The Churchill Observer Senior Section 2012

Churchill Association of Retired People

The Lorax Lori Koenick Features Editor

Queen Elizabeth Allison Srour Features Editor

Hillary Clinton Yasmin Akbari Observations Editor

Al Pacino Josh Samson Arts Editor

Darth Vader Luke Frentsos Photo Editor

Jack Nicholson Danny Weiss Online Sports Editor

Oprah Maddy Flax Sports Editor

Clint Eastwood Kyle Edwards Cartoonist

Senior

Morgan Freeman Sushen Thiyagarajan Online Features Editor

Jane Fonda Olivia Parven Staff Writer

Bill Cosby Ben Hollander Staff Writer

Benjanim Button Sarah Reitzes News Editor

Gary Williams Joel Denicoff Sports Editor

Mr. Frederickson Elizabeth Chen Circulation Manager

Julie Andrews Jessica Hirsch Online EIC

Joan Rivers Spencer Levy Public Relations Manager

Six Flags Guy Charles Cook Staff Writer

Betty White Jenna Cantor News Editor

Madonna Natalia Derechin Chief Production Manager

Kitty Amna Farooqi Editor-in-Chief

Bobby Knight Joe Haynes Editor-in-Chief

Paula Dean Justine Stayman Circulation Manager

Katie Couric Julie Kracov Online Arts Editor

Hugh Hefner Sebastian Romero Staff Writer

Dolly Parton Megan Scanlan Staff Writer

Professor McGonagall Kelly Knarr Adviser

Crush Hanna Taft Staff Writer

Mick Jagger John Ishikawa Staff Writer

Citizens

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WORDS OF WISDOM

The Churchill Observer Senior Section Thursday, May 24, 2012

Bobby Knight screams Kitty Forman preaches for all the little Bulldogs peace in the halls of CHS

By Bobby Knight

I am here to be the voice of reason. No need to thank me, although it would be appreciated. No, I am writing this story to stick up for the little guy, and say what needs to be said. While CHS is a great school to go to, it is not without its flaws, most of which we are too afraid to point out. No longer.

Why is taking a note into the attendance office as stringent as gaining level 5 security clearance in the C.I.A? I already gave you my name and student ID, why do I also need to provide my grade number, two phone numbers, my social security number and my relationship status?

Why is it that after we take the AP, some teachers still insist we do work in class? Taco Bell doesn’t try and convince you they serve meat. The WNBA doesn’t try and convince you it is a legitimate league. Why do we have to act like we’re still in a class?

Why is it that when a teacher sends a student to the library during class, they get all but cavity searched upon entering?

Maybe I’m the exception, but when I skip a class, I’m not going to spend my 45-minute free period working in the media center. Why don’t they realize this?

Why is it that if a student walks into class after the bell, the teacher feels the need to go out of his or her way to point it out to the whole class? The student knows he’s late, everyone in the class knows he’s late, there is no need to stop class and have everyone engage in a Mulveyian gaze as if Kate Upton was jumping up and down on a trampoline in the nude. Why not just let them slide in and take a seat?

Why do we have the Spanish department? To me, learning Spanish is what staying loyal to Tiger Woods is, but still, why do we have it?

Why is it that the halls surrounding the Bulldog lobby are always packed? It’s as if the freshmen believe they are entitled to pass through these areas. I say we restrict these high-traffic areas to upperclassmen, and place a toll for any underclassman who wishes to pass.

Why is it that eating on the second story is the most heavily enforced school rule?

I understand that the underclassmen are despicable about cleaning up their trash,

and walking around the first story right after lunch feels as gross as a Jersey Shore club, but would letting me enjoy an apple while I wait for my teacher to meet me really cause the school to stop functioning?

Why is it that the vending machines are turned off during school hours? Is this the school’s method to help us eat whatever that stuff is the cafeteria produces? Call me crazy, but I’d rather endure the hunger until after school than take my chances with the mystery meat the cafeteria makes. Actually, I bought lunch through ninth grade and found the food to be quite enjoyable, but still, turning off the vending machines won’t change the common perception.

Why is it that the AP NSL students feel the need to brag about taking the class?

Maybe it’s because I was never a part of the cult class, but wearing a t-shirt bragging about how you take the advanced class seems elitist to me.

Why did we have to start using the hsmemes website? Better yet: Churchill—Y U No know how to meme?

On second thought, if given the chance, I don’t think I would change any of these.

When I’m the new owner of the Playboy Mansion and Editor-in-Chief of GQ in 15 years, I won’t remember what I learned in Matter and Energy, or the formulas from Algebra 2 or the history of Chile. But I will remember my disdain for AP NSL students, writing an essay on Mean Girls in Psych and spending 45-minutes writing an attendance note. I’m fine with that.

By Kitty

just won’t shut up. I’ve exchanged looks with a friend when a girl walked by wearing an outfit we couldn’t understand why she would wear. I’ve laughed at the girl the jerk in class subtly mocked, secretly pitying her and thankful it wasn’t me he was mocking. I’ve gossiped about people I don’t know and used words to describe them that would break my heart if they were used to describe me. I’ve answered a person’s question abruptly because there was a really cute popular guy around, and I didn’t want him to think I was friends with her. What pretentious crap is that? It’s embarrassing that I actually sought the approval of someone I won’t even remember in 10 years.

Don’t be like that. It’s impossible to get through life without hurting anyone’s feelings, but there are so many mean things people do every day here, almost robotically. Resist the temptation. Bullying is not a problem the way administration makes it out to be, but there is a subculture of competition and cattiness, and I regret the times I gave into it. Be kind.

No regrets—I don’t mean tell someone you like them; I don’t mean verbally abuse YOLO. I mean try sincerely to be a nice person.

Because I think for most of us, that will end up being our biggest regret. Who wants to be remembered at the reunion as the guy everyone actually hated?

Everyone complains about how fake Potomac is. And to some extent, it’s true. But it’s only fake because we act that way. Our generation is so annoyingly whiny. We complain about how Potomac is so bad, but we always conveniently neglect something: We have a choice.

You don’t have to be fake. You can choose to hang out with people with whom you don’t have to worry about judgment or popularity. There are always those people who complain about drama and pressure, when so much of that is in their own control. Don’t invite it and then complain about it. You get what you give. I’m saying it condescendingly now that I’m done and reflecting, but you really do define your own experience.

I really love CHS, and as excited as I am to start college and that phase of life, I’m so sad to leave. Being a senior is a strange mix of relief and nostalgia, and you don’t get it until you are one. As I walked into the building for an AP test this year, I looked at the underclassmen eating lunch in the locker cubicles and felt like I was observing another species. Looking back, so much of what I cared about was so stupid, and in the end you realize all that matters is the quality of your relationships and how many people you’re going to keep in touch with after graduation. Be sincere—find your niche. It helps a lot.

And don’t live behind the fear of being ostracized for being different. That’s so ordinary, and it can lead to an innate feeling of discontent—with yourself and with those around you. Take some responsibility. If there’s one thing to be said about these four years that society emphasizes with countless movies, songs and books, it’s that your attitude shapes it. I loved it; others didn’t. Just think about who you choose to hang out with, how you choose to react to situations, and whether you’d choose the same things if you could go back.

You always have a choice.

sip is initiated in the famous second floor corridor bathroom.

2) Boys, don’t be that one guy who casually has his pants down in the bathroom. I can assure you, I’ve seen much more than I would like to see in three years due to the door swinging in the wrong direction.

3) Putting pictures up on Facebook with red solo cups is not cool. Maybe I’m bitter that I didn’t have an encounter with one, but from the looks of all of your pictures I’m content that I didn’t wake up not knowing what happened the previous night.

4) Keep a pair of headphones in your backpack at all times. Living amongst the drama, it’s good to drown out your thoughts and the noise around you with some Adele (sorry Mrs. Knarr).

5) Do what you want, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You want to paint? Take a class. You want to write? Join The J. You want to be president of the SGA? Take leadership. There are so many different opportunities to discover who you are. Take them.

Thankfully, I can say that I have learned plenty and no, I don’t mean I have learned what the unit

circle consists of, or what [OH-] means, but I have learned to trust my instincts, and graduating early from high school seems to be one of them. Of course, I’m scared. This was not an easy decision, but I have changed so much from that scared little girl who originally walked into CHS, that I’m not going to look back and be sad.

Sure, I won’t graduate with my friends, but that’s ok. People who are meant to be together, stay together.

These are my last few words, for my last article ever, for the Observer. I’m going to miss the J, Model UN, my teachers and my friends, and I just wanted to thank all of you who have had an impact on my life. Really, thank you.

I ’ v e rolled my eyes at the annoying kid in class who

Just like a prayer, Madonna on checkin’ out early

By Madonna

This is the point in my long, exhausting three-year high school career where I tell you about my time here at CHS: my likes, my dislikes, my experiences and what I wouldn’t do again. Every senior has had to write their goodbye letter, and this is mine.

I’ve been thinking about writing this article for as long as I knew that I was part of the Observer, or as we like to call it “The J,” and sadly, as I sit in front of this blank computer screen I don’t have one overarching memory of high school. I don’t have an overwhelming experience that I’m going to tell my kids about one day, and I know I will not go down in CHS history in any way, and frankly, I think I’m okay with that.

I thought I had high school planned perfectly. I would walk into school, lock eyes with some beautiful boy on the first day of school and end up dating him until the end of senior year. My final decision to attend Columbia instead of Harvard would throw him off edge leading to an ugly break-up, which would eventually lead to a perfect reconciliation. Then, he would fi-

nally realize that Massachusetts was too cold and that Harvard was not the option for either of us.

I think it’s safe to say that high school did not go the way I planned.

My freshman year I had an unhealthy obsession with a boy that’s not even worth the key strokes.

Sophomore year, it got a little bit better. This time it wasn’t an obsession, but I think skipping English class for him harmed me more than helped me, which brings me to junior year. Unfortunately, this year had the most drama of them all, but I think it taught me that blondes are really not my type. Not only that, but let’s face it, Columbia is such a stretch due to my lack of effort throughout high school.

CHS is an interesting place.

There are some de-facto rules that should be followed and no, I’m not talking about the stupid hallway rules. I’m talking about the five real rules that might just make high school more enjoyable for you than it was for me.

1) Girls, make sure you check if there are people in the bathroom stalls before you trash talk. You would be surprised how much gos-

The Churchill Observer Senior Section Thursday, May 24, 2012

WORDS OF WISDOM

Vader understands hatred of high school

By Darth Vader

They say high school is supposed to be some of the best years of your life. That’s a load of bull. I’ve found that there are a lot of things about CHS that have earned the school its well-deserved Facebook page “Everyone Hates Churchill.”

