Montgomery County Public Schools Winston Churchill High School 11300 Gainsborough Rd. Potomac, MD 20854
thechurchillobserver.com
Volume 40 - Issue 1
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
A National Blue Ribbon School
MCPS Eliminates Final Exams Google Hits County Welcomes Student Input
By Sarah O’Brien Production Editor
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CPS has tentatively decided to eliminate final exams in all high schools as soon as next school year in order to increase instructional time. This proposal would restore at least two weeks of teaching that are lost to semester exam testing throughout the year. The exams would be replaced by a number of MCPS-created quarterly options, including projects, unit tests, essays or labs, depending on which class is being assessed, and would most likely take place during a 45-minute class period. Freshman Ian Rosenthal is excited about the change. “Projects are a more accurate representation of
a student’s ability than an exam,” Rosenthal said. MCPS plans to ensure that these assessments align with state and national standards, specifically with the PARCC and Next Generation Science Standards expectations, and that these options would provide students more frequent and unique measures to demonstrate learning. Adam Field, an AP Human Geography and U.S. History teacher, is not in favor of the decision. “I am concerned that students will not have an opportunity to prepare for and take a semester exam like they would in college,” Field said. “It’s a disservice to our students.” With the exams changing, the method of calculating the final semester grade would also change. If the semester exam category were to be removed, the grading system
would switch to being trendbased, where students who received a B in the first quarter and an A in the second automatically get an A for the semester, but those who receive an A in the first quarter and then a B in the second quarter will receive a B. This eliminates students’ chances of redeeming their semester grade with the semester exam. Other grading policy options under consideration include taking the average numerical grade of the two quarter grades, taking a calculation of the numerical percent average of each quarter to obtain the final grade, and creating a category for the last assessment that is 25 percent of the final quarter grade. “I believe the semester grades will be a lot worse without the extra grade,” junior Mishal Ahmad said. MCPS wants student
input when deciding between these grading options, so students and community members are encouraged to search “grading options”on the MCPS website. The deadline for submitting feedback is Oct. 19.
GRADING OPTIONS
Option 1: Final grade calculated by averaging marking period percentage grades. Option 2: Final grade calculated by averaging quality points. Option 3: Two marking period grades, averaged by trend. Option 4: Keep current final exam category weighted at 25%, replace with teacher-developed “final evaluation”administered in class. Keep current grade averaging.
SOURCE: MCPS WEBSITE
Classrooms By Michael Fox Editor-in-Chief
CHS has been in the process of implementing Google Classroom in the school’s curriculum, as MCPS schools are making the move toward Chromebook filled classrooms. Google Classroom is an app designed to provide students with an electronic learning environment that facilitates student-teacher interaction. According to Principal Joan Benz, CHS introduced Google Classroom as a way of getting “more interactive participation” among students and allowing students to share class information with each other “quickly without using paper”. According to the Classroom website, the purpose of the application is to allow teachers to create and collect assignments using easy, timesaving features like the ability to blast a Google document to each student. Jump to page 3
Student Senate Aims to Incorporate ‘More Voices, Ideas’ Senators Keep Fellow Homeroom Students Informed
By Emily Wang Online Arts Editor Balbina Yang In an effort to increase student participation and spirit, the SGA has brought back the Student Senate. During homeroom in the first week of school, a video was scheduled to play, informing students of the Senate, and each homeroom class was instructed to elect a Senator and an alternate. The senators selected will represent their homerooms at SGA-held meetings twice a month. “Basically, the SGA Student Senate works as a representative of the entire student body because in a school of 2,200 students, it is hard to get everybody’s voices heard,” sophomore class sponsor Evan Rosenthal said. However, due to the fact that the video failed to show during homeroom, some students were unaware that the Senate even existed. According to junior Leslie Chang, he wanted to be part of the Senate, but his homeroom never chose a Senator. “There are definitely some students unaware, but we’re hoping teachers will inform them,” Rosenthal said.
The SGA introduced the Student Senate because some of the staff and students noticed that the SGA normally featured the same group of active students. Thus, the Senate aims to get more students involved in the day-to-day workings of CHS. “We want a broad range of people from different groups, more student voices and new ideas,” Principal Joan Benz said. According to junior Melis Tumanoglu, she volunteered for the Senate to increase her own involvement in the school and thinks that the Student Senate will allow the majority’s ideas to be heard. The Senate will meet with the SGA once or twice a month during lunch and then report back to their homeroom and share information from the meetings with their teacher and fellow homeroom classmates. According to Rosenthal, the more people who know about the Senate, the more effective it will be in getting information out to students. The Senate has had favorable responses from many students as they are eager to see a change. “As long as there is an easy and unbiased method of voting and as long as the people in their positions take
the job seriously, I believe a Student Senate could help solve many problems at Churchill,” junior Garrett Jacobs said. “One of the problems I believe the Student Senate could help solve would be students’ lack of awareness of current school events.” The first Senate meeting ran smoothly with school SGA officers leading the discussion on improving Homecoming, and senators politely raising their hands to speak. According to Rosenthal, the meeting was a constructive experience for everyone because students wanted a change in the school and were willing to be respectful in order to make it happen.
NEXT SENATE MEETING
October 22 in Room 126
PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY CHANG.
SGA officers seniors Sophia Giavotto, Raz Moayed, Matthew Lipson, Sebastian Paez and Isabel J0rdan led the first Senate meeting Sept. 8.
Opinions Journalism Arts Credit
Features Fred the Ice Cream Man
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English electives deserve arts credits.
Here’s the scoop on Churchill’s favorite ice cream man.
Arts
Hakopian appears on Dr. Oz Hakopian shares his concussion expertise with Dr. Oz.
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News
September 29, 2015
New PSAT Combines Sections, Minimizes Calculator Use
By Sai Sreenivasan Staff Writer
INFOGRAPHIC BY EUGENIA CARDINALE.
The new PSAT will give students preparation for the changed SAT in 2016. The test will combine the previous Reading and Writing sections. By Sai Sreenivasan Staff Writer The new PSAT will be administered to the current sophomores and juniors for the first time Oct. 14. This PSAT will foreshadow the format of the new SAT that the College Board will begin
administering in March 2016. Students are nervously anticipating the new PSAT since the new format has yet to be introduced. “No one has seen a real test,” CHS College Information Counselor Luana Zimmerman said. “Information I have read has indicated that the test looks to
be harder, but the scoring curve will be more generous.” According to the College Board website, the new assessment will have two sections instead of three. Reading and Writing are being lumped into one overall category called “Evidence-Based Reading and Writing,” while Math remains a single section. The “Evidence-Based Reading and Writing” section emphasizes passage analysis rather than isolated examples. More focus will be placed on reading comprehension rather than complex vocabulary. The essay writing is now optional and will be separate from the main exam. “This new PSAT will differ from the older version in several ways,” said Phil Pine, Capital Educators President. “There will be more Algebra and Algebra 2 topics, less Geometry, less difficult vocabulary, and writing questions that are asked based on full passages.” Capital Educators is a D.C.-based organization that prepares students for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and SAT subject tests. In the math section, calculators are now only permitted on certain questions in an attempt to focus on mental math. The new PSAT also no longer deducts points for guessing a wrong
answer. In fact, guessing works in favor of the score rather than against it. Additionally, the new PSAT will have longer sections with more time given to complete them. According to Pine, there will be a 60-minute reading section, followed by a 35-minute writing section. In math, there will be a 25-minute no calculator section, followed by a 45-minute calculator section. Practice PSATs based on the College Board practice have been given by Capital Educators, and the difference between the old and new formats is evident, according to junior Jennifer Duan. “The format seems more organized, but the huge time blocks are hard to get used to for each section,” Duan said. The College Board website offers a sample test, which can be used to determine the difficulty of the exam. Though the new PSAT does not play a role in college acceptance, it gives sophomores and juniors an idea of what to expect on the redesigned SAT. It also counts for the National Merit Scholarship awarded to those with top scores. “In the end, the new test isn’t harder or easier,” Pine said. “It is simply different and will accordingly require slightly different pacing, different guessing strategies, and a different mindset.”
Students React to Increasingly Popular Test-Optional Policies By Sofia Williamson Fact Checker
Senior Dana Lotwin believes that unless the SAT and ACT are replaced with another requirement, getting into a school This past July, George Washington would most likely be based almost purely University became the largest private on GPA, and there would be no other university in the top 100 best ranked heavily-considered requirements for adschools in the US to get rid of rigorous missions officers to make their decisions. “The SAT and ACT tests are supposed admissions requirements, following the trend of college admissions becom- to predict how well you are going to do in school,” Lotwin said. “So if they remove ing test optional. While students and professionals them, they’re probably proving to not be nationwide believe that standard- so accurate.” Senior Adam Votow agrees with Loized testing is not an effective way to qualify a student to attend a university, twin and brings up another interesting others argue that the SAT and ACT are point regarding financial aid. “I personally think that the test opcrucial for comparing students in their application process. Many liberal arts tional policies are ridiculous,” Votow said. “While colleges, and inyou don’t have creasingly, large to submit your private universcores, not only sities, have deSchools would remove do they still reccided that the ommend that idea of one test test requirements for many you do, but in determining a those places you student’s future reasons, but an important will also not be is unjust. considered for According to any academic a Feb. 18, 2014 one may be due to financial scholarships.” NPR article, 800 According to of 3,000 fourstatus.”-Senior Kimia Zarabian collegematchyear colleges maker.com, and universithere are many ties in America academic scholare now eliminating the requirement. An array of arships that are strictly merit-based, and smaller liberal-arts colleges, including they take SAT and ACT scores into great local American University, have now account when considering their applibecome test-optional, making students cants. Other students believe that the relnationwide question America’s addicevance of the SAT/ACT in admissions tion to standardized tests. CHS students have contrasting depends on the student’s academic record views of the new policy. Some believe and current grade situation. “For some students it could be benthat the SAT and ACT are crucial factors to their application processes, eficial but detrimental to others,” senior while others believe that it is not a Kimia Zarabian said. “A student with a high GPA and low test scores will benefit necessity.
