Warrior Sherwood High School 300 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860
37th Year, Issue No.4
March 13, 2015
the
Inside: News: 1-5, Making A Difference: 6-7, Features: 8-9, Humor: 10-11, Spotlight: 12-13, Opinions: 14-16, Wondering Warrior: 17, Entertainment: 18-20, Sports: 21-24
What Makes a True Friend?
Making a Mockery of College Admissions and Campus Life
pg. 17
pg. 10
Project Change Hosts Annual Tournament
Schools Feeling Strain From PARCC Testing by Ankur Kayastha ‘15
Haley Whitt ‘15
Senior Tommy Weir throws a dodgeball at a tournament in the main gym on February 23. For the third straight year, Project Change hosted a dodgeball tournament as a fundraiser for a charity. This year, the tournament raised close to $800 for You Have The Power, a bullying-prevention program for middle school kids. The tournament was expanded to 18 teams with 10 participants each after only having 10 teams the previous year. One of the teams with mostly juniors named “We’re Ready For Hillary” won the single elimination tournament. They also beat out “Thugs in the Streets,” an all-senior
In News Dr. Starr Resigns Former MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr resigns after losing the support of several Board of Education (BOE) members. Now, the search begins for a new superintendent to take Starr’s place and be sworn in by July. see pg. 4
Jack Armstrong ‘15
team, in the championship game. Project Change Program Manager Katie Johnson was very pleased with how the tournament proceeded. “The whole event went very smoothly. My club presidents Matt McDonald and Annie Feinroth and the rest of the Project Change Club members did a great job,” she said. “I would like to thank all of the players, especially our champions. The event was definitely a success.” The tournament was very well received and many hope it will be back again next year.
by John Sutherland ‘16
As the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessments replace many state-mandated standardized tests, schools across the nation are struggling to administer the multi-day computer-based test. At Sherwood, the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) initially planned to go to block scheduling to accommodate seven PARCC tests. Based on staff feedback which voiced concern about dramatically changing the instructional day of every student, the school instead settled on a plan to hold PARCC testing in designated classrooms while instruction in the rest of the building continue normally. Schools across MCPS struggled with the administration of PARCC last week. Problems were so prevalent that the Office of Shared Accountability issued a memorandum to school administrators. “We had a tremendous number of testing violations on Day 1, due to test administrators moving students forward to the next unit inappropriately,” wrote Suzanne Woertz, Supervisor in the Testing Unit. “There are a lot of challenges,” said Assistant School Administrator Sapna Chaudhry, Sher-
wood’s Testing Coordinator. “The biggest challenge that we have to come across is not knowing what might happen on the day of testing … the uncertainty of connectivity issues, the whole aspect of proctoring assignments, moving classes to different locations and even scheduling make-ups. What must be understood is that this is new testing and there are bound to be changes as we move forward.” Three emergency snow days have forced Sherwood to deviate from its planned testing days. The school had planned to administer PARCC tests to students in Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and English 10 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Without the snow days, testing would have ended on March 16. Even without the loss of school days to snow emergencies, there already was a growing chorus of frustration about the number of tests that students have to take, particularly towards the end of the school year. Sophomores, specifically, are bearing the brunt of the testing season. All sophomores have to take the English PARCC and a number of them will take an Algebra 2 PARCC. Additionally, the two HSAs (Government and Biolo-
see PARCC, pg. 2
Smoothing Out the Kinks with Chromebooks by Lexi Paidas ‘17
This year, MCPS is implementing the use of Google Apps for Education (GAFE) to kick start a multiyear effort to combine technology into classrooms for a better and more interactive learning experience. Beginning second semester, Sherwood has 32 chromebooks in 16 social studies classrooms with cloudbased technology to share documents, improve efficiency and create more testing opportunities such as with the PARCC. This is all part of the district’s Technology Modernization (Tech Mod) Program, and next year it is possible that chromebooks will be used in English or science classes at Sherwood. GAFE technology is com-
patible with promethean boards and will allow teachers to monitor students’ activities during class to make sure they stay on task. With the implementation of this technology, social studies resource teacher Christine McKeldin emphasizes the importance of students and staff learning and using the technology correctly. “You don’t want the technology to guide the instruction; you want the instruction to guide the use of the technology,” said McKeldin. Students will be able to use the school’s Wi-Fi to use their own devices to access their GAFE accounts at school or home. GAFE will allow for restricted communication between students and staff, and GAFE and MCPS are working to ensure that the new technology and “chat” function
complies with MCPS privacy standards, such as the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) and Children’s Online Privacy Act (COPA). Sherwood is a phase-three school, meaning it was part of the final group to receive the chromebooks in MCPS. Although three members of the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) were assigned to Sherwood, social studies teacher Beth Shevitz said that the social studies teachers have, for the most part, been left to their own devices to figure out the functionality of the chromebooks. “As a resource teacher, I have a lot on my plate to ensure that I’m pulling all the resources that are available. The advantage is that a lot of the kinks have already
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been worked out throughout the year in other schools. We are also able to learn and build on other people’s experiences. Our goal this year is to start to get teachers and students comfortable with the technology,” said McKeldin. Hurdles still remain when using the new technology, such as when teachers give out homework using the chromebooks, creating a problem for low income students who do not have access to their GAFE accounts at home. There have also been many reports of connection problems, due to the poor Wi-Fi at school, and difficulties with students logging into their accounts overall. During class, when students have to take the chromebooks out, log
see CHROME, pg. 2
The Warrior•News 2
March 13, 2015
Contest Finalists Produce
S W E N in brief
Sequel Anti-Bullying Video by Haley Whitt ‘15
Last year, four Sherwood juniors wrote, directed and acted in an anti-bullying video called “One” for a health project. The students—Diane Trieu, Anya Mudryakova, Emily Gilburt and Savannah Suser—submitted their popular video to the Great American No Bull Challenge competition, where they were named finalists in the global contest. This year, Trieu, Mudryakova and Suser created a new video called “Your Ally” that has been entered into the same contest. Along with the new film came a new message. “This year’s video is about internal bullying, and how we see ourselves in the mirror. Often, we are our own biggest bullies, and that is what we tried to convey,” said Suser. The video begins with different students saying negative things about themselves, but ends with the students seeing the more positive qualities that they possess. The girls hope that they will positively influence anyone who views their video. “I hope that teens will be more aware that bullying yourself can have just as big of an impact as another person bullying you,” said Trieu. “I’m hoping that anyone, student or adult, who watches this finds a piece of themselves in the video,” added Mudryakova.
American Sign Language Offered as a Class by Annie Feinroth ‘15 This year, Sherwood offered American Sign Language (ASL) for students to take as a class for the 2015-2016 school year. At this point, more than 70 students have signed up for the class. Prospective students should be aware that the majority of universities and colleges do not accept the class as college credit, because it is taught in English and not in a foreign language. “ASL is going to help students complete the requirements to graduate,” said counselor Erin McKenna. Students need two years of foreign language credit, or an advanced technology option, to graduate. Several MCPS high schools already have been offering ASL 1 and ASL 2 for years, including Magruder, Quince Orchard, Whitman and Churchill. Head of the Foreign Language Department John Falls is going through the process of finding a part-time teacher for three classes of ASL for next year.
Snow Days Extend the School Year by Samantha Schwartz ‘16
Most students and teachers love to wake up on weekdays to snow-covered streets and icy sidewalks because they get a day off from school. Although everyone enjoys “snow days,” they have been piling up and now will result in an extended school year to make up for the missed instruction. Montgomery County allows only four severe-weather closings, but the total for the year has reached seven after three emergency closings last week. As a result, the school year has been extended to June 17, whereas the previous last day of school was June 12. MCPS can apply for a state waiver that would pardon the three extra days missed due to school cancellations. Last year, Montgomery County had 10 snow days but only one extra day was added while the other four were forgiven with a state waiver. Although waivers have been granted in the past, they are not guaranteed.
Schools Jump Hurdles To Administer PARCC from PARCC, pg. 1 gy) are still required for graduation for this school year. MCPS also requires students in MCPS core courses to take mid-quarter county formatives as well as county semester finals. Hundreds of sophomores also will be taking the AP NSL exam in May. “PARCC impacts tenth grade the most in regards to testing … some sophomores have test after test after test … I’m not against PARCC but the way the testing was implemented, I don’t think there was a lot of forethought on how instruction would be impacted,” said English 10 teacher Lori Leonard. PARCC has undoubtedly complicated many daily school processes, but the assessment itself is also full of complexities. It has two components that are required to be completed at different times during the school year: first is the Performance Based Assessment (PBA) during March, and the second is the End of Year (EOY) assessment given in April
during two delayed-opening days. Students taking PARCC assessments this year are not required to pass them, though they are required to complete them for diagnostic purposes. Students will be required to pass PARCC assessments beginning in the 2016-17 school year. For next year, additional PARCC tests of Geometry, English 9, and English 11 will be administered. “At this point I cannot say what will happen for next year. I am hoping that next year MCPS will come to our rescue regarding PBA tests and give us some kind of built-in days like they have done in April [for the EOY sections],” said Chaudhry. A number of questions remain about the future of PARCC next year and beyond. There has been a backlash against the federally created Common Core 2.0, which is the basis for PARCC. A number of states, such as Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania do not administer the PARCC and instead have returned to state-created standardized assessments.
Other states including Michigan, North Carolina and Iowa are also strongly considering opting out of PARCC. Politicians in Maryland expressed doubts about whether PARCC is worth the strain it is putting on schools. Governor Larry Hogan recently raised questions on the subject. “We want to make sure that we got it right. We might push the pause button on it,” said Hogan in a March 4 article for the Washington Post. Additionally, House Bill 452 of Maryland state legislation enacted a commission to review and ensure that “assessments administered to children have instructional value and a stated purpose.” “I would testify against PARCC at the state level,” said science teacher Glenn Miller, who is the Head Building Representative at Sherwood for the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA). “Students should become informed and involved because this testing is putting a lot of pressure on students that may not even be necessary.”
Teachers Adjusting to New Chromebooks from CHROME, pg. 1 in and eventually put them away, time is lost for actual instruction. Students who have a hard time typing may have problems keeping up in class and students who learn by writing things down may also have a harder time learning. “Learning doesn’t have to be done on technology for it to be valid,” noted social studies teacher Michelle Games. Overall in MCPS, third through twelfth grade students will be using chromebooks and kindergarten through second grade students will be using Android-based tablets. There were 30,000 devices given to elementary and middle schools and 10,000 devices provided to high school social studies classes. Some social studies teachers believe that the money used for the chromebooks was spent without faculty
Maya Koeppen ‘17
Students in Bryan Clark’s AP NSL class have been using Chromebooks since the beginning of the second semester. and student input and that it may have been put to better use funding other school programs and initiatives. Although a number of social studies teachers agree that
use of the chromebooks are not as efficient as they would prefer, they hope that students will reap the benefits once problems with the technology are resolved.
tival. “My favorite type of films to make are definitely comedic narratives. Anyone who’s met me knows I’m kind of a goofball and that’s because I love to see people smile and hear them laugh,” said Kaushal. “Making comedies helps me do just that and it’s the most amazing feeling in the world to see someone smiling at something I worked so hard on.” The last day for submissions is March 20. Films can be 12 minutes or less in four categories: narrative, documentary, music video and animation. “Films are judged by people unassociated to the school including an actor, artist and film industry professional,” Lock said. Submissions are judged on the overall basis of quality and creative ability. The Film Festival has partnered with Interlochen Center for the Arts, a summer camp program
and arts boarding high school, to offer a grand prize of a half scholarship to one of the Center’s film programs. First, second, and third place prizes will be gift cards. Winners will also receive a free 2015 film festival t-shirt. This year the festival is supported in part by funding from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, which granted the festival $900. A significant portion of the money will be used for advertising the event as well as for prizes. Student volunteers help organize and plan the festival, and help to raise money. While the festival has already received two grants, from the PTSA and Montgomery County Humanities Council, the festival has continued to hold numerous fundraising nights at local businesses to raise the needed funds for the event.
Film Festival Prepares for Round Two by Jack Armstrong ‘15
The Sherwood Film Festival is returning for a second year on Thursday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ertzman. This year the festival is continuing to expand its recognition, significantly upping prizes as well as advertising in other schools to help increase turnout. The event is free and will showcase student-created short films from high schools across MCPS. “The festival aims to provide a forum for student films to be shown to a larger audience,” said Literature as Film teacher Christiane Lock. “Kids are already making movies, for classes or for fun, and it’s important that students have [this opportunity].” Senior Kajal Kaushal enjoys making short movies and is submitting a narrative film in the fes-
The Warrior•News March 13, 2015
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National Accreditation Adds to Engineering Program Sherwood is to be recognized by Project Lead The Way (PLTW) for its stellar Engineering program and allotted newer, advanced courses.
Engineering Program Expands Curriculum by Betselot Wondimu ‘15 Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a nationwide organization that is currently the leading provider in K-12 education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Every five years, PLTW, which sponsors Sherwood’s Engineering program, visits a select number of middle and high schools to provide them with certification for their program. This April, Sherwood will become one of several MCPS high schools to receive recognition from PLTW. In previous years, Sherwood only offered two introductory-level courses that were a part of PLTW’s five-course program: Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering. However, for the first time, Sherwood was able to offer two more of PLTW’s courses this year: Digital Electronics, which deals with exposing “students to the process of combinational and sequential logic design, teamwork, communication methods, engineering standards and technical documentation,” and Civil Engineering and Architecture, which aids students in “completing long-term projects that involve the development of urban planning and property design,” according to Sherwood’s Engineering website. Some students didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the new opportunities provided to them. Senior Ryan Kendall decided to enroll in both of the new courses provided at Sherwood this year. “When I first heard that
Haley Whitt ‘15
Students in Brendan Lees’ Introduction to Engineering and Design class listen to a lecture. Sherwood’s program is to be certified by PLTW. Sherwood was offering new Engineering classes, I was really excited. I knew it would be a great way to expand my knowledge in a field that I’m really interested in,” said Kendall. He also noted that the additional courses really build on the content of the previous introductory courses. “Digital Electronics has a lot to do with building circuits and improving problem-solving skills, and Civil Engineering and Architecture deals with creating visually appealing designs given dimensional constraints.” By next year, Sherwood will offer PLTW’s senior year capstone course, Engineering Design and Development, which allows students to participate in a research design project through the medium of a guided research project. “It’s great that Sherwood students have the opportunity to see if engineering is something they like and to see how they can
change the world utilizing it,” said technology education teacher Brendan Lees. Lees also heads Engineering Without Borders (EWB), a club that allows students to explore engineering principles and apply their newfound skills to global problems. Sherwood students occasionally collaborate with students from the University of Maryland, College Park’s EWB club to work on solving problems and challenges in third-world countries around the world. The expansion of courses offered at Sherwood will allow students to better use their knowledge of engineering toward solving real world issues. “We have had a huge demand from students interested in engineering [for Sherwood to offer the full five-course PLTW program], so it’s exciting that we can offer them this nationally recognized program,” said Lees.
