat said. “I’ll be attending school there to learn Arabic for six hours a day with 24 other students from the US.” If this opportunity did not already seem great enough, get this: it’s free.

The program is fully funded by the United States Department of State, meaning Mangat’s housing, food, transportation and other living expenses will be completely covered.

They even provide students with cell phones so that they are not deserted

and disconnected.

“I think Morocco’s architecture and the food and the culture is all really cool,” Mangat said. “And it’s all new.

I also think [Arabic] is a beautiful language. There’s so much poetry that’s written in Arabic and it’d be cool to know.”

While Mangat chose to apply for learning Arabic in Morocco, there are several other languages and countries

new headlines regarding turmoil in the Middle East, foreign relations and cultural understanding are a necessity.

“Dealing with the number of countries who do speak Arabic in the Middle East, and improving American policy relations with them, it helps a lot to actually speak the language,” Mangat said.

Still, the program is more than just a linguistic education: it’s an entire

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEHER KAUR.

Night markets are one of the many cultural aspects of Morocco that students enrolled in the NSLI-Y summer program get to experience. to choose from including: Mandarin Chinese in China and Taiwan, Hindi in India, Bahasa Indonesia in Indonesia; Korean in South Korea; Persian (Tajiki) in Tajikistan, Russian in Russia, Estonia, Latvia or Moldova and Turkish in Turkey.

“I’ve always been very fascinated by other cultures and traveling the world,” Mangat said. “I also want to go into International Relations. From a policy standpoint and from a diplomacy standpoint, it’s really important to be able to speak multiple languages.”

This couldn’t be more true in today’s world. Given that there are constantly

cultural experience and a true cultureshock test to adapt to new environments.

“It’s me and 24 other people in a country that we’ve never been to, staying and speaking a language I know nothing about,” Mangat said.

“Language is the school part of it, but there’s also a whole level of culture because you’re there for 24 hours, seven days a week.”

Mangat decided to apply for the program after a friend of hers, University of Richmond freshman Meher Kaur, participated in it last summer.

“Many of my peers experienced

their first trip outside of the US during the NSLI-Y program,” Kaur said.

“The program had a huge impact on their lives and how they viewed the world outside of the US. It’s one thing to study Arabic, and it’s another to live in Moroccok, experience the culture and use the language daily.”

Kaur graduated from Poolesville High School in 2017. She was one of 14 students enrolled in the program that year—10 less than Mangat’s upcoming group of 24.

“I also enjoyed walking through the market with my friends after school, or walking to the beach at night,” Kaur said. “During our excursion to the city of Fez, the group decided to wake up early in the morning to watch the sunrise from the rooftop of our hotel—this was one of my favorite mornings.”

Another important aspect of the trip is that the students have to adjust to living with a host family. This is crucial to the program’s comprehensive mission, for what better way is there to become immersed into a country’s culture other than living amongst its ordinary citizens?

“The experiences I shared with my host family were invaluable, such as trips to the beach, walks to the city to get smoothies and hanging laundry on the roof of our building,” Kaur said.

For current seniors to whom this summer-long opportunity may be out of the question for, there’s no need to fret: there is a similar college course that extends a whole school year. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) shares a similar goal to NSLI-Y in its aim to expand American interest in pursuit of foreign language study.

According to Mangat, she plans to participate in CLS and to continue her studies of Arabic upon entering Columbia University this fall.

“I think people should apply because it’s a really cool opportunity, and it’s a full scholarship,” Mangat said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your experience level is.

They look for people who just want to learn.”

May 8, 2018

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Features

Street art blends creativity and social commentary

By Sapna David Assistant Arts Editor

The streets of big cities, such as Washington D.C. or New York, often depict unique graffiti on the walls.

Sometimes, it is just simple graffiti, like a random word, but other times it is truly a work of art.

Graffiti art started on the streets of New York City in the late 1960s, originally in the form of words, numbers or symbols. This trend grew in popularity as many artists decided to “tag” public property for style recognition.

Years later, it has evolved into urban artwork that depicts real images and light artwork. Street art continues to evolve with each art piece customized in its own way.

“It is really interesting to see such amazing pieces of art on the street and outdoors,” sophomore Julia Hadad said. “Some of the best artists in the world painted their murals in big cities, such as Wynwood Walls in Miami.

It is so fascinating to witness that.”

Street art is most commonly used to make public statements about society.