First off, CHS needs to re-evaluate some of its staff, especially those dealing with the books. It seems that those staff members haven’t gotten the memo that WWII ended a long time ago, that we did win the war, that this isn’t Nazi Germany, and that having more than four seats to a table isn’t going to throw the world into WWIII. As for why so many other schools hate us, well that rests entirely on the student body. I hope I’m not the only one who’s realized this, but there are some really arrogant kids in our school.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but just because you hooked up with a hot girl who was too drunk to even know who she was getting with, that doesn’t mean that you’re any cooler than you were, so stop running around bragging about it. That means you either got with an easy drunk girl, or took advantage of a nice one. Either way, congratulations.

Your parents must be thrilled.

So please, learn some humility and realize that you aren’t as great as you think you are, because in reality, nobody really

cares, or if your friends do, that’s great; now .000001% of MCPS cares about how you tapped that at last night’s party.

Another annoying thing is YOLO. YOLO isn’t an excuse to go out and get wasted all the time and walk into school baked. It’s supposed to be about living your life to the fullest, doing something meaningful, and making sure you lead a life with no regrets. YOLO should be about being bold, like asking out a girl who’s way out of your league, or spontaneously driving to the mountains to go skiing with friends on a random day, just because.

It’s just really sad to see a noble message like Carpe Diem dragged through the muck and come out as YOLO. Thank you guys, you’ve once again made me proud to be a part of this fascinating, t h o u g h t provoking and world-shaking generation.

Then, there are the school’s moochers.

While there are many types of

Six Flags Guy shares which rides to take

By Six Flags Guy

First walking through the doors of CHS as a freshman, many thoughts were racing through my mind. While I wondered how I would figure out where my first class was, I never could imagine being a senior and walking through these halls owning the place.

That being said, many things have changed since my freshman year here at CHS, ranging from my mindset as a student to the emergence of hair in certain places. I’ve picked up a thing or two since being here, and now that I know certain things, I would give my left foot to go back and be a freshman with this knowledge. Here are a few things that I would do differently.

Attempt the Philly Cheesesteak challenge. I am sad to say I never was able to take a crack at this marvelous feat, but I would like to give a shout out to whoever did the challenge this year and faced some detention hours. Cheers to that.

Never purchase a cafeteria meal. I’m not sure if it’s because the food usually looks like the offspring of a slug and loaf of bread, or that the lines are generally comparable to rollercoaster lines at Six Flags, but the cafeteria’s food has always generally displeased me.

Aid at least one period every year. I only experienced the joy of student aiding for the first time this year, and when the proper teacher is chosen, it truly is a beautiful process.

I’ll leave the rest for you to experience yourself.

Do whatever you need to do to get a senior lot parking spot.

Having to be one of the many seniors forced to find alternate parking to the senior lot, I can tell you firsthand that parking on Gainsborough has nothing but negative consequences. Side

effects include a full 30 minutes of less sleep and serious agitation with juniors who steal your spots.

Take Global Issues. This one really speaks for itself.

Only use the bathroom by the auditorium. Any time I walked into a bathroom other than this one, I was graced with the sight of puddles of urine and feces in unsightly places.

I don’t know if these kids just get some sort of sick pleasure from defecating in improper places, or if CHS has a large amount of blind bathroom users.

As I walk out the doors of CHS for the last time, it will be a depressing feat, not because I am sad to move on, but because of all the things I could have done differently in my time here.

However, as I leave CHS behind, I live by my high school motto: no regrets.

G o o d b y e , CHS.

moochers, the grade moochers are by far the worst.

Grade moochers are those students who slack off all quarter then beg their teachers for that higher grade that some other students worked hard for. If you were lazy and didn’t put in the work, you deserve that C or D. So maybe instead of begging your teachers to raise your grades and leaving it in their hands, you should have put in the work to get that grade so that you wouldn’t be in that situation in the first place.

I’m sure many of you are reading this and wondering where all the teacher criticism will come in, like how some English teacher was just terrible, or how your science teacher was the worst teacher in history. Well I’d like to ask, in most of those classes, did you actually try at all?

You can’t go around saying how bad someone is at teaching if you’ve never attempted to learn from them or put a solid amount of work into a class.

If you’re fine with performing at the bare minimum or lower, that’s

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great, but don’t blame your teacher for your terrible grade. If you’d just talk to your teachers during lunch or after school, you’d find that they are some of the nicest and most supportive people in the world who will put in a great deal of time to help you improve your grades and you as a student.

So please, stop whining about how your teachers are out to get you and start putting in some effort. Nothing great in life is free, and you can’t achieve anything worthwhile without hard work.

However, even with all these faults and all these things that irritate me, CHS is still a great school. There are so many fantastic people and teachers, who are kind, friendly and helpful that make all the bad things seem miniscule.

While there are some really annoying people, there are also many students who reflect the bright and positive ideals of CHS. I’m lucky to have met and become friends with many students who are supportive, trustworthy and genuinely nice. They epitomize what it means to be a good person and friend.

All in all, CHS has given us a fantastic environment for us to grow in for the past four years. I mean, we are ranked the number one high school in Maryland

by US News. I have to say, I really am proud to be a Churchill Bulldog.

How to pull off senior swag in a Cosby sweater

By Bill Cosby

Now that I’m old, gray and my hip always hurts from spending four years in a Virco chair-desk built proportionally to the size of a middle schooler and structurally to seat only SpongeBob SquarePants or a well-drawn stick figure comfortably; I think it is about time to share some parting wisdom upon you, the younger generation of CHS, so that you may live long, prosper and learn some crucial tricks of the trade that I and the other Senior Citizens had to learn the hard way.

When it comes to school and administrators it’s nice to have friends in the right places. Whether it’s the attendance lady, your guidance counselor, the building service staff or that security guard who’s in charge of handing out lot spots, you are going to need a favor at some point, so try to not keep enemies.

When it comes to trying to sneak out of school, sometimes the most obvious exit is the least conspicuous; security guards live for freshman trying to escape out the sketchy back doors.

When it comes to school ruining your day. . . USE THE HEALTH ROOM. Admittedly the first time I went in my entire high school career was last week, but come on, I know the beds are hard and the fluorescent lighting is excruciatingly overbearing but who knew there was a place to chill for a period when school is getting the best of you.

When it comes to wandering the halls, a confident pace and a piece of paper in hand are like diplomatic license plates— no one will stop you. (Unless you’re wearing a funny hat).

When it comes to headphones don’t wear Beats by Dre, trust me on this one.

You look stupid with them on your head in the hallways, they are overpriced, unoriginal and show that you are susceptible to brightly colored advertisements that feature dubstep music.

When it comes to honors classes, sometimes the title is not worth the effort.

I know we at CHS must overachieve to feel like we are achieving at all, but sometimes it’s okay to give yourself a break and do well in the on level course while not having to deal with the work for work’s sake and mindless shenanigans o f some honors courses and their instructors.

When it comes to class selection, sign up for classes predominately based on the teacher you are likely to get. A good teacher will inspire interest in any subject, while getting stuck with a teacher you cannot deal with will just make you hate the subject matter forever.

When it comes to walking in the hallway next to a group of people having a conversation, listen. Knowledge is power.

When it comes to cliquey behavior, do not be afraid to make friends outside of your “group.” There will come a day when all of you will have to part and go make new friends that don’t play the same sport as you or dress the same way. There are a lot of kids in CHS and there’s a good chance you will get along with someone quite well if you take the time to extend a hand. Also you don’t want to be know as THAT pretentious cliquey Churchill kid.

Oh and one last piece of advice. When it comes to senior year lunchtime, pack a lunch. Food costs money, time is money and when it comes to spending time with your home town homies, time is something you don’t have much of.

4 The Lorax tells underclassmen to regret nothing WORDS OF WISDOM

By The Lorax

Senior year: the last stop in Montgomery County Public Schools.

This is a time for students to finally ease back a little bit, lessen the school stress and split homework time with other personal interests. Senior year has been by far my favorite year in high school; however, I do leave with a few regrets.

When one hears the word “regrets,” citations or suspensions may come to mind. But then remember who is writing this and realize that this article will not be about wild ragers where I made some bad decisions. These regrets are of another, some may call dorkier, kind. Judgments can be made about me, yes, but I write with a hope that the 10 people who will read this article can learn from it.

First regret: Not going to every football game senior year.

This was a great year for CHS football and sadly, I probably went to only three games. I had to work during the first two games, but after that I have no excuse.

Now, underclassmen, I understand why you might not go to the games. The cheering section was packed with rowdy upperclassmen, everyone’s face painted blue and green or with animal prints, and there was always that one kid who brought a vuvuzela, blowing it loudly from five feet away. The underclassmen football game experience was all in all a bit intimidating for me. However back to senior year, all my complaints of previous years were gone—my face was

painted blue and those rowdy fans were my friends. Seniors own the football games;Shepard stadium is our home turf. I never again will go to a high school game where my peers are the players and the fans of the school. Sure there is college, but a college game can never be as intimate as a high school game.

Second Regret: Not doing the Philly Cheesesteak Challenge.

The Philly Cheesesteak Challenge is the epitome of YOLO. It combines the bad***ness of skipping school with the deliciousness of a cheesesteak. Who doesn’t want to be a bad*** who eats delicious food? I honestly have no idea why I didn’t fit this into my senior year.

Sure the attendance policy is stricter, but in hindsight, completing this challenge would have been worth the zero on any assignment. This challenge defines senior year. There is no other time in your life when you have less responsibility, and still the ability to go on a food road trip. Whether a success or not, your Philly cheesesteak challenge is a story for the grandkids. I would recommend waiting to attempt it till third quarter though.

Third regret: Not going to a hockey game.

This is my biggest regret. In the past two years alone, hockey has won a state title and made it to regional finals. If talent doesn’t do it for you, the most epic fights and loudest cheering are rumored to be found surrounding the rink. Now please don’t think I sit around on Friday and Saturday night

just watching movies with my parents (not that anything is wrong with that!

I do that at least once a month and it’s okay to not rage every weekend. There will always time for more Facebook photos). Many times I have planned on attending the hockey games; things just always seem to come up. Before I knew it, it was too late. The hockey season of my senior year had come and gone. I missed my chance, but it is not too late for you, underclassmen.

Please don’t repeat my mistakes, just go to a game for five minutes and see if you still want to leave.

My final regret: Working too hard third quarter senior year (teachers and administrators, you may want to skip this one) Before you read this, understand I am not saying that you shouldn’t work hard academically senior year.