STEM Gender Gap at the School Level by Sara Casareto ‘16 Women in the work and Anne Maureen Whitney Barrow study fields of science, technol- Memorial Scholarship (a $7,000 ogy, engineering and mathemat- renewable scholarship) and the ics (STEM) have noticeably been Northrop Grumman Corpolacking in numbers compared ration Scholarship (a $5,000 to men. Technology education renewable scholarship). Many teacher Brendan Lees has no- scholarships and other opporticed that the gender gap can tunities can be found through even be seen at Sherwood. societies such as the Society of “Engineering is still a field Women Engineers. in STEM that, of all those in en- STEM offers a relatively gineering fields, is probably only stable job environment, espe25-percent women,” said Lees. cially out of college. There is a “We get huge variety more boys careers “Engineering is still a field in of signing an engineer up for the STEM that, of all those in en- can pursue, engineer- gineering fields, is probably from meing classes chanical to than girls, only 25-percent women. We a e r o s p a c e and we are get more boys signing up for e n g i n e e r trying to Acthe engineering classes than ing. work on cording to girls, and we are trying to the White that.” T h e work on that.” House Ofengineerfice of Sci-Technology Education ence and ing teachers themTeacher Brendan Lees Te c h n o l o selves are gy Policy, trying to women in close the gender gap at least at STEM jobs earn 33-percent the classroom level, which may more than those holding nonhopefully lead more women into STEM jobs. They also generally the working world of STEM. “We experience a smaller wage gap talk about it in our classes,” said relative to men. Lees. “We’re even trying to start Engineering is one of the maybe having field trips just for top fields for women right now girls interested in engineering. and many major companies are There’s a lot more scholarship in support of the movement for money that I see girls getting for closing the gender gap. college in regards to engineer- “Work is better when you ing, and there are more job offers have a mix of males and feright out of college.” males,” said Lees. “Companies Some of these types of are more creative and have a scholarships available are the better work environment.”
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The Warrior•News 4
March 13, 2015
Superintendent Dr. Starr Resigns from MCPS by Ketki Chauhan ‘16 and Kira Yates ‘16
Superintendent Joshua Starr served his last day as superintendent on February 13. The MCPS Board of Education (BOE) came to an agreement which granted Starr release from a four-year contract. Various news outlets, including Bethesda Magazine, cited that BOE members had been divided on whether to renew the contract, with four members in favor of renewing the contract and four against it. The contract needed a majority vote in favor of Starr for it to be renewed. Starr did not send a Letter of Intent, indicating he was not pursuing another contract. He has been replaced by interim superintendent Larry Bowers, who previously served as the county’s chief operating officer. BOE members have not officially stated a reason why there was opposition towards renewing Starr’s contract. The Washington Post, however, reported that Starr’s approach to closing the achievement gap or his handling of sexual abuse cases in the county may not have satisfied the BOE. Starr’s opposition towards standardized testing made him a national figure, which the BOE may not have liked since it diverted attention away from him as superintendent. The BOE hopes to find a new superintendent by June to be sworn in on July 1. Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, the firm found Starr as well as previous MCPS Superintendent Jerry Weast, has been chosen to lead the nationwide search. Montgomery County parents and students were asked to attend public forums held March 4 and 10 to voice their input on the qualities they would like to see in the next superintendent. An online survey was also created for those not able to attend the forum in person. In a letter to MCPS staff, Starr listed his accomplishments over the past threeand-a-half years, which included pushing high school start times 20 minutes back, bringing chromebooks to the county and decreasing the number of suspensions.
The Spin on Starr’s Resignation “He led the system through the worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression and worked with us to keep unfortunate but unavoidable budget cuts as far away from the classroom as possible.”
~Montgomery County Education Association Doug Prouty
“The Board appreciates Dr. Starr’s work over the past three-and-a-half years as superintendent. He is a thoughtful, intelligent leader, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future.” ~Board of Education President Patricia O’Neill “I think Dr. Starr did a good job in his four years and hoped he would be able to stay.”
~County Executive Ike Leggett
“I think our school system is extraordinarily complex and he inherited some significant sets of issues, and while progress has been uneven, I thought there was progress.”
~County Council Member Roger Berliner
“Being the Superintendent of MCPS has been an honor and a privilege. It is truly one of the best jobs in public education and I have thoroughly enjoyed serving you, our students, and our families over the past three-and-a-half years … No superintendent is bigger than the system that he or she leads and I understand and respect the Board’s desire to have a different leader and a different direction.”
Students’ Showcase Diversity
by Malkaiah Malik ‘15
The rapid pounding of a djembe drum blasts out of the speakers, and for the umpteenth time girls clad in tights practice their African dance for the upcoming International Show, held March 20. The show is an annual event at Sherwood in which the International Club depicts many cultures through fashion shows and dances. The annual show represents different cultures every year as more students with various backgrounds join the club. This year Indian, West African, South Korean and South American countries will be portrayed. “We’re having an African fashion show, Asian fashion and Latin fashion. A lot of the kids are doing fashion and having a separate dance,” said International Club Sponsor Christiane Lock. Not only has the show’s content changed this year—the rehearsals have as well. Last year, all participating students piled into the dance room to practice, but this year rehearsals are individualized. “Groups are rehearsing
~Former Superintendent Joshua Starr
individually with me. Each group has their own rehearsal schedule but the week of the show we will all rehearse together,” Lock said. As students prepare for the upcoming show, the club faces multiple obstacles. Performing groups are in different stages of preparation and some club members don’t have a consistent place to rehearse. “Getting the dance room can be difficult because a lot of people sign up for the room, so sometimes we use the classroom and move desks around,” said Lock. “Right now all groups are rehearsing and are in various stages. Some groups know what they’re doing and others need a few weeks to rehearse.” The International Show is the climax for the International Club, but since the club is yearround members host other activities outside of the show. In addition to fundraising, members host monthly cultural dinners, where people bring in foods and drinks from different countries and participate in ethnic activities. “One person demonstrated Bangura, another taught origami, and another brought henna tattoos,” said Lock.
Starr’s Departure Raises Number of Questions
1. What Will Happen to the Chromebooks? Starr frequently voiced his opinion to modernize technology in MCPS, and students and staff felt an impact when technology at their own schools were updated. At Sherwood, almost all computers in the library were replaced with laptops and chromebooks were placed in social studies classrooms across the county. On February 10, the Board of Education approved a $2.39 billion budget, $10 million less than Starr’s proposed budget due to less funding than expected from the state. In order to account for budget cuts, the new superintendent should consider eliminating technological devices, which are not required for students’ education. 2. Is Curriculum 2.0 Going To Stay the Core of MCPS’s Vision? As superintendent, Starr rolled out Curriculum 2.0, which was first implemented in kindergarten through fifth grade. This program is designed to provide a well-rounded education for students while fostering creativity and critical thinking skills. One complaint with this program, however, is all students are learning math in one classroom even if their individual ability levels differ significantly, which led many parents to complain about the “one size fits all” curriculum. The new superintendent will have to assess whether MCPS’s new curriculum is stifling the instruction of some students while bettering the education of others. 3. Will the Next Superintendent Oppose Standardized Testing? Starr rejected the idea of relying heavily on testing as superintendent. At an education forum, Starr voiced his opinion for a threeyear prohibition of standardized testing and said teachers should not be evaluated based on student test scores. However, some argue that putting a hold on standardized testing could slow, or even reverse, the progress that has been made by holding schools accountable for their student body. A new superintendent could possibly go against Starr and embrace standardized testing. 4. What Will Be The Plan To Close the Achievement Gap? As superintendent, Starr implemented overhaul services for vulnerable students that established gap-reduction targets. These initiatives led to significant improvements in SAT and AP exam scores of black and hispanic students. Similar progress was seen with minority graduation rates. Although Starr introduced initiatives to narrow the achievement gap, critics questioned whether he had a clearly outlined plan. Under Starr’s guidance, the county saw some reduction of the achievement gap, but will the new superintendent bring a structured strategy for narrowing the gap, or will the jumble of initiatives remain the approach for tackling this pressing issue?
Juniors Stress While Preparing for SAT and ACT by Emily Gilburt ‘16
Sherwood SAT and/or ACT Participation and Performance
Junior year is commonly cited as the most stressful year of high school. In addition to pressures to do well in class, many juniors are also tasked with taking the SAT, ACT or both. According to a survey of Sherwood juniors from Honors English 11 and AP Language and Composition, 96 percent of teens said the SAT and ACT adds stress to their lives. “It’s really difficult to balance all my APs, along with my social life, family life and extracurricular life while having to squeeze in time to study for a test that isn’t even relevant to what I study in class,” said junior Gilly Reed. Although approximately 70 percent of students will take the SAT or ACT during their junior year, many question if the tests are an effective way to evaluate their academic abilities. “We work hard enough on our grades. Why take this long, stressful and pointless test to determine our future?” wrote junior Bailey Doan. Most students believe that college testing does not actually
Year
Total Number of Test Takers
% Took SAT and/or ACT
Scored 1650 % Scored 1650 SAT or 24 ACT SAT or 24 ACT
Source: Office of Shared Accountability
represent their acquired knowledge, but their test-taking skills. “The SAT and ACT [are] not proper ways to measure a person’s performance for college because some students will fail a class but can score a 2,000 [on the SAT],” said junior John Shin. 87 percent of students surveyed disagree with the use of the SAT and ACT to predict college readiness. “It’s a test that takes a long period of time, and I think kids are not used to sitting and concentrating. The ACT and SAT are both challenging tests, especially for that period of time,” said College Test Prep teacher Linda Glixon, who instructs students for the verbal and writing sections.
About 55 percent of teens surveyed claimed they do not feel prepared to take the SAT or ACT, and 26 percent said they aren’t sure if they’re ready. Although the tests are intimidating, there are a variety of ways students can work to improve their scores. According to Glixon, learning test strategies are key to succeeding when taking college admission tests. However, making a habit of reading will pay off on the verbal and writing sections. “Do the best you can, read as much as you can. Read elevated articles to challenge yourself and make it a hobby to do vocabulary. Every time you come across a word you don’t know, write it down, learn it and use it,” said Glixon.
The Warrior•News March 13, 2015
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The Warrior•Making A Difference 6
March 13, 2015
Food Bank Provides Fresh Perspective on Volunteering by Ben Cooper ‘16
Manna Food Center, a local charity organization in Gaithersburg, offers students an opportunity to earn SSL hours by giving food to those who cannot afford it. Throughout each month, Manna gives students the chance to come into its warehouse where they can help pack boxes of food that will be sent to the needy. While it seems like another average opportunity to earn a couple SSL hours, the box packing is fast-paced and efficient, and sometimes takes less than an hour. The quick pace makes it easy to get the job done, especially with help from other volunteers. Finishing such a large task so quickly also makes the job easier to appreciate, knowing that the hard work will help a family in need. “I don’t see it as a chore. It feels good knowing your work is going to a good cause and can help a family out,” said junior Chris Homon, who volunteers monthly at Manna with his family. Manna holds five “Family
Ben Cooper ‘16
Junior Chris Homon earns SSL hours by packing non-perishable foods at the Manna Food Center to distribute to impoverished families. Packing Days” throughout the month where students and their families can sign up to fill boxes with non-perishable food items. It is recommended that volunteers can lift boxes weighing up to 25 pounds. Two SSL hours are received for an hour of work, making it an ideal opportunity to earn quick hours for those who are scrambling to finish their high school requirement. Other opportunities to vol-
unteer at Manna are available as well, including working in food drives and seasonal farmers markets. To participate in distributing the boxes of food to the needy, students are required to be at least 18 years of age. In order to sign up for a family packing day, an RSVP, which must include a phone number and the number of family members expected to attend, is required through Manna Food Center’s website.
Clubs Donate to Needy Individuals Near and Far Give To Live Aids DC’s Homeless The Give to Live club is a service club sponsored by Health Teacher Matt Parsons that was brought back to Sherwood this year after several years of being inactive. The club, which started out relatively small in size because of its unfamiliarity among students, is different from other school-sponsored service clubs in that members are able to directly help those in need, and even use their free time on the weekends and after school to volunteer. By participating in hands-on opportunities to help those in need, members are rewarded with a greater sense of accomplishment than if they had used an organization as a pathway for donation. The club participates in a variety of service activities, including helping to prepare food at the soup kitchen “Loaves and Fishes” and visiting children with disabilities at local schools. Earlier this school year, the club went to Washington Square Park in Washington DC, an area with a large homeless population. Members handed out clothing, blankets and toiletries that they collected through donation to dozens of homeless people in need. “It was a very fulfilling experience,” said junior Dara Williams. “Being able to give directly to those that need it most made it even more rewarding.”
~Morgan Hill ‘16
Key Club Works All Over the World Key Club is a student-led organization that provides its members with opportunities to perform services, build character and develop leadership through community service. Its global organization is made up of 5,000 thriving clubs. Key Club is an international association and continues to grow, as it is now located in 33 different nations. “With Key Club being international, located in so many countries, it allows local clubs [to have] many connections to places all over the world. It also gives clubs inspiration to exceed the walls of their community and help other nations,” said junior Emma Lunking, Key Club treasurer. Sherwood’s Key Club has more than 100 active members that meet every Tuesday and participate in different service projects, including supporting UNICEF through boo grams, writing valentines for the elderly and raising money for Heifer International. Key Club is one of the only international clubs at Sherwood, and its global presence opens up many opportunities for projects. “It is great that Key Club, a club dedicated to charity and generosity, has a large presence and impact all over the world” said junior Fikir Ejigineh, Key Club vice president.