It is often displayed on buildings and streets within communities where the artwork is seen and appreciated by the people walking by. The change in perception from street art as vandalism to artistry shows its strides towards becoming socially acceptable.

These pieces of artwork raise awareness as artists gain a platform through their work in advocation of social and political issues going on in a community, nation or even the world.

Many artists have used their canvases to portray their political feelings,

such as those towards the Trump administration or to advocate for Syrian refugees.

“I enjoy seeing others express their opinions on murals whether its on a wall or a side of a building,” sophomore Kayla Park said. “It is important that everyone should have a chance to convey their thoughts and feelings not just with their voice, but through art or any other form they enjoy using.”

One of the most well-known places for street art is Union Market in D.C. Not only is it a popular hang out place for CHS kids, but its colorful murals make it perfect for a great photo.

One of these murals depicts a collection of multi-colored hearts on a wall. On the wall next to it, the quotes “Follow Your Heart” and “Never Give Up” are displayed in big letters. Last year, recording artist and peace activist Yoko Ono displayed a mural with a quote saying “Relax, Your Heart is Stronger Than You Think.”

“It’s nice to see modern art for free,” Park said. “The art in Union Market is inspiring and motivational.”

Another example of street art very popular among teenagers is the mural of wings, which is part of the Global Angels Wings Project.

This project was started by Colette Miller, a famous street artist born in Va., and is featured in countries like Kenya, Mexico, Cuba, France, Australia and more.

Her goal in creating the Global Angel Wings Project is to remind humanity that we are the angels on this Earth.

She wanted to create something uplifting for humanity as a whole, so she places these wings in neighborhoods

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANYA ARORA.

This mural by David Choe can be found on Wynwood Walls in Miami, Florida. that need some moral uplifting, in hopes that they will provide enlightenment, hope, freedom, purity and flight.

These wing murals have gained popularity as they allow viewers to be a part of the art.

“Murals can make someone’s day, motivate someone or prevent them from doing something that they shouldn’t do,” Park said. “That itself is very important for society.”

During break, many CHS students visit Miami, Fl. and one of the most famous places to enjoy street art: Wynwood Walls.

Wynwood Walls features numerous pieces of art perfect for posing for Instagram photos. It was created by Tony Goldman in 2009, who liked the idea of changing large warehouse buildings into giant canvases.

Some of the art featured ranges

from political cartoons to bursts of colorful abstract paintings. The art at Wynwood Walls is unique and visually appealing, making it very popular amongst CHS students on social media. It is important that CHS students are informed about what our local art scene has to offer.

Additionally, uprising CHS artists don’t have to get featured in art museums to express their work, as opportunities to gain an artistic platform are all around us.

“It was just as breath-taking as visiting [Wynwood Walls] the first time,” Julia Hadad said, after making her second visit to Wynwood Walls this spring break. “Anyone, no matter how old they are or how interested they are in art, would enjoy walking through and seeing such beautiful artwork.”

Lesser-known holidays overshadowed by AP Exams

By Caitlyn Jennings Assistant Observations Editor

participate in band or orchestra. If one is in need of a new instrument, picking it up May 22 is the perfect opportunity to do so.

All year long, advanced placement (AP) teachers prepare CHS students for the AP exams that come around every May, and every May, students undergo the stress that comes with studying for these exams. There are numerous lesser-known events that occur during the month of May that are overshadowed by the stress of AP exams.

Celebrating these days may be a unique way to relieve such exam stress for CHS students during the month.

Number One: Star Wars Day May 4 has traditionally been designated as Star Wars Day. Last year, Star Wars Day fell on the AP NSL exam date for students taking the class. This year, however, the fourth, or force, couldn’t be with this year’s sophomores. Still, Star Wars Day should still be celebrated amongst students. When CHS students hear the word May, they either think of how much closer summer is or recall impending AP exams.

There are many ways CHS students can celebrate Star Wars day, including watching any of the Star Wars movies, having a Star Wars marathon and acting out a scene with a Star Wars lightsaber.

Number Two: No Socks Day Many people frown upon wearing socks because they can be itchy and down-right annoying. No socks day day is the perfect day for people who can’t stand sock-wearing and for people on a time crunch. All one has to do is remember to walk around CHS with no socks May 8.

Number Five: Free Comic Book Day On May 5, comic book stores throughout the country distribute free comic books. This idea goes back to a psychology phenomenon called the “foot-in-the-door” technique, where companies provide people with something small and hope that they’ll buy more.

