The Churchill Observer - October 2015

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

thechurchillobserver.com

Volume 40 - Issue 2

Thursday, October 29, 2015

A National Blue Ribbon School

Students, Parents Still Wary After Wootton Crash

PHOTO BY REBECCA JACKSON.

CHS has been taking measures to warn students against drunk driving.

By Rebecca Jackson Circulation Manager At the beginning of summer break, four students from Wootton High School were involved in a tragic

drinking and driving accident.

The news of the car crash, the two deaths, serious injuries and the resulting legal battle with the parents responsible rippled through MCPS. With the beginning of parties this

school year, the four boys and the shocking tragedy are on the minds of the community, affecting the willingness of parents to host parties and the fear of students to attend them.

Some CHS students had a difficult time finding an afterparty for Homecoming this year after the car crash According to Principal Joan Benz, administration did everything they could to prevent underage drinking at Homecoming, such as excess security, use of breathalyzers and undercover guards. The police are aware of when each high school hosts its Homecoming dance, so they check drivers on the road.

“Students should support each other and ensure that peers are not drinking and driving,” Benz said. “If you see someone look intoxicated, you should go take care of them and make sure they do not get in the driver’s seat.”

Benz is looking into having “Every 15 Minutes” come to CHS again, and technology teacher Rebecca Smith is looking into having a similar program come in the spring.

“Every 15 minutes” is a program that illustrates reallife examples of what happens when one drinks and drives.

Its goal is to dramatically show students the danger of being inebriated behind the wheel, in hopes that they are scared away from alcohol in general.

This month, the Montgomery

County Police Department came to CHS health classes to talk about driving drunk.

It provided an activity where the student tried to drive a lawn mower through cones while wearing “Under the Influence” goggles.

“The drivers had disoriented vision and completely ran the cones over,” sophomore Areya Campbell-Rosen said. “After this, I hope that people have enough sense not to get into a car if they’ve been drinking.”

Students who drink are afraid of getting caught on top of the fear that they could lose someone from what most consider to be a common social activity.

“It’s scary to think that one of my friends could die because of a drunk driver,” Campbell-Rosen said.

Another program that deals with underage drinking is the Above the Influence Club at CHS. Its overall purpose is to tell people to fight peer pressure and to be safe and responsible, with the idea that everyone can have a good time without the use of alcohol.

The club completed the Red Ribbon Pledge, where students signed their names Jump to page 3

Foreign Exchange Student Shares Her Culture with CHS

By Jasmine Baten Opinions Editor

The average CHS student has a 1020 minute commute from school to home. If Yumna Owais wants to go home, she’ll have to take a 17 hour plane ride.

Senior Yumna Owais is an exchange student from Pakistan participating in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES), which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program provides an opportunity for students from mostly Muslim countries to attend school in the U.S. for one academic year.

“It allows me to experience American culture and share my own with my host community,” Owais said. “I love to interact with such a diverse group of people and establish strong friendly relationships with them. I think this program provides me with an opportunity to talk about the rich and vibrant culture of Pakistan.”

According to the YES website, the program was established in response to the events of 9/11 to supply a grassroots source of information and example of how Muslim youths act. The high schoolers participate in activities to learn about American society and values, acquire leadership skills and help educate Americans about their countries and cultures.

“I decided to apply for this program because I wanted to learn new things and meet new people,”

Owais said. “I can brush up my the school and country.”

English spoken language while living Despite the heavy course load we here, explore my hidden talents and all know and love, Owais maintains a overcome my fears.” positive attitude about her program’s The program matches each student mission and her time in the U.S. with an American host family and “I am looking forward to removing American school There are other stereotypes in the minds of people exchange students from countries here about my country and sharing including Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, some of its positive features,” Owais Saudi Arabia and Lebanon attending said. “An exchange year is called schools throughout the United States, ‘Life in a Year,’ and I want to live it but Owais is the only student in her to the best.” chapter of the program to attend CHS. Placement organizations like iEarn and American Field Service (AFS), I love to interact with worked with YES to place her with a such a diverse group host family and enroll her in schools of people.

I think this prior to her arrival. program provides me “I just applied for YES scholarship with an opportunity and out of thousands, I got selected,” to talk about the rich Owais said. “It could have placed me and vibrant culture of anywhere around the U.S..”

Pakistan.” -Yumna Owais PHOTO COURTESY OF YUMNA OWAIS. As most CHS students and staff know, the academic rigor and Yumna Owais is new to CHS. atmosphere at CHS can be a bit of a shock to any newcomer, much less a newcomer to the country.

“Churchill is totally different from the Consenses Art Project Females in Sports Student Model at CHS school back in my Coming to CHS Commentary country—classes, lockers, subjects, textbooks, students and “Artist Telephone” to unite It’s time to accept women Walk the runway with teachers—everything student model Eloise students’ many talents. in the male-dominated is just so different,” Lancsweert. sports commentary field.

Owais said. “There’s a lot of homework here, especially for a person like me, who’s new to

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Opinions

Features

Arts

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News

October 29, 2015

Girls Field Hockey Raises Money for Make-A-Wish

By Thomas Atkinson Online Features Editor

The varsity girls field hockey team fundraised for the Make-A-Wish Foundation during its game Oct. 6 and raised over $8,000.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-profit organization that seeks to grant the wishes of children with deadly medical conditions. These wishes can range from receiving horseback riding lessons to meeting famous singers.

According to the Make-A-Wish website, a wish is granted to a child on average about every 37 minutes.

The team used various fundraising techniques to raise the money that was ultimately matched by KVS Title, a settlement services firm.

“This year the parents who organized the fundraiser did an outstanding job of planning the event,” coach Cay Miller said. “There [were] multiple ways that the money was raised.

There was an online donation, a silent auction and an ice cream vendor who donated 20 percent of his earnings from the game. KVS Title matched all donations made.”

In order to organize the event, the girls first had to pick a charity and start planning the logistics of raising the money.

“Field hockey does a fundraiser every year,” parent helper Karen Lipson said. About four weeks ago, Mrs. Kanstoroom and I met with the teams and discussed the upcoming fundraiser. We asked them to suggest organizations they would like to raise money for, and then the team voted.

Since the girls selected the organization, we knew they would be very committed to the event.”

The girls aimed to raise at least $7,500 which is the cost of sending

PHOTO BY MELANIE TWOMEY.

The field hockey team made a goal to raise enough money to send a family of four on a vacation to Disney World. a family of four to Disney World. They managed to surpass their objective and will be able to grant the wish soon.

“My favorite part of the Make-A-Wish fundraiser was knowing that our donations and support were going to good cause,” senior captain Annie Moshyedi said. “We raised enough to grant a ‘tripwish,’ which means sending a child with a life-threatening illness on a vacation that he or she has been dreaming to go on. It is amazing to think that the field hockey team made that possible.”

Not only did the fundraising help those in need, but it also gave players motivation to do their best on the field and try to win.

“Friends and family who have donated money have come to support our team,

and we want to return the favor by giving them something to cheer about,” junior captain Jocelyn Kelley said.

Raising money for organizations increases awareness about those who are less fortunate.

“Students who attend WCHS, in addition to playing sports, are very lucky,” Lipson said. “For various reasons, many children are unable to participate in athletics. Often these children can only be spectators. To know that they are thought about those who are able to play is very meaningful. Supporting a charity not only teaches students about the importance of helping other, it also brings awareness to others about these organizations that can help.”

Besides CHS field hockey, the Make-

A-Wish foundation works with many other high schools and organizations around the country.

“We work with schools all over the Mid-Atlantic region through the Kids for Wish Kids program so we are always looking to expand our efforts and spread our mission to more high schools and sports teams,” said Kelly Skahan, Mid Atlantic Make-A-Wish coordinator.

Make-A-Wish is not the only organization the field hockey has supported, as they have raised money for many others in the past.

“Other organizations we have held fundraisers for in the last several seasons include Play 4 The Cure and Active Minds,” Miller said.

Local Restaurant Aids Chesapeake Oyster Recovery Efforts

By Arielle Gordon Arts Editor The next time you sit down to enjoy a fresh seafood meal, take a moment to consider the work that allows you to continue to enjoy your meal.

The Grilled Oyster Company in Cabin John has been working with the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) since 2012, and has been a part of the Shell Recycling Alliance (SRA) since 2013. Grilled Oyster Company Owner Rick Dugan reached out to ORP to begin working with them.

“I knew about their mission and what they do,” Dugan PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE CWIEK.

The Robert Lee restores oyster habitats in the Bay with recycled oyster shells. said. “The shells go back to Horn Point and help the oyster population.”

Restaurants like The Grilled Oyster Company help ORP by returning natural oyster shells to the laboratory. The shells are used as material to create new oyster beds in the Chesapeake Bay. “Natural oyster shell is the best material on which to raise new oysters and restore oyster reefs,” ORP Marketing Manager Kate Cwiek said. “ORP developed the Shell Recycling Alliance (SRA) to save and reuse this extremely limited natural resource.”

The Grilled Oyster Company has provided over 800 bushels of shells to ORP, since 2013.

In addition to its partner restaurants, ORP works with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental

Science (UMCES), home to the Horn Point Laboratory Oyster Hatchery in Cambridge, MD. “ORP relies on the hatchery to produce oyster larvae and the resulting spat on shell that is used to rebuild the oyster reefs,” Cwiek said. “The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers builds the underwater substrate on which the new oysters will be planted and grow.”

According to oysterrecovery.org, ORP’s website, the organization and its partners have planted more than five billion oysters on 1,600 acres of oyster reefs and recycled 30,000 bushels of shells.

Oysters are important to the Chesapeake Bay because they are a filterfeeder, meaning that they feed by taking in water and pumping it through their gills. Food particles get trapped inside

for the oyster to eat, but in this process the oysters also filter water and improve water quality.

Improved water quality means improved living conditions for many species native to the Chesapeake Bay, such as the Blue Crab and Striped Bass, which are important to the economy of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s website, the Chesapeake Bay provides approximately one-third of the nation’s blue crabs. Between 2000 and 2009, an average of 55 million pounds of blue crab were caught each year. In 2009, the value of the bay-wide harvest was worth $78 million. Striped bass are profitable to the economy both commercially and recreationally.

Striped bass fishing contributes about $500 million to the economy annually.

Actions throughout the watershed directly impact the health of the Chesapeake Bay, which in turn affects the economy created by the bay.

“Some people do not realize how large the watershed is,” Dugan said.

“Pesticides in your yard 50 miles from the bay are damaging the water.”

According to chesapeakebay.net, the Chesapeake Bay watershed includes over 64,000 square miles. New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia are all a part of the watershed.

“All of this wouldn’t be possible without the support of individuals, restaurants, and seafood distributors that regularly recycle shell,” Cwiek said. “If you dine out or buy seafood, please support businesses that are members. Citizens can also drop off shells for recycling at many landfills.”

October 29, 2015

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News

Summer Drunk Driving Accident Still on Community’s Mind

said for the most part, people are responsible. on ribbons stating that they would not Many teenagers are being more drink and drive and would not enter an cautious about where they are going unsafe vehicle. The chain of ribbons was and how they are getting there. If hung up at the Homecoming dance to someone has been drinking, they can remind students of their commitment. either call Ubers or have designated According to Above the Influence drivers bring them home.

Club President and senior Adam Most parents are aware of drinking Newburger, students should be at high school parties, and if their child able take every opportunity to enjoy is the host, many are held responsible themselves, but they can do this without for any actions related to the alcohol at the the use of alcohol or drugs. party.

Attending a party with alcohol or If a parent is unaware of alcohol drugs can result at their party, in a student they face serious receiving a consequences citation from are We tend to forget the con- and a police officer accountable or being kicked for any drunk sequences because we think off of an athletic driving, alcohol that that can’t possibly hapteam.

Also, related injuries peer pressure and fines. The pen to us.” plays a role parent that was when it comes present at the to drinking. party that the -Senior Dorothy Hu “If high Wootton boys schoolers drink, attended was it’s really more aware of the about keeping up with social interests under-age drinking and did not take and trying to reach a short euphoria any actions. He is now being sued and where you can escape logical thinking,” serves as a caution for other parents. said senior Dorothy Hu. “We tend to Besides the legal consequences, the forget the consequences because we parents have to deal with emotional think that that can’t possibly happen to consequences; realizing that they us.” played a part in the end of a child’s A lot of teenagers get caught up in life. the hype of under-age drinking, and It’s impossible to completely without a situation like the Wootton extinguish under-age drinking and car crash occuring, they forget to think drinking and driving from CHS, but logically. students and parents experiencing the According to junior Lindsey Levy, loss of a member of the community she has witnessed a lot of underage reminds everyone how delicate and drinking at CHS and in MCPS, but real this matter is.