Both quarters first semester are very important. Colleges see these grades and they possibly may have an impact on acceptance chances. However, teachers and administrators are lying to you if they say that third quarter grades are important. Second semester senior grades go by trend. The key word here is trend, meaning that fourth, not third quarter is important. You can go C B in a class and end up with a B. Third quarter senior year also provides the opportunity to maybe get some of those unexcused (gasp!) tardies and absences. I am not advising everyone to go out and fail their every class third

The Churchill Observer Senior Section Thursday, May 24, 2012

quarter senior year. Absolutely not. No, I am just suggesting that if you want to relax a bit—third quarter senior year is the time to do it. Now, for the nerdiest statement in this article (and trust me there have been a lot), I got straight A’s third quarter this year. Is my final report card going to have straight A’s though?

No because like any other normal senior at this time, I am enjoying my fourth quarter in the sunshine. Basically, all my work third quarter was a waste.

So there you have it CHS, my embarrassing regrets put out there for all of my many readers to see. Please learn from my past to not make the same mistakes. Don’t worry about me though because I learned just as much from this article as you did, and I cannot wait f o r college next year.

Betty White found her Learn for the sake of niche with her golden girls learning, Button says

By Betty White

For freshmen, the first day of school is an exciting and anxious day. Many freshmen do not know a lot of upperclassmen, but I was lucky and came to CHS knowing 25 other people, most of whom were not in my grade. Those 25 other people were my freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior teammates from the varsity soccer team.

CHS soccer was one of the main highlights of my high school experience. However, if sports isn’t your thing, I encourage you to find something to be a part of because CHS has so much to offer.

Being a freshman athlete on a varsity team was very special. I loved having something to do every day after school, and playing soccer was what I always looked forward to doing.

It is so important to get involved as a freshman because it gives you time to develop a passion and also allows you to become a leader over time.

For me, one of the best parts about playing soccer at CHS was learning from varsity soccer head coach Haroot Hakopian (“H”) and being guided by him over these last four years.

Obviously, I stuck with soccer not only because I love the sport, but because I love the team and the coach. We have created amazing friendships and have accomplished so much on and off the field. Year after year, I watched H build a dominant program. We made it to the Regional Finals three years in a row, we established a culture that everyone wanted to know the secret of, and we were ridiculously talented.

Soccer was definitely intense, but it was also a ton of fun. After four years, I have incredible team bonding memories.

One of my favorite memories was when we created P³. Even though I will never play CHS soccer again, I will still

never divulge what P³ means.

Being a part of something gives you an identity at CHS. Not only do you get to wear cool clothing around school to represent whatever it is you are involved in, but you get to meet so many people and spend time doing what you love. You should not just get involved with something because it looks good on your resume; you should get involved with something because you want to do it. I got involved with CHS soccer because I love soccer, I love the team, and I got to play for the greatest high school soccer coach ever, H. As I end my senior story, I want to talk about one of my dearest friends, Nachu Bhatnagar. Nachu deserves to be mentioned in this newspaper, and the Charismatic Stallion would have loved being mentioned. Not only was Nachu one of the smartest people I know, he was also a remarkable human being who would have done magical things in this world. All of the memories I have with Nachu throughout my four years at CHS are extremely special. I am thankful for every moment I spent with him, and I know he will always be a part of my life. I miss you, Nachu.

By Benjamin Button

Something is very wrong with the meaning of grades at CHS. Grades are supposed to show how students are doing in the learning process; an A indicates that a student understands the material, while a C suggests that a s t u dent is not as comfortable with the subject matter.

However, at CHS, students work toward achieving good grades, instead of learning the material. Grades are what students are progressing toward instead of measures of their progress, and for many, learning is absent from the process.

This is not entirely a student problem.

I spent many hours working on a project sophomore year and was disappointed that I did not do as well as I had hoped. I went in for help from the teacher during lunch but instead of explaining why my introduction wasn’t powerful enough or what could have made my presentation better, the first words out the teacher’s mouth were, “But you still have an A in the class, right?” Since I had a good grade in the class, the teacher felt no need to help me.

It should not be like that. If a student wants to learn, especially from his or her own mistakes, he or she should be able to.

The problem is that most CHS students have let their interest in As surpass their interest in learning, and many teachers have become resigned to this attitude because it seems in-

evitable in such a competitive school.

While a complete overhaul of our country’s education system would be necessary to flip-flop from an emphasis on grades and test scores to an emphasis on learning, there are a few small things that teachers and students can do in the classroom to focus more on learning.

Students, stop asking whether this will be on the test. It is incredibly annoying and it reminds everyone that there is a test soon, which detracts from the learning and increases stress. If a teacher is taking the time to teach the material, it is most likely worth knowing, regardless of whether there is an assessment on it.

Similarly, teachers, stop telling us whether we need to be writing something down. Telling us that something is important causes us to concentrate so much on writing it down that we don’t process the material. Telling us that we don’t need to write something down causes us to pay less attention to it than we would otherwise. Writing things down helps us learn.

That being said, please give us time to process information and encourage us to write things down in our own words because copying is not learning.

Finally, teachers, students, parents, siblings and friends: stop comparing grades.

Until people stop judging others based on their grades, students will focus more on grades than learning. If we stop comparing grades and stop labeling each other smart or dumb, then we will not only focus more on learning, but also be less afraid to ask questions that will help us understand the material but that might otherwise cause us to be labeled dumb.

In the real world, people don’t care what grades you receive; they care about whether you know what you’re talking about. If you sleep through biology class and cram your way to an A on the test, you’re not going to know what you’re talking about three years later, but if you pay attention and actually learn something, you just might.

The Churchill Observer Senior Section Thursday, May 24, 2012

WORDS OF WISDOM

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Queen Elizabeth stresses the importance of getting involved in a variety of activites

By Queen Elizabeth

They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. While a positive proverb that provides a pleasant outlook on life, I like to look at this well-known saying in a bit of a different light. I see it more as when life gives you lemons, why not keep the lemons, because hey, you have free lemons!

Stay with me, I am trying to put this in a way that does not seem cliché or tacky or just like another standard senior section article. But if there was one thing to describe my high school experience, I would have to go with lemons.

Now I am not talking about the ordinary yellow lemons that can be bought from grocery stores.

I am talking about the lemons that represent the hundreds of opportunities that lurk in every corner of CHS. I know at the beginning of freshmen year counselors, teachers, etc. drill the new students with the importance of involvement and all the wonderful things that CHS has to offer, blah blah blah. But I must say, I have to agree with these wise CHS veterans 100 percent.

In high school, I have gotten involved in a variety of different things. I have done everything from sports and clubs to show

choir and drama all the way to exec board and newspaper. And no, I am not trying to brag about how qualified I am or show off an extensive college resume. Nor did I do all of these things to get in to college (trust me, in the end it does not really help when it comes down to it). I did all of these things because I was given the opportunity, and I wanted to take advantage of everything I possibly could.

The books don’t lie, getting involved in a bunch of different things has obviously taught me a lot about myself. It helped me learn my likes and dislikes and exposed me to things I may have never have been exposed to if I have not gotten involved. But more importantly, it allowed me to meet so many new people and branch out from one single clique.

Getting involved allows you to expand your horizons and venture outside of one social circle. Although it is nice to have a core group of friends, it is even nicer to be acquaintances with people from a variety of different interests, backgrounds and social groups. Associating with all different types of people and not remaining within just one clique has made my high school experience so much more enjoyable, and I strongly believe that it is something that everyone

should at least attempt to do.

So instead of setting boundaries for yourself and your friends, venture outside of the comfort of your social circle. Never, ever think that just because you are not a part of a certain group means that you cannot interact with those group members. Expose yourself to new things, new people, and new experiences, and trust me, high school will be that much easier and that much more fun.

High school goes by so incredibly fast, so don’t wait to start exploring. If opportunity knocks at your door, answer quickly because before you know it, you will be in a cap and gown walking to receive your diploma, hopefully reminiscing about the incredible high school experiences that you have shared with amazing and different people. I know I’ll be, with my basket full of lemons.

Julie Andrews questions Gary Williams represents this generation’s priorites the ‘Birds Clinch’

By Julie Andrews

Sometimes when I think about myself and my fellow students, I wonder about our priorities. In our generation, there is a huge focus on everyone knowing what everyone else is doing every second of every day. Procrastination, a lazy habit, is something people brag about. Hard work is scoffed at, enthusiasm mocked. Where have our priorities gone?

In today’s age, it seems that no one wants to get work done before having fun. Instant gratification is expected, if not demanded.

Yet when people try to make plans with friends, others show up late, if at all. Marking “attending” to an event is by no means an actual RSVP. Common courtesy has fallen by the wayside, and I urge that we as a generation try to revive it.

If we agree to meet at 7, don’t show up at 8:30. If I loan you money, pay me back. As cliché as it may seem, it’s these little things that make the biggest impact.

When people can’t show the slightest bit of respect, because updating your status about where we are is obviously more important than actually hanging out, I worry about this country’s future.

Will future doctors blow off appointments because they simply can’t be bothered? Will our next politicians let the nation rot because they’re too busy playing with their apps?

I hope not. All I ask is that people, myself included, take a good look at what we’re doing with our lives.

Does everyone need to know

what you did last Saturday? Nope.

I think we need a crash course in dignity, a reminder on ethics, and even some punctuality thrown in.

Basically, your priorities are what you want most in life, what you care about. Because we’re young, we might not know that yet. But they are important to think about, even if they haven’t been decided right away.

Our priorities decide which activities we choose to pursue, who we spend time with, where we go.

Without them, life is just a big, messy blur of stuff with no significance.

Let’s take a look at what matters, about what’s important to us. It’s different for everyone, but there are some basic values that have fallen out of our main concerns. If we can just get our priorities on track, the world m a y have a brighter future.

By Gary Williams

It wouldn’t be possible for me to write this story if it weren’t for Sebastian Zamorano. Some of you may know him as a senior at CHS, others may know him as the kid who drives a M.I.L.F. car, but I think of Sebastian as the legend who started the Birds Clinch.

For those of you do not know of the Birds Clinch, it is a way of life. It is something one is born with, something that cannot be obtained. One with this lifestyle lives life on the edge and is very clutch is many different types of situations.

The phenomena all started in eighth grade in Mr. McCants Software Applications class. Sebastian was being Sebastian when he saw a picture of a bird’s beak and tried to imitate the beak with his hand. He called his creation “The Birds Clinch” and it turned into a popular handshake among kids who live in Eldwick.

Quickly after the handshake was made, it turned into the lifestyle that all the signature members of the Clinch live by.

Since then it has only grown more popular. Another signature member, Ian Plotnick, and I have spread the Clinch overseas in Dominica. From there it spread to places like London, Boston and Stateline, Nevada.

A major event that spread the Clinch is the rec basketball team that I started with some of the most signature members of the Clinch. The roster was me, Cullen and Ryan Plummer, Snare, Connor Maio, Hal Zeitlin, Aaron Shapiro and Plotnick with my dad and Mr. Snare as coaches.