~Samantha Schwartz ‘16
English Honor Society Reads to Elderly The National English Honor Society has found a way to convert its aptitude for literature into a service project. The program “Reading with Friends,” which was created this year, encourages members of the Honor Society to interact with the residents at the Sandy Spring Nursing Home. On several Monday afternoons per month, members walk to the nursing home, located only ten minutes away from Sherwood, to provide company to residents and help them if they need it. Although the program is optional for members of the Honor Society, many have volunteered their time towards the program. In addition to reading to the residents of the nursing home, the Honor Society has organized different activities to do at the home, including bingo, puzzles and other games. Not only do members of the Honor Society serve the residents of the home by reading to them and playing games with them, but they also form friendly bonds with the residents. “One lady even uses us when she needs help writing a letter,” said Sara Casareto, the society’s vice president. The Honor Society hopes to continue this program in the following school years.
~Morgan Hill ‘16
The Warrior•Making A Difference 7
March 13, 2015
Students Travel the World To Help Communities Rachel Daniel
Rebecca Godfrey
Maya Koeppen ‘17
Maya Koeppen ‘17
Traveling halfway across the world is a great opportunity in itself. But traveling across the world to change other people’s lives is even better. Sophomore Rachel Daniel, flies to India every two years to visit family, but last summer’s visit differed from all her other visits when she went to India to raise money for an orphanage. Daniel described the orphanage home as appearing similar to a normal home, where the kids spend time having fun and living life care-free as they should. “The orphans are just normal kids and we got along really well,” said Daniel. “We sang songs together and played video games.” Daniel participated in raising $1,000 for the orphanage by scrapping copper for her father and gave gifts of chocolate and other sweets. While in India, Daniel noticed how diverse the culture and geography was compared to the United States. “India is a lot different than America. Each place is different, and has a completely unrelated style of food and clothing. It’s like traveling the world but in one country,” Daniel said. “The people in India are a lot more hospitable than Americans,” said Daniel. “They’ll give up their seats for you.”
~Malkaiah Mehlek ‘15
Senior Rebecca Godfrey didn’t apply for a temporary job last summer like the majority of her classmates. Godfrey instead went to Guanacaste, Costa Rica for 10 days and earned a total of 20 SSL hours. Godfrey and her group from the Global Leadership Adventures restored a church that was going to be shut down because of building regulations. While there, they also built an entire playground at a local school and played with the local children. Godfrey’s excursion, however, wasn’t initiated by her parents or for a college application booster. “It was my idea, and I had to convince my parents to let me go abroad,” she said. Godfrey also took on some of the financial responsibility herself. “I actually had a job babysitting … I had to get the job to pay for the trip.” Godfrey explained that the trip was an opportunity to break out of her comfort zone. “It was my first time out of the country … I had to go out of my shell and meet all new people, and share my opinion on how we [could] better their community,” Godfrey shared. “It allowed me to immerse myself in a different culture.” Godfrey is planning on doing another project this coming summer, but she wants it to be in the United States.
~Annie Feinroth ‘15
Senior Gets His SSL Hours in Air by Catherine Jou ‘15 In MCPS, students are required to fulfill at least 75 hours of volunteer work commonly known as SSL hours before they graduate. Many students go beyond and get upward to 260 hours— the number of hours needed to get an additional cord at graduation. Students can get hours in a number of ways: tutoring, volunteering for school clean-ups and other traditional methods. However, some students find unique charitable ways to get SSL hours. Senior William Santos has been actively volunteering since middle school. He is a member of the Boy Scouts of America and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). Along with helping out at food banks and nursing homes, Santos also gets his SSL hours by going on Search and Rescue (SAR) missions. “One of the things I do is called Ground Team, which is land search and rescue. We work with various organizations from the local or federal level to do anything from searching for missing persons to missing planes,” said Santos. Through CAP, Santos has participated in two SAR missions for missing aircraft. The searches usually lasted about a day to a day and a half. Although the missions take a long time, he considers it to be more rewarding since it is volunteer work. Santos credits his older brother and sister for exposing him to the program. He has also been able to learn how to fly a plane with an instruc-
courtesy of William Santos
Senior William Santos poses by a T-38 Jet Trainer at Columbus Air Force Base during a Civil Air Patrol summer activity. tor pilot and is trying to get a private pilot license soon. Santos believes that his involvement with Boy Scouts has led him to want to serve his community, and CAP was a venue that allowed him to combine his interests. “Growing up I wanted to find ways to help people, and through these organizations there’s a lot of things that I’ve been able to do
like help out my community and just people in general,” said Santos. Because of his experience volunteering, Santos wants to expand into other emergency services like fire and rescue. “In the future I want to go into Air Force ROTC while in college and eventually become a pilot in the Air Force” said Santos.
Stella Ho
Maya Koeppen ‘17
In the hunt for SSL hours, sophomore Stella Ho joined a cultural exchange program. She traveled to South Korea last summer to tutor at a school, which provided her with SSL hours overseas. Prior to visiting, Ho had her opinions of what Korea would look and be like. “Before I went I thought it would be really flashy like K-Pop music videos, but for the first week we spent time exploring and meeting our classes,” Ho said. “I wanted to volunteer at first because I just wanted to go to Korea to see the country, but the kids became my friends and I learned that I really loved teaching,” said Ho. As a tutor, Ho’s job was to help students learn to speak and understand English. “We had to talk to them in English every day for at least five minutes,” said Ho. Although Ho was the teacher, she ended up learning about the schooling differences between Korea and the United States. “Instead of having seven periods, they have five one-hour classes with 10-minute breaks in between. And lunch is much longer; it’s an hour and 30 minutes,” Ho said. If presented with the opportunity, Ho said she would tutor in Korea again.
~Malkaiah Mehlek ‘15
The Warrior•Features 8
March 13, 2015 Can You Tell The Difference?
Freshmen Olivia and Maddie Cowell What are the positives and negatives of being a twin?
Haley Whitt ‘15
Maddie: “The positive part about being a twin is never being lonely and always having someone to talk to. The negative of being a twin is always getting asked which one you are.”
Sophomores Miles and McKenzie Bell Haley Whitt ‘15
Twins Similar Yet Still Different by Sammie Spillman ‘16
attended Richard Montgomery for a magnet program. He came to Sherwood at the beginning of this year after deciding that Richard Montgomery was not the right school for him because the magnet program was very stress-
Fraternal twins Sydney and Cayden Abramowitz are unlike most twins. Although the sophomores share common interests and looks, they have very different personalities. Cayden is on Sherwood’s swim team, Sydney plays field hockey for “Being a twin is like having Sherwood and a travel team, a regular sister, but you can and they both are in the Anime club at Sherwood. When ask her what the homework they were younger they were is.” tied at the hip until Sydney’s ~Cayden Abramowitz bossy personality at the time distanced them in preschool. The twins attended Green- ful, and he had trouble balancing wood Elementary until they both life, sleep and homework. Their got accepted into the magnet parents made the final decision to program at Drew Elementary. transfer Cayden to Sherwood at Cayden stayed for fourth and fifth the beginning of this school year. grades but Sydney only stayed for “Going to different schools a quarter due to stress. They were was weird because I didn’t see reunited in middle school and him until I got home,” said Sydthen parted again when Cayden ney. Now that they’re both attend-
ing Sherwood, Sydney is very pleased. “It’s cool because I can hang out with him at lunch sometimes. Plus, he says he’s happy because he has a large group of friends,” explained Sydney. Although they do not have any classes together, they have the same friends though Cayden spends a lot of time with his girlfriend. There are positives and negatives to having a twin just like every other type of relationship. “Being a twin is like having a regular sister, but you can ask her what the homework is and you know you’ll always have a sibling to be there for you,” said Cayden. Sydney pointed out a few of the downsides of being a twin, “We have to figure out whose birthday party to have first, and we had to agree on a theme for our B’nai Mitzvah.”
What are the birthday celebrations like? McKenzie: “We usually have other family over and share a cake to celebrate both of our birthdays at the same time. We can also have two separate parties with each of our friends if we want.”
Haley Whitt ‘15
Seniors Antonio and Caitlin Romeo Do you have any hobbies or interests in common?
Haley Whitt ‘15
Caitlin: “I don’t think we have too much in common. He’s good at math, I’m not. He’s into knowing a little about everything where I’m more of someone who just learns about things that interest me.”
Teen Coffeehouse Events Senior’s Band Exit 216 Gains Popularity Started by School Club by Milan Polk ‘17 by Maya Koeppen ‘17 It has been a little over a year since the first Project Change Teen Coffeehouses began and the club has already seen gradual improvement in attendance and student participation. The Teen Coffeehouses are held at the Sandy Spring Museum on Friday nights from 7:30 to 10:30 throughout the month, with the “coffeehouse season” running October through May. Each coffeehouse features performances from local high school bands with provided refreshments in a chaperoned environment. In addition to the Project Change club, the event is also hosted in collaboration with the Sandy Spring Museum and Montgomery County Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). The club prides itself on allowing the Teen Coffeehouses to be a very student-led event with help from adult advisors Robyn Glass and David Lechner from the Project Change board. “We al-
ways have a pretty good turnout, pretty good consistency in bands. Everyone has a good time, [and] all the performers are amazing,” said sophomore Lydia Velazquez, student advisor of the Teen Coffeehouses. Velazquez credits the turnout in part to the usage of social media promotion to get the word out about the events. She designs flyers for each coffeehouse that are then distributed to the booked bands and later shared via Twitter and Instagram. Having a passionate love for the music scene, Velazquez is also heavily involved in the booking of bands for each event. As the event has grown the club has worked to use both student and band member feedback to improve the event. A survey conducted by Project Change of Sherwood students has shown strong support for the concept of the event as a fun place to hang out with friends. In addition to member and student response,
Exit 216 came together three years ago at the Treehouse School of Music in Fulton, where Sherwood senior Dani Banda learned to sing and play guitar. There, she and her friends Jonas Lee (guitarist), Justin Alexander (bassist) and Jon Thompson (drummer) started Exit 216. Their first show was at Looney’s Pub and Bar in Maple Lawn. The band has played many venues, including coffee shops. For a while the group played at quiet establishments, until they started performing at places like Oakdale Emory Coffeehouse and the Sandy Spring Museum,
which were much more like concert venues rather than eateries. “They weren’t much like coffeehouses, like we experienced before; more like shows,” Banda said. The band has played all over Maryland, and has even played at the Fillmore in Silver Spring. Banda says Exit 216’s popularity can be attributed to the variety of venues they play. “Since we have played many places, we actually get a lot of publicity,” she explained. “Then that’s when people come up to us and ask us for our information because they’d like to schedule shows for us.” Once Banda finishes participating in Rock n’ Roll, the band
is scheduled to play at Growler’s Bar in Gaithersburg. Being in a band in high school can present challenges. “It’s not as convenient for us to get together outside of Treehouse,” said Banda. “We all go to different schools and Jonas and I live like 50 minutes away from each other.” Despite the difficulties, Banda says she could never see herself playing with anyone else. Banda plans on attending Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania but hopes to release an album with Exit 216 before she graduates. Exit 216 can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
input from local parents has also been voiced. Parents have expressed how happy they are that students are being given a place for youth to hang out that isn’t otherwise offered in the Olney area. In the future, the Project Change club hopes to expand its audience to other MCPS high
schools as well as increase the variety in activities offered at each. “Each coffeehouse could take on a different flavor, so to speak,” said Glass. Project Change works to help with and organize events such as SSL opportunities as well as mentoring programs to uplift teens through teaching important
leadership skills and bringing the community together. Other programs and events held include the Rock the Lot Block Party in May and a Student Leadership Institute. The next coffeehouse is scheduled to take place on March 27 with the bands Threat, The Cliques, Wildfire, Plastic-i and Infection XLevel Midnight.
The Warrior•Features March 13, 2015
9
The Solution to Permanent Stress by Meagan Barrett ‘15
That People Fear Missing Out On Social Media Posts? by Steven Witkin ‘16 You are doing homework, or maybe you are eating lunch with friends. Without thinking, you slide your phone into your hand and start making the rounds. Facebook, Twitter, email, Instagram, Tumblr. If you often feel the inexplicable urge to check social media, even when you know that there will likely be nothing new to find, then you may be feeling the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO), a phenomenon that as many as seven in ten of socially connected adults have felt. Not so much a fear as an anxiety, FOMO has come to the public eye as a name for the mysterious urge to look for something more interesting to do, usually on social media, even when what is already happening is interesting enough. FOMO has been described as a compulsive concern, an apprehension or a social anxiety, but one symptom is constant: The worry that one might miss out on an experience of value, whether it is social interaction, a satisfying video or even a chance to learn. People have a natural desire to be a part of whatever is going on. FOMO has become an intrinsic feeling in modern culture due to the rise of the smartphone. A major study on the phenomenon states that social media and smartphones “broadcast more options than can be pursued, given practical restrictions.” Just one website can show a person how their friends enjoy television shows, go to popular parties or go on vacations around the world, which are all interesting options
that most social people desire to be a part of. Similar to how the grass seems greener on the other side, people tend to believe that whatever other people are doing is more rewarding. The overload of possibly rewarding choices, however, can result in a feeling of paralyzed indecision, nicknamed as the Fear of Doing Anything. A psychological study on FOMO found that it correlates with a lower mood and satisfaction with life. Those who feel FOMO strongly were found to engage in social media, be distracted by phones while driving and check Facebook during lectures more often than those who do not associate with FOMO. While smartphones bring FOMO to the masses, an early and extreme case of FOMO was self-recorded by students in the Harvard Business School in 2004. Without any social media, several students found themselves strategically planning their schedules to maximize experience and interaction, attempting, as one said, to “live life to the fullest at every second.” Noting how the anxiety they developed led to exhaustion instead of social fulfillment, they dubbed it the Fear of a Better Option, later FOMO. Coincidentally, Facebook, the ultimate FOMO enabler, also started at Harvard. People only show their best side on social media. If a person sets their expectations for daily life to be as high as the highlights of everyone else’s, then their perspective will be skewed and satisfaction lowered. Even in this age where so much can be seen online, FOMO shows that the best experiences happen offline instead of on a phone gawking at others.
American society places an enormous emphasis on being perpetually productive; it’s necessary for capitalism to thrive. Every second a person is not being proactive and getting something done is a second that has been wasted. This compulsion to always be doing something leads to a lot of stress, not a lot of sleep, and according to many researchers, the United States’ world-record-high depression rates. According to former emergency room physician Matthew Sleeth, author of “24/6: A Prescription for a Happier, Healthier Life,” taking a “stop day” is the solution. A stop day is one day a week during which a person swears off doing any work whatsoever, or a “personal sabbath.” Not only can it lift the melancholic cloud, but it has many other benefits for the individual as well. “I don’t try to define what rest is for a person,” said Sleeth in an interview with CNN, “but I ask you to figure out what work is for you, and don’t do it one day [a week].” Sleeth, among various social scientists, found that when one is constantly busy every day, it causes immense amounts of stress.