Continued from page 3

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PHOTO BY MADISON HURR.

Senior Brittney Burwell logs into her Common Application account.

New Program to Replace Common Application

By Madison Hurr Features Editor Come next summer, there will be another option for applying to college to rival the Common Application, an organization that has been used by college applicants for 40 years to apply to over 600 institutions worldwide. Current juniors and sophomores will most likely not be affected, but freshmen and current middle schoolers may be applying to college through this new program.

Over 80 universities have already joined the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success, which requires applicants to include portfolios of their high school work, allows them to communicate more easily with universities, and has them focus on college preparation as soon as ninth grade.

The Coalition was formed with the notion that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are not able to participate effectively in the college admissions process, struggling with financial aid and consequently attending universities that don’t engage their full potential.

It is a free platform with a goal to level the playing field for students from all backgrounds by focusing more on personalized work and writing samples rather than numbers on standardized tests, for which more affluent students can afford tutors.

The universities in the Coalition include all of the Ivy League universities, Stanford University, the University of Chicago, liberal arts colleges like Amherst, Swarthmore and Williams Colleges, and leading public institutions such as the Universities of Michigan, North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Virginia.

More schools are expected to join.

“The new application process is a definitely an added stress and responsibility, but it will benefit students in the long run,” junior Carli Needle said. “Junior year, when most people start to think about college, can be a bit too late to start new activities and become aware of the college process.”

The new application will go live next summer for incoming freshmen.

However, the Common Application will still remain an option when

applying to colleges.

According to Stanford University’s website, the “Coalition Application” will encourage a “college-going mindset” for all students starting their freshman year and make applying to college “more engaging and less intimidating.” Fall 2016 applicants will be able to submit either the Coalition Application or the Common Application.

The new application will focus more on high school writing samples, and includes a “college locker,” which is like Google Drive or DropBox, except with it, students are able to share their documents with counselors, teachers and mentors to receive feedback.

It aims mostly to appeal to lowincome and first-generation students in order to encourage them to pursue a college education. The application platform will provide numerous opportunities and time for students to compile recommendations, selfreflections and their own creative content.

According to an article from insidehighered.com, a website focused on higher education news, the idea behind the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success is to minimize “some of the disadvantages faced by high school students without access to well-staffed guidance offices or private counselors.”

With the recent change in the format of the SAT, some students believe that so many changes at once make the college application process stressful and unfair. Furthermore, the portfolios may add stress to freshmen by having them think about college admissions early on.

“I don’t really like that there’s going to be a new application process,” sophomore Alice Zhu said. “Having all of these changes is stressful.”

However, some students believe thinking about college early on can benefit students in the long run.

“Ninth grade isn’t too early to think about college,” Needle said. “It will encourage students to be more aware of their future, which will give them more time to get involved in community service and focus on academics.”

Since the Coalition Application is still in its nascent months, CHS staff are not quite familiar with it yet.

According to CHS college/career information coordinator Luana Zimmerman, she has received no details as to how it will actually roll out.

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October 29, 2015

Opinions

The Churchill

Observer Editors

Editors-in-Chief Fiona Asbury Michael Fox Online Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Greenzaid Chief Production Manager Emiliana Cardinale Production Editors Thomas Atkinson Eugenia Cardinale Ben Dross Sara Heimlich Ariel Levchenko Lauren Roseman Sofia Williamson Becky Wolfson Sarah O’Brien News Editors Isabel Dibble Arjun Swaminathan Opinions Editor Jasmine Baten Observations Editor Eugenia Cardinale Features Editors Madison Hurr Balbina Yang Arts Editor Arielle Gordon Sports Editors Jake Certner Nathan Deychman Fact Checkers Brooke Weiner Sofia Williamson Social Media Editors Peter Durand Sara Heimlich Maya Rosenberg

Managers Advertising Manager Brooke Weiner Business Manager Lauren Roseman Circulation Managers Rebecca Jackson Rebekah Sklute Sai Sreenivasan Contest Manager Becky Wolfson Adviser Kelly Knarr

Wellness Weekends Not Done So Well

CARTOON BY KEVIN HO.

Wellness Weekend at CHS doesn’t work so well.

Every so often, CHS has a Wellness Weekend, where teachers are instructed not to assign homework on Friday to be done over the weekend and turned in on Monday. It’s supposed to allow students a little time to destress, focus on extracurriculars or college applications or even go to homecoming without the burden of twenty textbook pages waiting for them when they get home.

But there’s a loophole. If assigned on Thursday, a test, project or long paper can be made due Tuesday. Since staff have discovered the caveat, wellness weekend has become synonymous with “more homework than usual over a span of four days.”

It needs to change. Wellness weekends should do what they were intended to do, rather than add another layer of stress to the workload CHS students and staff are trying to shoulder.

According to Honors Physics teacher Jennifer Czaplicki, the concept of a wellness weekend is designed to give the students an opportunity to “balance” their lives by giving them a short gap in the amount of assigned school work they have.

Though CHS had the best of intentions, it only ends up backfiring. The race-to-thefinish attitude CHS is notorious for seeps into teacher’s plans and the assignments they give.

According to Head of Social Studies Department Rodney Van Tassel, though he tries hard not pile on work for the

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following Tuesday, this particular Wellness Weekend came at an inconvenient time due to the end of the quarter approaching and lack of full weeks throughout September, so he had to schedule quizzes in his AP classes.

Because teachers have to teach a certain amount of material to keep up with CHS standards, the AP timeline and the reinstated assessment schedule, they have to schedule tests, projects and assignments any way they can, including over the Wellness Weekend. As long as they use the caveat: assign five days’ of work on Thursday to be due Tuesday, nothing has been assigned on Friday to be due on Monday, and teachers are following the rules.

However, the fact remains that if students treat a Wellness Weekend the way it was meant to be treated, they have to complete five days’ worth of homework in the days before and after the weekend.

According to Czaplicki, it is unreasonable to think that teachers will be able to spread material out to avoid a crunch after a Wellness Weekend. Teachers have to continue the instruction cycle of teach, practice and check mastery no matter what the schedule dictates.

It’s important to mental and physical health that every so often, there be a few days off. Yes,

students still reap the benefits of the sporadic day off, snow days, and holidays. But the most essential time to recenter and focus is in the middle of the quarter.

According to data from a University of Southern California study, a break in steady flow of work refreshes the brain’s attention and motivation and encourages productivity and creativity. Additionally, the research concluded that breaks are essential for mental processes that affirm our identities, help us understand human behavior, process events and maintain a moral and ethical code.

When the back-to-school shine has worn off, the excitement of homecoming week over and the deadline of college applications looming, students just need time to breathe. So much of the week is spent in school, studying, or running back and forth between extracurriculars we hope will make us stand out. When not poring over notes or studying furiously, students need the weekend to provide them with a reprieve.

But it’s important to remember that this isn’t teachers’ fault. With CHS expectations and standards, it’s a constant rush to a nonexistent finish line, where students and staff

Hall-Zombies Need to Keep Eyes off the Screen

Jonathan Greenzaid The Churchill Observer is Online Editor-in-Chief

Our Policy

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BSERVER PINION

scramble to get through material at a breakneck pace.

Though CHS students are known for being overworked and overstressed, teachers are the ones held responsible for their students’ success.

Let’s not forget—Wellness Weekend was designed for students to benefit. Teachers don’t get the same gift.

Basically, exploiting the Wellness Weekend loophole is one of the only ways they can stay on curriculum, but the fact that Wellness Weekend just ends up burning students and staff out will continue to be ignored in favor of academic rigor and reputation.

According to Czaplicki, when a student has a heavy academic, social and extracurricular load, eventually something will have to give.

Aside from CHS changing its attitude towards students and staff’s mental health and happiness, Wellness Weekend could be made more effective by only allowing formative assignments to be assigned on Friday to be due or assessed the following Monday. This way, teachers can still move forward in the curriculum, but the homework and scheduled assessments will be a lighter load than trying to cram in summative assessments due Tuesday.

Or CHS could just calm down, take a moment to assess the situation and realize that having an overstuffed schedule in the first place can’t be undone in one “Wellness Weekend.”

They walk through the halls in a zombie-like state, crashing and bumping into people with no regard for their surroundings. It’s not The Walking Dead, but a new generation of “deadwalkers” in CHS who walk through the halls fully occupied on their cell phones.

While many students like to use cell phones in between classes to text friends and parents, study frantically or listen to music, students shouldn’t walk through the halls preoccupied by their cell phones because it slows down the efficiency of hallways, is dangerous and causes too many distractions for students in between classes.

Students on cell phones slow down the pace of the hallways and make it more difficult for other students to get to class on time.

“Lets put ‘deadwalkers’ to sleep

once and for all in the hallways of

CHS .”

According to a 2014 study conducted by The University of Queensland School of Health and Rehabilitation Science and National Health and Medical Research Council, people who are texting or using apps while walking walk slower and have trouble walking in a straight line.

Additionally, in a 2015 joint study conducted by the University of Bath and Texas A&M University, participants took 5.64 seconds longer to complete a short obstacle course while using a cell phone compared to not using a cell phone.

Students sauntering down the halls on their cell phone also pose a danger to other students

walking through the halls.

According to a 2013 study conducted by The Ohio State University, the amount of injuries for pedestrians using cell phones has more than doubled since 2005. The study used data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance system, which collects reports from 100 hospitals from around the country.

Students still bump into each other and hurt each other because walking while using a cell phone is a distraction that hinders one’s ability to walk safely in halls and be fully aware of one’s surroundings.

Additionally, using cell phones in between classes acts

as a distraction for students and can hinder students’ performance in school.

According to a May 2015 study by the University of Texas and Louisiana State University, strict cell phone policies in school increased students’ exams scores by as much as six percent and had the impact of increasing the yearly instructional period by five days because students aren’t distracted by their devices during school.

Researching before the next class or contacting parents should not be done in the middle of the hallways. Take a step to the side of the hall where you will not cause commotion.

Let’s put “deadwalkers” to sleep once and for all in the hallways of CHS. Don’t pull out your electronic device in the halls. Wait until lunch or after school to be glued to your screen.

October 29, 2015

Opinions

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College Visits Interfere with Student Learning

PHOTOS BY FIONA ASBURY AND REBEKAH SKLUTE.

Senior Kyra Foose makes up work after missing class in order to meet with an admissions officer.

By Rebekah Sklute Circulation Manager students. They’re affecting their are looking for, the application process If a student skips class, he or she is more likely to get into the college of his or her choice.

Given the choice between attending University of Michigan’s college presentation or an AP class, a student is stuck with a tough decision. He has the desire to learn about the university and how to get in, but would need to miss his most challenging course in order to do so. When college visits are offered during class, many students are caught in the same situation.

College visits shouldn’t be offered during class because it isn’t a convenient time for students or teachers.

During these college presentations, the representative gives valuable information to students about the college and highlights some of the outstanding features of each school like study abroad programs and other special programs and majors offered.

The college representative may also describe what kind of students they

specific to their college, deadline dates and tuition.

However, with every up there is a down. Students who attend these presentations have to pay for their absence in class. With more and more colleges visiting and evermore stressed-out and overworked upperclassmen, students are missing class more often.

If students choose to go to a meeting during class, they’re responsible for making up their missed work. Class time is important. Why is there an option to miss it?

CHS is a stressful and competitive school that emphasizes the need to get the best grades, take the most AP classes and be part of many extracurricular activities. Students boast an impressive but overwhelming workload each week with multiple tests, quizzes and projects, resulting in major anxiety and pressure for students. Not attending class only adds to the burden.

But these visits aren’t just hurting

teachers as well. Missing class is extremely disruptive to the teachers, who spend much of their time planning the agenda for each of their classes. It’s unfair and inconsiderate of CHS to offer an alternative to every class. When students leave class to attend a college presentation, teachers are left with the responsibility of reteaching missed material or providing extra time for students to make up work.

The only positive aspect to the issue is that students are forced to learn how to self-teach the information, which is an important skill to have for college. Nevertheless, they should just be present for the instruction in the first place.