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PHOTO BY SOFIA WILLIAMSON.
Sophomore Eliana Espinosa wonders whether to sign up for SAT prep or not, depending on whether colleges will require the test. greatly, but one that has both high GPA and high test scores may not necessarily benefit, since now there is more competition.” According to the same NPR article, the former dean of Bates College, William Hiss, conducted a national study published this past spring to test whether standardized test scores and academic success in college were correlated. The study covered 123,000 students at 33 liberal arts and private universities over eight years, and the results have seemed to persuade colleges to take on this new approach to admissions. Results showed that high school grades were the best predictor of a student’s success in college, as those with modest test scores but better grades did better in college than those with modest grades and better test scores. Conclusively, Hiss found that there was practically no difference in grades and graduation rates between test “submitters” and “nonsubmitters.” However, without standardized test scores, more importance will be weighed on other application assets such as personal essays, extracurriculars and most importantly GPA. According to CHS College Counselor Luana Zimmerman, her assumption is that high school coursework and grades are a “better predictor” than standardized tests.
According to an Oct. 7, 2014 Wall Street Journal article, the SAT has just become another area in American life in which those with the most financial benefits achieve more than those with less. Students who can afford expensive SAT preparation will tend to achieve higher scores on their standardized tests. On average, students in 2014 in higher income brackets outscored students in lower brackets on every section of the test, according to calculations from the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, using data provided by the College Board. “Schools would remove test requirements for many reasons, but an important one may be due to financial status,” Zarabian said. “Many applicants who are wealthier can afford to take SAT and ACT classes and they take the tests many times, but those who cannot afford it are at a disadvantage.” According to a Sept. 2012 study from the journal Psychological Science, SAT scores combined with high school grades were predictive of first-year academic success for all socioeconomic statuses. “I think test optional policies are a great stress relief for people who feel pressured, feeling as if test scores are their only hope of getting into the college that they want,” senior Gina Dehdashty said. “The policies will help to alleviate the tension, and in turn cause the student to perform better.”
September 29, 2015
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News
Learning Goes Digital with Google Devices, Apps
PHOTO BY EUGENIA CARDINALE.
Nicole Van Tassell’s Honors Modern World class uses MCPS-provided Chromebooks to complete a close reading and answer questions. Jump from Page 1 All students were given a Google account at the beginning of the year to ensure students have access to their Classroom from anywhere. Students and teachers can download the Classroom app via smartphone, or they can find it on any Chromebook or computer with with Internet access. Google Classroom combines G-mail and Google Drive so that students can organize files and learn online. Teachers can provide links to assignments, post documents for several classes, check student work online, and receive feedback from students. The social studies department specifically planned to implement Classroom into its curriculum with the addition of Chromebooks to each social studies class last year. “We’re making a push in social studies to go digital,” AP Human Geography and Honors U.S. History teacher Adam Field said. “It takes up class time to distribute papers, [and] students lose papers. Using Google
Classroom, everything is done via the Google Drive, and documents are never lost.” The disparity between Edline and Classroom is starting to become clear as the school year progresses and classes adjust to the new program. “It’s easier to post documents, and it’s more user friendly than Edline,” AP U.S. History and AP Psychology teacher Rodney Van Tassell said. “When the Chromebooks work, it’s more interactive for the Classroom, [and] it allows teachers to go paperless, which Edline doesn’t allow you to do.” Classroom can also only be used during school with a computer or Chromebook, so the reduced MCPS budget this year hindered the shift to Classroom. The English department was next in line to receive Chromebooks for all of its classes, but due to the budget cut, English teachers will need to hold off on their classroom adjustments. “We received three carts [of Chromebooks] for the English
department and we share two with the Social Studies department,” English teacher Christin Nixon said. Regardless of the scarce number of Chromebooks in the school, faculty members like Van Tassell encourage other staff members to experiment with Classroom. “Google Classroom feels more like Facebook, so you get updates whenever [something] new is up and [you] can directly talk with your teachers,” senior Dorothy Hu said. “Edline is more like a website where teachers occasionally post stuff, so it’s harder to interact with them.” Classroom also allows teachers to screen students’ discussions and work. It will allow students to ask their peers questions, email teachers and keep up to date with missing work. When a teacher posts something to Classroom, students receive an email notification on their school Gmail account, alerting them of the post. The transition from paper to online learning has not been
flawless as students and teachers are recognizing problems with Classroom. Some students are having difficulty learning how to use Classroom, and some teachers are choosing to stick with paper and pencil. “[Students] can’t access their grades through Google Classroom,” Field said. “Parents can’t join the Google Classroom, whereas they could join Edline. The county has to figure out a way to get the parents access, because not every student shares [with their parents].” The dispute between Edline and Classroom will rage on for some time, mainly because the new program hasn’t been fully implemented into each class curriculum. “Edline is much more straightforward and gets you all the information in a website-based format,” senior Dariush Youssefiani said. “Classroom is based off the dates they were posted, which is not helpful. I find switching to a system [that] even my teachers barely know to be not useful.”
Former Three-Year ESSO Program Downsized to One Year By Kyle Emery Staff Writer MCPS has decided to limit the English, Science, Social Studies Opportunities (ESSO) program to a freshman year course as opposed to a three-year program. Students will be integrated into regular classes after their freshman year in the program. The main focus of ESSO is to help students with organizational skills by providing them with additional help from teachers. The program includes smaller class sizes which helps each student get increased attention from teachers. “This program has existed in MCPS for many years, and it is a very strong program for kids who need help with organizing and note-taking,” Principal Joan Benz said. Seniors, juniors and sophomores who were involved in the ESSO program last year may see a big adjustment to their English, science and social studies
“I believe the program can be very beneficial, but the individual students determine the benefits and determine their individual success.” -Former ESSO Coordinator,
Katelyn McMahon
classes. In terms of class sizes and work, many former sophomore ESSO students may find that their work is more independent and that seeking help, especially in organization, will be more difficult. “The program was more interactive
between teachers and students, so when I needed help, I was able to get it,” sophomore Jimmy Kloke said. The program sought to vastly improve each student’s ability in reading comprehension, organization and study habits.
Most students enjoyed ESSO for the interaction with peers it provided them. “I believe the program can be very beneficial, but the individual students determine the benefits and determine their individual success,” former ESSO Coordinator Katelyn McMahon said. “I have seen students have tremendous growth when utilizing what the program has to offer.” Former ESSO teacher Margery Goldman, who retired in 2005, recalls that the ESSO program included two teachers in each class which added to the amount of extra support each student would receive. According to Goldman, when the county encountered financial trouble, it eliminated the extra teacher in the program. “A new program would be wonderful as a lot of students could use this support, but I see this as highly unlikely due to the county’s budget,” Goldman said.
September 29, 2015
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Opinions
The Churchill
Observer Editors
Editors-in-Chief Fiona Asbury Michael Fox Online Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Greenzaid Chief Production Manager Emiliana Cardinale Production Editors Thomas Atkinson Eugenia Cardinale Ben Dross Sara Heimlich Ariel Levchenko Lauren Roseman Sofia Williamson Becky Wolfson Sarah O’Brien News Editors Isabel Dibble Arjun Swaminathan Opinions Editor Jasmine Baten Observations Editor Eugenia Cardinale Features Editors Madison Hurr Balbina Yang Arts Editor Arielle Gordon Sports Editors Jake Certner Nathan Deychman Fact Checkers Brooke Weiner Sofia Williamson Social Media Editors Peter Durand Sara Heimlich Maya Rosenberg
Managers Advertising Manager Brooke Weiner Business Manager Lauren Roseman Circulation Managers Rebecca Jackson Rebekah Sklute Contest Manager Becky Wolfson Adviser Kelly Knarr
Our Policy The Churchill Observer is published monthly by the students of Winston Churchill High School, 11300 Gainsborough Road, Potomac, Md. 20854. Advertising and subscription rates are available by e-mailing churchill.observer@gmail.com. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of staff, faculty or the student body. Every effort has been made by the staff to ensure that the news is accurate and free of bias. Editorial opinions are those of the Observer staff, and personal commentaries and cartoons reflect the opinions of their writers. Letters to the editor must be signed, and assertions must be documented upon request. Send letters to the editor to churchill.observer@gmail.com The Observer is a public forum for the purpose of expressing the views of and informing the Churchill community.
IMAGE BY KEVIN HO.