Naturally, the brain is pumping out chemicals such as adrenaline in order to counter the stress. However, by not taking a day of rest—or any rest at all—we don’t give these chemicals time to recharge. U.S. culture encourages people to chronically run themselves ragged without even being aware of it. Sleeth maintains that this emotional drain, along with the learned helplessness of always being “too busy” to do what one truly wishes to do, is the biggest reason the United States depression rates are so high. For U.S. teenagers, it’s easy to forget to take a moment due to the emphasis placed on “resume building.” It’s strongly suggested to be taking three APs while on the track team and in the Key Club while working three days a week and volunteering on the weekends. It’s the recipe for getting colleges to like you. But teenagers are not exempt from the phenomenon of burning themselves out. In fact, they’re more susceptible to it than adults. Due to the emotional and psychological growth that occurs during adolescence, teenagers are much more prone to falling into depression than full-grown adults. And the fact that they are be-
ing told their future depends on them being perpetually busy only strengthens the pressure and reinforces the fact that they cannot change their situation, no matter how badly they want to. Taking one day off a week not only gives the mind an emotional break, but it also improves memory and can even make your other six days more productive. Things someone would normally put off because he will have time on Saturday to do them only prolongs the amount of work that has to be done. If a person swears off doing any work on Saturday and prevents it from even being an option, it forces him to get it over with some other day during the week. Preserving a single day of rest helps reserve time for the things a person actually wants to do—not things he just didn’t have the time or energy for during the week. “I find that there’s a growing epidemic, really, of depression. We’re the most depressed country in the world,” said Sleeth. “We tend to work more hours than any other country in the world … We’re constantly bringing stress in our life, and the idea of having one day a week that I can count on to stop is very reassuring.”
own). A high school in Texas has successfully run a coffee shop inside of the school for three years, and coffee-drinking among students has become so commonplace that teachers of the school have started to use gift cards redeemable at the coffee shop as rewards for good behavior. Teachers are also known as lovers of coffee, which is one reason behind Sherwood’s ongoing Sherbucks run by the Living for Independence (LFI) and School-Community Based (SCB) programs of the Special Education Department. This is in addition to the many offices in
the building with coffee makers brewing coffee on a daily basis. Lastly, let’s cover some of the dangers of coffee. Coffee itself is quite safe because the caffeine a person is ingesting is spread over a period of time, so it is pretty hard to overdose on coffee. On the other hand, energy drinks like Monster and Rockstar are where one needs to be careful. The drinks can be very dangerous for people who have health conditions or are young; in 2011, energy drinks caused the death of a 14-year-old girl who drank two 24-ounce cans and went into cardiac arrest.
Coffee Is a Morning Must for Many by Chase Wilson ‘17
Students holding coffee cups and mugs is a common sight at Sherwood before the first period of the day. According to the National Coffee Association, young people are the fastest growing population of coffee drinkers. So, before you pour your next cup, let’s talk coffee. The number of teenagers drinking caffeinated beverages has tripled since the 1970s. The reasons behind drinking coffee varies from person to person (I drink it to stay awake during my morning classes, but to each their
Chase Wilson ‘17
“Coffee ... I need it.” ~Mrs. Jasnow
Chase Wilson ‘17
“We get Starbucks about once a week.”
~Sophomores Sabrina Leggiero (left) and Marsel Akbar (right)
“Coffee gives us energy.” Chase Wilson ‘17
~Sophomores Ania Pasternak (left) and Tim Moon (right)
The Warrior•Humor 10
March 13, 2015
Colleges Wish To Be Seen as More than Numbers by Leo Corman ‘15 Colleges have it pretty rough. Their admissions offices must work constantly to cater to the whims of capricious high school students. They bolster their sports programs, take on extracurricular activities and provide job and leadership opportunities all in the hopes of making their particular school more appealing. Unfortunately, their tireless efforts may go unrecognized by narrow-minded and judgmental students who make their college decisions based solely on schools’ rankings. According to admissions officers across the country, the reliance on rankings as the significant (or only) factor in differentiating between schools has become more common in recent years among students that are too lazy or indifferent to examine each school in its entirety. Students look only at the college or university on paper, failing to appreciate the real school as a distinct entity. “Of course it’s disheartening,” revealed one disenchanted president of a well-known university who wished to remain anonymous to avoid the wrath of the unforgiving and monopolis-
helpguide.org
The president of a well-known university, who wishes to stay anonymous, is seen contemplating ways to make his college a powerhouse again. The university took a major hit in undergraduate applications after it was ranked far below its expectations. tic rankings provider, U.S. News & World Report. “To know that no matter how much hard work everyone here puts in toward distinguishing this school as a well-regarded, desirable place of higher learning, our success will ultimately be determined by the arbitrary designation of some guy at U.S. News & World Report— it’s unbelievably frustrating. And
sure, these students might say they take everything into consideration, but we all know that most of them will automatically dismiss any school that falls under a certain ranking.” Many have expressed concerns about the effect that the rankings might have on schools’ friendships with each other. They believe, understandably, that one
school getting ranked above a friend school can seriously complicate and strain their relationship, as the school ranked lower will inevitably feel inferior. In addition, the competition between the schools to procure attendance from top students can cause further damage, and the stress and pressure created by the entire situation often takes its toll on the
schools. “On a lot of nights, I’m up until two in the morning, sometimes later, trying to send out emails to prospective students, answer questions and review incoming applications,” admitted a different university official. “I’d like to think that I’m exerting myself for a reason, that I’m making some kind of difference, but the prominence of those rankings just makes me feel useless. When it comes to marketing and spreading awareness about our school, if kids are going to take the rankings as gospel, why should I even bother?” Sarah Johnson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at a renowned local college, takes issue with high school students’ lack of a holistic perspective. “How can you purport to know anything about a school from a single number?” Johnson asked. “It’s not possible. You can’t derive anything about a school’s personality or character from its ranking. Students need to take the time to truly get to know every school as a unique individual. I think most admissions officers would just feel a lot better if students treated us with the same level of respect that we treat them. It is only fair.”
Spring 2016 Marks Exciting New SAT by Steven Witkin ‘16
southernprincess.tumblr
Senior Chris Thompson dreams of joining these Frat Bros next year, and has begun shopping for matching outfits.
Greek Life Calls This Lonely Senior by Stephen Luckey ‘15 As excitement among seniors for college grows, senior Chris Thompson is ecstatic to begin his new journey in Greek Life. In February, Thompson decided his heart is set on attending Clemson University in the fall. As a college freshman, Thompson plans to rush first semester to join Kappa Sigma. Thompson looks forward to participating in educationally and intellectually stimulating-activities such as egging houses and buying kegs when he first puts on the sports jacket. His major? Undetermined. Thompson wants to see how things go, by starting with a maximum of two classes. Thompson believes he’ll truly be able to spread his wings and fly once he is busy with frat-organized social activities. It is Thompson’s fervent belief that endless parties, numerous missed classes and high blood alcohol
content (BAC) levels are exactly what he’ll need to find motivation to succeed in life. Even though being a pledge is hard, Thompson doesn’t mind it, because he says it’s “all a part of the brotherhood.” Another aspect of college that Thompson is looking forward to is guaranteed friends as a result of paying dues to his fraternity. His parents are happy to pay the required fees because they know that their boy being surrounded by guys with lower self-esteem than his own is the best thing for his confidence. “We are so ecstatic for Chris. He can finally have friends now at a pretty reasonable price,” said David Thompson, Chris’s father. When asked about how he will balance school and frat life, Thompson loudly proclaimed, “Kappa Sig or Die!” Thompson doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life after college. “That’s up to my fraternity brothers. They know what’s best,” he said.
Since 1901, the SAT has been the definitive measure of how well a student can prepare for standardized tests. However, the introduction of competitors such as the ACT has shown the College Board, administrator of the SAT, that there is a sore need to update its landmark test to match what college admission officers are really looking for these days. Starting in the spring of 2016, students will not only be assessed on the old reading, writing and math, but will face several new sections and question types that will gauge their competence in areas vital to college success, such as sentence formation, reiterating printed information, simple addition and answering questions. In a pamphlet supporting and explaining the coming changes, College Board President David Coleman wrote, “With this new SAT we are embracing the reality that students no longer have to be independent, critical thinkers to compete in the modern college and job market, so we are dropping unrealistic standards and focusing on the essentials. There is no better place to see this than in our new spelling questions.” The aforementioned spelling questions are the new SAT’s replacement for the old vocabulary questions. The benefit of spelling questions, Coleman explained, is that “colleges don’t care if a student actually knows the exact context of fancy words in impractical documents like scientific studies and political papers. What they are really looking for is a resourceful student who can spell anything
Publicly Released College Board Example Question:
What is the correct spelling of Haberdashery?
a Harvard
b Nihilistic
c Habershamadie
d Hamenstädt
e Haberdashery
This example question above is clearly one of the tougher ones on the new SAT. An ideal student would immediately sound out the word and eliminate choice B because haberdashery does not start with the “n” sound. Choice A is the distractor, but a skilled student would not choose a word which, while being fancy, looks nothing like haberdashery. The final choice of D comes down to close examination of individual letters and syllables, and a student could double-check by matching definitions too. The correct answer is choice D. Thesaurus.com suggests, a skill vital to writing college essays.” For geography questions, students face various matching questions about countries, their shapes and their capitals, only provided a colorful fold-out world map. “This is one of the most important sections,” Coleman added. “It stresses crucial skills such as global awareness, reading and shape recognition—abilities we believe should be incorporated into education nationwide.” If a student can answer these
challenging questions, sometimes without even knowing what the words mean or countries are, they will prove themselves to be well-rounded, which colleges value much higher than actual intelligence. Coleman said that the main motivation for these changes was “overwhelming feedback from colleges that it does not matter how prepared or gifted a student is. They just want to see that a student has the basic skills needed to be responsive to higher levels of indoctrination.”
The Warrior•Humor March 13, 2015
Preview of Mr. Sherwood Contestants
The annual Mr. Sherwood competition, a beauty pageant comprised of 19 senior males, will be held in the Ertzman on Thursday, March 26. The show will be judged by faculty members who remain anonymous until the show date.
Zachary Stubblefield
Jared Shaia
Q: If you were elected President of the United States what would be the first thing you would do? A: Find a first lady.
Q: If you could be on the cover of any magazine, which would you choose and why? A: Ebony Magazine to break stereotypes.
Q: What is your idea of the perfect vacation? A: Camping with fully functional bathrooms.
Q: What do you think your best feature is and why? A: My love handles. Doesn’t the name explain itself?
tanner jacob
grant fricke
Q: Tell us about an imaginary friend … if you ever had one. A: His name was Paul. He broke everything! But of course my mom always blamed me.
Q: If you could be on the cover of any magazine, which would you choose and why? A: Good Housekeeping because all the ladies love to read it.
(Mr. Congeniality)
(Mr. 2k)
(Mr. Montana)
(mr. Friché)
Dotun Oseni-Adegbite
Brian jung
Q: Which celebrity would you invite to a dinner party and why? A: Oprah, because it would probably come with a free car.
Q: If you won a million dollars,how would you spend it? A: Buy my girlfriend everything she wants Buy a lot of puppies.
(Mr. Ogunsanya)
(Mr. B.J.)
Chase Grobert
Myanthony Starnes
Q: If you could make one wish, what would it be? A: To not have Hunter Moore win Mr. Sherwood.
Q: What are your favorite activities? A: Singing, practicing twerking on the wall and browsing the internet for cheap braces.
(Mr. Lights Out)
Q: Which famous person does your personality most parallel? A: Zac Efron, minus the good looks and acting ability.
(Mr. Clutch 8 The Great)
Q: What is the best advice you have ever been given? A: Never trust someone who puts in milk before the cereal.
Patrick Knowles
Chase Mulligan
Q: If you could be any candy what would it be and why? A: Whatchamacallit because it is the greatest name in all of candy.
Q: If you were elected President of the United States, what would be the first thing you would do? A: I’d take a vacation after all of that hard work.
(Mr. Swaggy P)
corbin brailsford (Mr. Smooth Moves)
Q: If you could be any candy, what would you be and why? A: A Hershey Bar, because I am classic, perfect, and need no improvements.
(Mr. Chase Me)
Hunter Moore
(Mr. Sherwood's bad boy) Q: What is your definition of success? A: Being able to go out in public dressed in an all-white satin jumpsuit and not be judged.
Q: What famous person does your personality most parallel? A: Ellen Degeneres.
Q: Tell us about an imaginary friend, if you’ve ever had one A: His name was Grant Fricke, I’m yet to determine if he was real or not.
Troy Berkheimer
Joshua Ziggy Popkin
Q: If you could be any candy, what would you be and why? A: Sour Patch Kids, because I’m sour and sweet, but if you test me I’m gone.
Q: What do you think is your best feature and why? A: My ears … because they can hear everything … and I mean everything.
geremiah charles
Riley grimes
Q: What quality do you like most about yourself and why? A: Probably my earlobes; they are jiggy, soft and frankly just fun to play with.
Q: If you could be any teacher who would you be? A: Mr. Rubinstein; he’s a big deal, whose apartment smells of rich mahogany with many leather bound books.
(Mr, TDBerk)
(Mr. OG)
(Mr, the notorious Z.I.G.)
(Mr. bear grylls)
Q: If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? A: I would put a stop to Hunter Moore.
Q: What are your favorite activities? A: Rock climbing, scaling buildings, long walks on the beach and playing sports.
Michael Pittas
Joe willems
Q: Which famous person does your personality most parallel? A: Channing Tatum, because of his movie “Magic Mike.”
Q: If you could be any teacher in the building, who would you be and why? A: Ms. Wist because of her style and demeanor.