According to Head of the Science Department, Clinton Brown, college visits would be beneficial if they were properly organized. Students should be required to get permission from their classroom teacher in order

ing women to strive toward equality in male dominated sports.

But she was also faced with unwarranted sexist reactions over the internet. There were multiple complaints that Mendoza didn’t know what she was talking about, and was ruining the game simply because she is a woman.

A large part of the criticism toward Mendoza was because she had never played baseball, she could not fully comprehend it and analyze it as well as her male counterparts who had. While softball is a very similar sport, it is not the same thing as baseball. But there has been a male commentator who has not played baseball, and has become legendary in his broadcasts for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Vin Scully, who has reported play by play coverage for the Dodgers since 1950, never played professional baseball. He played a single season as a senior at Fordham University, but he never stepped up to bat or make a play in an MLB game. Yet, he is lauded as “the voice of the Dodgers” and as legendary figure in baseball. His career has spanned over 66 years and he has been with the Dodgers since they were located in New York.

But what if he was a woman? There would be no way for Scully to have

the illustrious career that he has had. There would be too much controversy that he has never played a game, and therefore does not know what he is talking about.

A major component in the controversy against Mendoza has been that she is unknowledgable about baseball, but she knows how to analyze America’s pasttime and has the skill set needed. The MLB wouldn’t have put her in the booth if she wasn’t able to do her job.

The criticism against Mendoza and other female commentators such as Erin Andrew is a product of institutionalized sexism in the sport

to go, and those students who do not have a pass from their teacher should not be able to attend. At the presentation, attendance should be taken so that teachers will know who went.

In order to attend a college visit, students need to sign up in the college career center and get a pass to show to their teacher. However, some students get a pass and don’t show their teacher.

According to College Counselor Luana Zimmerman, college visits are scheduled based on the availability of representatives. During this season, also known as “travel season,” the representatives are extremely busy visiting high schools and college fairs. Zimmerman tries to offer these visits during lunch, but that time does not always work for college representatives. It’s better to have an inconvenient college presentation than no presentation at all.

For students who can’t miss class, more college visits should be offered during lunch, after school and on weekends.

Not to mention, many colleges track students’ demonstrated interest in their school, recording a student’s commitment to the school through visits, enrollment on mailing lists and attendance at college lectures.

For the most part, college visits that take place during school are worthwhile and extremely helpful for students because it’s more convenient for a university to come to students than students going to visit dozens of universities.

Most students don’t have time to go on a hunt for a college with all of the other work that comes with school.

According to Zimmerman, aside from the timing of these events, the visits are, in fact, beneficial and advantageous for students. These representatives are the first to read students’ applications, so meeting them helps put a name to a face.

Despite these benefits, college presentations should not cause students to miss out on the very thing that’s going to get them into college in the first place.

Sports Commentary Should Not Just Be a Boys’ Club

By Maya Rosenberg Public Relations Editor

Softball player and two time Olympic medalist Jessica Mendoza made sports journalism history Oct. 6 as she was the first woman to join national coverage of a Major League Baseball (MLB) post-season game. She also made headlines this year for being the first woman to join a national broadcast for regular season games.

While Mendoza has made an amazing stride for women in sports journalism, it is imperative that more women are able to join national coverage of male dominated sports, and vice versa.

Sex should not determine if someone is qualified to do their job.

Mendoza was faced with unwarranted sexist outlash over the Internet.

There were multiple complaints that Mendoza didn’t know what she was talking about and was ruining the game simply because she is a woman.

According to a 2015 Time article about women’s representation in the media, the percentage of women in sports journalism dropped from 17-10 percent last year. As Mendoza was the first woman to call play by play action for a postseason game, she broke down many barriers for women and is help-

journalism world.

In an online poll taken amongst Churchill students, 80 percent of the students believe that women should be able to commentate on men’s sports while 88 percent believe that men should be able to commentate on women’s sports.

More people believe that men know more than women about athletics. It’s a pointless double standard that trumps the value of merit.

Women are not ruining sports, nor are they trying to be cute with their knowledge of them. Women are here to stay. Let’s play ball.

Observer October Corrections

In our September issue we made a mistake in the golf team preview. We neglected to mention the efforts of sophomore golfer Lena Cappocia, who participated in the state tournament last year and helped lead the team to a state championship title. She also placed third among female golfers state-wide. We also misspelled the name of our online sports Editor, Cristian Edwards. If you notice any issues with our publication, please contact us at churchillobserver@ gmail.com.

INFOGRAPHIC BY MAYA ROSENBERG.

6

October 29, 2015

Observations

Key Club Fundraiser

Honor Society Inductions EHS

PHOTO COURTESY MARY DEMPSEY.

By Michael Fox Editor-In-Chief PHOTO BY SARAH O’BRIEN.

MCPS Key Club hosted a fundraiser for Project Eliminate Oct. 18.

By Sarah O’Brien Production Editor Montgomery County Key Club hosted an event Oct. 18 for Project Eliminate, which vaccinates mothers and their newborn babies from neonatal and maternal tetanus in developing countries.

They raised $1,200, in the form of donations and raffles, compared to the $700 last year. It costs $1.80 to vaccinate a mother against tetanus.

“Our big goal is to help our community, people who need help, and

bring everyone together,” said Angela Pu, senior president of the CHS chapter of the Key Club.

This event had free concessions, music, T-shirts for sale, and various raffle prizes such as gift cards and free T-shirts.

“Our next fundraiser is Trick or Treat for UNICEF where members ask for donations during trick or treating,” said Dorothy Hu, senior and Lieutenant Governor of the CHS division of Key Club.

National Merit Scholars

By Eugenia Cardinale Observations Editor Congratulations to CHS students selected out of a national pool of 1.5 million candidates. Only 34,000 total students in the country were selected for this honor. Students who qualified as National Merit Commended Students: Daniel F. Aivazov Fiona A. Asbury Kristina Atanasoff Hrishikesh Balaji Madison C. Ballman Max A. Bloomfield Tiffany T. Cao Alexander S. Chang Alex L. Chen Emily Cohen Juliana Comer Alexandra E. Conway Abhiksha A. Desai Jessica M. Ding John S. Dorsey Peter W. Durand Samuel W. Finke Kyra R. Foose Eleanor K. Fuller Caroline L. Gladd Griffin Godsick Diana Grant Benjamin G. Hartman Stephanie Horng Biyi Hu Shanwen Hu

Hannah F. Hua Madison N. Hur Natalie N. Hwang Neha Kaul Megan S. Kee Daniel J. Kessler Dana Kost Andrew D. Kurlantzick Bradley B. Lawrence Nathan M. Lebauer Ariel N. Levchenko Jeffrey Y. Li Corinna Lin Nicole M. Menkart Christopher P. Monteferrante Griffin N. Myers Stephanie Prussick Anthony C. Ratinov Kathryn A. Roop Rachel H. Silverman Leo J. Simon Meredith K. Srour Rachel B. Stackhouse Justin D. Stackman Xiangliang Sui Arjun Swaminathan Julie C. Thomasian Preston K. Tong Katherine T. Vargo Renee R. Wolf Lancelot H. Won Jaclyn K. Zidar

Congratulations to all of the newly inducted members of the English Honor Society.

“Our goals for this year are to make EHS a community more than just a society, and make it something students feel committed to do instead of obligated to do,” EHS sponsor Mary Dempsey said.

The list of new inductees can be found at thechurchillobserver.com

ASLHS

By Eugenia Cardinale Observations Editor

Congratulations to newly elected officers and newly inducted members of the American Sign Language Honor Society Members: Christine Cho (President) Madeline Jacobson (Vice president) Valerie Weitz (Treasurer) Jenny Langerman (Historian) The list of all new inductees can be found at thechurchillobserver.com

NHHS

PHOTO BY SAI SREENIVASAN

By Sai Sreenivasan Circulation Manager

Congratulations to all new members inducted into the National History Honor Society.

The theme of the society is based on the medieval times. The officers wore props, such as crowns, to represent their standings.

“I’m looking forward to learning more about the past and the present and helping others,” junior Hanan Bandak said.

The list of new inductees can be found at thechurchillobserver.com

NCHS

By Lauren Roseman Business Manager

Congratulations to all of the students inducted into the National Chinese Honor Society (NCHS) “I am very excited,” NCHS sponsor Yih Lee said. “I hope they get to use Chinese beyong the classroom.”

The list of all new inductees can be found at thechurchillobserver.com

Signature Arts Academy Changes

By Lauren Roseman Business Manager

This year, the Creative and Performing Arts Signature Program is undergoing changes to help improve the program by making it easier to keep track of program requirements.

The changes include the creation of a Google Classroom account for the Academy, the addition of a pointsystem, a yearly portfolio and more college and career exploration.

Students can earn a certain number of points for each requirement, and their scores will determine where their progress stands. A score of 85 percent is considered standard.

“The points will allow the students to

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROSEMAN.

see their progress,” Academy Coordinator Deanna Svrcek said.

The changes were also made to reflect the MCPS college and career readiness goal. “[Students will] know that Naviance exists, and the reality of what they want to do,” Svrcek said.

CHS Welcomes New Staff Members

By Becky Wolfson Production Editor

“I’m proud to be one of the 34,000,” Renee Wolf said.

CHS Wins SERT Energy Award

By Fiona Asbury Editor-In-Chief Congratulations to CHS for winning a SERT Third Quarter Energy Performance Award for its consumption last year. SERT is an MCPS program, which stands for School Energy and Recycling Team and promotes efficient and responsible energy use in schools.

According to School Business Ad-

PHOTOS BY BECKY WOLFSON.

ministrator Lisa Welleck, CHS has an electricity bill of $328,390.34 last year and a natural gas bill of $87,130.66.

The SERT award was received because both bills were less than those of the previous year.

“I think it is fantastic that we are winning awards and that the students are conscious of their conservation efforts,” Welleck said. “It’s paying off.”

Counselor Tiffany Kaufman used to work in college admissions and as a school counselor in Virginia. Kaufman is from South Florida and loves working with students because she believes it is never the same from day to day.

“The most rewarding aspect of my job is watching students be successful when they weren’t sure they could be, whether [in] academics or extracurricular activity,” Kaufman said.

Special Education Paraeducator Rosalene Allen used to work as an Administrative Assistant at SunTrust Bank in Washington, D.C. Allen loves anime and teaching skills that she learned in her childhood.

“I like talking to the students, conversation and getting to know people,” Allen said.

October 29, 2015

Features

Student Finds Success in Modeling Industry

7

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELOISE LANCSWEERT.

Junior Eloise Lancsweert began modeling almost three years ago and has modeled for Bloomingdale’s, H&M and other stores.

Emiliana Cardinale Production Manager Junior Eloise Lancsweert walks down the runway of her first live television show. At first she is nervous, but she soon finds her place among the craziness that comes with modeling.

Lancsweert began modeling at 14, nearly three years ago. Her first modeling experience involved getting pictures taken for her personal portfolio.

At first it was difficult for her, as she had been bullied in the past, leading her to be shy and unsure of herself.

“It took a while for me to express myself through my eyes and body positioning,” Lancsweert said. “Once I got the hang of it, it was easy. I realized after a few hours into the shoot to accept myself and embrace my imperfections, to make the photos raw and real. And that’s what they turned out to be.”

She began modeling because of a friend whose sister was a model. Although she was intrigued by modeling, she didn’t initially think of doing it herself. However, she changed her attitude after her friend’s mother was persistent in convincing her to try it.

“She emailed my mom and told her to send in some photos of me to the agency her daughter had started her modeling career at,” Lancsweert said.

“When my mom told me I should at least give it a try, I decided to send in a few shots of myself and see what the response would be.”

The response was overwhelmingly positive for Lancsweert. It was a true turning point in her life.

“About an hour after we sent in the photos, we got a reply,” Lancsweert said. “They were ecstatic and wanted me to meet with them as soon as I could.

That weekend, my life changed. My whole future and what I planned it out to be was turned around and impacted by these enthusiastic people.”

It’s been a crazy journey for Eloise and those who support her modeling.

“It’s been a roller coaster ride with highs and lows,” said Helene Toye, Eloise’s mother. “Sometimes Eloise is over-the-top happy with jobs she gets.

Sometimes she is very disappointed not to get the job. It’s a tough and competitive world.”