Quarter Exams Only Add More Stress OBSERVER OPINION Those two weeks in January and June that you have reserved for stress, tears, and nights of poring over notes? Go ahead and schedule two more. Every nine weeks, to be exact. MCPS has decided to replace two-hour semester exams twice a year with 45-minute quarter exams four times a year, starting as soon as this spring for middle schools and next school year for high schools. Though the intent is to maximize instructional time and relieve the pressure of semester exams, the added stress, confusing grading curve and overall inconvenience makes the decision a faulty one. According to a Sept. 8 public announcement, MCPS decided to alter testing because the parents and community expressed interest in maximizing the amount of instructional time in schools. With HSAs, PARCC, APs, semester exams and the average unit test or quiz, they felt testing had encroached on instructional time. The ironic part is that these complaints have only hurt students. While MCPS is required to administer state tests like the HSA and PARCC, they can choose when to administer semester exams. But now instead of two exams, there will be four. However, replacing semester exams with quarterly ones doesn’t allow for more instructional time. In fact, it’s more
likely to make that time even more rushed and pressure-filled for students and staff who have to learn and teach within a much shorter time limit. At CHS, teachers can set test dates for their classes and have the flexibility to move those dates if material hasn’t been covered yet. However, MCPS will set the dates of quarter exams, which doesn’t allow staff and students the ability to teach and learn at an appropriate pace. The idea behind maximizing instructional time is that students are less focused on doing well on tests and more concentrated on learning material for the sake of learning. However, given that quarter exams will make up a significant portion of a student’s quarter grade, pressure and stress are only going to increase. According to the MCPS public announcement, quarter exams will be worth 25 percent of a student’s quarter grade. The grading chart used with semester exams allowed students to work hard for quarter grades, but still have enough “wiggle room” with semester exams so as to prevent too much accumulated stress around exam time. This rewarded students who worked hard throughout each quarter, rather than students who crammed for one test at the end of the semester. The quarter exam policy does the opposite. According to the MCPS Grad-
ing Option Overview, the grading policy may function the same way that it would if a class did not have a semester exam, which formulates grades by trend. If a student earns an A first quarter and a B second quarter, the final semester grade will be a B. If that order is flipped, then the student receives an A. The idea behind this is that a student will receive a better semester grade for improving quarter grades, but the reasoning doesn’t coincide with curriculum. A student could very well earn an A first quarter, but second quarter earn a B simply because the course consisted of extremely hard material second quarter. Then, because grades are based on trend, that student would earn a B for the semester. Twenty-five percent is a lot, and that one quarter exam could change a student’s grade as much as two letter grades if he or she has had a bad day. Though it is still undecided whether the county or individual teachers will create the quarter exams, most CHS students can agree that, while challenging, county exams tend to be easier than ones written by CHS teachers. If teachers are tasked with creating quarter exams, anxiety will only increase. However, teachers may surprise us. The introduction of required quarter exams in departments that don’t already test every nine weeks means that exams may have to be created, or teachers have to get creative as to what constitutes an exam. According to Social Studies Department Head Rodney Van Tassell, alternatives to exams
would include essays, presentations and projects. However, according to Science Department Head Clinton Brown, though students might have an easier time in high school without semester exams, they will be at a disadvantage in college, where they’ll have to compete with freshmen who know how to prepare for major exams that cover a semester’s worth of material. Though CHS students may still have a solution to this by taking an ever-increasing number of APs, students who are taking on-level or honors classes won’t have that chance. According to Van Tassell, studying for cumulative exams like APs is a skill that students need to have prior to college. While AP students are required to develop the skill, non-AP students can only rely on standardized tests like the PARCC assessments, which may not prepare non-AP students for college exams because they aren’t cumulative exams that reflect school curriculum. It’s very likely that not changing anything at all would have been a bit more convenient and sensible. Semester exams allow teachers enough time to get through curriculum, give students an extra chance to prove themselves while requiring them to work hard throughout both quarters and prepare students for college exams in the best way that high school can. Either way, it’s pretty clear that the MCPS decision, while intended to relieve pressure on students, will backfire. It brings new meaning to the phrase—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
A Letter from the Editors You may have noticed a change in our look this year. We’ve decided to alter the design of our publication in an effort to offer a fresher aesthetic. These changes include a new logo, new page designs, different headline sizes, less text and more photos and graphics, different page header designs and various
font style changes. We hope these changes will provide a more appealing design. We also opted to publish a 16-page paper this month as opposed to our traditional 20-page issue. This is not a permanent change and is merely a way of testing our new designs and easing back into the school year. The paper has gone through
a metamorphosis every six years or so, and we felt that the moment had come for a redesign. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about our change, please contact us at churchillobserver@gmail.com. We also invite you to inform us of upcoming events, story ideas and news in our
community. We wish to provide our readers with the most relevant and timely news, and your contributions can help us do that. We also encourage you to follow us on Twitter @ CHS_Observer and like us on Facebook. Fiona Asbury and Michael Fox Editors-in-Chief
September 29, 2015
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Opinions
School Publications Deserve an Arts Credit By Emiliana Cardinale Production Manager Rebecca Jackson Circulation Manager
Every day in Newspaper, Yearbook and Literary Magazine, students use their creativity to produce forms of art--writing, photography and design. However, they aren’t rewarded with an arts credit. By eliminating the arts credit for these classes, MCPS not only invalidates the work these students do, but affects whether students even take the classes at all. Last year, Newspaper, Yearbook and Literary Magazine classes were granted fine arts credits for graduation. When the subject came up this summer, it was determined that MCPS does not allow these classes to count for arts credits at other schools, and the opportunity to earn an art credit was revoked. According to the head of the Arts Academy, Deanna Svrcek, the MCPS Arts Coordinator and the MCPS English Coordinator were both very adamant that Newspaper, Yearbook and Literary Magazine at CHS should not continue to give students arts credits. Observer staff members junior Joel Goldstein and sophomore Zeenat Hammond both had to drop Journalism once the change was announced because they had to enroll in an arts class to earn the credit for graduation. According to Principal Joan Benz, confusion arose because these classes
PHOTO BY EMILIANA CARDINALE.
Newspaper, Yearbook and Literary Magazine students earned an arts credit last year, but it was revoked this year. count as arts for the Creative and Performing Arts Academy. The classes that are included in the Arts Academy are under the categories of Choral/Instrumental Music, Newspaper/Journalism, Theatre, Visual Arts, Yearbook and Literary Magazine. Journalism, Yearbook and Literary Magazine still count for the Arts Academy, but they no longer count toward the fine arts credit due to MCPS policy. The fact that these courses are included in the Academy proves that they are indeed valid art forms that should provide students with an arts credit. Just as students who
spend weeks painstakingly painting masterpieces earn it, students who produce monthly and yearly publications should earn it as well. According to Svrcek, the Academy was formed as a way to help students indulge in their artistic passions while simultaneously enhancing their learning experience. It is a way to give learning a purpose as it takes students’ passions and helps make them academic. Frankly, this is what credits should be doing instead of discouraging students from taking classes they are passionate about simply because of a requirement they need to fulfill.
Svrcek never questioned why Journalism classes counted for Arts credit last year. Journalism is in the Arts Academy, and therefore is an arts class and should fulfill the requirements for a credit. Classes must meet high requirements and expectations in order to qualify for an arts credit in MCPS. This was clearly designed to provide students with a well-rounded high school experience. According to English Language Arts Supervisor James Fliakas, The Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), defines fine art as art, dance, music and theatre. However, the organization of these credits needs to change. Literature is an art. This situation brings MCPS to face a fact--students are being forced to place too much value on course credit, rather than experience and productive learning. A class is not any less valuable because it does not count for a certain credit. However, this is often hard for some students to see, and since students need these credits to graduate, sometimes they must choose GPA and credits over passion. Students should be able to take these classes without it causing a conflict in their schedules. As the rules that prevent these classes from counting as arts credits come from the county, it is understandably challenging to successfully overturn MCPS policy. However, it is important for students to take classes they are passionate about, regardless of the credits they may or may not provide.
Excused Absences Too Much of a Hassle for Students By Balbina Yang Features Editor
CHS may be 24th in the nation for college readiness, but its confusing and intensive process of approving excused absences makes for a less successful learning environment, as it discourages additional educational endeavors and promotes dishonesty. Whether it’s due to a college visit or a religious holiday, getting an excused absence ahead of time is more of a hassle than just bringing in a note claiming sickness, so the latter is presented as the far more attractive option. CHS policy requires students to have a signed early excusal pass in order to be excused on the day of planned absence, but obtaining that pass takes most of the school day and is easier said than done. Students must go to the attendance office, pick up an early excusal pass, and promptly have all seven teachers sign it before the desired excusal date. Keep in mind, this can only happen after a student gets his or her assistant
school administrator’s signature. Not only is this a hassle for With more pressing matters at hand, the students, but students shouldn’t be required to use their there is also no guarantee that time making sure they got the right pass and all seven teachall eight signatures.” ers and the administrator will be present on that specific day excused if they have the majority of to sign the pass. If students do not obtain an early their teachers and their administraexcusal pass ahead of time, they can tor’s signatures. Also, if a student just bring in a note stating that they was sick, he or she can just bring in an were sick on that day. Even if they excusal note the day after, explaining cannot bring in the note, their parents his or her absence. While this process may not always or guardians can simply contact the attendance office and claim that their conflict with the students and their child cannot come to school due to ill- plans, more often than not, it does. It ness. Handing in a note after the fact can become an obstacle particularly or emailing the attendance office is when juniors and seniors go on cola much easier process and takes less lege visits. Upperclassmen are granted five time than spending the whole school excused absences for college visits, day getting signatures. According to the attendance office but must turn in a signed early exhead Cathleen Libbee, students can be cusal pass to be excused for each of
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those five days. With more pressing matters at hand, students shouldn’t be required to use their time making sure that they received the right pass and all eight signatures. In fact, getting an early excusal pass may discourage students from college visiting altogether. If our excusal process prevents our students from missing school for educational purposes, how are we supposed to stay 24th or even improve our rank in the nation? The early excusal may seem to be a quick and innovative way of keeping CHS organized and ensuring that students do not receive too many unexcused absences. By getting signatures from all seven teachers, students notify teachers of their absences and consequently, they stay on top of missed work. However, the process is only a nuisance. An early excusal pass with eight signatures will not secure a student’s path to college, nor will it stop him or her from missing school, so maybe it’s time to stop making excuses about an inexcusably harrowing process.