(Mr. magic mike)
(Mr. woe vibes)
Austin kong (Mr. big red)
Q: If you could be on the cover of any magazine, which magazine would you choose, and why would you choose it? A: Definitely Forbes, because I wanna be a billionaire so frickin’ bad … word to my home boy Bruno Mars for that one. compiled by Julia Gajewski-Nemes ‘15
11 President Is New Chief of Swagger by Will Van Gelder ‘16 Ever since the shellacking the Democratic Party received in this past year’s mid-term elections, President Barack Obama surprisingly has become the person with the most swag in the United States. Ever since his party lost the Senate majority, Obama seems to have said “Screw you,” to his opponents in Congress and proceeded to do whatever he wants. All of his actions have infuriated Republicans who, according to Republican National Committee chair Reince Preibus, expected the President to curl up into a fetal position and cry after the loss. First, Obama allowed five million immigrants amnesty through an executive action, which led to a prompt reaction from furious Republican leaders. Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) was soon seen on Fox News sobbing and has been frequenting his favorite D.C. tanning salon in order to comfort himself and to make his orange hue more prominent and noticeable. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has had numerous strokes mid-interview due to his rage over the executive action, and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has deported himself and his entire family back to Ottawa, Canada. Obama further infuriated his opposition by normalizing relations with a tiny island 90 miles from the Florida coast. Opponents of the decision yelled about how Cuba is “comanist” and how the United States can’t associate itself with a country like that unless it’s in Asia and provides our citizens with technology. Obama laughed at these members of Congress and compared Cuba to his “beloved birth place” of Hawaii. He added that the island nation makes one heck of a cigar as the slack-jawed White House press corps looked on. Soon after this, the President gave his yearly State of the Union Address while Boehner appeared to be distracted by a game of Words with Friends behind him. Soon after his speech, in which he said “These are my last two years so I’m gonna do what I want to do,” and “I’m the real MVP,” Congress threatened to shut down the government due to disagreements over the budget. The President then told them to “Take a chill pill.” Despite that fact that the Democratic Party was defeated in its attempt to retain the Senate and take control of the House, President Obama is as confident as ever. He has confounded a brick wall of Republicans by speaking his mind and dismissing all of their ideas. President Obama has not become a “Lame duck.” He has instead become the nation’s “Commander in-swag.”
What Makes Sherwood’s Students Laugh The Hardest? the funniest styles of comedy... In Defense o
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Satire 18% Using irony, sarcasm and caricature to highlight real-life vices Topical 15% Humor that focuses on topical events Deadpan 14% Delivering jokes without any noticeable change in emotion Self-deprecating 11% Humor that relies entirely on belittling oneself Slapstick 10% Defined by physical gesturing, movements and situations Potty Humor 9% Potty humor relies entirely on being gross Parody 9% Mocking something through imitation Dark Comedy 7% Humor that focuses on dark and morbid subject matter Surreal Comedy 7% Using irrational situations and non-sequiturs to get a laugh
funny teachers...
*97 students surveyed
“Ms. Gonzales is definitely the funniest because she is so wacky and out there. She keeps the class on their toes.” ~Brandon Greulich ‘15 “Ms. Evans, because she’s very sarcastic and sassy.” ~Victoria Chaves ‘18 “The funniest teacher I’ve ever had was Ms. Aguilar because she told awesome jokes.” ~Faraaz Meher ‘17
“The Si its fir mpsons,” c st epi reated sod since b becom e on Dece y Matt Gr mber oenin e the ican t g, 17 lo el dysfu evision ser ngest-runn , 1989, and aired nction i i n it h e g s . Gro al award ening scripted A as s and American ’ mers dep fa in the wa y for a fluenced m mily has w iction of a on nu “Sout any la nimat merou h ed te s a diff Park.” E shows like r sitcoms, p erent ach S “ F a mily G aving impso openi do no u ng ns ep t isode y” and Simps age over th segment, c on bu o e dictio n’s catchph show’s ma t the cha tains r nary, r ny sea acters ase “D an s come integr d other asp ’oh!” is no ons. Home w liste r ated i also n nto po ects of the d in th ot show pular e as wel able for ad have b cu d l as po eking f ressing a w lture. The sh un at ide va itself. riety o ow is f topic s
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The Warrior•Opinion 14
March 13, 2015
Staff Editorial:
In Our Opinion
New Superintendent Should Listen to Students What issues should be highlighted next year?
What can the new superin tendent learn from Starr?
How can the new superintendent incorporate student voices more effectively? MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr announced his resignation after having served threeand-a-half years. While Starr may have had his detractors, there is no doubt that he had to deal with a lot of issues. If the next superintendent wants to build off of where Starr may have went right or wrong, he or she should solicit students’ perspectives on the county’s pressing issues. On February 10, the MCPS Board of Education (BOE) passed a plan promoted by Starr in his last week in office that will push start times for elementary schools back 10 minutes and middle and high schools back 20 minutes. Although this may appease the clusters of outraged parents crooning for later start times, the fact of the matter is that 20 minutes is not likely to change students’ lives that much. Since students are ultimately supposed to be the ones most influenced by this change, it is essential to know if this change will help. If a survey was given to students at the end of the first semester next year that collected results about whether or not the 20 minutes was a sufficient amount of time, then MCPS would have a better idea about whether this change is truly helping students. Among Starr’s most emphatic stances was his positions on the national trend of evaluating teachers based off of standardized test scores. Starr claimed that it would be “insanity” to judge a teacher based in large part off these scores. Instead of determining a teacher’s effectiveness from a test, the county should instead rely on more direct means of evaluation. Surveys to students at the end of each quarter asking for input regarding
their teacher’s performance could reveal just how effective certain teachers are in educating their students. It has been nearly impossible to walk the halls of Sherwood without hearing the word “chromebook.” The 40,000 chromebooks cost MCPS nearly $15 million and have been met with extreme skepticism at Sherwood, from students and teachers alike. While chromebooks certainly are interesting and interactive, the teachers do not use the machines nearly enough to warrant such a large chunk of cash to be spent on them. The flimsy, delicate laptops may not even be able to handle the wear and tear of continued student usage throughout the years. If MCPS truly wants to be ahead of the technological curve, they should let students be a part of the process in bringing technology to the classrooms. Since teenagers use technology more than most teachers and board members, and since $15 million has already been spent, it should be common sense that students have a significant voice in determining how chromebooks are used in the classroom. Starr made a point of visiting schools, holding community forums and interacting with students through Twitter. The next superintendent should continue these efforts to interact with students, and should go even further by recognizing that students themselves might have the best ideas for how they can most successfully learn. He or she should look to students to be more than the audience members at a town hall. Instead, students should be the ones on the stage holding the microphone.
Warrior P
the
ublished seven times a year, The Warrior serves as Sherwood High School’s premier news source. Over the years, it has received numerous state and national honors. With a staff of 46 students and one advisor, The Warrior keeps the Sherwood community apprised of local and national events.
All opinion articles represent the viewpoint of the writer. The unsigned staff editorials solely represent the opinions of the newspaper staff. These articles do not necessarily represent the views of Sherwood High School. The Warrior welcomes Letters to the Editor of 250 words or less. They may be submitted to room C268 or emailed to thewarrioronline.shs@gmail.com. Letters must be signed, and all content received by the newspaper is subject to editing. The Warrior staff invites feedback and corrections to printed inaccuracies. The Warrior reserves the right to refuse advertisements.
Staff Print
Layout and Production Directors ................. Marie Moeller ‘15 Betselot Wondimu ‘15 News Editors .............................................. Connor Loughran ‘15
Samantha Schwartz ‘16 Specials Editor ................................................ Steven Witkin ‘16 Features Editors ............................................ Annie Feinroth ‘15 Allie Pino ‘15 Humor Editor ................................................. Hunter Moore ‘15 Spotlight Editor ......................................... Emma Hierholzer ‘15 Opinions Editors ................................ Julia Gajewski-Nemes ‘15 Will Van Gelder ‘16 Wondering Warrior Editor............................. Lauren Cosca ‘15 Entertainment Editors ................................. Ketki Chauhan ‘16 Ryan Deal ‘16 Sports Editors ............................................... Jack Armstrong ‘15 Sammie Spillman ‘16
Online
Online Managing Editor ................................ Brian Hughes ‘15 Online Page Editors......................................... Catherine Jou ‘15 Ashley Nnabue ‘16 Stacey Wells ‘15
Content and Copy
Managing Content and Copy Director ....... Meagan Barrett ‘15 Content and Copy Editors ............................... Leo Corman ‘15 Madison Dymond ‘16 Ankur Kayastha ‘15 Kira Yates ‘16
Managing Photo Editor ................................... Haley Whitt ‘15 Photographers .............................................. Jack Armstrong ‘15 Chase Wilson ‘17
Pollster .......................................................... Kaleigh Homer ‘15 Staff Reporters ............................................ Gianna Bartolini ‘15
Ben Cooper ‘16 Emily Gilburt ‘16 Morgan Hill ‘16 Emma Izzo ‘15 Tyler Jones ‘15 Maya Koeppen ‘17 Elizabeth Kronlage ‘18 Stephen Luckey ‘15 Malkaiah Mehlek ‘15 Lexi Paidas ‘17 Maddie Peloff ‘16 Milan Polk ‘16 Noah Rosendorf ‘17 Christopher Sung ‘17 John Sutherland ‘16
Business and Publicity Directors................. Dalton Sanchez ‘15
Zach Stubblefield ‘15 Advisor........................................................................... Peter Huck
cartoon by Emma Hierholzer ‘15
The Warrior•Opinion March 13, 2015
15
The Suppressed Realities of High School Life Inevitability of Change Negative Truths About Social Cliques by Gianna Bartolini ‘15
When you’re a high school freshman, it is very easy to imagine the future and think that you know the way your life will turn out. If grades are what you base this on, it may be possible, but on a social and emotional level, it will not be the case. As a senior, looking back on my years of high school so far and looking forward to the final months of this stage in my life, I have come to realize that there are two lessons to learn from the past four years. One: you aren’t going to be the same person graduating as you were on the first day. The most obvious change is usually superficial. By seventeen or eighteen, you’re usually taller, fitter and better looking than you were at fourteen. Puberty usually does people a few favors; hopefully I’m less awkward looking now that I’ve grown out of my baby cheeks and man haircut. Although people seem to put more value on appearance, the change that really matters is the one that impacts personality, values and self-identification. Freshman year, I was a ‘theatre geek’ and tried my hardest to be involved in every single production, but as time went on, I realized that I wasn’t truly passionate about that and put more of a focus on dance classes. Two: the people you are with affect who you are. Peer pressure is real, but isn’t always a bad thing. My friends have helped me make regrettable decisions, but there are a lot of awesome things that I would’ve never done if I hadn’t known them. Even for those I am no longer close to, our shared experiences are invaluable
to my life. From one group of friends, I learned the importance of individuality, artistry and culture; from another, the value of staying close to my spiritual roots and working towards positive, healthy relationships; and from yet another, the power of friendship and supporting each other through life’s ups and downs. Some people are meant to come into our lives for a short time, and others are there to stay. After this was explained to me by a close friend, I began to see the positive reasons for each relationship and what came out of them. This is especially helpful to think about after friend drama and tear-filled breakups. I always trust too easily, and for my overly sensitive soul, knowing that there is always something constructive to take from this is reassuring. Finally, the biggest lesson of all is that when life closes a window, it opens a door of opportunity. Although the situation may seem ‘dire,’ like losing an SGA election or not being chosen for a coveted spot on the baseball team, it’s often for the best. In my junior year, I didn’t get a role in the musical when all my friends did, so I quit. I was embarrassed and felt judged by everyone, so I isolated myself from the people I’d become so close to. While this was an awful experience, it allowed me to become better friends with girls at ballet and improve drastically at dance. Changes must be accepted peacefully. It’s natural for things to change in life, and instead of fighting them and trying to keep things the same, allowing them to evolve organically makes your life so much easier and happier.
figuring out who they are, they want to be around similar people. But here’s the problem: how are students supposed to discover who they are if they don’t stray
It’s not socially acceptable to try to join another clique, so that is We’ve all seen those movies not a realistic option. about high school life that high This isn’t right. Students light social cliques. There are need to be able to learn from peousually jocks, popuple who are different lar girls, nerds and all from them. The ignothe other stereotypical A second opinion: rance and prejudice of groups. It goes without Actress and comedian Tina our generation is born saying that Hollywood from our fear of what is Fey, who wrote the screenplay definitely exaggerates different. If we actually for “Mean Girls,” offered high school, but there’s learned about different personal anecdotes about high aspects of life—culone overall fact that school cliques when the film tures, interests, relifilms got right. Many first came out in 2004. people may deny it, gions—we would realbut there are definitely ize that there is nothing cliques at Sherwood. to be afraid of. “Within my own group of friends we When high school Cliques do not students watch movonly hurt those who thought we were pretty cool. But if you ies like “Mean Girls” had a larger, bird’s eye view of the school, are not involved with a and “The Breakfast specific group. Drama we were not, in fact, very cool. I was Club,” they laugh at happens within cliques the cliques portrayed. and between cliques. If definitely always kind of in the corner They laugh at how snarking off about anybody I thought was two people in a group mean and petty kids start fighting, then evbetter-looking, which was pretty much can be and how ridiceryone else is automateveryone … Not only do I think that ulous cliques are. Then ically involved, and, they go to school, act [these high school behaviors are all] kind apparently, it becomes mean and petty, and business. of funny, but I think they’re very true and everyone’s stick to their own little What often happens they don’t always go away in adult life.” ridiculous cliques. in these cliques is that Groups at Sherone person in the group wood may not be exwill decide they don’t actly like the movies, but they from their comfort zones and talk like another person, and will are still a problem. Students are to people who aren’t exactly like somehow convince others in the divided by culture, interests, mu- them? What about those kids that group to dislike that person too. sic taste, style of dress, language, don’t fit the criteria of these pre- Then the group will eventually talents, morals and race. This is determined social classes? Fitting have to break the news to that not the problem; the best friend- in is so important for adolescents. person: “We don’t like you. You ships are often made by finding They need to feel like they belong can’t sit here.” people with common interests. somewhere and are wanted by Eventually, people may find The problem is that these groups others. They need to feel accept- new friends, but it won’t be withare extremely exclusive and ed. If they don’t find this, then out a lot of hard work and pain. close-minded. Each group has high school can be an extremely It is said that high school scars its own characteristics, and each lonely time. This may cause a one for life, most likely because group looks down on all other student to wonder what’s wrong of pointless drama within cliques. with himself or herself, and why The dream is that people could groups. High school is a time to “find he or she doesn’t fit in anywhere. just be nice to each other without yourself,” so when people start Where does that person go now? being judged.
by Madison Dymond ‘16
To The Point An Emoji for Everyone
Field Trip Fuss
Pizza Handouts for Poor
by Maya Koeppen ‘17
by Steven Witkin ‘16
by Meagan Barrett ‘15
Over the years, everyone’s favorite personality emoticons have been criticized for being too limited in terms of choices. Apple offers a wide variety of Caucasian skin tone emojis, ranging from two girls dancing to a small family, but no other races. The only racial emojis include a dark skinned emoji with a supposedly religious headdress and a man wearing a traditional Chinese skullcap. But where are the black people emojis? To users and critics alike it is obvious there is a clear lack of minority representation on the keyboard. In response to the nationwide censure, Apple plans to release a more racially diverse set of emojis in its beta version of iOS 8.3; a decision that should have been made a long time ago. Through this update users will be able to adjust emojis skin tones using a modifier to select from five different color preferences. The new keyboard is also set to feature 30 new country flags and same-sex couples. This update is currently only available to developers, but is planned to be released the public in the coming months.