These are just five examples of quirky, yet unknown holidays that occur in May. These special days in May are a perfect way for CHS students to relieve stress in such a busy time of year.

“Stress is a big concern for students,” guidance counselor Makeyda Soriano said.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.

Lesser-known holidays in the month of May have been overshadowed

by AP exams and the stress that comes that comes along with them.

Number Three: Bike To Work Day Remember when “Walk to School Day” was such a big deal in elementary school? We all felt so grown up, being able to walk to school without our parents. “Bike to Work Day” is a revamped version of Walk to School day.

Many CHS students have jobs and extracurricular activities outside of school. This day is an excellent oppor-

tunity to reap the benefits of vitamin D while enjoying exercise. Just make sure to pump up bike tires the night before May 18.

Number Four: Buy a Musical Instrument Day Getting one’s first musical instrument is a rite of passage and should be treated as such. Many CHS students

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May 8, 2018

Arts

Art is not just a black-and-white subject, as it is usually thought of as vibrant and complex. However, for junior Sebin Jeon, her style of expressing her creativity is through the use of monochromatic, or single colored, pencil drawings.

Jeon recently received a Gold Key and honorable mention for two of her artworks in the National Scholastic Art and Writing Competition. In the past, Jeon has also won the Best of Show Award for the Maryland Duck Stamp competition, which features Md artists ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade.

“I often feel surprised and grateful when my art is awarded in competitions,” Jeon said. “I also feel a sense of pride when I receive recognition for my creations.”

Not many find their passion at young age, but Jeon has had a love for drawing since she was 5 years old. Jeon gives credit to her art teachers for encouraging her to express herself in her artwork and to her parents for financing her artistic ambitions.

“I started art lessons around the age of 5 years old,” Jeon said. “I’ve never stopped because of the fulfilling feeling of completing my own work and the desire to improve and grow as an artist.”

Jeon’s art teacher, Shineh Yoon, saw her talent at a young age and immediately saw a bright future in art for Jeon.

At her studio in Gaithersburg, Yoon teaches a variety of different types of art, including fundamental concepts of painting and advanced drawing, to

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEBIN JEON.

By Vicky Gunawan Observations Editor

Artist Sebin Jeon creates monochromatic drawings inspired by her experiences with people and nature. students who range from kindergarten to 12th grade.

According to Yoon, Jeon utilizes different materials to develop her pieces and strives to make her pieces conceptually unique, through the use of nontraditional subjects, to create personal messages.

“Sebin is a realism artist and she is already at a level where she can utilize her foundation in fine arts to freely express her creativity without compromise,” Yoon said. “She is a young artist with immense potential and skills that are especially exquisite and have become more refined and I am looking forward to what she will achieve in the future.”

For some students, art can be used as a stress reliever and an outlet to be creative. To Jeon, art has the ability to give her a sense of relaxation. Jeon’s use of objects, figures and colors illustrates an underlying message that also gives her an outlet for expressing ideas.

“When I am drawing or painting, there is nothing on my mind except for developing the artwork in front of me,” Jeon said. “This allows me to effectively step away from the stress of school and personal events.”

Jeon’s talent has also attracted the attention of her friends, as they have also seen her grow as an artist. Jeon’s realistic drawing style comes from her

everyday experiences, nature and relationships with others.

“Her artwork is extremely detailed and seem like they are going to come to life,” junior Teddi Yoo said. “It always has a story behind it, which makes her artwork incredibly unique.”

Although Jeon doesn’t plan to pursue a career in art, she intends to continue using art as an outlet to express creativity and relieve stress.

“I hope that I can continue to learn more about art,” Jeon said. “I don’t think I will pursue a career in art, but I hope that I will be able to keep it as a hobby.”

CHS students appreciate art through free D.C. exhibits

By Rebecca Jackson Senior Writer Becky Wolfson Senior Writer With an incredible amount of museums within the D.C. metropolitan area, it only makes sense that CHS students take advantage of free and entertaining art exhibits.

The Renwick Museum just opened its “No Spectators: Beyond the Renwick” exhibit that highlights the art of the Burning Man Festival, annually held in Black Rock Desert, Nev. The D.C. museum features a first floor that is open through Sept. 16 and a second floor that is open through Jan. 21, 2019.

Sculptures at the Burning Man Festival are hundreds of feet high, so miniature versions were made of certain pieces. The collaboration is between The Renwick Gallery of Smithsonian Art Museum and Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID). “[The exhibit] was super cool,” senior Alexandra Tanner said. “The sculptures were huge and most of them weren’t roped off, so you could get super close to them.”