Our ball squad made crimson jerseys that read “Birds Clinch Ball Squad” to impress the other teams and to let all the fans that packed the Newport Middle School Gym know what the Birds Clinch members were made of. Our team had a

record of 5-2 going into the championship game and clinched the win over the Black Ice, proving the sky is the limit for anyone who is a signature member of the Clinch.

That was one of the more memorable moments of the people who live by the Clinch. Another top moment of the Clinch came in our fifth game when Plotnick did the unthinkable.

The Birds Clinch Ball Squad was down one point with seven seconds left. Connor took the ball down and could have taken the winning shot at the top of the key, but he passed to Plotnick who just came off Shapiro’s screen. With a second left, Plotnick shot the ball off balance with two defenders in his face and drained it.

To make matters better, about 30 of his close friends happened to be watching Plotnick get it in. Not only that, but some people took a video of the shot so that he could relive the moment he will never forget.

This is a prime example of Birds Clinch b e c a u s e Plotnick hit a ridiculously clutch shot that no one thought h e could hit.

But to be a m e m b e r of the Birds Clinch, that is what it takes.

6

WORDS OF WISDOM

Natalie Abrams- Colgate University Sarah Adams- University of San Diego Robert Adler- University of Illinois, Champaign Qudsia Ahmad- Salem College Mohyudin Ahmad- University of Maryland, College Park Phillip Ahn- University of Maryland, College Park Gautam Ajay- University of Wisconsin, Madison Ameen Ajmeri- New York University Yasmin Akbari- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Alexi Albert- Undecided Macha Aldighieri- Durham University (UK) Sophie Allen- Cornell University Christina Allen- University of Pittsburgh Laura Amortegui-- Loyola University of Maryland Carnation Anagnostiadis- Salisbury University Mary Anderson- University of Pittsburgh Natalya Ares- University of Richmond Connor Armstrong- University of Maryland, College Park Daniel Arndt- University of Maryland, College Park SarafinaArthur-Williams- University of North Carolina, Greensboro Colin Asbury- United States Air Force Academy Eric Ascher- Goucher College Mark Atingi- University of British Columbia (Canada) Mark Audige- Montgomery College Genevieve Austin- Wheaton College William Ayers- West Virginia University William Baba- Montgomery College Ji Young Baek- Montgomery College Tanya Bagheri- University of Maryland, College Park Lesly Baires- Navy Andrea Bajcsy- University of Maryland, College Park Meghna Balakumar- University of Maryland, College Park Tiffany Bamdad- University of Maryland, College Park Giovanna Baptista- Gap Year Emma Barnett- Pennsylvania State University Camille Baroni- University of Maryland, College Park Jalal Baten- University of Maryland, College Park Jasleen Bawa- University of Virginia Jillian Beauregard- University of South Carolina Emma Benjamin- Washington University in St. Louis Julia Bernstein- American Musical Dramatic Academy Elizabeth Berriman- Gettysburg College Avery Berryman- Suffolk University Julie Beynenson- University of Maryland, College Park Josef Bieda- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Marisa Biro- San Diego State University Joshua Biro- University of Maryland, College Park Joshua Blackman- Georgetown University Randall Bloch- University of Maryland, College Park Alexander Blum- Brown University Benjamin Bojarski- Frostburg State University Christian Bonaparte- Undecided Vanessa Bonetti- University of Maryland, College Park Brian Bontempo- Georgetown University Charlotte Bourg- Washington University in St. Louis Seth Brody- Denison University Amanda Brody- Pennsylvania State University Megan Brody- Syracuse University Zachary Brown- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Marisa Bruno- University of Pennsylvania Jose Bustamante- University of Maryland, College Park Brian Butke- Undecided Jack Butler- Washington College Joseph Byrne- Pennsylvania State University Michael Calender- Salisbury University Daniel Campbell III- University of South Carolina Jenna Cantor- Cornell University Emma Carty- Elon University Victor Carvajal- United States Military Academy Taylor Caulk-Tulane University Nicole Cerna- Hofstra University Theresa Chan- Rutgers University Deepika Chandra- Tulane University Chiun-Yao Chang- Undecided George Chang- Unknown Aura Chapa- University of Chicago Sherry Chen- Carnegie Mellon University Lyon Chen- Duke University Kimberly Chen- Pennsylvania State University Elizabeth Chen- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Huang Ming Chen- University of Maryland, College Park Aswini Cherukuri- University of Vermont Lawrence Cheung- Fire Department Noble Chike- Tour Wesley Chiou- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Adam Cho- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Brian Cleary- University of Maryland, College Park Sandra Cockrell- Frostburg State University Brandon Cohen- High Point University Kevin Cohen-Gross- The Art Institute of Washington Amira Collison- Johns Hopkins University Alyssa Combs- Montgomery College William Conway- Brown University Charles Cook- Pennsylvania State University Hannah Cooper- Hobart and Williams Smith College Samuel Coran- Frostburg State University Julia Cossio- University of Illinois Aidan Cowhig- Virginia Polytechnic Institute Alexander Cox- Towson University

Wilburt Cronin-West Virginia University Eric Crowley- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Mateus Cunha- Nova University (Portugal) Maria Dagalakis- Catholic University Alisa Dan- University of Pittsburgh Hannah Dannenfeldt- George Washington University Ikechukwu Davis- Undecided Alexandra Davis- University of Vermont Anthony Davis Jr- Unknown Kimberly Deausen- Pennsylvania State University Joel Denicoff- Indiana University Natalia Derechin- Montgomery College Abhishek Desai- Boston University Jeremy Devine- Ohio State University Hsuan Di- George Washington University Karou Diakite- University of Charleston Pauline Dmitriev- Bucknell University Dora Dmitriev- Pratt Institute Zoe Dobkin- Georgetown University Abigail Dodson- Rutgers University Alexander Dourian- University of South Carolina Laura Dromerick- Pennsylvania State University McLean Dunmire- University of California, San Diego Serena Durrani- Johns Hopkins University Debayon Dutta- University of Wisconsin, Madison Samuel Edens- McDaniel College Kyle Edwards- Emerson College Eric Eig- Washington University in St. Louis Samuel Eisenstat- Drexel University Jeremiah Ekoja- Frostburg State University Nadim Elhage- Bowdoin College Anastasia Emmanuelidis- Unknown Roman Entwistle- The Art Institute of California, San Francisco Todd Erickson- Clemson University Gabrielle Espina- University of Baltimore Sophie Ettinger- University of Chicago Timothy Faerber- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Alec Fanaroff- University of Maryland, College Park Eliza Farha- Miami University Ashley Farhat-Sabet- University of Maryland, College Park Amna Farooqi- University of Maryland, College Park Jacob Feingersh- West Virginia University Daniel Feinstein- Montgomery College Matthew Feldman- Pennsylvania State University Grace Ferdowski- Boston University Constanza Figuerola- University of Pennsylvania Taylor Fisher- University of Alabama Brandon Fisher- University of Central Florida Casey Fitzgerald- West Virginia University Hunter Fiuzat- Montgomery College Madelyn Flax- Wesleyan University Emily Forster- Johns Hopkins University David Foster- University of Maryland, College Park Jennifer Foulon- Princeton University Alexandra Fox- Pennsylvania State University Luke Frentsos- University of Miami Daniel Friedman- Indiana University Kevin Fuentes- Montgomery College Michael Fusco- Northeastern University Creed Gallagher- University of Maryland, College Park Victoria Garcia- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Robert Garton- Undecided Thomas Geenen- University of Maryland, College Park Julie Gelb- Syracuse University Sequan Gill- Hampton University Claire Gilmore- Catholic University Rebecca Gimble- University of Alabama Emma Glass- University of Rochester Chase Goebel- Unknown Jessica Goldstein- Pennsylvania State University Jenna Goldstein- University of Pittsburgh Samara Green- Barnard College Derek Gritz- Yale University Nancy Guan- Cornell University Ciaran Guha-Gilford- University of Maryland, College Park Vibha Gunjal- Purdue University Robert Gutierrez- Pennsylvania State University Naomi Gutkind- Yale University Alex Ha- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Mairin Hall- Bucknell University Scott Hallock- University of California, Berkeley Marco Hamins-Puertolas- St. Mary's College of Maryland Monika Hammer- Syracuse University Chloe Hand- University of North Carolina, Wilmington Christian Hartman- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Joseph Haynes- Depauw University Christopher Hazard- California Institute of Technology Sarah Heckman- College of Charleston Peter Heilbron- Northeastern University Kendall Heitzner- Colorado State University Andrew Held- Boston University Mark Henry- Cornell University Nayomi Hettiarachchi- Franklin College (Switzerland) Bohr Hew- University of Maryland, College Park Christine Hildreth- Princeton University Jessica Hirsch- University of Virginia Victoria Hoffman- Pennsylvania State University Benjamin Hollander- University of Texas, Austin Christopher Hollrah- University of Maryland, College Park