It is the same routine every time. You get a field trip form and have to go around to every teacher to get their signature as some sort of approval. The official purpose of this seems to be so that the teachers know in advance when a student is out for a field trip, but many teachers just sign without looking at the date of the trip. What if a teacher does not sign? Does a teacher have the right to not sign and say that a student cannot go? This process is more trouble than it’s worth, and frankly, quite useless. When a student misses school for a field trip, it is essentially like a sick day. The student makes up the missed work the next day. Of course students should alert their teachers and perhaps get the work beforehand if they plan to miss a day, but having each teacher sign their approval on an unrelated trip is unnecessary. Additionally, the scavenger hunt of getting signatures can take days. In this regard, getting signatures serves no purpose that cannot be done in an easier way. It would be much simpler if field trip forms did not require signatures from each teacher.
In Philadelphia, a former Wall Street worker has left his wealthy life behind to start a pizza restaurant called Rosa’s. Aside from having unusually low prices (1 slice is only 1 dollar), Rosa’s has become famous for feeding the homeless. Because the prices are so low, it’s an option for people to buy a second piece, called a “Little Rosa,” which they don’t actually receive. Instead they put a sticky note on a wall in the restaurant. Homeless people in the area are then welcome to come in, take a sticky note from the wall up to the register and get a pre-paid slice of pizza. Too many people nowadays demonize the idea of giving “handouts” to those less fortunate, because taking it through taxes makes the giving forced. However, giving voluntarily changes the mentality from being indignant and instead encourages generosity. This practice is harmless to companies, seeing as the item is paid for either way, and it is a way of positively sanctioning the act of giving. In order to improve society’s attitude towards helping others, this is a practice that should be made more common.
The Warrior•Opinion 16
March 13, 2015
In what subject would you say you cheat the most?
e 11% ctiv
Ele
Social Studies
English
17%
Cheating Oxford Dictionary defines cheating acting “dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.” The Warrior surveyed 152 students to see how students at Sherwood define cheating and how prevalent it is in our school.
52% of respondents do not consider copying
another student’s completion homework cheating
22%
67% of respondents admit to doing so at
e
c n e i
Math
37%
Sc 13%
How guilty do you feel when you cheat?
5% Very guilty 30% Moderately guilty 35% Not very guilty
least once every two weeks
61% of respondents do not consider
reading the summaries of assigned books instead of reading the book itself cheating
43% of respondents do consider telling another student what is on an assessment cheating
8% of respondents claim they never asked another student what is on an assessment
81% of respondents do consider looking at another student’s answers while taking an assessment cheating yet
60% of respondents admit to doing so
23% of respondents do not consider rewording somebody else’s essay cheating
30% Not guilty at all
73% of respondents claim they have never reworded another person’s essay
General Assembly Needs To Revise Function by Christopher Sung ‘17
It has been approximately 10 years since the start of the former Sherwood General Assembly, an institution designed to bring out leadership and bridge the gap between students and staff-administration. Originally created for the purpose of increasing student-toadministration communication, the former Sherwood General Assembly was established as a symbol and bastion of student leadership, a place where elected student representatives could voice the sentiments of their fellow classmates in order to inform the staff-administration and pursue meaningful action. In its first year of service, the former General Assembly facilitated many
discussions, such as a ‘no hat in-school rule’, which the school administration later used to help make a decision on the issue. The original General Assembly at Sherwood lasted only a few years and it was not until this year that the student representative body has reemerged. Although this development should be reason to celebrate, the current General Assembly is nothing but a broken, disorganized mess, lacking everything from passionate students to effective leadership. Without a goal or aim for the representatives who participate in the assembly’s chaos, it comes as no surprise that many students within Sherwood see no need for a General Assembly, despite what has been called the gathering of
student ‘liaisons’ and ‘representatives’. Although called a student legislature with elected representatives, members hardly represent students, or anything for that matter. Even in the words of a few SGA officers, the General Assembly is not a place of debate or discussion but rather a place where so-called representatives are required to act as messengers and take a pre-printed sheet of paper back to their Advisories. In other words, instead of taking full responsibility and trying to take simple measures to fix the apparent communication problem between SGA and students, the SGA has decided it is a good idea to place such responsibility upon other students, in an institution that should remain separate from
the SGA in order to develop individual leadership and clearly hone the voice of all students. Students need a new General Assembly, one with the same worthy purpose as the former, but with a modified system to meet today’s circumstances. In order to attract active representatives, representation for the Sherwood General Assembly should be based off of clubs and various departments, and each group should be allotted a maximum of two representatives. Clubs and departments that are specifically recognized by the SGA or General Assembly through a vote would have the ability to participate in the General Assembly’s proceedings. In order to ensure organized discussion, the Gen-
eral Assembly should abide by a system of debate, such as parliamentary procedure, and make sure to implement such a system loosely, as not to confuse or alienate new members. In addition, the General Assembly should formally assume the role of student legislature, having the ability to pass resolutions, in order to communicate the wants and needs of students directly to the school staff-administration. Sherwood can witness a great leap forward from the current General Assembly and pursue a system that will benefit all students if some of its policies are modified. Through these changes, Sherwood’s dysfunctional General Assembly can do better than just acting as a messenger system.
The Warrior•Wondering Warrior
17
March 13, 2015 Have you ever had a best friend of the opposite Sex?
Ways people met their best friend: “I met my best friend in middle school. I didn’t like her at first because she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.” ~Shayla Fuller ‘16
“Natalee Nalls threw up on my leg in health class in 8th grade and we’ve been best friends ever since.” ~Austyn Waldron ‘15
“Shawn and I grew up together; he lived down the street from me and we went to school together K-12.” ~Nikki Nagelvoort ‘16
Do you think you and your best friend will remain best friends after high school?
Do you have a
Best Friend?
92%
said yes
aid %s
no
8
75% 25%
of best friends are more alike of best friends are more different
31% of students have fallen for their best friend
96% said yes 4% said no
69% of students have not fallen for their best friend
What is your favorite Activity to do with your best friend?
“Going to an anime er.” convention togeth z ‘16 ~Christian Veluzavi
“We went to California together by o urselves.” ~Kelli Steveso n ‘15
“Sometimes just to relax and talk and eat some ice cream.” ~Rachel Calderon ‘17
“Go on activities together and experience new things.” ~Georgy Gerhardt ‘15
“Snowboard, ski, kayak and go hiking.” ~Jin Oh ‘15
“Walk to 7-11, go to Tanterra and relax at the pool.” ~Jonathan Sargent ‘16
“Fallin g matt off a roof ressd almo st bre iving and aking back. ” my ~And rew P resso n ‘15
How long have you known your best friend? 13% said 1-2 years
34% said 3-4 years
What’s the Best memory you have with Your Best Friend?
53% said 5+ years
*104 people surveyed compiled by Lauren Cosca ‘15 and Kaleigh Homer ‘15
The Warrior•Entertainment 18
March 13, 2015
Shows ‘n Shindigs Insurgent March 20
Home
March 27
Get Hard March 27
Movies
True Story April 10
CONCERTS Milky Chance March 23 (9:30 Club)
Taking Back Sunday Kid Ink March 28 April 22 (Rams Head) (Fillmore)
graphic by Ketki Chauhan ‘16 and Ryan Deal ‘16
‘The Last Man On Earth’ Might Not Last by Milan Polk ‘16 Fox’s advertising shows it is excited to premiere “The Last Man on Earth” on March 1, but it looks like its intended money-maker most likely will not last. “The Last Man on Earth” stars former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Will Forte as Phil Miller, the last man alive in the year 2020 after a virus wipes the planet of all life. The show is somewhat funny: Phil breaks into Hugh Hefner’s home but has to use his pool as a toilet because there is no more running water. The premiere episode even alludes to “Castaway,” the 2000 movie starring Tom Hanks as the only man on an island who ends up befriending a volleyball. Phil watches the movie and ends up with a tribe of various sports balls, and thanks the writers of “Castaway” for “getting it right.” As the premiere progresses, Phil deals with the emotional problems that arise with humanity’s collapse. He is at first elated at the chance to be alone, and then becomes depressed, having conversations with God and praying he can find a woman. He does, but instead of the supermodel he imagines, he finds Carol (Kristen Schaal), an average-looking woman who he cannot stand. The show has a promising start, with Phil crisscrossing the country to find any signs of life, and the viewer hoping to learn more about him as the episode goes on. Unfortunately, the character does not develop much past
what the viewer sees in the beginning. Phil Miller mostly mopes around the entire episode, complaining about his life and situation. He is completely unrelatable, and although there are some funny moments, he is generally a flat character with no other purpose than to find another human being. The show is also mildly sexist, with the tired clichés in which the man is lazy and dirty, and the woman must tirelessly pick up after him and yell at him to do something productive. Phil is the careless man, and Carol is the high-strung woman who will stop at nothing until Phil does as he is told. At the episode’s end, it seems like most of Phil’s complaints are solved, so there does not seem like there could be a second episode, much less a whole season. The plot is predictable and does not feel unique or remarkable.
After a while, the episodes of this show will get repetitive and bland. In the second episode, Phil and Carol decide to marry, even though they are not attracted to one another. The episode tries to establish some sort of bond between the two characters, even though the audience knows little about the two and cannot connect with them. The mild sexist undertone continues. Carol is excited about the wedding, but Phil cares little and even forgets the rings. The episode ends with the duo driving off, then hitting a car, in which Phil’s supermodel dream girl exits. The show sounds more like a man’s fantasy of human extinction rather than a comical take on it. It would be easier to find another television show to watch, one that stands out and develops its characters.
The Warrior•Entertainment March 13, 2015
19
Very Funny ‘Business’ by Allie Pino ‘15
New Label, Same Effect by Marie Moeller ‘15 As stated so clearly in the opening narration of “The DUFF” via a reference to “The Breakfast Club,” there are the usual high school stereotypes: jock, geek, princess, basket case, the list goes on, but in the midst of another sub-par, romantic teen comedy arises a new label: the DUFF or Designated Ugly Fat Friend. Bianca (Mae Whitman) is surprised to learn that she has achieved DUFF status by being less popular and attractive than her two best friends (Skyler Samuels and Bianca Santos), making her “approachable” because boys only want to date her friends instead of someone who is “second-rate.” Naturally, she tries everything in her power to change herself, including enlisting the help of her neighbor, Wesley (Robbie Amell), a popular jock and future homecoming king, before ultimately realizing that only you can define yourself. The movie itself was a poor one due to a complete lack of originality. Everything from the soundtrack to the overall storyline has been witnessed countless times in previous films. To compensate, well-known Disney Channel and Nickelodeon stars such as Bella Thorne and Robbie Amell were cast in leading roles. Their lack of experience in successful, big-budget films, ultimately resulted in mediocre performances. In addition, the script itself seriously failed to deliver even an ounce of comedic ingenuity. However, it is the film’s underling message to teens who see it that is its worst flaw. Per usual, the film depicts the stereotypical high school, segregated by cliques and characterized by raging parties that the entire school attends. Despite the gross over-generalization of the social hierarchy, teen audiences instinctively try to find truth in
the portrayals because of how often these clichés are reinforced in movies and books to be the truth of high school life. The creation of yet another high school stereotype will yield the same result. Even if it is the most far-fetched label yet, many girls and guys will take the new label to heart, degrading their self-esteem and self-worth in the process. One does not even have to fit the acronym’s criteria of being fat or ugly to begin to think of himself or herself as a DUFF. Anyone that feels used in their friend group and inferior to their friends will cling onto this label because being a DUFF is more of a mental state than a physical one. It is the stereotypes behind the label that give it the driving force to deteriorate a person’s value. Once one comes to accept that he or she can be defined by a single label, he or she internalizes the negative perception held by their peers as dictated by the stereotypes of that specific label. While teens should love who they are regardless of what others think, it is inevitable that many can manifest insecurities by adopting the perception of others as their own. Specifically, an insecure teen will begin to have thoughts that he or she is not an actual individual without their friends. In the movie, Bianca goes through the same struggle, attempting to change her appearance and personality so that she will no longer be a DUFF. She is even prompted to do so by several other characters. This speaks volumes compared to the contradictory theme of embracing who you are, which is briefly displayed in the last five minutes of the movie. Regardless, students from middle school to high school will attempt to box themselves into the new label, claiming they are a DUFF merely because of the media hype promoting the only defining characteristic of the film.
In the enjoyable comedy “Unfinished Business,” directed by Ken Scott, a hard-working small business owner and his two associates travel to Europe to close the most important deal of their lives. But what began as a routine business trip goes off the rails in every imaginable—and unimaginable—way, including unplanned stops at a massive parties and a global economic summit. Dan Trunkman (Vince Vaughn) is a St. Louis family man. He’s a smooth talker who thinks he’s got it all figured out. In other words, it’s the kind of part that the Vaughn can play in his sleep. At home, his overweight teenage son is being cyberbullied, and his younger daughter is getting into trouble for beating up other kids. Dan has to send his son to a private school and is struggling to afford the tuition. Dan grows tired of working for somebody else’s bonus so he quits working for his insufferable boss Chuck (Sienna Miller) to go into business for himself. He invites his colleagues Timothy McWinters (Tom Wilkinson), who has just been laid off, and Mike Pancake (Dave Franco), who had a job interview and no prayer of being hired, to join him in a revolt. A year later, Dan’s striking out on his own as head of Apex Select. He seems to have successfully negotiated for Apex to be acquired by a massive firm called
the Benjaminson Group. This is until he realizes that his company is being treated as “the fluffer,” a sort of decoy for a much bigger deal involving Dan’s former employer, placing him in direct competition with the sneering Chuck. Although he knows he doesn’t have a chance against the big boys, Dan insists on flying with Tim and Mike to Berlin, where they hope to convince Benjaminson’s corporate overlords to reconsider. Vaughn plays it straight, going for the frustrated business man. Franco balances that with his last name, which was meant to wring laughs out of inarticulate mispronunciations of simple words. Franco’s character, clearly intended to be mentally handicapped, is a nice guy but slow,
leaving one to wonder how he landed this particular corporate job. The actor plays it all convincingly, even selling the notion that such a guy could prove to be an unlikely ladies man in Berlin. Wilkinson is an old man in the last months of a bad marriage who wants to “experience joy” for once. He’s the one willing to drive this business trip into “Hangover” territory, hiring sex workers and trying ecstasy at the youth hostel. While the team offers a fairly rushed approach to capturing the European surroundings such as: a glimpse of the Berlin Marathon, an Oktoberfest bacchanal, a violent protest outside a G8 summit, the movie manages to be serious while still delivering the comedic goods.