Six of the larger pieces extend into the Golden Triangle neighborhood, so that without even entering the museum, you can view art lining the sidewalks.

According to Tanner, she goes to D.C. museums every month or so and recommends the Hirshorn and the Modern Art at the National Gallery of Art. “I definitely feel like I take advantage of the museums in the D.C. area, but I could go more often,” Tanner said.

“There are a lot of cool exhibits that I don’t make it to but I wish I did.”

The Burning Man Festival highlights ten principles: radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical selfreliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leave no trace, participation and immediacy.

“The first sculpture was the coolest: it was a mini version of the Arc de Triomphe made of paper and covered in flowers,” Tanner said. “There was also a chalkboard wall that said ‘Before I Die’ and people wrote what they wanted to do before they passed away in different colored chalk on the wall.”

Only a few metro stops away, the National Gallery of Art is showing a collection of Sally Mann photographs entitled ‘A Thousand Crossings’ through May 28. Mann is an American photographer who notoriously photographs blackand-white images of her family and explores subjects, such as pastoral life and racial tension. The exhibit is organized in conjunction with the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. “I read [Mann’s] memoir a few months back called ‘Hold Still,” senior Sara Weissel said. “Having read her memoir, which is not just about her, but also her family and the internal feelings , each had behind certain pictures. It was quite cool to see what she wrote so intensely about brought to life.”

The exhibit is organized into five sections: Family, The Land, Last Measure, Abide With Me, and What Remains.

“I really liked how she didn’t constrain herself to one type of photograph-the series did a fantastic job highlighting the progression of her work from

PHOTO BY BECKY WOLFSON.

The Burning Man exhibit in the Renwick Museum in D.C. features many unique sculptures and creations. intimate pictures of her family, to Southern landscapes, and back to her own surroundings,” senior Sara Weissel said.

The exhibit is organized in conjunction with the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. According to Weissel, her favorite image was ‘The Last Time Emmett Modeled Nude’ and she thought the exhibit did a great job explaining the

special processes Mann uses to create her photographs.

If you get a chance to go to D.C., take a walk in the Golden Triangle neighborhood or pop into the Renwick and the National Gallery of Art to supplement everything you learn in class at CHS (geometry, history, art) and have fun while doing it.

May 8, 2018

Arts

13

Summer concerts bring heat to the D.C. area

By Drew Ingall Senior Writer

Baltimore, Md. After five Grammy nominations, Khalid has embarked on “The Roxy Tour” and will be stopping in the DMV about a month into the tour. Named after his new dog Roxy (that he rescued from a Los Angeles animal shelter) this tour will donate a dollar for every ticket sold to local animal shelters near each tour stop. Aside from the charitable incentive for animal lovers, this concert is sure to be an awesome experience. With Khalid’s soulful and mellow R&B sound, the event is perfect for the CHS students who don’t love the atmosphere of a rowdy, energized concert and who just want to have a relaxing time.

It’s that time of year. The weather is getting warmer, outdoor concert venues are opening and big music artists are coming to town. That’s right, it’s concert season.

The stretch from early May until the middle of June is jam-packed with visits from big music artists from all over; in the DMV, it all leads up to the four day Firefly Music Festival held in Dover, Del. June 14 to 17.

With a multitude of tours passing through the area, there are some that are sure to stand out from the rest. The following list includes the must-see concerts of the 2018 spring concert season at concert venues in D.C., Md., Va. and Del. Kygo When: May 7-8 Where: The Anthem, Washington, D.C. EDM artist Kygo will be stopping in the DMV during his “Kids in Love Tour.” While promoting his album of the same name, Kygo has mainly been performing in locations all over Europe for the beginning of his tour and started performing stateside just last month. For people interested in a concert with pounding music and energy and excitement, this is the one for you.

With fellow EDM artists Alan Walker and Blackbear also in attendance, it’s hard to believe this concert wouldn’t be lively.

Preakness Budweiser InfieldFest When: May 19 Where: Pimlico Golf Course, Baltimore, Md. Artists in Attendance: Post Malone, 21 Savage, ODESZA, DJ Vice, Frank Walker The Budweiser InfieldFest takes place on the last day of the historic Preakness Stakes, which is one of the jewels of the horse-racing triple crown.