The Churchill Observer Senior Section Thursday, May 24, 2012

Lindsay Horikoshi- Georgetown University Joanna Horn- University of Maryland, College Park Julia Hoyos- George Washington University William Hsieh- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Julianna Hsing- Princeton University Isabelle Hum- Montgomery College Jonathan Hunter- Undecided Kenneth Hwang- University of California, Berkeley Anna Ikenson- University of Vermont John Ishikawa- University of Colorado, Boulder Kamron Izadi- George Mason University Matthew Jackson- Gap Year Abigail Jackson- Pennsylvania State University Alec Jennison- University of Maryland, College Park Jordan Jones- University of Florida Nicole Jordan- University of Louisville Laila Judeh- Cornell University Sasha Kahnamelli- American University Joseph Kale- Bucknell University Avi Kallmeyer- Pennsylvania State University Curtis Kamara- Salisbury University Adam Kanfer- High Point University David Kang- Syracuse University Hina Kanwal- University of Maryland, College Park Joshua Kaplan- Gap Year Ricky Kapoor- West Virginia University Nina Katz- Sarah Lawrence College Aaron Kaufman- Supported Employment Opportunities Candice Kaufman- Unknown Sehej Kaur- Boston University Tanin Kazemi- New York University Lansana Keita- West Virginia University James Kelly- St. Mary's College of Maryland Michael Kelly II- Montgomery College Collins Kenlak- West Virginia University Tiffany Keung- Brown University Irfan Khan- University of Maryland, College Park Eshaan Khandaria- Montgomery College Angela Kim- Syracuse University Lauren Kim- Towson University Matthew Kim- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Winghei Ko- University of Maryland, College Park Lori Koenick- West Virginia University Matthew Kogan- Tulane University Hai-Li Kong- Harvard University Juliana Kracov- New York University Stephanie Kramer- University of Alabama Jesse Kreisman- University of Maryland, College Park Audrey Kressman- New York University Sarah Kubasik- University of Texas, Austin Tyler Kuentz- Montgomery College Rachel Kuff- University of Maryland, College Park Ariel Lai- University of Maryland, College Park Bart Lambergman- Maryland Transfer Program Jaclyn Lambergman- Salisbury University Laura Lambergman- Towson University Karla Lazarte- University of Maryland, College Park Matthew Le- University of Maryland, College Park Eric Lee- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Christian Lee- University of Maryland, College Park Christopher Lee- University of Maryland, College Park Samuel Lee- University of Maryland, College Park Eun Jae Lee- Washington University in St. Louis Zachary Legum- Towson University Kenneth Leong- University of Maryland, College Park Irina Lessne- Ursinus College Nicole Leung- Rowan University Jenna Levenson- Clemson University Zachary Leventer- Pennsylvania State University Spencer Levy- Tulane University Hannah Lewis- Gap Year Raymond Li- Duke University Denise Li- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Ryan Li - University of Maryland, College Park Jing Liang- Union College Eugene Lin- University of Maryland, College Park Katherine Lindblad- University of Miami Anthony Linn University of Maryland, College Park Corby Linton- Montgomery College Max Liss- University of Florida Paul Liu- University of Maryland, College Park Qingqing Liu- University of Pittsburgh Andrea Lopez- Massachusetts Institute of Technology Eli Lorenzi- University of Maryland, College Park Alice Lu- University of Maryland, College Park Michael Lynch- University of South Carolina Marcos Macedo-University of Maryland, College Park Daniel Machlis- New York University Adam Mackie- Emory University Connor Maio- University of South Carolina Shimaa Makkawy- University of Maryland, Eastern Shore Lucy Mangan- Pennsylvania State University Vikram Mangat- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Benjamin Marcus- Temple University Katherine Markin- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Tristan Marquez- University of Maryland, College Park Hayden Marshall- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Tyler Mates- Undecided David Mbeng- West Virginia University

The Churchill Observer Senior Section Thursday, May 24, 2012

Gabriela Mercado- Salisbury University Ian Michaels- Montgomery College Joshua Miller- College of Wooster Elle Miller- High Point University Matthew Miller- McDaniel College Bo Miller- Miami University Alec Milton- University of Maryland, College Park Omid Mirdamadi- George Washington University Esa Mobaraki- Catholic University Nina Mohebbi- Georgia Institute of Technology Kimia Mokri- Towson University Brian Mokua- University of Maryland, College Park Bryan Morritt- Adelphi University Richard Morse- West Virginia University Cameron Moshyedi- Villanova University William Mulhern- University of Wisconsin, Madison Joel Nair- University of Washington Maliza Namude- Harvard University Harriyah Narnor- University of Maryland, College Park Alexander Narrow- James Madison University Jared Netcliff- Undecided Abigail Newburger- Ohio State University Haley Newlin- Montgomery College Tri Nguyen- University of Maryland, College Park Ping Ni- Tufts University George Nichols IV- University of Louisville Kimberley Nidah- Bucknell University Jacquelyn Njagi- American University Delysia Njuneh- Montgomery College Santiago Noguera- University of Maryland, College Park Buhlebenkosi Ntshangase- Unknown Alec Nussbaum- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Dillon Nussbaum- University of Maryland, College Park Paapa Nyanin- Brown University Nicholas O'Brien- Clark University Matthew Ochs- Duke University Thomas O'Connell- University of Maryland, College Park Zachary Ogilvie- Lynn University Paul Oh- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Nicholas Orochena- Unknown Christopher Ortolani- Towson University Eric Ossola- College of Charleston Autusa Pahlavan- University of Maryland, College Park Gunther Pair- Montgomery College Joanne Pan- Montgomery College Michelle Pargament- Johns Hopkins University Samuel Park- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Kamran Partovi- University of Maryland, College Park Olivia Parven- Rhodes College Rishi Patel- University of Maryland, College Park Sydney Patterson- Unknown Andisheh Pejman- University of Maryland, College Park Jillian Pekoske- University of Connecticut Margalit Pelta-Pauls- University of St. Andrews (Scotland) Luke Pereles- Saint Louis University Erik Peterson- Work Emily Petti- Cornell University Micah Phillips-Spencer- Undecided Hannah Pitman- Montgomery College Ian Plotnick- Temple University Kimberly Plumer- Washington University in St. Louis Win Pongsakul- University of Maryland, Baltimore County John Pope- University of North Carolina, Charlotte Divya Prasad- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Joshua Preuss- University of Maryland, College Park Roshan Promisel- Pennsylvania State University Lalaine Punzalan- Salisbury University Shannon Quinn- University of Miami Hana Quiros- Peru Anthony Raffa- University of Georgia Katrina Ragland- Syracuse University Spencer Ralph- Colorado College Sathya Ram- Lehigh University Niccolo Ramirez- University of North Carolina School of Arts Colby Ranck- University of Florida Jonna Rautsola- Wake Forest University Briaynna Rawlings- Morgan State University Victoria Ray- Catholic University of Buenos Aires Jacob Rayner- Gap Year Korosh Razazi- Montgomery College Ian Reagan- New York University Dylan Regan- Carnegie Mellon University Sarah Reitzes- Tufts University Alyssa Rhodes- Indiana University Daniel Ricci- Montgomery College Shannon Ridge- University of Maryland, College Park Kristina Roberts- Villanova University Lydia Roca- St. Mary's College of Maryland Helena Rodriguez- University of Georgia John Rome- Drexel University Sebastian Romero- University of Montvideo Felipe Ros- University of Maryland, College Park Hayley Rosenfeld- University of Maryland, College Park Allison Rosenstock- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Andrew Rosenthal- Middlebury College Seth Ross- Towson University Louis Rothstein- Indiana University Carly Rotter- Vanderbilt University Francisca Rudolph- St. Mary's College of Maryland David Rueda- Radford University Patrick Russell- Marine Corps

7

WORDS OF WISDOM Richard Sage- Champlaign College Rohit Samson- University of Maryland, College Park Brigid Sanepour- Montgomery College Logan Saunders- Undecided Hayden Saunders- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill John Saussy- University of Southern California Michael Savchuk- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Megan Scanlan- Clemson University Laura Schiller- Quinnipiac University Nathaniel Schrump- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Rachel Scola- University of South Carolina Ariane Sedghi- University of Maryland, College Park Michael Sewell- Colorado College Luke Shannon- Virginia Polytechnic Institute Aaron Shapiro- Pennsylvania State University David Shargel- Montgomery College Ian Shemer- Frostburg State University Lena Sheorey- Emory University Jacob Sherker- Carleton College Zachary Sherker- Ottawa University Eric Shiang- University of Maryland, College Park Michael Shilling- University of Maryland, College Park Soo Hwan Shin- University of Maryland, College Park Matthew Shultz- Travel Bret Sickels- Trinity College Gabrielle Siegel- Emory University Samuel Silber- University of Rochester Marcus Simpson- United States Naval Academy Matthew Singer- University of Georgia Meghan Siritzky- Gap Year Robert Skaats- Montgomery College Katherine Skrzyniarz- University of Maryland, College Park Nathan Smith- Towson University Austin Smith- Unknown Odin Soevik- University of Maryland, College Park Amin Soolari- Montgomery College Bryce Sorensen- Unknown Maria Sosa Monroy- Montgomery College Laura Sperling- University of Delaware Kelby Spring- Oberlin College Sambrum Sreenivas- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Allison Srour- Elon University Ben Stackhouse- University of Maryland, College Park Collin Stanhope- University of Maryland, College Park David Stark- University of Rochester Justine Stayman- University of Maryland, College Park Elana Stein- Franklin and Marshall College Rebecca Stein- University of Maryland, College Park Caroline Su- University of California, Berkeley Jacob Suissa- University of Vermont Hannah Sur- University of Southern California Joseph Sutton- High Point University Neil Suttora- Northeastern University Ciara Swales- Montgomery College Lindsey Taff- University of Colorado, Boulder Hanna Taft- University of Georgia Sophia Tapper- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Jacquline Tauberman- University of Vermont Marcus Taylor- Unknown Myles Taylor- Ursinus College Jill Teitelbaum- Washington University in St. Louis Antonella Tellez- Johns Hopkins University Kevin Teng- University of Maryland, College Park

Vikram Thirumalai- University of Washington SushenThiyagarajan- Indiana University Claire Tomlinson- Towson University Winston Tong- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Juan Toro- University of Maryland, College Park Vinicia Torres- Montgomery College Jennifer Tran-Kiem- University of Maryland, College Park Julian Traversa- Clemson University Jonathon Trefzger- Frostburg State University Dina Trembisky- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Sruti Uppuluri- Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute Nisi Uthikamporn- Miramar College Christine Vagonis- University of Pittsburgh Daniel Valero- University of Maryland, College Park Paul Vargas- Montgomery College Andrew Vargo- Pennsylvania State University Kathryn Verboncoeur- Virginia Polytechnic Institute Galen Villeneuve- Montgomery College Nicholas Virden- Aurora University Pavel Vlasov- University of Maryland, College Park Mikhail Vorontsov- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Brett Waghelstein- Towson University Rebecca Wahrhaftig- McDaniel College Robert Walsh- University of Maryland, College Park Lauren Walter- University of Maryland, College Park Yu Yuan- Wang University of Taipei (Taiwan) Adam Watkins- Montgomery College Sarah Weckerling- University of South Carolina Nina Weddige- Gap Year Laurie Wei- Catholic University Elizabeth Wei- Georgetown University Blake Weil- University of Miami Emily Weinig- Roanoke College Jeremy Weinreich- Ohio University Zachary S. Weinstein- Indiana University Zachary M. Weinstein- Stanford University Daniel Weiss- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Alexa Wert- Salisbury University Keith Wharton- Montgomery College Jasmine Williams- Montgomery College Matthew Wilson- Washington University in St. Louis Monica Won- University of Notre Dame Thomas Woo- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Andrew Woodward-Monte- Capitol College Tyler Wooster- Gettysburg College Bofan Wu- University of Maryland, College Park Christopher Wysocki- Carnegie Mellon University Lydia Yale- University of Maryland, College Park Sharona Yen- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Cindy Yiin- University of Southern California Wesley Yim- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Mahlet Yosef- Georgia Southern University Sebastian Zamorano- Unknown Sina Zargham- University of California, Berkeley Hal Zeitlin- Emory University Nina Zhen- Unknown Lily Zheng- Duke University Cindy Zheng- Yale University Dongxiong Zhu- University of Connecticut Haile Zola- Gap Year Michael Zuckerman- Indiana University Alexa Zuckerman- Pennsylvania State University

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8 Al Pacino says the world is yours, take adavantage WORDS OF WISDOM

By Al Pacino I’ve been a fan of Al Pacino since before I even got to CHS. Brain DePalma’s 1983 classic Scarface changed my life, and ever since then I’ve been watching Pacino take multi-million dollar movie roles and knock them out of the park as if they were nothing to him. In reality, I was watching a master at work, a man who could devote himself fully to his craft and use his character’s personalities to express his own inner emotions.