Lancsweert has participated in multiple runway shows, normally lasting from three to eight hours. She’s modeled for Bloomingdale’s and H&M, and her favorite things to model are jeans and dresses.

“It has a sense of serenity to it,” Lancsweert said. “Although there is an immense amount of chaos, and I’m in a hectic environment, it’s so relieving

to walk down that runway with a literal work of art on my body. Everyone looks and cameras flash around me. It’s calming to see everyone so intrigued by what I’m wearing or who I am.”

While runway shows are interesting experiences, she prefers photo shoots.

“They make me express myself in so many different ways: posture, body composition, eyes, facial expressions and so much more,” Lancsweert said.

“It’s like acting without words.”

Her biggest accomplishment was making an appearance on WUSA 9 for Macy’s.

“That was a very diverse and intense experience,” Lancsweert said. “Everyone in this industry is so passionate about what they do for a living, and I am so intrigued by their ambition.”

Lancsweert is often presented the opportunity to meet people such as Miss Delaware, Miss District of Columbia and Miss United States.

“It was so exhilarating to be around such successful and beautiful women who are so incredibly devoted to their lifestyle,” Lancsweert said.

Balancing school and modeling is definitely a struggle for Lancsweert as she challenges herself with hard AP classes and often has to miss school for shoots or shows.

“I definitely don’t want to live up

to the silly stereotypes that models are shallow and dumb,” Lancsweert said.

“Therefore I choose to challenge myself in school.”

According to Toye, modeling is a more challenging job than it appears to be, especially for a junior who has to balance school work and her social life.

There are many times where Lancsweert must get up early, or cannot spend time with friends because of a shoot or show.

Lancsweert hopes to make modeling her career. Her parents have agreed to support her financially as she pursues a modeling career in NYC. “I want her to do something she’s passionate about, so if that’s modeling, or singing, so be it,” Toye said.

“There’s always time to go to college if the modeling or music industry doesn’t work out. We encourage her to take a few gap years after college and explore her artistic self. My husband and I just want both our children to be happy. If that happiness comes with modeling for Eloise, we are all for it. The day that business no longer makes her happy, we hope she’ll move on.”

Her biggest aspiration is to be on the cover of Vogue, but not only for her looks, but for her personal accomplishments as well.

“I want to be a role model, not just a model,” Lancsweert said.

Standing Desks Keep Students Learning on Their Toes Balbina Yang Features Editor CHS students spend about six hours, five days a week sitting stationary at a desk. Due to the health risks and lack of attention that comes with the sedentary school-day lifestyle, some schools across the U.S. have taken a stand to end these unhealthy habits.

As of August 2015, elementary schools in California have implemented standing desks, also known as desks with no chairs. These desks have been proven to decrease health problems and increase student focus during class.

“Personally, I like to stand, and I think [implementing standing desks] is a wonderful research project that will help children be healthy during class,” Principal Joan Benz said.

Although many have not heard of the concept of standing desks, the idea is not necessarily a new one. Standing desks have been around as early as 2010, but have not been used in school until this August.

According to a March 2014 Smithsonian Magazine article, standing desks once “were a curiosity,” primarily used by eccentrics like Hemingway and Dickens, but were rarely seen in a regular office setting.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BALBINA YANG.

More and more schools are moving away from traditional desks.

The resurrected interest in standing desks primarily stems from the nationwide obesity issue. The idea is to get students to move around during the day, as they sit for the majority of the week, which increases certain health risks.

According to a March 2012 Discovery article, people who spend four hours or more sitting have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood sugar. Standing burns three times as many calories as sitting.

Many students are optimistic about implementing standing desks at CHS and understand the benefits they have to offer.

“Standing desks are beneficial to students’ health because they let blood circulate throughout body and force students to stay focused during their classes,” junior Jade Phan said.

Other than just having health benefits, standing desks may be helpful in terms of academics. For example, stand-

ing desks can help students be more alert and fight the urge to sleep or even rest during class.

Many teachers at CHS have stringent rules as to when students can rest and put their heads on desks.

“Certain body language makes teachers believe that children are sleeping or not involved in the lesson,” Benz said.

“In this case, teachers should encourage students to keep their heads up or just send them to the health room.”

Spending several hours in one spot for almost an entire day can be tiring, and it can be difficult to stay awake, especially after a long night of doing homework.

“One thing teachers need to do is to walk around a lot,” Spanish teacher Stacy Steele-Yue said. “The set-up of the classroom is very important; teachers should be able to freely move back and forth. Also, teachers should make students move around every 15 minutes or so, so they can get exercise and be active.”

However, even with the advantages of having standing desks, it is not certain whether CHS will ever implement any anytime soon.

“At this time, we cannot afford them,” Benz said. “MCPS has to promote for funding and good research in order for us to ever get standing desks.”

8

Features

October 29, 2015

Alumna Elected First Muslim J Street U President Fiona Asbury Michael Fox Editors-in-Chief

Former Observer Editor-in-Chief and 2012 alumna Amna Farooqi was elected in August to serve as President of the national J Street U organization this year.

What is so unique about Farooqi’s involvement and presidency, however, is that she is a the first Pakistani Muslim president of a primarily Jewish organization and is fighting for the rights of a people often at odds with her own.

Founded in 2004, J Street U is the student branch of the larger J Street organization, a nonprofit which aims to lobby American leaders to help end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through a two-state solution. In Washington DC, a street named J is missing, thus the organization strives to represent the voice of Israelis, which it feels is also missing. J Street U shares the same goals as J Street, but also works on college campuses to increase advocacy for and education about its proposed solution to the conflict.

“I heard about J street from someone else, and it was like an organization that I volunteered with in Rockville,” Farooqi said. “When I looked it up, it sounded like a moderately normal group that had Israeli and Palestinian perspectives, and followed the two-state solution, so I started to get involved.”

The conflict J Street aims to solve is one that has been going on between the Palestinians and Israelis since Israel’s formation following World War II in 1948. Both groups feel they have jurisdiction over pieces of disputed land within Israel’s borders, causing much tension. Promoting a two-state solution to this problem means recognizing both groups as separate countries, allowing Israel’s borders to be recognized internationally and ending Israeli occupation in land that will belong to Palestine.

“J Street U is a place for anyone who supports the two-state position and

PHOTO COURTESY OF OMAR FAROOQI.

Amna Farooqi poses for a picture with her brother, senior Omar.

supports peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, so for me it was natural that this was the place I wanted to be,” Farooqi said. “There has been a lot of support from a lot of people, and there has also been criticism and confusion, but for me it’s all about the work that needs to be done over the conflict, so that’s what I keep focusing on.”

Though Farooqi may be an unorthodox choice for the presidency, she has a legitimate interest in solving the conflict, regardless of her heritage or religious affiliation. Farooqi is currently a senior at the University of Maryland and is majoring in Government and Politics and minoring in Israeli studies. “[The Israeli-Palestinian conflict] is a huge foreign policy issue for our country, and it’s a national issue in the

country, and it’s something that’s always going to be around until we get better at trying to solve it,” Farooqi said.

As president, Farooqi has plenty of responsibilities in overseeing the actions of the approximately 75 different chapters of the J Street U movement on college campuses and the J Street U board, of which she is also president.

“Day to day I manage the national board which consists of Vice Presidents of different regions for the country [including] the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest [and] Northwest,” Farooqi said. “I help them manage all of the chapters in their regions, and a lot of it is them coming up with the national strategy for the year for the movement with the other leaders.”

Though Farooqi’s position is not an

easy task to perform, according to her former CHS teachers, she is equipped to tackle the challenge.

“Even as a freshman [Farooqi] was an obvious leader as opposed to a follower,” social studies teacher Adam Field said. “She has the ability to persuade others as she was well-spoken and a good writer. I am not surprised by what she has accomplished and [I’m] very proud.”

The pride in Amna’s accomplishments is not limited to those who interacted with her at CHS. Farooqi’s family, who did not hold all the same beliefs Farooqi promotes with J Street before her election, is also accepting and proud of what she has done.

“I am amazed and excited that she got elected for that position,” said senior Omar Farooqi, Amna’s brother.

“I’m also hopeful that she’ll be able to contribute and have a positive impact on the conflict. She is hard-working, capable and best fit for this job.”

Omar said he did not know much of the conflict’s history, but after Amna’s election, he learned more about it. When Amna visits home, conversations often focus on activities related to J Street U and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“I understand her point of view and perspective, and I agree with it,” Omar said. “It helped me understand more on how we need to work together to make others’ lives better.”

Amna cites CHS and specific teachers as teaching her a lot and the Observer as inspiring her to become interested in the conflict through a 2012 opinion piece she wrote on the issue. She hopes other CHS students might be interested in following her footsteps. “[J Street U] is a great opportunity to think about the political issues you care about and how you can get involved, and this is also something that everyone has a stake in, whether or not you really care about it,” Farooqi said. “You should follow something that you are passionate about.”

Sophomore-Created Organization Teaches Religious Tolerance

Eugenia Cardinale Observations Editor

Sophomore Hana Mangat spent her summer building camps for kids in rural India and teaching them English.

However, activities like these are only a small part of what she does with her youth-based organization Sikh Kid to Kid (SK2K).

Mangat and her mother started SK2K in 2012 after a shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. SK2K strives to educate people on religion in order to prevent violence and ignorance directed toward religious groups.

“It was a shocking moment,” Mangat said. “I’ve never viewed myself as an outsider. That’s why we decided to eradicate ignorance with the power of education.”

SK2K designs religious training programs in order for teachers to teach religion in schools more accurately. The organization creates resources such as movies and workshops that revolve around self-image for MCPS schools.

For the work she does for SK2K, Mangat won a scholarship award from Ben Carson’s 2015 Scholars Fund. In addition, the organization was also invited to a Forbes conference on Oct. 4-5 after applying to a Forbes “30 under 30” contest.

SK2K is currently in the process of working with the Maryland state government to implement more of its teaching programs to schools in the Maryland-Virginia area.

“The state was open and excited to work with us because we are teenagers putting in the effort and work,” Mangat

said. “It is really validating receiving recognition from the state.”

The organization is also writing a memorandum to Rep. Karen Bass, DCalif., who is on the human rights committee, to bring to light the civil rights violations of unlawful detainment in Punjab India.

SK2K will also hold teacher workshops in November that will educate teachers about different religions. Currently the workshops, which are made up of two parts, talk about Hinduism and Sikhism. Starting next year they hope to add lessons about Christianity and Islam.

“The first part of the teachers meet at a Montgomery County building, and we brief them on the basics of the religion,” Mangat said. “There is also an experiential part of the program where they are invited to come to the actual chapel or place of worship and experience the service. There is also a question and answer panel where they can ask any questions regardless of whether they’re politically correct, and they can ask kids questions about how to make their classrooms more accepting.”

These workshops have trained teachers from over 70 MCPS schools. With such success, SK2K is also working to reach out to teachers in Fairfax County, PG County and Frederick County.

The organization has many projects aside from these teacher workshops, including one about self-image called Uplifting Reality.

“I think it’s cool because it’s teenagers with other teenagers talking about selfimage and loving ourselves,” Mangat said. “I think that is something really

PHOTO BY HARMINDER KAUR

Mangat (center) works with SK2K to spread cultural awareness.

rare to see.”

Mangat has brought the idea of eradicating ignorance with education to CHS through her club Cultural Society.

Mangat runs the club with sophomores Sheerin Naimi, Gabriella Baker, Kevin Shefferman and Daniel Pyo. “Our ultimate mission is to spread cultural awareness and avoid stereotypes in the CHS community,” Naimi said. “This year we will meet every other Friday at lunch where we learn about a new culture every week. We dance, do team building activities, try on clothes, listen to powerpoints, and most importantly, eat food.”

Mangat not only inspires her fellow classmates, but she also inspires the adults involved in the organization as well.

“Other students or just other people

in general can learn how Hana thinks beyond herself,” parent supervisor Deepali Singh said. “She is always thinking of new projects that will somehow benefit someone else. From the organization perspective, we have something for every age group. The organization began with the focus of spreading awareness of Sikhism, and as we dug deeper, we started identifying issues that impact all kids in general.”

According to Mangat, CHS has a “hidden diversity” which she loves. She hopes the CHS community will back her in her efforts to celebrate this diversity.

“I want the CHS community to know that they can also make a change if they want to,” Mangat said. “People come up to me sometimes and say, ‘Hana, I wish I could be doing this’ but the thing, is they can.”