CHS Brings Back Assessment Schedule after Experimental Year Off By Maya Rosenberg Social Media Editor The workload for students at CHS is never supposed to be easy. But last year, during my first year of high school, I was swamped by the workload. I would have days with three or four summative tests in multiple classes, then I would have only one assessment or nothing at all the next. It’s a given that coursework, assessments and quizzes need to be challenging, but when students are taking multiple rigorous courses, this work can add up quickly and become overwhelming. To combat the immense workload at CHS, the
summative assessment schedule has been reintroduced for the 2015-2016 school year. Reintroducing the summative assessment schedule is a necessary change for students as it relieves some test anxiety by spacing out assessments and enabling students to plan their study time more efficiently. The schedule assigns each department specific days for summative assessments, with the intent to remove some of the stress that comes with those assessments. According to Principal Joan Benz, the schedule was in place during the 2013-2014 school year, but after a student survey was taken, the majority
of students felt it was not helpful. However, data taken from a student survey in the 2014-2015 school year stated that students felt it would be helpful to have the schedule again. The students’ initial disapproval may have been becausesome teachers did not follow the schedule. In doing so, they only increased the overlapping of assessments. In addition, some teachers took advantage of the fact that the schedule only applied to summative assessments, which left formative assignments to conflict in different classes. Reimplementing the summative assessment schedule allows students to plan their time better. When sum-
mative assessments are spread throughout the week, students have more time to study and fully comprehend what’s going to be on the test and can plan out their studying according to what days they have tests. The schedule also removes some of the stress surrounding summative assessments. The summative category is usually the heaviest weighted grading category and therefore impacts students’ grades the most. This means that those assessments are the bulk of students’ worries. Spreading them throughout the week so they don’t pile up is the most efficient way to relieve some of the pressure CHS students constantly feel.
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Observations
September 29, 2015
New Staff Members Join CHS Community
By Eugenia Cardinale Observations Editor
PHOTO BY EUGENIA CARDINALE.
Secretary Ruth Danoff worked as a project assistant for several contract research organizations and at Northwest High School before coming to CHS. “My favorite part of my daily routine is dealing with the students because they bring me energy,” Danoff said.
By Emiliana Cardinale Production Manager
By Fiona Asbury Editor-In-Chief
By Lauren Roseman Business Manager
PHOTO COURTESY OF MANIYA JULES.
Assistant Principal Maniya Jules came to CHS from Tilden MS where she previously worked as an assistant principal. She began her MCPS career at Blair HS and worked at five other schools and the Phoenix program for substance abuse. “Although I don’t have an accent, I’m a Haitian immigrant and a mom to three boys,” Jules said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAITLYN MORIARTY.
English Resource teacher Caitlin Moriarty spent last year as a staff development teacher at Springbrook HS and as a consulting teacher prior to that. “This is the best teaching job I’ve ever had,” Moriarty said. “I feel like the students are so ready to learn. It’s really fun.”
PHOTO BY LAUREN ROSEMAN.
School registrar Kari Lantos grew up in Cooperstown, NY and is a baseball fan. Lantos worked at Rockville High School before coming to CHS. “The students have been great, the parents have been great, and the faculty and administration are very supportive,” Lantos said. “I’m very happy to be here.”
PHOTO BY EUGENIA CARDINALE.
Matter and Energy teacher Jonathan Lee was an Army Ranger for two-and-a-half years. After getting injured in battle, he decided to become a teacher. “I like setting up labs because I like to watch my students be engaged while learning,” Lee said.
PHOTO BY EMILIANA CARDINALE.
AP World History and Honors US History teacher Karen Yeagle taught Advanced World History, similar to AP, at State College Area HS in State College, PA. “My favorite part of my day is getting to see my students learn and make connections about the new material,” Yeagle said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALBERT SONG.
Head football coach and English teacher Albert Song is joining the CHS community this year, teaching English 11 and English 12 teacher. Prior to spending the past four years as a teacher at Seneca Valley HS, Song attended law school. He also enjoys traveling. “I went backpacking by myself in Europe for six weeks, and I have driven cross-country,” Song said.
PHOTO BY LAUREN ROSEMAN.
Paraeducator Stephanie Kahal previously worked at Silver Spring International Middle School. Kahal graduated from CHS and grew up in MCPS. “I’m looking forward to coming back home again,” Kahal said.
By Nathan Deychman Sports Editor
PHOTO BY EUGENIA CARDINALE.
Honors U.S. History and Philosophy teacher Eric Imperial practiced law for 25 years before becoming a teacher. “I served in the U.S .Army Jag Corps and I have a black belt in karate,” Imperial said.
PHOTO BY EMILIANA CARDINALE.
Assistant Principal Bradley Rohner was previously an assistant principal at Rockville HS. He loves the band Led Zeppelin and his favorite part of his daily routine is the variety it provides. “Every day is different and you never know what you will learn,” Rohner said.
PHOTO BY EUGENIA CARDINALE.
AP NSL teacher Bryan Clark came to CHS from Sherwood High School, where he taught for a year, and from Watkins Mill High School, where he taught for seven years. “During the summer I work in Ocean City on the Ocean City Beach Patrol,” Clark said.
By Sarah O’Brien Production Editor
PHOTO BY SARAH O’BRIEN.
Transition paraeducator Amalia Bernstein was a long-term substitute filling in for speech pathologists. Bernstein has a son who graduated from the University of Maryland and a nephew and three nieces who are attending CHS now. “My favorite part of the job is getting to know each student that I work with and getting them any support they need,” Bernstein said
PHOTO BY NATHAN DEYCHMAN. PHOTO COURTESY OF DUSTIN COBURN.
Honors Geometry and Related Math teacher Dustin Coburn came to CHS this year after spending last year teaching math at Richard Montgomery HS. Coburn majored in Applied Mathematics, but went back to get a teaching certification before becoming a math teacher. “I love every part of the [school] day,” Coburn said. “There are different things I love about each class and kid.”
Media assistant Tracy Bottiglieri was previously a substitute teacher, vice president of the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) at Cabin John Middle School and vice president of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at Stone Mill Elementary School. “I enjoy all types of books,” Bottiglieri said. “One of the best books I read recently was All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.”
By Ariel Levchenko Online Opinions Editor PHOTO BY EMILIANA CARDINALE.
Russian teacher Charles Feinson spent most of his career teaching ESOL (English for students of other languages) primarily in public schools in Virginia. “I enjoy seeing students engaged in their learning,” Feinson said.
By Ariel Levchenko Online Opinions Editor Chinese teacher Yi-Chun Lin spent over five years teaching Chinese and ESOL in MCPS and is currently a graduate student at UMD. “My daughter and I are attending the same school now,” Lin said.
PHOTO BY NATHAN DEYCHMAN. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARGARET FOECKLER.
PHOTO COURTESY OF YI-CHUN LIN
French teacher Margaret Foeckler joined CHS after 25 years of teaching English, French, Spanish and ESOL in MCPS and in Europe. She will be splitting her time between CHS and Wootton. “Teaching at two different schools each day is harder than juggling,” Foeckler said.
Ninth and tenth grade Bridge Program English teacher Robert Bolin spent the last 11 years teaching 12th grade English at The Chelsea School, a private school in Hyattsville, MD. He believes in starting his classes off in an entertaining way to get his students energized for the period. “I like starting my classes with a Question of the Day,” Bolin said.
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September 29, 2015
Features
SGA Prepares for a ‘Super’ Homecoming 2015 By Isabel Dibble News Editor It’s that time of the year again. It’s time for students to start planning their proposals and picking out their apparel. Homecoming is Oct. 10, and with an earlier date than last year comes less time for students to prepare and more pressure for those preparing for the annual event. “There is definitely a lot of pressure to make it as good as or even better than last year’s, and to fulfill everything that needs to be done in a certain amount of time,” senior SGA President Sophia Giavotto said. “However, the Leadership class and SGA have already been working on Homecoming week. I have no doubt this year’s Homecoming will be amazing.” The SGA’s main goal this year is to increase the involvement of students in activities throughout Homecoming week, and SGA members are working on new activities that will attract students and encourage them to participate. Changes in the spirit week and lunch games class competitions will introduce some of these new activities and aim to raise school spirit. According to freshmen class sponsor Shelley Perrett, daily games will be held throughout spirit week, instead of just on Monday Madness, including fruit pass, where the objective of the game is to pass a cantaloupe down a line without using your hands. The SGA is also making changes to the pep rally to be held Friday Oct. 9. “Our goal is to make the pep rally very exciting and get the whole school to be there rather than have people wanting to go home,” Giavotto said. According to Giavotto, there will be new performances and games, which may possibly include bubble soccer in which students wear a large, inflatable ball to bounce off one another while playing soccer. “I am looking forward to my first time at the pep rally and to seeing the cheerleaders’ routine,” freshman Lorena Bravo said. Other big parts of Homecoming week include the floats, murals and dances that will be done by the executive board members of each grade. However, the freshmen class will be at a disadvantage for Homecoming because its class elections occurred Sept. 16 and its Executive Board formed shortly after. “The challenging part about Homecoming being early this year is the hurry to get the freshmen Exec Board together and to teach them what the Exec Board is and how to build the floats, murals and create the dances,” Perrett said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ELI PROMISEL.