Ever since I watched Pacino do it, I’ve been growing and maturing into a similar artist, only my route took me into the heart of hip-hop culture, and I have no plans of making any detours. Ever since I emerged under the stage name Proto J, I have been honing my skills to be able to tell a story the same way Pacino did in 1972’s The Godfather, not with his words but with the way he said them. I needed a way to record my thoughts out on tracks while still keeping the emotions I felt when writing them on paper.

Sophomore year gave me that opportunity when I joined the Observer and began writing articles that needed to be objective yet still carry my own opinion within its texts to have any value.

Through those skills, I became a better writer and realized that my lyrics were only as special as the feeling they gave listeners who heard my work. I found that my struggle for validity in this hiphop game was really an internal battle; I could only be as good as my competition if I tried to beat them, but I only allowed myself to put out new material if I felt it was better than my last record.

In this sense, I’ve grown a lot over these past four years. While school itself never really taught me all of the things I needed to learn in order to be a man in society, my own willingness to explore my horizons and expand my thoughts brought me closer to understanding how the world really works. Unfortunately, realization of the world’s beauties comes with a realization of its vast errors, and the issues I was faced with coming into senior year were enough to make me want to turn back time. However, the one thing that got me through the lowest points of these past four years was the music I had listened to since I was 10 years old and the music I was making that I knew was something of value.

Most people hear that I’m a rapper and they think just that, that I’m simply a rapper from CHS. That’s one of the biggest misconceptions that stops me from being the best I can be.

Rap is my hobby, hip-hop is my life.

Ever since I hit double digits, I was growing and maturing along with hiphop music until the two of us became intertwined in our struggle to become a main component of society and find our place in history. I’m not all the way there yet, but hip-hop has since become the music of our generation, and I could not be any more proud. Here is a culture that is misconstrued by others, often misinterpreted as vulgar or degrading and recognized by a select few for its true purpose and meaning. Essentially, I am the same entity, and I face the same struggles every day of my life in an effort to become something great.

Life can be hard, and just like Pacino

The Churchill Observer Senior Section Thursday, May 24, 2012

in 1993’s Carlito’s Way, sometimes I want to get out of an environment that makes it hard for me to live the way I want to. However, hip-hop keeps me going through the tough times and always brings me back to loving the life I’m privileged to have.

Senior year was really hard, and just like Pacino in 1973’s Serpico and 1975’s Dog Day Afternoon, I found out that life is sometimes just plain unfair. I lost two of my closest friends in a span of six months, had to change some of my future plans for college and realized that only true friends stick around unconditionally when I need it most. However, hiphop illuminated my darkest days and forced me to find faith in my own future by consoling me when I felt my worst and allowing me to create art from life’s most painful lessons.

Learning that Al Pacino frequently sees a therapist shocked many of his fans who idolize him as one of the best actors of all time, but it only made me gain more respect for a man who has spent his life trying to answer the same questions I have been asking myself.

What I learned in four years of high school is that I’m just as clueless of my true purpose in life as I was entering CHS a freshman. However, I have learned to be comfortable with my own identity and pursue what I believe is my purpose in life using the skills that I have built to express myself to the fullest.

Usually people learn about self-

expression through life, but my ability to express myself through music taught me about life. When life took me through the mud, hip-hop brought me out without a stain. When life told me I couldn’t do it, hip-hop told me to break the rules and watch it pay off. When life told me that all men turn to dust one day, hiphop showed me a way to live forever.

Whatever your passion may be, spend your time at CHS learning how to become better at it. One day, that passion is going to be what makes you a better person.

By Mr. Frederickson

for what it is, and having a catalogue of personal anecdotes laid out in a journal is more than helpful in making sure you don’t repeat your mistakes.

On that note, we are young. So the time to do stupid things is now, when you can still use that as an excuse. This is what inspired me to write up a cap list: things I want to do before throwing off my graduation cap.

My list contains a fair share of objectives: some complicated, some silly, and some downright random. “#8 Bleach my hair blonde.” That was fun. I dyed it with my friend on a whim the night before Christmas Eve, and went to lunch the next day with my dad’s family—who all have signature black, Chinese hair—beside themselves in laughter. There were a lot of unflattering pictures of me that day.

But I’m really excited to complete the rest of the list. “#5 Go to Great Falls Park and watch the sunrise before school” reminds me of my brother since he used to do that his senior year. “#7 Bring an ice cream cone to fifth period” is just my type of subtle humor. “#10 Make a music video montage to a song— preferably one by One Direction” because I’ve always wanted to make a music video with all my friends. As for the One Direction part, if you’re trying to resist falling into such a mainstream obsession, you’re seriously missing out.

In short, it’s important to document your life. Give yourself more credit for what you’ve done in the past, because you need to grow from these experiences. However, if you have anything stupid, juvenile and/or pointless you want to get off your chest, by all means, do it now! Somehow, I don’t think waiting until I reached 30 to bleach my hair would have been as fulfilling.

Crush remembers some Mr. Frederickson keeps defining moments, dude a journal growing up

By Crush

CHS has been full of fights, heartache, mistakes and regrets. But what made me push past all of that—friends, teachers, fun, sports and school spirit—is what made my high school experience unforgettable.

CHS has made me the person I am today, and I would not change a thing.

My high school experience is hard to sum up, but a few defining moments really shaped me and prepared me for college and my life ahead.

Being a freshman in high school is always a traumatic experience, so becoming a part of the soccer team was by far the best decision I have ever made.

It was not because it made me a better player or because it helped me reach my potential, but because I was able to be a part of something bigger than myself.

Few people get to experience what it feels like to be so driven that you would give anything to win a game for your team, and even fewer people get to experience the special bond of teammates. In just four short years, I was lucky enough to experience both.

When we lost for the third time to B-CC in the regional finals this year, I was devastated partly because we worked way too hard to lose, but mostly because I realized it was the last time I would be playing with the people that have meant the most to me over the past four years.

Not only did CHS soccer make me a better person, but the Class of 2012 as a whole has had a huge impact on my growth. Our class is full of athletes, geniuses, comics, hidden talents and so much more. I knew our class was amazing, but it was not until our senior banquet when I realized the true secret to our grade’s awesomeness—we are all so close.

It is rare when you find a grade of over 500

students that gets along as well as ours does. Like I said earlier, everyone excels in so many different aspects, and I think it is due in part to the fact that we all support each other.

There is always a crowd at every sporting event no matter how important it is, we show up to all our fundraisers, we participate in the school talent show and Mr. Churchill.

The Class of 2012 is so successful because we all want each other to succeed.

At senior banquet, I realized I was really going to miss our class and I am so appreciative to have been a part of it.

I think my biggest and most significant defining moment of high school was when I committed to college. I thought it would be a huge relief, but it turned out to be more bittersweet than I anticipated. Of course I am excited for the next chapter in my life, but it made me think about all I am leaving behind—friends, family, and all of my high school memories. My life is about to change, but thanks to CHS, I think I am prepared for it.

CHS has an amazing curriculum, staff and atmosphere. Although this has all helped prepare me for college and beyond, I think I owe my success to the Class of 2012. If it was not for them, I do not know how I would have made it through these past four years. It has been a bumpy ride, but I would not change a thing.

Novelist Nadine Gordimer once said, “Writing is making sense of life.

You work your whole life and perhaps you’ve made sense of one small area.”

Although it took me a while to figure this out for myself, I now understand the truth to Gordimer’s statement.

There are two things that any high school student can write and add to throughout his or her four years: a journal and a cap list.

Before the first day of our senior year, my friend and I flipped through an old journal I had written in every so often for the past three years. It’s riveting how plot-driven and circular our lives turn out to be. Whenever I used to look back on certain decisions I had made, I would just scold myself for being stupid, lacking in the wisdom that I had since gained. However, as we were reading my journal entries, I understood how wrong I was to assume that I wouldn’t make those same decisions if I were put in a similar situation now. Who you are in the present will never be any wiser t h a n who you were in the past if you never look back to understand why you made the decisions you made.

Making your past decisions seem dumb does not make your present o n e s s e e m s m a r t .

Everything must be taken

The Churchill Observer Senior Section Thursday, May 24, 2012

WORDS OF WISDOM

9

Clint tells his bad memories to ‘get off my lawn’

By Clint Eastwood

About a week before the first day of school freshman year, my parents showed me Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to try and relieve my anxieties about starting high school.

Ferris was a larger-than-life figure. Life came easy to him, and everything seemed to work in his favor. I dreamed of emulating Ferris’s charisma and easygoing demeanor, to be the big man on campus.

I completely misinterpreted the film.

The purpose of Ferris was to contrast with his best friend Cameron Frye. Cameron idolizes Ferris, but at the same time is jealous of him. Everything works in Ferris’s favor, while Cameron pouts over life’s misfortunes.

I am Cameron Frye.

High school did not come easy to me, and whether I was making a fool of myself trying to fit in or struggling mightily with the thing I was supposed to be best at, basketball, high school was, for lack of

a better term, rough.

Needless to say, I had some great experiences. I’d like to thank my teammates (we ill) and coaches for some great moments. I finally identified myself as someone who doesn’t fit into mainstream society (I didn’t want to call myself a hipster because that’s not how it works, but on the real, how many people listen to Joy Division and have an interest in silent impressionist films? I do, but I’ll leave it to the reader to draw conclusions).

Like Cameron however, it always seemed like I had a greater share of scenarios working against me.

Take the media center, for example.

I loathed the establishment that treated the activities of its visitors with an iron fist and an eye in the sky. I probably set a record for my amount of times being logged off. And if I have to sit through another lecture on how to use Noodletools or Pathfinders, I might snap.

Additionally, I have a gripe with some practices of the faculty.

I’ve had some absolutely fantastic teachers over the years. There are too many to name but I’d like to thank one in particular: H. I am terrified of disappointing you because you can kill me with a butterknife, but no other teacher has helped me more with my writing than you.

Thank you.

Despite the quality of the staff, I feel that some teachers use an inordinate amount of paper. Not everyone recycles, plus I’d say they chopped down an entire rainforest just to get a 20-page class set of single-sided Spanish work. Half of which I’m probably not going to do.

I also feel that too many teachers resort to busy work (worksheet after worksheet) instead of

teaching. I understand working hard for an A, but there should be a compromise between instruction and child labor.

H i g h school was probably the best years of Ferris’s life. I don’t want to be that guy who peaks in high school, and if I am, my life will be accompanied by the woe is me attitude of The Smiths.