Features

October 29, 2015

9

Uncover Your Eyes: Peek into Haunted Forest

By Isabel Dibble News Editor

Throughout the whole month of October, there are a variety of Halloweenthemed events around the MarylandD.C. area including Markoff’s Haunted Forest and the Field of Screams.

Both offer a wide range of attractions from haunted trails to hayrides. For some students, it is an annual activity, and others scare visitors as employees.

“My sisters and I love haunted houses,” freshman Christina Maffeo said.

“So after living here a while, someone mentioned Markoff’s Haunted Forest.

We went one year, and I loved it. I knew that I wanted to work there that night after I left.”

The Markoff family created the Haunted Forest at first to help raise money to start a summer camp, which is known today as Calleva. However, the Haunted Forest quickly became a popular attraction for people.

“The Haunted Forest started 23 years ago,” Markoff’s Marketing Director Tom Doi said. “A lot has changed over the years, but our love for Halloween and scaring people hasn’t.”

With Markoff’s popularity at CHS, many students have applied to be employees.

“Working at Markoff’s can be physically draining sometimes,” freshman Nicole Bratton said. “We open at 6:30 p.m. and close usually around 12:30 a.m., so standing for six hours straight in the cold can get annoying.”

According to Maffeo, there is a 10-

PHOTO BY NICOLE BRATTON.

Freshmen Nicole Bratton and Jade Jansky are employees at Markoff’s Haunted Forest. It takes them about an hour to get into character.

15 minute break between each group of people, so while waiting in the cold, employees come around to each hiding spot and provide food and drinks for

those co-employees waiting to scare people coming in.

“The people that run Markoff’s Haunted Forest are really good at mak-

ing every season a hit,” Bratton said.

“They make it fun to work there and make every night a memorable one. My older sister had worked there one year, and she had a blast, so I figured that I would try it, and now it’s basically my second home.”

Before reporting to their hiding spots, employees must get into their costumes to get ready to scare.

“Each person picks a costume and usually sticks with the same costume for the season,” Bratton said. “As the season progresses from the first night, you really fall into your character.”

In addition to costumes, makeup is another key component to a successful outfit.

“The makeup artists are amazing and always capture the perfect amount of scariness,” Bratton said. “Makeup can sometimes include a latex layer to make things like scars or bumps pop off the face.”

According to Maffeo, it usually takes about an hour to finish getting into character.

“You have to be extremely careful to never break character,” Maffeo said.

“It’s challenging but worth it.”

The combination of costume, makeup and staying in character are what makes Markoff’s an entertaining place to visit.

“I love getting scared because I get excited, especially when I’m with other people,” freshman Michelle Chow said.

“When people get scared together, memories are made in which we can reflect on later and laugh.”

Seniors Change Facebook Names for Tradition, Colleges

By Sara Heimlich Social Media & PR Editor It’s that time of the year, the start of school, when finding seniors on Facebook is nearly impossible.

As their last year of high school begins, many seniors choose to change their name to a playful nickname. Some seniors attempt to “hide” from college admissions officers, and others just follow what has become a senior tradition.

According to a Nov. 9, 2014 New York Times article, 35 percent of 403 surveyed college admissions officers said they looked at applicants’ social media pages.

However, other colleges, such as Penn State, do not look at social media sites.

“With over 80,000 applicants each year, we do not have to ability to research each student’s social media

presence and determine if that should impact a student’s admissibility into the University,” said Penn State University undergraduate admissions officer Caley Glasgow.

According to the New York Times article, bigger schools are less likely to look up applicants online due to the number of applications, whereas smaller schools have the extra time to do so.

Some students have realized they are being searched and have attempted to prevent any issues from the start.

“I changed my name so colleges don’t see me doing stupid things that could jeopardize my acceptance,” senior Adam Gray said.

According to senior Isabel Jordan, it is important to be conscious of what is posted on social media. Anything online is fair game for colleges because everything on the web is public.

According to Shelley Levine, an educational planner for the consulting

PHOTO BY SARA HEIMLICH.

Senior Sophia Giavotto decided to change her Facebook name as part of the senior year tradition.

Pre-order tickets - $5.00 for students and children, $10.00 for adults At the door - $10.00 for students and children, $15.00 for adults Purchase online or outside the cafeteria during lunch Wednesday - Friday before the show

agency College Bound, pictures of alcohol and drugs raise a red flag to colleges.

Posts that demonstrate racism, bullying, cheating and insulting others reflect the person in a negative light as well. However, posts on controversial issues are fine as long as they do not slam others.

Pictures of students in bathing suits are not an issue either.

Despite the fact that some posts may not be detrimental, Levine doesn’t advise students to change their name.

“Instead I advise them to be responsible about posting on social media sites,” Levine said. “This applies to college applications, job searches because potential employers view social media sites as well, and overall responsible, mature and ethical behavior. My filter is that ‘If you wouldn’t want your mom, dad or grandmother to see your post, don’t put it out there.’”

Independent educational consultant

Wendie Lubic advises her students to do the same.

“Not only will it look odd for a teen to not have a presence on social media, there is always the chance that a search engine will dig up an archived page, so it will be obvious that the student has deleted or changed the account,” Lubic said. “Colleges are looking for consistency. If the social media account reinforces information on the application, that is a good thing. If you say something is an important part of your life on the application and there is no sign of it on your social media accounts, then it will raise questions.”

While some students seek to mask themselves from college, others change their name for the sake of senior tradition.

Senior Sophia Giavotto changed her name on Facebook to “Sopht Served Gelato.”

“I came up with my name one day just hanging out with my friends and we got onto the topic of changing our names on Facebook,” Giavotto said.

“We just started finding words that rhymed with our name or sounded similar, and little by little we got our new names.”

Senior Raz Moayed, who changed her name to Ra’s Al Ghul, changed her name for fun as well.

“I don’t really want to prevent colleges from seeing anything,” Moayed said. “I have nothing to hide, but I do it because it’s sort of fun and a senior tradition.”

Whether the online world works in students’ favor, colleges can still see applicant profiles, and students are doing their best to prepare for it.

“I have always been very careful about what I post on any kinds of social media,” Giavotto said. “I haven’t gone back to see if there was anything that would reflect badly on me. If people are able to find something that doesn’t look good then I shouldn’t hide it. I’m human, and I’m not going to pretend to be someone that I’m not just for college.”

10

Features

Angelique Nagovskaya

October 29, 2015

Half the Sc Double the

Students with abbrev the world

W

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELIQUE NAGOVSKAYA.

By Eugenia Cardinale Observations Editor Junior Angelique Nagovskaya comes to CHS for her morning classes and goes to Albert Einstein High School in the afternoon for their nationally recognized visual arts center (VAC).

She applied last year, and the process included an interview and sending in her art pieces. She was accepted to the program and had to work out the cross-schedule with her counselor.

“I had the option of completely transferring to Einstein or crossscheduling, so I decided to crossschedule, because I am also part of the Visual Arts Academy at Churchill and wanted to graduate from a highly ranked school like CHS,” Nagovskaya said.

She is currently taking a triple period of AP 2-D design at Albert Einstein. She drives there at the end of fourth period to get there by the start of sixth. It is about a 25-30 minute drive, so she usually has time to drive home and eat lunch.

According to Nagovskaya, it can get difficult because she works four days a week to pay for car insurance and gas to be able to attend the VAC. “I definitely am planning on majoring in art and going to art school. My life revolves around art, and it is something [that is] very important to me,” Nagovskaya said.

“It gives me a lot of independence since I am constantly busy and do not have to rely on my mom for money or rides.”

Ava Durant

hile most students are in class for all seven periods of the day, some leave school early to pursue other interests such as internships, sports programs and arts programs.

An abbreviated schedule is defined by MCPS as a schedule in which a student does not have one or more periods during the school day for which a credit is being earned. Abbreviated schedules can be granted for educationally related programs outside of school, medical conditions or financial need. All schedules must be approved by the school principal.

According to resource counselor Robin Moore, abbreviated schedules at CHS are done on a caseby-case basis and differ for each individual student.

The most common situation where an abbreviated schedule is needed is either when a student has a medical problem, like a concussion or an out-ofschool program usually involving sports.

Some students also leave school for internships, which is a separate option from the abbreviated schedule.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AVA DURANT.

By Eugenia Cardinale Observations Editor Sophomore Ava Durant leaves school after seventh period to attend a professional training program at the Washington School of Ballet in DC. Durant has to leave school early due to the fact that the ballet school is far away and it takes her a while to prepare for class. She is in ballet class every day from 3:30-7:30 p.m.

“It was really easy,” Durant said of the process of obtaining an abbreviated schedule. “I just talked to my counselor about my situation as a ballet dancer and she gave me some forms to fill out and she modified my schedule. I really didn’t have to do much work.”

According to Durant, she still feels that she is challenging herself enough as she is able to take six academic courses. She even struggles to complete all of her homework and study because of how late she arrives home every night.

Durant has been dancing since she was 4 years old and has been classically dancing since she was eight.

“Dancing is kind of an escape from the stress of school and other hardships, and it makes me feel happy and alive,” Durant said. “Dancing provides me with strength, ability and a good daily exercise routine. It also helps me sharpen my mind and memory, since I have to work hard to be attentive to choreographic detail.”

Sara Fink

Bella E

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARA FINK.

By Emiliana Cardinale Production Manager Senior Sara Fink has an abbreviated schedule, which allows her to work at Strathmore Elementary School in a classroom designed for children with moderate to severe special needs. She leaves after sixth period and will leave after fourth next semester.

“All of my students are non-verbal, but they all have such amazing personalities and so much potential,” Fink said.

Having a shortened schedule benefits Fink immensely as she gains real life experience in a field she is passionate about pursuing.

“I love having an abbreviated schedule,” Fink said. “I plan to study special education in college. It’s always been my passion and plan for a very long time. I’m learning so much more in my internship that cannot be taught in a CHS classroom.”

By Sofia Willa Production Ed

Sophomore Bel hours a week, fiv Maryland Youth B eighth period ev her classes in Silv 2:30 p.m., the time If she had an she would have l language. Howev mind giving up language for balle After dance, s up late nights fini and has conse accustomed this s “Since I even dance professiona eight period gives achieve that,” Este

October 29, 2015

chedule . . . e Experience

11

Features

Claire Frommer

viated schedules learn in d’s classroom

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According to the CHS website, in order to become an intern, students must maintain regular attendance, be at the internship 10-to-15 hours a week, call the internship site when not able to attend, maintain a timesheet, keep a daily log, attend seminars once weekly during lunch, complete specified written assignments and prepare a presentation relating to the internship experience each semester.

“I think being an intern is a great way for seniors to get real life work experience that will greatly benefit them down the road,” Internship Coordinator Jamie Collins said. “They will be making contacts and references that they can use to help get into college or use for jobs. There is a lot of networking that happens for interns that can give them a leg up on the competition when they leave college and look for their first job.”

Many students have utilized this opportunity to pursue their interests outside of school while still earning credit during the school day.

Estes

PHOTO COURTESY OF BELLA ESTES.

amson ditor

lla Estes dances 18 ve days a week at Ballet. She misses very day because ver Spring start at e school ends. n eighth period, liked to take sign ver, she doesn’t taking a foreign et. she tends to stay ishing homework, equently gotten sleep schedule. ntually want to ally, not having an s me more time to es said.

Evani Seested

PHOTO COURTESY OF EVANI SEESTED.

By Emiliana Cardinale Production Manager Senior Evani Seested leaves after fourth period for an internship at Easter Seals, a company that provides services to veterans, disabled children and senior citizens.

“I’m with human resources, so I work in the business side of it,” Seested said. “I love having a short schedule. I feel like I have time to actually work on stuff that could benefit me more. Adding this to my resume will look awesome for colleges and for getting a job afterwards. I only really need one credit to graduate, so I feel like this is a better use of my time.”

Although having an abbreviated schedule has its benefits, there are drawbacks for Seested.

“I actually get home later after work because I stay there for so long,” Seested said. “It’s a far drive too, so that doesn’t help with timing.

Work can also be stressful, but other than that, it’s a pretty good gig.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAIRE FROMMER.

Adam Gray

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM GRAY.

By Sofia Willamson Production Editor

Senior Adam Gray plays golf 20 hours a week, seven days a week at Lakewood Country Club. This is his second year as the CHS Golf captain.