Students design a board game-themed float last year. New this year, floats will travel down Victory Lane. After weeks of putting together a float, each grade will present its float and dance in the school-wide competition, and at the end of the competition, judges will vote for the class with the best float, mural and dance. “[The sophomore’s] game plan is as follows: beat the freshman, beat the juniors, and most importantly, crush the seniors,” SGA Student Senate sponsor and sophomore class sponsor Evan Rosenthal said. This year, the SGA wants to have a parade of the floats in the bus loop and leave the floats up longer so more of the community can see the students’ work after the performance. “A parade is incredibly important to building school spirit and community involvement,” Rosenthal said. “Even starting down Victory Lane and working our way to the bus loop will change the atmosphere of the entire event.” The idea of a parade is completely different from previous years, since floats usually have been destroyed shortly after the Homecoming performance. The theme this year is superheroes, and the seniors chose Batman, juniors chose Captain America, sophomores picked Spiderman, and the freshmen
chose Superman. Exec Boards in each grade are planning their floats based off of their superhero. “We’re at the beginning stages for building the floats, but so far it’s looking good,” SGA MCR Representative Sebastian Paez said. While the SGA and Exec Board figure out their plans for Homecoming, the rest of the student body is preparing for the Homecoming performance and football game Friday, Oct. 9 and the dance Saturday, Oct. 10. “Many of my friends have started planning outfits and the after-party, so I’m not too worried at the moment,”
sophomore Omisa Jinsi said. “However, I’m sure that in a week or so I’ll be scrambling to figure out all the logistics.” For the seniors, the fact that this is their last homecoming makes the event even more special. “The most exciting part about homecoming will be the entire day of preparation and the dance,” Giavotto said. “Although, maybe after the dance, just reminiscing with the people who have stood next to you at every homecoming since freshman year and seeing how much we have grown will be the best part.”
HOMECOMING WEEK monday
tuesday
wednesday thursday
Pajama Day Fruit Pass Game
Wacky-Tacky Tuesday Find the Bulldog in the Pie Game
Western Wednesday Beach Ball Game and Door Decoration Contest
Superhero Day Seniors-Batman Juniors-Captain America Sophomores-Spiderman Freshmen-Superman Bat Spin Game
Spirit Day: Wear class colors!
friday
Seniors- Blue Juniors- Green Sophomore- Black Freshman- White
Mural Contest, Parade, Football Game v. QO
Last year’s juniors show off their Monopoly-themed outfits made for their “Electric Slide” float dance. The theme this year is Superheroes.
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Features
September 29, 2015
Birds and Bees at CH
By Thomas Atkinson Online Features Editor
L
et’s talk about sex. The everyday lives of students are inundated with sex at every turn, which undoubtedly influences their ideas about it. These three tiny letters can wield so much power in a teen’s life, especially if he or she has the perception that everyone is doing it. The Observer has discovered that, at least at CHS, this is not the case. In an Observer study of 150 students, 80 percent of those who chose to answer the question stated that they had never had sex before.
Have your parents talke
1. Student Views on Sex Despite the fact that most CHS students are not sexually active, the average student holds quite liberal views on when it is permissible to engage in sexual behaviors. In the Observer survey, only 10 percent of students surveyed believe that sex is only permissible during marriage, while the other 90 percent believe that only a “committed relationship” is necessary. In contrast, 27 percent of students believe their parents think sex is only permissible in marriage, and the other 73 percent of students believe their parents think sex is permissible in a committed relationship. Some find losing one’s virginity to be sacred and therefore something that should be saved for the right person. “Sex is very personal and a representation of your love between you and that other person, and it should be kept between you and the person you love the most,”sophomore Jessica* said.
When is having sex permissible? In Marriage
In a committed relationship
2. The Talk In the Observer survey, 53 percent of students said their parents had spoken to them about sex, and 47 percent said their parents had not communicated their values about sexual intercourse at all. According to familyfacts.org, kids whose parents talk to them about sex are more likely to be abstinent. However, according to a 2012 national survey done by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health, only 43 percent of parents feel comfortable talking about sex with their children. “A lot of parents get judgmental and yell at their kids instead of educating them, so the kids get uncomfortable and scared,” senior Julia* said. However some parents have found a way to take an awkward subject and make it informative and helpful. “[My parents] said it very bluntly and didn’t sugar coat anything,” Jessica* said. “That way I got everything straightforward and could easily understand. At that age I thought it was very weird, but my parents still talk about it because it is more relevant and that still makes it very straightforward since it is such a serious topic.” “The Talk” allows kids to discuss an important topic with someone they trust and can rely on. If trusted adults don’t properly inform their children about sex, students may resort to information from less reliable sources such as movies, pornography and the Internet, leaving them with false information and misperceptions about sex.
September 29, 2015
9
Features
HS: What’s the Buzz? 4. How Do Students Learn about Sex?
ked to you about sex? Yes No
= 10%
3. Consequences of Being Sexually Active As students who choose to be sexually active embark on their sexplorations, they may not understand the true ramifications of their actions. According to a Jan. 28 Livestrong article, teens are under enormous pressure to have sex from their peers, significant others and even from themselves. All these different forces can lead someone to lose their virginity when they were not emotionally or physically prepared. “Especially when in a relationship with someone, you are almost expected to have sex with the person a couple months in,” junior Diana* said. While losing one’s virginity is often celebrated by the media in films such as American Pie and Easy A, adolescent sex is not a matter to be taken lightly for there are many serious repercussions such as guilt, depression and even harsh judgment from peers. For example, young girls who have sex early will be socially shunned while boys will be more accepted by their peers, according to an 2013 NIH article. Unfortunately for these hormonal teens, their actions can lead to more than just social acceptance or isolation. According to the 2013 survey by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young people between the ages 15-24 accounted for the 20 million new STD cases in the U.S.
According to the Observer survey, only 20 percent of students said they received their primary sexual education through health class. The other 80 percent primarily learned about sex through the media, friends or firsthand experience. “I honestly have to say I learned about sex the most from experiencing it for myself,” senior Sarah* said.
5. LGBT Sex Education Even with condom companies advertising safe sex in social media and sexed curriculums being taught at school, the LGBT community is not often talked about in regards to sex, and they are left uninformed about the different ways to have safe sex. “As a gay student, I don’t feel that MCPS did enough to prepare LGBT students to know enough about being safe,” David* said. “Though I did lose my virginity a little early, I still think I could have been more prepared.” The LGBT community is only mentioned in the health curriculum when referring to the many different sexual identities. MCPS Content Specialist Jeffery Mehr directed the Observer to the MCPS website in response to questions about LGBT sexual education; however, the website does not contain any specific information about this topic, and Mehr did not respond to additional inquiries for information. “[MCPS should provide sex ed] for people who are questioning their sexuality; educating people on this might help [them] discover their sexuality,” junior Nathan* said. “Also teaching about this might help people better sympathize with being gay.” The choice of whether to become sexually active is a personal choice, but not one to be taken lightly. As with most decisions, the more informed a person is, the more equipped a person is to make the best decision. *Students asked that their real names not be used due to the sensitive nature of the subject. The Observer survey was distibuted to Churchill students via Twitter and Facebook.
Where have you learned about sex?
Internet Friends Health Class
Features
September 29, 2015
10
CHS Students React to New School Start Times Madison Hurr Features Editor Arjun Swaminathan News Editor
You’re staring at the clock… it’s 2:09. Just one more minute until the bell rings. Just one more minute until you are free. But wait, you remember that school now ends at 2:30. Since the 20-minute delay in school start times, MCPS high school students have had an extra 20 minutes to sleep in. “To be honest, for students, I don’t see much of a difference,” AP Economics and Multivariable Calculus teacher Monica Malanoski said. “For me, it’s better because I have extra time to help out in the morning.” Despite the extra 20 minutes to get ready for school, some students are unhappy about the change because they feel the extra time conflicts with extracurricular activities. “I think people who play sports are a little negatively affected by it because it either gives them less time between school and practice or makes their practice longer so they have less time for homework,” senior Jackie Zidar said. In a survey of 50 CHS students, 38 percent of the students indicated that they did not favor the new start times, citing reasons such as extracurriculars ending later, increased morning traffic and a general sense of ineffectiveness. “Because of the start times, I don’t get home from crew until 7 or 7:30 p.m.,” senior Brie Ritter said. “Pushing the time back just makes it more inconvenient and confusing.” In addition, most of the respondents who oppose the later start time stated that their sleeping schedule remains the same, but now they have less time to study and do homework. “I just lie in my bed listening to music or doing nothing for 15 minutes,” Ritter said. A number of students indicated that 20 minutes is not enough. Pushing school back to 8 a.m. would be considered a more optimal start time. However, the majority held a favorable overall opinion of the change.
“I get up at the same time but use the 20 minutes to actually wake up and have a real breakfast instead of running out the door,” Zidar said. “I like that I’m not that stressed in the morning.” Some students are ambivalent about the new bell times. “It doesn’t really make much of a difference to me,” senior Austin Yang said. “I just go to bed later and wake up later.” Ultimately, the overall reaction to the change has been positive. “I have so much more extra time in the morning to prepare for school,” senior Jeffrey Li said. “It’s more relaxing because I’m so used to waking up at 6:30.”
“I don’t think it makes a difference in the morning, but in the afternoon it affects my after- school activity schedule.”
PHOTO BY SARAH O’ BRIEN.
Sophomore Melissa Rusagara “It doesn’t affect me too much, so I’m okay with it. I use the extra time in the morning to sleep in.”