But I’d be fine with that. Everything happens for a reason, and I know that my struggles in high school have made me a better person. As I prepare for college, I reflect on my high school years gratefully.

I know that things won’t get much worse, and you can’t experience the good without the bad.

mon application, your decision plan (early decision, early action or regular decision) and its due date. Hang the list somewhere you regularly look, so it will remind you to clear time in your schedule to complete it without being rushed or stressed at the last minute.

2. Be realistic.

Not everyone is going to go to Harvard, and that is just life. Your parents will tell you to apply to a lot of reach schools because they believe in you, but it is extremely important that you be realistic about this process. Buy a book or look online at the school’s statistics, specifically focusing on their acceptance rate, average SAT/ACT scores and GPA. But also remember that these are only half the things that colleges look at, and the books and computers can’t factor in your after school activities or leadership roles. Make a balanced list of reach schools, schools you are likely to get into, and at least two safety schools. Because no matter how much your friends and family believe in you, they are likely not on the board of admission.

3. Do not only apply to brand name schools.

Now’s your time to branch out! You only apply to college once, and you want to make sure you give every school a chance.

Just because you’ve never heard of a school or it is not in your region does not make it a bad school. There are thousands of colleges out there; do not cut yourself off just because you want to go to a school that people have never heard of. In fact, you will probably have a better chance of getting into the school because you’re from a different part of the US. So remember to have some fun with it!

4. Everyone’s different.

Don’t forget that everyone goes about this process differently. In your grade you will likely have the student who knows what college he is going to in November, along with the student in May who has her deposit in three different schools and still does not know where she wants to go.

Wherever you go your senior year people will ask you the same questions: “Where are you going to school?” “Where are you applying?” “Shouldn’t you know where you’re going to school by now?” Ignore them. Each time I used all the strength I had not to roll my eyes and walk away at the question and scream “I don’t know!”

If you end up like me and do not have a school that you’re dying to go to and know exactly where you want to go, then it is common that we will feel the same emotions after being asked the same question

80 times. It is normal to feel pressure to decide on a college, but I strongly advise you not to decide until you are 100 percent positive that that is the school you want to spend the next four years of your life at.

Just keep reminding yourself that everyone is different!

5. Visit your schools.

If you can, I think the best thing to do is visit your schools. There is only so much you can see online before wanting to feel the atmosphere of the school.

Some schools will look and sound perfect for you, but once you get there, you may feel as though it’s just not the school for you, which is completely normal.

College hunting is the only time where it is completely acceptable to stare at people for long periods of time. Walk around the school and take a tour of the campus. Can you see yourself sitting on the quad with your friends? Can you imagine being the person in that classroom? You might think it sounds stupid, but it is important to ask yourself similar questions while you visit your schools.

Overall, the best advice I can give you is to remember to breathe. You are going to be stressed out, and you are going to want it all to be over. But in the midst of the madness, remember that you are a senior in high school. You have the rest of you life to live, and make sure you save time to have fun!

drives I took. These drives drastically increased in number especially upon the release of Under the Mistletoe (if you understand who I’m referencing, I just gained some respect for you). The best ones were the ones I got lost in and resulted in me hopelessly and frustratingly trying to get home. I don’t think I realized it at the time, but getting lost taught me how to drive. I hope that ten years from now, I’ll still be listening to Taylor Swift and reminiscing about the days when I drove out to lunch with my best friends and shared with them the absurdly specific details about the days I spent here.

2. For me, part of growing up has been recognizing that academic perfection isn’t all that important. As I approach June 8, the window to the next phase of my life, I keep finding myself flashing back to the times I spent just hanging in Mr. Carter’s office with my friends to share my bad experiences with teachers, my SAT anxieties, and whatever else I allowed to consume my life. I’m glad I’m no longer my freshman-self whose high school goals were to have a 4.0 in hopes of one day “being successful.” If I can say I’m happy

in the coming years, I think I’ve achieved the ultimate level of “success.”

3. An addendum to #1: rolling up to sporting events, blasting said boy band music. I didn’t learn to appreciate football games and class events for what they were until most of them were over.

There’s this amazing feeling of oneness with your class that seems to miraculously intensify during your senior year (it’s true, everything’s better as a senior).

4.

An addendum to #3: playing a varsity sport has also made me realize how awesome it is to be on a team. I spent three months every fall for the last three years sharing success and failure in CHS’ volleyball program.

That unified feeling is unbeatable, and I’ll

definitely miss it when I go off to college.

5. My best memory from high school is a very simple one, probably overlooked even by the person I shared it with. It’s two weeks before the start of my senior year on a summer weeknight, and I’m lying on pool mats with my best friend. We talk about everything and anything while sipping lemonade on the deck and eating pizza rolls from floatable bowls.

I wouldn’t say that moment changed my outlook altogether, but it symbolizes the person I grew to become after many of my experiences at CHS. So for now, I’m going to spend the next few days listening to old music on repeat and reminiscing about my times here. And for those of you who are reading this and dreaming of the day you’ll finally get to walk across that stage, take a step back and enjoy your experiences now before they’re gone.

Jane Fonda advises about the college process

By Jane Fonda

From spring of junior year to the summer of your graduating year, your life will be consumed with one thing: college.

Whether you are at the stage of applying to schools, or you are trying to find a roommate, it is hectic, annoying and ridiculously time consuming. Since I’m the oldest child, I had a hard time figuring out the whole college situation, such as where to apply, and even how to apply to college. So if you were like me and you do not even know where to begin, here the top five things no one tells you when applying to college.

1. Have a plan.

Applying to schools is chaotic and long, and no matter how many schools you apply to, if you don’t have a plan, that’s simply unintelligent. The average CHS student applies to five to seven schools, which can mean writing 10 to 14 essays. My advice would be to make a list to not only remind yourself to sit down and write the essays, but to clear the clutter from your head. Create a list with the college name, whether it takes the com-

Hillary reminisces about her youthful days

By Hillary Clinton

When I was younger, I had an enchanted view of what my high school days would be like. I suspected that I’d finally have the chance to do what I wanted to do, be who I wanted to be, and ignore every voice that told me otherwise.

In the past four years, I’ve fallen victim to a fast-spreading and unavoidable plague. Yes, I think I may have grown up… and not just age-wise. Though I did expect that the experiences I would have in high school would cause me to mature, I always perceived that my growth as a person would be marked by the standard events: driver’s license, 18th birthday, and extended curfews. I was very, very wrong.

During my time at Churchill, I grew up a lot more than I ever thought I would.

Though I have yet to embark on some of my life’s biggest adventures, my short and bittersweet four years at CHS left me with a few lessons about what it really means to grow up.

1. If you asked me what specifically defined my senior year, I’d say it was the

10

WORDS OF WISDOM

The Churchill Observer Senior Section Thursday, May 24, 2012

Oprah stops to thank the overlooked staff

By Oprah

Hello there CHS. For the past three years, I have dreamed of the day when I would finally bid you all hello from the annual, over-inked pages of the Senior Section. I have spent numerous hours thinking, even dreaming about what golden advice I would give to you all when the opportunity finally presented itself, the kind of advice that could only come from a seasoned senior who had spent enough time navigating the waters of CHS to know what she was talking about.

There are plenty of articles in the Senior Section that will divulge advice necessary for the rest of high school. Interestingly enough, I had a change of heart and I will not be giving any advice to you in this article, yet I hope that after reading, you do come away with one lesson: to respect and credit the Unsung Heroes of CHS. Like the construction workers who work unfathomable hours to build a huge building yet don’t get any credit for its beauty, there are people at CHS who have worked so hard to make my high school experience and the experiences of others close to perfect without even an ounce of recognition. I believe it is time that these people, the Unsung Heroes of CHS, finally get the credit that is way overdue. So without further delay, this one goes out to the Unsung Heroes of CHS. The Security Team: Chris, Stu, Terry, Sharon, Jerry and Stan, I want to say a big thank you for all you have done for me over the past four years. Whether it has been cheering me on at one of my lacrosse games, helping me get my phone back, or

checking on the status of my prom date situation, high school would not have been the same without you. All of the hours of hard work you put in to your jobs every day have been a huge factor in making my time at CHS great. You are always there to help fix a problem, give me support, even joke with me and make me laugh. I always look forward to seeing you in the hallways even for a quick chat. Stu, I know I can always count on you to help me finish off my Secret Buddy food, help me if I need anything and to be there at every single one of my home lacrosse games. Chris, you have been my biggest fan since day one, and I can always count on you to help me with sports and to make me laugh in between classes when you remind me about what a slacker I am. I will miss all of you guys next year and I will never forget all you have done for me and the help, humor and kindness you have shared with me. It has been a thrill to spend these past four years with you.

Ms. Feldman: It’s such a disappointment that we didn’t get to know each other earlier in my high school career. However, I am so lucky that I got to know you my senior year and it has definitely been an added bonus to my time at CHS. You have a tough job: each morning, you get to handle all of the halfasleep teenagers with attendance notes before most people are even out of bed, and you do a great job keeping everything orderly and getting it done efficiently.

Your dedication to your family amazes me, and I have loved chatting with you and getting to know you this year. Thank

you for always being there for me if I ever needed anything. I will miss you next year, and I will definitely come back and visit.

Building Service: You are truly the saving grace of CHS. Without you, the beautiful school that we all enjoy every day would cease to exist. You work so hard every day to give us a gorgeous school that is enjoyable to spend time in.

You always do your work with a smile on your face and you are always so kind, whether it is just a smile in the hallway or when you ask me how I played in my last game. Mr. Tyler, thank you for always being so friendly and taking the time to catch up with me whenever I run in to you in the hallway. Mr. Betancourt, you work so hard all hours of the day to keep our school clean, and your hard work is a huge part of what makes this school beautiful. Ms. Cruz and Ms. Castillo, you are both always so nice when I see you in the hallway and I admire all of the hard work you do every day. Whether it is picking up trash for hours after lunch, or cleaning the bathrooms numerous times a day, everything you do makes a huge difference, and I am forever grateful to you all for helping me experience my high school years in a beautiful, clean school.

Unsung Heroes do not have to be people who accomplish some great feat. They may be the ordinary people whose everyday actions improve our lives. In the case of CHS we have many Unsung Heroes, all of which continue to make people’s

lives, like mine, better every day without any recognition. So the only advice I want to leave you with CHS, is to remember your Unsung Heroes. Imagine how different high school would be without them, from the clean bathrooms to the efficiency of the attendance office. Remember to think about all of the hard work these people put in to every day to make your high school years unique and unforgettable and give them a little recognition. A simple “Thank You” and a smile make a huge difference.