The Warrior•Entertainment 20
March 13, 2015
Hustle ‘n’ Bustle for Rock ‘n’ Roll by Ashley Nnabue ‘16
Rock ‘n’ Roll is the annual musical production at Sherwood that is met with anticipation each year. However, some of the behind-the-scenes choices remain a mystery to the audience, especially the process for selecting songs. Annually, there is an overall theme that embodies the nature of the songs performed. This year’s theme is “Dancing in the Street,” which a student participating in the show suggested. Deciding on the theme each year is not a simple task. With the wide array of options within the music world, there are endless suggestions to consider. Choosing a theme boils down to factors of the show such as the set, dancers and singers. “It’s a collaboration between the musical directors and the artistic directors, but we try to relate the art direction in terms of the stage, the stage painting and construction. We try to link that to the song choices as well,” said Rock ‘n’ Roll director Mike Maddox. The theme is typically decided after picking soloists, although that is not always the case. The judges take their soloists’ diver-
Jack Armstrong ‘15
Junior Dorian Stubblefield and senior Kristin Stitzlein entertain the audience with “Give Up the Funk.” It is one of the 40 songs performed by students at the annual production, which is now in its forty-fourth year. sity of voices into consideration when choosing a theme for the year. Soloists are selected after adding up six judges’ audition scores based on vocal performance, movement, stage presence and overall preparedness. Then, songs are carefully picked to fit each unique voice and style.
Rock ‘n’ Roll director Bill Evans has a particular vision for each year’s show, which includes the song selection, the order of songs, staging, dancing and everything in between. Contrary to popular belief, the placement of background singers is not random, but instead
strategically organized. Many hours are spent coordinating the changing time performers have between their songs, the contribution of their voice to the overall sound and more. To maintain balance, experienced singers such as soloists and/or members of Chamber singers are always among the
background singers. “There is a lot to think about and we have a massive Excel file we use to try to plan all of that,” Maddox said. The planning usually takes long hours over winter break to create the ideal performance before rehearsals officially begin. Although there has not been a conscious decision to move away from the staple Rock ‘n’ Roll sound, there has been an increase in diversity of the music chosen. The show now incorporates both modern and classic songs. All song decisions are made final by Evans. The Rock ‘n’ Roll audience consists of a wide range of people, differing in age, gender, ethnicity and school affiliation. The performance is done in such a way that will attract a larger audience in every year. The objective is to put together a show for the crowd to enjoy, and to connect people with timeless music. A lot of hard work, time and dedication is put in to compel the audience to return each year and enjoy another round of beautifully interpreted songs. “I love working on the production. I think this year will be another fantastic one, and I hope people come out and see it,” said Maddox.
Logic Satisfies the Hometown Crowd
The crowd awaited his arrival until around 10:30 pm when On March 4, rapper Psy- Logic jumped on stage and stole chological, a.k.a. Logic, per- the crowd’s heart with his number formed at the sold-out Fill- one single “Soul Food,” followed more venue in his hometown up by “I’m Gone.” He played of Silver Spring. His fans through his entire new album and waited patiently in the pour- closed the show with an emotioning rain to see their hometown al single, “Nikki,” which refers to hero take stage and sing from his early addiction to nicotine and his most recent album “Under how he has fallen out of love with Pressure.” it. And finally, just as the crowd Logic perbegan f o r m e d The crowd awaited his arrival to wonwith DJ if until around 10:30 pm when der Drizzy he was Wright and Logic jumped on stage and stole going to local up- the crowd’s heart with his num- sing the and-comber one single “Soul Food,” fol- album’s ing rapper m a i n M i c h a e l lowed up by “I’m Gone.” song, Christ“Under mas. BePresfore Logic took the stage, sure,” the lights dimmed, the Christmas performed his beat dropped and Logic let loose most popular singles such as exactly what everyone had been “Michael Cera” and “Mess waiting for. Needless to say, LogWith Me” but left the crowd ic never disappoints. unsatisfied and chanting for The overall venue was asmore. However, Logic stayed tonishing. The venue was small backstage while Wright made enough that members of the auan entrance and played 90s dience felt like they were on the throwback music which stage with Logic. The size of the did get the crowd moving, venue helped the concert feel but some music-goers just more personal. Anyone that left couldn’t contain their love for the concert Wednesday night Logic. People were getting would agree that not only is he anxious as they waited for a five-star performer, but that Logic, and the crowd overall he knows how to show love to could have done without the the true fans that brought him to opening acts. where he is today.
by Kaleigh Homer ‘15
The Warrior•Sports March 13, 2015
21
Boys’ Basketball Eliminated at Springbrook Future Looks Bright as Girls’
Basketball Shows Improvement
by Leo Corman ‘15 The boys’ basketball team lost 71-55 at Springbrook on Saturday in the 4A North Region Section II championship game, knocking them out of playoff competition. The Warriors defeated Blake in their first playoff game 63-56 before falling to a talented group of Blue Devils (21-3) that displayed size, skill and athleticism on their way to victory. The Warriors outscored Springbrook by 3 points in the second half, but a 21-6 second quarter in favor of the Blue Devils proved too great a deficit for the Warriors to overcome. “We had too many turnovers and fouls in the first half,” said Coach Tim Gilchrist. While Springbrook had all five starters score in double figures, the Warriors had only two players put up more than 4 points. Senior guard Xavier McCants led the team in scoring with 22 points, and senior center Hunter Moore added 16 points and 14 rebounds, but the lack of a third substantial scoring threat, a role fulfilled in past games by junior guard Tyrese Williams and/or senior Geremiah Charles, certainly contributed to the Warriors’ defeat, as the team managed just 12 points in the entire first half of the game. In addition, Springbrook shot 46 free throws in the contest, compared to only 17 for the Warriors, a statistic that characterizes less lopsided officiating and more the Blue Devils’ aggressiveness in attacking the basket and pursuing offensive rebounds. The loss brings the Warriors’ record to 12-12 on the season, an equilibrium that belies the team’s
by Hunter Moore ‘15
Jack Armstrong ‘15
AIR BALL Senior Geremiah Charles catches a rebound in the playoff game against Blake on March 4, leading the boys to a 63-56 victory. struggle to find consistency over the course of the year. The Warriors experienced exciting victories as well as disappointing defeats: wins early in the season over rivals and county powerhouses Magruder and Springbrook, followed by losses against each team in the second match-up. The Warriors also lost a number of close games, with five losses decided by 3 points or less or in overtime. On the whole, the Warriors can take pride in what they accomplished and look to take another step forward next year. “I felt like
it was a great season with my teammates. We had great camaraderie, and we got to put a number up [division title], which was only the third one in school history,” said McCants. “I would have liked to put up a region or state title, but hopefully the younger guys will be able to next year.” Gilchrist expressed a similar sentiment: “[We] rose to every challenge and never gave up or quit ... We have a team of winners, and these young men will be successful with any endeavor they choose.”
On Saturday, March 7 the game clock expired, and so did the season of the girls’ basketball team in a 67-40 loss to state finalist Paint Branch (23-1). However, this loss is not a bad one for the Warriors, who surprised the county by making it to the 4A West Regional semi-final game under its third coach in as many years and boasted a record of 16-8. The Warriors clinched the No. 3 seed and a bye as they traveled to Howard (22-5) and defeated the Lions in the second round by a score of 66-59. This year’s team was led by senior captain Nicole Stockinger (11 points per game), sophomore Good Counsel transfer Amanda Allen (8.7 points per game) and junior Delaney McMenamin (8.4 points per game). “This year we definitely surprised a lot of people, because many expected nothing from us. Last year is when the team came together and started playing well with one another,” said Stockinger. “Going from what Coach Campbell left definitely helped lead us toward success this year.” Coach Tim Hobbs took control of this team one year after being the assistant coach at Whitman and has held positions at Magruder, Seneca Valley, Einstein and Clarksburg. Hobbs led the Warriors to a playoff win and a winning record, unlike the 2013 season when the Warriors went 4-17 and the 2014 season where they went 10-13. “I don’t believe the girls
believed they were as good as I did at the start of this year, but in the middle of the season, we got things rolling and rattled off a seven- or eight-game win streak,” said Hobbs. “A lot of the girls said it would be a success if we won one playoff game and we did just that, so this season did exceed my expectations.” This seven-game win streak began on January 30 against Blake (13-7), when Sherwood won by a score of 46-32 to complete a season sweep of the Bengals. This streak included another division win over Springbrook (6-17), avenging the loss that occurred earlier in the season. The Warriors capped off the run with a win over rival Magruder (1410), by a score of 63-61, completing the season sweep which has not happened recently in Sherwood-Magruder play. This year’s team is also young, and the future holds a lot of potential for the Warriors. The team, consisting of four seniors, have several playmakers returning for the 2015-2016 season. “The future is very bright with the number of girls coming back from Taylor Andrews, Bryse Thornwell, Delaney McMenamin, Amanda Allen, Sammy Sundell to the very talented JV team that went 13-4,” added Hobbs. Senior Stacey O’Neale (5.8 points per game), a Wesley College basketball commit and Stockinger, a Towson University softball commit, are going to be hard to replace, but of the top nine scorers for this years team, seven were underclassmen.
March Madness Tournament Provides Publicity to Underdog Schools by Maddie Peloff ‘16 The year is 1984. The Boston College Eagles are down four points, losing to the University of Miami Hurricanes in one of the most crucial football games of the season. In order to win, quarterback Doug Flutie must throw the ball 48 yards into the end zone with 30 mile per hour winds raging against him. Miami’s defense, confident that Flutie won’t be able to throw far enough, completely ignore Boston’s wide receiver Gerald Phelan as he runs down the field. However, Miami’s decision proves to be a mistake that costs them the game. Flutie throws the football across the field to Phelan, who miraculously catches the long pass, winning the game for the Boston Eagles. Considered one of the most exciting college football games ever, Flutie’s ‘Hail Mary’ throw had no small effect on the world of college sports. Not only did it allow Flutie to win several awards himself, including the highly coveted Heisman trophy, but he turned the spotlight of sports networks across the country onto Boston College. Fast forward two years later
and Boston College applicants increased by a whopping 30 percent. Flutie’s incredible pass and extensive press coverage served as unofficial advertising for the school as it gained more attention on the national level and encouraged more applicants. Deemed the “Flutie Effect,” researchers named the correlation between a school’s athletic success and number of applicants after the famous Boston College quarterback. One of these researchers includes Doug J. Chung, Harvard Business School Assistant Professor of Marketing. Chung’s research paper, “The Dynamic Advertising Effect of Collegiate Athletics,” was one of the first to support the theory of the Flutie Effect with concrete statistical evidence. Chung found that when an athletically average school’s sport’s team has breakout success, the number of applicants increased an average of 18.7 percent. He also found that students with lower SAT scores were more influenced by a school’s athletic success when deciding where to apply. However, as more applicants flood the school following its success, it become more se-
lective and competitive, appealing to a wider range of students. The Flutie Effect is not solely applicable to football. In fact, success in the NCAA March Madness tournament has proven to be extremely influential on the number of applicants to a school. During the 2010 season, Kansas was seeded number one overall, with an impressive record of 35-3. In their second game of the tournament, Kansas played Northern Iowa, a team seed ninth overall and anticipated to lose. The game was close, but Northern Iowa managed to secure a win with a final score 69-67, becoming the first team to take down a number one seeded team in the second round since 2004. Just like Boston College, Northern Iowa received recognition across the country, increasing awareness for the smaller Midwestern school. Though the team lost before they reached the championship, the school’s admissions shot up over seven percent the following year and the Monday after the game, calls to the school’s admissions office increased 30 percent. Butler University is also a prime example of the Flutie ef-
fect. The small Indiana school’s unexpected, wild success in the 2010-2011 basketball seasons led to an immense increase in applicants. Due to its athletic success, the school received news coverage worth approxi-
mately $1.2 billion and over the next few years, the number of applicants increased 41 percent, demonstrating the immense effect a college’s athletics can have on its admissions and further supporting the Flutie Effect.