Regular Bell Schedule Period 1 7:45-8:30 Period 2
8:35-9:20
Period 3
9:25-10:10
Period 4
10:15-11:05
LUNCH
11:10-12:00
Period 6
12:05-12:50
Period 7
12:55-1:40
Period 8
1:45-2:30
Junior Sheila Gaur PHOTOS BY MADISON HURR.
“I just go to sleep later and wake up later.”
Senior Austin Yang “It’s better for me because I have extra time to help students in the morning.” Econ and math teacher Monica Malanoski
“I get up at the same time but use the 20 minutes to actually wake up and have a real breakfast instead of running out the door.”
“Waking up later regardless of anything is always better.”
Senior Jackie Zidar
Senior Jeffrey Li
Friendly Ice Cream Man Serves Joy to CHS Community Nathan Deychman Sports Editor
Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear collared shirts and hand out snow cones. Forooz Amini, better known as Fred, sells ice cream at many of Potomac’s pools and schools, including Regency Estates and CHS. He has become a staple in the community through his reputation for high-quality customer service and his bond with many local residents. “Once I get to know the kids who buy my ice cream, I enjoy watching them grow up and making them happy,” Amini said. Amini has been selling ice cream in Montgomery County for 33 years. He immigrated from Iran to the US in 1979 during the Iranian Revolution. Once he
discovered the ice cream business in college, he never looked back. However, despite his current popularity, after buying his first truck in 1993, Amini initially struggled to adapt to his new surroundings. “At first, I was embarrassed to do my job,” Amini said. “I soon realized that everyone in the community was nice, and I began to make money.” Over the years, Amini has become somewhat of a celebrity in Potomac. Many local children know him by name and can easily recognize him just by his voice or by the sound of his van. “I have known Fred since I was in middle school,” senior Mehar Cheema said. “He has become part of the area’s culture.” Even though he says he does not make that much money as an ice cream
man, Amini is happy leading a simple life. “I live very cheap,” Amini said. “Since I am my own boss, I can make all of my own decisions regarding my workload and my expenses.” When he is not driving his signature van around Potomac, doing what he does best, Amini enjoys traveling. He gives himself six months of vacation each year during the colder months and spends it traveling the world with his wife. “I travel to sightsee,” Amini said. “I’ve been to China, India, Brazil and Costa Rica just to name a few.” Now 60, Amini has done a lot with his life. He has raised three children, become acclimated to a new country and focused a lot of his time on charitable efforts. Amini has a tip box in his truck, but it is not just any regular tip box. All of the money put in the box is matched by Amini, and all of it, including the tips, is donated to various charities around the world such as St. Jude’s and the Red Cross. “There was once a woman who would give me money to give ice cream to poor children who could not afford it,” Amini said. “Ever since then, I have been very involved in many different charities.” By enjoying the simple things in life,
Amini is able to not only be happy, but make those around him feel the same way. “Life is good,” Amini said.
PHOTO BY NATHAN DEYCHMAN.
Farooz “Fred” Amini has been selling ice cream in the Potomac community for 33 years.
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September 29, 2015
Arts
Take a Break from Your Boring, Morning Meal By Arielle Gordon Arts Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXANDRA CONWAY.
The scent of a good, hot breakfast might be the only thing that “egg”cites you to get out of bed every morning. For many, a typical breakfast consists of eggs, toast or cereal, but for some CHS students, breakfast is made up of less traditional foods. “For breakfast, I will sometimes have chia pudding made with espresso,” senior Alexandra Conway said. Chia seeds are part of the latest superfood craze and many people are scrambling to add them to their diet. One tablespoon of chia seeds contains 60 calories, four grams of fiber, as well as some antioxidants, Omega-3s, calcium and protein. However, some would rather start their day the same way that others end theirs, by eating dinner for breakfast. Junior Jordan Goldsmith usually eats leftover dinner food such as steak, pasta, pizza or Chinese food for breakfast. She has been eating dinner for breakfast for about five years. “I used to eat some breakfast food when I was little, but then I grew out of it,” Goldsmith said. Some don’t eat breakfast before school, opting to nibble throughout the day. Junior Iris Indig is usually too tired
in the morning to eat a real breakfast, so she eats a snack during the morning to hold her over until lunch. “I usually don’t eat breakfast, but I take a KIND bar with me and eat it during second period,” Indig said. The time it takes to prepare and eat a meal also plays a factor in deciding what one should eat for breakfast. Conway likes her chia pudding because it is quick to eat and easy to prepare. “I started eating it because I didn’t have time for a slow breakfast, and you can put the pudding in a jar,” Conway said. “It’s really easy to make and super yummy.” In addition to being easy to make and prepare, Conway’s breakfast contains both caffeine and nutrition, arguably the two most important elements of breakfast for a high school student. “Originally I made the pudding with milk, but since I was drinking coffee, I decided to experiment with using espresso as my liquid of choice - turns out it worked great,” Conway said. “I started eating it in the middle of junior year, when my needs for caffeine and nourishment were at their peaks.” If you are still in the market for an “egg”cellent breakfast, the Observer has some suggestions for you below.
Observer Recipes:
Microwavable Scrambled Eggs
PHOTOS BY ARIELLE GORDON.
Clockwise from top: Senior Alexandra Conway loves her homemade chia pudding. Junior Iris Indig snacks on a KIND bar during class. Junior Jordan Goldsmith loves dinner for breakfast.
Total Prep time: 5 minutes Ingredients: 1 egg At least 1/4 cup of milk A dash of salt and pepper Directions: 1. Crack egg into a microwave safe bowl. 2. Add in as much milk as desired. 3. Add salt and pepper to taste. 4. Stir the mixture together. 5. Put the mixture into the micro- wave for 45 seconds. 6. Take your egg out of the micro- wave and check to see if it is cooked. 7. If it’s not, put it back in the microwave for increments of 10- 15 seconds until it is cooked. 8. If it’s thoroughly cooked, grab a fork and enjoy your quick, easy and healthy breakfast!
Rocky Mountain French Toast
(This one requires the use of a stove, but is still pretty quick!) Total prep time: 7 minutes Ingredients: 1 piece of bread 1 egg Butter or cooking spray ¼ cup of shredded cheese Directions: 1. Cut a circular hole about 1-inch wide in the center of the bread. 2. Grease a griddle or frying pan. 3. Place your bread in the center of the pan.
4. Crack the egg into the hole of your bread. 5. After about 2 minutes, flip your toast. 6. Cook for about 2 more minutes. 7. Take your toast off of the stove. 8. Put it on a plate and sprinkle with your favorite cheese. 9. Grab a fork and enjoy!
Alexandra Conway’s Chia Pudding
Prep time: prepare the night before and refrigerate overnight Ingredients: Milk, enough to fill half of the jar (espresso can be substi tuted for any portion milk for an extra caffeine boost!) ½ tsp of cinnamon 2 Tbsp of maple syurp 2 Tbsp of cocoa pudding 1 sliced banana Handful of chocolate chips Chia seeds, enough to fill half of the jar Directions: 1. Find a jar that has a lid. 2. Fill the jar almost halfway with milk. 3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and tablespoons of cocoa powder. Mix well. 4. Fill the rest of the jar with chia seeds, leaving about an inch of space at the top. 5. Mix and refrigerate overnight. 6. Top with sliced bananas and chocolate. Enjoy!
PHOTO BY ARIELLE GORDON.
Microwavable scrambled eggs require eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
September 29, 2015
Drumline is Bangin’ By Fiona Asbury Editor-in-Chief
Despite its hard-to-miss presence, the drumline is perhaps one of the most underappreciated aspects of the CHS community. Led by senior captains Leo Simon, Zach Eisner and Shayan Sadegh, the drumline consists of 18 percussionists who gather to rally student support at CHS events. The drumline is not a class or technically even part of the CHS music department. Instead, the members consider themselves to be a student-led varsity music group, run by their group of captains, rather than an instructor or coach. “We perform at freshman orientation, halftime during football games, pep rallies, poms competitions, and any other events people ask
PHOTO BY FIONA ASBURY.
Arts
us to play at, [like] Homecoming proposals,” senior Nitul Purohit said. To prepare multiple pieces for the various performances, the drumline holds practices from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. Auditions were held mid-May of last year, and previous musical experience was not necessary for the audition. “[During a performance] we perform about six pieces, but when we’re in the mood, we just jam,” Simon said. The 18 drumline members are divided into groups for performance. They consist of five bass drums, six cymbals, five snare drums and two tenor drums. This allows the drumline to offer depth and variety in its performances. In addition to performing at school events, the drumline is looking to start a competition aspect to the team. “We plan on going to a competition this year for the first time in CHS drumline history,” Simon said. “What competition, we’re not sure yet.” T h e d r u m line aims to spread school spirit by inspiring students and supporting various groups around the school with musical accompaniment. However, by entering competitions, drumline has the opportunity to be supported by CHS, as well as continue to support it. Anyone interested in having the drumline play for an event should contact drumline captains through Facebook or at leojsimo@yahoo.com.
Senior CJ Snow plays the bass drum.
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SCREENSHOT OF DOCTOR OZ SHOW.
Haroot Hakopian travelled to NYC to be on the Dr.Oz Show Sept.17.