He was given his half schedule before this school year started because as a student athlete, his busy schedule is filled with golf practice and playing in the highest level of junior tournaments for the American Junior Golf Association. He also has the best scoring average in all of Montgomery County Public Schools this season.

He still has to do homework and study like any other student, but he only takes four classes and leaves at lunchtime.

He currently has offers from the University of Santa Clara, Rutgers University, High Point University, Seattle University, University of Rhode Island, Marquette University, University of Hartford, and Radford University.

“I hope that after playing golf in college that I will continue to play, in hopes of making the PGA Tour and playing professional golf for a living,” Gray said.

By Sai Sreenivasan Circulation Manager Instead of going to eighth period every day, junior Claire Frommer goes to ballet class.

Ever since she was 3 years old, Claire has done ballet at Maryland Youth Ballet and continues to dedicate her time to class and rehearsals.

To accommodate her ballet classes, Frommer has maintained a six-class schedule since sophomore year.

“Rehearsal is from 2:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. during the weekdays, and on the weekends, it is about three hours,” Frommer said.

Frommer attends rehearsal every day during the week and returns home afterwards to complete her homework. Frommer also has to maintain a strict schedule during the week so she has time to complete all of her schoolwork after practice and get a decent amount of sleep.

While she already has a busy schedule with just rehearsal, it is during performance season when her schedule gets the most hectic.

“Around performance season, we’re performing every weekend, and it’s hard to find time for schoolwork and sleep,” Frommer said.

Frommer admits that she “doesn’t have much free time” since ballet and school take up a lot of her schedule. Even though she manages such a tight schedule, she is completely passionate about ballet.

“You can get your feelings out,” Frommer said. “It’s like the whole atmosphere of how you connect with everyone from the other dancers to the audience. I really love dancing.”

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Features

October 29, 2015

Students Marty McFlying Back to the Future

Hoverboards Provide a Futuristic Method of Getting Around

By Sarah O’Brien Production Editor They see me rollin’... on my hoverboard.

Around CHS and the nation, teens and adults have found a new method of transportation in hoverboards. Hoverboards are electric, two wheeled devices appear to float in the air. These “hoverboards” that act like segways without handles are sweeping the nation, leaving the “oohs” and “ahhs” of jealous bystanders in their wake. Although these “hoverboards” do not physically hover, they do resemble hoverboards

ride them around their houses.

“My uncle gave me one because he thought I would like it,” Rush said. “I love this thing.”

Most hoverboards are pricey, some selling at around $400. However, like many other trends, people pay for the novelty and the experience.

“It looks like futuristic technology, and by having it, you’ll seem like you’re ahead of the curve,” sophomore George Katsanos said.

Ranging from NBA players to Wiz Khalifa to David Beckham’s son Brooklyn, celebrities of all kinds have been seen riding hoverboards. Because of these celebrities, hoverboards have become a sta-

friend’s house. They do not go very fast, only around 10 miles per hour.

According to Birnbach, his favorite part of owning a hoverboard is just riding it around.

YouTube and other social media sites feature videos of people falling off their hoverboards and injuring themselves because they are unable to balance on them.

According to Rush, it takes from 10-20 minutes to get used to riding the hoverboards.

I n the

a fun and innovative way of getting around,” freshman Maya Tondravi said.

“I think it would be cool to have one, but at the same time I think I would get bored of it after a while.”

COURTESY OF SOAR BOARDS, VIA FLICKR

shown in movies such as Back to the Future.

Juniors Ben Birnbach and Satchel Rush both received hoverboards as gifts from family and

tus symbol as well as a fashion statement.

According to Rush, people who have one mainly ride it around their house and maybe to a

United Kingdom, hoverboards have become illegal to ride in public streets, because according to their legislation, it is too dangerous to ride on the pavement.

However, for people who enjoy the thrill and are willing to risk a few scrapes from learning to ride, hoverboards can be purchased on Amazon, and are produced by many different brands.

CHS responses toward hoverboards have been mixed.

“This is a cool product because it’s

These segways resemble what was aired in the 1985 film Back to the Future. Because of Back to the Future day on Oct. 21, Lexus has introduced an actual hoverboard that hovers over a magnetic surface. However, the Lexus hoverboard cannot levitate over any other sruface.

According to the Lexus website, their new hoverboards contain their iconic Lexus spindle grille signature shape and use materials found across the Lexus brand, from high tech materials to natural bamboo.

With the holiday season coming up quickly, it is a strong possibility that these hoverboards will be on CHS students’ wish lists.

October 29, 2015

Arts

13

Senior Sketches Out a Future in the Art Industry

By Sarah O’Brien Production Editor Senior Sophia Kim is both a visual and an auditory artist. She has been painting ever since she learned how to hold a pencil, and she has been playing viola for three years. Before that she played violin for a little over five years.

Kim was inducted into the National Society of Arts and Letters in May. She has won two Silver Key awards from the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition and five honorable mentions. Her work has also been displayed at school art festivals and has been featured in the Korean Times newspaper.

“I’ve gone to Korea a couple of times to perform for the less fortunate with an orchestra that ties in with my church,” Kim said.

Kim has always been surrounded by art. Her mother studied music in college, and her father is an architect, so she learned and got inspiration from them. She also simply enjoys the arts.

“Sophia is very hard working and is determined when it comes to the arts,” said Sebastian Kim, Sophia’s father. “She knows how to paint not only with the good techniques but also with the emotions that bind her artwork together.”

According to Kim, her favorite art piece is a personal one--a portrait of her parents.

“She has the ability to depict human relationships and human interactions with a sensitivity that is mature well beyond her years,” studio art teacher Jacquelyn Washam said. “Her portraiture work is beautiful and filled with an emotional quality that seasoned artists strive to capture.”

Kim loves to paint with acrylics and oil although she has just started using them.

“She can easily start making artwork if you give her a pencil and paper,” Sebastian said.

Kim also plays the viola in the competitive American Youth Philharmonic orchestra, which represents the best musicians in the United States of America.

Kim has been a part of the CHS orchestra for two years now, where she is second chair; however, she focuses mainly on her visual art.

Kim plans on pursuing art as a

PHOTO BY EMI CARDINALE.

Senior Sophia Kim is a musician and avid painter whose favorite painting is of her parents. She was inducted into the National Society of Arts and Letters and has traveled to Korea to paint for the less fortunate. profession.

“Sophia is an introvert and has a quiet nature about her, but her work sings, she is able to capture her feelings and thoughts through the visual language of art and that’s what makes her work so unique,” Washam said.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOPHIA KIM.

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October 29, 2015

Arts

CHS Artists to Display Works

By Arielle Gordon Arts Editor

Youth Art for Healing The National Arts Society at CHS has teamed up with Youth Art for Healing, an organization that works to place art created by students in healthcare centers to create a comforting and positive environment for patients. The project will begin this month and is expected to last until March.

CHS artists in the National Arts Society volunteer to work outside of class to create six murals during the school year.

“Youth Art for Healing is about creating art pieces for hospitals,” senior Carly Rosenfeld said. “The National Arts Society is responsible for painting six murals for a hospital, of soothing images like flowers and underwater

PHOTO COUTRESY OF ETHAN SHRIER.

Shrier takes a picture with Vice President Biden after performing with NYO.

Trombonist Performs at Luncheon for Vice President

By Madison Hurr Features Editor

Junior trombonist Ethan Shrier performed at a luncheon co-hosted by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden Sept. 25 to welcome China’s president Xi Jinping on his visit to the U.S. Shrier, as part of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States (NYO), was invited by the U.S. State Department to play at this event.

Over the summer, Shrier traveled to China to play alongside other NYO members.

“When the Chinese president came to town, the State Department thought it would be great to have a group made up of members of NYO play at this luncheon,” Shrier said. “Obviously, I accepted the invitation.”

Shrier has been playing trombone since the fifth grade.

“I was incredibly honored to have been able to play for some of the most important people involved with the diplomacy between our two countries,” Shrier said.

scenery. Studies show that making a hospital more homelike and comfortable can speed up the healing process.”

Sculpture Project Advanced Sculpture students will participate in a competition created

by MCPS, Metro and Strathmore to create permanent 3-D sculptures to be displayed at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station.

First, students will create sketches of sculptures they would like to design.

The sketches will then be submitted to a panel for selection and the selected designs will be created for display.

Selection is expected to take place in December, and construction will begin in January. The students will work together in class to create the selected designs, with the final sculptures put on display in late April.

“The students will be creating a permanent work of art to put on public display, which is awesome,” Art Resource teacher Brendan Roddy said.

October 29, 2015

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Arts

Horror Movies:The Science Behind the Scare

By Ross Tanenbaum Online News Editor

Halloween is one time of the year when people love to get scared.

Fear is an emotion that brings out a physical reaction. Sweat starts pouring, the heart beats faster, and adrenaline rushes through the body. Many people enjoy the feeling that fear creates. One way that people get this feeling is through watching horror movies.

“The scariest thing about horror movies is the night after you watch the movie and you are walking alone at night, you keep thinking something is behind you,” sophomore Mohammed Qureshi said.

Scary movies are subjective. What one person finds scary might not be scary to someone else. Some are scared by the actual killers and monsters while others are frightened by the psychological fears in a movie. Films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street frighten audiences with its creepy serial killer, Freddy Krueger. Other films such as The Silence of the Lambs get into people’s psyche and scare people from within.

“The Shining is more of a psychological thriller than a horror movie, but it’s still scary,” senior Nick Hinsch said. “It takes a minute for the terror to sink in.”

The most common way that horror movies try to scare people is by using something called a “Jumpscare.” A jumpscare is when the scene in the film is very quiet and suspenseful until a loud and abrupt noise occurs, causing the audience to jump. This gives the audience a rush of adrenaline which can send a good feeling through the body.

“My favorite horror movies would be the Insidious series,” Qureshi said.

“All of them have a lot of jumpscares which help get you going.”

It is not just an adrenaline rush that some people crave. Some people want to get scared in order to prove their bravery. They want to watch a scary movie or walk through a haunted house just so they can boast to their

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Across 3. The most popular kids costume 5. What day of the week was Halloween on in 2013 6. Took place in Georgetown 7. Also known as 8. Fall Starbucks favorite

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2. First Jack O’lanterns made with 4. Fear of Halloween 5. “On October___ he asked what day it was.” friends about how they were able to endure it. It is a way for someone to prove their strength in society by conquering their fears.

“I think becoming braver is true with certain movies,” Hinsch said. “You feel a sense of accomplishment and a feeling that you conquered your fears.”

For some people, there is no psychological reason involved for their

Answers to the crossword will be on the Twitter page @CHS_Observer. enjoyment in getting scared. Watching horror movies or walking through creepy haunted houses can simply be a fun activity to do to bond with friends. It is fun to get a group together, get really scared and then laugh about the whole experience.

According to an Oct. 2013 theatlantic.com article, people tend to build relationships with people that they are

with when in a state of excitement or in times of stress.

Fear can bring out positive and negative emotions in people. Whether getting an adrenaline rush or just wanting to build relationships, these feelings can be found by riding a rollercoaster or by watching a scary film. CHS students can find many ways to get scared this October in a fun and safe environment.

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Arts

October 29, 2015

Consenses Art Project Unites Students’ Talents

By Emily Wang Online Arts Editor A new kind of art project has come to Churchill: the Consenses Art Project.

The premise of the project is simple: it will be a chain reaction of art works.

The first artist will create a work of art based off a photo of a subject, and then the resulting art will be given to another artist. That artist will make his or her own artwork based on the work of the previous artist.

Eventually, there will be five complete pieces of work stemming from one subject. The CHS Consenses project will have a total of three chains with five artists each; the different types of medium used include: photography, cosmetics, music, paint and fashion design.

“It’s like artist telephone: one person gets a work, and they draw inspiration from it, then that person gives their work to another artist of a different medium, and that artist draws inspiration from the work they were given,” fashion designer junior Libby Spriggs said.

Art History and Ceramics teacher Paul Dermont is starting the new project at CHS and will be overseeing it.

Dermont got the idea for the project after visiting Martha’s Vineyard and seeing musician Sally Taylor’s Consenses project there. As a child, Taylor was diagnosed with dyslexia, making her realize that everyone interprets things differently; thus, she decided to

create the Consenses project which appeals to all five senses.

The project is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year, as each artist takes approximately three weeks to complete his or her artwork.