In honor of the 10th Anniversary of the festival, Preakness wasted no expense bringing in big names from the Hiphop and EDM music scenes. This event is a stop on the joint Post Malone/21 Savage tour that has been going on since late April. This event offers great lineup of multiple music genres, and it allows ticket-holders to have access to one of the most watched sportingevents in the world. Who would think that music, festivals and horse-racing could go so well together?

Jack White When: May 29-30 Where: The Anthem, Washington, D.C. After the release of a very successful album “Boarding House Reach” and an epic return to the stage on Saturday Night Live, Jack White has been promoting his new album on tour and DC is one of his next stops. The White Stripes guitarist is incredibly popular in the rock world and has been a big name in the industry for a long time.

While both nights are already sold

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.

This May and June, the Mid-Atlantic Region will be home to a host of concerts and festivals, including shows with SZA and Khalid and the Firefly Music Festival. out, there is always a possibility that more tickets will be put on sale, and with Jack White’s talent, it’s definitely worth it for rock fans to keep it on their radar.

Top Dawg Entertainment: The Champions Tour When: June 1 Where: Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA Artists in attendance: Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab Soul, SiR, Lance Skiiiwalker Besides Firefly, this concert is the one with the most name recognition.

Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is basically taking a victory lap after the success of each artist individually, with Lamar winning five Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize for his album DAMN, and SZA receiving five Grammy nominations. The tour also celebrates the accomplishments of the group as a whole, as almost all of the artists were a part of recent hit film “Black Panther’s” soundtrack in some way, shape or form. With the firepower of all of the artists and the close proximity of the CHS community to Bristow, VA, this is a concert that will be talked about by everyone who goes, so don’t miss out!

Brockhampton When: June 3 Where: Rams Head Live, Baltimore, Md. This rap boy band has had a monstrous year, releasing three full-length albums within a span of a few months, and has plans to release another album this summer. Furthermore, after wrapping up their “Love Your Parents” tour

in mid-March, they are already planning to go back out on the road for the “Stereo Spirit Tour” in early May. Even though they are a rap group, many of their songs incorporate funk, disco and pop. Their music isn’t only for hip-hop fans, and this concert certainly won’t be all rap, so it’s definitely an event worth seeing live.

Khalid When: June 4-5 Where: Pier Six Concert Pavilion,

Firefly Music Festival When: June 14-17 Where: The Woodlands, Dover, Del. Artists in Attendance: Logic, Eminem, The Killers, Martin Garrix, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, SZA and more.

The main event. This is shaping up to be one of the best Firefly lineups ever. Yes, Dover, Del. is a little far away, but the whole festival is four days long, so it isn’t too much of a trek. If you do not have anywhere to stay, you are allowed to camp on the festival grounds, which can be a lot of fun. This is the event that most CHS students will be more than happy to attend, so if you have the opportunity to, take it.

Concert season is always a lot of fun, especially when you are with your friends, but it’s still important to do everything the safe way in such a public space and environment. Stay away from drugs and alcohol, and do not talk to strangers. Like anyone would ever forget it at home, but it’s important to have your cell phone, not just for emergencies, but for fun pictures and videos. Follow these steps, and your concert experience will be that much better.

14

Arts

May 8, 2018

“A Quiet Place” impresses without saying a word

By Rebecca Jackson Senior Writer A new horror movie directed by John Krasinski came out Apr. 6 and made quite a statement at theaters and in the box office without making a sound, literally.

“A Quiet Place” focuses on a rural family tormented by supernatural forces. They must stay completely silent in order to survive, and communicate solely by sign language. Although not all of the characters are deaf, the hour and 35 minute long dystopian film is completely silent, providing deaf moviegoers with the unique ability of experiencing everything.

The film portrayed meaningful social commentary on ableism, which is discrimination against the disabled, when trying to make hearing aids comes off as the father trying ‘to fix’ the deaf daughter. It is important for those of hearing to understand how deaf people live their lives, in order to reduce stigmas and stereotypes.

Krasinski plays Lee Abbott and his wife in real life, Emily Blunt, plays Evelynn Abbott. The pair portrays the parents of three children who they are trying to keep safe from monsters who will attack if they hear a sound. Ragan is the hearing-impaired daughter of the

Abbott’s, and Ragan is arguably the most important character in the film, but Evelynn’s character proves sensational as well. She is pregnant and even gives birth without a sound to protect her other kids. Evelynn is an obviously feminine character and displays intense feelings and care that is echoed by the audience.