The Warrior•Sports 22
March 13, 2015
SPRING SPORTS OUTLOOK
GIRLS’ LACROSSE
Making it to the state round of playoffs for two years in a row is an incredible accomplishment. Sherwood had a terrific season last year before losing 11-8 to Catonsville in state semi-finals. Despite key players graduating, the team is confident that it can repeat its recent success. Coach Kelly Hughes, in her fourth year as varsity coach, says there will be a stronger midfield with players like Taylor Andrews, Kristen Russell and Delaney McMenamin. “My core group of players coming back this year are majority juniors, which means last year we had a young team,” said Hughes. When Hughes took over the program she told the players and parents that getting to the states level every year is the team’s goal. “I think this year our key for success will be experience,” said Hughes. She believes that her players have gone through enough in past seasons to handle the pressure of expectations. Even with the departure of Emily Kenul, who now plays lacrosse at Johns Hopkins, the team is primed to go to states for a third year in a row. ~Elizabeth Kronlage ‘18
BOYS’ LACROSSE
Over the course of the indoor track season, many of the team’s runners, throwers and jumpers saw impressive personal records, and eventually, several members qualified for the state competition. After such a successful indoor season, the outdoor track team looks forward to a promising new season in which they improve off the basis of their indoor training. Many key members of the indoor team who went to states are seniors, including Tiffany and Lauren Woods, Molly Hierholzer, Junior Settles and Dotun Oseni-Adegbite. For these competitors, outdoor track is their last chance to run and throw as a team. “I’m hoping to improve my times and really make my last season here count,” said Hierholzer. As a team, outdoor track has a challenging season ahead of them. Last year, the girls finished their divisional meets undefeated and won the regional title. This year, they hope to complete the same feat, although they will have to do so without key runner Grace McDonald, who graduated last year. However, the team has high hopes for the upcoming season. In order to achieve their goals, they plan on “consistent training, using the weight room more, and really bonding with the team [to] help build on the last season,” said Hierholzer. ~Maddie Peloff ‘16
Last season, the boys’ varsity volleyball team went 8-3 during the regular season and made it to the county semi-finals where they fell just short of winning against Clarksburg. This year, their goal is to make it further than last year with the help of their experienced players. The Warriors have eight returning players including senior captains Andy Miller and Keegan Black. “We’re a largely veteran team but lost our big outside hitter last year,” said Black. “Going into the season we know we’re a well-rounded team and hope to capitalize on that by switching up the sets and utilizing all our returning players.” Even though they are a skillful team, there is always room to grow. “In order for the team to be the best in the county, they are going to have to learn to work together,” said Coach Ben Sanger. “Everyone must not just run through drills, but push each other through each drill, make it harder for the next person, and it’s only when that is achieved that skill will grow and the team will improve as a whole.” ~Sammie Spillman ‘16
SOFTBALL
With spring approaching, the varsity boys’ lacrosse has begun preparations for another season. Although the Warriors lost eight seniors last year, including All-American Mike Crooks, 10 currents seniors on the team are ready to work hard to have a successful 2015. Determined not to repeat the one-goal losses of last season against rivals Walter Johnson, Churchill and Quince Orchard, the boys are bringing hard work and effort to every practice in their determination to win the close games against the other best teams in the county. Seniors Luke Logan, Jake Guiffre and Grant Fricke were among last year’s top scorers. Senior Chris Chiogioji has recovered from an ACL injury and is also looking to impact the Warrior offense. The boys’ lacrosse players are also playing for their two teammates, senior Max Dechter and the late Shawn Gangloff. “Obviously, the accident with Max and Shawn affected us because they were both supposed to be playing with us,” said Logan. “So we keep it in mind that not everyone gets the chance to play lacrosse and that we’re lucky.” ~Dalton Sanchez ‘15
OUTDOOR TRACK
BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL
Coming off the heels of a season which saw them go undefeated and capture a third straight state championship, Sherwood softball has its eyes on an incredible goal, a fourth straight championship. Last season, the Warriors went 19-0, the most important win coming in a 12-1 blowout in the state championship against Chesapeake. The stellar team, led by then-seniors starting pitcher Meggie Dejter and first baseman Mary Beth Bidwick, will be looking to replace the key graduates with up-and-coming talent that has been abundant within the program for years. “Hard work, dedication, perseverance, [players replacing seniors] need to be all in,” said Coach Ashley Barber-Strunk. Although losing key seniors is never an easy pill to swallow, the team will have its fair share of reinforcements. Among them include junior Kelly Bouma, who notably hit a three-run home run in the championship game last year and senior Nicole Stockinger, a first team All-Met selection who batted an astonishing .678 last season. It will not be easy for the Warriors to win a fourth straight championship this year, but given the current 70-game winning streak and the talent on the roster, they have to be considered the favorites. ~Ryan Deal ‘16
BASEBALL
The Warriors had a decent regular season campaign last spring, but they failed to get a clutch hit in the fifth inning resulting in a 2-0 loss to Chesapeake in the state championship game. Last spring the Warriors were recognized as one of the top teams in the state. They finished nineteenth in the state rankings and with a record of 15-8. Due to the departure of then-senior pitchers Brady Adams, Matt Chanin and Brian Reich, the team will be looking for a new pitching rotation to replace them. “We definitely have a few guys returning that could fill the role,” said senior outfielder Neven Sussman. A strong pitching rotation is key to a team’s success, so finding a replacements is very important. Seniors Thomas St. Laurent and Brian Hughes, along with sophomore Brendan Collins, are expected to fill the rotation in this upcoming season. While the Warriors are looking to replace their rotation, they will also be missing their biggest offensive threat, senior Jake Paholski, who is out with a broken collar bone and is expected to return sometime in April. Paholski led the team with 21 hits and posted the second highest batting average of .304. The Warriors will face Wootton in their first regular season game on March 21. ~Tyler Jones ‘15
CO-ED VOLLEYBALL
Under second-year coach Bryan Clark, coed volleyball will look to some new players and some new attitudes on the team to boost them above and beyond last year’s results. Last season the team lost in the semifinals to Northwest, after winning the MCPS championship in 2013. The core of the team’s players will come from the girls’ varsity volleyball team, which went 23-1 in the fall. Key players will include seniors Dalton Sanchez, Alison Sarver and junior Ariella Rodriguez. The team will have to fill in some holes due to the loss of several senior boys from last year’s team. Boys on the team are expected to be seniors Hunter Moore, Christian DeMoya, Xavier McCants and junior Colin Loiccano. The co-ed volleyball team has won nine county championships and strives to add another one to its list this year. Though it have suffered from a loss of many talented players, the team expects to have a mix of new and returning players play to their full potential this season. “I am stressing efficiency this year. We need to work hard in practice and have it translate over to our matches,” said Clark. ~Lauren Cosca ‘15
BOYS’ TENNIS
Fresh off of a season in which they captured the division III championship, the boys’ tennis team will be looking to follow up on their success this spring in division II with the return of many key players from their championship run. The team had 12 underclassmen last year who played a strong role in the team going 9-2 after a record of 4-7 the previous year. With so many underclassmen from last year now returning, the tennis team will be looking for seniors Jack McCallister and Gabe Sarecky to step up in leadership positions in order to help the team accomplish another successful season. “Our team goals are always to seriously prepare at every practice and compete for every point in every match. [We want to] keep the lapses in concentration to a minimum,” said Coach Thomas Maley. The Warriors will face stiff competition in division II, but just as their young talent propelled them to a championship last season, they will find a way to make a strong showing against some of the top teams in their new division. ~Ben Cooper ‘16
GYMNASTICS
After a successful 2014 season that culminated with a third-place finish at the county championship, the gymnastics team hopes to remain successful despite losing four talented seniors. With notable wins over skillful teams last season, the Warriors enter the 2015 season as a contender for the county championship title. The Warriors will see many new faces this year after adding a significant number of new gymnasts to their roster. Led by the 2014 Washington Post All-Met Coach of the Year Gary Peters and senior All-Met Cassidy Deerin, the Warriors also will have to turn to those new gymnasts, and plenty of returning ones, if they are to improve upon their impressive record from last year. “We have a good amount of new people on the team this year,” said junior Natalie Perretta. “Hopefully they will be able to help us improve on our finish from counties last year.” All eyes will be on the talented, but young team when they face Gaithersburg and Springbrook in a tri-meet on March 23. ~Morgan Hill ‘16
The Warrior•Sports March 13, 2015
23
The NBA Season Should Be Shortened by Zach Stubblefield ‘15
Chase Wilson ‘17
LITTLE LEAGUE In an OBGC playoff game on March 8 in the Sherwood gym, a junior from Magruder takes a free throw. Due to snow days, the championship game has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 15.
OBGC Basketball Scores Big with Students by Noah Rosendorf ‘17 Many kids in Olney like to play basketball, but not everyone has the time or the talent to play travel basketball or that started for their school. The Olney Boys and Girls Club (OBGC) basketball season that started in early January is an option for sophomores, juniors and seniors to continue playing basketball, and approximately 100 Sherwood students play in the league. The playoffs began in early March with the championship game on March 8. Students who play OBGC basketball look forward to seeing their friends that go to other local high schools as well as
their friends that they do not have classes with. Playing in this league is also a great way to meet new people. In each game, players on both teams have fun competing with each other and there are always a lot of high-fives and jokes within each team and with the opposing teams. “In OBGC basketball, you get to request who you want to play with on your team. That makes it more fun,” said senior Josh Popkin. OBGC basketball is not very time-consuming, consisting of two games a week in the senior league. The league is also a way for students to get a break from schoolwork and a good way to improve basketball skills in an
informal setting. In OBGC basketball every team makes the playoffs, but the teams want to have a good record going into the playoffs so they can be one of the top seeds. “Players take the game seriously, because they want to win. Winning is the main goal, because you have more fun playing when you are winning,” said sophomore Anthony Tavarez. OBGC basketball is not the most competitive league, so anyone who enjoys playing basketball can join it. “The fun of being with your friends and competing against each other is the best part of this league,” said senior Robbie Blaustein.
The NBA regular season is a drag. There are simply too many games for regular season wins and losses to actually mean something. The long season leads to many star players getting injured, which lessens the NBA’s appeal overall. An easy solution to this problem would be to shorten the season to 60 games. Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Lamarcus Aldridge, Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard are some of the many stars that have been plagued by the injury bug this season. These are not no-name bench players; these are the NBA’s money makers. These players have over 30 all-star appearances between them and have not been in the lineup for a good chunk of the season. The NBA shortening its season to 60 games would help eliminate this problem. A shorter season would allow players to rest and give their bodies time to recover. There would still be enough games for the average viewer to watch. Plus the 60 games would eliminate the dreaded back to back games that ravage a player’s body. A shortened NBA season would also enhance the overall product the NBA puts out. Stars like Lebron James and Dirk Nowitzki have come out and said that they cannot perform at a high level every game due to the number of games they have to play. As it is now players take
plays off during back-to-backs or when they have to play too many games during the season. In other words, they will not give it their all when they are on the court. When players are not playing to their full potential, the NBA loses its glamor and that’s not good for both the NBA and the fans. The playoffs would not drop in quality either if the season was shorter. A 60-game season would still give teams more than enough games to show who the top sixteen are. As it stands now the top six teams in each conference are usually decided by the time the All-Star break starts. So, the NBA loses a lot of appeal for about 40 games after the break, because fans can predict what most of the playoff teams will be and stop watching. The NBA shortening the season to 60 games will allow the average fan to maintain interest after the break, because there will not be as many games, and still give ample time for the lower tier playoff teams to fight for a spot. The rest a shorter season would offer players and appeal it would offer fans is reason enough to make a change to a 60-game NBA season
The Warrior•Sports 24
March 13, 2015
STAR ATTRACTIONS
Nicole Stockinger - Towson Neven Sussman - Albany by Emma Izzo ‘15 Senior shortstop Nicole Stockinger will be playing softball at Towson University next year. Stockinger made the varsity team as a freshman and she has been starring for the Warriors ever since. “When I was younger, I always wanted to play in college, and get a scholarship. I know that I had to work hard to earn this,” said Stockinger. Stockinger visited Towson and was impressed. “At Towson, the coaches were nice; I knew
it was a right fit for me because they treated me really well. They showed a lot of interest in me, and if you are being recruited it means a lot because you feel like they actually want you.” Towson also appealed to Stockinger because her friend, pitcher Meggie Dejter, graduated from Sherwood last year and now pitches for the Tigers. “ W e h a v e b e e n playing with each o t h e r
ever since we started playing softball, and are really good friends. It’s good knowing someone on the team,” said Stockinger. The whole process has not been a easy. She says the recruitment process was rough. “It’s a lot of work, definitely very stressful,” she admitted. “It has to happen if you want to play in college. It’s not like I did it on my own: my parents are there and my coaches are also, so they all help you. You aren’t alone.” Stockinger knows that softball at the college level will be more rigorous, with “harder competition, more work, early morning workouts, more time put into practice, and weight lifting.” However, she embraces the challenges. She wants to continue playing after college. “I plan to play in some leagues. Maybe coach kids. I still want to be involved since I’ve always played. I love it.” Stockinger’s passion for softball is bound to continue this year as she leads Sherwood softball in pursuit of a fourth consecutive 4A Maryland state title.
Jake Ryan - Florida State by Jack Armstrong ‘15 Jake Ryan knows how to dominate the pool. He’s been swimming since he was six years old, and every year he has progressed further from summer swimming to club swimming and high school swimming. Throughout high school he has been a part of the National Training Group at the Rockville Montgomery Swim Club (RMSC) at the MLK Swim Center in Silver Spring. Ryan was recruited by a handful of schools a n d comm i t ted to Florida State and is excited to soon be part of the team.
“[The process] has gone really, really well,” said Ryan. “I don’t know how this happened; I just kept
working at [swimming] and it just happened.” In September he took a recruiting trip and visited Florida State’s campus, knowing that he wanted to choose a school based on the school as a whole rather than only focusing on the athletic programs. He decided Florida State was the best fit for him. Ryan also feels college is a great opportunity to try different events in swim. “I’m trying a lot of new things; I feel like it’s the best year to try something new,” said Ryan. During his first year at Florida State he expects to be middle-tier on the team, and plans to contribute wherever he can.
by Ketki Chauhan ‘16 After being recruited by the likes of Davidson, Georgetown and several Ivy League schools, senior quarterback Neven Sussman eventually committed to Albany on February 4. Giving much thought to his future, he had been left to choose between a preferred walk-on spot at the University of Maryland, a Division I school, or a full ride from the University of Albany. A preferred walk-on spot is an offer to play directly on the team without trying out beforehand. Sussman admits that he gave Maryland a great deal of consideration but was never “close” to going to Maryland because he had already committed to Albany. “[Albany] was so upfront and honest throughout the whole process and the coaches did a great job with making me feel like I could do well and that I was wanted,” Sussman said. “It was hard to pass on accepting the preferred walk-on spot
because playing college football at its highest level is a special opportunity, but Albany offered me a better deal and had developed a stronger relationship with me throughout the recruiting process.” In selecting a school, Sussman looked at each school’s reputation, campus, proximity to a major
city, food and its opportunities to play football. After visiting Albany’s campus, Sussman experienced the classroom as well as the field. He met with other recruits and coaches, which also added to his admiration for the campus. With a full ride and no worries about college debt, Sussman believes that Albany’s offer was an option he could not turn down. “It’s a very high level of football and the program is on the rise with a new stadium, new coaches and a growing fan base.”
DJ Reeves - University of Maryland by Brian Hughes ‘15 Even if you have attended a Sherwood soccer game, odds are you have never seen senior forward DJ Reeves on the field. That’s because Reeves plays for a youth development club team affiliated with DC United, one of the top teams within the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Reeves said that playing with the team has been a large part of his success with the recruitment process.
“Playing for DC United opened up so many doors for me. We have scouts at every game, not to mention our practices,” he explained. Having originally
verbally committed to the University of Michigan, Reeves decommitted as he received more offers, noting that he had “jumped the gun with Michigan and needed to rethink it.”
After heavily considering UNC Chapel Hill because of its campus and professional atmosphere surrounding its soccer program, Reeves ultimately chose to sign with University of Maryland, College Park. The 2014 Big Ten men’s soccer champion, Maryland recently had two players who were drafted during the 2015 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. “It’s important to evaluate your options before making your final decision because you want to go where you feel most comfortable,” said
Reeves. “Maryland has been a topthree soccer program in the country for the past decade and I realized I wanted to stay close to home.”