Katie Couric calls for a No work and all play recall in how Edline is used makes Jack a happy boy

By Katie Couric

Over these last four years the most dreadful part of my day occurs around midnight when my phone vibrates and the words, “You have new reports on Edline,” appear. I always get the same fluttery feeling when I get this email and check my grades because in the morning if I get a bad grade my mom will give me “the stare.”

Usually, this stare happens because I got a one out of two on an art history quiz or a zero out of two on math homework. Obviously I could have performed better but I mean every student has his or her lazy days. I know that my parents are not so strict about grades; it is just that they do not understand Edline.

Edline is useful, don’t get me wrong, but when Edline professionals do not teach technologically illiterate parents about the different weights and categories, the fault always gets blamed on the students.

P a r e n t s simply do not understand b e c a u s e no Edline handbook has been invented.

This may also be a reason why a n o t h e r portion of parents do not even know what

Edline is or how to access the site.

These students are the lucky ones, at least according to someone like me.

The fact that getting one question wrong can show up as an E just fools the eye and makes both students and parents feel inferior. I think that getting one question wrong should be praised; I mean at least you knew something.

Edline, a website, not even a human being, has this affect on students. This is not how students should learn how to deal with “hard things in life.” I don’t think I am the only CHS student who has an occasional stress period at school, and Edline burdens students in this sense rather than helping students show their progress.

What I would suggest to the CHS faculty is to offer Edline training courses to parents. I know this sounds stupid but this is a necessary precaution to de-stress CHS students.

If only my mom knew that the homework category was pointless and barely affects grades and that the social studies department combines all points, my life would have been so much better these past four years.

I have always pondered why some teachers do not use Edline. While I do not think the site has worked in my favor at my house with my parents, it definitely can be useful.

The combined calendar and PowerPoints that teachers can attach to the site are useful and help update students who are sick, or even those who cannot keep up with notes. This is helpful to students, so teachers, please update and upload.

The fact that Edline was my biggest problem at CHS is an indication that going to this school has not been that bad. In fact, going to CHS has been a great school where I have learned a lot and made long-lasting friendships.

By Jack Nicholson

The best memory of my high school experience would have to be the Bahamas trip.

The trip began at Reagan National Airport where CHS students quickly took over gate A18. With about 30 kids on the plane, we annoyed others with the loud anxious noises we would continue to make during the trip.

In a week filled with fun events and meeting new people, we were not controlled by our parents and were able to make our own decisions and suffer the consequences they involved.

One particular memory stands out, when after a long night of partying, two of my friends went into the lobby looking for a place to buy food. Unfortunately, the main café had already closed, but the snacks and drinks were on display right behind the counter.

They both quickly jumped over and grabbed a few bags of chips and drinks. While eating their food in the lobby, security caught them and detained them until giving them a $100 fine.

The next night after coming home from Señor Frogs, we went to hang out by the hot tub. However, we did not realize how long we were out there for, and all of our friends had fallen asleep in their rooms. I knocked for almost ten minutes, but my roommates were sleeping and couldn’t open the door. I went up to my friend’s room, H402, and the nine of us slept in a cramped room with two small beds.

As we lay there, we struggled to go

to sleep not only because we were so unbelievably uncomfortable, but because we kept talking with each other. Specifically, one large, loud and obnoxious individual would not stop blabbering about the night. The Dream continued to transpire about the shenanigans that went down moments before.

He also constantly reminded us all of what had happened between one of our tallest and smallest friends.

Having moments like these brought us so much closer together as a group and we shared so many lifelong memories from this amazing trip in just seven days.

Bahamas was a great taste of and introduction to college. In less than four months, we will be removed from our parents and forced to make decisions for ourselves.

We will have to balance studying a n d partying and deal with any mistakes we make, and I c a n ’ t wait.

The Churchill Observer Senior Section Thursday, May 24, 2012

WORDS OF WISDOM

11

Joan Rivers: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

By Joan Rivers To my haters: I wanted to write my final article on how little your opinions affect me. Yes, I read the tweets, yes, I read the Facebook posts, yes, I heard what you said and no, I do not care.

Some say I’m the most, some say I’m the least, but honestly, I’m just being me. High school wasn’t the best time of my life, but I think I got something really important out of it: be yourself. It sounds cliché, but it’s the truth.

Yeah, I can assure you that if you do this, you will be judged. But it’s definitely worth it. Don’t let the negativity affect you, because most of the time, people are just jealous.

The countless times I walked through the halls of CHS being glared at because I was wearing high-waisted shorts or crazy boots were the things that really helped shape my experience at CHS and

the person I am today.

I guess you could say I had a different approach than most people in high school. I wasn’t going to conform to what people thought was “the norm,” or do things just because other people were.

I went through high school not caring about what anyone thought.

If I had something to say, I would say it. If I wanted to wear something, I would wear it.

I would get backlash for doing things other people didn’t do, like hanging out with freshmen, or dying my hair pink, but I didn’t stop doing things that made me, me.

I never really understood why people cared about these kinds of things; don’t you have something more interesting to tweet about like how excited you are for Afrojack even though you don’t know one song?

There were definitely times when I didn’t like being made fun

of or talked about, but in the end, it made me grow stronger.

As I leave my mark on this school, there are two things I would like to clear up. 1) Despite what you may think, I didn’t get a membership to Lifetime only to socialize; I do actually work out there—sometimes.

2) I’m not a cougar…. but the Class of 2015 is pretty good-looking.

I’m not going to say that sometimes it wasn’t hard, but I’m really happy that I stayed true to myself in high school—although I did enjoy the countless Twitter and Facebook posts I read about myself.

So, thank you for all your negative tweets about me being friends with underclassmen, and dying my hair different colors. You gave me confidence.

Morgan Freeman admits Hugh Hefner relishes he hates those who hate the legacy 2012 leaves

By Morgan Freeman

I hate people who hate people.

I’ve always considered myself the kid who doesn’t hold grudges against anyone, doesn’t plan on holding grudges against anyone and hopefully hasn’t had any grudges held against me either. I’ve always loved learning about the lives of others and making suggestions of my own, regardless of whether they were needed. So when I hear people talking about how they despise someone or how they can’t tolerate them, it makes me wonder why everyone can’t simply get along? How can people not bother to look into the lives of others and see things with a different perspective?

CHS takes pride in a zero tolerance bullying policy, and it does a great job at that, but isn’t talking behind someone’s back just as bad?

What bothered me the most about high school was having to hear my friends ask me why I was talking to a certain individual, or why I agreed to hang out with random people. Years later I think they realized why I had been so persistent in my actions. Life’s not about spending time with things you’re comfortable with, but rather to explore and engage in things that you’ve never done before. I’ve met some of my best friends, favorite activities and made memorable experiences through this method and plan on doing so in college.

They say you only see a person’s true character through his or her behavior in the worst of times, but sometimes the best in people is not revealed until the best is done to them. I’m not trying to be Jesus here, but these two factors have decided the tone of my last four years at this school and it is something many kids have realized. You can’t expect a person to interact with you unless you’re willing to put in the effort yourself.

Like I said, I hate people who hate people, but the person I hate the most is the individual who says that high s c h o o l doesn’t m a t t e r because you m e e t your real

friends later in life. High school is what you make of it—be it through means of partying, sports, or even studying.

There are a million other things CHS has got to offer.

Each year of high school has had defining moments. From the memories of Michael Yuen my freshman year, to the summer adventures of sophomore year, through the hardships of junior year, (wait, that’s a joke) and the senior year finale with some of the greatest bonding experiences with my classmates, I am excited to say everything I have ever done, all the trouble, all the success, everything’s been worth it.

I was never much of a talker, but always loved to listen to people. I sometimes would tell people to tell me more about their lives and it worked well for me. The Class of 2012 allowed this weird combination of mine to thrive. Never has CHS seen such individuals as the ones I walk around with in the hallway every day.

Our grade is the most inter-connected grade on the face of the planet (Imagine Morgan Freeman’s voice saying that), and when I saw how all the barriers of different groups slowly started to break and we all emerged as one big class, it finally wasn’t awkward seeing people from different groups at the same party.

If there’s one regret I have had it would have to be the fact that I never tried in high school. There has not been one full quarter where I can truly say I tried my best. I came into high school with senioritis, or was born with it.

Let’s be honest, the only reason I joined the paper was to write in the Senior Section, and mission accomplished on that one. The Class of 2012 has given me something that I’ll always remember and I’m sure almost every individual in our class can attest to that, so underclassmen if there’s anything you want to learn from the Class of 2012, it is that you can never be us so don’t even bother trying.

Goodbye Bulldogs.

LET’S GO HOOSIERS!

By Hugh Hefner

Throughout American history, America was known as a great, powerful nation. It has always had a reputation of performing commendably and admirably. In 1930 the nation was struck with a depression that sent it into a downward spiral of misery. Thankfully, American history tells the tale of a heroic character by the name of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who raised the nation out of disparity and back into its traditional standard as a great nation.

In 2011, CHS experienced the equivalent to the American Great Depression.

Churchill history was forever marked by cheating scandals, disreputable behavior between classmates, and a decrease in academic performance. What looked like a bright future for a great school suddenly began to look dark and dull.

Yet, along came the Class of 2012 and much like Roosevelt, they lifted the school back to its Blue Ribbon standard. A significant increase in academic performance, classmates that show genuine unity and care for each other, and an overall improvement in the quality of people, have proven to be assets that the Class of 2012 has restored in CHS students.

Class of 2012 has reinstated the high-achieving standard this school has been known to have throughout the ages. But not only did 2012 suppress what could have been a lasting negative view of the school, they also refreshed the way the school is viewed.

Last year CHS was a highly mentioned school around the state.

Many knew the school due to its negative qualities.

This year CHS has been a highly mention school around the state as well,

but it has been its school spirit, high academic and athletic performance, and an overall togetherness of the class that has been mentioned. All this while still being one of the classes to have the most fun in CHS history.

The Class of 2012 created traditions for the school such as attending raves, Tank Top Tuesdays and epic house bangers.

Given we are still teenagers and of course we’ve all had our few moments of dissatisfaction, yet as the senior class, 2012 has set a great example to the future generations of a perfect balance for making high school four of the greatest years of your life.

So when many other schools claim that “Everyone Hates Churchill” in reality it is more jealousy, jealousy of a school so proud and honored by their students that they can’t help but hate it. And to future generations of CHS, we implore you to keep our school a respectable and highly regarded institution.

NEVER FORGET

No Regrets Avicii O Beach Baahdy Paris to the DMV Charismatic Stallion Q .O.(See M) Division Champs RG III enior SChallenges E T nder the Free Mbeng Ghosthunting USea Vote Doe HAM We’re not rivals I forgot X, Project JBC YOLO K inda Fresh (See #) Z L uuube Class of 2012 # Most, The nline Notes

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ero everything (2013-2015)