Some people who grow up with the ability to hear associate silence with creepiness or the foreshadowing of something bad. In addition, a common fear among those who can see, is of the dark. “A Quiet Place” intelligently plays into this fear, while allowing viewers to relate to characters they normally wouldn’t and essentially saying that being deaf is nothing to be afraid of.

The movie does not portray deaf people as helpless, and what the audience is engineered to feel is not pity but concern. “A Quiet Place” works to defeat ableist stereotypes that blind people are fragile and need others to care for them, because the audience is caring for them as they would any other human in danger.

Like artists across the world, Krasinski took a standard and interpreted it to show a different perspective. Those with perfect hearing and those who are hearing-impaired came out to the theatre Apr. 6 and since reacted to the

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.

“A Quiet Place” is a new horror movie and the entire film is completely silent. It raises awareness about ableism, and challenges stereotypes. movie exactly the same.

There is disagreement on whether the movie is actually scary, as a typical horror movie has an intense soundtrack to keep the audience on their toes. There is soundtrack in “A Quiet Place”, including natural sounds, but not typical music or words.

Recently, there have been arguments about subtitles in movie theatres ruining a movie experience, but they do not detract from the film and indefinitely

benefit deaf moviegoers. Closed captioning ensures equal access to culture.

Krasinski managed to evoke emotions and not overplay the storyline without any dialogue. “A Quiet Place” encourages deaf people to be integrated with society, rather than hidden away.

Who knew that sitting in silence could give people a voice?

Large and in-charge: new rap artists break out on the scene

By Jackson Resnick Features Editor

Tee Grizzley While Rich Brian’s come up is largely dedicated to his lack of “street knowledge,” Tee Grizzley may actually have the most “street knowledge” out of all the candidates this year. Straight out of Detroit, Tee Grizzley came up on to the scene following the release of some 2016 singles that earned him a record deal with Atlantic Records in the beginning of 2017. Grizzley made his name heard in the mainstream after collaborating with 2016 XXL Freshman, Lil Yachty, on the song “D to the A” which gained over 90 million plays on Spotify since its release back in March. Tee Grizzley entertains his audience with a lyrical approach to the trap sound that has become so prominent in hip-hop and other genres. He combines raw lyrics with a manipulative, off-beat flow that sets him apart from the rest of the pack.

Each year, a new group of rappers emerges into the mainstream, turning heads and gaining recognition through social media. The annual XXL magazine Freshman List highlights the 10 hottest new rappers, earning each rapper the prestigious title: “XXL Freshman.”

XXL is a magazine specializing hiphop related news and pop culture. Past members of the Freshman List are some of the most popular hip-hop artists nationwide, such as Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Travis Scott and Future, proving the award’s worth as an honor.

The official 2018 Freshman list does not come out until June, but a list of 65 candidates was released and is already sparking up controversy and conversation. Here are some of the names who have the best shot at landing a spot on this year’s list.

Trippie Redd Whether it’s the colorful dreads, face tattoos, or his moody and whiny vocals, Trippie Redd is sure to make quite the impression on his listeners. The Canton, Ohio native started his career on SoundCloud, and since then has racked up tens of millions of streams on his songs--including “Dark Night Dummo” and “Love Scars”--across all streaming platforms. With his rockstar personality and the energy and charisma he brings to the table, Trippie Redd is possibly the safest bet for a spot on this year’s XXL Freshman List.

Smokepurpp The Florida rap scene has had a fruitful past couple of years, with artists such as Kodak Black, Denzel Curry and XXXTentacion being named to the 2016 and 2017 Freshman Lists. Smokepurpp is the most recent Florida native to blow up with hard-hitting bangers like “Fingers Blue” and “Audi” of his debut mixtape: “Deadstar.” Smokepurpp’s heavy, distorted instrumentation and thundering bass lines made its way up the charts and is responsible for much of the noise heard in the CHS senior lot after dismissal. Following the release of his Sophomore mixtape “Bless Yo Trap”, the Florida rapper’s name is on

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.

XXL magazine Freshman List highlights the top ten newest rappers awarding them the title “XXL Freshman.” track to secure the title of “2018 XXL Freshman.”

Rich Brian Rich Brian’s rise to fame has been rather unorthodox in the trap music scene. Rich Brian went viral after the release of his 2016 debut single, “Dat $tick,” which was released when he was just 16 years old and since has accumulated over 70 million Spotify streams.