Hakopian Featured on Dr. Oz By Lauren Roseman Business Manager
Varsity girls soccer coach and English teacher Haroot Hakopian appeared on the Dr. Oz Show Thursday, Sept. 17, at 1 p.m. to talk about concussions. When Dr. Oz received brain scan results from the doctor that showed the concussions he got as a teen are still affecting his brain today, he decided to dedicate an entire show to discussing concussions. “It’s become a nationwide epidemic, and people are trying to figure out what to do about it,” Hakopian said. The producers of the show were looking for someone who had experience as both a youth and high school coach. They found Hakopian through LinkedIn and various Washington Post articles on concussions. According to Hakopian, his background on concussions is from the training he received from the Bethesda Soccer Club and MCPS, in addition to his 22 years of experience as a coach. “All coaches in MCPS have to go through a comprehensive concussion training,” Hakopian said.
According to Hakopian, MCPS is more advanced than other counties in concussion training. Many people from other areas had not heard of the Impact Test, the concussion test that all student athletes in MCPS must take. At first, Hakopian believed that the phone call from the Dr. Oz producers asking him to be on the show was a prank, assuming that a friend was behind everything. After calling the number back and connecting with people from the show, he realized that the phone call was real. Hakopian got a behind-the-scenes look of what happens during a show’s taping. For example, the audience was taught how to react to different statements. Also, although the show was taped in front of a live studio audience, if a mistake was made, then the lines would be reshot and the audience would have to create the same reaction. The Dr. Oz Show also provided Hakopian with a driver who would take him to wherever he needed to be. “It was phenomenal,” Hakopian said. “It was interesting to be a celebrity for a 24 hour period.”
Theater Department Under New Management as Ratz Takes the Stage By Sara Heimlich Social Media Editor
Naomi Ratz, former English teacher and current Yearbook advisor, has big plans and high expectations for the theater department as she takes over as theater director this year. Ratz has graduate degrees in both English Education and Theater Education, and has always dreamed about becoming a theater teacher. This year, her wish became a reality. Ratz’s first order of business was to get the word out through posters and announcements to incoming freshman about theater opportunities. Upcoming events for the year will include a fall musical, a winter play, One Acts during the annual Festival of the Arts, and Blast. Ratz also hopes to bring in Broadway performers and
television actors to schools for Q&A sessions and performances through the “Art Speaks” program. With 50 people signed up for auditions for the Fall musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Ratz had to extend tryout days so all potential performers could audition. The musical, a satire on office politics, will run at 7:30 p.m. Nov 13,14, 20 and 21. Drama club vice president and junior Taira Dolan credits audition numbers to the increased promotion through posters around the school and Daily Dose announcements, along with the fact that many freshmen auditioned, “widening the talent pool.” One of those freshmen is Josie Bourelly, who will play Smitty in this year’s musical. “I had always been a fan of Churchill shows and how they were performed
PHOTO BY SARA HEIMLICH.
Ratz will direct How to Succeed in Business to debut Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
in such a way that you would forget it was high schoolers up on that stage,” Bourelly said. “I am so excited to be working with all different types of people who have different training and learning from them.” How to Succeed was the show Ratz was in as a senior at CESJDS, so it still holds a special place in her heart. “I always knew that when I got the opportunity, How to Succeed would be the first show I ever directed,” Ratz said. Ratz’s goal for this year’s shows is to “make a presence in the community by expanding outreach into the elementary and middle schools.” She plans on bringing back teasers, open dress rehearsals for elementary and middle-schoolers to attend, and
broadening the theater department to include multilevel theater classes, allowing students to continue to enhance their theater education throughout their time at CHS. Besides performing in the shows, students can involve themselves with the productions through off-stage roles including set builders, costume designers, makeup artists, lighting teams, and even those interested in marketing. Students interested in roles other than performing should contact Ratz by email or in room 228 for more information on how to get involved. “Come and support your friends,” Ratz said. “Come and see it and give them their props.”
September 29, 2015
Sports
Football Coach Song Sets New Goals for Team
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Coach Demands Excellence On and Off the Field
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW ZUCKERMAN.
Led by senior captain Andrew Zuckerman, the Bulldogs charge the field during a recent game. By Jonathan Greenzaid Sports Editor New head football coach Albert Song is requiring all his players to sit in the front of their classrooms and to act as exemplary students. Some may consider this excessive, but he says he is preaching a character-first mentality. “My goal is to develop character first,” Song said. “I’m trying to create men. I want them to be great students by having discipline, and if they can do this, they will be men, and men are great football players.” Discipline is just one of the five key principles that Song pushes his team to
work toward. The others include desire, devotion, determination and details. “Anytime you are trying to be successful, you need discipline,” Song said. “So many things are happening on the football field at one time. It’s organized chaos, and the more organized you are in the chaos, the more successful the team [will be].” While many of Song’s policies are demanding, the players understand the value behind the classroom requirements. “Not everyone is jumping to abide by these rules, but we do it anyway because that’s what it takes to build a disciplined program,” senior captain
Andrew Zuckerman said. “All in all, we wanted to prove that not everyone can be a football player. It takes mental toughness, desire, devotion and dedication.” Song relies on the CHS security team to sweep the halls and classrooms to make sure his players are on their best behavior during school. “You need to get help to be successful,” Song said. “I have asked everyone to play a part.” Song also sent an email to staff members detailing his efforts and asking them to allow players to sit in the front of the classroom as long as it does not disrupt teachers’ plans. “I like the way Song is looking at the players as full humans as opposed to
football positions,” English teacher Jeffery Savett said. “It assures the athletes that they are unified not just on the field, but they are unified in growing together in other areas.” The Bulldogs started the season off with a 27-8 loss against Clarksburg Sept. 4 followed by a 30-24 win against Einstein Sept. 11. Zuckerman played a large role in the team’s second-half comeback against Einstein, rushing for a total of 276 yards. The team’s resiliency and effort reflect Song’s policies in the classroom and translate onto the football field. “I think coach Song’s policies show that it’s not just about football with him,” Zuckerman said. “He’s mostly focused on creating respectful men.”
New CHS Lineman Thrives By Peter Durand Social Media Editor
Senior Phil Spencer is barreling through everyone’s expectations, literally. After turning down a scholarship from Blair Academy boarding school in New Jersey to attend CHS, Spencer stands out as key to the Bulldog’s defensive line. “He is one of the strongest players I’ve ever seen, but is still extremely mobile for his size,” said senior outside linebacker and tight end Weiling Tan. As one of the most physical players on the team, he has already assumed a commanding role on defense as the defensive nose tackle. Despite being a defensive lineman, Spencer says that his true passion is in wrestling. According to the athletic records for Saint John’s College High School in DC, Spencer was a DC City Champion for his weight category in 2014, qualifying him for the National Preps Tournament. In 2015, he placed second in his weight category at the same tournament. Spencer has also wrestled at the state level for Team Maryland and the Maryland Monster Squad. “I started wrestling with my brother when I was little,” Spencer said. “I like literally everything and anything about wrestling.” Spencer has come a long way since then, even getting featured in December 2014’s D.C. Wrestler Spotlight for the Wrestling Coalition of DC. He now has his sights set on his future wrestling
PHOTO BY PETER DURAND.
Senior defensive lineman Phil Spencer sheds a block and gets ready to make a tackle against an opposing runningback. Spencer has also wrestled for Saint John’s, Team Maryland and the Maryland Monster Squad. career. “I have interest from West Virginia, Grand Canyon University and Utah Valley, all Division I schools,” Spencer said. But for now, Spencer is focused on the CHS wrestling and football programs, and he has enjoyed his senior year so far as a Bulldog. “I’m happy to be here,” Spencer said.
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Sports
September 29, 2015
Limitations on Off-season Coaching Unreasonable By Jake Certner Sports Editor
“Championships are won in the offseason” is the classic sports mantra MCPS has decided to completely ignore, and even go so far as to work against. According to the MCPS website, it is against county policy for teams to compete, practice or even meet with their coaches beyond the designated season, and violation of this rule will result in sanctions against the players and coaches. This restriction prevents any schoolorganized off-season skill development and prohibits student-athletes and coaches from developing chemistry in the offseason. It is understandable that allowing teams to remain exclusive and compete year-round would reduce chances of having equal tryouts. However, there is no reason why open practices or drills are just as taboo. There is no downside to allowing coaches to hold open practices and drills for any student who simply wants to improve and meet the prospective coaches. There is no reason for the harshness of the policy. The policy is a detriment to new players and inhibits the coaches’ ability to put together the best team possible. In a perfect tryout, a coach will take the best players and put together the best team possible. Unfortunately, in high school sports, the tryout process is exceedingly rushed and is often conducted in less than ideal conditions, where the coaches have no prior knowledge of new kids. In this flawed system, mistakes are bound to happen and fluke tryouts can lead to wrong selections. According to an anonymous source, who asked that his name not be used,
during his freshman year he felt he was cut from his sport because he was not provided an adequate opportunity to showcase his skills due to an indoor tryout. The following year however, he made JV and was a consistent starter. Though it is indeterminable whether this student deserved to be cut his freshman year, if it weren’t for the MCPS policy, the coaches would be allowed to watch him play prior to the tryout, and the coaches’ decision would have been far easier to support. Not only would the tryout process become easier for both coaches and players, but every practice during the season would benefit the team if the students had time to play together with the coaches before the tryout date. Obviously an open off-season drill session would not have the same impact as a structured team practice, but one of the most difficult aspects of putting a team together is getting players to work well with each other and the coaches. According to senior field hockey captain Nina Kothari, if the team could come together in the off-season under the coaches’ supervision, the team would be “stronger” even if the off-season time was not reserved for returning players. The grounds for this policy are extremely unclear. The point of it seems to be a measure put in place to prevent coaches from making it impossible to make the team after it is put together. However, preventing both new and old players from working with coaches in the off-season does not level the playing field. The policy only hinders the development of athletes and deprives new athletes the chance to get to know their coaches. Due to this policy, several CHS
teams have found other ways to work together in order to get offseason work in. According to senior varsity lacrosse player Sam Beloff, the varsity and JV lacrosse teams both have fall teams made entirely of returning players, but the teams are coached by a third-party coach to avoid rule violations. This is proof of the policy working against its own purpose. The point of the policy is to prevent teams from staying established year-round. However, because these students do not have open practices they can attend under their own coach, they end up joining
an exclusive club team that provides them with the exclusive practice and play opportunities that a year-round team would. According to Beloff, if they had the option, the coaches would definitely be willing to work with players in the offseason. The policy should not be abolished all together, as it comes from a good place. But if coaches are willing and able to hold non-exclusive, optional opportunities to work with students who want to make their team, the county should not stand in their way.