At the end, all the different works will be given to a set designer who will follow the theme of the pieces and make a set that will simultaneously house the works. After the artworks have been displayed in the April art show, the students will decide what to do with the project, such as donating it to the school or local library.

Most students learned of the project by hearing Dermont talk about it in class.

According to Dermont, the theme of the CHS Consenses project will have to remain a secret so the unveiling at the spring art show will be a surprise.

The Consenses project is not a school project, so this allows for students to explore their creativity without being restricted by the guidelines and grades typically involved with school projects.

It will also allow students not enrolled in an art class at school to participate in an art project.

According to junior photographer Jimmy Stempien, he has always enjoyed art, but was never able to take any classes, so the Consenses project seemed like a good way to start getting involved.

The artists will face the difficult challenge of creating a piece of art not from their own personal experiences or

ideas, but based on the essence of another work of art.

“I think the project will be challenging because usually when I write music it’s coming from bunch of experiences, not just one thing that I’m seeing and then putting my emotion into,” senior musician Valerie Weitz said.

Dermont hopes the project will help people realize if they have learning challenges, such as dyslexia, those challenges and differences are not just hin-

drances, but can be used to channel art.

However, the project is not only about the creative process of art, but also about the social aspect of bringing different people with different views together.

According to Weitz, she hopes to bond with other fellow artists while experiencing a completely new way of creating art as creating art is a form of self-expression and an automatic way to get to know a person.

CHS Musicians Work To Attain College Scholarships

By Peter Durand Social Media Editor

admitted, but not guarantee it,” Thomas said. “After they hear auditions, they Scholarships often bring to mind make a list of all the students they want thoughts of athletics, internships, and and send it down to the main admisacademic merit. However, music is a sions office. Usually, it is no problem significant means of attracting presti- and all of these people get in.” gious schools and scholarships.

However, for Samantha Locraft, who Many of Churchill’s top musicians is applying to Carnegie Mellon, Northgo on to pursue music in college, with western and Boston Conservatory as a about five percent of seniors in the mu- clarinet player, the directors have no say sic program applying as music majors in who gets into the school. every year.

“In this case, it would probably be a “We have a very dedicated base of professor of your instrument that wants musicians here who, besides practic- you, but you still have to be accepted by ing every day, play in many different the university to get in,” Locraft said. ensembles, take Many private lessons students “We have a very dedicated base i n c l u d and are ready of musicians here who, besides i n g L o to dedicate practicing every day, play in many craft and their life to their different ensembles, take private T h o m a s craft,” said Top lessons, and are ready to dedicate sent their Band and Ortheir life to their craft.” chestra director audition -Kristofer Sanz Kristofer Sanz. tapes to There are a Sanz and variety of ream u s i c sons as to why teacher Ariel Allal for advice. these seniors decide to major in music.

“I try to personally instill in them “I’m doing music because I am hop- the values, practice habits and musiing for a scholarship of some kind, also cianship that they need to be a pro,” because it can help me get into schools Allal said. that were originally out of reach for me With a masters in Bassoon Perforto get into,” senior Emily Thomas said. mance from the University of Michigan, “But I am mostly doing music because Allal is familiar with the process that his I love it and want to continue to play.” seniors are going through right now.

Thomas, the first chair baritone in the “I look for audio quality,” Allal said.

CHS Top Band and a six-year member “If you are situated in a room with good of the Maryland State band is in the acoustics and a good microphone, the process of applying to the University of listeners can tell the student cares. If Maryland, University of Michigan and they are recording with their phone in Michigan State University with a focus their carpeted basement, they clearly on her musical talents. do not care.”

In addition to completing the normal Allal originally went to Penn State on applications, Thomas also completes a a scholarship, but transferred to UMD “music application,” in which she fills after two months because he didn’t get out a musical resume, performs two to along with his teacher. four audition pieces, and provides a “I advise every student to work with recommendation from a music teacher the teacher they will be studying with and two or three essays about why she to make sure they get along,” Allal said. is interested in pursuing music.

“In choosing a school, it’s not about the “If a band or orchestra director wants athletics or academic reputation, it’s you, they can definitely help you be about having a good teacher.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF VALERIE WEITZ.

Senior Valerie Weitz plays the guitar to showcase her musical talent.

Weitz will be involved in the Consensus Art Project this year.

October 29, 2015

Sports

Catching Up with CHS’ Athletic Alumni

By Jake Certner Sports Editor

Last year’s CHS senior class excelled in almost every sport, and the Observer would like to highlight several CHS athletes who have continued their excellence at the collegiate level.

Lucy Srour (XC) Srour graduated last year and was a top runner for the cross-country team. She is currently running for Brown University, and her best 5k time this year is 18:55. Even though there are fewer races in college than in high school, Srour is maintaining her high running ability.

“College has been good. I like the team and the coach a lot, and so far it’s just been a great experience.”

David Fitzgerald (XC) Coming off hip surgery in the offseason, Fitzgerald now runs for Temple University. He has been working ever harder to keep in shape, despite being injured, and managed to compete at a Division I level just six months after his surgery. Unfortunately he is now re-battling the injury, but prior to that, he had finished in Temple’s top seven in his first two races.

“I went from running 35 miles a week in high school to almost 70 miles a week in college.”

Derek Altobello (Lacrosse)

Altobello played varsity lacrosse as a Bulldog for all four years and was a captain his senior year, when CHS finished second in the state. Altobello has been working out with Georgetown lacrosse since enrolling there and officially walked onto the team Sept. 28.

“I just officially made the team, so I’m starting to practice and lift with them.”

Kali Becker (Diving) After being an elite diver for CHS, Becker now dives for University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill. Since arriving at school, Becker has developed her strength in order to perfect new dives for collegiate competition.

“The team here is amazing, and everyone is so supportive of each other.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LUCY SROUR, SARA CHANG, DEREK ALTOBELLO, KALI BECKER, KATE REESE, DAVID FITZGERALD, ALEX ROBERTS, CARLY KABELAC.

Kate Reese (Soccer) Reese plays soccer for Loyola University, and was starting before getting sidelined with a separated shoulder. Being A CHS captain last year, Reese was All-Met and led the extremely talented 13-2-1 girls soccer team to the playoffs.

“College has been great. I wasn’t expecting to be a starter as a freshman.”

Sara Chang (Volleyball) Chang is currently playing volleyball at Oberlin College, and has switched positions from setter to middle hitter. She has played in every match so far for Oberlin and is quickly adjusting to her new role in the middle of the offense, where the play is much faster than she has previously been used to.

“I love the team to death. I couldn’t imagine being at school and not playing volleyball.”

Alex Roberts (Football) Roberts is playing Division I football for Wagner University, and has switched from playing outside linebacker to strong safety. Although he was an excellent linebacker for CHS last year, Roberts was too small to play the position at the collegiate level and believes the position change has set him up for success. He has been training for the majority of the offseason in order to be in peak physical condition for the strong competition.

“My adjustment from high school to Division I college football was pretty easy for me because I’ve been training for it.”

Carly Kabelac (Field Hockey) Kabelac is playing field hockey for Brown University and is improving her consistency to play at such a high level every day. Practicing with such serious Division I talent has been a serious adjustment for Kabelac, and although she has not played much, she hopes to eventually earn some work on the field.

“Being on a team of athletes who are all striving to improve every day is a really great thing to be a part of.”

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Sports

October 29, 2015

Athletic Recruitment Changes College Process

PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIANA COMER.

Senior Juliana Comer committed to Cornell for soccer early in her junior year.

Prior to choosing a college, prospective students and college coaches will interact with each other through a variety of showcase events and tourBecky Wolfson naments.

Production Editor “My club team has played in many college showcase tournaments over The pathway to collegiate athletics the past few years,” Comer said. “The begins at an early age. Senior Juliana coaches that I talked to would come Comer began playing on a recreational to some games to watch my team and soccer team in elementary school with me play.”

Once college coaches show interest, friends. Her passion for soccer during her childhood led her to become a more students will receive invitations to visit dedicated athlete and student. Next their schools. For some students, the year, she plans to play soccer for Cornell first college they visit is an immediate fit.

University.

“I visited [Penn State] and commitBeing recruited for collegiate athletics is a unique process. For all sports, there ted soon after,” said sophomore and are two main types of commitment: ver- Pennsylvania State University lacrosse bal and written. Verbal commitments are commit Jimmy Rubino. “I loved everynot binding and student athletes can still thing about Penn State. The coaches, go to other schools even after verbally the campus, the academic help and the telling a college they will play for them. team ideals were all outstanding and Written commitments for Division I and something I very much wanted to be a part of.”

II colleges Comer are binding, chose Cormeaning nell be“GPA and SAT/ACT are very imthat student cause she portant. If an athlete is talented athletes are thought in a certain sport, the higher their locked into the team academic profile is, [the more it] schools afw a s allows schools to consider them and ter signing friendly increases their collegiate options.” a National and wel-athletic director, Scott Rivinius Letter of Incoming tent. and of“I [verfered great bally] committed to play soccer at Cornell in De- academics as well as a good soccer cember of my junior year,” Comer said. team.

For other students, the recruitment “If I wanted to, I could look at or apply to other schools, which I don’t plan on process requires visits to other schools or multiple visits to the same school [doing].”

For athletes looking to compete in before they decide where to commit.

“I narrowed my options down to collegiate sports, the recruitment process begins with stellar athletics and three schools, and Wesleyan wasn’t on my list at that point,” said senior outstanding academics.

“GPA and the SAT and ACT are very and Wesleyan University soccer comimportant,” CHS Athletic Director Scott mit Nicole Brodkowitz. “Then when I Rivinius said. “If an athlete is talented in visited the school, it blew me away and a certain sport, the higher their academic I ended up liking it way more than any profile is, [the more it] allows schools to of the other schools.

In the past few years, a common consider them and increases their coltrend among recruiters is that they are legiate options.”

It is a common misconception that selecting athletes at a much younger just because a student excels at a certain age.

“Most college coaches are afraid to sport, their academics are not up to par.

However, most colleges place academics miss out on a player if they don’t make and athletics on an equal playing field them an offer early in their high school years,” varsity boys lacrosse coach when it comes to selecting athletes.

“Colleges expect students to complete Jeffrey Fritz said. “As a result, most their high school career, athletics and aca- top recruits have verbally committed demics, at the same level or higher, from to colleges after their freshman year.”

Once students are committed, the time of their admission,” CHS college they must continue to meet certain counselor Luana Zimmerman said.

Maya Rosenberg Social Media & PR Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF JIMMY RUBINO.

Senior Jimmy Rubino is committed to play lacrosse for Penn State University. expectations in order to maintain the agreement.

“In order to keep the offer to play at Cornell, I just have to maintain good grades and submit my application on time,” Comer said. “College offers can be revoked if the athlete’s GPA drops significantly or if they get in trouble at school.”

According to Zimmerman, even though a student can be recruited, they still have to apply to the college that is recruiting them. Once a student commits, they only have to complete the application requirements of the college where they will be competing.

“Being recruited for soccer has definitely relieved some academic pressure in school, and it’s really nice to only have to fill out one college application,” Comer said.

Brodkowitz is also relieved to know where she is going to school and that she doesn’t have the additional work of applications. She still plans to apply early decision to Wesleyan like other students, but she has a slot available to her on the soccer team.

Commitment to a school also diminishes athletic pressure.

“Being committed does not really add to the athletic pressure,” Brodkowitz said. “I’ve always worked as hard as I can so I just have to keep doing that.”

Finally choosing a school after the recruitment process is a relief for athletes.

“After committing, I felt a sense of relief because it was [amazing] to finally know where I would be playing, and it was nice to not feel pressure at games with college coaches watching on the sidelines,” Comer said.

Though committing is extremely exciting, getting injured is always a worry for committed athletes because if the commitment is verbal, there is no guarantee the commitment will continue to be valid.

“It’s always scary playing contact sports because there is always a risk of injury, but if you play scared you are more likely to get hurt,” Brodkowitz said.

According to Rubino, to prevent injury over the next two years of his high school career, he will make sure that he stretches and takes care of himself.

Committing to a college is an extremely exciting point in an athlete’s career, and it marks the beginning of a new phase in their life.

“After committing I was immensely proud of myself,” Rubino said.

Athlete Commits Michael Fox Editor-In-Chief Congratulations to the following students for committing to play their respective sports in college.

Lacrosse: Senior Cristian Edwards (Syracuse) Sophomore Jack Taylor (Brown) Sophomore Jimmy Rubino (Penn State University) Golf: Senior Adam Gray (Rutgers) Diving: Senior Elaina Faerber (Penn State University)

Team Records (as of Oct. 22)

Handball 2-1 Golf 6-0 Soccer(Girls) 8-1-1 Soccer(Boys) 3-8 Football 1-6 Field Hockey 7-3-1 Girl’s Tennis 10-2 Volleyball 16-1 Cross Country(Girls)0-5 Cross Country (Boys)5-0

October 29, 2015

Sports Opinion

19

Early High School Recruiting: Not as Effective among schools.

Although the NCAA clearly states the recruiting regulations and restrictions, some football teams and players tend to ignore the rules. From the infamous Southern Methodist University scandal of 1987, where the athletes were being paid to play, to the more recent affair, where Reggie Bush allegedly accepted gifts from boosters and sports agents at USC, football programs recruit the players they want, regardless of the rules.

At both SMU and USC, this meant opening up their wallets.

According to the Dallas Morning News, while already serving time on probation as a university, SMU was discovered to have paid $61,000 to 13 players to ensure their commitment to the school.

Although it is illegal to pay players to get them to commit to a school, conversations on the matter have risen largely in the past couple of years.

Lacrosse PHOTOS COURTESY OF KALI BECKER, DAVID FITZGERALD, AND DANIEL DIBONO.

Current College athletes (Daniel Dibono, David Fitzgerald and Kali Becker) signed their binding commitments to play in college.

By Nathan Gertler Cristian Edwards Online Sports Editors For most high school athletes aspiring to further their athletic experience, the next step is to play in college.

However, the cruel realities of college recruiting serve as a daunting process for students.

Each sport has its own unique rules, regulations and flaws in terms of the high school recruiting process.

However, before we delve into the complexities of the process, it is imperative to know the different divisions within the NCAA. Division I (D1) represents the smallest number of athletes as well as the highest level of competition and can offer a certain amount of full or partial scholarships, depending on the sport. Division II (D2) is a stepdown from Division 1, but D2 schools can also offer full or partial scholarships to athletes. Finally, Division III (D3), the largest division of collegiate athletics, can offer no scholarships of any kind.

Basketball While each of the 23-sponsored NCAA sports is different in terms of its recruiting process, D1 mens basketball stands out from the pack in terms of the length of time they are given to recruit.

Mens basketball has exceptions when it comes to off-campus contact with prospective athletes. These exceptions include official visits and the materials the athletes can receive from coaches. In D1 basketball, recruits are given longer time to be evaluated and/or contacted by coaches and scouts.

The reason for this is no secret. D1 basketball generates the most revenue for the NCAA than any other sponsored-sport. The NCAA D1 basketball tournament alone generates roughly $900 million each year, so of course, the NCAA has no problem granting extra time for college to recruit these money-

making athletes.

According to NCAA.com, the official live recruiting and quiet periods for D1 basketball make it difficult for coaches to consistently and continuously view their prized athletes.

However, there are loopholes to this, and most of these loopholes run through the Amateur Athletic Union, or AAU. This club basketball organization is notorious for getting its athletes the “best exposure available” to college coaches—most of the time illegally.

AAU coaches will often be the middleman between the athlete and college recruiter before recruitment is allowed between the two.

Additionally, AAU teams can often be funded by sports agents or even boosters from the school trying to recruit the athletes. Most of the time, these agents or AAU coaches will expect to receive a cut of the player’s future earnings. In drastic cases, AAU coaches will actually become assistant coaches of college teams just to get an athlete to commit to that school.

While some college basketball coaches, such as former University of Maryland head coach Gary Williams, have steered clear of AAU, it is still widely used as a way to recruit athletes. The AAU should be disbanded completely, and colleges should only look at high school sports programs in order to recruit players.

Expanding like no other, lacrosse’s recruiting policy is very confusing and complex, with 69 D1, 59 D2, and 223 D3 programs sanctioned by the NCAA. Although mainly played along the East Coast, lacrosse has begun to expand more and more toward the Midwest, the West Coast, and even Canada.

With limited high school athletes playing lacrosse, major D1 schools like Virginia and Johns Hopkins fight tooth and nail to get as many recruits as early as possible, even if they haven’t stepped foot inside of a high school.

Major D1 schools recruit athletes as early as the summer leading up to their freshman year of high school, completely filling up their spots with 14-year-old kids whom they hope will get better within their four years of high school.

This process has a multitude of issues associated with it.

Most of the time, the athletes are too young to know what to look for in a college, and simply listen to the speculation surrounding their recruit-

ers. Secondly, D1 programs often can’t consider athletes who blossomed later in their high school career because all their spots are filled with so-called “prodigies.” Lastly, an athlete who committed his freshman year might have a career-ending injury or have a sudden change of heart but is already stuck with their decisions.

In 2015 alone, there have been more D1 athletes withdrawing their verbal commitment and changing to another school than ever before.

With the criticism that colleges have endured over the years, the NCAA came out with rules and regulations against this early recruiting; athletes cannot talk to any college coach directly until Sept.

1 their junior year of high school. Also, the NCAA has implemented a system of dead periods in which there can be no contact between either side for a certain number of weeks or months at a time.

This does not stop the early recruiting, it just forces recruiters to find elaborate loopholes.

Even with the rules preventing direct contact between the athlete and the recruiter, athletes are still verbally committing to schools earlier than ever.

How, you might ask? The major loophole with this rule is that the athlete’s high school coach can become a middleman for the whole process, exchanging conversations and relaying messages between student and coach.

This entire system needs revamping.

The NCAA should release more strict regulations regarding recruiting, and needs to do so before D1 schools start recruiting middle schoolers.

The NCAA should prohibit athletes from verbally committing until their junior year of high school, This allows the athlete to fully grow into their body and completely rise to their potential, while not taking time away from the college’s ability to recruit.

D2 and D3 thankfully, are more lenient with recruiting. With over 200 D3 lacrosse programs, the schools usually start recruiting during the athlete’s junior and senior year, and they rarely recruit before that.

Football Along with basketball, football is the other huge, revenue-generating sport for the NCAA. However, unlike basketball, D1 football recruiting begins during a player’s junior year or high school, rather than their sophomore year.

Additionally, similar to D1 regulations of the other NCAA sports, official visits are only allowed on the first day of classes during the recruit’s senior year. This is annoying for recruits, as they have little time to plan each college visit, and have have less time to choose

PHOTO COURTSEY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.

The NCAA is divided into several divisions which, along with the different sports, each have a unique set of recruiting guidelines.

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

thechurchillobserver.com

October 29, 2015

Volume 40 - Issue 2 Michael Fox Editor-in-Chief Dorothy Kean, mother of sophomore Faith Kean, originally liked that her daughter played field hockey because it was a “safe sport.” But as she watched her daughter progress as a student-athlete, she noticed her daughter’s talents shine on the ‘fockey’ field.

Kean played soccer and lacrosse in the beginning of middle school, but decided to try out field hockey before she got ready for high school.

“I began [field hockey] as cross training for lacrosse, but I grew to love the sport,” Kean said. “A friend told me about playing field hockey, so I tried it out.”

Having to play both offense and defense, Kean faced the difficulties of playing tougher, more experienced competition as a freshman on a varsity team.

“Last year I was the only freshman on varsity, so it was a little intimidating at first, but all of the girls were very welcoming and made me feel at home,” Kean said.

Kean shines not only on the field hockey field, but also manages her busy schedule of school work and extracurriculars including Model UN, Mock Trial and SGA. “She tries to do her best in everything she does,” Dorothy said. “She does a lot of other activities, so there is a lot of time management, but even though she does a lot of things, she juggles it very well just like she juggles her position on the field and tries to do everything the best she can.”

Although Kean is talented

PHOTO BY MELANIE TWOMEY.

Sophomore Faith Kean navigates the ball around an opponent during a game against WJ.

physically, her attitude and mental awareness on the field allow her to communicate with teammates and work the ball around the field effectively.

“She has a knack for thinking a play ahead,” head coach Cay Miller said. “She can anticipate defensively where the other team is about to pass the ball, and she intercepts very well. She can also think about where our next pass will be and she can get herself set up quickly in position and make sure she gets her chance.”

Despite having to overcome the obstacle of redeveloping a starting roster, the girls prepared well in the preseason and trained hard to get to their 8-3-1 record this season.

“Our summer season started in the beginning of August, and our preseason started with a lot of workouts and conditioning because we lost a lot of people since last year,” Kean said.

“We need to play as a team

“I know every team has it’s weaknesses, but I honestly believe we are strong all around, physically and mentally,” sophomore Carolyn Youstra said.

From sophomores to seniors, everyone has a role. In the opener against Wootton, the team found itself in an early hole, dropping the first two sets in a best of five match, but the girls fought back to win the third game in dominating fashion, 25-10. The team carried this momentum into the fourth and fifth sets and won the match 3-2.

The Bulldogs were led by Bedewi and fellow senior setter Evie Chen, who combined for 42 assists and five aces. Sophomore Michelle Tai had 10 dives and five assists in the match, and junior Nina Gautam had nine kills, nine digs, and four aces.

“The key to winning states this year will be in our undeniable team chemistry” Bedewi

said. “Even as the games get tough, our team always stays positive. Our coach is always supporting us, and we are always supporting each other.”

The team is nearing the playoffs and they know winning states will be difficult. However the girls remain optimistic that they can continue their success.

“Our team has a lot of stamina both mentally and physically, so when teams took us to five sets we were able to win to stay strong,” Bedewi said.

Varsity head coach Cindy Hillard has helped the team adjust to different playing styles in order to win games by using strategies that specifically target its opponents. She is optimistic that the girls will win the championship.

“The Churchill volleyball team has never gone

A National Blue Ribbon School on the field and grow as a team off the field.”

Kean has contributed to the team’s success this year, posting six goals and five assists throughout the regular season (12 games).

According to Kean, she looks up to junior co-midfielder Jocelyn Kelley and senior Annie Moshyedi. She admires Moshyedi’s bravery and continuous dedication to the team after Moshyedi tore her ACL, and she plays side by side with Kelley on both sides of the field.

“I can always trust [Kean] to do the right thing and I consider her my right hand man because I know she always makes the right play,” Kelley said.

Kean hopes to continue to contribute to the team’s success this season by improving on her stick skills and conditioning, as well as her mental approach to the game.

According to Kean, she has worked on her individual skills so she can contribute more to the team play this year. She is also working on having more confidence this year carrying the ball up field after last year when she was nervous and new to the high school level of field hockey.

Kean and the Bulldogs aim to win districts this year, which means beating 10-1 rival Wootton in the process. The team had key wins against Whitman 2-1 in double overtime Sept. 28 and against WJ 2-1 Oct. 6.

“My favorite thing about our team this year is the team bond, and our team motto this year is ‘it takes two to tango.’”

Kean said.

D AW G DATA

1,229

Rushing yards for runningback Andrew Zuckerman through the first 7 games of the season — the most in MD.

15

Consecutive wins for girls volleyball to start the season.

19:13:1

Time it took junior Julia Reicin to run a 5k, the 8th fastest in MoCo.

5

Goals scored by girls soccer on 10/19 against Whitman in a 5-0 win, snapping Whitman’s 32-game win streak.

19

New girls tennis players this season.

Girls Volleyball Team Sets Up For Outstanding Season Ben Dross Production Editor

It’s been one victory after another for the volleyball team this season, and it is trying to keep that trend going.

The girls volleyball team is off to a fantastic start this season with a county best 15-1 record, and a 7-0 record against fellow division 4A Blue opponents. The team has its eyes set on a state championship this year, and if it comes to fruition, it would be the first girls volleyball state championship in CHS history.

“I’m so proud of how successful we have been,” senior setter Lucy Bedewi said.

“Moving forward we just need to stay humble, keep working hard, and play every game with passion and intensity.”

The team has had several key wins this season, beating 10-5 Wootton, 3-2, Sept. 8 and 12-3 Magruder, 3-1, Sept. 10.

to states,” Hillard said. “This playing strong and going all year the girls are focused on the way.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCY BEDEWI.

Senior Lucy Bedewi tips the ball over the net during a recent match.

FOR UP-TO-DATE SCORES AND STATS, FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @ CHS_OBSERVER.