The gritty and rebellious track sounds

like something straight out of the streets of Atlanta, but, in fact, is straight out of the suburbs of Indonesia. Rich Brian has admitted to not having any clue about what life on the streets is like, despite the obvious trap influence in his music, and takes a more satirical approach to the trap sound. With his debut 2018 mixtape “Amen” making him the first Asian to reach number one on iTunes, Rich Brian is likely to make his way on to the 2018 XXL Freshman List.

Famous Dex Famous Dex has been on the prowl for a couple years now. Many hiphop heads will argue he was unjustly snubbed of a spot on last year’s list after a successful 2017 year, but has to be recognized as one of the top contenders for the 2018 list. His 2017 single “Pick it Up” exploded up the charts and accumulated up over 150 million streams on its way. The song just missed out on the Top 50 most-streamed songs of the year, quite impressive considering it had just over three months after its release to make it on the list. The Chicago rapper’s playful energy and nasally voice set him apart from the rest of the pack, as tracks like “Japan” off of his Apr. 6 mixtape “Dex Meets Dexter” continue to grow into the mainstream. Famous Dex has been fighting for his place on the Freshman List and is set to see his hard-work pay off when the 2018 Freshman List comes out this June.

The XXL Freshman List is becoming increasingly popular as the internet allows for more and more artists to blow up on sites like SoundCloud and Bandcamp. It has also gained credibility as a result of the saturated rap game and is becoming more and more important in determining which rappers had the best year.

May 8, 2018

Sports

15

Sports fanatics snap highlights with Rapid Replay

By Joe Raab Sports Editor The CHS athletic department started using a new app that allows the crowd at sport events to share videos and highlights in a platform that gives access to parents, athletes and other students.

The app is called Rapid Replay and was created by five former Division 1 athletes who wanted to make it easier to get film from sports games, regardless of the level of play.

According to CHS athletic director Jesse Smith, Rapid Replay is another way for athletes to get recognition for their performances.

Available for free download, Rapid Replay lets the user take video of a game or event and share them online.

“It's an amazing opportunity for our athletes to be seen by all of our community,” Smith said.

It can often be hard for parents to be at every game or to see every play of their child’s game, and Rapid replay aims to fix that problem and make it so you never miss a play.

According to the Rapid Replay website, they have created a platform that allows families and communities to relive the moments that matter most.

Rapid Replay doesn't only help families and friends see their athletes play but can also benefit athletes by allowing them to see their performance. The app will also bring attention to less publicized sports.

“We have a lot of teams that just don't get the attention they deserve for whatever reason,” Smith said. “So any platform that will help us get them more recognition while recognizing all

PHOTOS BY JOE RAAB.

Rapid Replay is a new app the CHS athletic department started to use which allows spectators at sporting events to share game highlights with other parents, athletes and students. This is another way athletes can gain recognition for their performance in a game. of our sports is a great opportunity that I couldn't pass up.”

Smith heard about Rapid Replay because they are partners with VNN, the company who runs the CHS athletics website.

“It's an amazing opportunity for our athletes to be seen by all of our

community through a very easy to use app,” Smith said.

Rapid Replay also plans to expand into a fundraising platform with a program called“Filmraising.”

According to Rapid Replay’s website, “Filmraising” will be

implemented in some of their partner schools and will donate up to $1,000 back to the team for every video shared up.

Rapid Replay will make sure that memories from on the field are never lost, which is something that athletes and their families will forever cherish.

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

thechurchillobserver.com

By Kyle Emery Senior writer With an outstanding record and consistent performance unmatched by any other team at CHS, boys lacrosse has created quite a name for itself.

The great success of this program is due in part to senior captain Reed Moshyedi.

Finishing up his final season with the Bulldogs, Moshyedi looks to continue his performance as the team attempts to win the Division 4A state title this year after coming up just short last season. Next year, Moshyedi will continue his career while playing Division 1 lacrosse at Brown University.

“Playing Division 1 lacrosse has been my goal since

A National Blue Ribbon School

May 8, 2018

Volume 42 - Issue 7 middle school and I’m really lucky to have the opportunity to play at Brown,” Moshyedi said.

Moshyedi not only excels in lacrosse; he also excels in basketball, which has helped him develop his athleticism over the course of his sports career at CHS. Moshyedi’s outstanding athletic ability has allowed him to improve his abilities and help the lacrosse team exceed while facing top private and public schools in the region.