PHOTO COURTSEY OF MATTHEW LIPSON.
CHS baseball players participated in a summer league team without the help of their Churchill head coach.
It’s Not a Sponsorship, just Bulldogs Enjoying G-Week By Balbina Yang Features Editor Emily Wang Online Arts Editor With the fall sports season under way, proper hydration and nutrition are incredibly important. To help ensure this, CHS hosted G-Week, otherwise known as Gatorade Week, during the first week of school for all fall sports teams. “[Gatorade] runs G-Week, where they provide a variety of their products to our athletic programs and provide information on how to prepare your body better for athletics before, during and after playing,” Athletic Director Scott Rivinius said. Gatorade is not sponsoring CHS sports as there are no monetary benefits; rather, it is a promotional tactic that many high schools in MCPS, such as Quince Orchard and Walter Johnson, are taking advantage of, according to Rivinius. For the promotion, a Gatorade representative came to CHS to provide information about the specific products. High school athletes had the opportunity to try the products such as pre-workout chews and protein shakes, and could opt out if they chose. According to Gatorade.com, Gatorade is searching for innovative ways to help athletes perform at their peak by facilitating proper hydration and nutrition. “On the really tough days, [Gatorade products] help the athletes recover quickly,” cross-country coach Paul Jacobson said. However, even with the company’s claims and other athletes’ approval, some students doubted the advantages of Gatorade because of the short-term
PHOTO BY BALBINA YANG
Gatorade provided CHS sports teams with free products including drinks, energy chews and protein bars. availability of the product. “Since the cross-country team only got promoted with free products for three days, I couldn’t tell if Gatorade made a difference, but it was definitely a fun experience nevertheless,” senior varsity cross-country runner Alexandra Conway said. The promotion also led to some non-athletes to ask about whether the
athletes had a say in what to drink, either Gatorade, water or both. According to varsity soccer player Dan Cohen, the soccer team always has one water and one Gatorade cooler, so they can drink either or both. According to Conway, the promotion helped get everyone excited and made the team feel more serious and legitimate, which ultimately promoted
team bonding. Since G-Week was a relatively new feature at CHS, it is unclear whether it will be continued. However, there are hopes that its success this year will bring it back in the future. “This was a successful program so I hope that we can have another G-Week with Gatorade in the future,” Rivinius said.
September 29, 2015
15
Sports
New Golf Coach Has High Expectations for Team By Chrsistian Edwards Online Sports Editor
Coming off of an MPSSAA state championship win last year, the golf team was left coach-less after former head coach Mike Fisher stepped down. Fortunately, CHS resource teacher Aaron Vactor took charge as the team’s new head coach. “I’ve coached golf in the past at Einstein,” Vactor said. “My dad is a golf instructor, and I hope to improve with my own game. Golf is just a great game, and not everyone can play it.” Vactor has coached CHS girls and boys basketball, as well as football. For each team he coached, Vactor said he always admired the level of understanding the student athletes had and the relationships he built with his players over the years. According to Athletic Director Scott Rivinius, Vactor showed immediate interest in the coaching job as soon as it was posted, and Rivinius is very confident with the new leadership in the team. “Vactor is an avid golfer and is very passionate about the sport,” Rivinius said. “Expectations are high, but the team seems very focused to try to not only reach the level they achieved last year, but to exceed it.” With his high expectations for the team, Vactor stresses the importance of staying focused, and not letting their egos get the best of them. “I’m just telling the players to stay humble and focused on the goal,” Vactor said. “We have great senior leadership with [Gray] and [Schaap], so it really makes it easy.” Under Vactor’s coaching, the team began the season 4-0, shooting two under par in its first few matches against Wootton, WJ, Whitman, Northwest and B-CC. Junior Oliver Whatley, sophomore Dylan Rotter and senior captains Luke Schaap and Adam Gray continued last year’s momentum in the team’s first few matches and hope to accomplish even more than last season. “Our main goal is to obviously win States again, but this time we want to break the scoring record that we missed by five shots last year,” Schaap said. Last season, the golf team beat second-place Wootton by 10 strokes to claim the team State Championship win. Rotter finished second in the state individually, and Gray finished fourth. Gray agrees that the team is a force to be reckoned with under the leadership of Vactor.
Senior golfer Adam Gray and sophomore Golfer Dylan Rotter hold their finishes after a tee shot. Gray leads the division with a scoring average of 35.25 and Rotter is ranked eighth in the county with an average of 38. “Coach Vactor is a great guy, and he really understands how to connect with the team,” Gray said. “He keeps things light and fun, but knows how to be serious when the time is right.” With expectations of repeating last year, Vactor looks forward to the rest of the season. “I think we’re moving in a positive direction,” Vactor said. “I’m still new as the golf coach, but I’m hoping I can continue to make a difference and have them believe in me, the way I believe in them.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL FISHER.
Senior Swimmer Commits
The Golf team goes to Districts on Oct. 5. They are currently undefeated and ranked #1 in MoCo.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HANNAH LINDSEY.
Olympic Trials qualifier senior Hannah Linsdey will join the University of Wisconsin Class of 2020. Lindsey proudly displays her Badger pride. By Nathan Deychman Sports Editor Congratulations to senior Hannah Lindsey who committed Sept. 14 to the University of Wisconsin for swimming. Lindsey has been swimming for CHS since her freshman year and is the twotime reigning state champion in the 100 meter backstroke. She also qualified for the 2016 Olympic Trials in the 200 meter backstroke this past spring while swimming for All-Star Aquatics in Rockville. “As soon as I stepped on campus
and met the team, I felt right at home,” Lindsey said. Lindsey plans to study environmental science and has her sights set on competing in the NCAA Championships next year. “Placing in the top 16 at the NCAA Championships next year would be amazing, and I believe I can reach that goal at Wisconsin,” Lindsey said.
Montgomery County Public Schools Winston Churchill High School 11300 Gainsborough Rd. Potomac, MD 20854
thechurchillobserver.com
September 29, 2015
Volume 40 - Issue 1
A National Blue Ribbon School
Fall Sports Updates By Nathan Gertler, Michael Fox, Ross Tanenbaum and Ben Dross
Girls Tennis
Boys Soccer Boys soccer will try to continue its success from last year’s 8-2-4 regular season. The team has began the season 1-2 and is looking to bounce back from some early injuries including Nicholas Yazdani’s arm injury and sophomore goalkeeper Joel Assal’s sprained back. “I’d like to continue to improve and peak at playoff time and get deep into the playoffs,” head coach Arnold Tarzy Tarzy said.
The girls tennis team will employ an enormous 24-player roster this season. The Bulldogs started off the season 4-0-1, defeating QO, 7-0, Sept. 11, Blair, 6-1, Sept. 16, Rockville, 7-0, Sept. 17 and Richard Montgomery, 4-3, Sept. 18. “ I feel like every single girl on the team brings something new,” senior Namrita Perincherry said.
Girls Cross Country
Boys Cross Country CHS opened the year by beating the number one ranked B-CC team in a preseason scrimmage, and B-CC is the first of many tests for the Bulldogs. The team will face off against top five teams, Whitman and WJ Oct. 13. “We will be challenged in every dual meet,” head coach Paul Jacobson said.
The girls cross country team is ranked fourth by MoCoRunning’s preseason poll. However, B-CC, WJ, Wootton, Whitman, and Richard Montgomery are also in the top six teams in the county.
“With the girls it’s about being competitive against our rivals,” Jacobson said. “Julia Reicin is our number one returning runner, and Julie Thomasian is already showing to be the number two runner.”
Girls Volleyball
Field Hockey Despite losing 11 players from last year’s roster, field hockey looks determined to replicate and even improve on its previous 9-5 regular season record. The Bulldogs have gotten off to a 2-2 start, defeating Einstein, 6-0, Sept. 16, and B—CC, 2-1, Sept. 18. “We are playing well and are much more unified than I anticipated,” senior defender Nina Kothari said.
Girls Soccer
The girls volleyball team has its sights on doing something that no previous girls volleyball team has done in school history— win a state Championship. The team has yet to drop a match this year, posting a 4-0 record to open up the season. “This year the girls are focused on playing strong and going all the way,” head coach Cindy Hillard said.
Girls soccer concluded its last year’s playoff run with a 2-1 double overtime loss to B—CC. Hoping to repeat the highs of last year’s 12-2-1 regular season, senior captains Nicole Brodkowitz, Lauren Mackie, Juliana Comer and junior captain Frannie Phillips will strive for another strong season. “I expect all of the team members to embrace their roles and work their absolute hardest for us to reach our goals,” head coach Haroot Hakopian said.
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