“Reed’s skill set helps because he can score or draw a slide at will, which helps the offense setting in during the game,” senior Brady Altobello said.

On top of starting for the lacrosse team at CHS, Moshyedi has played on multiple club teams since elementary school. He is currently playing for Black-

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER SHURE.

wolf, a competitive travel team, alongside fellow CHS senior captain Jack Taylor.

Playing for club teams allows Moshyedi to further his skill set while competing against some of the most skilled players in the state.

“He’s both a leader and a powerful presence on the field,” Taylor said. “When he has the ball, he gets the attention of the entire defense and that creates opportunities for other offensive players.”

As one of four captains on the team, Moshyedi possesses a great set of talent and skill that sets a great example for his teammates. With his passion for the sport, he not only helps build the teams collective spirit, but helps the team in game situations when the Bulldogs need it most.

“Reed has helped out as a vocal leader on the field and talks us through the offensive

sets,” Altobello said. “He has also helped build the team’s confidence by again being a vocal leader and amping people up before the game.”

Moshyedi contributes his success to a wide range of coaches and players he has been alongside throughout his time playing lacrosse. Supportive coaches have allowed him to develop his game and become a better teammate.

“Coach Winter and coach Megill have pushed me to get better at CHS,” Moshyedi said. “I’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to play with guys like senior captains Jimmy Rubino and Jack Taylor as well as seniors Brady Altobello and Ryan Leonard, all whom I’ve known my whole life.”

When asking teammates for a word or two for how they could closely describe Moshyedi, all answers re-

volved around his ability to maneuver his way around any set of defense along with his strength as well as speed to out play any opponent.

“I would use the word ‘monster’ [to describe Moshyedi] because other teams should legitimately be scared,” Taylor said.

With a season that ended in disappointment last year with a loss in the state championship, look for Moshyedi to lead the charge back to the championship for CHS. His ability to succeed against the tough competition around Maryland makes him a dominant athlete for the team and a physical threat against opponents.

“Playing for CHS has helped me develop my skills and has given me the chance to compete with other top schools around Maryland,” Moshyedi said.

CHS athletes make Washington Post All-Met List

By Will Hyland Senior writer CHS is known for its stellar academics, but its student athletes are incredibly skilled as well. Six CHS student athletes, as well as one coach, were named to the Washington Post’s Winter All-Met team, which is comprised of the top athletes and coaches in the DMV. The All Met teams feature a first and second team, as well as honorable mentions.

CHS swim and dive coach Christopher Tappis, who completed his fourth season as coach this past year, was named All-Met boys swimming Coach of the Year after helping CHS finish with the school’s first Maryland 4A/3A boys’ state title and first Washington Metropolitan Prep School League championships boys’ team title since 1989. He also helped CHS become the first public school to win Metros since 2000.

Sophomore Noah Rutberg and junior Steven Mendley both also received honorable mentions for their perfor-

9-6 Softball:8-6

Baseball:

PHOTO BY WILL HYLAND.

Senior Jack Taylor was named All-Met Player of the Year for hockey this year. mances for the swim team as CHS swim and dive won all five of its dual meets this season.

Senior forward Jack Taylor was named All-Met Player of the Year for his strong perfor-

mances in CHS hockey’s run to their fourth consecutive state championship. Taylor, who became CHS’s all-time leading scorer with 102 goals in 100 games, has steadily improved each year peaking this

Team Records

11-1

Boys:

* as of May 4

1-3-1 Girls:1-4

Boys:

season with 52 points in 23 games, the most in the MSHL. “It’s really great to be on such a high performing and competitive team it has definitely made this season a lot of fun,” Taylor said.

Senior defenseman Dylan Healy and senior goalie Alex Plastrik were also honored as members of the second team and honorable mention respectively. Healy, who was named second team last year, and Plastrik were key in helping the bulldogs become one of the top defensive teams in the state.

Senior wrestler Jack Connolly, who was named to the first team, earned over 100 victories over the course of his career at CHS. Connolly won a county title during his junior year and was able to improve on his sixth place finish at states last year by defeating Chris Sanchez of Sherwood High School 6-4 in overtime to win the state title in 2018.

“We came to practice and worked hard each day. We never lost focus of our goals knowing this was our season to make history,” Connolly said. “This helped me during the final three weeks of the season during individual tournaments because for me that’s when it gets the most intense and you have the most to lose.”

12-0 Girls:8-3

Boys:

10-1 Coed:10-2 Boys: